I'm so happy that this book redeemed Samantha Downing for me after not completely enjoying her last book. And if there was ever a more appropriate title for a book, this takes the cake. Holy twisted situations, twisted relationship, my mind is still reeling from finishing this book. It was such a fast read, it took me two days to devour this book. The chapters were super short which I loved and man I couldn't put it down. It grips you from the very beginning and the twists don't stop coming. I hate to say it but I loved both the main characters Ivy and Wes even with their twisted, toxic relationship, I just loved this book.

*Many thanks to Berkley Publishing Group for the gifted copy for my honest review*

Alrighty then....

I've read Samantha Downing's last two books and they fell right in the middle for me. This one did not. It fell well below ground level for me. After reading 3 books from her now, I definitely don't like her style of writing. It's not even suspense, it's more annoyance for me. And the plot love affair between HIGHLY unlikeable characters made me suffer.

Twisty, dysfunctional, addictive!! I am a huge Samantha Downing fan and this one did not disappoint.

While I found the characters to be massively unlikeable, I was so invested in how this story was going to turn out.

This is the perfect read for someone looking for a quick, suspenseful light “thriller”!!

Samantha Downing does so well with creating a story. Especially with such contrived characters who you truly do not love but end up kind of rooting for.

Wes and Ivy are terrible for each other and definitely terrible people. Their constant mind games and toxic behavior end up with targets planted firmly on their backs from law enforcement. Who they believe they’ve out smarted for good.

But I still found myself hoping they would continue to stay a step ahead from police and themselves.

Excellent mystery. Definitely recommend.

Lots of drama in this psychological thriller.

Wes and Ivy have a crazy relationship that surely cannot be mistaken for real love. But they are definitely the pair that can’t live together and can’t be apart. For 10 years they have had their ups and downs, breaking up and getting back together way too many times to count. No one they know is a fan of them being a couple. But now a detective has them on her radar and it seems that there is major trouble coming their way.

I would have probably liked this roller coaster ride of a story better if I could have dredged up one iota of liking for any of the main characters. There wasn’t one redeemable soul found, and in my opinion, that made it impossible for me to care one way or the other about all that was going down. I didn’t relate to or understand anything of the decisions each made or the behaviors exhibited by anyone. Lots of lying and manipulation going on, with everyone having some sort of personal agenda. The writing is first rate to be sure, but the narrative and plot — along with the dodgy characters — just never put this story into the compelling read category. I was a little surprised by the ending, and how much I appreciated the direction taken. I’ve no doubt that this will hit the mark for many readers, but it just wasn’t all that for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this e-book ARC to read and review.

📖 BOOK REVIEW

BOOK: A Twisted Love Story
AUTHOR: Samantha Downing
FORMAT: eBook
GENRE: Thriller
DID I CRY: No
RATING: 10/10
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

MY THOUGHTS

If you liked TELL ME LIES by Carola Lovering (or the @hulu show) you will love this book.

This is the most toxic yet addicting couple to read about. I went back and forth the entire book flipflopping who I was rooting for, and whether I was rooting for them to be together or apart. This was a fun book while also, as mentioned, showcasing an incredibly toxic and unhealthy relationship. I thought it was paced perfectly and I was thinking about it when I wasn’t reading it. It got me back into reading on my kindle again🥹 the ending was also crazytown & I just simply never wanted this book to end. Read it.

Another great read by Samantha Downing. The story of Wes and Ivy is quite a story full of twists and turns. I read this book in one sitting- I had to see what the history was and what happened next. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher

This was the kind of unhinged I both fear and aspire to be, no one was redeemable, everyone sucked and I absolutely loved every second of it. I also recommend listening to the audiobook, because it feels like one long voice note from the members of your group chat detailing the most insane drama.

Thank you Netgalley & Berkley Publishing Group for an eARC of A Twisted Love Story by Samantha Downing! Downing is one of my favorite authors, so this was absolutely one of my top anticipated releases of the year.

This one's described as reckless and delicious, and that's for sure true! A very twisted love story between Wes and Ivy. When it's good, it's great. When it's bad, jeeeeeez it's BAD. We're talking arrest warrants. Wes and Ivy need to align when a detective becomes their common enemy, and an event from years ago that they never speak of comes to the surface.

I enjoyed the catastrophe of Wes & Ivy's relationship with all of the ups-and-downs. I found the ending to be a bit flat, but overall enjoyed this one as always with Downing's books! She keeps things interesting from start to finish.

