Wow, this book was a doozy! This duology really could have been a trilogy. There was so much that Ryan had to cram into this book. This was more a tell book than a show but really demonstrates the world-building that Ryan is capable of. It would honestly be a shame if this were the end of this series. It feels like there could be more stories to tell between the two courts.

Where we ended in the first book, Brie has bonded with Sebastian, Prince Ronan from the Seelie court. This book picks right back up from the moment she feels betrayed and is transitioning to Fae. As Bash is taking her crown, Brie runs and finds herself in the Wild Fae lands as a guest of King Misha. She's also still deeply suspicious of Prince Finn of the Unseelie court but still drawn to him. This book explores their relationship as Brie comes to terms with her new immortality and bond with Bash.

I think fans of both Princes will be satisfied with how Ryan concludes the relationship between them and Brie. She really writes both morally grey heroes to perfection forcing the reader into the same state of ambivalence as Brie.

This conclusion was so bittersweet and I am sad this journey is at an end. I personally loved every minute of it and know that this will be on a my faves list and definitely will be rereading this again in the future.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

I really enjoyed the second book to the "These Hollow Vows" Duology. After finishing the first book, I had no idea where Ryan was going with the plot, but I was pretty happy with the ending. With that being said, this book could have been longer, as the ending felt rushed and the novel feels a bit unfinished. I also noticed that there were quite a few parallels to ACoTaR (A Court of Thorns and Roses). While the similarities did not take away from its overall uniqueness, it made the book a bit predictable.

Aside from these observations, I liked the central theme of self sacrifice and how devoted the characters were (for the most part) to their "court" and people, I also liked the addition on Misha. His character was fun and often offered comic relief.

If you liked the first book, then I don't think you will be disappointed with its conclusion. It is definitely worth the read.

Incredible follow up! I LOVEEEEEEEEE a love triangle filled with tension and this book hits all the fantasy sweet spots!

This book was every bit as good as it’s companion. I finished this book in one sitting thanks to Ryan’s skilled pacing and dynamo s. One of my most anticipated 2022 reads- Twister Bonds was worth the wait.

And don’t get me started on our dreamy Shadow Prince 😍

What a whirlwind. This book had me screaming at Brie but also had me feeling for her. Lexi did a phenomenal job of adding to the story whilst keeping me interested. I did find that the beginning of the book was quite slow and I was desperate for more Finn.
There was a bit more world building and folk lore within this book, which at times felt like it was taking up a lot of space within the story.
This book had a few spicy scenes, which took me by surprise (a nice surprise).
From what I can remember this series was set to be a duology but I really hope she's adding an extra book to the duo. Although Lexi did wrap up the story it felt very rushed towards the end and I definitely think there's more to be written about Brie, Finn, and Sebastian.

Welcome to Book 2 and the conclusion in this duology. After ending These Hollow Vows I was torn, screaming into my book after that cliffhanger. I am so so glad that this book picks up right where the first one ended. Right in that turmoil of rage Abriella had towards Sebastian.

The raw emotion she has of the betrayal. The spiral within herself how she is questioning literally everything around her. She has lost her trust in everyone.

We spend the first half of the book watching Abriella try to process what happened to her, how Sebastian could betray her, how Finn betrayed her and of course her feelings for both males.

I don't want to spoil much because it would give everything away.

I give this book 4 stars only because I feel like the ending was very rushed and the ultimate goal they were trying to reach was too easy. I felt like there needed to be more conflict, maybe more fighting, more obstacles they needed to overcome. I felt like wrapping up all the loose ends was more like "here's a piece of chocolate and here's this and here's this and so forth with no resistance"

However, despite how the ending felt rushed and not well put together this book had consumed my life over the weekend. I couldn't get through the pages fast enough!!

The world building, the complexities of the characters and the development of the story was top notch! I really enjoyed watching each of these characters keep developing, keep assisting Abriella.

The sexual tension in this book is OUT OF THIS WORLD. I loved every minute of it!

This will be one of those physical books I pick up to put on my bookshelf. I will probably even re-read this duology!

