With a Twist

Staci Hart — 2015

Love is somewhere near the bottom of Lily Thomas' list of life goals, right next to competitive eating and underwater cave diving. She's spent six years pirouetting and pliéing her way up the ranks of the New York Ballet with her eye on the prize and love in the back seat. But now that Blane Baker -- Lily's long time crush -- is finally single, she'll throw her rules out the window without thinking twice. Reality with Blane isn't as epic as the fantasy she imagined, and the truth sends her spinning straight into the arms of the man she never knew she'd always wanted. West Williams has been friends with Lily since the day she moved into their building and he saved her armoire from a swift, sudden death by staircase. Their friendship has always been easy, the boundaries clearly defined. With neither of them willing to risk their relationship, they've drifted happily through the years as companions, never considering more. That is, until they do. And that realization changes everything.

Reviews

celene@recluseperformer

Jan 23, 2023

3.5

Sven Test@sven-sg-test-1

Aug 31, 2022

This review was originally posted on Latte Nights ReviewsI love a good friends-to-lovers story so my expectations for this one were high. Sadly, they weren't exactly met but it was still an enjoyable read. Lily and West have been friends for years but they put themselves in the friend zone because West had a girlfriend. By the time West was single, there was an unwritten (and maybe unsaid) rule that they would stay friends. Years later, Lily's long-time crush is finally single and she feels like she has a chance. West is not happy about the idea of Lily dating someone and soon he comes to realize why. I was already hers—I'd lost myself to her long before I even knew. This story was cute and at times, fun. I loved the present feel of friendship, which have their own stories in the following books. Lily's love for ballet could be felt through the book. She even said herself it never felt like a work even though it was full on exhausting—she's doing what she loves. She's a strong-willed character and very determined. I loved each of the characters individually. It did take me time to like Lily and West together. In the end, I did like them but it was a rocky start for me. WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: (may have spoilers for if the couple ends up together or not...kind of) Lily's and West's romance didn't happen quick (or slowly?) and this is where I had problems. I know I'm contradicting myself from what I said above but I'll explain. Since this was a friends-to-lovers romance, I was expecting them to hang out a lot as friends and slowly come to realize what they were feeling but this wasn't the case. Lily was so hung up on Blane for at least 60% of the story. And West did kind of started seeing her in a different light but it wasn't until the 58% mark that he realized he was falling for her. After that, he just wanted to proclaim his love without taking into consideration that Lily really liked Blane. Then when shit hits the fan, Lily realizes she loves West. This just frustrated me a lot. It was like the romance was kind of pushed down the readers throats. All this time you were right here [...] in front of me. And I missed it. Another thing I didn't really like was the writing. It was rather sloppy and to be honest, I'm not one to really notice those things unless it's such a powerful book where the author writes beautiful prose. So for me to notice the writing, says a lot. Overall, the rest of the story was enjoyable, like some of the banter between all the friends, their drunk conversations, how loyal they really are to each other. I enjoyed those added aspects to the story more than I did the romance.This review was originally posted on Latte Nights Reviews

Missy Zuber @mlz2883

Aug 15, 2022

West and Lily's story. Man bun alert!

Nikki@beaushelly

Jul 1, 2022

2.5 was a little anticlimactic but i can live with that

Nedu@nedu

Apr 8, 2022

maybe a 3.5. anyways this was very cute. I loved the friendships, it was the best.

window@window

Sep 30, 2021

DNF, could not maintain interest in the characters or plot to get past the 30% mark.

Lacey@laceybooklovers

Aug 26, 2021

Originally posted at Booklovers For Life 4.5 STARS “You don’t get it, man. One day, you’re going to meet a girl who you can’t live without, and it’s going to fuck you up. Joke all you want, but when it hits you, it’s going to be like a glass door to the face.” OMG!!! I freaking adored this SO HARD. WOW – what an incredible read!! This is seriously one of the sweetest, most heartfelt books I’ve ever read. And the writing is absolutely BRILLIANT! With a Twist is definitely one of the best friends-to-lovers romances I’ve ever read – and I’ve read A LOT, since it’s my absolute favorite trope! This book is just one of the more special ones out there. I literally could feel every emotion coming from West and Lily, who’s friendship-turned-love is just the most adorable, heartwarming thing ever. I loved this book! “All this time, you were right here. You were right in front of me, and I missed it.” She searched my face, eyes soft with wonder. “How could i not have seen you?” Staci Hart blew me away with her gorgeous writing and the depth of her characters in With a Twist. Lily and West felt so real to me – they were characters that I connected with and loved from the start. Lily is a professional ballet dancer whose passion for ballet came so clear off the pages. West is a TA for an English professor at Columbia with a love for books, writing, and his man bun and beard. Initially, when West and Lily first met, they were attracted to one another, but never pursued a relationship. Instead, they developed a profound, deep friendship that could never be questioned. And they thought they would never be more than friends… until now. When Lily finally gets to be with her longtime crush and fellow ballet dancer Blane Baker, she thinks she’s hit the jackpot. Right? Except all Blane wants is sex… and he’s a jerk in the sack, too. So maybe Blane isn’t the man for her… but who has time to find true love when Lily is practicing nearly 24/7 for the production of Swan Lake, of which she’s the coveted lead? West finds himself uncharacteristically annoyed and jealous when Lily seems to have stars in her eyes when she talks about Blane. He normally wouldn’t care who she’s with, but now… something’s different. He’s slowly coming to grips with the fact that he may possibly be in love with Lily, that he may have loved her from the very start. It’s very much an ‘aha’ moment for West, and I couldn’t stop smiling when West finally figures out his feelings for Lily. But when they both realize the depth of their feelings for one another, it’s not that easy to just fall into a relationship. They both have to risk their hearts and possibly lose a friendship that means everything to them. “What if we end up hating each other? And what if everything is perfect? What if he’s my forever?” I slump in my seat. “All of those endings are equally terrifying. How can I choose?” I’ll admit, I wasn’t a fan of the fact that both Lily and West sleep with other people during the beginning book, but honestly, I got over that pretty quickly, mostly because THEY got over that quickly. What made it up was the fact that the writing is just so eloquent and the characters are so well-written that everything felt real, honest, and believable. This is a light-hearted, funny book for the most part, with the perfect amount of angst mixed in to get my heart pounding. I was cheering so hard for West and Lily, because they are so perfect for each other – that solid foundation of friendship paved the way for a love that was always meant to be. I do wish that there could have been a little more romance after they realize their love for one another. Most of the book sets us up to believe in their friendship, but I would’ve loved some more romance and sexy times. And I have to say it, but this book is so totally hipster… but I love it. And I loved the secondary characters in the book as well. Lily and West are part of a core group of quirky friends that hang out at a bar called Bad Habits, and I can’t wait to read more about them. I’m praying that Patrick and Rose get a book next! I adored With a Twist. I’d recommend it on the writing alone, but it’s also got lovable characters and a well-developed story to make this book an all-around win. It’s a gorgeous friends-to-lovers romance that I highly recommend! Quotes are taken from the ARC and are subject to change in the final version. Thanks to the author for generously providing me an ARC to review. Amazon Ebook: http://amzn.to/1Sjw7mt Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/1CIJPhe Liked this review? Subscribe to Booklovers For Life for more!