I’m not one to recommend a “starter” book for newbies wanting to read a dark romance mafia story, something I read a lot of. That often makes me nervous because levels of darkness tend to be subjective. However, in “Twisted Thorns” by Alexis Night, I feel comfortable stating this is good.

Avalina, a wealthy socialite, loses her memory due to unfortunate events. She especially doesn’t remember Kiernan, the head of a powerful family. They had a little something going on, but she doesn’t remember. He’s torn between trying to help her regain her memory or letting things be to keep her safe.

The story contains some dark elements but isn’t heavily dominated throughout. It’s pretty plot-driven versus smex driven. There is a little spice and some dirty talk, but as I mentioned earlier, it’s a good book for those just starting in the dark mafia genre and don’t want to be overwhelmed.

Thank you, @thenerdfam, for the gifted advance reader copy of “Twisted Thorns” by Alexis Night.mafia-crimelord1 Jennifer Clarke148 6

Some spoilers - I was really looking forward to reading this book! I had seen it on Instagram and immediately added it to my TBR. I enjoyed it for the most part, finishing it in a day, but was a little disappointed with some things.

For the positives - the author is extremely talented and I thought the storyline was very unique. The combination of mafia, darker romance, spice, and amnesia was so good, and it kept me glued to the pages. I really appreciated the struggle that Avalina was going through, losing the last five years of her life and trying to find her place in a world with a lot of people she does not recognize. Kieran was so dark and swoony! I loved that he is working to change his family legacy, investing in more legitimate business ventures, and trying to take down a mafia boss that is not so clean. Kieran protects people, especially women, but he does have a dark side. He just takes it out on people who deserve it.

The chemistry between Kieran and Avalina was sizzling and I loved the small glimpse that was shown of their past relationship that Avalina has forgotten. Avalina's amnesia made the stakes even higher and it was they were falling in love all over again. That being said, I was a little disappointed that Avalina's memory seemed to fall to the back burner towards the end of the story. She may never remember the past five years, but I guess I was kind of hoping for more of a conclusion to it. Maybe Kieran would have more flashbacks or he could have explained to Avalina more about how they met and how their relationship first started.

Another thing that didn't sit quite right for me was how Kieran ran his business/family. I am by no means an expert on mafia stories, having only read a few of them. I just didn't find it believable that Kieran wouldn't have more people working for him or have security protecting Avalina. He just thought breaking up with Avalina would magically keep her safe after he's very publicly associated himself with her? And when he went to go rescue her, he only brought three people with him to go against the full force of the O'Neil family? And everyone had guns, but the "battle" seemed to be more hand-to-hand combat? How everything went down at the end took me way out of the story and just didn't fall in line with how the Calder family was made out to be.

I've seen this described as a beginner dark romance book and I think that's a fair description. It has dark elements, but nothing that is particularity gruesome or graphic. I did enjoy this book, there were just some things that felt very unbelievable to me.

d_uhreads 75

I am new to the world of mafia romance, but it is quickly becoming a favorite genre.

Twisted Thorns was such a fun, cozy, Mafia romance. It felt very unique in this aspect, and the writing reflected this as well.

I genuinely enjoyed the tone the author set, the character development, and the overall dynamic.

I have often found myself thinking back to this story, and that warrants a new favorite! Holly Gonzales150 7

If you are intrigued by Haunting Adeline, but you’re not sure if you’re a dark romance girlie then read this! It reads you expect of a mafia romance but with a little bit of a dark twist. Forbidden love, forgotten memories and the dynamic between Avalina and Kieran was delicious.
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