Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books, Emily McIntire, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

4⭐️
🌶🌶.5

I have been counting down the days for this release, so when I got approved for an ARC I literally screamed. I have loved every book in the Never After series so far (with Scarred being my absolute favorite because no man does it like Tristan Faasa) and Emily McIntire just has a knack for creating morally grey characters that draw me in from the first page. Twisted was no exception! Although the beginning was a bit slower than I was used to, I appreciate the change up from some of her other stories. In fact, I feel like (compared to the other stories) this book was ALMOST a slow-burn, because Julian and Yasmin really didn’t actually come together until around the 60-70% mark. However, the build up and the tension between the characters was unmatched. At first, Yasmin really got on my nerves, and I wasn’t sure I was going to like her as a character. Yet, as the chapters went on and we got to five more into her mind/emotions, I appreciated her for who she was, and also for who she was allowed to become when she was with Julian. Julian may be taking my second favorite Emily McIntire man place (sorry not sorry, no one will ever tip Tristan Faasa🙈), because that man is straight 🔥🔥🔥. His emotions, his passion, his crimes, his possessiveness, his GROWTH, literally everything about him made me fall more and more for him. The final showdown was absolutely top tier. Emily McIntire could write fractured fairytales for the rest of her life and I would eat them up like crack. SO SO GOOD.

Emily just keeps killing this series!!
When I first realised this was as Jafar/Jasmine retelling I was pretty hesitant. I’ve read a few in the past and really didn’t like the dynamic they created with these characters.
I should have trusted in this series though, because Emily truely smashed it outta the park.
Love love love their relationship and the trust they build together
👏👏👏

(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review)

Morally grey man
Villain gets the girl
Forced proximity
Age gap
Marriage of convenience
Love triangle
Enemies to lovers
Dual pov
Slow burn romance

Wow! I went into this book unsure what I what to think. It was done very well. Fairytale fractures or retellings can be so hit or miss, I tend to stay skeptical. The author did a great job humanizing this objectively evil man. The dual pov never misses, and I'm so glad we got to see this wild relationship through both the main character's eyes.

The first part of the book dragged along, providing backstory and build-up. The angst build-up was wonderful, but I feel the backstory could've been left out. There are many side characters and names to keep straight, making the first half of the book harder to go along with.

Thank you, NetGalley, Emily, and Bloom Books for the eARC copy of Twisted.

"Sometimes the greatest love, comes from the most unlikely places."

Emily, emily... you've done it again.

McIntire writes some of my favorite books based off fairy tales (they aren't literal retellings) and gives the villian their shot.

I. am. here. for. it!

Twisted tells the loosely based story of Aladdin.

Are you mine?

Julian (roughly based around the villian we all know as Jafar) and Yasmin (pretty simple to guess who she's based off of) both want was best for Ali... or Baba (Ali Baba) as Yas refers to her father. Julian is rough around the edges, still true to his character base. While Yas is very stubborn headed and princess like, true to her character base. Additionally, with characters like Riya (Raja), Yas's best friend, and Isabella (Julian's 23 foot python), it's hard to do wrong with this book.

There are so many nudges to the original story, but this book is all it's own telling. Age gaps, mafia, murder, spice, it's just all jam packed in to a neatly wrapped present that is this story.

"I would kill anyone who looked at you. Anyone who dared to even breathe too close."

If I could give this ten stars I would. I think this is my top book out of this series, Never After, tied with Hooked. Well done, Emily.

Thank you to the Publisher, Emily, and NetGalley for providing me this free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Emily can do NO WRONG…. I am convinced. This series has quickly become one of my most anticipated when a new one is announced, and I SCREAMED when I saw I got this ARC. I love the little bits and pieces of the original story intertwined within each individual book, and how it is done in such a fun and flawless way. And let me say, Emily knows how to do Morally Grey men, because there hasn’t been one guy in this series that isn’t extremely hot. I really hope there are more books in this series in the future, because I am not ready for it to be over yet!

I am FULLY obsessed with Emily McIntire and everything she writes.

I remember hearing that Julian would quickly become my favorite book boyfriend of this series, and, well...Emily was RIGHT. I adore Julian and want to protect him at all costs. The Italian?! SWOONY. The morally questionableness? THE BEST.

Emily knows the right ways to twist these fractured fairytales until they're bent into something utterly magnificent, and I cannot WAIT to see what she does next.