TWIST is book 2 in Kylie Scott's Dive Bar series. The first meeting between Joe Collins and Alex Parks is like a scene out of the TV show CATFISH. Alex believes she's visiting her out-of-state hottie pen pal Eric, when in reality she's been talking with Eric's brother, Joe. Over the course of TWIST, Alex comes to realize how lucky she is to have formed a relationship with the more mature brother. Knowing Alex changes Joe, and loving Joe profoundly changes Alex.
As with other books by Kylie Scott, TWIST is told strictly from the female protagonist's point of view. Although I normally enjoy stories told from alternating perspectives, Kylie Scott utilizes this style of telling a story effectively. Without getting Joe's perspective, the reader is very much able to completely empathize with Alex as she navigates an unfamiliar location, people, and situations. She can never know 100% what Joe is thinking and neither can the readers. While Joe apologizes for having innocently deceived Alex, it's up to her to trust him again and take a leap of faith. TWIST made me laugh at Alex's first reactions to Joe's appearance because she, like me, is not a fan of big burly dudes with tons of face fur like Joe.
As much as we don't get to hear what's in Joe's mind, Kylie Scott does a good job of making him a sympathetically flawed hero. Even though Alex's agoraphobia is a more obvious issue than any of Joe's, I like how meeting Alex has made Joe aware of some of the ways he needs to alter how he interacts with friends and family. This is a story with complex characters who grow over the course of the book. Because I related so strongly to Alex, I was deeply moved by her effort to get out of her comfort zone and fight for happiness.
TWIST is a book about the euphoria of new love, as well as the learning curves that come with it. I like the way Alex's friend Valerie swoops in to be the cheerleader when she most needs one, as well as the things we learn about Alex through her friendship with Valerie. Kylie Scott revisits the Nell-Pat-Eric drama that started in the previous book with interesting results. I look forward to seeing what's next in store for the Dive Bar crew.
When his younger brother loses interest in online dating,
hot bearded bartender Joe Collins only intends to log
into his account and shut it down. Until he reads about
her.
Alex Parks is funny, fascinating, and pretty much
everything he's been looking for in a woman—except that
she lives across the country. Soon they're emailing up a
storm and telling each other their deepest, darkest
secrets...except the one that really matters.
When Alex pays Joe a surprise visit, however, they both
discover that when it comes to love, it's always better
with a twist.
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