5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

*thank you to the publisher for providing an arc***


Welcome back to the Dive Bar and Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Kylie Scott brings back Pat, Nell, Vaughn, Eric, Joe and the newbie Alex! Kylie Scott's books feel like you are visiting with old friends and that you haven't missed a beat.

Alex does not take chances and certainly does not go outside of her comfort zone. But after months of emailing with Eric Collins she knows she needs to meet him in person and see where it takes them. The only problem is Eric doesn't know who she is because she has been talking to his brother, Joe, this entire time.

Feeling betrayed and humiliated Alex tries to leave but Joe doesn't want to let her go without an explanation. Even though she doesn't think he deserves the chance, she agrees to go to breakfast the next morning, the only problem is she has become sick from walking in the rain to the nearest hotel the night before.

Joe sees this as he chance to make up for why he never told Alex the truth. While they spend time together they begin to form a relationship and Alex is beginning to see who Joe is and that maybe they can be friends...with benefits.

Joe begins to slowly break through Alex's walls and just when she is beginning to trust him, they are thrown a curve ball.

Will Alex finally let Joe in and trust him? Will Joe see that he is good enough and the Alex and him have a future together? Or will they both let fears and doubts come between them?

Join the gang for another wild ride and of course as always you might hear from some old friends!!!!!

Joe and Alex's story was filled with everything I love: heart, humor, heat, and emotion. I couldn't put it down! Such a fantastic read! I love the world Kylie Scott has created with these wonderful characters in this beautiful town in this awesome bar. I just want to go have a drink and hang out with everyone. Loved this!!!

Right from the first chapter I was totally invested. I was so drawn into these characters and the storyline. I loved Alex and Joe so much. They had such an unusual courtship and friendship. There were so many fun moments with them connecting, a lot of sexy times, and a lot of heartfelt moments too. I loved their playfulness and flirting, watching them really come out of their shell, and be there for each other. I loved Joe being there for Alex right from the beginning, and how their friendship and relationship grew. There were all these sweet knowing looks that made my belly-flip. I thought they both had great backstories and awesome personal development throughout. They just complimented each other so well.

I loved getting to see all the gang from the Dive Bar again and catching up with everyone. I was thrilled to get an update on Nell and where she was at and the side story that was happening there. It was beautiful and sweet and heart wrenching and wonderful all rolled into one. I love all their friends and this family they've formed and the connections they have.

I loved the depth of all the characters and the descriptive writing and details. I adored the fact that the characters seemed so real, flawed and vulnerable, making them so very relatable. There are ups and downs and drama but I was hooked! I love how the chapters were set up, so I got to know a bit more and their building relationship to their present day situation.

This story was so many things to me and by the end my emotions where all over the place. It was filled with happy and sad and funny and sexy. It had it all. I just want to say all the good things! I love how Kylie Scott tells a story. I was just so pulled into everything. It was perfect to me.

After the success of the first book with me, I was eager to get my hands on this one to read! It didn't disappoint! I found it to be a funny and engaging read!

There was a bit of deception that started off the book, which I really didn't care for, but I loved how Joe wound up rallying Alex back into love with him after that deception. I loved seeing how things progressed between them as well as how they each grew individually while exploring their relationship. Tragedy strikes in this book as well, and I was happy to see the outcome of it, especially since it also served as a bit of a wake up call for Eric.

Alex was a bit too neurotic for my tastes overall, but it worked in the story. I didn't like how Joe felt that he didn't measure up to his brother, as if Eric was this paragon to actually look up to! Val was an amazing character, and I really wanted to see more of her in action!

All things considered, this was a great installment in the Dive Bar series, with cameos from the author's previous series, Stage Dive. Would definitely purchase for myself and recommend to others!

The premise of this book had me intrigued. And while it was a good read, it just didn't blow me away like I was hoping it would. I did enjoy the characters and the family-like atmosphere of Dive Bar, maybe I've just become too picky in my reading habits because I just wanted more from this couple and their storyline.