This thriller was just ok to me. It's about a couple involved in a very manipulate, dysfunctional romance that results in them always coming back together despite a twisted history. I guess I didn't enjoy that aspect of the plot, as it felt somewhat repetitive and predictable. It was quickly paced and had an element of mystery to it that I enjoyed.

I read this one very quickly, as the style of writing made me want to keep starting the next chapter! Ivy and Wes present themselves as a truly messed up couple right from the start, so the story is really about how they get even MORE dysfunctional than they already are. I liked that the reader knows that from the very beginning, as opposed to it being a story of how they got that way. I loved that the plot turns were subtle enough that you didn't realize how deeply in trouble they were until quite far into the book, which to me makes it more believable....or as believable as a super fun domestic thriller can be :)

Thriller Thursday Book Review: A Twisted Love Story 🌹

⁉️: Have you ever prank called anyone?

When I was 10-11 years old, I used to call my crush’s landline to hear his voice and hang up 😆 I don’t know why we called it “prank call” as children, when we weren’t pranking anyone.

The author, @smariedowning gives a new meaning to prank calls as she carefully crafts a long-lasting but deeply complicated relationship between Ivy and Wes, a couple who met in their undergrad days and have been in an on and off relationships for over a decade. The story begins when Ivy makes a prank call for fun to report her ex, Wes, of stalking her. This prank call unleashes an unexpected chain of events While their toxic relationship unfolds throughout the novel, Karen, the cop in charge of their case is, I believe, at the heart of the novel.

Although there is a cat-and-mouse chase between the cop and this twisted couple, I appreciated the insight into morally gray and absolutely detestable characters that are found in this book. There is a moment when Ivy randomly takes a photograph with a random guy in a bar and posts it on insta to get Wes’s attention. Turns out the guy has a fiancée who is insecure and begins to stalk Ivy as the novel unfolds. And, while they do fight, the couple share an immense loyalty towards one another. At one moment, Ivy staunchly defends Wes after he is arrested by Karen.

For me, however, it is the unspoken character, Karen who stands out because not only is she a woman in a male-dominated field, but she constantly has to prove herself to her bosses and peers. The pressures lead her to become obsessed with Wes and Ivy, and a desire to dig deeper into a mysterious disappearance of a man who was involved with the couple. She reminded me of Olivia’s character in Law and Order: SVU. A 4 ✨ novel for me!

I also was privileged to join two buddy reads for this book with @letstalkbookspromo and #thrillerobsessedbuddyread, and was able to get insights into the novel during our author chat with Samantha.

Thank you @letstalkbookspromo, @berkleypub, and @penguinrandomhouse for the gifted e-arc.

#Berkleybuddyreads #BerkleyWritesStrongWomen #ThrillerObsessedBuddyRead #SamanthaDowning #ATwistedLoveStory #PenguinRandomHouse

This book brought the kind of drama I live for!

You know that dramatic, toxic couple you’re always asking for updates on? Like one of them is your best friend’s cousin and there’s always some new fiasco to report? This book is an inside look at THAT couple.

Wes and Ivy have a history that dates back almost a decade — a roller coaster of a relationship that wildly swings from romantic gestures to big fights and property damage. But they never talk about their biggest fight, the night someone ended up dead, and now a detective is onto them.

“A Twisted Love Story” was so deliciously soapy. I couldn’t get enough — Wes and Ivy are equally hateable, and Downing makes no attempt to redeem either of them. I am endlessly entertained by characters who are written to be despised. If you’re looking for a suspenseful book to devour on the beach this summer, “A Twisted Love Story” is it.

There are no redeemable characters in this book! They all have major issues and are twisted in their own way.

Wes and Ivy...I have no idea what to say about these two. They met in college and have been in an off and on again relationship since then. When one does something the other doesn't like, there is retaliation of some sort. It is like they never grew up and continue to play games that young people would play.

Karen is a police officer investigating Ivy's claim that Wes might be stalking her. Ivy reported it because she was mad. However, Karen believes there is more to this relationship and story than anyone knows and decides to do a deep dive into their past and other reports that have been filed. The truth may not be something we want to know.

Biana may come across as a mild-mannered administrative assistant, but she has her own dark side. I felt bad for her when she was attacked by a co-worker. The end result was not pretty.

This story really comes off as a train wreck and is very different from this author's past works. I didn't like this one as much as the others...but, as I mentioned it is like a train wreck and I can't look away.