I gave this book a shot even though I knew the first one left me cringing a bit. That magnetic pull to finish a series you already started is so real though. As others have already mentioned, it's unoriginal, tropes thrown left and right, and the dialogue reads like a CW script. You'll be wondering why you keep reading books with toxic masculinity thicker than cooled-off bacon grease, but we all know why we are here. Sometimes you just need that "new" story that gives all the comforts you've learned to expect from older stories. For me, that came in the form of a couple key plot points that could equal just a couple pages worth of the entire book. I personally would not reread it or much else from the author, but I'm not saying it's a complete mess. I'm sure there's a lot of people who will eat this story up and love the heck out of the cheesy dialogues.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity! All thoughts and opinions are most definitely my own.

I had enjoyed the first book, although it was nothing super original, I had found it quite entertaining.
I liked this book, I had some reservations for the ending .

Did I squeal when I got this ARC? Yes, yes I did. These Hollow Vows was one of my favorite YA books last year, so I was highly anticipating this second book!
These Twisted Bonds starts off right where book 1 ends. Brie is running from the Seelie prince, Sebastian. She takes refuge with Misha, King of the Wild Fae. (Misha was a great supporting character. I think that there could be a spin off series with some of supporting characters like Misha, Pretha, Lark. I want more of them!!)
This book VERY much focuses on the love triangle between Brie, and the fae princes, Bash and Finn. And it keeps you on the very edge of your seat with guessing what Brie will do until the very end. Right when you think you have it figured out, PLOT TWIST.
Even though there is lots of drama, there is also romance, suspense, and a little steam. What I enjoyed too, this book also gives you some back story into the courts and the conflicts.
If you liked These Hollow Vows, then you will definitely like These Twisted Bonds.
I do think the ending was a little rushed, there is a lot that happens in this one, and there certainly could have been/could be a 3rd book. *hint hint*
I really enjoyed it!!
Thank you @clarionbooks and @netgalley for the opportunity to read this book!!

4.5 Stars

“Once upon a time, there was a little girl with blazing red hair who was destined to save a kingdom.”

These Twisted Bonds is the heart-pounding and thrilling conclusion to These Hollow Vows. Picking up right where These Hollow Vows left off, These Twisted Bonds will take you on a thrilling and unforgettable journey that will keep you on your toes right until the very end.

These Twisted Bonds captivated me from the very first page. I was completely obsessed and consumed by this story. I had to know what would happen next, how things would play out in the Fae realm, and who would finally win Abriella’s heart.

Now, I will say, I’m not usually the biggest fan of love triangles but found myself hopelessly obsessed with this one. Just when I thought I had chosen a side, something would happen to leave me wondering if the person I picked was the right one, and let me tell you, I couldn’t have been happier with the outcome.

The only issue I had with this book was that I did feel that the ending was a bit rushed. Everything seemed to wrap up really quickly and after everything these characters endured, I would have liked to have the conflict/fight play out a little bit longer. Like really make these characters earn their happily ever after. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved this story and the characters, the ending just left me needing more.

Overall, I thought These Twisted Bonds was a fantastic read. This story completely consumed me and wild horses couldn’t make me put it down. I loved the world this author has created and all of the characters we met along the way. I loved getting swept up in Finn, Abriella, and Sebastian. The twists and turns kept me on my toes and I had the best time trying to figure out what would happen next.

These Twisted Bonds is a story of love, friendships, and the bonds that tie us together. It’s a story of duty and loyalty. A story about making hard decisions and sacrifices. A story that will tie you up in knots and keep you begging for more.

*I was provided an ARC copy of this book via the publisher & NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review*

First off, thank you to Clarion Books and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was one of my most highly anticipated reads of this year because man, that cliffhanger in These Hollow Vows had me heated! So it makes sense that I was eager to immerse myself back into the world of Faerie and learn of the fates of these beloved characters. Ryan does an incredible job at world building and she can write a hell of a plot. When it comes to plot, this book gets 5 stars. When it comes to characterization, I give it 3. Abriella got on my nerves and still agitated me in the sequel. After everything this girl has been through, she's just as whiny and insufferable as before. Arguably her biggest change is that she is able to overcome her prejudice of the Fae and becomes less selfish throughout- that's it.

***MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW!!!***

Sebastian also doesn't get as much hate as he deserves. The dude literally tricked Brie, then KILLED HER for her crown, and gave her an immortal life that she never even wanted. And then after all that, he keeps thinking that she belongs to him and continues to assert himself regardless of his previous actions. He's toxic AF and his sacrifice at the end doesn't diminish the heinous acts that he committed throughout the story.