That aside, Twist does have some wonderfully humorous scenes, also some sexy scenes. Kylie Scott can write the hell out of those. Joe and Alex were a great pairing once they got their issues figured out, I was just left wanting a little bit more. 

Of the two books I've read in this series, the one character that keeps pulling me in is Nell. Here's hoping her story is next because I seriously need to know! For now, I'll give Twist a 3.5 Star rating, but I am highly anticipating, hopefully, Nell's story next. 

~ A Hopeless Romantic's Booklandia, 3.5 Stars

Kylie Scott serves up one delicious romance cocktail with Alex, Joe and the rest of the Dive Bar crew in Twist. Sexy, smart and full of surprises, Twist has Joe meeting his match in the feisty and hilarious Alex, an out-of-towner who finds herself facing deception and desire the moment their worlds collide. I fell hard for the epic banter that colored this novel. Matching wits and shared stubbornness made for plenty of sizzling tension between our hero and heroine and I quickly found myself utterly addicted to their push and pull. Kylie Scott also reacquaints readers with Vaughan and Lydia from Dirty as well as the rest of the Dive Bar family. They brought so much life and laughter to the story, effortlessly reminding me why I enjoyed losing myself in their world to begin with. Alex’s best friend Valerie was a welcome addition to the cast, her spirit and sass making me grin and stealing the show a time or two. Kylie Scott delivers another memorable and vibrant addition to the Dive Bar series with Alex and Joe’s unique and intriguing journey.

From the moment she walked into the bar, Alex had me wholly invested in her. Her willingness to take a chance and follow her heart was inspiring while her intelligence and fight made it impossible not to root for her. I loved her boldness and surety, even though inside she was falling apart. More than that, I adored her strength and how ferociously she fought for her relationship with Joe when push came to shove. Joe, on the other hand, didn’t sway me quite so easily. My initial reaction was a strong urge to punch him in the face for the lies he’d told and the way in which he’d deceived Alex. But in true Kylie Scott fashion, even when I wanted to deck him, Joe proved himself to be thoughtful, kind and unbearably sweet. The care he took with Alex and the pieces of himself he let slip in her presence warmed my heart and in no time at all, I was absolutely smitten.

The thing I love most about Kylie Scott’s writing is her ability to completely enthrall the reader from the very beginning. She sucks me in right from the start and gets me totally hooked in a matter of pages. Twist was certainly no exception and I found myself devouring this story, desperate to know what would happen between Joe and Alex. I adored the messages that separated the chapters, each one providing a glimpse into how this couple’s friendship developed online and giving their current relationship a sense of emotional depth. Twist delivered all the feels, including some devastating emotional blows. Only Kylie Scott can have my heart in my throat one minute and leave me chuckling the next but she does so with a well-practiced ease that ensures I keep coming back for more. This author really did a fantastic job at layering the many facets of this story and ensuring that she delivered one seriously intriguing and absolutely unforgettable journey with Joe and Alex. Twist is another winner from Kylie Scott and you can bet I’ll be waiting impatiently for the next book in the series to arrive!

BIANCA
Book #2 in this series!
And it was just as cute as the first one!
We meet all the others again - Vaughn, Pat, Nell and maybe even a couple of our favorite rockstars...
And we're back in the bar, of course.
Joe is working there, but his passion is carpentry. He wants to turn the empty upstairs rooms into apartments. And Alex is just the person to help him with those plans. But can he convince her to stay???
They're practically best friends - only Alex is still pretty angry.
But not for long, of course ☺

I really enjoyed reading this book!
It's such a fun and adorable romance. I wouldn't mind seeing it on TV one day!

Of course it's not all happy, sexy, fun. We have some very serious moments in the book - both in the present and in the past - that we have to get through to get to our happily ever after...

Great Characters. Some Drama. Lots of fun. Sex. Talking. Great Romance.
I really enjoyed reading it!


