Twisted Knight by K. Bromberg is the first book in what I later discovered is a trilogy—a fact that, unfortunately, wasn't clear in the marketing materials. This lack of disclosure had a significant impact on my reading experience. While I enjoy a good cliffhanger when I'm prepared for it, reaching the end of a 68-chapter book only to realize the story wasn't complete left me more frustrated than satisfied. The lack of content warnings in the book is also an issue. It needs to be clear that it is dealing with the death of a sibling.

Rowan, the FMC, is a Rothschild heiress with a passion for reviving her family's alcohol company, Tin Spirits, despite societal pressures to conform to a more traditional role. Her plans are upended by the arrival of Holden Knight, a tech millionaire with his own agenda, sparking a slow-burn romance fueled by animosity and attraction. However, Rowan's entitlement, lack of self-awareness, and frequent unprofessional outbursts in the workplace made it difficult for me to fully connect with her character. Her misdirected aggression towards Knight, who was simply executing a legitimate business deal, felt more childish than empowering.

On the other hand, Holden Knight's character was intriguing. His mysterious motives and calculated charm kept me engaged, though the frequent flashbacks and the book's pacing at times felt stunted. The tension between the characters, while initially compelling, eventually devolved into repetitive bickering, leaving me craving more substantive development in both the romance and the business subplot.

The audiobook, narrated by Patrick Zeller and Victoria Connolly, had its strengths and weaknesses. Zeller brought a lot of emotion to the male POV, though it occasionally felt overdone, while Connolly's crisper delivery was enjoyable but perhaps lacked the same emotional depth. The sound production by Macmillan Audio was top-notch, making for a pleasant listening experience overall.

One of my biggest disappointments was discovering that this book ends on a cliffhanger. Had I known this was the first in a series, I might have approached it differently. The plot, while intriguing, felt stretched, and I would have preferred a single, well-rounded novel over multiple books that seem to thinly plot the story. Additionally, the title Twisted Knight didn't quite align with the book's tone—it felt more suited to a darker romance than what was presented here.

Overall, Twisted Knight is a fine read for fans of billionaire romances, but it doesn't particularly stand out. The lack of clarity about the series structure and Rowan's character left me feeling more frustrated than satisfied. If you're a fan of the genre and don't mind waiting for the full story to unfold over multiple books, this might be for you. However, for those who prefer a more complete story in one sitting, be prepared for the cliffhanger.

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio, author K. Bromberg, and NetGalley for providing me with the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

K. Bromberg's latest novel has left me on the edge of my seat, demanding the next installment.

The story follows Holden, a man consumed by a childhood trauma that has fueled his desire for revenge against the Rothschild family. His path is filled with deception until he encounters Rowan, a woman who challenges his hardened exterior. Her family has made her feel insignificant, but underneath she is confident and has a mission of her own.

The chemistry between Holden and Rowan is evident, and their passionate encounters are both intense and satisfying. However, beneath the surface lies a complex mix of trust and mistrust, as Rowan struggles to open her heart to Holden.

The plot is well-crafted, with unexpected twists and turns that keep the reader engaged. The ending, however, is a cliffhanger that will leave you craving more. I can't wait to see how this story unfolds in the next book.

I enjoyed the narrators. This was my first audiobook with either narrator but both captured their characters personalities and were able to convey the characters chemistry.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC of the audiobook. I voluntarily read it and gave an honest review.

Not a standalone 😭😭

Read the physical book. And for those in the back READ THE PHYSICAL BOOK!!!

Let me start by saying I am reviewing the actual book and storyline NOT the audiobook narrators bc they were awful! I wish I had read the actual book bc they were too “theatrical” in their reading and very often their emotions did not match what the character was experiencing.

I have loved K. Bromberg, since first reading the Driven series, so I was super excited to get access to this ARC. The story line had all the enemies to lovers to enemies angst one would expect from Bromberg. Rowan was a strong FMC, who holds her own throughout the book. Holden was every bit the a-hole MMC you would expect. However, Rowan’s beauty, strength and sass, wore him down. Until…. CLIFFHANGER 🤬🤬

But I can’t wait for the next one to be released. If they use the same narrators, I’ll be sure to not listen to the audio version!!


Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the opportunity to listen to this advanced release.

