Twisted Love: A Grumpy Sunshine Romance by Ana Huang
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Twisted Love: A Grumpy Sunshine Romance

by

Ana Huang

(Author)

4.2

-

98,457 ratings


★★ A New York Times, USA Today, and WSJ Bestselling Romance ★★

He has a heart of ice...but for her, he'd burn the world.

Alex Volkov is a devil blessed with the face of an angel and cursed with a past he can’t escape.

Driven by a tragedy that has haunted him for most of his life, his ruthless pursuits for success and vengeance leave little room for matters of the heart.

But when he’s forced to look after his best friend’s sister, he starts to feel something in his chest:

A crack.

A melt.

A fire that could end his world as he knew it.


Ava Chen is a free spirit trapped by nightmares of a childhood she can’t remember.

But despite her broken past, she’s never stopped seeing the beauty in the world…including the heart beneath the icy exterior of a man she shouldn’t want.

Her brother’s best friend.

Her neighbor.

Her savior and her downfall.

Theirs is a love that was never supposed to happen—but when it does, it unleashes secrets that could destroy them both…and everything they hold dear.

Twisted Love is a contemporary brother’s best friend/grumpy sunshine romance. It's book one in the Twisted series but can be read as a standalone.

WARNING: This book contains a possessive antihero, explicit sexual content, and profanity. No cheating or menage, but if you're looking for a traditionally sweet, loveable hero, this is not the book for you. Recommended for 18+.

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ISBN-10

1728274869

ISBN-13

978-1728274867

Print length

352 pages

Language

English

Publisher

Bloom Books

Publication date

April 28, 2021

Dimensions

5.5 x 0.88 x 8.5 inches

Item weight

12.8 ounces



Popular Highlights in this book

  • You are the light to my dark, Sunshine, he said in a raw voice. His lips brushed against mine as he spoke. Without you, I’m lost.

    Highlighted by 32,602 Kindle readers

  • She was mine. She just didn’t know it yet. I hadn’t known it myself until I saw her in Colton’s arms and every instinct raged at me to tear her away. To claim what belonged to me.

    Highlighted by 29,526 Kindle readers


Product details

ASIN :

B08Y6DCS1Y

File size :

2349 KB

Text-to-speech :

Enabled

Screen reader :

Supported

Enhanced typesetting :

Enabled

X-Ray :

Enabled

Word wise :

Enabled


Editorial Reviews

"Hands down, one of the BEST books I've ever read. IN MY LIFE." - Romancerecs BookBlog

"Alex MF Volkov was so hot my kindle was literally steaming." - Dirty Little Secret Book Blog

"An entertaining, captivating, and steamy NA romance novel that you will not be able to put down." - Frederique, Between the Books

"A brother's-best-friend/opposites attract love story that had me glued to my Kindle as the story twisted and turned, with elements of suspense and family drama, and one hell of a romance." - AJ, Escapist Book Blog

"The story is a fireball of energy, and Huang's writing is extraordinarily well done." - Anne OK, Goodreads

"It had romance, it has action, it has drama and it has unexpected twists you don't see coming thrown with a whole lot of angst. It's perfect." - Farah, Book Fanatic

"The chemistry between the characters and the steam in this book is over the rooftop." - Knjigolegica, Goodreads

"Twisted Love was highly addicting and I couldn't stop reading once I started." - Amanda, Once Upon a Bookdream

"If you love brother's best friend with LOTS of tension and so much angst with lots of juicy secrets then this is the book for you!" - Caitlin, Goodreads

"So addictive and unputdownable." - Elsa, Bookish Aurora

"If there is one book I would recommend, it's this one. I LOVED LOVED LOVED Ava Chen and Alex Volkov's story in Twisted Love." - Sentranced Jem

"There were a lot of layers to this story, the romance, suspense, smexiness, and it was all brilliant." - Sabrina, Escape to Reading

"A journey filled with so much tension, angst , and an antihero that will blow your mind." - Lucy,

