this second installment to the sugar & vice series was a VERY pleasant surprise. i had a lot of issues with the pacing and worldbuilding of the first installment, liar city, but i was invested enough to stay tuned into the series. i had a feeling that this second book was going to be a lot better, and it absolutely delivered!

"twisted shadows" is not without its flaws. some of the pitfalls from the first book carried over into this one, particularly the pacing and the excess of characters/names to remember. with the constantly switching perspectives, it can get frustrating trying to keep up with the plot-heavy scenes.

that said, this book was a much more enjoyable read than the first one. i am a lover of paranormal romance, and one of my biggest critiques of liar city was how little romance there was to be found. twisted shadows VERY MUCH remedies this - reece and evan's relationship is hands down the best part of this book. they have fantastic, convincing chemistry and banter. they have such a satisfying build up - so much tension and mutual obsession that was just addicting to read. i was honestly really delighted by all of evan's POV chapters, he is such an endearing and charming character. anyone who loved evan in the first book is really in for a treat.

i found the plot and overarching mystery of this installment a lot more compelling than the first book's. i was really hanging onto every word in the last 20% of this book because i honestly had no idea what was going to happen. i LOVED the ending and i am so locked in for the next installment.

overall i am so glad i stayed with this series because it was really worth it. this installment really finds its footing and i'm already counting down the days until the next one comes out!!

<b>4 Stars</b>

Simply put, this second installment basically threw the door wide open and took off running!

The first book definitely took its time setting up the premise, the world building, and the foundation of who and what empaths are. In this alternate reality, empaths are inherent pacifists, putting others before themselves, and avoiding conflict at all costs. However, with such an ability to read and influence emotions, the potential danger of them using this power for nefarious means has resulted in global initiatives to protect the general populace from being affected.

Expanding upon the greater machinations behind the institutions who are against empaths, this again explored an X-Men type scenario. How or should a particular subset of the population be monitored and possibly controlled for the benefit and security of the masses, and when does scientific advancement go too far, crossing the line to infringe upon basic human rights in the name of safety?

Rest assured, this isn’t all existential pondering. Still caught in the middle is empath Reece who is this close to being corrupted, where he’d use his powers for bad selfish intent instead of good, able to “thrall” anyone to do his bidding. However, always present is Evan, an empath specialist known as the Dead Man, who’s completely immune to any emotional influence and thus, not vulnerable to empath powers. Where these two cannot and should not work, where their fundamental biological makeup won’t allow them to normally connect on any level, Therin deftly makes their burgeoning forced companionship succeed quite wonderfully.

Admittedly, I had my doubts as to how this series could, or would, progress as an MM romance, and all I can say is that this far exceeded my expectations. Not only is Reece and Evan the perfect complete opposites pair, but their banter was spot on, and their (not) flirty interactions were smile inducing. As they both grumpily force themselves to work together because neither has a choice (not that they wanted any other options), they investigate a series of empath disappearances, and what they find is not good at all.

Told in alternating POV, this really lent great fascinating insight into both Reece and Evan. Reece continued to drive me just as crazy as he did in the first book due to his complete lack of self preservation, but his antics were mitigated by the lovely sexy Evan who makes quite the compelling mysterious character. It also doesn’t hurt that the supporting cast was equally intriguing as they all eventually converge for the big reveal.

Again, this was a wonderful follow up to Liar City. The story propelled me along at a clipped pace, ending on a cliffhanger between Reece and Evan who are both pushed into a corner that they don’t see any way out of. However, I now have faith in Therin to deliver an alternative to both their immutable paths that supposedly can’t be changed despite everything and everyone saying otherwise. Sadly, it will be a long wait to get the next installment, but I will be here waiting for the drop as soon as it comes!

Thank you to the author and Carina Adores via NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review posted to Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6934831937

Twisted Shadows hit me like a brick.

I'm still reeling from the ending over a month later.

The plot was so well crafted, the character interactions so beautifully emotional, and the stakes so high. I was sucked in for the duration and left cursing Allie Therin for not having the next book immediately available for me to read.

I can't tell where the series is going, or how anything will be resolved, which is really unusual, and it has brought with it an unsettling amount of anxiety that the author may get delayed in writing the next book.. or just abandon it altogether like certain other authors I won't name. It's just too good to not get more.

My one warning to readers would be that if you hate a cliffhanger ending you should wait for the next book in the series to be released before reading this one. But definitely read it. Because it is AMAZING.

I think this is just a case of a particular book not being a great match for me personally. I know lots of people have loved this. I really enjoyed the first in the series, but this one was somewhat disappointing for me. I still love Reece, like Evan a lot, and really enjoy the side characters. There were some sweet and tender moments in this that I adored. And I do think it's worth reading.

That said, there was a lot that didn't work for me here. I felt like the first book did a great job of slowly building the relationship between the MCs, but here it felt like insta-lust right from the start. There's just sooooo much lusting after one another. I wish there was more pining and emotional intimacy. There is some for sure, but I got so bored of all the jokey sex banter and just wanted more yearning for emotional connection and affection. I usually love pining, but something was just missing here for me. I also felt the pacing was off in this book. I was bored during the middle because it felt like the build up to actual plot movement was so slow. And knowing we weren't going to get any closure in this book made it feel even more drawn out. There's too many instances when things are obvious to the reader that the characters are unaware of. And there's too many bad guys, I couldn't keep track of them all. I just think the plot needed to be tighter and the world and character building more solid. I was also let down by the reveal of how Evan became the Dead Man. I wanted that to have more emotional impact instead of feeling rushed because so many other things were happening simultaneously in the story. Honestly at the end of this rather than feeling hooked by the cliffhanger I felt frustrated that this is all going to be dragged out into another book. I guess I just wanted more surprises instead of feeling like the plot points were inevitable.

I'm hoping that with some distance from this I'll be excited to read the next book in the series. I do like the characters enough to want to see their happy ending, this installment just wasn't my cup of tea.

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 !