A review by proudtobeabookaholic
Twisted Love by Ana Huang

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Alex Volkov has been obsessed with the thought of revenge since his family was murdered when he was 11 years old. With an IQ of 160 he's built a business empire that has made him a multimillionaire, and soon it's time for the final phase of his revenge plan.

Ava Chen suffers from nightmares due to a childhood she can’t remember. Despite this she's managed to keep a positive outlook on the world. Except for when it comes to her brother's best friend, Alex. He may look like an angel, but he's got a heart of ice. 

When Ava's brother Josh will be gone for a year he asks Alex to keep an eye on Ava - something neither of them wants. But Alex takes his promise seriously and becomes an even bigger thorn in Ava's life. Until she starts having other - forbidden - feelings for her brother's best friend. 
~
I'm very thorn when it comes to this book. On one hand it's a dramatic love story, filled with secrets and some surprises, which makes it hard to put down. On the other hand I don't think that the relationship between Alex and Ava is quite healthy. You may have "odd" taste when it comes to s*x - that's OK, as long as both are comfortable with it - but I do have a problem with someone treating their partner as a commodity, rather than as an equal. Alex's jealousy isn't what I would call normal, and I would have run in the other direction had I been Ava. I really hope that younger people reading this doesn't get the impression that this is how it should be. 

"And your p*ssy is mine. Every inch of you belongs to me, and if you ever let another man touch you - he'll end up in pieces, and you'll end up tied to my bed and f*cked in every hole until my name is the only one you remember. Do you understand?"

No, thank you! Both to the language and the intention! Ava's attitude is much nicer:

"People see what they want to see, I countered. Are there awful people in the world? Yes. Do awful things happen? Yes. But wonderful people exist and wonderful things happen too, and if you focus too much on the negative, you miss all the positive."

How these two very different people can end up together isn't logical, but they say opposites attract? Even though the next book in the series have another couple in the spotlight I don't think I'll read it.

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