Blake Reviews Twisted

Author: Gena Showalter
Publisher: Harlequin
Release Date: 1 January 2011 / 30 August 2011
Format: ARC
Series: Intertwined #3
Source: BEA NY
Pages: 564

His vampire girlfriend might have brought him back to life, but he's never felt more out of control. There's a darkness within him, something taking over; changing him. Worse, because he was meant to die, death now stalks him at every turn. Any day could be his last.

Once upon a time, the three souls trapped inside his head could have helped him. He could have protected himself. But as the darkness grows stronger, the souls grow weaker - just like his girlfriend. The more vampire Aden becomes, the more human Victoria becomes, until everything they know and love is threatened.

Life couldn't get any worse. Could it?

I really loved the first two books in this series. I remember reading them back-to-back and looking forward to how the series would continue. The plot was so intricate and interesting, so I felt like the rest of the series would be the same. However, the third book didn't live up to my expectations.

It took a long time for me to get back into the story, and I almost gave up a few times. I was tempted to go back and re-read the ending of the second book, but I wasn't engaged enough to do so.  The characters fell flat for me this time around. Aden isn't the same character, well, none of them are for that matter. They weren't the people that I fell in love with. It was like they had changed personalities overnight. Plus, everyone is so scattered in this book. The perspectives change seemingly at random, and I felt like it messed with the flow of the story.

I did enjoy the book more towards the end, but not enough to want to continue the rest of this series. In the beginning I was invested in Aden and the souls trapped inside his head, but now not so much. I wish the characters hadn't changed so drastically from one book to the next. I loved who they were. I understand that small changes are necessary for character growth, but these were completely different people. They were all so much... darker.

Maybe I'll read the next book and see what happens? Maybe the characters will magically go back to being the way they were before this book? It's possible, right? The third book could just be a lull in the story. Maybe my expectations were too high... I just had trouble finishing the book in general.

I love the author, and I love the beginning of this series. I just hope the next book is similar to the first two.

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