Twisted by Renee Rocco is live!
An imaginative retelling of Rapunzel with an erotic twist, this is a dark fairytale, enemies-to-lovers, reverse harem story with a boldly inquisitive heroine desperate to explore the world, and three hot but very different heroes who are all too eager to show her what she’s been missing.
Amazon | Paperback
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Blurb
Forget what you know—there is no Prince Charming.
I spent my life as a willing prisoner locked inside a tower. Protected by magic. Guarded by a witch. For me, Happily Ever Afters are the stuff of fairytales…
Until Wren Kincaid found me and opened my eyes to a world of possibilities.
But he’s no Prince Charming.
And I’m no ordinary girl.
The king wants to use me, and he’s tearing apart Rygard to find me. He’s too late. Wren already claimed me. I’m at the mercy of a man who was once my friend, but who now sees me as his enemy. Hidden away in a decaying castle, I’m in no rush to escape Wren and the savage outlaws holding me captive.
*TWISTED is a reimagining of Rapunzel. Characters are appropriately aged up for this dark romance. This is a scorching RH, friends-to-enemies/enemies-to-lovers with sarcastic, morally gray antiheroes. This book ends on a cliffhanger.
Review
3.5 stars
An imaginative retelling of Rapunzel with an erotic twist, this is a dark fairytale, enemies-to-lovers, reverse harem story with a boldly inquisitive heroine desperate to explore the world, and three hot but very different heroes who are all too eager to show her what she’s been missing.
We all know the story of Rapunzel locked in her tower, but this time she has a friend from the local village who visits her, and the two of them become best friends from afar (he on the ground, she in her tower) as Wren shares his life and tells her all about the outside world. But Wren goes away to become a soldier, eventually returning to rescue Rapunzel from her tower, but her would-be Prince Charming now actually hates her because of her refusal to use her magical healing powers. She is being hunted for those very powers by a power-hungry king who will stop at nothing to get his hands on her, though if he does, it will bring ruin to the kingdom. Just as well she has Wren and his two best friends – Dax the big-hearted jokester, and Quinn’s demon-possessed, tormented soul – ready and willing to protect her.
This was my first reverse harem book, and as a hard-core romantic I was curious whether I’d like it, but I dove in having read and loved Renee Rocco’s other books, wondering how this was all going to go down (and on a side note – that cover is just glorious!).
Wren grew up loving Rapunzel, but their dynamic is now a twisted mess of anger, grief and mad lust. The three boys are used to sharing women, so Wren happily offers up Rapunzel to his buddies, who eagerly accept. Rapunzel has lived a completely isolated life and is willing and eager to explore all that she has been missing out on, so she just goes along with it all. The consent is initially kinda dubious, but this is not real life so I just glossed over that, and Rapunzel proves that she’s not a pushover and is eager and excited to explore whatever the boys have to show her.
“Why don’t you care that Wren gave us leave to use you?”
Her lips, swollen from my kiss, lift in a mischievous grin … “I’ve spent a lifetime numb, believing I would die alone. Untouched and unloved. So, who said I’m not also using you?”
It’s a good mix of personalities, and there are some fun dynamics in this group. The boys genuinely care for each other, and have a fun, teasing relationship. I liked seeing them truly come to care for Rapunzel and she for them. There are some sweet and fun moments, and of course a big dose of sexy time, but I wouldn’t really say there’s romance yet. Wren is a dick for most of the book, and I didn’t really care for him at all, but there’s a bit of development there with potential for more. It’s Dax and Quinn who I really liked, and I loved all that they brought to the story.
“You’re ours, and we’ll fight to our last breath to protect you.”
It’s a short read, so things move quickly, and there’s a bit of action and excitement along the way. It ends on a minor cliffhanger, with danger closing in and more story to come, and I’m keen to see where it all goes from here.
3.5 stars.
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
The Grim Tower
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