And then there's Arya's death. This felt like season 8 of Game of Thrones. We spent all this time building up to the final battle in the conflict between our main characters and this villain just for it to be over with in mere seconds. Even the battle between Brie, Sebastian, and his traitorous right hand man didn't last for more than a couple pages. I would have preferred a third book rather than a rushed ending.

Finally, I am left with one question: how is Sebastian able to rule the Seelie court without the crown and power? Through lies? Mordeous tried to rule the Unseelie without the crown and the court suffered for it, so will the same happen to the Seelie court since Brie can't actually be on the throne for it to thrive?

Altogether, Ryan gets an A+ for plotted twists and turns, but the character development and the ending of the story fell flat for me.

This is one of the most anticipated book releases of the year (for me). I was very interested in where the love triangle would go and how the author would handle the deception that happened among them. I was so happy that Brie did not immediately forgive Sebastian. It was a great add that Sebastian got a redemption arc, but that a whole lot of time was not spent on it.
I love the characters in this duology. We got to meet a new character, Misha. At fist I was worried, because there seemed to be a lot of set up leading to him having a thing for Brie. Luckily, he turned out to be a fantastic friend. I wish we got to see more of him, but since it is a duology I understand why. There really was so much room to expand the series, but I do respect the author for also not pulling us through book after book. Sometimes, a nice duology to wrap everything up is nice. It is ok to leave us wondering about all the secondary characters. It is a mark of a wonderful author to get us invested in secondary characters as it is. However, I won't say no if there is another series set in this world. The Wild Fae are quite interesting!
The plot was fast moving, but not rushed (until the end). The author did an outstanding job of dropping bread crumbs throughout the story to make the ending wrap up with a neat little bow without it being unbelievable or too much of a shock.
Where I take away a star is the sexually explicit content in a young adult book when it does not move the plot forward. The only reason why there was a spot in the world where magic doesn't exist was so that the author could set up a place for Brie and Finn to....without Sebastian's feeling interfering through the bond. The entire scene was completely unnecessary for the plot, risking this book becoming inappropriate for young adult. I fear that so many characters are encouraged to put spice into young adult books (I know that the author has adult content already) that it will change the category as a whole. As a teacher, I can no longer recommend this duology to students because it would be inappropriate with how it is depicted in These Twisted Bonds.
I also think the ending was wrapped up entirely too quickly. It was just a mere pages that it all happened, which was disappointing. The time spent on sex scenes should have been invested in this part of the plot.

i was hooked after reading the fist book, now this is being added to my list of favourite series!

Watching Brie navigate her way trough all the mysteries and obstacles in her way was amazing.

I love they it starts right where the last book left off, and the action never stops!

Some parts I did find predictable, but I loved how it was laid out and how everything was revealed.

Good solid ending. No questions left unanswered. Things made sense when they concluded.

It did leave me wanting more of this world!

This was a long awaited sequel to an amazing beginning. Often a second book isn’t able to live up to the hype of such an explosive first book. That was not the case here! I thought the author did a great job increasing the back story and providing a bit of surprise in terms of familial history. Brie certainly matured from book 1 to 2 and so did the other characters. I haven’t ever been happier to get an ARC. Thank you so much Netgalley and Clarion Books!

Lexi Ryan has done it again. She has made me finish a book within a couple sittings. This book has the ending you don’t know you want until you’re done. It’s so so good. I only wish there was another book in the series as I want to know what happens with Sebastian and Finn and Abriella. Please write another one Lexi!!!!!

Loved it! These Twisted Bonds picks up right where These Hollow Vows left off. It was a heart-pumping rollercoaster ride all the way to the end, with a most satisfying conclusion. The main characters become more fleshed out, allowing the reader to better understand the motives, struggles, and dreams of the two princes that we have learned to both love and hate, and that we want desperately to trust, but like Brie, are hesitant to do so. We also get to see more of the faerie world and the three courts there, which ties largely into the plot. Get ready for some plot twists (some more predictable, some less so) and a story that draws you in and doesn't let you go until the last page. Another facet of this novel that I really enjoyed was the protagonist's journey to learning to love herself - her whole self. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a fantasy romance, though given some of the more adult scenes in this book, I'd say it is more suited to 14+.

