Hello friends! ❤️🥲 It has been so long since I wrote a review on my blog, it feels fantastic to be back! I’ve been incredibly busy with work and life in general; an update post may come at the end of September because many things happened and I am doing great! I haven’t been reading as much as I’d like to, however, I promised myself to take care of my reading habit once again and overcome the slump that’s been stuck with me since May! But these are all the updates that post’s matter, today we are here for a book that holds the entire bookstagram in a chokehold lol.
Twisted Love has been on my mind for quite a while, as many of my favourite book bloggers have been raving about the entire series. The edits on Instagram were fantastic, which made me eager to read it at some point. Recently, I finished this captivating book. In the beginning, I wasn’t quite sure how I was supposed to feel. My taste in romance and dark romance genres has altered my brain chemistry, so I had an idea of what to expect from this one. Some might label this book as a dark romance, but while it does have some darker elements, I don’t personally see it that way. The gore, fear, and other intense elements were either non-existent or minimal, making it relatively free from many of the trigger warnings we usually see at the start of my favourite reads.
I had really high hopes for this book, and guess what? It totally lived up to them. The characters were awesome, the side stories added a little something extra, the attraction between the main characters was off the charts, and there was just the right amount of action and darkness to satisfy my guilty cravings. It didn’t blow me off because I have read so many books similar to this, however, it was good to read it nevertheless. 🌸
To give you some brief info, let’s first talk about Alex Volkov, our male lead. He’s a total genius, but life hasn’t been all rainbows and butterflies for him. He went through a heart-wrenching family tragedy and now he’s this big shot in the business world. He’s all about running the show from behind the scenes, keeping things private, and plotting his revenge against the a**holes who caused his parents’ death. Now, you might expect a guy with such a brooding and sleep-deprived persona to be a bit cringeworthy, but Alex breaks the mould. I actually found myself rooting for him several times, especially when Ava decided to be an a**. I mean, the way he tried his darnedest to protect and care for Ava while pretending like he didn’t care? Priceless. And in the second half of the book, when he decided to face his feelings head-on and shield Ava from any trouble—well, that just made me like him even more. Turns out, he’s not as emotionless as he lets on. When it comes to Ava, he’s all heart. 👁️👄👁️
And speaking of Ava Chen, our leading lady? Let’s dive into her story next.
Ava is like the sunny side of this book. She’s a photography student who’s just bursting with life energy. She finds joy in everything (and anything), even though she’s been through some really tough stuff including her father, nightmares and blocked memory. It’s kind of amazing how she manages to keep that positivity going, she might be the best part of the book for me. There’s this underlying trauma she’s dealing with (I refuse to explain it because I already have enough spoilers), and being around water is a big trigger for her. I mean, she can’t even fly over water due to her phobia.
I really connected with her, probably because her family situation hit close to home. But what really stood out to me was her boundless energy and her openness. She was a bright presence with her friends and, of course, with Alex. She had this caring nature that was almost angelic, and it was like her goodness started to rub off on Alex. In a way, she brought him back to life, rekindling something inside him that he thought was lost. 🥲
I have to say, both characters were absolutely fantastic, and I don’t give a flying f*ck about who says otherwise. Talking about the plot, as we got into the second part of the book, things started feeling a tad bit off in terms of timing. That’s actually why I ended up giving this book 4⭐s. Don’t get me wrong, I loved how both of their stories were unfolding side by side, yet not quite in sync. It was an interesting way to do it, but at times, it did feel a bit disconnected. Despite that, I still enjoyed watching their journeys unfold. 🫂💕
All in all, this book with the sunshine-meets-grumpy trope was a real treat. It had its sweet moments, mixed with happiness and a touch of sadness. I’m not ashamed to admit that I shed a tear or two, and I had some hearty laughs as well. It was like riding an emotional roller coaster, and I’m here to tell you that you’ve got to give it a read! Trust me, it’s totally worth it.
I will see you in my next post!
Luster of Books 