📚 Book Description: Twisted
This 2023 novel by Emily McIntire is the fourth book in the New York Times bestselling Never After series, a collection of standalone dark romances that reimagine classic fairy tales with the villain as the romantic lead . This installment is a dark and delicious fractured retelling of Aladdin .
The Plot: A Villain's Twisted Agenda
The story follows Yasmin Karam, daughter to one of the richest men in the world, who has never known hardship . When her beloved father Ali falls terminally ill, his last wish is to see her married to a man of his choosing. Yasmin agrees, but there's one problem: her heart belongs to Aidan, a servant—a "street rat" her father would never consider worthy .
Desperate, Yasmin strikes a deal with an unlikely ally: Julian Faraci, her father's ruthless right-hand man . What she doesn't realize is that Julian has his own twisted agenda. Julian came from nothing, built from "broken bones and faded bruises," and has one goal: become the most powerful man in the world . Enraged that his mentor won't recognize him as the rightful successor to the Sultans diamond empire, Julian proposes a fake marriage to Yasmin while secretly planning to kill her and inherit everything .
However, once married, proximity awakens dangerous passion as the two explore the attraction turning them from enemies into lovers . A dramatic conflict involving a dispute over an antique lamp (a nod to the original fairytale) highlights the novel's exploration of choice, possession, and the price of ambition .
Main Characters
Themes and Tropes
The book delivers intense dark romance elements:
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Enemies to Lovers: They begin as adversaries with undeniable chemistry .
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Fake Marriage/Fake Engagement: A contractual arrangement with deadly intentions .
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Forced Proximity: Marriage forces them into intimate closeness .
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Morally Gray Hero/Villain Romance: The antagonist is the romantic lead .
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Possession and Obsession: Julian decides Yasmin is "his...whether she wants to be or not" .
Reader Reception
On The StoryGraph, readers describe the book as dark (94%), tense (57%), and emotional (52%) . The pace is predominantly medium (57%) . Reviewers praise the "unique plot and emotional depth," though some criticize occasional pacing issues and predictability of certain twists . The novel is recommended for fans of Vicious by L.J. Shen and The Kiss Thief by L.J. Shen .
