I went blind into this book.
All I knew was that it was written by one of my favorite authors and that was all I needed to know. 😀
Twist (Dive Bar #2) by Kylie Scott was a slow burner for me. It started slow, I didn’t really know what to think of either characters, but after the first third I was GLUED to the pages. You couldn’t have pried me off with a pry bar if you’d tried.


OMG!!!!
Joe Collins was everything I could have wished for.
He was a big, blond headed, bearded and man bun wearing lumberjack.
THOR anyone???????? Chris Hemsworth?? ♥♥♥♥♥♥
He was sweet, patient, taciturn at times, loving and dedicated to his family and friends.
He was PERFECTION!!!!
Joe was such a nice guy that he even helped his brother sign up for online dating and when Eric didn’t show any sign in answering emails, Joe started chatting with Alex and came to really like her. She was everything he wanted in a woman.
Problem: Alex still thought he was ERIC – oops!!!
Since Joe never thought he would meet Alex in real life – he didn’t think it was something that would ever come out – yeah WRONG!!! Alex took it into her own hands and decide to visit him after Joe went silent on her.
Imagine the surprise and confusion when Alex showed up and gazed into Eric’s eyes just to find out that he was NOT who she thought he was. Yeah, that didn’t go down the right way. Poor Joe had some explaining and apologizing to do – which he did FABULOUSLY.
Of course Alex wasn’t in the mood to listen, but fortunately a nasty cold, thanks to walking in the rain, sealed her fate and delayed her departure. hehe
Here comes nurse Joe.
What a TWIST.
Joe was much more than just a lumberjack. He was sensitive when needed and loved to have Alex as a sounding board, that was what drew him to her in the first place. He could talk and vent without feeling judged or misunderstood by her.
He had always been the yes-sayer in his family. Someone needed help, Joe was there. Everyone else came first. That ate on him, and having Alex as a confidant relieved the pressure and made him feel sane.
Alex carried some package herself. She was hesitant in opening up to other people, even more so in regards to love interests. But Joe needed her and she stood by him. She was deep down a strong female. Self assured in their friendship, fiercely protective of him, and very well attuned to Joe.
I loved their connection. It felt REAL. DEEP. HONEST and AUTHENTIC.
Joe and Alex knew each other on a fundamental level.
I adored that!!
It doesn’t happen often that a couple has such a solid and palpable connection. That’s what I want in a story. A couple that understands each other in more than just the bedroom. I’m tired of all the misunderstandings, and drama. I need adulting characters that step back and think before reacting.
Twist (Dive Bar #2) by Kylie Scott delivered in all regards.
It made me feel good.
I was smiling non-stop.
AND
I fell in love with Joe.
It couldn’t have been any better.
OH YES IT COULD!!!!
It had MAL Ericson in it.



review was published on March 18th


http://www.happilyeverafterromancebookreviews.com/?p=2210

ARC received for review

Great second book with lots of drama, angst, sex and friends & family. It didn't start the way I thought it would, and I was confused for a couple minutes. Joe and Alex were great working out their issues with lots of help from the Dive Bar crew. Plus snarky Mal from Stage Dive makes an appearance along with some band members.

Here's hoping the next book is Nell (bless her heart in this book) getting back with Patrick and not brother Eric's HEA.

Awesome. Just freaking awesome! Kylie Scott writes the most down to earth, cool as hell characters EVER. I seriously want to hang out with these people! Alex is my soul sister. She's a geeky, crowd hating introvert that I want to be my new best friend.. Joe is... well, Joe is just *RAWR* Yes, he's hot AF, will do anything for his friends and family but he's not perfect.

Alex braves the horrible, people infested outside world to track down her email buddy Eric (Joe) after he stopped responding to her messages. She quickly finds out that Eric is not the person that she has been talking to all these months. Ack, I was cringing in sympathy for Alex as she slowly realized that the man that she's clinging to has no clue who she is. Joe can't believe that Alex is in Couer d'Alene. He knew that he should have told her that he wasn't Eric during one of their many chats but she's here now and he's determined to make it up to her.

