Twisted Love (Twisted Series #1): Review

Before I share my Goodreads review, I'd like to point out that y'all didn't lie to me about Alex Volkov, lmao. 

Twisted Love by Ana Huang is a grumpy x sunshine trope where we're introduced to Ava Chen (Miss Sunshine) and Alex Volkov (Mr. Grumpy). While Alex likes to drown himself in his own angst and the world's darkness, Ava is a ray (ends up being his ray) of sunshine, softhearted and always searching for the good in people. Even in Alex's multilayered heart.

My Goodreads Review:

Twisted Love by Ana Huang
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I wasn't sure when or how, but I'd started seeing Ava less as Josh's baby sister and more as a woman. A beautiful, pure-hearted but feisty woman who might be the death of me one of these days.

Okay... I understand what people said about the book's pacing; it was a little weird. I wouldn't have minded if the book was around 500 pages if it meant all the plots in the story would've been developed with more detail. It felt like they rushed through Alex and Ava's relationship's development just to get into the bigger stuff (Ava's trauma and Alex's revenge, or whatever); and it truly just felt... bland. I think the spicy scenes saved it a little bit.

Overall, it's not that it was a bad book, but it could've been better. What the fuck was Operation Emotion? It was so dumb, please 😭.

Either way, since I loved Bridget so much I'm so excited to get into the second installment, Twisted Games. Hopefully, it's even better! :D

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Haunting Adeline (Cat and Mouse Duet #1): Review

 

I finished Haunting Adeline last night and here's my summary alongside my Goodreads review :)

Summary of Haunting Adeline by H.D Carlton

Adeline Reilly is an author who moved into Parson's Manor, her childhood home; but also where her great-grandmother's murder took place. At her book-signing event, she is noticed by none other than Zade Meadows, who becomes immediately obsessed with her. 

Zade has built a vigilante organization called Z, which targets sex-trafficking rings and has the purpose to dismantle-- no, destroy the government. During his free time, he enjoys stalking Addie and terrorizing her, but is also surprised to learn the dynamic excites her. As Addie investigates her great-grandmother's unsolved murder case, she finds herself before the coincidence that they both fell in love with their stalkers.

My Goodreads Review:

Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

All I want to do is break her. Shatter her into pieces. And then arrange those pieces to fit against my own. I don't care if they don't fit--I'll fucking make them.

Regardless of the controversy around the book, I'm glad it actually met my expectations. It's important to highlight that dark romance is not for everyone and one should always read the trigger warnings at the beginning of every book. I expected it to be more darker as the dramatic people on TikTok made it out to be, but since it's said the second installment is even darker: I'm ready.
The story always had me on edge, although at some point I was so invested in Zade's work that I stopped caring about the toe-curling smut and Adeline's internal battle with her morals, to be honest.

I want to slap him. But the asshole would probably like it, and then turn around and slap me back. And my dumbass self would probably like it, too.

Also, I really didn't care about the murder case she was trying to solve, it felt slightly irrelevant.
I still loved this book, though.

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The second installment of this Cat and Mouse Duet series is "Hunting Adeline" (The similar titles can be confusing, I know lol), and if you're considering to read this duet while not being used to what the dark romance genre consists of, I suggest you read the trigger warnings on the author's website or wherever you're buying these books from.

May TBR: Books I hope to read in May

 May is finally here and you know that means: the semester is almost over! Meaning… I’ll finally get to couch-potato around with no guilt of procrastination, only feeling the existential dread of waking up for my retail job.

I have a few forms of escapism, but reading is my top one. Especially during those times I’m feeling blue. Therefore, I can’t put into words how excited I am to finally have more time to read during the summer, since I won’t be having a summer semester (slay).

So! Let’s begin with my May TBR (hopefuls):

1. Twisted Love by Ana Huang 

I’ve heard nothing but AMAZING things about this book— no, about the entire series. Twisted Love is the first book of the Twisted Series by Ana Huang and I’ve seen people raving about it on TikTok; especially about the MMC of this book: Alex Volkov. Or in my co-worker’s case, Christian Harper (from the last book in this series, if I’m not mistaken). At the moment, I think Rhys Larsen (from the second book, Twisted Games) will be the one to win me over out of the four. We’ll see. 

