A Twisted Love Story

Wes and Ivy have dated off and on for the past ten years and have quite a toxic relationship. When Ivy goes to Detective Karen Colglazier to accuse Wes of stalking her (but in reality just wants his attention), she inadvertently causes Karen to open a police investigation into an incident that occurred on the night of the worst breakup that Wes and Ivy ever had.This was a pretty slow burn, but I was enjoying it because it was well written with interesting characters. Although Wes and Ivy weren't really that likable, I kinda did like them!This was a four star book for me until the end. I thought too much was happening way too fast. Some things were a little too farfetched to believe as well.

Had read a previous novel by this author, which I loved.Plenty of twists to keep me interested in reading it.Ending disappointing.

I don’t read love stories. In 1970, I read Erich Segal’s “A Love Story” because it was the “talk of the year.” I hated it. So, if you know me, you should be surprised that I read Samantha Downing’s latest, “A Twisted Love Story” (2023, 400 pages in hardback). But — and you knew there had to be a “but” coming — I read Downing’s other three books and couldn’t wait for her newest. Her debut novel, My Lovely Wife was about a husband and wife who are serial killers. Her second, He Started It, was about a cross-country road trip with Grandpa’s ashes and a lot of murder. The third, For Your Own Good, introduced us to Teddy, a psycho teacher at “Homicide High,” a ritzy private secondary school that earned its sobriquet. So, I wasn’t really expecting a typical love story. Ms. Downing tells us about Wes and Ivy who are desperately in love. Therefore, it is something of a surprise that Ivy informs the police that Wes has been stalking her. She even delivers “proof” to the police station. As you might suspect, I chose the word “desperately” to describe their relationship after a good deal of consideration. Reading the ongoing saga is like seeing a fatal car crash, followed by a train derailment, and ending in an airplane’s nose-first meeting with the side of a mountain. Each event is a horribly tragic situation, but you just can’t look away. And that’s true of this book. I finished it in two days. Through it all, you know that the protagonists, if either really fits that description, are crazy in love. “Crazy,” of course, is the operative word. If the book is made into a movie, Aubrey Plaza absolutely must play the part of Ivy. She’d be recreating her role as Ingrid in the 2017 black comedy, “Ingrid Goes West.” I put a lot of thought into whom I would cast as Wes and finally decided on a young Tim Robbins. However, if I were Ms. Downing, I wouldn’t permit the movie to be made unless I had creative control. Miscasting would ruin the story in exactly the same way that the movie “One For the Money” practically destroyed a thirty-book series by Janet Evanovich. A person who saw the movie and knew it was based on Evanovich’s first novel in the series would never read her sequels. “A Twisted Love Story” is a psychological thriller, not a soppy romance novel. Nevertheless, Wes and Ivy’s love is real, but it’s been an on and off again series of nutso twists and turns for the past ten years. When it’s on, it’s torrid. When it’s off, it’s a toxic disaster filled with deception, accusations, and — if you know anything about Ms. Downing’s other works you won’t be surprised by — murder. The reason that it took me two days to finish this book is that I’m a slow reader.-- Jim Glynn

I’ve read all of her books, and this one was my least favorite. BUT, I still enjoyed it well enough.

A Twisted Love StoryBy: Samantha Downing5🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤Samantha always delivers delicious, twisty books.🖤This one involves a couple who have been in a relationship on and off for years. They share a secret from their past that could ruin them both, but their chemistry seems to put way their fights and secret.🖤I loved this twisted novel! Will their love overcome everything or will their shared secret destroy them? Is there someone else who knows their secret?🖤One wild ride! Samantha Downing has always been an auto-buy for me. I have read and loved all her books.#samanthadowning, #atwistedlovestory, #berkley, #bookstagram, #booksconnectus, #bookreview, #stamperlady50