A Twisted Love Story
by Samantha Downing
Pub Date 18 Jul 2023
Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley
Mystery & Thrillers
Rating: 5/5

A Twisted Love Story by Samantha Downing forces you to ask questions. Which character is guilty of what? Where will things go from here? Surprises, red herrings, and plot twists kept me on my toes and alert. I thoroughly enjoyed this psychological thriller and won't soon forget it. Way to go Samantha Downing!

After dating for 10 years, Wes and Ivy's relationship has been on and off. There are times when it's filled with loving gestures, passionate conversations, and romantic nights together, and others when it's beyond vicious. During one particularly brutal fight between the two, an innocent person died. Wes and Ivy realise they have one last chance to stay together as a detective named Karen gets closer to finding the truth.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for sharing this suspenseful novel with me. Your kindness is appreciated.

I'm usually a big fan of Downing's books and think she's great at making me love her deeply unlikeable characters (hiiii, Teddy), but I couldn't stand Wes and Ivy. Their toxic dating relationship was too irritating for me, and I couldn't get into the story. This was definitely a wrong reader at the wrong time situation and not the fault of the book - I love Downing and will always consider her an auto-read author, even though this one didn't work for me.

Two toxic people, a relationship that defines them, and the consequences of their love. Wes and Ivy can’t get enough of each other every since they met at a party, their relationship being a vicious cycle of vengeful fights, property damage, arrest warrants, flowers, grand gestures, love so deep they can’t stay away from one another. No matter what fight they get in and no matter how many times they break up, they constantly cycle back to one another. Their relationship has been on and off for years, all their friends know about them.... but what no one knows is that they share a deep dark secret... after a bad fight that ends with a dead body..... now a detective is onto them and they’ll have to see if they can trust one another to survive this new threat to their relationship. This was the perfect book to read after watching the show BEEF (Netflix). Wes and Ivy are obsessed with one another, they understand each other in a way no one else can. They are toxic, they bring out the worst in each other but they can’t ever truly give up on each other. Everything is a game for them. I was truly gripped by their relationship and just how vindictive they can be. They were perfect for each other. Seriously this was such a fun read!

*Thanks Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Samantha Downing is the Queen is writing twisted love stories! I SO look forward to her new books every year. This is the story of the ultimate twisted relationship. This couple is off the wall, doing things to each other that will make you sit back and thank your lucky stars for your own non twisted relationship! I won’t give away any spoilers but this couple definitely reminded me of another famous couple in history and I loved every second of it!

If I could give a book a standing ovation, it would be this one.

I am a huge fan of Samantha Downing. For Your Own Good and My Lovely Wife were among my most favored books by Downing. That is, until A Twist Love Story, made an appearance.

This book quite literally swept me off my feet. I was thrust right into the storyline and could not swipe the page fast enough. I fell into a trance, there was no need to tell myself "just one more chapter" as I had lost track of all time and the first page quickly turned to the last before I knew it. This book is a wild and intense ride that will have you holding your breath and fearing what lurks around the corner.

The character development was on point and everyone came to life right before my eyes. As far as the twist, it speaks for itself and I am not going to be the one to ruin it for you!

I hate being told what to do but I love telling others... Go pre-order this book. You do not want to miss this!

Thank you Samantha Downing, Berkley Publishing and Netgalley for allowing me to read A Twisted Love Story in exchange for an honest review

Teaser :

From the bestselling author of My Lovely Wife comes a reckless, delicious thriller about a young couple that gives a whole new meaning to the dangers of modern dating.

Wes and Ivy are madly in love. They've never felt anything like it. It's the kind of romance people write stories about.

But what kind of story?

Because when it's good, it's great. Flowers. Grand gestures. Deep meaningful conversations where the whole world disappears.

When it's bad, it's really bad. Vengeful fights. Damaged property. Arrest warrants.

But their vicious cycle of catastrophic breakups and head-over-heels reconnections needs to end fast. Because suddenly, Wes and Ivy have a common enemy—and she's a detective.

There's something Wes and Ivy never talk about—in good times or bad. The night of their worst breakup, when one of them took things too far, and someone ended up dead.

If they can stick together, they can survive anything—even the tightening net of a police investigation.

Because one more breakup might just be their last…

Addictive doesn’t even begin to describe it.

