Author: Ana Huang
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Published: July 29, 2021
Pages: 454
Format read: Paperback
Triggers: Child Abuse, Death of Parent, Alcoholism, Addiction, Drug abuse, Kidnapping, Car accident
Quick Thoughts: What a fun read! It’s forbidden romance with a sprinkle of enemies to lovers and I loved it! I wouldn’t mind a bodyguard like Rhys~
This book was self purchased.
All reviews are entirely honest and my own opinion.
Rating:
Characters:
Plot:
Spice:
She can never be his…but he’s taking her anyway.
Stoic, broody, and arrogant, elite bodyguard Rhys Larsen has two rules:
1) Protect his clients at all costs
2) Do not become emotionally involved. Ever.
He has never once been tempted to break those rules…until her.
Bridget von Ascheberg. A princess with a stubborn streak that matches his own and a hidden fire that reduces his rules to ash. She’s nothing he expected and everything he never knew he needed.
Day by day, inch by inch, she breaks down his defenses until he’s faced with a truth he can no longer deny: he swore an oath to protect her, but all he wants is to ruin her. Take her.
Because she’s his.
His princess.
His forbidden fruit.
His every depraved fantasy.
***
Regal, strong-willed, and bound by the chains of duty, Princess Bridget dreams of the freedom to live and love as she chooses.
But when her brother abdicates, she’s suddenly faced with the prospect of a loveless, politically expedient marriage and a throne she never wanted.
And as she navigates the intricacies-and treacheries-of her new role, she must also hide her desire for a man she can’t have.
Her bodyguard.
Her protector.
Her ultimate ruin.
Unexpected and forbidden, theirs is a love that could destroy a kingdom…and doom them both.
The forbidden romance is strong in this one, and I absolutely love it! It even has a bit of Enemies to Lovers in it, which was a surprisingly perfect fit for their story. Ahh, I have a weakspot for this kind of tropes!
Kiss me like the the world’s watching.
There is lots of build up in the first act. Personally I am a bigger fan of faster paced books, but it didn’t bother me at all in this one. The build up was quick enough to keep me entertained while also setting things up for the rest of the book. Talking about setting up… This book did a great job at setting book 3 and 4 up! It’s subtle enough to not take away from Bridget’s and Rhys’s story, while also giving just enough information to keep reading the rest of the series. Really well done!
Just like the first book, this one has a couple of time jumps. Where I struggled with those in Twisted Love, I didn’t have a problem with them at all in the second book. The writing very obviously improved quite a bit. The time jumps were much easier to follow and the writing was a little more smoothly. Now, I didn’t have a whole lot of issues with getting through the first book, but it was something that stood out to me and I think it deserves to be mentioned!
Rhys is such a hot steamy guy, definitely book boyfriend material. Where Alex was a little cold at times, Rhys is everything but to me. He’s boiling hot. While he does try his best to keep to his rules, he still falls for Bridget. The way that these two fall for one another is a slow burn, but done in a faster pace thanks to the time jumps.
There is plenty of spice in this second installment of the Twisted series. Very hot and very -very- frequent. Just how I like it!
Ana Huang definitely knows how to write a good story, and this book once again showcases that for me. The characters were very likable and the plot got better & better as you read on. The way that it blooms and wraps around is very well done, and very enjoyable as well. Though some bits borderlined on cheesy for me, it wasn’t as bothersome because it fit pretty well into the book as a whole.
Oh. And the taste of age gap that was in between the lines? Sheer perfection. It fit so well in the forbidden romance trope! I liked that they didn’t make it a huge issue, while it was still part of the story.
Bridget Von Ascheberg was mine and mine alone.
It didn’t matter that she wasn’t mine to take. I was taking her anyway.
Forbidden romance, age gap and an enemies to lovers vibe? Write me the fuck up! I really enjoyed how the story came together. Bridget was a badass queen and Rhys was a hot-as-hell bodyguard. Their personalities were a good match and I loved reading about them.
Good bits
Bad bits
- Multiple tropes that fit well together
- A nice build up to the main events
- Rhys is hot as hell!!
- There is a good set-up for book 3 and 4
- Ana Huang’s writing clearly improved
- All. The. Steamy. Smut. Scenes.
- No 3rd act break up
- A little bit slow in the start
- Borderlined on cheesy a few times
I can confidently say that I really enjoyed this book! If you enjoyed the first one, I think you will enjoy the 2nd one as well. The build-up is a bit slower than I would usually prefer, but it didn’t bother me too much. A solid four star read!