Twisted (Never After) Paperback – February 7, 2023

Quick and easy read. Finished in 2 days. Loved this enemies to lovers story. Can’t help but love the dark and morally grey Julian.

I struggled deciding between giving this Aladdin reimagining a 3 or 4 star rating. I ultimately decided on the 4 star because of Julian. He is what saved this book.Yasmin is a whiny little girl that I did not like at all. She grew up rich and her father is dying. He’s making her get married so that he can pass his diamond empire to Yasmin’s husband “to keep it in the family”. She’s been in love with the son of a staff member since she was young but of course can’t tell Daddy that. It’s a typical forced into marriage storyline. However, that’s not what bothered me. I just seriously couldn’t stand Yasmin. She stays helpless throughout the whole book and gets the tiniest backbone at the end. I only kept reading because Julian was the best. He gives no craps. He is ruthless and has a 23 foot python that is his confidant. She “cleans up” his messes after he’s done with them. If Julian was anything other than the ruthless person that he is, I would have DNF’d this book.The spice was lacking. There were a few scenes but nothing too crazy. And you don’t get the good spice until much later in the book. There is some self satisfying and a scene of Julian watching Yasmin towards the beginning but I just felt like it could have been spiced up too compared to book 1 or 2 of this series.Overall, if this book didn’t have the plot twists and angst it does in the last 10% of then I wouldn’t recommend it at all. However, that last 10% saved it. I am still wavering between the 3 and 4 stars though. I’ll keep it at 4 for Julian but I probably could have skipped this one all together.

Twisted was an okay read, I was just expecting a little bit more from the romance though. This was also a dark romance book loosely inspired by the fairytale of Aladdin, which I really liked.While, this can be read as a standalone it is the fourth book in the Never After series. So I would recommend just reading the prior books first. I would also suggest checking the content and trigger warnings before reading.It’s dual POVs of the main characters, Julian and Yasmin, and has some great tropes, like an age gap, a forced marriage, close proximity and a dark romance.The overall premise was pretty decent. There were some interesting and amusing moments. I also really liked Julian more than Yasmin to be honest. His backstory was quite heartbreaking and I just loved his personal growth at the end.The romance between Yasmin and Julian wasn’t really my favorite. There just wasn’t a lot of romantic development between them for me to fully believe in their romance or love. While, they did have some really good spice, it just felt like their relationship was purely physical.I also felt that the subplot of Yasmin and Aidan dragged on for way too long. There was a lot of snippets and memories of their relationship from when they were younger, so it just made it difficult for me to fully believe in Yasmin and Julian’s romance.The last few chapters were really intense and action packed but a bit too rushed at the same time. I did like the resolution between Julian and his mother though. The ending and epilogue were nice as well.Overall, not what I was expecting but still a decent read.

This is Emily McIntire's fourth book in her Never After series. This was a dark romance and a fractured fairytale, where the villain gets the happily ever after. This book is about Yasmin, her father owns a diamond company, and when he gets sick all she wants to do is make him happy in his final days. Well he wants to see his daughter married but she knows that Aiden, the boy that she's loved since childhood, her father won't approve of. Her father's right hand man Julian, has dedicated his life to this diamond business. But now Julian feels it all slipping through his fingers when he finds out the business will be given to Yasmin's future husband instead of to him. Julian will do anything to make sure everything he has worked so hard for doesn't slip through his grasp, so he comes up with a plan. He blackmails Yasmin into marrying him so the business will be his, because that's all he wants. Until it isn't. The more Yasmin is a part of his life, the more the business isn't what's consuming his thoughts anymore, it's her. This was such a good story! I loved the characters, Yasmin was bold, strong, and fiery. Julian was dangerous, protective, and fiercely loyal. These two are like fire and gasoline, they're explosive together! I really enjoyed this story, the narrators did great, and all the Aladdin references were so well done! 🩵📚

Emily, God damn I know you do Slow Burn, and this book was great but four stars because our homegirl didn't get with her husband until 80% of the book was done. Very happy for them though and a good read as always. Four those reading this comment there was spiciness in the beginning just no full on Humpty Dory with her husband

The story kept me on the edge of my seat and ended with me in all the feels. Great way to give a new look at an old story.

This the second book in the series I've read. They are entertaining and sexy. Read the series, you'll be glad you did.

My favorite in the series so far! Not going to lie though…I for sure thought everyone died and Yas walked away with everything!