I flew through Samantha Downing’s A TWISTED LOVE STORY in a couple days, and this is arguably the story of the most unlikable characters in the most ****ed up relationship of all time; in what is still, somehow……a twisted love story. She got her title right, folks.

It’s a cat and mouse tale, there’s a detective (named KAREN! And believe me, she’s a Karen to her core), there’s a definite love story here, but at it’s core its truly a psychological suspense novel. Ivy and Wes are both terrible humans dealing with trauma, and they continue to fall madly in and out of love with one another while Detective Karen is hunting down a secret from their past….and that’s really all you need to know. It’s a truly wild ride, and I loved every word.

My favorite Samantha Downing book to date, and I’ve read them all; but I do still have a deep love for My Lovely Wife! It’s a close second! A TWISTED LOVE STORY is out July 18th from Berkley….! ❤️🌺☠️🩸❤️🌺☠️🩸

Not my favorite read from Samantha Downing, but still a good story.
Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy.

This is Bonnie and Clyde on steroids! If you liked My Lovely Wife for its unhinged love story this is for you! If you liked For Your Own Good’s writing style with cliff hangers and multiple POVs this is for you! Samantha Downing is truly an innovator in thrillers!

I'm normally a huge fan of Downing's books but this one just missed the mark for me. It felt like there just wasn't enough conflict other than the petty fights between Ivy and Wes. Their terrible secret was underwhelming and Karen and Bianca just annoyed me. I was happy with the ending so points for that.

Wes and Ivy have been together on and off for 10 years now. When the relationship is good, it’s great. Filled with romantic gestures, all-night conversations, and lots of passion. But when it’s bad, it’s very bad. The bad is filled with vengeful fights, damaged property, and even arrest warrants.

After a decade of this vicious cycle, Wes and Ivy have made a common enemy, Detective . On a night when one of their notorious fights goes too far, a night that Wes and Ivy never talk about, someone ended up dead. As the detectives' investigation gets closer and closer to finding the truth about that night, Wes and Ivy must stick together or another breakup will be their last.

In the book world, one thing that has made 2023 unique from all prior years, is the mix of romance and thrillers. A Twisted Love Story is the fourth romantic suspense story I've read this year and to be honest, I'm not hating this new blend of genres.

A Twisted Love story centers around two very morally grey main characters that I couldn't help but root for. This book was one rollercoaster ride that I did not want to get off of! I loved all of the twists and shocking turns this story took and in true Samantha Downing fashion, the ending on this one was truly remarkable.

This is my 5th read by Downing and is my new favorite by her! I could wax poetically all day for the many reasons why she's one of my favorite authors but instead, I'll just recommend not only A Twisted Love Story to you, but all of her books! I can see thriller and romance fans, as well as readers of any genre enjoying A Twisted Love Story just as much as I did.

A Twisted Love Story by Samantha Downing will be available on July 18. A massive thanks to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the gifted copy!

A Twisted Love Story definitely lives up to it's name.....TWISTED! This is a great, fast paced thriller with all the twists and turns. This couple is a hot mess and I loved seeing what they would do next! Grab a copy of this book!

This is the first book I’ve read by Samantha Downing - what a roller coaster ride of crazy! I couldn’t this twisty psychological thriller down,

Wes and Ivy have a truly twisted, volatile relationship. When things are good, they’re great. But when things are bad - you have no idea how bad they can get. They started dating in college and have been off and on since then. After a chance encounter a few months ago, Ivy decides she wants get get Wes’ attention - so she reports him to the police for stalking her! After a detective pays him a visit at his work, you might expect that Wes would be furious. Nope, instead it’s game on again. That begins the wild ride of A Twisted Love Story - and if you think that’s shocking, just wait!

I loved this book so much and really wish we’d get a second book with Wes and Ivy.

Another fun read from Samantha Downing! I'm a big fan of her work, and this was no exception. Downing's writing style is quick and easy to read, and I love her use of short chapters and varying perspectives - it really makes me want to keep reading, and I always end up flying through her books. This was a captivating domestic thriller about a toxic relationship in which there are bigger secrets than we first think. The only reason I'm giving this one four stars instead of five is because I felt a couple of the characters were unnecessary to the plot, but otherwise it was a really solid read.

