What the heck did I just read?

This book had me in a chokehold! I mean from the first chapter I was hooked. I read 85% of it in one day.

This is definitely one twisted love story. The drama, the breakups, the makeups… horrible to be a part of, but damn good to read about. Ivy and Wes were wild! Their relationship was so intense and definitely toxic, but they were addicted to each other. It made me think a lot about love and how it can look so different. Was their relationship healthy and normal? Absolutely not. But I think they really did love each other. Needed some serious therapy though.

The side characters were also written really well. Karen could benefit from a leave of absence and some intensive therapy. She let her own issues and past trauma seep into her job and ultimately she got it all wrong in the end.

Abigail… I really wasn’t expecting her to become such a big character in the story. I actually loved her though?

Bianca was so intriguing. I wish she had been present more because her storyline was interesting. I’d like to have gotten to know her a little more.

The Milo thing was weird. He was weird. So was Heath.

Basically this is a thriller to end all thrillers. The suspense will kill you. Highly recommend.

Fun fact back in 2020 (long story short) @smariedowning was doing an auction to help benefit charity, of being able to name a character in an upcoming book. I won the auction and I picked myself to be the named character in the book! To my surprise she gave me a major part in the story. The detective and I share a name, and you might even see Jack appearing in the story as well!

@smariedowning is one of my favorite authors so I was so excited to read this one and also to get a copy from @berkleypub this will definitely be a book I will never be able to part with. It’s been fun for me to have people reach out to me when they saw my name in the story and I am forever greatful to her to making the detective such a kick ass character. I see this is a Barnes and Nobles best seller and I’m excited to see how far this book will go!

Even if my name wasn’t in this book it would still be an absolute win for me and I’m already anxiously awaiting @smariedowning next book!

Samantha Downing’s writing style has this undeniable pull—I open one of her books, and I’m immediately hooked. This was no exception. After trying to start a few other books and not quite settling into them, this one completely captivated me. From page one, I was mesmerized by the characters and the story, unable to pull away.

Wes and Ivy’s relationship is like an emotional rollercoaster set on fire—dark, chaotic, and impossible to look away from. Downing has a way of taking love and danger and blending them into something that feels like magic—albeit the twisted kind. Every moment, whether it was the intoxicating highs of their romance or the chilling lows of their shared secrets, kept me on the edge of my seat. There were even moments that had me so amused, I couldn’t help but laugh.

I loved every second of this book so much that I ended up buying myself a physical copy—I just needed to have it on my shelf. That’s the kind of story this is: unforgettable, thrilling, and completely engrossing.

Special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy. But even if I hadn’t received one, I wouldn’t have been able to resist picking this up myself. Samantha Downing has done it again.

Samantha Downing is queen of the psychological thriller, and she brings another nail biter with A Twisted Love Story. This one will keep readers guessing and on the edge of their seats.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

I hate to DNF an ARC because it truly feels so ungrateful but I gotta put me first. This book is so profoundly uninteresting to me I can't fathom wasting any more time on it. I'm shocked by my distaste for it since I loved the two previous works I've read by this author but she lost me with this one.

Wow! What a fun, twisty and surprising read! I went into this book mostly blind. But also knowing it was going to a fun thriller. I was right! I really enjoyed all the characters for what they were, and the plot. I will definitely be recommending this to all my reader friends!

I'm sorry to say that this was not a book I particularly enjoyed, which is unfortunate because the author is a gem! These characters were toxic to not only each other but to the population of this planet. I will gladly give Samantha another try with another thriller, but I will not be raving about this one.

I enjoyed this book, but it definitely wasn’t my favorite by Samantha Downing. I found the main characters to all be very unlikable (sometimes I don’t mind this but it was working against me in this book), and MANY of their actions simply made no sense. But I am a sucker for a toxic relationship story, and boy was that present here!!

I've really enjoyed Downing's books in the past but unfortunately this one didn't do it for me. Maybe it's my PTSD that makes reading toxic, abusive relationships a legit distressing experience...I didn't feel a connection to any of the characters and didn't see any sign of actual character development. Which would be fine except the plot didn't really keep me engaged either. I might have been more forgiving had it not been stretched to nearly 400 pages. Here's hoping the next one is better for me, though I know there will be a subset of readers who still want and love this one.

The author has a great writing style that flows seamlessly and the mystery in this has me on the edge of my seat, I really loved it and loved the experience of reading it. I think it’s a book that’ll stay with me for a long time and now I definitely want to discover this author’s backlist.

A Twisted Love Story by Samantha Downing is a thriller novel. The story in A Twisted Love Story is one that is told by changing the point of view between the characters and does feature an incredibly toxic relationship if that may be a trigger to some.