<b>⭐ - 3.5/5 - ⭐</b> (rounded up because of the fact that this was my first full audiobook, and I don't know if reading the book would have done anything different)

Thank you #netgalley and #macmillanaudio for the ARC of this book!

✦ Enemies to Lovers
✦ Workplace Romance
✦ Secret Romance
✦ Revenge Plot
✦ Possessive MMC
✦ Dual POV

⚠️ - Loss, grief
🌶️ - 4.5/5
💕 - 2.5/5
👥 - 3/5
🌎 - 2/5
🗡️ - N/A
💀 - .5/5


𝙾𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠:
Holden is a man of mystery, the new guy in town, the man who just saved a failing company. Everyone wants a piece of him. Little do they know that he's not new, he's back, and he's here to take down those responsible for what they did to his family.

Rowan is a shadow behind her brother. Born into a prominent family name, her brother takes the spotlight and she's expected to follow suit, especially when it comes to the family business, but she wants more, and she'll do anything to get it. If only her new boss wasn't so damn enigmatic...


𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝:
● Rowan is such a feisty character. I loved her from the start. I thought she might be a bit too bratty for my liking, but the brattiness is warranted for most of the book, and it’s also fueled by passion.
● Holden is a snarky, cocky SOB
● The emotion that is felt through Holdens flashbacks...incredible.


𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒅:
● The ‘I’m out for revenge’ and the ‘what is he up to and who is he?’ plot got a bit old. I know that’s kind of the whole point of the main plot, to figure these things out and see the plan come to fruition, but the first 3rd of the book was a bit stagnant with it. The story didn’t seem to move forward until about halfway through the book.
● Some of Rowans internal and external rants come across mildly frantic and shrill, but I don’t know if that’s the voice actor or the writing.
● Fairly predictable


This was my first dip into listening to an entire book. Unfortunately, definitely not my cup of tea. I thought the actors they got to play the main characters were good, but a little shrill on the girls side and a little cringy on the mans. But overall, the book was ok. There were some predicable moments, annoying moments, heartbreaking moments, and super spicy moments. Definitely a book for fans of billionaire characters, major spice, workplace romance, and revenge plots.

This was so good! K.Bromberg never misses! I loved this audio! The way the characters had good chemistry and all the banter !! I just loved it

A star crossed romance that sets out to break your heart and ends up awakening your soul. Rowan and Holden have a complicated journey. From unpredictable to unforgivable to irresistible, emotion cuts deep. Against the backdrop of darkness and betrayal, Bromberg finds beauty. Her words come to life through the shadows of betrayal and the narration of Zeller and Connolly. Dark temptation meets dangerous romance with seductive results.

4.2🌟
-
The banter was delicious! I love a STRONG female lead, and Rowan is definitely that! I enjoy how even after she gets the D, she still is a strong female lead. Most women lose their strong personality after getting the D; they become pushovers and soft, blah, blah, but not ROWAN! And I LOVE IT. The cliffhanger . . . . I can't wait for book two!
The narrators did a good job. It was a little hard for me to listen to the male narrator's voice, but his female voice is good, lol.
𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 Sept.24
Thank you, Netgalley, and MacmillanAudio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio, author K Bromberg, and NetGalley for providing me the ALC in exchange for my honest review.
This title will be released on September 24, 2024.

3 STARS

Twisted Knight by K. Bromberg
First book in a series
Trope & Elements: billionaire, workplace, high society, revenge, hate to love
***************************

AUDIOBOOK: Patrick Zeller as the male POV narrator deserves 5/5 and delivered a great performance. Victoria Connolly gave perhaps a crisper delivery but her timbre and inflections might have contributed to my annoyance with the fmc. The sound production and quality by Macmillan Audio was great; no complaints.

****************************

Brief Summary: Rowan is a Rothschild heiress, which puts her at the top of Westmore society. She bristles at her mom (and society's) expectations that she settle down, get married, and become a society wife who just brunches and sits on committees. Rowan instead wants to rehab her family's alcohol company, Tin Spirits, to its former glory and beyond. She runs into the incredibly attractive but unknown quantity that is Holden Knight. Sparks fly when they meet and rage even hotter when she soon finds out that her jerky CEO brother is letting Knight buy out Tin Spirits. Rowan will do everything she can to stop the takeover and get control of the company herself. Meanwhile, Knight has his own agenda. Both driven people's plans are detoured by their mutual attraction.

