Welcome to the first RBF joint review! During the concept phase of starting this site, we decided to read books together and complete RBF reviews. We chose Twisted Love for our very first joint book review. During our first review meeting, we met in a public place and shared lots of hushed laughs (apologies to the other lunch goers that day). We had a lot of fun discussing this book and coming up with the format for this review and the upcoming ones.
Twisted Love by Ana Huang is a fast, entertaining read about Ava and Alex. Alex is asked by Ava’s brother to keep her safe while he is out of town. In the past, Ava has hated Alex and cannot believe her brother asks him to do this. The story unfolds after Alex agrees and this romance with a side quest of murder mystery unfolds. Be prepared to be drowning in plot and unlikeable characters, but you won’t want to put this book down.
WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD.
 Alyssa |  Meagan | |
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What did you think? | ||
I liked the pace of the story and for the most part enjoyed it. I mean a dual POV and grumpy-sunshine is generally my happy place. | ||
The best thing about this book was the smell – no, seriously this paperback was the perfect book scent. | ||
(Please note: This is where Meagan made me smell her book. She made me SMELL it. In a restaurant with other diners. But she also wasn’t wrong. It was the best part.) | ||
But seriously, I couldn’t put it down. I had to know what happened next and I wanted my questions answered. It was A LOT of plot though, most of which wasn’t necessary? | ||
Right? | ||
Well, there was the usual plot stuff… Alex had some weird memory thing. He basically has photographic memory, but of events and feelings. | ||
Right, and Ava was practically the opposite. No memory of anything before age 9. | ||
Yes! There was the whole story around Ava’s mom and dad. Dad is in air quotes, BTW. And Alex lost his family at a young age, so his uncle took him in. | ||
The uncle he then ends up killing. I still want to know why Alex thought it was Ava’s Dad that was involved with the murder of his parents. We never really learned the entire story behind that. | ||
Haha, yes. The plot holes! Like how Ava’s teachers didn’t somehow question the fact she suddenly lost her memory? | ||
And! Operation Emotion had SO MUCH potential to be cute and Ava was like “I tried this whole strategy my friends and I came up with and I gave up in 2 hours” Why, Ava? | ||
Clearly, she was not known for her good choices. She did wear a red bra under a white shirt in the rain…and was surprised it was visible? | ||
That reminds me of all the public scenarios. This book is so similar to 50 Shades of Grey…let me count the ways (it is). | ||
LOL. I’m going to need a list. | ||
Oh, I made a list! The tortured men can only have meaningless sex, they are overly protective, possessive, and have so much money, power, and influence. And the girl is just like OH HE LOVES ME. | ||
Yep. Why are there still books that insist red flag behaviors show a book guy loves his book gal? | ||
Also, can I complain for a second that one of the girls throwing themselves at him had my childhood nickname. Pretty sure I yelled at the book. | ||
LOL. I love it! I promise not to consult the book and start calling you by that. So, we’re supposed to believe Alex has ruined all these people and their companies and nobody questions it? | ||
LOL. That reminds me of my favorite quote. “It was always about the long game – measured not in weeks or months but in years. Decades.” – Said the 26-year-old. Maybe Alex was just an old soul? | ||
Maybe the memory disorder contributes to feeling like the years are extra long? You know I love a character-driven book, but I didn’t like any of these characters. Where’s a dog in the story when you need a character to like? | ||
I don’t know. I kinda liked the princess’ bodyguard. Wait we forgot to mention that among the plot lines. LOL. | ||
Oh yes! They redeemed the story some. Surprisingly, this book is advertised as spicy, but the only spice is dirty underwear, public sex, and a LION’S DEN reference? I can’t LOL I just didn’t feel the vibes between them. | ||
Yeah. I was expecting a little more spice. The scenes seemed aimed more towards shock value. The dirty underwear made me cringe. | ||
There was literally no heat in that spice. | ||
The more we discuss this, the more I don’t like it. But, there’s something about the writing and the pace that kept me interested so there is that. It was entertaining for sure. | ||
Agreed. I was hooked, but it did lose me a bit towards the end. | ||
The ending! After he moves his stalking to London and refuses to let her date anyone else, he wins her over by singing? | ||
The singing expressed his feelings! Or something like that? I don’t know. I suppose all romances need the Big Gesture. | ||
On her big night, though? He even says, “It’s your big night. I didn’t want to take that away from you.” | ||
LOL. This was supposed to be a grumpy-sunshine romance. There is a difference between being grumpy and being an asshole, Alex. | ||
I’m just not into a guy that threatens to rip out other men’s entrails on my behalf. Ava should have gone for the Australian. | ||
Clearly, she conquered the emotion jealousy, if only she wouldn’t have quit that operation so soon. Alternate title proposal: Alex is a Walking Red Flag. | ||
So, we’re continuing this series together, right? | ||
Obviously! I’m dying to read about the princess and her bodyguard. | ||
At least the book will smell good, right? PS We still didn’t capture all the plot points. | ||