Samantha Downing is one of my favorite thriller writers. I was super excited that I was approved for this book. Unfortunately, I DNF'ed it at about 50%. I found not much happening and was often confused by the alternating POV and changing timelines. I look forward to Downing's next book, but this wasn't for me.

Holy toxic relationship! Wes and Ivy are double trouble meant for each other and either they wind up together or assure mutual destruction. Anyone who dares get in their way is sure to meet a bad fate…

Slightly unbelievable plot about an on and off couple who meet at college. Ivy, with both parents in prison, is a little eccentric and Wes seems to thrive on this eccentricity. When Ivy reports him to the police for stalking her, things get a little complicated as events from their past are discovered in the process.... A good page turner with a slightly cheesy ending and few unbelievable characters.

A Twisted Love Story
by Samantha Downing
Pub Day July 18, 2023

Review1
READ THIS BOOK! If you don't read anything else in this review that's all you need to know.

Wes and Ivy are in a viscious cycle in their toxic 10+ year relationship. They are head over heels in love, make the other person jealous, breakup, get back together and repeat. When someone ended up dead it bound them together for life. I immediately thought of Bonnie and Clyde. This book was filled with drama and I loved it!

As I was reading, I knew there were pieces I was missing in the story. By the end, all the pieces were put into place. I was hooked and not let go until the very end. I could not have been more shocked by certain parts in the story if I wrote it myself! Karen's entire character kept me on my toes. I wasn't sure if her gut instinct was right or if she was trying to make something out of nothing.

Samantha did an amazing job with the entire book!

On my Scale of Buy, Bargain, Borrow, Bud or Bust I mark this one as BUY.

Thank you to @berkely and @samanthadowning for a e-ARC of this book! I think I might have yelled out loud with excitement!

I'll post the review to GR, Storygraph and IG closer to PUB day.

Thanks to Berkley for the copy of this book!

What a fun and wild ride! Wes and Ivy have had the MOST TOXIC relationship ever, on and off for ten years. They’re all about retaliation if the dynamic becomes unbalanced, but always end up making up. They can’t seem to get away from each other, especially with a big secret from the past tying them together. But a Detective Karen is on the case, and when she enlists some help from others in their orbit, she might just find a way to get Wes and Ivy away from each other for good.

I really love twisted thrillers with an entire cast of semi-terrible characters, so this was right up my alley. Even Karen was projecting her past onto Wes and Ivy’s situation as she investigated, bringing her a bit over to the dark side, too. I really enjoyed watching this play out and thought the twists added to the “grab the popcorn and watch this crazy situation play out” nature of the story. It’s just a fun thriller.

Read if you:
- love thrillers with shady characters
- want to grab popcorn and watch when a relationship is imploding
- need a little Bonnie and Clyde dynamic

Perfect title for this thriller. Ivy and Wes have one bizarre relationship that is twisted and toxic. This makes for a highly entertaining read as you can’t wait to see what horrible thing this couple will do next.

Bianca was my favorite character as she is underestimated but manages to fool them all. She is a woman with a plan and she will get the revenge in the end.

Love her books as they are five star reads everytime!

Thank you Berkley for this arc. I screamed with joy to get a copy of this and bumped it to top to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the eARC copy of A Twisted Love Story in exchange for my honest review.

2.5-3 stars, I’m not sure exactly where I’d put this because I didn’t actually enjoy it, but I can see a lot of the good potential in it. It was well-written, but the characters were so unlikable that it made it unpleasant to read at times. It was also written in present tense which pulled me out of the story.

The two main characters are in a toxic relationship and have been off and on for ten years. They have a lot of secrets and definitely like to play mind games with each other. Wes and Ivy believe that they are made for each other, but I can’t think of two people (just based on their interactions) that should a million miles away from each other than these two. They were both horrible, selfish, and cruel, which again, made it hard to enjoy the book.

The secondary characters in this all attempted to play larger roles as vehicles for the plot, but that’s all they ended up being. Just different devices to move things forward. The plot twists felt silly and anticlimactic because they were so obvious. Often times it felt like there were one hundred threads being woven and eventually we should have had a grand image created but it just ended up being a big lump.

Unfortunately I didn’t love this one, but I think it is one that other people will end up really enjoying when it releases on July 18!