Freaking hell, what was that ending?! Allie, you cruel, cruel author. How am I supposed to wait for book three now?! *sobs uncontrollably*

"Twisted Shadows" was an absolute rollercoaster ride of a book. It's dark, it's action-packed, it's twisted yes, and it's fueled by tensions, cliffhangers, betrayals, shocking discoveries and a truckload of emotional gut-punches. It's also funny, delightful, even sweet at times, and the romance? I was HOOKED. Thoroughly obsessed from the very start; I never wanted to stop reading.
Allie Therin is such an amazingly good writer, and I swear, she keeps getting better and better with each book.

This series has become one of my favourites of the past few years: the world-building is absolutely fabulous, damned fascinating (the whole thing about empaths is GENIUS, and although I sooooooo wish they'd just stop getting corrupted and stay their normal, sweetie-pie selves to save my sanity and my heart from despair/hurt/uncontrollable sobbing, I know there's supposed to be conflict in books, I do know that *stomps feet angrily*) and the writing is fantastic. Brilliant, funny, emotional, perfection.

The plot was WILD.
We'd left Reece and Evan in a sort of an okay-ish place at the end of book one, but book two starts off with a bang. Reece's in a liminal state, drowning in anxiety and fear about his quite-possibly-imminent corruption, and Evan's on the other side of the country doing secret spy shenanigans, and while he's still the same mysterious, unfeeling empath hunter as always, he seems to have developed an attachment to a certain empath troublemaker. Betrayal's afoot though, and Reece and Evan can't seem to catch a break and they definitely can't (and won't!) stop thinking about each other as well.

The plot and the pacing were fabulous. It was a crescendo of tension and twist and turns from the very start to the very end; I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. And that ending? I have nothing else to say except: whelp.

I love a multi-POV series, and although Reece (and now Evan!) are the two main POVs and characters, I still enjoyed following all the other characters around in this wild, complex story that Allie has created. All of the characters were fantastic, but Jamey and Aisha were my favourites, apart from the two leads obviously!

Speaking of which... needless to say, I adored them both, and their relationship had me in an even bigger chokehold during this book. Their sexual and romantic tension were TOP-NOTCH, delicious, no notes, just chef's kissing all around; and ALLLLLL that flirting? God, it made me blush and giggle. The best thing was how we finally get to see Evan's walls come tumbling down around Reece: I think I might have underlined half of their conversations. The sweet way both of them care for one another despite the insurmountable divide between them and the fact that they're supposed to be enemies? Gah, I loved them. Theirs is the slowest burn to ever burn, and I'm sure after all the turmoil and heartache, their HEA will be the absolute sweetest thing, but boyyyyyy does it hurt now.

< He owed Reece some choice words about the picture, but what he said was, “Hey, Care Bear.” Reece’s lips curved up. “Hey.” >


< Once upon a time, he might have looked at a person and thought I want to be with them because they make me happy. He didn’t think things like that anymore, but if someone hit him just right, his body still jerked. Still sat up and took notice and wanted. And Reece? Hit exactly right. >


< “So what’s my job?” Reece said. “Looking cute in that hoodie. And you’re already real good at it.” >

MY PRECIOUS BABIES.

Anyway, I don't know what to do with myself now; the book hangover is going to hurttttttttt. Ugh. It was worth it though.

I can't wait to re-read this book when it's out in December, but in the meantime: *sobs uncontrollably* HOW COULD YOU ALLIE 😭

Can't wait for next installment already! Great characters, sass, snark, plot...whole shebang! I'm a picky reader when it comes to my MM, and this had me happy as a clam.

This book was everything I could ever ask for in a romance. Reese was as bratty and as cute as ever and I loved seeing the romance blossom between him and Grayson! Now I can’t wait for book 3. I’m positively popping at the seams for it! My only gripe is that Grayson really rang it home with telling us he didn’t have any emotions like 20 times towards the end. It was a tad overkill, but I could look over that for everything else just totally engulfing me in the story!

