Overall ★★★☆☆ 3.4/5
- ✓ 3.70 Goodreads average, about 1.79 million ratings
- ✓ Lowest rated of the four Twisted books
- ✓ 61 weeks on NYT trade paperback list
- ✓ Alex's behaviour dominates the low reviews
Twisted Love Review: Spice, Darkness, Series Order and the Hype
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Verdict: A fast, addictive brother's best friend romance with a revenge plot and a friend group that sells the whole series, held back by a cold, controlling hero many readers can't warm to and prose that tells you how the couple feel more often than it shows you.
Best for: Readers who want a quick, steamy billionaire romance with a dark backstory and don't mind a possessive hero, and who can forgive cheesy lines and a much mocked singing scene for the sake of the chemistry and the three sequels it sets up.
Heat level: ★★★★☆ (4/5, explicit; TV Insider's Swooon gives it 4 of 5 flames, and Ana Huang herself says it has fewer sex scenes than readers assume)
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.4/5, a 3.70 Goodreads average across about 1.79 million ratings, the lowest of the four Twisted books, pulled down by complaints about Alex's controlling behaviour and the writing that come up in nearly every low review we read)
Tropes: Brother's best friend, Grumpy sunshine, Billionaire hero, Forced proximity, Revenge plot, Opposites attract, Repressed memory, Tortured hero, Friend group series starter, Grovel.
Twisted Love is the first of Ana Huang's four Twisted novels, a contemporary romance set in Washington, D.C. in which Ava Chen, a 22 year old photography student with a sunny temperament and gaps in her childhood memory, is left in the care of her brother Josh's best friend, Alex Volkov, a 26 year old billionaire executive who doesn't smile, doesn't do attachments and is quietly working on a revenge plan years in the making.
The numbers are huge and lukewarm at once. Goodreads shows a 3.70 average from about 1.79 million ratings and roughly 144,000 written reviews, with 60% of raters giving four or five stars and 13% giving one or two. Huang self-published it in April 2021, it went viral on TikTok, Bloom Books reissued it in September 2022, and Wikipedia records 61 weeks on the New York Times trade paperback list. Its three sequels all score higher on Goodreads. Readers agree it's hard to put down. They argue about whether Alex deserves the ending he gets, and that argument is what you need to understand before you start.
What Is Twisted Love About?
This is a romance with a thriller underneath it. On the surface it's a brother's best friend story: Josh trusts Alex to keep an eye on his sister, Ava has had a crush on the untouchable Alex for years, and the two spend the first half finding out that the line Josh drew between them is easy to cross and hard to hide. Ava's friends Bridget, Jules and Stella fill the margins, and each of them gets her own book later.
Underneath sits the darker material. Both leads carry childhood trauma, Ava's tied to a fear of water and memories she can't reach, Alex's tied to the loss of his family. TV Insider's reviewers describe the second half as the payoff of Ava's memory returning and Alex's long revenge game coming into view. Readers expecting a light grumpy sunshine romance from the BookTok edits get something closer to a melodrama with sex scenes, and that gap shapes a lot of the reviews.
What Makes This Brother's Best Friend Billionaire Romance Work
- The forbidden setup: Josh's trust gives every early scene a reason to stay secret, and the brother's best friend hook is the trope readers name most in positive reviews.
- Speed and pull: A 5 star Goodreads reviewer read it in one sitting and a 3 star blogger who expected to dislike it still couldn't put it down.
- Ava's spark: Even mixed reviewers like that Ava pushes back on Alex, and one Goodreads reviewer singles out her Chinese American background as a draw.
- The backstory reveal: TV Insider calls discovering the leads' backstories the best part of the book, and the memory and revenge threads give it more plot than most viral romances.
- The friend group: Bridget, Jules and Stella each lead a later Twisted book, and the sequels average 3.93 to 4.15 on Goodreads, so book one works as an introduction.
Book Synopsis
Ava Chen is a photography student in Washington, D.C. who likes almost everyone and is liked back. She has a close circle of friends, an overprotective older brother in Josh, and two things she doesn't talk about much: a fear of water she can't explain and a blank where some of her early childhood should be. She has also had a quiet crush, for years, on the one person in Josh's life who barely looks at her.
