This article contains spoilers for Ana Huang’sTwistedseries.
Ana Huang’sTwistedis a new adultromanceseries with morally gray men, complex women, andspicy romances.Twistedis one of several books that went viral on TikTok, becoming one ofBookTok’s recommended spicy romance booksas it features four different couples with different tropes.The series revolves around four best friends, Ava Chen, Bridget von Ascheberg, Jules Ambrose, and Stella Alonso, and their respective love stories.The men they fall in love with are generally dangerous alpha types, so when they come together, the chemistry is sizzling.
TheTwistedseries has certainly made its impact. According toForbes, Ana Huang is the fourth bestselling BookTok author in 2024, with almost 1.5 million print copies of her books sold. It makes sense, given thatTwistedis one of themost popular book series on BookTok.Twistedhas four books, all released within a year and a half of each other. Each book has jaw-dropping plot twists, heartwrenching moments, and spicy scenes that make toes curl.While each installment is spectacular in its own way, there is a clear hierarchy ranking of theTwistedbooks.
4Twisted Games
Bridget & Rhys' Story (Book 2)
Twisted Gamesis the second installment in theTwistedseries, taking place over four years. It follows Bridget von Ascheberg, the Princess of Eldorra, as she unexpectedly becomes Eldorra’s heir presumptive when her brother abdicates the throne. Now that Bridget will become Queen someday, she must marry a nobleman. However, this factor proves to be an issue becauseBridget has romantic, complicated feelings for her bodyguard, Rhys Larsen. Bridget and Rhys first meet when he becomes her new bodyguard after her previous one goes on paternity leave.
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In the beginning, Bridget and Rhys cannot stand each other, but over time, they come to a friendly understanding. However, during this time, the chemistry between Bridget and Rhys is undeniable, and it explodes one night before her brother officially abdicates the throne and Bridget must return to Eldorra.Bridget and Rhys' romance is an angsty, will-they, won’t-they dance full of passion and drama.Rhys Larsen is one of the bestbook boyfriendsin theTwistedseries, with his brooding and honest personality, while Bridget’s inner conflict of becoming Queen of Eldorra is compelling.
Twisted Gameshas several surprising twists that appear when least expected since the narrative delves into Rhys' family and Eldorra’s Parliament. Despite the excitement,Twisted Gamesis still the lowest-ranking book in the series for a few reasons. Although Bridget and Rhys' romance is intriguing, it is probably the least exciting of the four couples. The chemistry is alluring, but the push-and-pull the other couples have does not exist with Bridget and Rhys. Their romance is sweet and sensual, but they do not compare to the otherTwistedcouples.
August 11, 2025
Ava Chen, Alex Volkov
Best Friend’s Sister, Billionaire Romance, Brother’s Best Friend, Forbidden Love, Forced Proximity, Friends to Lovers, Grumpy & Sunshine, Morality Chain, Neighbors, Opposites Attract
June 11, 2025
Bridget von Ascheberg, Rhys Larsen
Age Gap, Bodyguard Romance, Enemies to Lovers (mild), Forbidden Love, Forced Proximity, Rich Heroine, Royalty Romance
June 29, 2025
Jules Ambrose, Josh Chen
Best Friend’s Brother, Enemies to Lovers, Friends (Enemies) with Benefits, Only One Bed, Sister’s Best Friend
July 06, 2025
Stella Alonso, Christian Harper
Billionaire Romance, Fake Dating, Morality Chain, Neighbors, Power Imbalance (mild), Roommates
Furthermore, the protagonists in the otherTwistedbooks have independent arcs, whereas Bridget and Rhys' journeys connect more to their relationship. That is not a bad thing, butwhen the other installments offer more than whatTwisted Gameshas, it comes off as disappointing. Nevertheless,Twisted Gamesis still a deeply romantic story that covers themes such as family, responsibility, and destiny. Bridget and Rhys' romance is still well worth reading.
3Twisted Love
Alex & Ava’s Story (Book 1)
Twisted Loveis the book that started it all, featuring the epic romance between Alex Volkov and Ava Chen. Ava’s brother, Josh, asks Alex to look out for Ava while he is away for the semester,but Alex takes his job a little too seriously and decides to move in next door to keep an eye on Ava.As a result, Alex and Ava develop an unlikely friendship, followed by a sizzling secret relationship that involves Alex falling in love for the first time—something he was vehemently against and never expected to happen.
Twisted Lovecombines the best offriends to loversand brother’s best friend to create an epic love story. These tropes are challenging because they require various ingredients for perfect execution. Friends to lovers is based on a solid foundation of friendship, but other elements such as pining, jealousy, and unconditional love are necessary for this trope. Including the brother’s best friend trope adds the spice needed for Alex and Ava’s romance—it creates the element of forbidden romance, which turns up the spice significantly.
Alex and Ava’s stark contrasts ramp up their seductive chemistry, making them one of the two best couples in theTwistedseries.