JANEANE
Word of advice - do not decide to read the first chapter of Twist at your desk during your lunch break! If you are like me you will have to explain the shimmering eyes and upset face!

Right from the get go Twist gripped me vice like around the heart and didn't let go until I closed the book.

But from horrible beginnings, our lovelies Joe and Alex tell a wonderful story. It is not all sweetness and light, but as they forge a new relationship, all kinds of secrets come to the fore.

I loved that we got more of the Dive Bar crew - I may have LOL'd at Vaughan at times. I am still not rue what I think of Joe's brother Eric, but I do adore this rag tag bunch of friends.

I cannot confirm nor deny that our favourite rock stars may make an appearance too!

I laughed, I cried, I got angry (oh so angry at times!) but I could not put this book down.

No I am inpatiently waiting for the next book, Chaser!

Kylie Scott is one of my favorite authors. I am highly confident I would be a fan of anything she writes! I absolutely adore the Stage Dive Series. It is one of my most recommended series and it holds a very special place high on my favorites shelves! I'm placing the stories from the Dive Bar Series right next to them on that shelf.

Dirty was the first book in the Dive Bar series and I thought it was an enjoyable read. Though it missed the high points of the Stage Dive Series, it is still a solid contemporary romance with great characters and witty dialogue. The Dive Bar series is composed of interconnected standalone stories. So, you can read and enjoy Twist even if you haven't read Dirty. I raced through the first 15% of Twist and then I felt a little drag from 20-40%, but I couldn't turn the pages fast enough from 40% through the end.

Joe has screwed up! When his younger brother quickly lost interest in his online dating account, Joe only meant to delete the account. But, something about Alex and her messages caused him to pause. He quickly found that writing Alex and waiting for her responses was the best part of his day. He didn't mean to lie or mislead, but he's going to have to come clean in a really BIG way!

Alex was initially drawn to the handsome photo on the dating site profile. But she soon found that it was the content and care in these messages that had her truly connecting with the sender. She decides to take a leap of faith and reach out to meet him in person. But, what will happen when she learns there's a whole lot more going on than she initially believed?

Alex is endearing and quirky. What she lacks in self-confidence, she makes up for in heart! Joe is sweet and swoony and his care-taking, problem-solving, dependable nature will win you over in no time. Together they're sweet, stubborn and sexy as hell. And you won't want to miss a minute.

The Dive Bar is a special place. It is filled with interesting, complex and likeable characters. I feel invested in the characters and their individual sagas. I want to belly up to the bar for many more rounds!

PS - There is a cameo from Stage Dive that will thrill any fan of those crazy rockstars!
An advance copy of this book was received. Receipt of this copy did not impact the content or independence of this review. BFF Book Blog also uses a set of icon ratings. This book received additional icons for: supporting characters, butterflies, funny, character development, steamy, and romance.

What a great follow up novel from Scott in her Dive bar series. Joe is the perfect leading protagonist for me. He's not perfect but has a good heart and has some fight in him for this epic, soul-stirring moments. What a great character development piece for a contemporary romance category which typically keeps novels on the lighter side.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review.

Twist is the second book in this series, though you don't have to read the first to be up to date with these characters. I didn't read the first but I don't feel like it hindered my experience of this book.

I want to start my review by saying I love Kylie Scott books. Her Stage Dive books are amazing. I simply struggled with this book. My biggest issue was with the heroine (Alex.) She had unrealistic hangups (in my opinion) so it didn't make the story line for me. I was disappointed in her that it took majority of the book before I actually even liked her.

The hero (Joe) was a sweet and loving character. Though Alex describes him as a beast of a man he seemed like a teddy bear to me. One you'd love to snuggle with. His hangups were much more understandable and realistic. I could sympathize with his relationship hangups.

Overall the writing was great and their banter back and forth was funny in parts. I enjoyed their love story. I just had a hard time believing in Alex's character.

