I read the Twisted
series last year and then did a bulk post on it, but now I’m here to do
separate ones because they deserve it. If there’s a series that deserves
separate posts, then it’s this one.
The nickname is "sunshine."
All of Ana’s books have nicknames, and Sunshine is a loved one. Not better than
Mia Cara though but we aren’t at that series yet so just hold your
horses. Or money in this case.
Unless you’ve
been living under a book rock, you will know about the best-selling series
written by none other than the billionaire queen herself, Ana Huang. I actually
discovered this series through King of Wrath from the King of Sins
series. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is that I read it and need to
report back.
I have done a
post on this before as a series wrap-up kind of post, so check that out if you
need an overview of what the series is about and includes. In light of The
Striker, which was released on October 22nd, I thought it would be great to
take a walk down memory lane. I have done a whole post about it, gushing over
football, so check it out.
Twisted Love
includes Ava Chen and Alex Volkov. The tropes are certainly "brother’s
best friend" x "family revenge." Ava Chen’s brother Josh is
about to leave for medical studies soon, and thus asks Alex to keep an eye on
his sister due to a) her trusting nature and b) her kind of aggressive ex.
Seeing this as an opportunity to get closer to the Chens, revealing their part
to play in the death of Alex’s family, he takes it with both hands. For years,
Alex befriended Josh for the same reason, so using his sister for the same
thing couldn’t hurt, right? Well, it did. It backfired so badly.
Miscommunication
is the bane of both real life and fictional life, yet we don’t learn.
Jules is the
redhead spitfire, who’s sure that she has seen something in Alex’s eye for her
best friend. They all come up with four phases to lure in Alex. Slowly but
surely, all these lines start to fade. Starting with seeing Ava at the ball and
Alex hating every minute of it, up until their first kiss—initiated by
Ava—during Alex’s first-ever surprise birthday party. I died laughing when he
showed up at her place of work with a new phone, just because she was ignoring
his calls. So gold. The sweetest moment had to be when Ava only wanted him to
help her overcome her fear of swimming. Another moment was their first public
outing together. The smallest moments, but so big in magnitude.
Twisted Love is
known for the groveling. After Ava is kidnapped by Alex’s evil uncle (the real
culprit), Alex is forced to lie about everything they went through—including
love confessions—in order to save her. If you’ve read the book, then you know
the infamous line I’m thinking of when she’s crying over Alex. He does this all
to save her, not to ruin her. It’s only when a certain royalty from Eldora
makes him confess it that he then runs after her to London, where Ava’s
fellowship takes place. That’s when the groveling happens.
It takes him
leaving his company, singing, and a year of following her around London with
gifts in order for her heart to melt. Josh beating him up just wasn’t
enough.
It’s a 4/5,
however, it was a bit cringe to read. Love Ana Huang. Some examples, if you
will: Ava’s father has always been distant towards Ava, but she’s never known
why until she finds out that he wasn’t her father at all. Nope. Honestly, I’m
not going to write how we got to that scene because it is the most
cringe-worthy scene I have ever read, experienced, and witnessed. I didn’t like
it. I was like, "Why did you write this?" In addition, the spice was
spicing, but some lines had me closing an eye because I disliked the smut so
much. Almost like hearing chalk on a board—I want to see it, but I’m curling up
as it’s done. Don’t get me started on the singing.
It's still a 4
though. Have I re-read it? Once. Do I recommend it? Yes, because it’s a great
start to the series. There is nothing I appreciate more, from an editor’s point
of view, than writing that gets progressively better. From Twisted Love to
King of Sloth, Ana Huang has come a long way in terms of writing,
plotting, and character development. Literature progression at is finest.
As a reader, I
both die and appreciate any bonus scenes offered. This has to be one of my most
cherished ones. It’s about apple picking, and as a community, we can agree that
for Alex Volkov, that’s romantic. If I had to choose between the proposal scene
and this bonus scene, it has to be this. I respect authors that much more when
they offer extra insights into the life of the most unforgettable characters
after the book finishes.
I’d love to know
if you share the same thoughts on Twisted Love and where it ranks on
your radar. For me, it ranks 4th.
These paper pages
aren’t necessarily my most hyped, but still the best foundation.
Mwah.
Vivian.
Don’t forget to keep reading, because as long as you
do, it’s making a struggling authors day that much better. Reach for the starts
of success.
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