I was lucky enough to get an ARC for this (thanks to the author and NetGalley!) and I’m very hooked on this story and this author is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. When I finished the first book I instantly looked for the next and was so sad to see I had a year to wait! But now I got an early copy and I was thrilled.

This book is very fast paced like the first one, but there is a LOT more pining/romance angled stuff in it which is just downright torturous.

If I had to give any criticisms I would say that MAYBE talking about the Deadman’s lack of feelings constantly starts to sound like the old adage “the lady doth protest too much” after a while. But that’s not enough to detract from the fun of the story. There are some elements that are a little predictable, there aren’t really any surprises to the plot, but that’s not why I’m reading these books. I’m here for the characters. And the characters are giving everything.

I was NOT happy with the ending, but ok putting my faith in Allie Therin to set it right somehow. I hope I’m not let down and waiting for the next book is going to be even worse than waiting for this one was 😭😭

All in all, you’re missing out on quite the adventure if you don’t pick this series up!

In the first book, empath Reece and emotionless Dead Man Evan must work together to solve a crime against empaths, despite the deleterious impact on Reece of Evan's presence. There's sexual tension, but not extremely. In this book, the perspectives open up, including both leads but also a variety of others. The mystery plot is less cohesive, but it's moving closer and closer to romance, with significantly increasing sexual tension and So. Much. Flirting. I adored it and had such a fabulous time!

4.5 stars



OK wow, mark me down IMPRESSED. It is no secret that I felt extremely mixed about the first book in this series, that I absolutely hated one of the main characters but was very compelled by the story as a whole -- and those feelings did not go away with my reread. So I knew that trying this sequel would either be a complete hit or a miss. I'm happy to report that I LOVED this sequel. In the first book, I had thought Reece was incredibly irritating and aspects of the world-building were goofy -- in Twisted Shadows, Reece tempers into a character who is snarky but not melodramatic, and the world-building falls much more into place. The relationship between the main characters actually becomes overt and frankly really interesting and compelling in a way I've not seen in a romance in a while. We also get more time with side characters we met in the first book, and we're left in an extremely tense and captivating moment when the book ends.

Despite my not liking the first book, I STRONGLY recommend pressing on so that you can read this sequel. I will absolutely be finishing the series, as well as recommending to folks who like mystery romance or spec fic romance.

This book is so flippin’ good but I wish I had never read it…at least until the series was complete because this is pure torture. The first book in the series was a solid four stars but this one is really well done. I love all the characters, I love the plot, and I love the romance. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

Okay I went into this story knowing I would learn more about Greyson and all things empath. But wow did we learn a lot of information. It was all useful information but all of the character pov was a lot.

I wanted more time with Reese and Grayson. I wanted more time of them getting to know each other and less of the evil side characters.

I enjoyed the story and I can’t wait to see where it’s going!

Wow…ok, this was fantastic! I’m not completely sure yet because I’ll need some time to process, but this book may be even better than the first one and I did give that one 5 stars.

Allie Therin’s empath world is fascinating, and all theories presented in the book is hard to dismiss even when the characters think they’re all nonsense.

Reece is such an amazing character, and his struggles with his liminal state towards full corruption is a definite page turner here. Evan is a very layered character and I loved that we get more from him in this book.

I’ll admit I’m really upset because how long am I supposed to wait for the next book? This will be torture for sure.

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin books for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! I want to start by saying that before I get into it.

This baby was THICC AF. So thick in fact it felt endless. EVERYBODY got a POV. And yes, that happened in book one on this one it felt too much. Don't get me wrong I was entertained and I enjoyed everything. For real I was never bored, not one, but I just wanted it to end. It's nice to know everything that's going on but I found myself putting the book down a lot. THIS IS JUST A PSA!

Moving on to my favorite part of the book: THE ROMANCE. As always Grayson and Reece were the best thing about this book. And I'm real sad we didn't get enough time with them cause Allie really turned up the HEAT on this one!!! She did not come to play!!!! These two were the thirstiest, most horny they've ever been and I was here for every minute of that. You still can't convince me that Grayson doesn't have any feelings because he does. And they're all for Reece. HIS CARE BEAR.