Engaging storyline, Twist had me hooked from page one! I loved how Joe and Alex challenged each other to step outside their comfort zone when dealing with other people. But for all the sweet moments in this book there is one tragic one that had me in tears not knowing how the ending was going to pan out. Oh, I knew there was going to be a HEA but I honestly wasn't sure how much of one it would be but Kylie handled it beautifully. Curious now? Yeah, you should be because this book was fantastic! Great addition to the Dive Bar series. Can't wait for Eric's story.

It‘s been a while since I read something from this author and Twist reminded me, why I loved her Stage Dive series so much.
Her writing sucks you right in and you can escape reality for a few hours.
Alex walking in that bar in the beginning made my heart beat faster because I literally could feel something was up…
Their banter was sooo much fun, I loved it and made me think of Mal and Anne in Play.
But I shed a few tears too and that was unexpected.
I enjoyed Alex and Joe‘s journey, they just complement each other ♡ I got a little annoyed with Joe towards the end, I wanted him to fight harder. I could totally understand Alex and Joe should have considered her feelings more/earlier.
I‘m looking forward to the next book in this series and I'd love for Val to get a book too ♡

I have been reading Kylie Scott since Lick released and have been a devout groupie ever since. Twist is the second book in the Dive Bar series and the best one yet. Alex and Joe were a friends to lovers romance I won’t soon forget. Joe’s sweet, fun nature and Alex’s true devotion to doing what’s right had my heart swelling. Mix in some hot sex and unforgettable characters and you cannot go wrong.

‘I wasn’t used to being wanted in such different ways. Like I was more than my mouth, tits, and vagina. More than even our friendship. Holy shit, we were complicating things. We were out of control.’

When Alex shows up at the Dive Bar to finally meet the man she met on an online dating site it doesn’t take long to realize that she has been catfished. Finding out the man she had a close relationship with, Erik, was not him and instead was Joe. His brother. Joe is nothing like what she expected and she is ready to hightail it out of town when she gets sick. While helping to care for Alex, Joe sets out to prove that he is the man she was falling for, her friend, and she needs to give them a chance.

‘Lubersexuals were clearly the worst.’

Twist was an easy to read novel that had me falling in love with Joe from the start. He’s not perfect, he makes mistakes but he was a truly genuine good person. The only thing I loved more in Twist than Joe was Alex. She was strong, successful but more than anything she is loyal. I fell hard for her and her BFF. Twist is sweet, funny, dreamy and sexy. A hit for me!

4.5 Stars
~miranda

Just the right combination of emotions and spice! Loved it!

I loved the basis of this story, how two random people found each other thru a dating app, became pen pals and then friends. How that friendship gave one person with agoraphobia, the guts to step out and meet the one person who "gets them".

The connection born through emails, quickly fizzles face to face, as everything wasn't as truthful as hoped. There is no insta-lust here. In fact, quite the opposite - but I didn't buy into their initial hurtful commentary of each other. I think they both spoke out of pain, of being rejected and lied to.

The attraction they initially denied comes to the forefront when the two end up spending a lot of time together for unexpected reasons. While I too was a little mad about Joe's lack of truthfulness with the emails, it was easy for me to forgive him. Alex on the other hand, drags it out a bit longer. But when she does forgive him, the two seem to rebuild the friendship born via email.

What I loved about the story is how the two admitted their issues to one another and came up with a plan to help each other. Not only does a stronger connection build between them, but they become happier and confident in who they are, which really is the key to a strong couple - bringing out the best in one another.

The tragedy broke my heart, but it also changed a lot of dynamics in the story. I absolutely wanted to applaud and hug Alex for her strength, supporting Joe despite some of his harsh comments. And I did want to smack him up a bit, but I realize he was dealing with a lot of emotion and pain, that he wasn't being honest with her or himself.