The romance is slow burn until about 50% -- because the fmc makes her hatred for the mmc so loud and clear for so much of the book. I honestly could not stand the insufferable female protagonist. Rowan is so entitled and not self-aware. I'm not sure the author intended her to come off that way? She has good reason to hate her horrible brother for disregarding her and selling out the family company. What made me so annoyed was her constant unprofessionalism in the workplace. When she first finds out about the takeover, she shouts in the boardroom and throws a tantrum. And she wonders why they think she shouldn't be on the board??? This continues with every subsequent encounter she has with Knight in the office. She treats Knight like a most hated enemy when he made an aboveboard business dealing to buy the company. Talk about misdirected aggression! Rowan's constant whining and clear statements of animosity to her soon-to-be boss made her seem childish and unable to think strategically as far as pursuing her own goals. I would've appreciated if Rowan had toned it down to lighter verbal sparring and trying to win out in the workplace by running her own business deals, implementing innovative ideas, and challenging Knight professionally.

While I disliked Rowan, I was interested in Knight's story. In the beginning, we are not told why this tech millionaire has left Silicon Valley and come to buy an alcohol company. It's soon apparent that he has revenge on his mind. The reason why is compelling and actually matches the lengths he's willing to go. I liked Holden Knight's mystery, arrogance, and charm. His POV chapters were engaging and easy to read/listen to.

Overall, I would give a light recommendation to any massive billionaire romance fans. It's a fine book but doesn't really stand out. One thing to also note is that this seems to be the FIRST BOOK IN A SERIES. It ends on a cliffhanger without an HEA. Imo the plotting was not the best because it felt like the plot was stretched so that it could be a series. I would have preferred on 450-500 page book over multiple thinly plotted books. I wanted more complex business dealings, more substantive scenes of Rowan dealing with high society that she finds distasteful, and actual moments of meaningful connection between the MCs rather than just bickering and attraction.

*********************

I find the marketing a little odd. The title "Twisted Knight" doesn't really fit the book. "Twisted" to me would fit either a dark romance or a romance that has an extremely tortured/damaged hero. (I guess you could argue the latter but the book only barely implies that but does not focus on it.) "Knight" as a word always evokes fantasy. Add to that the nondescript discreet cover, and I might have jumped to the conclusion this was a fantasy romance. If you're going with a discreet cover, they could've at least chosen sterile and/or rich colors with matching items (e.g. diamonds, expensive watch) that speak to opulence--instead of the tropical flowers???

Comp Titles: In the blurb, the publisher has Kings of Sin meets Things We Left Behind. My comps are Devious Lies by Parker S. Huntington and My Dark Romeo by Huntington and LJ Shen.

love the book its about revenge and taking down the people who hurt Knight family and because of their family influences they got away with it.Now his first olan is a sucesss but there has been complication with Rowan. She belong to the family who hurt his but he will find out Rowan is innocent but will his revenge cause him the love of his life.

I really loved this audiobook! This was my very first from this author and it definitely won’t be my last. It was simply enchanting and so captivating I didn’t want to put it down.

Revenge is a dish best served cold - however - this takeover is more like a scheduled chess match. With intrigue, past hurt and one man's plan, Holden is trying to destroy those who made his life horrible by using their money and prestige, but when he holds all the cards he expects them to all fold - that is until he falls in love with the enemy. As a southern woman in a man's world, Rowan is trying to make her mark in her family's company but doors are closing fast. The two together can be powerhouses, but will they become stronger together or tear each other apart. One step forward and two steps back will leave the reader locked into the storyline while at the same time be entertained. Once again K. Bromberg did not disappoint.

Turn on the AC because this book is hot, hot, hot. Holden Knight is a sexy alpha male that gets what he wants with a smile on his face while also holding a knife behind his back. The steamy scenes in this book had me giggling and blushing. I really liked that Rowan is a strong female character that doesn't back down. The cliffhanger is a bit of a doozy and I'm not a huge fan but I guess it will just make me want to read the next one even more. 4.5 stars!

