Twisted Hate (Twisted Series Book 3) by Ana Huang

Continuing with my love for the Twisted Series, I’d like to disclose something very controversial before I begin this book review of Twisted Hate, the third book in the series. As we’ve already established, I love this series so much. But, I think this book was my least favorite; I’m just calling it now, even though I haven’t read the last book yet (so excited about it!!). However, I may say it’s my least favorite of the series right now, but while I was reading it, I was down for the count for Jules and Josh—I just didn’t love the book for other reasons.

First of all, let me explain the premise of Twisted Hate. So, the book follows Jules, another of Ava and Bridget’s friends, and someone renowned for her firey spirit and fierce protectiveness. Interestingly, we’ve gotten a lot of information about Jule from Twisted Love and Twisted Lies, and it pisses me off that the guys in the series don’t like her at all when we know from the girls’ perspectives what an angel she is. Yeah, that just pushes the wrong button on me—I hate it when a hot and fiery girl is deemed a be0tch when she’s actually the best and most loving toward her friends.

This is exactly what Josh, Ava’s brother and Alex’s best friend, thinks about Jules. The two have hated each other for as long as they’ve known each other—Josh thinks Jules is trouble, and Jules hates that he thinks that (and hates him). However, when the two begin to see more of each other after Alex and Ava get together and they end up working at the same law/medical clinic, they have more opportunities to but heads—and notice how attractive the other is. One fateful night, they hook up (mad, crazy, hot hookup) and can’t get each other out of their heads. I love how Josh becomes so obsessed with Jules after that hook-up because he’s the one who proposed that they create a hook-up pact, with just physical trades and no other emotional or romantic involvement, as they still both hate each other (obvi). Hooking up a lot leads to them breaking the rules of their pact more than once by spending time together and realizing they actually don’t hate each other like they thought.

Now, it’s a good time to explain to you all that Jules has a pretty mysterious and dark past, as she grew up in Ohio with a mother who hated her and a stepfather who tried to take advantage of her. Jules got out but got in with the wrong people and stole stuff from her stepfather. When Jules and her ex were sprung upon in the heist, Jules managed to get out, but her ex wound up in jail. By the time he got out seven years later, Jules had moved to DC and changed her name, managing to put her past behind her. But, her past had left her entirely. Her ex tracks her down to DC and begins to blackmail her with…some very inappropriate content she recorded until she agrees to steal something from him. Jules’ history plagues her, but she reveals some of her demons to Josh, which brings them closer together until that dang ex of hers tells her what she needs to steal—and it’s something Josh owns.

The whole story is way more complex than that, so you guys will just have to read it, but that’s my brief synopsis of it. I loved their relationship and how they fell in complete love with each other, letting down all the barriers that are built into their personalities to love the other—*chef’s kiss*. But, there were a few things I wasn’t in love with.

I don’t love the smut in Twisted Hate. There, I’ve said it. I just don’t love the hate hook-ups; they’re not it for me. Like I said, I’m a fluff girlie, so give me sweet lovey hook-ups, or even majority-hate-with-a-bit-of-sweetness hook-ups, and I’m a happy girl. Also, the smut in Twisted Hate was literally every chapter. I swear, every chapter. I get that Ana had to make the hook-up pact believable and include a lot of smut, but that’s just not my jam or jelly (or Jule or Josh).

The other thing I wasn’t too hot on was Josh. I love me a certain type of book boy: bad, dark, a little psycho, absolutely grumpy and brooding, hates-everyone-but-her. I accept certain bends to this rule (we spent more time with Christian in this book and I’m in complete love with him), but I’m not a big fan of the fun, lovey, normal boys—I can find those in the real world, thanks very much. Josh was too much like that. Sure, in the smut scenes, he was super Alex and Rhys-coded, but outside, he was just too fluffy. Plus he’s a doctor—can you think of anything less sexy? Didn’t think so.

In general, though, I loved the book and just loved spending more time with my favorite friend group and some great book boys. Also, at the very end of the book, we get super great fluff of Alex and Ava getting engaged (I KICKED MY FEET SO HARD I FLEW OFF MY BED), as well as some super great lead-up story to Twisted Lies. When I tell you I am excited for the last book, don’t believe me; I am so incredibly obsessed and invested in that book, that it’s not even a joke anymore. I already love Christian so much, and I’m ready to learn more about Stella.

Also, can I ask you guys a question cause I’m unsure here: there’s that character Dante Russo that shows up at the end of the book—is he another Ana Huang multiverse character? His name seems familiar from BookTok, but maybe I’m just imagining it. Is he a real character in another series, or am I hallucinating?

Genre: romance, fiction, best friend’s brother, enemies-to-lovers

Age: honestly? 100+

Rating: 9/10