Stage Dive fans will like their inclusion in this story. Love you Mal!! XOXO

I enjoyed this installment of the series more than the first and am looking forward to more from the group. Eric next?!?

Have you ever heard of the word catfish? You know when someone using social media of some sort pretends to be someone else? Well hard working, mild mannered Joe did just that. Joe pretended to be his irreverent, girl magnet brother Eric on a dating site because he just couldn't ignore the funny, kind of messed up Alex who started corresponding with him. Fast forward six months though and Joe is about to get a big surprise !
Alex has a good life but she's lonely. Oh she wouldn't admit it but her crippling fears hold her back and in many ways keep her a prisoner in her own home. Except there's just something about her cyber pal Eric. He sounds like everything she dreamed of and taking a huge risk with her heart in her hands Alex flies across state to finally meet Mr tall, dark and handsome but what she gets is a big blonde giant of a guy, bearded, so not her type and he's a lied to her!
This author can do no wrong . Her story here features two fairly normal people, not rock gods or anything but someone you could pass on the street everyday. The beauty of it all is they do feel real, with feelings and aspirations but are never perfect. Perfect would be boring and the characters we meet in this book are never that. There's a warmth, a feeling of camaraderie that binds these characters together. Yes it's essentially a romance but the wider picture involving those associated with the Dive Bar has immense appeal.
So take a guy who puts everyone else and their needs first, add in a slightly kooky woman with backbone enough to stand by him and then throw in comedic dialogue, warm fuzzy feelings and maybe even a little tragedy and that my friends is why this book had me up until nearly three am !
This voluntary take is of an arc from Netgalley that I happily devoured and my thoughts are my honest opinion

Ms. Scott has a knack for creating fun opening scenes. I always look forward to seeing what she’ll come up with and this story didn’t disappoint.

”Our relationship had so far sat entirely at the platonic level of cyber-messaging.”

Alex and Joe met through an online dating site and started corresponding through emails for about six months. Alex took a chance a flew out to surprise her email-pal for his birthday. Now, on a side note -over 20 years ago I did something somewhat similar - except I didn’t go without my person being aware I was flying across the country. SURPRISE! Alex not only surprised everyone she got a surprise herself. The opening scene had some laugh out loud moments.

”Joe is smart, funny, loyal, sweet, hardworking, kind, caring, and generally amazing in all the ways.”

Joe embodied the elements of a strong male character who was also a gentleman. At one point in the story, there was an incident that happened which made Joe question if he even deserved to be loved or not. The tension between the characters during that time was palpable. The frustration from both of them was like an Eeyore cloud over their relationship. Luckily, with romances, readers know the warm and fuzzy feelings will return.

“Nell was going through a messy divorce from another friend of ours, Pat. Her and my brother were a drunken accident.”

I really liked seeing the Nell, Pat and Eric’s situation play out in this book. Their story starts in DIRTY and even if you didn’t read book one you can read this one without being lost. Their situation gets explained in TWIST to catch everyone up.

I love that Ms. Scott always offers originality in her stories. The meet-cutes in her books are some of my favorite parts because they set up the story for an entertaining ride.

TWIST is set in Coeur D'alene, Idaho. It’s set in the same universe as Dive. The next book in the Dive Bar series is scheduled to be released at the beginning of November.

✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦
RELEASE DATE: April 11, 2017
Pre-order | order: http://amzn.to/2nlbwWH

**Complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.**

Twist by Kylie Scott

This was a really enjoyable friends to lovers-ish romance from Scott. We have the seriously bearded and multitalented Joe and the lovely Alex who steps wayyyyyy out of her comfort zone to come and meet Eric, the man she's spent the last while chatting to/emailing online. Except, when she meets him, he doesn't recognize her and she realizes he's *really* not the man she thought he was.