THE THIRD BOOK? That is gonna be something cause the way we left things so up in the air idk what to think. I'm putting my trust on Allie to wrap this baby up nicely. 🤞🏾🤞🏾🤞🏾


**I was given an ARC by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

This was OK! It was a little bit of a mess. This kinda sounded and felt like "Darkness within us", The MC must keep his darkside in check to or lose his personal relatoinship and do some damage. Overall, it was an OK book, not great.

"Twisted Shadows" by Allie Therin is an exciting and emotional story that blends magic with romance. I loved the relationship between Reece and Evan, especially how their forbidden love made the story feel more intense. The suspense kept building as they searched for the missing empaths, and I couldn’t stop reading. The ending really surprised me — I didn’t see the twist coming at all, which made the story even better. It's a great mix of mystery, action, and love that kept me hooked from start to finish!

First of all, thank you to Allie Therin, NetGalley and Carina Adores for providing a galley copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, so this book has everything I want in a middle-of-the-series novel. The world gets bigger, the stakes get higher, relationships get deeper, and the last chapter leaves you salivating for more.

In this sequel to Liar City, we catch up with empath Reese Davies and empath-hunter/specialist Evan Grayson just a few short weeks after the string of murders--perpetuated by an empath--that rocked Seattle. Reese is trying to return to a sense of normalcy after learning he could be just a hair-trigger away from following in Cora Falcon's footsteps. Too bad the only thing that makes him feel normal is speaking to the dangerous Agent Grayson. When more threats to empaths arise, the two are forced into close proximity once again as they work to keep the world safe.

The pining between these two MCs is epic as the slow-burn romance plot begins to simmer. Other plotlines start to unravel and some of the questions from the first book get answers. But the last few chapters will leave you spinning and desperately awaiting the final book in the series.

THE ENDING, OH MY GOD. i need book three in my hands asap.

this was such a rollercoaster and made me feel so much - breathlessness when the action scenes happened, shock when the twists were shown, tension when the two mcs grew close. THE FLIRTING HAS ME IN A CHOKEHOLD. it was simply SUCH a great ride and i cannot recommend this book enough!!

Thanks to Allie Therin, Harlequin – Romance, and NetGalley for access to the Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved the first book in this series – it had interesting characters, great banter, and an interesting plot. I liked it so much I nominated it to be considered for a Hugo Award.

This book, unfortunately, lost me. I wanted more of what the first book had but instead of sarcastic banter there is now innuendo. Too much. And much of the plot spends time on romantic developments of two of the main characters – which was uninteresting to me. Romance books are not for me. So although the plot drove action at the end, the build up to that end was slow and unenjoyable, to me, due to the side plot of the romance.

Twisted Shadows< picks up shortly after Liar City and bringing back the snarky Reece and Grayson. Reece is continuing to grapple with his growing powers and his fear of himself, while Grayson's role as an empath "specialist" rather than "hunter" is made clearer as his allegiance to protecting empaths, including from themselves, becomes more overt. This relationship of unexpected potential villain (Reece) and savior (Grayson), adds tension and anticipation to the narrative.

One of the strengths of serial mysteries is the slow-burn romance that builds over multiple books rather than chapters. Liar City ended with the exchange of phone numbers, that’s as far as the main characters got, and while the romance progresses in book 2, there’s no happily ever after here and the story ends on a cliffhanger. I’m absolutely feral for book 3, and book 2 hasn’t even been published yet.

This was, hands down, my most anticipated book of the year. I've never clicked "Request" on Netgalley as fast as I did with this book.

After reading the first one I was desperate for the sequel, and I'm more than happy to say it delivered beyond my already high expectations.

The continued world building, the deepening relationships between the characters, Grayson being my favorite stoic king, Jamey being i c o n i c, Reece being adorable and clever. I love them all so much.

It's just as intense as the last book, the action and the intrigue are amazing, and the growing relationship between two people who can't touch is amazingly well done.

There's not much I can say about the plot for fear of spoiling anything, and a book as tightly plotted as this should not be spoiled, but if you loved the first book you're in for a wild ride.

Gonna need the next book like yesterday.

bookschaosnart Twists, world building, a cliffhanger, and comedy make Twisted Shadows one of my favorite reads this year. Continuing the story set up from Liar City the story picks up fast paced as Evan and Reece continue their sarcastic and heart felt friendship to more. The only question is how does the dead man straddle protecting empaths while also dealing with the repercussions of his employer conducting experiments on empaths that break them from being unable to harm others to potential killing machines. I'll definitely be rereading this one while I wait for the next book because that cliffhanger has me on the edge of my seat.