Love this series! Be prepared to laugh and cry as Joe Collins gets in HOT water.

See, its like this, Joe messed with around with Eric's online dating account. Instead of going in there and just closing the account, he found Alex and she intrigued him. After three months of emails and baring of souls, it was time to "fish or cut bait". This really scared him. How could he tell her he was not the gorgeous Eric shown on the account? Surprise! Alex travels to northern Idaho to the Dive Bar to finally pay him a surprise visit and meet him... and this is where all hell breaks loose.

Funny and endearing, these two characters make this story unforgettable. They have both shared their most intimate thoughts with each other... is it possible to overcome the lie and forge a friendship?

In Kylie Scott's unique writing style, this story unfolds and you will not walk away untouched. The folks in Couer d'Alene will steal your hearts once again.

I am voluntarily reviewing this book because it is so awesome. Thank you to the publisher for sharing a copy of this book with me.

This was a mistaken identity with disastrous (entertaining) results! Alex Parks arrived in Northern Idaho to surprise the man she has been emailing only to learn he isn’t who he said he was. No, she was not talking to the man in the profile picture, but instead his brother.

Joe didn’t intend to take on his brother’s identity, nor did he plan to connect with the woman he messaged while he thought he would help his brother try online dating. But he connected with Alex in a way he hadn’t anticipated and suddenly it was too late to change anything. It’s not like they would ever meet in real life though, right?

Alex leads a very sheltered life. She doesn’t have many friends and doesn’t leave her apartment much at all. But as she finds herself reeling from the truth about her pen pal, she decides to make the most of the rare vacation time. As she spends more time in Coeur d’Alene, situations change and plans shift beyond what Alex thought she would find.

I loved watching as Alex found comfort in her unfamiliar surroundings. From the descriptions of her life at home, even taking the trip was a stretch for her, so staying even after having her plans change was a huge step for her. Watching as she continued to take new experiences gave the book an aspect beyond the romance.

Joe had a lot of explaining to do. But he enjoyed his conversations with Alex and was willing to do what she needed to gain her trust again. And with her issues, gaining her trust again was a definite challenge. But he also has his own challenges to deal with, as the middle man between his friends’ complicated issues.

It was so much fun to see many of my favorite characters from other Kylie Scott titles. Mal’s brand of humor had me laughing even as I was cheering Alex on for stepping out of her comfort zone once again.

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Alex right from the start, she was a homebody but determined to contain a friendship that the had become very important to her. I felt embarrassed with her when she found out she'd been mislead. I feel snarky with her when she really needed that defense, and I felt heartbroken with her. Oh, the heartbreak. I was so emotionally involved in this story.

And Joe...Oh, Joe. A sexy bigfoot...I had a hard time picturing him in my head. I think because Alex was not attracted to him at first. She described him such a way that I pictured him a cerian way, and then as she started to fall for him, we saw him a new light. So then I had a different picture of him in my head.

This book was just so damn good. It had some hot sexy time scenes, but the emotional connection that was written between Alex and Joe was just so strong and all-consuming. This book was such a great read. I need more though. I NEED MORE.

Ah the pleasure of a Kylie Scott book! Her unique blend of snark and feminism, emotion and sexy times is simply unmistakable. The hallmark snark of her female characters is 100% present in Twist and I loved it. Alex is funny, geeky, sexy, and quirky in all the right ways. Every time I read a Scott book there is some reference to something that just gets me going - in this case it was Star Wars and Alex was all over it.

Alex and Joe were off the charts sweet and sexy. I loved how Joe's lack of confidence manifested itself. He was just so gooey and mushy and perfect. He's no ladykiller in his own eyes and he's struggling to be the good son and good brother and good friend. He's trying so hard to make everyone else happy he forgets to do things that will make him happy. Except Alex makes him happy. And he has this huge secret that means he isn't going to be happy very long.