Reece and Grayson are back! I loved the first book so I was very excited to get my hands on an ARC for book 2. If you loved book 1, you'll be very happy with this one.

In Twisted Shadows we get another Reece-Grayson adventure. We also see all of our favorite side characters return as well-some I counted on but others that I never expected to see again! I enjoyed getting to learn more about their backgrounds and I'm really excited for the next book!

The only reason that this isn't a 5 star read for me is that I didn't get as much relationship development as I think I would have liked. I think it would have been the perfect amount if the book didn't end the way it does. Overall though I loved this and highly recommend to anyone who enjoyed book 1!

**Thanks to NetGalley for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.**

Oh. My. God. I don't really have words for that ending (a cliffhanger! as others have noted) except to say that book 3 simply cannot come soon enough.

This is probably my favorite book of Allie Therin's (which is saying something - if you haven't already checked out her other works, I highly recommend). The tension, the angst, the tightly-paced plot, the slow-burn romance: it's all part of the delicious feeling of a web that is pulling tighter and tighter and won't let you go until the ride is over, and even then, you're trapped.

The chemistry between Evan and Reece jumps off the page, as it did in Liar City, but here we have two characters building on the foundation of that first book... with one impossible mandate. Their relationship is tense and HOT. One of the amazing things in this book is that we finally get to have Evan's perspective - and he is an absolutely fascinating, deeply complicated character. Reece's dialogue had my laughing aloud at several points.

In short: this book is a gem. Can't wait to listen to the audio version come December!

I am a huge Allie Therin fan - and I have been eagerly anticipating the follow-up to Liar City. Evan and Reece are some of my all-time favorite characters. This book definitely carried the story forward and developed the world and situation a lot more. The voices in this book are varied and expand beyond Liar City.

I enjoyed this a lot - but I definitely wanted more from Reece and Evan. Ialso wished maybe a little less time that we did have with Reece and Evan was spent talking about how they couldn't touch. Ultimately, Allie Therin wrote both characters into a corner - and I'm fascinated to see where the series goes. I have an idea where she's headed - but how that will resolve the whole story definitely will keep me reading and desperate to know how it all turns out.

I would not recommend reading this book without reading Liar City first - and I don't hesistate to recommend that book! This book definitely leaves you wanting more - and ends on a bit of a cliff-hanger - so be warned!

Overall - I loved it - and can't wait for more.

Allie Therin has done it again. Twisted Shadows is an absolutely brilliant follow up to Liar City. It had everything I’ve come to expect from Allie Therin - the world building, the unexpected twists, the snark, the flirting by way of insults. It was perfection.

This second book in the series gave more depth and background information to all the characters, especially Grayson and Reece. We get more insight into how they both think and why they make the decision they do - which was desperately needed after the breakneck pace of book one.

The snark and banter in this book is honestly a thing of beauty. I was seriously cackling out loud while reading. NO ONE writes feisty black cat twinks like Allie Therin and I eat up that snarky sass with a spoon.

This could easily be my favorite Allie Therin book (which is saying something - I’ve read all of her books multiple times because I love them so). I cannot recommend this book enough. If you need me, I’ll just be over here impatiently waiting for the final installment.

Twisted Shadows is an amazing suspense-filled mystery combined with the slowest of slow burn romances. Allie Therin’s written a masterful continuation of the Sugar and Vice series, and has me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happens next.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Evan Grayson aka The Dead Man and Reece Davies couldn’t be more different. Evan has no emotions, while Reece is a powerful empath. After the events of Liar City, Evan makes it his personal mission to protect Reece. I don’t want to spoil the plot details, just know that the story picks up after the events of Liar City, and this series should definitely be read in order.

I can’t overstate how much I adore Evan and Reece. This time, these two opposites get lots of forced proximity time while working together to figure out what’s really happening. The stakes continue to rise throughout the book, but the banter is top notch and keeps the story from becoming too dark. And while they are opposites on the surface, they both are lonely people who just want to help.