Wow, not expecting the sequel to be so good but it really did pack a punch. Very much looking forward to the next episode with a cliffhanger ending like that !

I have no idea how to review this instalment of the Sugar & Vice series except to say Holy Cliffhanger Dead Man!

Because bloody hell do we get left with a right zinger and it's utterly brilliant and means I am dying even more for the final book which will draw this epic narrative to a close.

Allie really put the cat among the pigeons with this book, never mind ramping up the UST to an unbelievable level - which is incredible considering there's only one moment in the whole story where they actually have any physical contact given the state of their two natures.

As for the plot itself, no spoilers here other than I'll say I did not see it coming and my jaw was dropping as I turned (okay I'm on a Paperwhite so I swiped it) the final page but I will confirm that it works beautifully as a set up for everything that's going to come as things draw together.

It's leading into something I have no doubts will be a mind-blowing final book as Evan has to deal with the fallout of Reece's actions in Twisted Shadows.

This book, surprisingly, is pretty swoony too, in spite of what's going on. The connection between these two men who - literally - cannot touch or interact because of their inherent natures, is so strong you feel it ooze off the page.

The flirt game is strong with both of them, and you can see them pushing the line further every encounter or text conversation they have. There's also plenty of the humour that I love in this author's writing, to stop things becoming too serious or overly gloomy even amongst the death and destruction.

We also, as with the first book, get multiple PoVs not just the two MCs and I will say, this is my only real niggle with the narrative choices - I wish it was more clearly divided when we're switching.

It's not difficult to work out when we're switching, especially when it's either Jamey's voice or medical examiner Aisha, but a single little asterisk in a bit wedge of paragraph text isn't enough imho.

Now, I had an ARC obviously, and I know there were formatting issues with the original copies on Edelweiss, so it may be that the retail release will have some lovely graphic dividers that easily identify each speaker, that would be a wonderful way to do it.

I'm such a fan of Allie Therin's world building and her clever narratives, her ideas are always surprising, even in a saturated paranormal/urban fantasy market and I love what she's done with this series.

Twisted Shadows by Allie Therin is the second book in the Sugar and Vice series. Reece Davies' understanding of empathy has been forever altered. He owes some of that to the empath hunter and Dead Man, Evan Grayson, his unexpected friend and protector. The repercussions of the events in Seattle have bled out to the entire North American continent with Evan Grayson responsible for getting everything back under control. Evan reluctantly brings Reece along for his own safety while still trying to maintain some kind of boundaries with the empath. Reece has other ideas and wants but understands that things will never be simple between him and the Dead Man. Secrets have a way of coming out and Reece and Evan are both found to be liars. The question is who is the biggest liar?

I adored this book. The growth of both Evan and Reece and evolution of their relationship had me up late engulfing this book. I appreciated that although the romantic subplot was more at the forefront of the story this time around, the urban fantasy storyline still was predominant. Things get a bit wild in this book as the past finds a way to complicate the present. There’s the action and humor I’ve come to expect from this series. I refuse to ruin this book for anyone else but if you enjoyed Liar City and want to see what kind of mess Reece and Evan can find themselves in this book is for you.

5 stars for Reece and Evan’s newest battle to protect empaths and everyone around them

Absolutely incredible. Words cannot describe how much I love this series, the characters, the pining, the banter - I swooned at every "carebear" and last name - turned first name interaction.

I would read 50 of these book.

Twisted Shadows by Allie Therin continues the exciting urban fantasy that turns the seemingly harmless and exceedingly helpful emotion of empathy into a weapon and frames those who wield it as potentially dangerous, uncontrollable citizens. I thoroughly enjoyed this second installment of the Sugar & Vice this series. We learned a great deal more about the inner workings of the Empathy Initiative and other important controlling forces in Reece’s world. It was so great to catch back up with the characters in this world; I am no so anxious to read book three, because the ending here has me reeling. The pull between Reece and Grayson continues to grow as they race to solve the mysterious killing of an empath. What will the Care Bear Do Next?