Joe helped his brother set up a dating profile and when Eric inevitably lost interest, he found himself too intrigued by the person he was chatting with to tell her the truth. He feels that he comes second best to his brother and can't seem to let that belief go. He's become a 'yes man' because he doesn't want to let anyone down, but of course, that comes at a cost to himself.

On the other hand, Alex is happy to be on her own, can say no a hundred times a day and not be fazed by it. She's content with her graphic designing, with her family, with her best friend and really doesn't need anything more. Her friendship with Joe brings her out of that funk a little bit and the two characters balance each other out quite nicely.

While I enjoyed book one, Twist took this series up a notch with likable and relatable characters. I thought Joe was incredibly sweet and patient with everyone in his life and watching him rebuild the trust with Alex was just lovely. He deserves all good things! This book addressed the one niggling question that wasn't answered in Dirty and for that I was so immensely grateful! Another great book from Scott.

*arc received from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

**Reviewed by Melinda for Joandisalovebooks Blog.

Okay. I have a confession to make. Overly large, overly hairy dudes are my literary weakness. Seriously, once a hero gets referred to as a yeti/sasquatch/bigfoot, I'm smitten. Hey. If liking big, hairy guys is wrong, I don't want to be right.

Let's just say Joe's beardedness gets a big *thumbs up* from me.

However, the slight prevarication he might have made in reference to his identity wasn't as charming. On the other hand, it brought Alex into his orbit and they were SUPER cute together. Once she got over her anger at his lies, that is.

Frankly, Alex needed a jolt to her existence to bring her out of her shell. While Joe certainly wasn't what she was expecting when she showed up in Coeur d'Alene, he was exactly what she needed. Their relationship might have started out on the wrong foot, but it...well, it kinda went all over the place. But it ended well. Eventually.

Good things take time, man. And bearded giants are no exception.

Kylie Scott is a fairly new author to me (I have only read one of her books prior to this one) and I am easily becoming a fan girl. The way she writes her stories brings her characters to life which allows us readers to easily become connected to them. This is no different with Twist and I really enjoyed this story.

As far as the plot line goes, I really enjoyed it. The heroine of the story has been chatting with a man who she thinks is Eric, but this turns out to be completely wrong. YUP! She was cat-fished.. And by who else? Well you will have to read and find out. But the way these two bicker and banter is amazing. Normally I wouldn't go for this type of story on the main fact that there was a lot of deceit, but Kylie puts it all together in a way the makes the story adorable. Also, I am sure many people can relate to the storyline in some way. Just perhaps not end up like these two? Who knows. It simply works here though and the author turned a topic I would normally hate into something I loved.

Overall, this is a very fun, lighthearted read and makes the perfect addition to the series. Based off what the author has written so far, I will certainly be picking up more of her books (including any released in the series later on).

Here's the thing: I'm biased. I adore Kylie Scott's books. If it has words printed on paper with her name involved then I'm there for it. Twist is the perfect addition to the growing bookshelf I have of her novels.

Twist is the second book in her Dive Bar series about a close knit group of friends who work in and around a bar in Northern Idaho. It is loosely tied to her Stage Dive series. In Twist, a faked dating profile leads to a surprise meeting of Joe and Alex that would be worthy of being featured on an episode of Catfish. Their unlikely connection continues as one would expect, but there's one big twist (sorry for the title reference, couldn't help myself) that I didn't seem coming.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read. I look forward to reading what happens to the rest of the friends I've come to love.

This is my second try with this author and sadly I think I'm giving up... I just can't connect with her stories or characters

I was blessed enough to be approved by the publisher via Netgally to receive a free E-Arc of the book in exchange for my honest review of the book which is as follows:

I want to start this review off by saying that I haven’t read the first book in the series and I don’t think that you miss too much except if you wanted to know the backstory of “Joe” ‘s brother(who I’m pretty sure is the main character in the first book in the series).

