Twisted Love — by Ana Huang
Oh my gosh, I am so excited for this one I can’t even begin to write. Ana Huang has easily become one of my favorite romance writers, probably in the entire universe, because of the amazing series that is…The Twisted Series. For anyone who has never heard of this series, prepare to literally have your world turned upside down. For anyone who has heard of this series, I know you would do anything to read these books again for the first time.
Twisted Love is the first book in the series, and while it’s not my favorite of the four, that is merely because the books just kept getting better and better. I fell in love with the entire setting of the story because of how interconnected and overlapping all of the characters’ stories were with each other. The core four friend group — Ava, Bridget, Stella, and Jules — were so fun and the best friends to follow throughout a whole series. Every single one of them was likable. From the girls’ shared college to the references to the plotlines of future books and even the same locations popping up throughout the series, the Twisted series was able to build a whole world to get lost in.
Let’s start with Ava, the main female character in Twisted Love. She was so adorable and lovable from the very first page. Her optimism, soft-hearted, compassionate character was beautiful and did not take away from her strong will and confidence in herself. I was able to watch her overcome her own personal battles and I saw a different side of her when she was having fun (iykyk) with Alex, the male main character. Ava was the perfect example of powerful femininity and not only that, but also a person of color as well whose Chinese traditions were highlighted in the story.
It wasn’t just Ava that I loved, but Alex too. I practically drooled over this man, I kid you not. He was the embodiment of the perfect book boyfriend — at least in my opinion — from being a billionaire, hot, and protective man who worshipped the ground Ava walked on. This man was down so bad it was amazing. And let me just tell you, his character only got better throughout his appearances in every book that followed. He did everything she wanted and helped Ava grow so much, while also growing himself and softening his hard exterior but only for Ava to see. He called her Sunshine. That’s all I need to say.
The enemies-to-lovers was amazing, too. There was some forced proximity in here and the one bed trope as well. They weren’t really direct enemies because Alex was just indifferent and stone cold towards Ava while she resented him for always being rude to her. I think it was enough resentment to qualify as enemies though, and the way they fell for each other was so well-written and developed that I grasped onto every second of their interactions.
I’ll be honest, I skipped past so many books on my list of books to write about because I was that excited to reach Twisted Love. I even re-read the book in one day because I wanted my memory of it to be perfectly fresh. And I also wanted to read the smut and let me be so clear when I say, the smut in this book is godly. It’s so hot and rough and everything you could ask for in a book. Ana Huang just does it right. There’s also another plot besides the romance aspect which is what I love about this author. She always gives a plot that allows for so much growth in the characters and enhances their relationship that much more.
Even the groveling in this book was done right, regardless of the reason for that groveling which I will leave for you all to find out. Alex did everything and more for Ava and they were so amazing together, I wish I could experience it all again with a fresh mind. Please read this series, and when you do, I beg of you to savor every word as you read it because this book and this world is so beautifully done.