While I did kind of feel like the whole getting sick from the rain storm felt a little forced, I'm hard pressed to see how else Alex stays put long enough for Joe to work his magic - in every way. But once the force is on, well, everything changes. Joe does his best to take care of her and Alex does her best to ignore Joe's hotness. And all the wonderful things they were to each other over emails, they become over sickness and movies, a bar and apartment designs. It's almost saccharine how sweet it is and frankly Alex's inner voice is a great antidote to the sugar. Plus there's the amusing little "love triangle" that wasn't.

But that's really only the first half of the book because the second half turns dark, very dark indeed. And all the snark in the world doesn't make that half of the book light in any way. It's visceral and painful and I cried, yelled, and cried some more. (Oh Kylie! This one hurt!)

Thank goodness for friends and family and yes, Twist has a lot about family in it. The family and friend dynamics are fantastic and frankly, spot on. I loved Joe's family (yes, even Eric) and I loved the Dive Bar family too. It's always fun to see the whole cast and some Stage Dive boys.

But that pain...

In the end, Joe and Alex are just too good together to be apart and I loved all the love in this book.

It’s not very often you read a romance which involves a heroine with a phobia of intimacy. In many respects Alex Parks goes against the grain with what to expect from a leading lady. She can count her friends (one of them being a squirrel) on one hand, and she’s in her element locked away at home with no human contact for days on end.

It’s taken a huge amount of bravery on her part to turn up unannounced to her online love interests birthday party, unfortunately for Alex, the surprise is on her.

Joe Collins has some explaining to do. His intention of shutting down his brother’s online dating profile went awry the moment he began chatting with Alex. Before he knew it, he’d come to enjoy and depend on Alex’s friendship. He had intended to come clean; he just never thought he’d have to do it face to face.

Understandably Alex is upset, furious even, but I’d be a damn liar if I said I didn’t eat up every minute of it. Rather than be upset with Joe, I wanted to protect the glorious blond mountain man. He instantly enamoured himself to me with his vulnerability that was so at odds with his towering frame.

As closed off as Alex is, she’s a feisty thing (and don’t tell her I said this, but utterly adorable), much to my enjoyment she has no hesitations in telling Joe what she thinks of him. His pleads for a second chance fall on deaf ears until an act of fate steps in.

Twist once again marks the wonderful return of Kylie and her fantastic characters. Much like her Stage Dive series, it really was a group effort when it comes to my overall enjoyment of the novel. Scott serves up the perfect mix of banter, friendship and romance with a dirty twist that’s sure to leave you with a raging book hangover.

Twist was a little bit of a mixed bag for me, and whilst I loved what lay in the centre, what supported it either side went from from one extreme to another, starting little bit steady, and leading to an implosion of WTF-are-you-doing? sized proportions. But what I like about Kylie Scott is how she steps away from stereotype and this makes her characters loveable, frustrating and everything in between--much more attractive all round as far as I'm concerned. And, although they had their moments, I enjoyed both Joe and Alex; as individuals and together.

"Beware, beautiful hot man from the Internet. I had arrived."

Picture Thor as a cuddler and you have Joe Collins. He was a sweetheart and, despite him being the culprit of the aforementioned WTF-are-you-doing? moment, I loved him: he has a heart that is a huge as he is. Alex, bless her, is a bit of a hermit but the fact that's she takes herself out of her comfort zone and plucks up the courage to meet the man she thinks she's been chatting to online was quite admirable. And if Joe stole my heart, poor Alex doesn't stand a chance.

"His body was one big beautiful playground. There wasn’t an inch of him I didn’t want to explore."

As I said, it was a bit of a mixed bag and amongst the moments I enjoyed were those wasn't overly keen on [the (ex) drama heading towards the end and Joe's way of handling it made me love him a little bit less for a while--Alex was a better woman than I would've been (hide spoiler)]. . And whilst I think it fantastic that Scott has represented marginalised groups--Alex's BFF is a trans woman--some of how she did so could have been handled a little more sensitively as 1) Alex shouldn't have outed Val to Joe and 2) during the same conversation she describes Val as "he", irrespective of the fact she was describing her pre-transition. But this aside I devoured Twist in pretty much one sitting and when a story makes you blub then that's counts for something.

