Twisted Hate Book Review: Banter, Angst & Unmatched Chemistry

Josh Chen is Ava’s elder brother, and as much as he loves his sister, he also dislikes her best friend, Jules. It’s not that he dislikes her as a person, but just her “bad” influence in Ava’s life. What started off as a minor dislike almost a half-decade ago has now morphed into an ongoing bickering marathon. No olive branches, no second chances, only mutual intolerance for the other.

So, what happens when they go on a trip with Alex and Ava, where they not only have to be around each other for the whole weekend but also share a room? Oh! Have I mentioned, share a bed? As if working together wasn’t enough, this trip is going to be a rollercoaster.

Twisted Hate – Blurb

Gorgeous, cocky, and fast on his way to becoming a hotshot doctor, Josh Chen has never met a woman he couldn’t charm—except for Jules f**king Ambrose.

The beautiful redhead has been a thorn in his side since they met, but she also consumes his thoughts in a way no woman ever has.

When their animosity explodes into one unforgettable night, he proposes a solution that’ll get her out of his system once and for all: an enemies with benefits arrangement with simple rules.

No jealousy.

No strings attached.

And absolutely no falling in love.

**

Outgoing and ambitious, Jules Ambrose is a former party girl who’s focused on one thing: passing the attorney’s bar exam.

The last thing she needs is to get involved with a doctor who puts the SUFFER in insufferable… no matter how good-looking he is.

But the more she gets to know him, the more she realizes there’s more than meets the eye to the man she’s hated for so long.

Her best friend’s brother.

Her nemesis.

And her only salvation.

Theirs is a match made in hell, and when the demons from their past catch up with them, they’re faced with truths that could either save them… or destroy everything they’ve worked for.

Characters

Josh Chen, a 3^rd year resident, has had his whole life flipped upside down in the last 2 years. He has changed from who he was, but what hasn’t changed yet is his bickering with Jules. He wants to keep his sister safe and away from any potential danger. But that’s what Jules is, she is spontaneous, reckless, and dangerous. So, when he discovers new information about Jules, information he should have known after 7 years, makes him realize he never truly knew her.

Josh is a happy-go-lucky person who loves being the centre of attention. He is charming and flirty with his remarks, which always keep the vibe going, but no one knows the turmoil going on underneath that charming smile. It is not easy recovering from a betrayal and from a life that was a complete lie, and with no one to turn to, to talk about it, trust becomes a scarce commodity.

Jules Ambrose is waiting to clear her bar exam and to start working at her dream law firm. She knows what she wants and does not let people’s perception of her being reckless or irresponsible affect her. She knows what she has faced to get here. Her life wasn’t sunshine and rainbows, quite the opposite, actually. And she won’t let that life dictate her future or her present, nor will she let anyone from her past mess up her life.

Jules always knew about Josh’s dislike of her, and she was quite okay with it as well. But one round of bickering at the new job and one wrong sentence make her admit to something she shouldn’t have. A small opening to a past left behind, to betrayals buried deep inside. Soon, buried secrets resurface when her past quite literally calls her back.

Twisted Hate – Vibe

The book contains a lot of hate energy. They hate each other, and they know it, but what if one day they sleep together? Disaster, exactly! They can’t stand each other, but also cannot keep their hands off of each other. And they soon transition from; I’ll kill you to maybe I’ll keep you around for the orgasm.

Twisted Hate is a full-on roller coaster, with extreme adventures to horrendous exams, from a twelve-hour grind shift to a twelve-hour bed shift, from I hate you to I can tolerate you. It is very sweet to read about two people who couldn’t talk for 2 minutes to be able to talk for 2 hours, becoming each-others’ safe space after everything that they faced.

The way Josh stands up for her, even though she does not need anyone to stand up for her, just shows how independent women also need a person to rely on blindly. How small gestures like these make a permanent place in one’s heart. Along with Jules and Josh’s sizzling chemistry, you will also get plenty of Alex and Josh patch-up, bromance moments. And yes, Alex grovels again, I mean as much as he would for a person, not Ava!

Let’s talk Spice!

The book contains the same level, if not more, of spice as Twisted Games. Ana Huang does not disappoint; there are many, evenly spaced, open-door moments throughout the book. There might not be a “crawl to me” moment, but hate sex isn’t bad either.

For the reader who prefers closed-door romances, you can skip it; nothing will be missed, but the essence of the book will be lost. Whereas for the clean readers, do keep in mind, the basis of their relationship is hooking up, so there will be a lot of it.

Content Warning: Abusive parents, Blackmail, Death of a parent, Death of a minor (small scene), Mildly dubious consent (one scene), Sexual harassment, Stalking

Twisted Hate – Takeaway

I like the book, it is definitely a good read. It checks all the boxes in frenemiesxlovers trope. Just like the other books in the series, Twisted Hate does not disappoint. It tells us exactly how, even after taking an oath to save every and all life he can, he will not think twice before killing someone if they hurt his Red!

⭐