The concept of a world where powerful people fear pacifism is fascinating. As times this series has a sci fi feel, but mostly it feels very realistic. The tone is delightfully wry and readable, though, and all the well-drawn characters shine through.

Twisted Shadows is an intriguing mystery with the coziest, slowest slow burn romance ever, and banter and quips galore. Evan and Reece are wonderful characters, and I can’t recommend this series enough!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The tension between Reece and Evan was delicious. Oh the longing!!! This book had me in a thrall (lol) and I am distraught that it ended on a cliffhanger and now I have to just WAIT for book three??? 😩 4.5 rounded down

How long do I have to wait for the next one? I hope it’s not too long because I might actually die of cliff-hanger. This one moved fast and kept me reading (I finished it in less than 24 hours). Love the character development, loved the way it was based in plot, really enjoyed going deeper into the world and into Evan’s backstory. So much yes.

Care Bear forever

Aaarrggghhh, I can’t believe I’m finished!!! Why did I read this so fast??? I know why: Twisted Shadows is incredible and the best read of my year. My head is spinning, my words aren’t wording, and my heart, well, suffice it to say, it needs an empath hug.

“Maybe I can’t read you like most people, where it’s obvious as the colors of a rainbow, but your memories keep you from a flat dead gray. You’re quicksilver, and I’m starting to see every glint and shimmer.”

Swooooon, Reece and Grayson are magnificent and take my breath away. I have no idea where we go from here, or how we’ll get to the stunning HEA these two deserve, but I do know this: Grayson is so much more than he gives himself credit for; Reece is even more precious to me now; and I will rip through these pages to ensure that nothing stands in the way of my Care Bear and his protector.

Superb world-building, suspense that takes edging to a whole new level—it’s true art—and enough UST it will set the world aflame. Now I’ll have to console myself with many, many rereads so I can dissect every word spoken, and until I can have the conclusion we all need in our grabby hands and heart.

If you're not reading Allie Therin, you should be. Twisted Shadows brings us back to an alternate Seattle where empaths are considered a threat to the public. Empath Reece Davies is on the brink of corruption and the only thing keeping him sane is empath hunter Evan Grayson. Chemistry sizzles between them and stakes rise as the mystery of a dead empath spirals into a much bigger problem. With top notch banter and a spine-tingling thriller, Twisted Shadows is a killer of a sequel.

Somehow, Allie Therin always manages to get so involved with her characters, even in genres I don't particularily enjoy usually. 'Twisted Shadows' is the second book of a romantic thriller/suspense trilogy, centered around Reece, an empath, and Evan, empath specialist and protector of non-empath (is he really?).

Society is afraid of empaths, afraid they'll use their ability to manipulate people, to dig into emotions without consent, or, even, that empaths are going to wreck society to pieces. It's a frightening and anxiety inducing belief, so much aligned with things we can see in the world right now. But somehow, and though Therin doesn't shy away from the harsh reality of this alternative Seattle politics, she also managed to keep a spark of hope and optimism, that doesn't feel like sugar coating. Just a strong belief that even with an awful lot of "bad" people and machinations, there is still a sliver of hope for a better world. I really love that.

That belief can be found in Reece, even Evan, despite some of his words, and in other people, in a nuance and quite realistic way. It's so great to see the interactions, the way various characters process their emotions, feelings and opinions. Especially in the romance side of the plot, which, I must warn you (in a happy way) a REAL slow burn. Don't expect a resolution on that part in this tome. The slow burn aspect helps to have that "real" feel of two people slowly inching toward each other, overcoming (or not) their inner turmoils and the obtacles on their way. It's so great. And the BANTER! Wonderful.