Wes and Ivy have been on again off again on again off again rinse and repeat since their college days. The most in love couple ever until one or the other explodes and it all ends for them again for a while anyway.

Now Ivy has crossed another line and talked to the police leading them to believe that possibly Wes is a stalker. This in turn brings Wes right back into Ivy’s life yet again but will this be the time that the couple finally gives up the secret they have fought to hide?

I have to say I went into A Twisted Love Story by Samantha Downing expecting to really enjoy it but unfortunately that wasn’t the case. The thing is it almost felt as if everyone in the book was toxic and there wasn’t really anyone to like at all. But this one also felt as if the pacing was slow to me but on the flip side it would switch from here to there all too often not really getting a good rhythm which threw me off too. Overall I ended this one at the two and a half star range but while I didn’t love it others did so if it sounds interesting perhaps give it a try for yourself.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

"A Twisted Love Story" is a psychological thriller about a couple, Wes and Ivy, that has been dating on and off for 10 years and it's super toxic - they mess with each other's emotions, play mind games and try to bring one another to their breaking point. They've committed some heinous crimes that are starting to become exposed and we see how quickly everything unravels from the perspective of Wes, Ivy, Karen (a detective) and Bianca (an administrative assistant).

I really appreciate a book that can be told from multiple different perspectives if it's done well and I actually really enjoy all four perspectives of Wes, Ivy, Karen and Bianca, but I wasn't exactly invested in Wes and Ivy as the book went on. I felt as though their back and forth and the toxicity really began to turn me off and by the end of the book, I had had enough. This book really was twisted and had so many ups, downs and all arounds, but it was just okay in my eyes. I'm so appreciative of the early copy!

Samantha Downing is one of my favorite authors of psychological suspense. A Twisted Love Story did not disappoint! I will read anything the author creates. Thank you for the opportunity to read this e-galley.

I loved this book! I loved it from start to finish. What is better than a love story...? ... a twisted love story! I cannot recommend this book enough! I look forward to more titles by Samantha Downing.

I liked the twists in the novel, but didn't enjoy any of the characters. I am a pilot driven reader, so I prefer great plots to likeable characters . However when the story is all about only 2 characters, the characters need to be likeable. I was really wanting to root for one or the other main characters in the relationship, but I didn't.

That being said, I liked the writing style and would like to read another book from this author.

Unfortunately this book was not for me. I really enjoyed the authors previous books but this novel was very different. The characters were toxic and I didn’t feel like they were consistent throughout the book. I couldn’t tell who to trust and I’m not sure that was intentional. All in all it just wasn’t my favorite.

I find the author's books wickedly fun. There is a underlying dark sense of humor and I never know where they are headed. And I love that.

This one focused on two exes that maybe shouldn't be exes or the longer I read maybe shouldn't live anywhere near each other. I loved the pull they had on each other. And all the hidden meaning that it takes the book to uncover. Wes and Ivy are her typical characters in that they are not quite right and slightly delusional.

This book was looking at a train wreck that I just couldn't bear to look away. It was a wild ride, but one I was happy to be on. I didn't like Wes or Ivy but I also can't tell you that I didn't like them. I needed to know their stories and if they were going to destroy each other. Because right from the start you know this is a distinct possibility.

And the more I read and the more I learned about them, the more I needed to know. And while I am not sure it is 100% believable, I can't say it wasn't. And by the end all those details of their lives and their love story paid off. I could not have ever guessed those twists.

I see that I am in the minority here, but this one seemed pure Samantha Downing to me. Wild characters, a wild tale and an unpredictable ride.

Samantha Downing has such a way with words. She somehow gets into every character's head so deeply and so cunningly, which makes her books unputdownable. I couldn't bear to stop reading this one until the messy end.

It has really always been Ivy & Wes and Wes & Ivy even though their passionate off-and-on started in college. Full of drama with two people who could not be more right and wrong for each other at the same time, Downing's newest thriller does not disappoint.

Ivy makes a twisted attempt to get Wes's attention after their latest time apart (10 years). Inadvertently, she opens a cold case led by a detective who is driven by personal grudges. As Ivy and Wes become more scrutinized, they realize they will always be together.

If you like thrillers, Downing is an author for you. I didn't feel like this one had the usual gasp-out-loud twists, but she does offer her token open-ended conclusion. Readers, be forewarned: it's frustrating and amazing at the same time - you *know* how it's going to end, but since she won't write it, the reader is forced to finish it. That leads to many books being thrown across the room while exclaiming, "I hate that ending! It was the such a great book!"

I was hoping this book went in a completely different direction, but it did not, and I was utterly disappointed. I was drawn in at the beginning, and because of My Lovely Wife, I wanted so much more.