Alex and Ava are alsoan opposites-attract coupleand include a fan favorite trope—grumpy and sunshine. Alex and Ava’s stark contrasts ramp up their seductive chemistry, making them one of the two best couples in theTwistedseries.The cherry on top ofTwisted Loveincludes jaw-dropping plot twists that would not be expected in a romance book.However, they shake upTwisted Love’s narrative and add another trope to complete Alex and Ava’s story—betrayal. Mixing in betrayal with friends to lovers allows the plot twists to hit the hardest because of the trust Alex and Ava built together.
Furthermore, the plot twists in Alex and Ava’s story establish the darker tone of the series. The only downsideis that it is the shortest book inTwisted. Alex and Ava’s story could have had more plot, whether it involves drawing out their romance or slowing the pace of Ava and Alex’s time in London. The London storyline feels especially rushed compared to the rest of the book, and fleshing out these chapters would makeTwisted Loveperfect.However, Alex and Ava have one of the best relationships in the series, which makes up for the narrative flaws.
2Twisted Lies
Christian & Stella’s Story (Book 4)
Twisted Liesis the final installment in Ana Huang’sTwistedseries, and it goes out with a bang. The book follows Stella Alonso, the only one of Ava’s group of girlfriends who is still single.Stella’s life is at a standstill—she gets fired from her job as an assistant for D.C. Style, and her social media influencer account has not expanded since reaching 900,000 followers. She now lives alone in her apartment at an incredibly reduced price in exchange for watering Christian Harper’s plants. Christian owns the apartment building, and unbeknownst to Stella, he has an obsessive crush on her.
Christian and Stella unexpectedly establish a fake dating arrangement because having a partner would boost Stella’s social media profile,while Christian needs dates for specific events as the billionaire CEO of Harper Security. However, a dangerous threat from Stella’s past forces Stella to move in with Christian temporarily for her safety. Despite Christian’s aloof and dangerous persona, Stella is undeniably falling for Christian—a man who does not believe in love despite his feelings for Stella. However, Christian keeps dark secrets from Stella that might crash her whole world upon finding out.
Twisted Liesis arguably the darkest book in theTwistedseries, although it is closely tied withTwisted Love. Both Alex and Christian are dangerous and toxic men but for different reasons. However, their love for their girls is unconditional, and Stella changes Christian’s life by forcing him to reconcile with the fact that love exists.Christian and Stella’s relationship is also an incredible slow burn that inevitably explodes. Despite the obstacles Christian and Stella endure, their relationship becomes stronger.Twisted Liesis also action-packed and a page-turner from beginning to end.
If theTwistedseries ranking was based solely on the romances, Ava and Alex win over Christian and Stella. However, considering the entirety of both books,Twisted Liesis better thanTwisted Love.
If theTwistedseries ranking was based solely on the romances, Ava and Alex win over Christian and Stella. However, considering the entirety of both books,Twisted Liesis better thanTwisted Love. Christian and Stella’s book draws out the romance more than Alex and Ava’s, which takes the chemistry to new levels.Furthermore, the found family aspect is at its strongest inTwisted Lies,whereas only the girls are close inTwisted Love. Finally, while the plot is riveting in both books,Twisted Liesis slightly more compelling because the stakes are higher with Christian’s secrets and Stella’s threat.
1Twisted Hate
Josh & Jules' Story (Book 3)
Of course, the best book in theTwistedseries is Josh Chen and Jules Ambrose’s heated romance inTwisted Hate, the third installment.Enemies to loversis a popular trope, but it is actually quite difficult to nail, especially in contemporary romance fiction. However, Ana Huang goes above and beyond expectations inTwisted Hate. Josh and Jules have hated each other ever since Ava and Jules became friends during their first year of college. Their mutual hatred finally explodes in a night of tense passion,leading Josh and Jules to establish a friends-with-benefits agreement.
Josh and Jules' initial arrangement becomes complicated when they learn more about each other in unexpected ways. Josh realizes there is much more to the wild Jules Ambrose than he previously thought, while Jules realizes Josh is not the arrogant jerk she always believed he was. However, an unexpected betrayal endangers their budding romance.Twisted Hateexplores what makes enemies-to-lovers such a compelling trope.Over time, Josh and Jules see each other for who they are—their flaws, quirks, advantages, and disadvantages. That is what makes an enemies-to-lovers narrative so riveting, and Josh and Jules exemplify it perfectly.
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Twisted Hatealso has the most compelling plot because Jules' past demons come back to haunt her, and Josh finally begins to mend his friendship with Alex. The twists might not be as jaw-dropping asTwisted LoveorTwisted Lies, but they still complement the narrative and fit Josh and Jules' story. Furthermore,while all theTwistedmen have their strengths, Josh Chen is the best male protagonist. He is charming and funny, but he is also incredibly flawed with an unexpected dark side. Josh is also surprisingly vulnerable and has his own idiosyncrasies that make him stand out.
Jules is also an excellent character, from her headstrong and daring personality to her surprising sweetness and kindhearted nature. Overall,Twisted Hateis the best installment in theTwistedseries because it exceeds the other books in all departments—characters, romance, plots, and execution of tropes. Josh and Jules' romance is easily the most notorious of theTwistedbooks, so even for those who prefer the other couples, it is impossible to ignore them.
