Twisted Love

Over the past few months, I've seen a rage take over this book. But so many BookTok hits have disappointed me recently, I found it hard to risk yet another. Much to my surprise and elation, this book does live upto the expectations and the hype created around it.

The book is overflowing with strong emotions, enough to make my chest hurt as the book progresses. I'm a crier, literally everything makes me cry. But this book? It didn't make me cry, it made me feel. Something I don't let books do to me often.

Regardless of how both of them have their own demons to face, I feel most pain for Ava. She's the epitome of a ray of sunshine, she's done everything to keep people around her happy, but even in order to protect her, when Alex spat show more those lies at her in his uncle's house, he could've still tried. He felt scared, I understand. But Ava did deserve better than to wail for months before she could stand up only to be faced by her dilemma. I like the end, but I feel it would've been more justified to me if I had read more of their interactions or at least seen it from Alex's point of view.

Anyhow, if anyone deserved a happy ever after, it was them. It was great that the story ended on a happy note but I really wondered if Alex would start something new, even though the expansion of Archer Group did sound promising. As for Josh, I was actually glad he didn't forget Alex so easily. Eight years of his life, a fib for a best friend, even with the delays to protect him, I would've been mortified if they went back to best buds so easy. I can't wait to read the next book in the series!

Update After Bonus Scene: I LOVE AVA AND ALEX. If there was even an ounce of doubt about my love for them, here's your cue to flush it down the toilet. The scene (tho really hot) is one that shows their love despite Ava believing she'd convinced him in post orgasmic haze. I mean, it's Alex, for god's sake, the guy would do anything for her, literally. But what I didn't like about the Bonus is there was no Alex's POV. I was a little sad but I guess we can easily predict he'd be feeling love for Ava throughout, and that makes me so happier than a fictional story should, but eh. show less

I discovered Ana Huang last year with her captivating If Love series (see [b:If We Ever Meet Again|53245720|If We Ever Meet Again (If Love Duet #1)|Ana Huang|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1587580947l/53245720._SY75_.jpg|80718533] and [b:If the Sun Never Sets|53800294|If the Sun Never Sets (If Love #2)|Ana Huang|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1591194440l/53800294._SY75_.jpg|84119602]). Her characters are intriguing and complex with painful backgrounds and even more painful secrets. Twisted Love is much darker than her other series, but not any less engaging. If anything, it is even more compelling with hints of suspense, murder, and happily-ever-after (with show more quite a bit of well-deserved groveling at the end).

Consider it a lesson for the future. Pretty words and pretty faces don't equal pretty souls.

What she doesn't know won't hurt her. That's rich coming from the king of deception and revenge. The cursed boy genius. Ava is the light to his darkness. But he will destroy her and his best friend with his secrets. What's left after vengeance? Emptiness...guilt.

Why was it always me? What about me made me so damn unlovable? So gullible?

All she knew about Alex growing up was that he was an unfeeling robot with a high IQ who was her brother Josh's best friend. Talk about opposites. Josh is the outgoing, friendly type. Alex is the brooding, menacing type. So when her brother asked Alex to "babysit" her while he was out of the country, she had no idea how to talk to him. So, she killed him with kindness. Cookies, movies, jokes. Then she saw the kind, patient man behind the beast who patiently helped her get over her phobia of swimming after her horrific brush with almost drowning as a child. But.....then he broke her. He lied to her. He took her light and left her with darkness.

I always love a great brother's best friend/beauty and the beast story with dark undertones. As I mentioned before Ms. Huang creates enduring characters filled with vulnerability and strength who will break your heart as well as lift you up. Yes, Alex is a little morally inept as well as emotionally immature, but he knows what he wants and he wants Ava no matter what he has to do to prove his love for her. Let's say his declaration at Ava's London art showing is one of my all-time favorite grand gestures from a desperate bad boy to the love of his life. I admire Ava's strength and tenacity to hang on to her convictions as long as she can to make Alex warrant a reason for her to let him back into her life.

The story wouldn't be complete without Ava's brother, Josh, and her friends, Jules, Bridget, and Stella. I can't wait to read about Bridget and Rhys, her bodyguard, Josh and Jules (I hope, I hope), and Stella and her Instagram stalker.