There is a few revelations trickling in this tome. About Evan Grayson and his brother, about Reece Davies and his empathy, about the corporations. I hate corporations. With all my heart. The end had be clutching my tablet, because oh boy I'll be jumping on the last book as soon as I can get my hand on it. I need to see the characters happy and safe. But first they need to get through the mess of a society and corporation set on making their life hard (my poor heart). The third book promises to be high on actions and feels, for everybody involved.

Literally amazing!!! I devoured this book, I could not put it down. The development of Grayson and Reece’s relationship is so good. Their banter and flirting is just top tier. Also, the tension is just so palpable and makes me happy to read. I am quite literally giggling and kicking my feet. And OMG that truck scene 🔥🔥🔥, literally amazing!! Seeing through Grayson’s eyes was very interesting and I loved having his perspective in this book. Seeing his thoughts on Reece as well as learning more about him and his past was really cool. That ending though!!! I need the next book like now, I can’t wait!! The writing pace and style is great. The overarching plot is super intriguing as well. The only issue I’ve had just has to do with formatting. Sometimes it was confusing for me to differentiate the characters’ thoughts vs. a text they were sending. Most of the time the texts had “name:” in front of it or after the phrase that was supposed to be a text it said “he texted” or something similar to that, which was great. But sometimes the text someone would send was not like differentiated from their internal monologue, which confused me a bit. It just kinda took me out of the immersion of the book at times. This could just be like a me issue though. There was also maybe a grammatical error in chapter 25. The line says, “Grayson place his finger on the screen” and i feel like maybe it’s supposed to be “placed or places”. But I could be wrong about that. Otherwise, this book was amazing and I am so excited for the final one!

I was given the NetGalley ARC, this is my honest review.

The second paragraph in Chapter Six made me CACKLE.

37%: You know those romances where you keep puzzling and puzzling at how anything between the two characters could possibly ever work? Yeah this is one of those.

I read the last 30% today because it's that kind of novel, too, only now I want book 3 because how... How are we getting out of this level of... No spoilers. Just, whew.

I bought LIAR CITY for the cover and fell in love with the characters and the world Allie Therin created. To say I'd been refreshing Netgalley, waiting for this sequel would be downplaying my obsession. I reread LIAR CITY on Friday in prep for diving into this read and I'm so glad I did. Spending the weekend fully immersed in Reece and Evan was a delight and this book more than lives up to the hype I felt for the first one. TWISTED SHADOWS finally gives us Evan's POV and it's a delight being in his head. These two men's fight against government corruption and evil people using empaths as experiments is uplifting and powerful. I also love that this book really explores the question of what love really is and what you'd do to protect it. I said "OH SNAP" out loud multiple times while reading and that ending is a gut punch and a half. If I didn't already have this book preordered, I would have ordered it again. Will be waiting just as obsessively for book 3.

The first book in this SF romantic thriller series was fun, with great characters and banter and a compulsive pace that swept me through it, but it was also SO breathlessly paced that I could never quite tell whether all the pieces of the mystery really lined up. This book, thoguh? This book was just *excellent* - a thriller that (while still fast paced) took the time to line up every single piece in an inexorable, inevitable, and incredibly tense line while also giving fantastic banter and a wonderful slow burn romance.

I thought about giving it 4.5 stars just subjectively, because ARGH that cliffhanger, but honestly, that wouldn't be fair. It's Book 2 in a tightly-arced trilogy - we all know the kinds of endings those get, and the author pulled it off perfectly. I will definitely be reading Book 3 ASAP!

Oh, I've been looking forward to this book for quite a while, and it did not disappoint. I am SO HERE for Reece and Evan. The UST, the pining... and the plotty plotty plot! I can't wait to see how things get wrapped up in book three (though I wish the series would go on a lot longer).

I do have one wish/complaint. I wish Joel Leslie were NOT going to be doing the narration for this, because I would love to listen to it over and over and over, and he is AWFUL. His twee delivery, his appallingly weird accents... he ruins everything he touches, and it simultaneously breaks my heart and enrages me. (Insert corrupted empath vibes here.)

My thanks (so many thanks!) to the publisher/NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.