“NOTHING IS DEADLIER THAN TRUE LOVE…

Wes and Ivy are madly in love. It’s the kind of romance people write stories about. But what kind of story?

Because when it’s good, it’s very very good. But when it’s bad, it’s bad.

But their breakneck cycle of catastrophic vengeful break-ups and head-over-heels reconnections needs to end fast. Because suddenly, Wes and Ivy have a common enemy – and she’s a detective.

One wrong move will be fatal – so if Wes and Ivy can’t stick together, this break-up might just be their last.”

Hello and welcome to damppebbles. Today I am delighted to share my review of A Twisted Love Story by Samantha Downing. A Twisted Love Story was published by Penguin Michael Joseph on 17th August 2023 and is available in hardcover, audio and digital formats with the paperback to follow later in the year. I chose to read a free eARC of A Twisted Love Story but that has in no way influenced my review.

Samantha Downing’s For Your Own Good was one of my top ten books of 2021. I LOVED IT! So, having promised that I would read more by this author, I jumped at the chance to read Downing’s latest offering, A Twisted Love Story. Downing really knows how to tell a story and that is made even more evident thanks to the author’s latest book. She also knows how to write a twisted character. In For Your Own Good we had the devilish Teddy. In A Twisted Love Story we get two for the price of one, a twisted and toxic couple – Wes and Ivy.

Wes and Ivy met in college. Ten years later and they’ve broken up for the hundredth time. Wes is about ready to move on to pastures new. That is until a detective turns up at his office to ask if he knows anything about his ex-girlfriend, Ivy, being stalked. It doesn’t take long for Wes to realise that Ivy, the once love of his life, has given the detective his name as prime suspect. Rather than getting angry and drunk at this latest development, Wes turns up on Ivy’s doorstep and the two decide to give their relationship another go. But the detective can’t help but feel highly suspicious of Wes. There’s something about him that she just can’t shake. Something unnerving. Something she can’t help but recognise as an officer in the Sex Crimes Unit. And Detective Karen Colglazier would be right to be suspicious. Because Wes and Ivy have a devastating secret. One they’ll do anything to protect….

A Twisted Love Story is a highly intriguing tale with a cast of thoroughly unlikeable characters that I was loathe to put down for any length of time. Wes and Ivy are clearly very bad for each other but the pull between them just won’t let them be. They’re intrinsically drawn to each other and don’t see the damage they’re causing. I found them both a little infuriating at times but I was fully engaged in their story and wanted to see how things would turn out for them. There’s a lovely sense of impending doom from the moment the reader meets these two toxic beings and it’s carried through the book with skill.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. If you’re a fan of psychological fiction featuring a toxic relationship then you absolutely must read A Twisted Love Story. Downing brings her characters to life with such aplomb that you’ll be dragged into Wes and Ivy’s twisted world whether you choose to go or not! The supporting cast are as equally unlikable with Detective Karen Colglazier acting like a dog with a bone. She becomes obsessed with Wes, throwing everything into her investigation of him and becoming woefully biased. The admin assistant in Wes’s office also has a starring role in the story. Bianca is extremely nosey and feels it’s her responsibility to keep a close watch on her colleagues. When a detective comes sniffing around Wes, it immediately starts alarm bells ringing for Bianca and her prying reaches an extreme level. But why is she so interested? I enjoyed this twisted cat and mouse tale but couldn’t help but compare it to Downing’s debut, My Lovely Wife, which also features a highly toxic couple on the slippery slope to destruction. And I was a little disappointed by the end. After the dramatic build-up, the ending fell a little flat for me. I’m sure I’ll be in the minority there though. If you’re a fan of dark and devious relationships than A Twisted Love Story is the book for you. Recommended.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of A Twisted Love Story. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

A Twisted Love Story by Samantha Downing was published in the UK by Penguin Michael Joseph on 17th August 2023 and is available in hardcover, audio and digital formats with the paperback to follow (please note, the following links are affiliate links which means I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no extra cost to you): | amazon.co.uk | Waterstones | Foyles | bookshop.org | Goodreads | damppebbles bookshop.org shop | damppebbles amazon.co.uk shop | damppebbles amazon.com shop |

Samantha Downing is the author of the bestselling My Lovely Wife, nominated for the Edgar, ITW, Macavity awards in the US, the CWA award in the UK, and the winner of the Prix des Lectrices award in France.

Her latest novel, For Your Own Good, was released on July 20, 2021 and was an instant USA Today bestseller.

A Twisted Love Story is her fourth novel and will in August 2023.