"Not only is Ana Huang's writing perfection, but she weaved a story with steamy scenes romance lovers will devour and a storyline filled with twists you won't see coming and angst that will break your heart." - Brittney C., Goodreads

"I would give this book 10 stars if I could." Ofa Love, Goodreads

"This book gave me ALL the feels." - Jenna, Goodreads

"This is a book that will have you sooo sucked in and wanting more. There are twists and a touch of darkness that just took this one to the next level!" Ali, Avid Reader Ali

"This was so good! i devoured it in one sitting!" - Riley Marie, Goodreads

"This is such a page turner and an emotional rollercoaster. I couldn't put it down." - Michelle Reads Romance

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Sample

1

AVA

There were worse things than being stranded in the middle of nowhere during a rainstorm.

For example, I could be running from a rabid bear intent on mauling me into the next century. Or I could be tied to a chair in a dark basement and forced to listen to Aqua’s “Barbie Girl” on repeat until I’d rather gnaw off my arm than hear the song’s eponymous phrase again.

But just because things could be worse didn’t mean they didn’t suck.

Stop. Think positive thoughts.

“A car will show up…now.” I stared at my phone, biting back my frustration when the app reassured me it was “finding my ride,” the way it had been for the past half hour.

Normally, I’d be less stressed about the situation because hey, at least I had a working phone and a bus shelter to keep me mostly dry from the pounding rain. But Josh’s farewell party was starting in an hour, I had yet to pick up his surprise cake from the bakery, and it would be dark soon. I may be a glass half-full kinda gal, but I wasn’t an idiot. No one—especially not a college girl with zero fighting skills to speak of—wants to find herself alone in the middle of nowhere after dark.

I should’ve taken those self-defense classes with Jules like she wanted.

I mentally scrolled through my limited options. The bus that stopped at this location didn’t run on the weekends, and most of my friends didn’t own a car. Bridget had car service, but she was at an embassy event until seven. My rideshare app wasn’t working, and I hadn’t seen a single car pass by since the rain started. Not that I would hitchhike anyway—I’ve watched horror movies, thank you very much.

I only had one option left—one I really didn’t want to take—but beggars couldn’t be choosers.

I pulled up the contact in my phone, said a silent prayer, and pressed the Call button.

One ring. Two rings. Three.

Come on, pick up. Or not. I wasn’t sure which would be worse—getting murdered or dealing with my brother. Of course, there was always the chance said brother would murder me himself for putting myself in such a situation, but I’d deal with that later.

“What’s wrong?”

I scrunched my nose at his greeting. “Hello to you too, Brother Dearest. What makes you think something is wrong?”

Josh snorted. “Uh, you called me. You never call unless you’re in trouble.”

True. We preferred texting, and we lived next door to each other—not my idea, by the way—so we rarely had to message at all.

“I wouldn’t say I’m in trouble,” I hedged. “More like…stranded. I’m not near public transport, and I can’t find a rideshare.”

“Christ, Ava. Where are you?”

I told him.

“What the hell are you doing there? That’s an hour from campus!”

“Don’t be dramatic. I had an engagement shoot, and it’s a thirty-minute drive. Forty-five if there’s traffic.” Thunder boomed, shaking the branches of nearby trees. I winced and shrank farther back into the shelter, not that it did me much good. The rain slanted sideways, splattering me with water droplets so heavy and hard they stung when they hit my skin.

A rustling noise came from Josh’s end, followed by a soft moan.

I paused, sure I’d heard wrong, but nope, there it was again. Another moan.

My eyes widened in horror. “Are you having sex right now?” I whisper-shouted, even though no one else was around.

The sandwich I’d scarfed down before I left for my shoot threatened to make a reappearance. There was nothing—I repeat nothing—grosser than listening to a relative while they’re mid coitus. Just the thought made me gag.

“Technically, no.” Josh sounded unrepentant.

The word technically did a lot of heavy lifting there.

It didn’t take a genius to decipher Josh’s vague reply. He may not be having intercourse, but something was going on, and I had zero desire to find out what that “something” was. “Josh Chen.”

