Twisted (Never After)

Really enjoyed this darker Jafar/Aladdin-inspired twist. The way she reimagined these characters into a different timeline was on point. Julian was so addictively interesting, and their chemistry was great. Perfect use of a slow burn but I do wish Yasmin’s character arc had pushed a bit further into her owning her power. That said I still enjoyed watching her evolve throughout the story. It’s a sharp, fast read for anyone who loves their fairytales with bite. Tropes & Vibes: • Villain x heroine • Forced proximity • Morally gray hero • Hero obsession/protectiveness • Slow burn → high heat • Power imbalance turned partnership

i love the way the story was built up ! an awesome read . i just wish they’d fallen for each other sooner lol idk they way it was almost a complete 180. but still loved it!!❤️

I love this book! This book is a fractured Aladdin fairy tale where the main characters Julian and Yasmin were based on Jafar and Jasmine. I have to say that Julian is way better than Jafar! He’s the perfect morally gray book boyfriend. This is my favorite book of the series so far.

Twisted was an okay read, I was just expecting a little bit more from the romance though. This was also a dark romance book loosely inspired by the fairytale of Aladdin, which I really liked. While, this can be read as a standalone it is the fourth book in the Never After series. So I would recommend just reading the prior books first. I would also suggest checking the content and trigger warnings before reading. It’s dual POVs of the main characters, Julian and Yasmin, and has some great tropes, like an age gap, a forced marriage, close proximity and a dark romance. The overall premise was pretty decent. There were some interesting and amusing moments. I also really liked Julian more than Yasmin to be honest. His backstory was quite heartbreaking and I just loved his personal growth at the end. The romance between Yasmin and Julian wasn’t really my favorite. There just wasn’t a lot of romantic development between them for me to fully believe in their romance or love. While, they did have some really good spice, it just felt like their relationship was purely physical. I also felt that the subplot of Yasmin and Aidan dragged on for way too long. There was a lot of snippets and memories of their relationship from when they were younger, so it just made it difficult for me to fully believe in Yasmin and Julian’s romance. The last few chapters were really intense and action packed but a bit too rushed at the same time. I did like the resolution between Julian and his mother though. The ending and epilogue were nice as well. Overall, not what I was expecting but still a decent read.

This was my favorite Never After story so far! (I’ve read Hooked and Wretched at this point) Had a little bit of a slow burn which I thought was done to perfection. The pacing was great. It did not feel rushed. It did not make me cringe with the cheese. The spice was right. The ending felt well put together. I did listen to the Audio- it was pretty well narrated.

This book is not a cute fairy tale retelling, and it’s definitely not meant to be comfortable. Twisted lives up to its name completely. From the beginning, the atmosphere feels dark, heavy, and unsettling in a way that’s clearly intentional. The writing pulls you into a distorted version of a familiar story, but everything here feels more psychological, more violent, and much more morally gray. If you’re expecting romance or something light, this is not that book. What I appreciated most is how unapologetic it is. The characters are flawed, broken, and sometimes straight up disturbing, but that’s kind of the point. The story leans hard into obsession, trauma, and power dynamics, and while it can be uncomfortable at times, it’s also very engaging if you enjoy dark retellings. The pacing is solid, and once things start moving, it’s hard to stop reading because you want to see just how far the story is willing to go. That said, this book is not for everyone. It’s intense, it’s bleak, and it doesn’t try to soften its themes. If you enjoy dark fantasy, twisted fairy tales, or books that make you feel uneasy on purpose, this will probably work for you. If not, it might be too much. Personally, I thought it delivered exactly what it promised a disturbing, dark reimagining that stays with you after you finish it.

Good books

4.5/5 Julian & Yasmin As always, HOLY NOSTALGIA! It's like hunting down Easter eggs. Give me all the little nods to Disney's Aladdin and I will eat them up. I watched that movie a ridiculous amount of times as a kid, so naturally I was going to read this book. Obviously the villain gets the happy ending, but I get so darn excited to see what story Emily cooked up with her imagination. What will the plot be? Will I hate Aladdin by the end? Which characters will make an appearance? “If I wished for it,” I murmur, leaning in until our noses touch, “I could make you need nothing but me.” Julian's story was heartbreaking. I couldn't help but keep picturing Jafar and wondering if he is the way he is because of a similar upbringing. Yes, my mind shot back to the movie. Maybe he just wanted to be loved, right? But, Julian is your yummy villain who just wants to be successful on his own terms. I can't blame him. I was rooting for his happiness! "Men like me don’t get into heaven and we don’t get second chances." Yasmin is the dutiful daughter who wants nothing more than to make her father happy. True to her Jasmine persona, she's sneaky, still doing what she wants to do under the radar. I felt like she was isolated in the original story and gathered that here too. “I would ki!! anyone who looked at you. Anyone who dared to even breathe too close.” Twisted is a SLOOOOOWWWWWWWW BURN. If you're looking for something quick, this is not the book for you. Did I care? Not at all... it's a marathon, not a sprint. My childhood collided with my adulthood, so I took my sweet, sweet time and savoured every little egg I found. I didn't want it to end. Emily threw us little bones throughout the book to satiate us until we got to the "good stuff." Her uses for the genie, the lamp, and even Raja were genius. Can't wait for Crossed!