"Sooner or later, you’re going to have to go home. Who the hell knows when we’ll see each other again."

Certain events lifted this up from a three to a four star because they made me feel and, whilst it wasn't the perfect read I have no doubt Joe and Alex will be loved by many. The next question is how Scott plans to redeem Eric because I for one could've throttled him, but I do love a good redemption story.

3.5 stars. This was a pretty good book. There were parts that I liked a lot and parts that bugged me a bit. This is Joe and Alex's story. Alex is a pretty quirky heroine. She is a home-body and slightly neurotic. She doesn't get out of the house much, working from home and not loving crowds. She feels safe joining an online dating site. There she meets "Eric" and they begin chatting. It feels safe because they live in different states. But they do feel comfortable and easy talking to each other. But "Eric" stops replying to her messages and she gets worried, so Alex goes out of her comfort zone and shows up in "Eric"'s hometown in the bar he owns. But when she gets there, she soon finds that it was not really Eric she was talking to, but his brother, Joe, under Eric's account. Joe is shocked that Alex is there and his lie is exposed, but they decide to spend some time together getting to know each other in person. They start off as friends, but it does turn romantic. Alex gets sucked into the town life and the atmosphere at Dive Bar. Then a tragedy occurs that causes Joe to need help and Alex steps in, staying around to support him. But they must decide if they want to continue their relationship and how it would work with everything that is going on in their lives. It does eventually work out for them, with some angst and drama to overcome first.

I liked Alex a lot. She was quirky and funny, with a tendency to overthink things. She really gave a lot to help Joe out when he had difficulties. I didn't love Joe as much. He was okay, kind of a push over, but I think he was too beta for me. He did not go after anything he wanted and he was a poor communicator. To me, he took Alex for granted and did not give enough of himself in return. I didn't love the way he treated her sometimes. Also, there is some ex-drama and he never makes it clear with his ex that he's involved with Alex, allowing the ex to hurt her. Joe seemed to avoid confrontation too much. After the final conflict, I needed more from Joe. I needed him to tell her that he is ready for a real relationship and what he likes about Alex. The romance starts a bit slow burn and it takes awhile for Joe and Alex to become romantic. It was a bit hard to feel their chemistry for a while because both of them admit each other are not their type. But it did eventually heat up a bit and, overall, I did like them together by the end of the book.

I did like the story, but I liked the beginning more than the end. There is a lot of unnecessary drama at the end, IMO. I liked the continuing story line with the other characters in the bar. I especially liked Alex's friend, Val, too. I also loved the bit about Alex's squirrel friend, Marty.

I did enjoy this book more than I enjoyed the first book in the series, Dirty. There is more depth to it. There is a trigger in the book that sensitive readers might want to be aware of (miscarriage).. Despite the fact that I had a few problems with this book, I did enjoy reading Joe and Alex's story. There is a sweet epilogue too. I do look forward to more from this series and Ms. Scott in the future!

4.5 stars!

Before starting this book I wasn't sure how I was going to like it. That's one of the drawbacks of getting arc's. There's nothing or no one to tell you how it is.

But rest assured, this was AMAZING.

And hilarious.

Probably my favorite book by Kylie.

I'm really happy with how Alex and Joe turned out to be. It started out on the wrong foot between them but I loved how he took take of her. And loved her. And their conversations were hilarious.

"You're so pale you make Casper look alive."

There's so much that happens in this story and you can only enjoy that if you read it. I know it's a vague review, but you'll be thankful once you read it! I'm so so so happy that next book is Eric's. As much of an a**hole he is, I'm really excited for his book and his shot at a HEA.

A great read about mistaken identity via the internet. Sometimes online dating isn't always what it cracks up to be! Kylie Scott one of my favorite authors and getting Twist just reminded how much I love her work. My full review will be up on my blog.