“Hey, you’re the one who called me.” He must’ve covered his phone with his hand, because his next words came through muffled. I heard a soft, feminine laugh followed by a squeal, and I wanted to bleach my ears, my eyes, my mind. “One of the guys took my car to buy more ice,” Josh said, his voice clear again. “But don’t worry, I got you. Drop a pin on your exact location, and keep your phone close. Do you still have the pepper spray I bought for your birthday last year?”

“Yes. Thanks for that, by the way.” I’d wanted a new camera bag, but Josh had bought me an eight-pack of pepper spray instead. I’d never used any of it, which meant all eight bottles—minus the one tucked in my purse—were sitting snug in the back of my closet.

My sarcasm went over my brother’s head. For a straight-A med student, he could be quite dense. “You’re welcome. Stay put, and he’ll be there soon. We’ll talk about your complete lack of self-preservation later.”

“I’m self-preserved,” I protested. Was that the right word? “It’s not my fault there are no—wait, what do you mean ‘he’? Josh!”

Too late. He’d already hung up.

Figured the one time I wanted him to elaborate, he’d ditch me for one of his bed buddies. I was surprised he hadn’t freaked out more, considering Josh put the over in overprotective. Ever since The Incident, he’d taken it upon himself to look after me like he was my brother and bodyguard rolled into one. I didn’t blame him—our childhood had been a hundred shades of messed up, or so I’d been told—and I loved him to pieces, but his constant worrying could be a bit much.

I sat sideways on the bench and hugged my bag to my side, letting the cracked leather warm my skin while I waited for the mysterious “he” to show up. It could be anyone. Josh had no shortage of friends. He’d always been Mr. Popular—basketball player, student body president, and homecoming king in high school; Sigma fraternity brother and big man on campus in college.

I was his opposite. Not unpopular per se, but I shied away from the limelight and would rather have a small group of close friends than a large group of friendly acquaintances. Where Josh was the life of the party, I sat in the corner and daydreamed about all the places I would love to visit but would probably never get to. Not if my phobia had anything to do with it. My damn phobia. I knew it was all mental, but it felt physical. The nausea, the racing heart, the paralyzing fear that turned my limbs into useless, frozen things…

On the bright side, at least I wasn’t afraid of rain. Oceans and lakes and pools, I could avoid, but rain…yeah, that would’ve been bad.

I wasn’t sure how long I huddled in the tiny bus shelter, cursing my lack of foresight when I turned down the Graysons’ offer to drive me back to town after our shoot. I hadn’t wanted to inconvenience them and thought I could call a car and be back at Thayer’s campus in half an hour, but the skies opened up right after the couple left and, well, here I was.

It was getting dark. Muted grays mingled with the cool blues of twilight, and part of me worried the mysterious “he” wouldn’t show up, but Josh had never let me down. If one of his friends failed to pick me up like he’d asked, they wouldn’t have working legs tomorrow. Josh was a med student, but he had zero compunction about using violence when the situation called for it—especially when the situation involved me.

The bright beam of headlights slashed through the rain. I squinted, my heart tripping in both anticipation and wariness as I weighed the odds of whether the car belonged to my ride or a potential psycho. This part of Maryland was pretty safe, but you never knew.

When my eyes adjusted to the light, I slumped with relief, only to stiffen again two seconds later.

Good news? I recognized the sleek, black Aston Martin pulling up toward me. It belonged to one of Josh’s friends, which meant I wouldn’t end up a local news item tonight.

Bad news? The person driving said Aston Martin was the last person I wanted—or expected—to pick me up. He wasn’t an I’ll do my buddy a favor and rescue his stranded little sister kinda guy. He was a look at me wrong and I’ll destroy you and everyone you care about kinda guy, and he’d do it looking so calm and gorgeous you wouldn’t notice your world burning down around you until you were already a heap of ashes at his Tom Ford–clad feet.

I swiped the tip of my tongue over my dry lips as the car stopped in front of me and the passenger window rolled down.

“Get in.”