I am really glad that this series exists. It is so much fun. I enjoyed my journey with these characters (and I am sad that it is over). This story isnt anything revolutionary, but it's so enjoyable and easy to read.

**Thank you to NetGalley & Clarion Books (formerly HMH Children's Books). for this ARC. Here are my honest thoughts**

To say I've been so excited for the conclusion to this duology since I finished the first book is an understatement, and to receive an arc on top of that??
I was so happy to have this book in my hot little hands, that I barely stopped reading it until I was finished.

I fell in love with this world through Lexi Ryan's words, and this continuation into the world was no different. It felt like coming home all over again.
Starting basically from where These Hollow Vows ended, Brie is dealing with all of her emotions of betrayal, hurt, and who to trust on top of being turned Fae.
This takes us on her journey of self-discovery and how to save a whole kingdom, and the two princes vying for her heart.

Brie is such a strong female leading character, and so self-less, that I sometimes wish she could think of herself first, but I know she wouldn't be true to who she is if she did.
My love for Finnian grew and grew with every interaction we got with him in this book, and I felt that there was never enough time to have as much of him as I wanted. Haha.

All the new characters that we met along the way captured my heart just like the ones we already knew.
What can I say? I am a sucker for found family, and in this story Brie finds it.
I was always very passionate about my dislike for the behavior and actions of one character from the first book, and I was pleasantly surprised that he redeemed himself. It was all due to Ryan's excellent writing.

I'm sad that this story and this world are now over because honestly, I could never get sick of it.

"These Twisted Vows" is the continuation of Lexi Ryan's fantasy fae romance series, "These Hollow Vows." In book two, Abriella, the main character, has recently been betrayed and turned fae after 'bonding' with Sebastian, the faerie she believed to be the love of her life. She now has to grapple with immortality, new powers she can't seem to control, her feelings for Finn, another fae male, and being constantly aware of Sebastian's emotions. Abriella runs away from the Seelie court palace and is taken in by the king of the Wild Fae, an independent nation separate from the sun and shadow courts. Abriella now has to make some impossible decisions. She has deep, complicated feelings for both Sebastian and Finn, but has been betrayed and manipulated by both. Time is running out though - the Unseelie court is dying, and the fate of the entire faerie realm is in flux. Can she put aside her indecision to rise to the occasion?

To be perfectly honest, this book was a disappointment. For the most part, I enjoyed "These Hollow Vows," going so far as to say that it was a true young adult "A Court of Thorns and Roses" told in a voice similar to Scarlett's from "Caraval." "These Twisted Vows" fell flat, however. The main character seemed to lose all sense of herself and her confidence from book one to book two, and both love interests were rather insufferable. Sebastian is a whiny incel, and the resolution to his character arc felt wrong and undeserved, and Finn is so sex-obsessed, the rest of his personality and goals are almost lost. The pacing of the entire novel was off, sometimes dragging on and then rushing the last 20%. The language was jarring as well - is this a fantasy novel that uses modern language like "guys?" This book felt like a child attempted to write "A Court of Thorns and Roses," and the sex scenes pushed it to 'new adult' rather than young adult. Most of the book was unmemorable and dissatisfying.

thank you thank you THANK YOU Netgalley for the ARC! I was having a bad week and now it was a good one. Plz Lexi Ryan if you write more fantasy, I will give you my Kindle email. I'll read all the drafts. Let me at 'em.

So, I loved this. I read it in two days - and only because I had a hard bedtime of 2 o' clock in the morning.

Disclaimer, I had no dog in the love-triangle-fight - they were both so morally grey! - but I wound up very happy in the end. I think that anyone who liked/loved the first book will be happy with the second, regardless of who you stan. ;)

Big hug to Lexi Ryan for the pacing. Such a great duology - everything at the end wraps up, nothing feels incomplete, and the author doesn't scam us with a "just kidding! it's not a duology it's a 12 book, 1,000 page each, series!!" Instead, there is a lot of drama, a lot of action, and a complete ending. I was smiling like a fool for most of it.

And, there were plenty of fun tropes. (single bed at the inn? sign me up)

If you don't like fantasy/romance, this probably isn't for you. I shouldn't have to even say that, but it does genuinely seem like some ppl on Goodreads review genres they know they don't like, only to make other people miserable. Stop that.