Ana Huang, in my opinion is truly a representative author of the 21st century young romance. She creates diverse characters from across all walks of life - simple and common to rich and royal; university students to business tycoons; army men to kings and queens.
Twisted Love is a romance full of confrontation. For Alex it is a confrontation with the fact that Ava Chen is nobody else but his best friend's sister; she is the daughter of the man who is responsible for the death of his entire family; while for Ava it becomes a confrontation with the basic trust required amongst those who share a close and intimate relationship.
Ava Chen is an independent 21st century girl pursuing photography at Thayer University. She belongs to the Asian family of Chen's. She lost her mother when she was very young and was brought up by her father. She shares a very warm and affectionate relationship with her brother Josh Chen. She suffers a haunting nightmare since her childhood and finds it difficult to overcome the fact that her mother tried drowning her as a child. Thus, develops an appalling dread for water, to the extent that she avoids travelling to places across the oceans by flights. She shares a great relationship with her 3 friends at college - Jules, Stella and Bridget. Jules lives with Ana in her rented apartment and is always available to caress and comfort her during her nightmares. However, Jules and her brother Josh cannot stand each-other even for a second. It is when Josh has to move out of country that he requests Alex to watch over Ava and her safety.
Alex Volkov is someone who would never take up such tasks, but couldn't deny his best friend. Alex too has suffered a childhood trauma due to which he has a photographic memory making him relive the traumatic moments every now and then. He becomes a multimillionaire due to the financial software developed by him during his high-school. Before he turned 18, he even quadrupled his inheritance. as family he only had an Uncle who was unmarried.
It is their childhood trauma's that keep them from being able to express their true emotions. However, Ava is the optimistic kind and always looks for the good in everything and everyone and this quality of hers is which repels and attracts Alex towards her. Alex is one of those persons who is overtly logical and always thinks about the gain or loss in any given situation or development with anyone.
Due to her paradigm of looking for the good in all Ava is able to see the warmth in the otherwise icy Alex. I think it is rightly quoted by Ana Huang - "He has a heart of Ice. But for her he'd burn the world." For everyone Alex was someone who could never have a single expression. He has been portrayed as personified numbness towards all and everything. This is why when Alex moves into Josh's apartment as Ava's neighbour that the girls decide to plan Mission Emotions for Alex to be executed by Ava.
Alex is usually successful in keeping up with his icy mask at all times, but it is repeatedly exposed when Ava's security is in question. Again his possessive nature with regard to Ava is where his vulnerability is revealed and Ava is sensible enough to pick the cues.
After a lot of remonstrance though Alex gives in to his feelings towards Ava. He is by her side at all times and always alert about her security. He helps her overcome her fear of water by giving her lessons as a coach. He truly behaves as her guardian. To the extent that when he learns from Ava that her life was put to risk by her own father in her childhood and not her mother, Alex confronts her father and ensures he is arrested. But in no time he is trapped in his own plot by his very own Uncle and again only for the sake of Ava's safety he has to feign his love for her and send her away from him.
A second time broken Ava loses all her faith in relationships and moves far away from Thayer to London for her photography internship. It is here that once again Alex gives up on everything that he owned as his business and comes down to London just to win Ava back. But this time it was as tough as ever to win her back. The Ava of London was one who was completely decided to not fall prey to her simplicity and be believing of all and their goodness. This is what I love the most about Ana Huang's writing - the natural human traits and human behaviours portrayed by her with such ease.
Well, Alex pays his price by untiringly proving himself and his love for Ava every single moment that he gets a chance to do so. Thus, winning her heart back and making her his own for ever.
A must read for all those who love to read romances which are intrigued, realistic, sometimes dark, sometimes pure. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and am damn sure of reading through the entire series.
Happy Reading!!!
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