We give it 3 1/2 paws.

this book was actually so pointless. I'm surprised I finished it but it did keep me turning pages. nothing really happened this entire book, all of the characters were unlikeable. this author seems to be hit and miss for me.

I am a big fan of Samantha Downing's past thrillers, so I was eagerly anticipating A Twisted Love Story. While I found it to be entertaining, it didn't work for me as well as her last two. I found Will and Ivy to be incredibly frustrating; it was hard to feel as if there was anyone to root for and I didn't especially care what happened to either of them. The end felt abrupt and the twist out of left field. I look forward to reading whatever Downing writes next, but this particular story just was not my fave.

Thank you so much to @berkleypub & @netgalley for the gifted copies!

I have never read anything so dysfunctional like Wes and Ivy. I mean, their relationship was beyond tumultuous and volatile and yet I had the best time reading about it. At times, their toxicity made me so anxious but I couldn’t stop. It was like watching a bad reality TV show (you know the ones that make you cringe but you just keep watching??). The story started off nice and easy, giving us an inside look into Wes and Ivy’s relationship and getting to know Karen, the detective who plays a bigger role in their relationship than they know. Wes and Ivy only get more toxic and it really picked up. Things were hitting the fan!! Side characters became more central to the story. Then it was over. Just like that. I felt slightly underwhelmed by the ending. I needed more. Overall, I read this fairly quickly (by my standards) and it kept me entertained. The characters were my favorite part — just a bunch of crazies who all need therapy!

this book is TELL ME LIES 🤝 MY LOVELY WIFE—it’s truly both morphed into one and i DEVOURED it. Downing is one of my all time fave authors (FOR YOUR OWN GOOD is one of my fave thrillers ever) and i was soooo excited to get my hands on this one early. i actually stared at it on my bookshelf for months bc i wanted to savor it but simply couldn’t wait anymore 😂 it’s 400 pages but SUCH a good binge. it’s a super fun cat-and-mouse psychological thriller with a toxic relationship at the center of it all. there’s secrets, murder, a police investigation (or two…) and tons of drama 🖤 oh and the ending had me SWEATING!!

A TWISTED LOVE STORY is all about Ivy and Wes. when they’re good, it’s perfect. but when they’re bad, it’s so toxic. Ivy and Wes have a secret that they NEVER talk about—but when a detective enters the picture, she’s determined to uncover every secret they have. can their relationship withstand the pressure?

this definitely reads like a romantic suspense. the relationship is at the center but behind the scenes there are two murder investigations, lots of suspense and so many secrets. her past work had me expecting a bit more “thriller” but if you go in knowing it’s a romantic suspense you’ll be good. i was SO nervous it was going to end a way i didn’t want it to but i’m happy to report that the ending pleased me 😌🙌🏼 ty Samantha lol 🩷

i think readers will enjoy this—it’s certainly one of my favorites of hers. it would be SO good to see this adapted and brought to life too 🎬 these characters were so fun. can’t wait to see bookstagrammers more creative than me cast this 😂

Gotta say, out of the three Downings I've delved into, this one sits at the bottom of the list for me. But hold up, don't close that book just yet! The story and characters still pack a punch. 💥 There were a couple jaw-dropping twists that sucker-punched me. 🤯🔀 However, let's keep it real, this isn't a wild ride of reveal after reveal. It's more like an intimate character study spotlighting Ivy and Wes and their seriously messed up dynamic. Toxic relationships, anyone? Call me greedy, but I wanted more from the ending . Nonetheless, I'll give credit where it's due—it fits, it makes sense. Sometimes tidy bows aren't the name of the game.

Here's the scoop: if you're vibing with Downing's previous works or if you're all about diving into the minds of flawed characters, this one's worth your time. 👍 This isn't your run-of-the-mill thriller, though. So, my bookish pals, if you're up for a deep dive into a twisted love story that'll mess with your head and make you think, grab this one off the shelf.

Dark, demented, and delightful. Samantha Downing does it again!

College sweethearts Ivy and Wes have had an on again, off again relationship forever. They love to hate each other, yet they can't stay away from each other for long. Call it crazy, call it obsession, call it whatever you want, they call it love.

Their twisty turny relationship, isn't all that's wild about A Twisted Love Story.. this toxic book is all about insane relationships that make your jaw drop and your eyes twitch.. and somehow you can't get enough.

All I can say is that Samantha Downing knows how to draw in readers, by creating extremely complicated characters you can't get enough of.

Another intriguing, unputdownable thriller by the brilliant Samantha Downing, this was fabulous buddy read with Kaceey.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for the arc.