Alex Volkov is that person. At 26 he is chief operating officer of a company called Archer Group, cold in public and colder in private, and the people around him have learned not to expect warmth. He is Josh's best friend, he was raised by an uncle after a childhood loss, and he keeps his real plans to himself. Josh asks Alex to look out for Ava, and Alex agrees for reasons he doesn't share with either of them.
Proximity does the rest. Alex's watchfulness starts to look a lot like attention, Ava's teasing starts to get under his armour, and the rule that Josh's sister is off limits becomes a secret the two of them keep together. Meanwhile, small things begin to stir Ava's missing memories, and Alex's interest in her past turns out to be more complicated than concern. By the midpoint the romance is real, the secret is fragile, and neither of them knows how much the other is hiding.
Our Review
The pull is real. Huang writes short, fast chapters in alternating first person, and the hook of a forbidden crush under the brother's nose keeps the first half moving at a speed that explains the sales. Reviewers who went in sceptical say so: Sarah in Readerland expected to dislike a viral book and still binged it, and a 5 star Goodreads reviewer finished it in a sitting. Ali Hazelwood's own Goodreads rating is a rave.
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The second strength is the plot under the romance. Ava's lost memories and Alex's revenge give the back half stakes beyond whether Josh finds out, and TV Insider's reviewers call the convergence of those two threads the best moment in the book. One positive Goodreads reviewer liked that it ran darker and more action driven than she expected from the cover, and the backstories give both leads a reason for the way they act.
Where it struggles is Alex, and that is the dominant complaint by a distance. In the one and two star Goodreads reviews we read, he is called a walking red flag more than once, and readers describe him as controlling, possessive and threatening in ways the book frames as romantic. The secondary problems stack up behind him. A scene where Alex sings is the single most mocked moment in the book, with several reviewers saying it cost a star. Others say the relationship goes from nothing to everything too fast, that the love and the grovel are told rather than shown, that the book stacks every popular trope at once, and that some sex scene language reads as unintentionally funny.
Reset one expectation before you start. Goodreads shelves it as dark romance, and the hero acts like one, but the content is closer to a steamy contemporary with a thriller subplot than to the captive or stalker books the label also covers. Huang's own warnings list child abuse, abusive parents, attempted murder by drowning, violence, mentions of suicide, panic attacks and a degradation kink. If you came for darkness, this is mid range. If you came for a sweet grumpy sunshine romance, know that the grump here is the kind readers argue about.
The ending is the other split. TV Insider ranked Twisted Love third of the four Twisted books, arguing that Alex treats Ava badly late on and that an eleventh hour breakup undercut the payoff. Readers who loved the book tend to accept the grovel; readers who didn't say it's mostly reported rather than dramatised.
The series gets better from here, according to the numbers. Twisted Games averages 4.07, Twisted Hate 3.93 and Twisted Lies 4.15 on Goodreads, all above this book's 3.70, so many readers treat book one as the price of entry to the friend group rather than the high point.
Our honest note: A quick, steamy, plot heavy series opener that delivers on chemistry and stumbles on its hero and its prose. Read it if a cold, possessive billionaire is your idea of fun and you want the whole Twisted friend group; skip to the sequels' trope lists, or pass, if Alex's behaviour sounds like a dealbreaker.
| Element | In Twisted Love |
|---|---|
| Central relationship | Ava Chen, a photography student, and Alex Volkov, her brother Josh's billionaire best friend |
| Core tropes | Brother's best friend, grumpy sunshine, billionaire, forced proximity, revenge plot |
| Setting | Washington, D.C., with flashbacks to both leads' childhoods |
| Heat level | 4/5, explicit, several open door scenes, fewer than its reputation suggests |
| Series | Twisted #1 of 4; the couple resolves here and later books follow other couples, so it can be read as a standalone |
| Content notes | Child abuse, abusive parents, attempted murder and drowning, death and violence, mentions of suicide, aquaphobia and panic attacks, degradation kink (from the author's own list) |
How Dark and Spicy Is Twisted Love?
Spicy, yes, but less than BookTok would have you think. TV Insider's Swooon rates it 4 of 5 flames, its tier for at least three explicit scenes that don't swamp the plot, and Goodreads readers shelve it as spicy and recommend it for 18 and over. In a 2025 interview ranking her own books by heat, Huang put Twisted Love sixth and said there aren't that many spice scenes in it, adding that readers probably remember it as spicier than it is. We score it 4. We couldn't confirm a reliable list of which chapters hold the scenes, and a reader question asking exactly that on Goodreads was still unanswered when we checked, so we won't guess.
