This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️.5
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨✨

First Impressions
Twisted Lies is the finale book in the "Twisted" series and this is a story that we saw building a bit within "Twisted Hate" so if you have read the series in order, then you will not be surprised by the characters that come into play with this one. And we also get a teaser with the hero of the first book of her connecting series "Kings of Sin". Which *hint--I am super stoked for that book as we got a little prequel scene for King of Wrath*. But in Twisted Lies we also have quite a crafty and cunning story of a man that holds many secrets and pines in such a beautiful way after the woman who holds his heart and fascination even if he won't fully admit it to himself. Its a story of solid plot devices, an alpha anti hero finding his journey and a heroine finding her own footprint in life.

First Line
"Stella!" My Heart rate sped up.

The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Christian Harper
Christina, established tycoon and businessman as well as very able in anything security related. He commands many and holds many secrets under his belt and will do anything for the woman he calls "HIS".

The Heroine: Stella Alonso
Shy and introverted, a romantic at heart and working two jobs and building her dreams of establishing her own fashion brand. A curly haired, dark skinned young woman who is determined to forge her own path despite the reservations her family has to keep her down.

Summary
Christan Harper poses as the owner of her condo complex, although around when she least expects him to be. He is hiding his own secrets concerning Stella. Stella has been working hard at her fashion industry job but is shocked when her boss fires her but she crafts a plan and this plan means that she will need to have a fake boyfriend. And when she darinly comes to Christian with her plan, they come to a mutually beneficial agreement. He needs arm candy for his business functions and she needs a boyfriend to build her fashion brand and no love or sex will come into play. But the chemistry between Christian and Stella build into a crescendo, and when a stalker comes into play and torments Stella, Christian will do anything to protect this woman who is capturing his heart despite his fight against it...

What I Loved
Twisted Lies is one of my favorites of the series but honestly I think books 2, 3 and 4 tie with each other haha They are all flawless for me in their own unique dynamics and the same is true with Twisted Lies. I adored reading Stella's book and seeing these two come together was my catnip. There is something so fascinating about well done interracial pairings and the author really did this so well. Its written in the way that the Liz Tomforde books are, so if you enjoy that style of diverse pairings, you will really get caught into the way that Christian and Stella come together. I really related with Stella's personality and her dynamic with her family. You sense her struggle and just instantly cheer her on in pursuing her own dreams. I was so easily drawn into her character and immediately fell hard for her.

Then we have our delectable hero, Christian, and he is a piece of work. This is not a cinnamon roll hero, keep that in mind. He is most definitely an alpha male with some anti hero elements to his character. He definitely doesn't have a clean record but the way in which he pursues Stella actually quite worked for me. But when you read a more edgier contemporary romance, you can't expect the hero to be lily white and smelling of roses. I truly became endeared to his crafty nature and he is the perfect specimen to protect Stella from her stalker. He has such a cynisism to love that I was so easily drawn into. I wanted so much for this hero and the ways in which he pines for Stella, was so endearing. He hates love, but yet Stella is a woman he never can stop thinking about and she works her way through into the deepest parts of himself. Seeing his journey in discovering what love truly does for one was incredible and this author did a powerful job in captivating on this element. Its what really held my attention all the way through is seeing his journey from being cyrnical in love to being a man willing to fight to the death if necessary for the woman who holds his heart.

Their story was so interesting, because even though there is a agreement to not have sex or to have any elements of a real relationship, they really find their own way throughout this one. I just wanted so much for them to find their HEA. Seeing the bantering between the friends and their partners was so endearing. I loved it when they all got together especially in how they would drive Christian crazy. He can be so moody haha and it was such a fun element to see brought into the story.

The romance itself was truly incredible. What growth we see in their relationship and Ana Huang wrote a true gem of a read here. We see two people that are so different from each other but in some ways, they just seem to click right. The yearning that we see grow within this story was so intimate at times, and sweet quite times that we see this couple truly find their beating heart in the relationship is where it truly shines. When they embrace what they are feeling for each other, and yearn to understand the deeper sides of themselves and each other portrays such development to the reader. The sex scenes in this book are super steamy and quite frankly "smokin' hot" LOL. Ana Haung really knows how to write her spice thats for sure. But the scenes that we witness in this story make sense for this couple and its going to be enough to make your toes curl. Truly was so in love with these two and their beautiful journey that I never wanted to end.

What I Struggled With
There wasn't much I struggled with. Its not a perfect book and there will be some aspects that might trouble some readers. But these aspects don't bother me at all. I did feel like the heroine could have forgiven the hero a bit sooner than she did. I am not sure why she was so shocked by what she finds out. But its part of the story and I get why she felt betrayed at the time especially with her history of being stalked, but the way Christian does it is different and when he pours his heart out, I felt like the way she treats him post that sharing, was too harsh even if she was hurt.

Narration
The narration was done so beautiful. You had the same narrators for this one that I believe have done the whole series. And both of them handled the individual POV's so well, especially as I had physically read this book along with the narration, and they really emphasized on certain emotional moments that captured the deeper development of the relationship so well. Their voices felt so right for the characters and really implemented the personalities just right. I especially love the sound of the voice of the heroine, she just made the heroine come alive as her POV is much more present throughout the story than Christian's POV is.

Overall View
Twisted Lies is a sensually provocative romance that burns deeply into the reader and will touch your soul in such enigmatic ways. TRULY MESMERIZING!

Favorite Quote(s)
Some photos were worth a thousand words. This photo only said one. Mine

If my thoughts were chaos, she was my anchor. They always went back to her

“I thought you don’t believe in love,” I teased.
“You’re right. That was the wrong word … Because love is ordinary. Mundane. And you, Stella … You’re extraordinary.”

You will always be my first, last, and only love.

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance/Dark Romance
Character Type: Protector, Alpha Male, Anti Hero, Billionaire, Black heroine, Photograph/Influencer, Bodyguard/Security
Themes: BDSM, Hot Spicy Times, Danger Element, Stalking, Interracial Love, Pining Hero, Praise Kink, Slow Burn.
Tropes: Fake Dating, Grumpy Sunshine, Unrequited Love

Book Perspective
Dual POV

Recommendation For Reading Order
Yes you want to read these books in order. At minimum you will want to read Twisted Hate prior to this one.

Steam/Spice Explanations

Simmering cup of tea---soft warm touches and light intimacy
Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.
Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.
Blazing fire to the building-The prime focus is the sex scenes, scorching hot, and could burn one. Less focus on the emotional intimacy to the relationship.

Narrators:
Aiden Snow
Cindy Kay ( )

ana huang the queen of book tropes in the best way ( )

4.5 ( )