Book Review: Twisted Love by Ana Huang

***Contains spoilers***

***Scroll to the end for my rating***

The Twisted Series by Ana Huang has been recommended to me countless times, and I added it to my list instantly. I was given the entire series by my sister at Christmas (thanks, Sissy!) and was so happy I could finally dive in.

Twisted Love had me hooked early. Ava needed protecting, and Alex promised he’d protect her, even though he knew his proximity to Ava could very well be the thing that shattered her anyway. Despite their denial of it, their attraction to one another was palpable early on. It made for an interesting back-and-forth that had me eager to see who would crack and accept their fate first.

Once Josh, Ava’s brother, moved away and Alex moved next door, it was a no-brainer that their forced proximity would have them tumbling into each other’s daily lives. With Ava’s sunshiny attitude trying to bring light to every corner of the universe, an experiment on Alex’s emotions crafted by her friends, and unintended vulnerability, his otherwise stony exterior was fractured by her perseverance.

As quickly as they fell into a routine, I fell for their story and was chomping at the bit to find out more of their pasts. Alex’s background emerged more slowly, while Ava’s was a gradual discovery as her childhood memories returned to her at various times. Although the outcomes of these memories from both Alex and Ava were somewhat predictable in their connection to each other, I still found myself surprised by several of the finer details.

I especially found that the ending offered a more realistic portrayal of emotions than other romances with similar themes, and I am grateful for that notable difference in Ana’s writing. Yet I was itching for them to come back together sooner. I know, I can't have it both ways. But it was this unofficial sort of miscommunication trope, a trope that isn’t particularly on my favorites list, and I wanted it to just be over, for the air to be cleared.

I was glad it ended happily ever after and was excited for the next book by the time I finished, because the line-up of what to expect from each friend is teased well without giving too much away.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and got through it pretty quickly. Not to mention, I tandem-read this using the physical book and audio, and the moment I heard Alex’s POV for the first time with Aiden Snow… well, let’s just say I needed a fan and a glass of water. It made me not want to turn off the audio. I will be listening to him again, 10/10 recommend.

If you like tropes like billionaire romances, touch her and die, broody x sunshine, brother’s best friend, and a morally grey MMC with mild spice, this book will be an enjoyable read for you. With all of that and the above in mind, I am rating Twisted Love 6.5 out of 10 stars and a 2.5 out of 5 for spice.

As always, thanks for reading! 💜

Let me know in the comments if you’ve read anything from this series, and if so, which was your favorite?

Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5