The audiobook narrators, Patrick Zeller; Victoria Connolly do a wonderful job narrating.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for access to the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

The way this book crept up on me surprised me. I couldn't stop listening. The narrators did a fantastic job and I was able to feel the character's emotions through the performances. The writing was excellent and engaging. By the end I was yelling at characters, sighing with frustration, and cheering them on as they each sought their own for of revenge. I was not ready for that cliffhanger and can not wait for the next book!

This was my first book from K. Bromberg but it won't be my last.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!

This book!!!!!!!!! Omg!!! What a great book!! I didn’t realize it’s a series but I can’t wait to see what’s next after the cliffhanger it left off on. I loved this one!!

This audiobook is produced very well and matches the voices of what I thought the characters sounded like. I enjoyed both narrators and they really brought to life a good romance. I like that it's a dual narration for the 2 different povs in the book. If you like audiobooks then you should read this.

This is a billionaire romance and the main characters Holden and Rowan are such good characters. Rowan is from a wealthy family that doesn't appreciate her worth in running the company business while Holden is the incoming CEO who is out to get revenge. immediately they have great banter and chemistry despite the fact that they do not like each other. As the mmc's revenge plan unfolds we get a couple of chapters from 15 years ago where we see why he decided to embark on the revenge plan and I supported him fully lol.
I loved the romance and how the main characters matched each other's freak perfectly. The fmc was strong af, not a pushover, and was a boss especially when it came to the steamy scenes. There are the perfect amount of steamy scenes and I liked the progression of the romance.I also liked the writing in this book, it was easy to read and fast paced. Now that ending has me a bit stressed and I wish I didn't have to wait till next year to read the next book. I would recommend this book to any romance book lover, thank you Macmillian Audio for this ALC for an honest review.

Read for:
- Billionaire romance
- Enemies to lovers
- Secret romance
- Workplace romance
- Revenge plot

Audiobook: 5/5
Story: 4.5/5

Thank you Netgalley and MacMillan audio for the free ALC. My opinions are being left voluntarily. This is my first k bombers book and cannot wait for book 2 in the series. I am a bit bummed it ended on a cliffhanger. I'm interested to see where this series goes.

4.5/5☆

The Vibes: Succession but make it romance, highKEY revenge, legit enemies to lovers in contemporary, match my freak etc etc

Heat Index: 7.5/5

The Basics:

Raised in a privileged but misogynistic community, Rowan Rothschild is determined to pick up the pieces after her grandmother's death and take her spot in the family business... whether or not her family actually supports that. Just as she's about to do so, her brother, Rhett, stabs her in the back with a plan to sell the majority of the company to the mysterious Holden Knight, a man who came out of nowhere to make his money in tech. So what does he want with the Rothschilds' spirits company? Rowan hates him off the bat, and he delights in it—while seeing something in her that the other men in the company don't. As the two enter into an untrusting—and very physical—alliance, both Rowan and Holden hurtle towards a clash with a price neither one is ready to pay.

The Review:

Well. That was a surprise.

I've never read K. Bromberg before, and in truth I kind of just went off the "enemies to lovers with angst" vibe. This was at the time (and maybe still is) categorized as fantasy romance on Goodreads, and the title and cover made me feel like it was? But it's very much not—this is a contemporary, Rich People Problems book. And I am... good with that. Because I gotta say, this kind of knocked it out of the park.

The problem with a lot of billionaire~ romances (and I'm not sure anyone is here—the Rothschilds definitely have a LOT of money, but not that money, and Holden is mentioned to be a multimillionaire but later appears to have more cash than Rowan expected) is that there's a lot of 'em.... and they have become very tropey, I've found. An enemies to lovers book theoretically set around the corporate world would often end up feeling like the heroine is just stomping her foot and saying HMPH, never actually opposing the hero on a serious level. The business is barely noted.

And billionaire alphas? So hard to write well these days. They don't talk like... people. They say the types of things I expect real life men who consider themselves "alphas" to say. But I don't want a real life "alpha male", I want a good one! (A fake one. From books.)