I related to Alex (especially her personality) a lot. I really enjoyed the flow between her and “Joe”. I really appreciated the fact that it wasn’t “Insta Love” between them. I really liked how the formatting of the past and present was done, in my personal opinion it gave you the backstory between them without making you feel like you were losing any time in the present.

Some parts of the book were sad and I was annoyedwith “Star”, however The ending was one of the best to an adult romance books I’ve read in awhile. Overall I personally rate this book a 8 and half out of 10.

After reading Dirty, I couldn't wait to dive into Twist, the second book in Kylie Scott's Dive Bar series. Twist is about Joe, the bartender we meet in Dirty, who also happens to be part-owner Eric's brother. The story is full of fun, humor and sexy times but it also gets pretty emotional as it touches on some deeper and darker themes. All of our favorite characters from Dirty are back in addition to a few newcomers, including Alex, Joe's love interest. These two have a powerful chemistry and their love-hate banter was completely entertaining. The sarcasm and wit that Alex throws at Joe had me laughing out loud repeatedly. And Joe.....he's quite the romantic. Add in his sexy tattooed and bearded body and kind-hearted personality and I wanted to take him home and keep him for myself! While the story is fun and sexy, there is also sadness and heartbreak as several events occur and past events and secrets are revealed. These scenes were very emotional but Scott does a great job balancing the sadness with humor and happiness. Overall, Twist gives the readers even more to love about the fabulous Dive Bar characters. I can't wait to see what Kylie Scott gives us next!

Kylie Scott is always fantastic. She grabs readers from the very first word every single time!

I have two confessions to make. I LOVE Kylie Scott books. And two I HATE one sided stories. But every book this author writes well she 100% makes me love it.

This story is about Stage Dive's two brothers, Joe and Eric. One day the bar closes to the public to celebrate Eric's bday when a woman shows up, Alex. She claims to be Eric's online flirtation and email penpal. They met on a dating site months before and she decided to take a vacation and surprise/meet him. But guess what Eric has no idea who she is.and the biggest surprise is on Alex because Joe is her penpal.

Joe hijacked his brothers dating site because he really loved chatting with Alex but he is very rough around the edges to Eric's smooth looks so he never told Alex the truth. After a bout with the flu, both Alex and Joe really get to know each other and I really loved them together.

Joe is the guy wanting more and who thinks his looks will not measure up and Alex is the girl who is terified of people and feeling anything.. I really loved the role reversals and those two together were super fun, sweet and romantic.

Despite this story being told in just Alex's POV only I really totally loved every minute of this story.

❝I wonder, did guys ever buy oversize shoes to try and benefit from the feet-to-penis-size belief? Was there a market for that?❞

'Twist' is the second book in the Dive Bar series and was just as good as the first.

Joe Collins is a good guy. Maybe a little misguided, but a great guy! When he goes to shut down his brother’s online dating site account, he had never intended to be the one interested in a relationship.

❝Eric Collins was going down. The dude would be wooed so hard it hurt and I, Alexandra Parks, would be doing the wooing.❞

Alexandra Parks is a self-employed graphics design arts with trust issues. She is more comfortable within the confines of her apartment than she is in public, she prefers online interactions to face to face ones. When she meets “Eric” on an online dating site, she realizes she has met her match. He’s smart, funny and sexy. Their banter is filled with snark and laced with kindness. It is hilarious.

❝You’re so pale you make Casper look alive.❞

The best part of the book for me were the email interactions!! Also, fans of the Stage Dive series will be thrilled with the cameos in this book.

There were some frustrating parts, i.e. the heroine’s fixation on how she’d been wronged and making the hero suffer for much of the book, as well, I wasn’t quite sure I understood our hero’s need to pull away. However, the story was endearing, well-written and I really enjoyed it. But then again, I have enjoyed all of the books I’ve read that were written by Ms. Scott.

If you are looking for a quick, funny read with a twist, that will tug at your heart strings, pick up this friends-to-lovers story.

**I received an Advanced Reader Copy. This did not influence my opinion of the book, nor my review.**