The darkness sits in the backstory and in Alex. The author's warnings are heavier than the cover suggests, with child abuse, attempted murder by drowning and violence, and the degradation kink is the one warning that touches the sex scenes directly. What most readers mean by dark, though, is the hero's possessiveness. If you're comfortable with that, the book is moderate. If controlling behaviour framed as romance bothers you, it will bother you here.
Who Should Read This Book?
You'll likely love it if: you want a billionaire who melts only for one woman, you love the brother's best friend secret, and you'll take a revenge subplot and a fast read over polished prose.
You may want to skip it if: possessive or controlling heroes ruin a romance for you, you're sensitive to cheesy dialogue, or you want a relationship built slowly on the page.
In short: an addictive, flawed doorway to a series that most readers rate higher in later books.
What Readers Are Actually Saying (October 2026)
Five years after it went viral, Twisted Love is still the book people argue about when they argue about BookTok romance. Wikipedia records 61 weeks on the New York Times trade paperback list and, citing 2024 sales data, names Huang the fourth best selling BookTok author with about 1.47 million print copies sold. In January 2025 Huang announced that Netflix had acquired rights to the series, according to TV Insider, and that news put the book back in front of new readers; we couldn't confirm any casting or production status. We could not open Reddit or StoryGraph for this review, so the discussion here comes from Goodreads reviews and questions, blogs and TV Insider.
Why readers love it: Readers love the hook and the speed. The brother's best friend secret, the chemistry and the sense of a real plot are the points that come up most in positive reviews, with one early reviewer calling the chemistry off the charts and praising the twist. Ava's willingness to stand up to Alex earns praise even from readers who disliked him, and the friend group is a big part of why people keep going. The most consistent compliment is the simplest one: readers start it and can't stop.
What readers argue about and complain about: The complaint is Alex, and it isn't close. Across the one and two star reviews we read, readers call him toxic, controlling and possessive, and several object that the book presents his stalking style behaviour as devotion. A Goodreads question thread has a reader admitting the heroes are toxic and still appealing, which is the split in one line. Then comes the singing scene, mocked again and again in low reviews, followed by the writing: telling instead of showing, a romance that jumps from zero to obsession, trope stacking, lines readers found unintentionally funny and comparisons to Christian Grey. Some readers add that Ava forgives too easily, and a smaller group blames the hype for making a middling book feel like a letdown.
The series question worth asking first: Ava and Alex finish this book together and the next three follow other couples, so there's no cliffhanger to worry about, and Bloom's listing says it can be read alone. Huang's own reading order is Twisted Love, Twisted Games (Bridget and her bodyguard Rhys), Twisted Hate (Jules and Josh) and Twisted Lies (Stella and Christian). Later books spoil earlier ones, so order matters if you mind spoilers. Twisted Lies is the highest rated at 4.15 on Goodreads, and her Kings of Sin series shares the same world.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Twisted Love a brother's best friend romance?
Yes. Alex Volkov is the best friend of Ava's brother Josh, who asks him to look after her, and keeping the relationship from Josh drives much of the first half.
How spicy is Twisted Love, and which chapters are spicy?
It's explicit, about 4 of 5 flames according to TV Insider's Swooon, but Ana Huang says it has fewer sex scenes than readers think. We couldn't verify a chapter list, so we haven't printed one.
Is Twisted Love a dark romance?
Moderately. Goodreads shelves it as dark romance and the author warns for child abuse, attempted murder by drowning, violence, suicide mentions and a degradation kink, but it reads more like a steamy contemporary with a thriller subplot than a captive or stalker book.
What order should I read the Twisted series in?
Publication order: Twisted Love, Twisted Games, Twisted Hate, Twisted Lies. Each follows a new couple, but later books spoil earlier ones.
Why do some readers dislike Twisted Love?
Mostly because of Alex. Low reviews call him controlling and possessive, mock a scene where he sings, and fault prose that tells rather than shows.
Does Twisted Love have a happy ending?
Yes. Ava and Alex end together and there's no cliffhanger, though a late breakup and a quick grovel divide readers.
If You Loved Twisted Love, Read These Next
For the same brother's best friend tension in a ballroom instead of a penthouse, try The Duke and I, where a duke courts his friend's sister. If you want another BookTok era college romance with heat and a softer hero, read The Deal. And if Alex's darker edges were the draw and you want a book that commits to them, Haunting Adeline goes much further, so check its warnings first.