He didn’t raise his voice—he never raised his voice—but I still heard him loud and clear over the rain.

Alex Volkov was a force of nature unto himself, and I imagined even the weather bowed to him.

“I hope you’re not waiting for me to open the door for you,” he said when I didn’t move. He sounded as happy as I was about the situation.

What a gentleman.

I pressed my lips together and bit back a sarcastic reply as I roused myself from the bench and ducked into the car. It smelled cool and expensive, like spicy cologne and fine Italian leather. I didn’t have a towel or anything to place on the seat beneath me, so all I could do was pray I didn’t damage the expensive interior.

“Thanks for picking me up. I appreciate it,” I said in an attempt to break the icy silence.

I failed. Miserably.

Alex didn’t respond or even look at me as he navigated the twists and curves of the slick roads leading back to campus. He drove the same way he walked, talked, and breathed—steady and controlled, with an undercurrent of danger warning those foolish enough to contemplate crossing him that doing so would be their death sentence.

He was the exact opposite of Josh, and I still marveled at the fact that they were best friends. Personally, I thought Alex was an asshole. I was sure he had his reasons, some kind of psychological trauma that shaped him into the unfeeling robot he was today. Based on the snippets I’d gleaned from Josh, Alex’s childhood had been even worse than ours, though I’d never managed to pull the details out of my brother. All I knew was Alex’s parents had died when he was young and left him a pile of money he’d quadrupled the value of when he came into his inheritance at age eighteen. Not that he’d needed it, because he’d invented a new financial modeling software in high school that made him a multimillionaire before he could vote. With an IQ of 160, Alex Volkov was a genius, or close to it. He was the only person in Thayer’s history to complete its five-year joint undergrad/MBA program in three years, and at age twenty-six, he was the COO of one of the most successful real estate development companies in the country. He was a legend, and he knew it.

Meanwhile, I thought I was doing well if I remembered to eat while juggling my classes, extracurriculars, and two jobs—front desk duty at the McCann Gallery and my side hustle as a photographer for anyone who would hire me. Graduations, engagements, dogs’ birthday parties, I did them all.

“Are you going to Josh’s party?” I tried again to make small talk. The silence was killing me.

Alex and Josh had been best friends since they roomed together at Thayer eight years ago, and Alex had joined my family for Thanksgiving and assorted holidays every year since, but I still didn’t know him. Alex and I didn’t talk unless it had to do with Josh or passing the potatoes at dinner or something.

“Yes.”

Okay then. Guess small talk was out.

My mind wandered toward the million things I had to do that weekend. Edit the photos from the Graysons’ shoot, work on my application for the World Youth Photography fellowship, help Josh finish packing after—

Crap! I’d forgotten all about Josh’s cake.

I’d ordered it two weeks ago because that was the max lead time for something from Crumble & Bake. It was Josh’s favorite dessert, a three-layer dark chocolate frosted with fudge and filled with chocolate pudding. He only indulged on his birthday, but since he was leaving the country for a year, I figured he could break his once-a-year rule.

“So…” I pasted the biggest, brightest smile on my face. “Don’t kill me, but we need to make a detour to Crumble & Bake.”

“No. We’re already late.” Alex stopped at a red light. We’d made it back to civilization, and I spotted the blurred outlines of a Starbucks and a Panera through the rain-splattered glass. My smile didn’t budge. “It’s a small detour. It’ll take fifteen minutes, max. I just need to run in and pick up Josh’s cake. You know, the Death by Chocolate he likes so much? He’ll be in Central America for a year, they don’t have C&B down there, and he leaves in two days so—”

“Stop.” Alex’s fingers curled around the steering wheel, and my wild, hormonal mind latched on to how beautiful they were. That might sound crazy, because who has beautiful fingers? But he did. Physically, everything about him was beautiful. The jade-green eyes that glared out from beneath dark brows like chips hewn from a glacier; the sharp jawline and elegant, sculpted cheekbones; the lean frame and thick, light brown hair that somehow looked both tousled and perfectly coiffed. He resembled a statue in an Italian museum come to life.

