Thriller Thursday: A Twisted Love Story by Samantha Downing

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

A Twisted Love Story by Samantha Downing

Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 2.5 of 5 stars

Genre: Thriller, Suspense

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Penguin Audio (July 18, 2023)

Length: 10 hrs

Author Information: Website

Narrator: Karissa Vacker

As a fan of Samantha Downing, I have read every novel by her since her brilliant debut My Lovely Wife but have to say that A Twisted Love Story is simply not her best. For an author who has made a name for herself with domestic suspense thrillers packed with unexpected twists, the fact that this one was disappointingly lacking in any is an irony that certainly did not escape me.

Our story revolves around Wes and Ivy, a toxic couple who have been dating each other on-again off-again for many years, ever since the two of them met in college. It never fails; no matter how many times the relationship inevitably blows up as a result of their own self-destructive behaviors, they always seem to find their way back to each other like nothing ever happened. Even their friends have given up on talking them out of it every time the break-up/make up cycle repeats itself.

But this time, things may have gone just a bit too far. One year after their last split, Ivy is back in town and is once more hoping to let Wes know that she’s interested in getting back together—by calling the cops on him. At his office one day, Wes is visited by Karen, a detective from the Sex Crimes Unit. Someone has filed a complaint accusing him of being a stalker. Even without knowing all the details, Wes immediately recognizes Ivy’s handiwork, and though he is peeved at her latest stunt, that doesn’t stop him from running straight back into her arms.

Still, the damage from the police report has been done, and Karen isn’t someone who appreciates being jerked around. Her instincts tell her something about Wes and Ivy feels off, leading her to dig deeper into the couple’s past, threatening to expose a terrible secret the two of them have gone to great lengths to keep hidden.

Compared to Downing’s previous books, A Twisted Love Story fell flat for me, one reason being there was hardly a story to speak of. Here you have two immature, half-witted, emotionally stunted characters who enjoy manipulating and being manipulated by each other, but hey, to each their own. Clearly, Wes and Ivy deserve each other, and there is love between them in their own strange and messed up way. Still, given that a good chunk of the book is dedicated to their petty shenanigans, I was expecting more flavorful drama. Instead, readers are subjected to watching the two of them pull the same silly stunts over and over, which often involve taking advantage of each other’s insecurities. Not only did it get repetitive, but it was also more pathetic than entertaining.

In addition, there was barely any tension to speak of, no flair of mystery. Wes and Ivy’s secret is revealed or can be guessed at quite early on, thanks to the meddling point-of-view of Bianca, an administrative assistant at Wes’ firm who enjoys snooping into her coworker’s lives by breaking into their offices and computers after everyone leaves work. Not to mention it’s right there in the book’s damn description! We’re meant to root for Wes and Ivy against their common enemy, Karen, whose investigation into their past gets her closer to exposing the truth by the day. And yet, I just couldn’t bring myself to be on the side of such unlikeable characters. It’d be one thing if Wes and Ivy were just vile, awful people, but they had to be idiots as well, and I just can’t abide that type of stupidity.

All in all, it’s safe to say A Twisted Love Story fell way short of my expectations. In comparison to Samantha Downing’s other books, this novel did not live up to the standards I’ve come to expect from her writing, especially in the areas of character development and storytelling. Hopefully this blip is just that, and the author’s next project will return to the same level and consistency that made her previous work so outstanding. One point of positivity, however, is the narration of the audiobook edition. Karissa Vacker is a fantastic narrator, and as always, her performance was on point.