Twisted Knight seems to completely understand these issues and sail over them with ease. Rowan is a FABULOUS heroine. In a way, she gave Shiv Roy, but way more competent and way less of a horrible person (I say as someone who does love Shiv Roy, for the record). She's defiant of her family, but not unrealistically so. She's aware of her privilege... most of the time. But that doesn't mean she wasn't raised in it and doesn't unconsciously (or consciously) indulge in it. She has heart, but she also has her own goals, her self-centered aims, a willingness to, ultimately, be ruthless to get what she wants. And she's QUITE bratty.

Holden, on the other hand, has a more tragic backstory than Rowan... But he's also lost the plot, and the book paints him in a way that's hot and impressive but also HUMAN. Bromberg doesn't write him as if she's fawning over him, as if we should all just be sooooo impressed with this dude. He's a smug bastard. But the book is not smug ABOUT HIM. It's something that's kind of difficult to explain, but you can feel it in the writing. The writing is just... better.

Also, I felt like this guy was one step ahead of everyone for most of the book. But I never felt like he was INFALLIBLE. He could be aggressive with Rowan, but I never felt like she couldn't throw it right back at him (and she usually did). It felt to me like both of them were weakening in the face of love, not just her. Additionally, while they definitely have a caustic dynamic for the first half of the book or so... It's never over the top. Never did I feel like he was BULLYING her. Fucking with her head, yeah. However, these were evenly matched adults going to bat, and that, along with the higher stakes, put this in the category of enemies to lovers versus the softer rivals to lovers or the (in my opinion) dumber bully romance.

(All this being said, he does have a very classic but good revenge motivation, and you know. I supported those wrongs. Mostly.)

The thing is that I actually felt like I could see the progression of Holden and Rowan falling in love. The physical attraction is there off the bat... But even once they start hooking up? It's not love just yet. It's one of my favorite things, when done right: a physical fast burn and an emotional slow burn. And yes, this does it perfectly. These are sharky people, and they don't STOP being sharky people because they're falling in love. They're BOTH deeply uncomfortable with their feelings, not just him (how refreshing!). Rowan being like "oh no ew" to this man being SOFT and HUMAN in the afterglow? Amazing. Holden internally screaming while sitting in his car and watching her turn her lights off after she kicks him out for the night? Fabulous. GIVE ME IDIOTS WHO DON'T KNOW HOW TO EMOTION.

At the same time, you have an interesting set of dynamics informing their relationship. There's the pressure from Rowan's family, who want her to settle down, marry the very stable and very boring CHAD WILLIAMS (that name...), there's here delightfully complex relationship with her douchey brother Rhet... I really appreciated that just because Rowan knows her brother is the worst, doesn't mean she doesn't love him. Because what else are you gonna do?

In a way, Holden's frustration with Rowan's loyalty to her family only made me feel like he truly LIKED her more. He respected her enough to know that she could do better.

I will say—while this book isn't a dark romance by any means, it IS angsty in the best possible way. And you do end on a cliffhanger. And as I realized this wasn't going to wrap up in one book, I was so hoping she wouldn't pull the punch, as I'd seen other authors do in the past.

Dude. She did not pull the punch. AT ALL. I was grinning as this ended.

READY. FOR. THE NEXT. NOOOOOW.

(On an audio note: very well done, both actually performed it, and if you like a male narrator who... gets into it.... Patrick Zeller does the work.)

The Sex:

Oh, also, this was stellar. Numerically there are 4 full scenes and one that comes... very close... but stopped short. And not because it was fade to black. Because someone Deserved It.

There's a great variety here, not so much in terms of what is done, but in terms of the emotionality. You have the "get it out of our systems (but not really)" vibe, the fun vibe (uhhhh this book has sexy hide and seek, and it was the hottest thing I've read in a contemporary in a while), the "fraught intensity where we can't own our feelings" vibe, the "oh nooooooo we've gotten twisted up in the game" vibe.

Holden is very "I'M IN CHARGE" in the beginning, and as delightful as that was, I did kind of go "maybe this is where the book starts to slip and Rowan just becomes his willing little doll". NAH. She owns him. If you enjoy a scene where the hero gets so worked up that he basically embarrasses himself... YEAH.

I loved all of it.

Look man, I am STRAPPED. IN. Delighted to have found a new author, and excited to gobble up what else she has to offer (her backlist is expansive). Absolutely recommend this, especially if you're trying to find a billionaire romance that WORKS.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.