A review by totalsassreads
Twisted Hate, by Ana Huang
5.0
Longer review forthcoming but: THIS WAS SO GOOD. Amazing. Going to be one of my favorites this year.
Full ARC Review:
This has got it all - a scary conflict that the heroine needs to resolve, huge emotional arcs for both Josh and Jules, A+ excellent banter, and enough sexual tension and spicy to steal all the arm from the room. Not to mention, some really excellent and poetic writing that will hit at the heart of you. There are some emotional and relational loose ends that are left hanging at the end of the first book, Twisted Love, and the loop is closed here.
Two years since Twisted Love and Josh is reckoning with the fallout of the reality about his father, and the role that Alex played in what happened. Even though he trusts Alex to make Ava happy, the subplot about Alex and Josh resolving their broken friendship is so sweet. There is a lot of work on what it means to forgive someone, and what forgiveness does for your own well-being, and how to move on when forgiving doesn't mean forgetting. Josh also has to fight his own ego to trust people to help carry his burdens when he's struggling - trust is a HUGE issue for Josh and it definitely plays a part in this book.
Ah, Jules. She's got so many secrets and so much hurt. You'd never guess the insecurities our wild redhead is carrying around and it is devastating. Even though they hate each other and use each other for the intense physical interaction, watching her slowly let the walls down and hoping she won't get hurt is compelling. Learning about Jules's past just broke my heart and also made my skin crawl - content warnings for some of that, even though it's handled delicately, or interrupted before things get graphic, some of her experiences made my stomach turn in disgust, discomfort, and anger. Still, it's what makes this character so fierce.
I loved a lot of the writing about forgiveness, grief, and relationships. Josh and Jules are perfect for each other, and the way they fall for each other, and the way they start to realize it - SQUEE.
On the smut side, you better be ready for the beast that is Josh Chen. This is and remains for quite a lot of the book - hate fucking. They use and consensually abuse each other for mutual pleasure and the way they talk to one another while it's happening...oh boy. There's a bit of degradation tied to a praise kink and definitely some fun with edging. These two...I'd hate to be their next door neighbor because Jules would never be able to stay quiet. Josh Chen is stupid dark hotness.
We also get a hint of the couple in the next book - I'm a little nervous what Stella will need him for, but also excited to see the entire group find their happily ever after.
Full ARC Review:
This has got it all - a scary conflict that the heroine needs to resolve, huge emotional arcs for both Josh and Jules, A+ excellent banter, and enough sexual tension and spicy to steal all the arm from the room. Not to mention, some really excellent and poetic writing that will hit at the heart of you. There are some emotional and relational loose ends that are left hanging at the end of the first book, Twisted Love, and the loop is closed here.
Two years since Twisted Love and Josh is reckoning with the fallout of the reality about his father, and the role that Alex played in what happened. Even though he trusts Alex to make Ava happy, the subplot about Alex and Josh resolving their broken friendship is so sweet. There is a lot of work on what it means to forgive someone, and what forgiveness does for your own well-being, and how to move on when forgiving doesn't mean forgetting. Josh also has to fight his own ego to trust people to help carry his burdens when he's struggling - trust is a HUGE issue for Josh and it definitely plays a part in this book.
Ah, Jules. She's got so many secrets and so much hurt. You'd never guess the insecurities our wild redhead is carrying around and it is devastating. Even though they hate each other and use each other for the intense physical interaction, watching her slowly let the walls down and hoping she won't get hurt is compelling. Learning about Jules's past just broke my heart and also made my skin crawl - content warnings for some of that, even though it's handled delicately, or interrupted before things get graphic, some of her experiences made my stomach turn in disgust, discomfort, and anger. Still, it's what makes this character so fierce.
I loved a lot of the writing about forgiveness, grief, and relationships. Josh and Jules are perfect for each other, and the way they fall for each other, and the way they start to realize it - SQUEE.
On the smut side, you better be ready for the beast that is Josh Chen. This is and remains for quite a lot of the book - hate fucking. They use and consensually abuse each other for mutual pleasure and the way they talk to one another while it's happening...oh boy. There's a bit of degradation tied to a praise kink and definitely some fun with edging. These two...I'd hate to be their next door neighbor because Jules would never be able to stay quiet. Josh Chen is stupid dark hotness.
We also get a hint of the couple in the next book - I'm a little nervous what Stella will need him for, but also excited to see the entire group find their happily ever after.