Driven by a tragedy that has haunted him for most of his life, his ruthless pursuits for success and vengeance leave little room for matters of the heart. 

But when he’s forced to look after his best friend’s sister, he starts to feel something in his chest:

A crack.
A melt.
A fire that could end his world as he knew it.

Yup, and I’m here for it.

2. The Fine Print by Lauren Asher

I’m gonna admit this once; every book I ignore, every book I end up reading and loving. I hope this will be the case here, too. I do judge books by their cover, so I really didn’t pay attention to what people said. Until my co-worker talked my ear off about it (I adore you, Paola; thank you), and now my interest has been piqued. 

And here we are.

It’s hard for me to make summaries of books I haven’t read; but what I can confidently say this is about a billionaire who appears to be a shit-boss, at least this one. And we already know what happens when a stubborn girl meets someone like that in a romance book. This is also the first book of the Dreamland Billionaire series; they’re three books, three brothers. 

And I’m ready.

3. The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Again, at the moment I don’t have any expectations for this book. I’ve seen it on TikTok but I just kept scrolling past it, like the book I previously mentioned. I think what pushed me to buy this book at last was another friend (I love you, Leandra) posting about how she was speeding through it. And by that you can tell how easily influenced I can be when it comes to books, lol.

Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why -- or even who Tobias Hawthorne is.

This is the first book of the series, and seeing people vlog about themselves sprinting to the bookstore for the next book makes me curious. 

Here’s the rest of the blurb:

“To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man's touch -- and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes. Unfortunately for Avery, Hawthorne House is also occupied by the family that Tobias Hawthorne just dispossessed. This includes the four Hawthorne grandsons: dangerous, magnetic, brilliant boys who grew up with every expectation that one day, they would inherit billions. Heir apparent Grayson Hawthorne is convinced that Avery must be a conwoman, and he's determined to take her down. His brother, Jameson, views her as their grandfather's last hurrah: a twisted riddle, a puzzle to be solved. Caught in a world of wealth and privilege, with danger around every turn, Avery will have to play the game herself just to survive.”

4. [Finish] Haunting Adeline by H.D Carlton

I’m 85% into the book, and so far I have loved every single bit of it. Dark Romance is a genre that is definitely not for everyone, but I’m surely getting into. It’s always important to read the trigger warnings in the beginning!

Haunting Adeline is the first book in the Cat and Mouse Duet by H.D Carlton. To summarize, the main character, Adeline, has a stalker. However, she has an internal struggle with her morals because anything that scares her, also excites her. 

I can manipulate the emotions of anyone who lets me.
I will make you hurt, make you cry, make you laugh and sigh.
But my words don't affect him. Especially not when I plead for him to leave.
He's always there, watching and waiting.
And I can never look away.
Not when I want him to come closer.

I’m reading this book at the same time as one of my managers (hi!), and it’s honestly so funny to rave about specific scenes in the book and watch our co-worker’s faces distort with confusion and shock. Anyways, once I’m done with this one I’m immediately hopping into the Twisted series. 

I don’t know why instead of finishing a series in one go, I just go for other books. I’m assuming it’s so I don’t feel that painful dread of finishing a series and realizing none of it was real. 

I love getting emotionally attached to characters on paper.

It’s extremely fun.

Absolutely.

Anyways! That’s the current TBR for now. Maybe if I stay away from Amazon and the nearby bookstore, I might be able to follow through with this list; for at least a month. I’m a book behind schedule, according to my goodreads. The goal is to read 15 books this year, and I’m confident I’ll reach it. Maybe I’ll try to surpass it and reach 20 :). 

If I keep to this list, I know it’s going to be such a good reading month! I can feel it. ❤

- Alondra ♡