Twist (Dive Bar, #2)

by Kylie Scott

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

This is my first time reading anything written by Kylie Scott. I heard great things about her work, so when the opportunity to read and review her latest release came knocking I could not pass on it. "Twist" is the second book in the Dive Bar series and can be read as a stand-alone.The story follows Alex Parks and Joe Collins, two people who had nothing in common. They met each other through an online dating service. During this time, they developed a rapport. However, Alex did not know that the man to whom she was baring her soul was not who he portrayed himself as. She discovered the deception when she decided to fly across the country and surprise him for his birthday. However, instead, she got the surprise when she discovered that Eric the man she thought was her online pen pal was actually his brother Joe. She was royally pissed and understandably so. You see she took a big risk when she decided to leave Seattle. She suffered from a mild case of agoraphobia. After the embarrassing meeting, she decided to return home, but her plans got derailed when she became ill after walking to her hotel in the rain. This gave Joe the opportunity to prove to her that he was not the douche bag she thought he was.I loved how the romance developed. Joe is not Alex’s type at least so she thought, but that was until she got to know him. I loved their banter, which was tinged with humour and a lot of steam. They had me laughing for most of the first half of the book. Theirs was not an insta-love, but a slow burn connection. I enjoyed Joe’s friends’ hilarious attempts to pair them both. Alex’s best friend for me was the life of the story. The way she called out Joe for making Alex believe that he was his brother.Again, he listened. In fact, he listened for quite a while. “You’re… I… Okay, yes, I’m a raging asshole. I should never have done that to her, you’re right. But…” He paused. Then he took an almighty big breath, letting it out real slow. “Yes. You’re right, there’s no excuse for such a willful act of bastardly and I definitely deserve to be castrated and burn in hell for all eternity. Um. Who did you say you were again?” The man massaged his temple, making the muscles in his upper back move. Nice. “Valerie, Alex’s best friend.The story started out on a high note. The witty banter along with the steamy scenes made for an interesting read. Things were going well up to this point, but tragedy struck, changing the dynamics of the story. It took on an emotional feel, which was not a problem. My problem was with Joe’s treatment of Alex at this point. He took a shocking 360-degree turn. From that moment, he became my least favourite person. The connection established earlier was damaged. I knew he blamed himself for what happened, but it does not justify what he did to Alex. If I had his POV, I may have understood his actions. Although I did not agree with Alex’s choices after what transpired I respected her for the decision she made to stick around. If I were in that situation, I may not have stuck around. It is my belief that, she was opening herself for more hurt in light of the events that followed. I could not understand the anger he expressed when she decided that heeding his request would be in her best interest. I struggled with my decision in rating this book, which is due in part to the issues with the second half of the book. Did I enjoy the story? Yes, it is a well - written story, with lots of snarky and humorous banter. Would I read more of the author’s work? Most definitely. I am planning to continue the series and I hope the other books will meet my expectations. Would I recommend? Yes, I would, especially to fans of romantic comedy. View all my reviews