Welcome to my stop on the Twisted Blog Tour! My post includes a review and excerpt. Thanks for stopping by!
Series: Tangled #2Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publication Date: 3/25/14
Format: eARC
Pages: 272
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4 stars
There are two kinds of people in the world. The ones who look first, and the ones who leap. I’ve always been more of a looker. Cautious. A planner. That changed after I met Drew Evans. He was so persistent. So sure of himself – and of me.
But not all love stories end happily ever after. Did you think Drew and I were going to ride off into the sunset? Join the club. Now I have to make a choice, the most important of my life. Drew already made his –in fact, he tried to decide for the both of us. But you know that’s just not my style. So I came back to Greenville. Alone. Well, sort of alone....
What I've come to realize is that old habits die hard and sometimes you have to go back to where you began, before you can move ahead.
TWISTED picks up two years after Tangled’s end, and is told from Kate’s POV.
Seriously. I think I've had an aneurysm, or a bit of a mental break. I do know that I had several heart attacks while reading Twisted.
Why? Where do I start.
First of all, let me say that I adore this book and series tremendously. Few men can pull off asshole and adorable like Drew Evans. Few women can stand as every bit of Drew's equal like Kate Brooks. The series is flat-out hilarious, with an excellent dose of filthy deeds and dirty talk thrown in.
But the reason I am so freaking stressed over Twisted is: I'm not sure when a book last affected me in every way like this one has. To review Twisted based on the plot is going to be really hard; we're talking about Spoiler City here with everything beyond the 20% mark. EVERYTHING. The signs were coming from the beginning, I quickly caught on to what was about to happen which is no mental feat really, Kate was strongly laying on the hints. So with my hands tied as far as plot goes, I will focus elsewhere.
I loved Drew as a narrator in Tangled. I worried about reading this through Kate's point of view because how can she compare to they lovable ass? But Kate was great. Chase used the same narrative style with Kate. She speaks directly to the reader, the fourth wall is down. Some might find her voice to be too similar to Drew's, but I choose to think that they are similar people and that it fits.
Twisted had some fantastically hilarious moments. It wasn't as funny throughout as Tangled, it honestly was a much more serious and sometimes soul-destroying story. But the funny moments? They delivered so hard that at one point I laughed so hard I cried and forced my husband to stop what he was doing until I finished cackle-snorting. You put Drew, Dee, The Bitch, Matthew and Mackenzie in a room together and it's bound to happen.
I know I keep eluding to Things about Twisted that threatened to crush my heart. I believe at one point I told my husband that I would be right back, that I was going outside to put my kindle in the driveway and run it over approximately fifteen times. Then I was going to use two hammers to bust my iPhone because Twisted was loaded there too. And then I was going to break his iPad just for being in the same room. At that point he cowered in his chair then quickly left the room.
I know what I just said might seem like a deterrent, but I swear it's not. You just need to be PREPARED to read Twisted. I suggest liquor- strong- and removal of any sharp objects within reach.
For all my epic whinging about Twisted and the emotional trauma I faced, I want to say that bless her heart, Emma Chase made this book work. The direction the story took was extremely frustrating, but brave. And honestly, anyone who can create characters I care so much about and inspire the amount of emotions I felt is an author I will always read and whole-heartedly recommend.
My one criticism of Twisted is that I do struggle when miscommunication or a complete lack thereof drives the plot. Nooooo, I can't explain why because of spoilers, and perhaps it's just a personal issue. But it's frustrating for me when one clear conversation can fix everything, and no one has it. But I also acknowledge that without that, we wouldn't have a story that brought out all the feelings.
About the ending. It was perfect, perfect, perfect. I was thrilled with how Twisted wrapped up. It had me smiling, laughing, signing and crying (happy tears!) into my pillow.
So I say: if you loved Tangled, you will likely feel much the same about Twisted. The stories are significantly different with this one having much darker moments. But it also holds the same funny and sexy tone at moments, and in the end I'm a happy reader.
Just hide the knives is all I'm saying.
Favorite Quotes: (It was so hard to find spoiler-free quotes)
But what's the point of all this, you ask? Why am I sharing it with you>
Because good sex? Really, really good sex?
Doesn't need alcohol. And it's not about compatibility, or practice, or even being in love.
It's about trust.
Letting your guard down. Putting yourself in another person's hands and letting him lead you to places you've never been before.
And I trusted Drew. With my mind, my heart, my body. I trusted Drew with everything.
"And you know what they say--the best way to get over someone is to get on top of someone else."
"Nobody says that, Drew."
"Well, they should."
EXCERPT
I close my eyes and let his
words wash over me. Drew has an amazing
voice. Calm and soothing - but devilishly seductive at the same time. He totally could’ve gone into radio.
I press another button.
And this time his tone is teasing.“Kaate, you’re late. Tell Delores to pick out her own god damn shoes. You’ve got a boyfriend who's sitting in a big, frothy Jacuzzi all by his lonesome. Come home, sweetheart. I’m here waiting for you.”
If only that was true today.
There’s more - some are quick and to the point, some are downright dirty. And I listen to every single one. He doesn’t say ‘I love you’ in any of them - but he doesn’t have to. I hear it in every word. Every time he says my name.
And this time his tone is teasing.“Kaate, you’re late. Tell Delores to pick out her own god damn shoes. You’ve got a boyfriend who's sitting in a big, frothy Jacuzzi all by his lonesome. Come home, sweetheart. I’m here waiting for you.”
If only that was true today.
There’s more - some are quick and to the point, some are downright dirty. And I listen to every single one. He doesn’t say ‘I love you’ in any of them - but he doesn’t have to. I hear it in every word. Every time he says my name.
The Tangled Series
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