The urge to ruffle his hair like I would a kid’s gripped me, just so he’d stop looking so perfect—which was quite irritating to the rest of us mere mortals—but I didn’t have a death wish, so I kept my hands planted in my lap.

“If I take you to Crumble & Bake, will you stop talking?”

No doubt he regretted picking me up.

My smile grew. “If you want.”

His lips thinned. “Fine.”

Yes!

Ava Chen: One.

Alex Volkov: Zero.

When we arrived at the bakery, I unbuckled my seat belt and was halfway out the door when Alex grabbed my arm and pulled me back into my seat. Contrary to what I’d expected, his touch wasn’t cold. It was scorching, and it burned through my skin and muscles until I felt its warmth in the pit of my stomach.

I swallowed hard. Stupid hormones. “What? We’re already late, and they’re closing soon.”

“You can’t go out like that.” The tiniest hint of disapproval etched into the corners of his mouth.

“Like what?” I asked, confused. I wore jeans and a T-shirt, nothing scandalous.

Alex inclined his head toward my chest. I glanced down and let out a horrified yelp. Because my shirt? White. Wet. Transparent. Not even a little transparent, like you could kind of see my bra outline if you looked hard enough. This was full-on see-through. Red lace bra, hard nipples—thanks, air-conditioning—the whole shebang.

I crossed my arms over my chest, my face flaming the same color as my bra. “Was it like this the entire time?”

“Yes.”

“You could’ve told me.”

“I did tell you. Just now.”

Sometimes, I wanted to strangle him. I really did. And I wasn’t even a violent person. I was the same girl who didn’t eat gingerbread man cookies for years after watching Shrek because I felt like I was eating Gingy’s family members or, worse, Gingy himself, but something about Alex provoked my dark side.

I exhaled a sharp breath and dropped my arms by instinct, forgetting about my see-through shirt until Alex’s gaze flicked down to my chest again.

The flaming cheeks returned, but I was sick of sitting here arguing with him. Crumble & Bake closed in ten minutes, and the clock was ticking.

Maybe it was the man, the weather, or the hour and a half I’d spent stuck under a bus shelter, but my frustration spilled out before I could stop it. “Instead of being an asshole and staring at my breasts, can you lend me your jacket? Because I really want to get this cake and send my brother, your best friend, off in style before he leaves the country.”

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About the authors

Ana Huang

Ana Huang

Ana Huang is a #1 New York Times, #1 USA Today, and #1 Amazon bestselling author. Best known for her Twisted series, she writes New Adult and contemporary romance with deliciously alpha heroes, strong heroines, and plenty of steam, angst, and swoon sprinkled in.

Her books have been translated in over thirty languages and featured in outlets such as Good Morning America, NPR, Cosmopolitan, and PEOPLE.

A self-professed travel enthusiast, she loves incorporating beautiful destinations into her stories and will never say no to a good chai latte.

GODS OF THE GAME:

The Striker (coming September 24, 2024)

KINGS OF SIN:

King of Wrath

King of Pride

King of Greed

King of Sloth

King of Envy (coming March 25, 2025)

TWISTED:

Twisted Love

Twisted Games

Twisted Hate

Twisted Lies

IF LOVE:

If We Ever Meet Again (Duet #1)

If the Sun Never Sets (Duet #2)

If Love Had a Price #3 (Standalone)

If We Were Perfect #4 (Standalone)

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Reviews

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5

98,457 global ratings

Rya

Rya

5

THIS BOOKKK

Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2024

Verified Purchase

OH MY SWEET LORD THIS BOOOKKKK. Bro this book was toooo good I finished in two days. I did not want to put this book down, I probably could’ve and would’ve read that book in 24 hours. That’s how good it was. There were so many plot twists and just interesting moments it was crazy. I literally wanted to restart and reread the book all over again right after I finished it. The plot was literally chefs kiss and yet ppl just talked about the 🌶️ but that part wasn’t even the best part. I mean it was good but I always skip those parts if they have nothing to do with the plot 😭. But my goodness this book was good. I have high hopes for the next book 🤭

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Donna Marie Rodriguez

Donna Marie Rodriguez

5

sweet

Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2024

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This was a good book. Good plot, lots of twists and turns, with complications that made sense for the story, The characters and the relationships really made the story sweet. I read another book of this author and it was just as good. You could even see where she gave slight hints to a possible next story with different characters with a different story.