Browse more in brother's best friend romance, grumpy sunshine romance, spicy romance and contemporary romance.
The Bottom Line
Twisted Love sets out to be a forbidden romance and a revenge thriller at once, and it lands the romance's momentum better than its craft. What works: the brother's best friend secret, the speed of the read and the backstory reveal. What doesn't: a hero many readers find controlling rather than swoony, prose that tells more than it shows, and a singing scene readers can't forgive. If a possessive billionaire is your comfort read and you want the whole Twisted friend group, start here. If Alex sounds like a red flag to you, skip to the sequels' summaries and see if one of those couples suits you better.
The Eikna Overall Ranking
On the Eikna scale, Twisted Love ranks as a hugely popular but divisive series opener, strongest in its forbidden setup and pace, constrained by a hero and a prose style that split readers, and best approached as the doorway to the Twisted friend group rather than as the best book in the series.
The Evidence Scorecard
Eight dimensions, each scored out of 5 from the reader and critic evidence above. Overall is anchored on the reader ratings and adjusted for how much the recurring complaints cost the reading experience. Heat describes how explicit the book is; it is not a quality judgement. Every line marked ✓ is a checked finding, including the limits. How we assess books.
Romance ★★★★☆ 3.6/5
- ✓ Brother's best friend secret drives the first half
- ✓ Chemistry praised even by mixed reviewers
- ✓ Revenge plot adds stakes to the relationship
- ✓ Zero to obsession pacing, grovel mostly told
Characters ★★★☆☆ 3.2/5
- ✓ Ava's pushback praised across ratings
- ✓ Both leads given traumatic backstories
- ✓ Bridget, Jules and Stella set up sequels
- ✓ Alex called a walking red flag repeatedly
Writing ★★★☆☆ 2.9/5
- ✓ Short alternating first person chapters
- ✓ Readers finish it in one or two sittings
- ✓ Twist and backstory reveal praised by TV Insider
- ✓ Telling over showing, cheesy lines, singing scene
Emotional impact ★★★★☆ 3.5/5
- ✓ Memory and revenge threads converge late
- ✓ Childhood trauma gives both leads weight
- ✓ Darker and more plot driven than expected
- ✓ Late breakup undercuts the payoff for some
Heat level ★★★★☆ 4/5
- ✓ Swooon rates it 4 of 5 flames
- ✓ Goodreads readers shelve it as spicy, 18+
- ✓ Author warns for a degradation kink
- ✓ Huang says fewer scenes than readers assume
Ending ★★★☆☆ 3.1/5
- ✓ Couple ends together, no cliffhanger
- ✓ Can be read as a standalone
- ✓ Sets up three more friend group books
- ✓ TV Insider says final chapters lack magic
Re-read value ★★★★☆ 3.6/5
- ✓ Readers move straight on to Twisted Games
- ✓ About 1.79 million ratings five years on
- ✓ Netflix rights deal announced January 2025
- ✓ Many low raters vow never to reread
Sources We Checked
- Goodreads: Twisted Love (average, ratings, reviews, star distribution, low and high reviews)
- Goodreads: Twisted Love one star reviews
- Goodreads: Twisted Love two star reviews
- Goodreads: Twisted Love reader questions
- Goodreads shelf: Twisted series by Ana Huang (ratings for books 1 to 4)
- Wikipedia: Ana Huang
- Ana Huang: content warnings
- Ana Huang: reading order
- TV Insider Swooon: Twisted Love
- TV Insider Swooon: Ana Huang ranks her spiciest books (June 2025)
- TV Insider Swooon: all four Twisted books ranked (March 2025)
- Bank Square Books: Bloom Books edition details
- SuperSummary: Twisted Love character guide (Ivan Volkov, Alex's uncle)
- Book Series Recaps: what happened in Twisted Love (Alex raised by his uncle)
- SuperSummary: Twisted Love, before you read
- She Reads Romance Books: Twisted series guide
- Sarah in Readerland: Twisted Love review
- That Bookish Igbo Girl: Twisted Love release blitz review (2021)
- romance.io: Twisted Love (page blocked to our fetcher; steam band not confirmed)
Checked October 6, 2026. Ratings and counts change; the numbers above are as of that date.
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