I've been a huge fan of Kylie's since she began writing the Stage Dive series. Twist is a heartbreaking, emotional, touching, funny, steamy, romance, with a touch of drama/angst thrown in. I loved the banter between Alex and Joe, and their chemistry together was hot!

Alex is a strong-willed, loyal, sweet woman who is also a bit shy with large groups of people. I thought she was brave showing up in CdA as she did, not just once, but twice. I loved how she defended Joe, even against himself. I was glad she wasn't "perfect", that she had "flaws" (dimpled thighs, touch of agoraphobia, etc).

Joe infuriated me, yet also stole my heart. I wanted to shake sense into him when he was being dense and would swoon when he was being all sweet. I also really liked that Joe was muscular, but yet he had a small rounded belly. Not every male needs to have an 8-pack and muscles for days. He was that much more real with his belly.

I'm looking forward to reading book 3, Chaser.

ARC received from NetGalley for honest review. Thank you!

Joe Collins and Alex Parks couldn’t be more different; he’s a “yes” man…she’s a “no” woman. He’s a people pleaser while she’s a people avoider. But none of those differences matter when Joe and Alex get to know one another online through months of emailing, and even though it may be Joe’s brother’s face on the dating profile, it’s Joe’s words and Joe’s personality that Alex bonds with, and while they’re both in for a shock when Alex hops on a plan and heads to Coeur d’Alene to meet “Eric” face to face, it also gives them a chance to see if their real-world personas work just as well as their online personas seemed to as they flirted and got to really know one another through their email exchanges.

I absolutely adore Alex…she’s definitely a flawed and quirky heroine, which works well for me because it makes her genuine and helps readers connect to her because she has some of the same fears as they probably do. Kylie Scott does a great job of illustrating Alex’s transformation/growth in Twist. She starts out as a woman who fears people because of the drama they could possibly bring into her life, and she also stays away from relationships, avoiding intimacy at all costs because if she can stay in the safety of her apartment with little association with the outside world then she knows that her life won’t be disrupted and there’s no possibility of getting hurt. But Joe helps her to confront her social issues and to step outside of her comfort zone, forcing her to no longer put walls up and to realize that living life inside a bubble is only existing not actually living.

It makes sense that Joe would find it easier to talk to someone outside his little community, and while he should have told Alex the truth months ago, his reasons for not shedding light on his true identity fits with what he’s experienced all throughout his life when it comes to his younger brother, Eric and how girls view him. Joe is an amazing man who’s caring, funny, loyal, and a hard worker, but those characteristics can’t be expressed through an image, so while I would be furious with Joe’s dishonesty, I also wouldn’t be as quick to write him off as Alex did because the messages don’t change their meaning just because the image of the person does. Fortunately, Alex can’t run from this situation for a variety of reasons, and because of that, Joe has a chance to prove to her who he is and why he deserves another chance, and boy does he take advantage of his opportunity to showcase every amazing part of his mountain man demeanor.

Kylie Scott progresses Joe and Alex’s relationship fluidly; there’s definitely sexual chemistry there, but it’s so much more than that and Scott works meticulously throughout the story to illustrate how much more than friends they can be if only Alex would take a chance. Joe and Alex’s differences actually work well together because it offers a differing view on things and a voice of reason in a way because both of them have their flaws that need to be faced and by forcing one another to support them as they confront these issues, they build a tighter bond – one that is tested in a number of ways, but one that will always bring them back to how well they fit together despite the external circumstances attempting to drive them apart.

I really enjoyed Joe and Alex’s story; the way they built on their online relationship once they started over due to Joe’s dishonesty allowed them both to truly get to know each other and the fact that Joe’s friends saw how good they were together and did what they could to help him along the way proves the kind of man Joe is and why Alex jumping in feet first is the best possible decision she could make!

4 Poison Apples (The Fairest of All Book Reviews)