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Alysha

Alysha

5

Rollercoaster ride of emotions!

Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2024

Verified Purchase

Twisted Love is the first book in Ana Huang’s twisted series. When I tell you I didn’t know what I signed up for when I started this book, I mean it. The book has many twists and turns and kept me on the edge of my seat. The unexpected turns, ups and downs was great! I enjoyed this book from start to finish.

The relationship between Alex and Ava is so sweet and endearing. Alex, our MMC, is the grumpy hard exterior guy that doesn’t have emotions (or make it seem like he doesn’t unless it comes to Ava) and has only one thing on his mind. Ava, our FMC, is the sunshine who has a positive outlook on life regardless of the things that have come her way. Alex and Ava didn’t know they needed each other until circumstances push them together and they only have each other to lean on. Alex and Ava’s character development was a roller coaster ride.

I enjoyed both Alex and Ava’s characters. There was a lot of ups and downs and betrayals. Hearts being broken and unexpected turns. I enjoyed Alex being the red and green flag. I enjoyed his possessiveness towards Ava. I enjoyed Ava’s positive and cheerful attitude. The dynamic between the two was refreshing and enjoyable.

I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys the tropes listed below and wanting to read about a love story with many twists and turns. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and bought the rest of the series so quickly!

Rating: ⭐️ 5/5 Spice: 🌶 4/5

Tropes: Billionaire Brother’s best friend Grumpy x Sunshine Suspense Opposites Attract

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9 people found this helpful

Jules

Jules

5

Captivating and Emotional - A Must-Read Romantic Journey!

Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2024

Verified Purchase

Ana Huang's "Twisted Love (Twisted, 1)" is a beautifully written novel that kept me hooked from the very first page. This book is a perfect blend of romance, intrigue, and personal discovery, making it a compelling read for fans of contemporary romance.

Plot and Characters: The story revolves around complex relationships and unexpected twists that kept me guessing throughout. The characters are well-developed and relatable, each with their own flaws and vulnerabilities that add depth to the narrative.

Emotional Depth: Ana Huang masterfully explores themes of love, trust, and personal growth, drawing readers into a rollercoaster of emotions. The ups and downs of the characters' journey kept me emotionally invested until the satisfying conclusion.

Writing Style: The author's prose is engaging and evocative, painting vivid scenes and capturing the intricacies of human relationships with authenticity. The pacing is just right, balancing moments of tension with heartfelt emotions.

Romantic Tension: The chemistry between the main characters is palpable, and their relationship unfolds with a perfect blend of passion and realism. The romantic tension is beautifully portrayed, keeping me eagerly turning pages to see how their story unfolds.

Overall Experience: "Twisted Love (Twisted, 1)" is a standout in the romance genre, offering readers a captivating narrative that lingers in the heart and mind long after finishing the book. It's a story of love's twists and turns that will appeal to anyone looking for a heartfelt and immersive reading experience.

In conclusion, I highly recommend "Twisted Love (Twisted, 1)" to fans of contemporary romance and anyone who enjoys a well-crafted story with engaging characters and emotional depth. Ana Huang's storytelling prowess shines through in this compelling novel, making it a must-read for romance enthusiasts.

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Tiffany

Tiffany

4

mostly a page turner

Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2024

Verified Purchase

I found the book to be interesting given the slow burn nature in the beginning but things picked up with the plot. Now once things it there peek and slowed down thats when i was stuck between i want to know what comes next and this could have ended or wrapped up a little differently. I would have loved to know more about the redemption or the why setting the stage for a redemption. Especially if it was so brief in itself.

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