Twist A Dive Bar Novel

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review. Also my tags may have spoilers in them so be forewarned before checking out full review.

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

All the way… I’m going all the way with you.

First Impressions
Twist is the second book in the "Dive Bar" series by Kylie Scott. This was a book that I have had on my TBR for quite some time actually, and I used to read this author so regularly so I am not sure why I have been neglecting this series as I have. But I am eager to get back to it for sure. And this book was a pure delight and I am thrilled that I landed on the romanceopoly space that allowed me the opportunity to get back to this series. Twist had such a fun premise and seeing what brought this couple together was quite fire. The bantering on point and had such a balance of what makes this style of contemporary just plain fun to read.

The bearded one was a true gentleman, despite all the hair, tats, and savage looks…

First Line
Screw playing it safe.

The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Joe Collins
The Heroine: Alex Parks

Summary
Alex Parks has been texting Joe Collins online for quite a while and is ready to finally meet him and take their relationship to the next level. But when she arrives at his family's bar, she is shocked to discover that the man she thought was the man she had been building a friendship with is not who he claimed to be, but the real man is not Eric, but is Joe his brother. She is shocked and angry and is determined to never see him again, but when she gets sick from the rainstorm, Joe ends up being her caretaker and works on proving his sincerity with her. But Alex has a hard time opening her heart to others, but Joe tenacious sincerity proves that he is much more than she thinks. But he has his own struggles and doubts of not being enough, and Alex will have to fight for them both when it matters...

What I Loved
Twist was simply an amazing book! I absolutely had such a fun time with this. Now it wasn't the best book of the year or anything, but it swept me away from reality for a bit and I was able to just enjoy this beautiful story that simply captivated me from beginning to end. I wanted so much to cheer this couple on and even though it wasn't a perfect story, it was just a solid romance that melted me heart in all of the right ways. Twist was an interesting story in how it just begins, which will bring you instantly into the story with plenty of angst and laughs. Their tension was just right and you sense despite the conflict that is entering the story, you also see how much they are willing to fight for each other when it really matters most. They are both tenacious and in different ways they compliment each other in what is vital for their relationship. What is most beautiful with this story, is that this is a story of learning to love the personality over the appearance. I truly adored that this hero isn't the most attractive and doesn't at first do anything for the heroine, but its his heart and character that has her falling in love.

What I Struggled With
Now there are some aspects that I wasn't 100% on board with. There is some very very mild cheating aspects. While its not full on cheating at all, there is a some moments in the third act where one of the protagonists has an ex living with them and even though nothing happens, its still in the story. And the heroine does hurt the hero in the second half of the story and I feel like she needed to do a bit better grovel. She does do one, I just wish it felt a bit more heartfelt and she atoned a bit more like the hero had to do in the beginning.

Narration
Astounding! I love this narrator and really delivered all the feels and engaging moments this author is very capable of executing.

Overall View
Twist was a endearing gritty love tale that leads you through a journey through secrets, hearts and desire into a poignant ride!

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance
Character Types: Bartender, Architect, Blue Collar
Themes: Pining Hero, Groveling, Property Renovation, Laughs and Giggles, Tattoo's/Piercings, Online Dating
Tropes: Friends to Lovers, Mistaken Identity, Opposites Attract

Book Perspective
Duo POV

Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Relationship Conflict

If you like these authors, I recommend This Book
Katy Evans
Jay Crownover
Devney Perry

Song This Book Inspires
Feel Like This by Ingrid Andress

Recommendation For Reading Order
You can read as a standalone if needed.

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:
Andi Arndt

Held my attention. Enjoyed the story and the characters.

This book is so much fun! I haven't read this genre in ages. But I am so glad I picked this up. Also, I haven't read the first book in this series, however that was no problem as the story focuses on a different couple. I think I will be picking up the first book after reading this one. The plot was intriguing throughout the book and kept me wanting more. The characters were my favourite part of the story. Scott has done a great job developing the all the characters, their backstories and relationships. I really enjoyed watching the chemistry and interactions between all the characters in the story. Joe, despite his flaws, is a sweet and sexy lumberjack and I loved how great he was with Alex. It was also great to see Alex come out of her shell, and her house, haha. Alex definitely isn't a people person and after reading her story, you really cant blame the girl. I admire the fact that she was able to overcome her fears throughout the book. Overall this book was an easy, fun read. With some hot and steamy parts thrown in for good measure. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys this genre, or if you are looking for a fun read. I would like to thank MacMillan Australia for allowing me to take part in this blog tour and for providing me with a copy of the book.

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

Twist is a good addition to the Dive world. You do not have to have read any of the other books to be able to enjoy Twist. Alex has always struggled with commitment and emotion. She prefers to exercise her feminist rights to one night stands. That's why she can't believe she's hopped on a plane to meet her online love interest, only to find that he isn't exactly who he said he is. Joe can't seem to tell any of his friends or family no. He always wants to be there for everyone around him, so when he finds comfort in the stranger he met online (for his brother), he doesn't expect anything to come from it. Twist is a good reminder that just because someone isn't our initial "type," that doesn't mean they can't be your prefect type. Joe and Alex have great chemistry. I really liked where Kylie Scott chose to take risks and where she stayed with the traditional romance story. It was great to see some other familiar faces from the Dive world that made me smile. While this book is nothing new and groundbreaking in the romance world, it is a consistently good story with really good writing and characters. If you are a fan of Scott, or if you are looking for a new contemporary romance read, I highly recommend giving it a shot.