5 stars out of 5
At the center of it all are Wes and Ivy, who met in college and have been crazy in love ever since. I'm talkin' really crazy; apparently, they can't live without each other, but they can't live with each other, either. The first part of the book is ups, downs, scraps, fights (both verbal and physical), vendettas, one upmanships and every possible mix of those that two co-dependent idiots can muster up - to the point at which I actually said this out loud: You know, if this entire book is going to be nothing but a pair of unstable jerks yelling, scheming, making up and doing it all over again, I'm outta here.
Happily, a few pages later that started to change. As Wes and Ivy's world expands, readers start to see what's gone on (and going on) around them in an intricately woven plot (not unexpected from this talented author, BTW). Much of it happens after Ivy tries a ploy to get Wes back after their most recent blow-ups that crosses the line and puts their relationship in the crosshairs of police detective Karen Colglazier, who's like a dog with a bone.
Mind you, no character here is anything close to lovable; all are flawed, some seriously (and irrevocably), and each has connections with Wes and Ivy that, as they're revealed, lead readers toward an ending that's, well, not exactly expected (nor, in some respects, is it satisfying). All in all, it's a riveting journey into the lives of some very disturbed people - and I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy. Loved it - and I think you will, too!
A Twisted Love Story by Samantha Downing (Berkley, July 2023); 400 pp.
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