I recommend this twisted and sexy interracial romance with an upbeat and lovable heroine and a grumpy, brooding hero with a soft spot only for the heroine and a vengeful streak a mile long.

Thank you to Ms. Huang for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review. show less

Rating: ★★★★★
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ (3/5 – Moderate heat, emotionally intense and explicit when it counts)

Ana Huang’s Twisted Love is the ultimate grumpy-sunshine, brother’s-best-friend slow burn—with just the right amount of danger, emotional depth, and satisfying tension.

Alex Volkov is cold, calculated, and fiercely possessive, while Ava is light, laughter, and gentle resilience. Their chemistry is undeniable, and when the tension finally snaps? 🔥🔥🔥 The spice is earned, emotional, and intimate—never just there for shock value.

Beyond the heat, this book explores themes of healing, revenge, and what it means to love someone enough to let them go. Alex’s growth from emotionally detached to show more vulnerable was so satisfying to watch unfold.

A perfect start to the Twisted series. show less

“Twisted Love” is a book I’ve always had my eyes on. My sister gifted me a copy, and I instantly dived in. Now, I am all for “bad boy” romances, but this one just wasn’t it. It felt like the author wanted to include all romance tropes at once, and whilst doing so, created a proper mess.

Firstly, our main male character, Alex Volkov, is a horrible person. Rich, as in, I own my grandpa’s company and no one can touch me. Stubborn, arrogant, jealous and possessive. Usually, I don’t mind this in a romance book and just go with it, enjoying the book, despite a character’s red flags. Who am I to judge, right? But Alex was way too annoying. I should request some kind of compensation for the amount of eye rolls this book gave show more me. Maybe I am owed some eye drops or something.

As for Ava, I really liked her, even though I thought she was a bit gullible at times. I also have to remind myself that she had a crush on Alex, and with that comes a lot of tunnel vision and her wearing her rose-tinted glasses. I liked how her trauma was presented, and it added great depth to the character.

There was one moment in the book that really made me chuckle.

It mentioned how easy it was to cross borders in Europe. And I laughed, because it is clear the author never tried to cross a Balkan border during a summer holiday. If she did, she wouldn’t have made that statement. Europe is much more than crossing the French-Italian border.

What I found interesting about the book is that despite the unlikeable characters and cliche plot, I devoured this book in two days. Writing this down, I don’t know if that says more about the book, or me. show less

Twisted Love by Ana Huang
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Read: March 2023

Twisted Love is my first book by Ana Huang and it will not be my last. I think this was a great way to start the Twisted series.

While I didn’t really connect with the characters, Alex and Ava were amazing together and I really enjoyed getting to see Ava try her hardest to break through Alex's icy heart. The tension and chemistry was off the charts.

I am very much looking forward to the rest of the series.

Ava Chen and Alex Volkov

Review:
This book has all the right vibes: forced proximity, brother's best friend, grumpy sunshine, slow burn and eventual blaze! I love the character development and the way that the relationship grows between the MCs, but what really gets me is a good back story, and this book has that in spades! There really is a great bond here among friends, lovers, and family.

Quotes:
"You're right, sweetheart," I said, dropping my forehead to hers with a resigned sigh. So. Fucked. "But the rules don't apply to you."
“If you let lesser people determine your self-worth, you'll never reach higher than their limited imagination.”
“That’s my girl. Hate me. Don’t cry over me. Never cry over me. I’m not worth it.”

Not bad. The romance was fun, with the over the top alpha, Alex.

Narrated by Cindy Kay and Aiden Snow. The latter has an actor's deep voice and is perfect as Alex. Cindy Kay gave Ava an airhead voice - a bit cruel - she wasn't an airhead.

At nearly 11 hours, the audiobook is too long for the content. Speaking of content, I think that's where the novel could have done better. I like to experience something alongside the fun. Either through the setting, or the occupation of the characters, or the situation they find themselves in.

I recently spent a day lost in the Montana wilderness without food, a day on a yacht on the Great Barrier Reef, and then another day sailing from New Zealand to Fiji getting shipwrecked on the way. I prefer show more romances that provide a bonus. show less