Twisted Road

Torpedo Ink #10

by Christine Feehan

There's no escaping the pull of desire in this novel in No. 1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan's Torpedo Ink motorcycle club series.

When Czar shut down Lazar 'Keys' Alexeev's undercover mission, that should have been the end of the story. Instead, Keys is back in the middle of a nowhere town where a petite redhead with a pouty mouth and a ready smile drives him to distraction. He's not sure why he's breaking all of Torpedo Ink's rules to spend more time around a woman who's not even his type. He can't get her out of his head-and now he's facing the consequences.

Lyric Johansen doesn't like to look anyone in the eyes, but Keys's gaze is the one thing keeping her from a full-on panic attack. Her instinct to charge into the fray and help the biker fend off a group of vicious thugs has led to the most insane situation she's ever been trapped in a coffin with a man she barely knows, minutes away from a painful death.

Survival means staying focused. But when Keys kisses Lyric to snap her out of losing it, he's the one who ends up falling apart. He'll need to unleash hell to get them out alive.

If only to get another taste....

Find out why readers are OBSESSED with Christine

'The queen of paranormal romance' USA Today

'After Bram Stoker, Anne Rice and Joss Whedon, Christine Feehan is the person most credited with popularizing the neck gripper' Time

'Feehan has a knack for bringing vampiric Carpathians to vivid, virile life in her Dark Carpathian novels' Publishers Weekly

'The erotic, gripping series that's defined an entire genre! Must reading that always satisfies!' J.R. Ward

Genres: Romance, Paranormal Romance, Paranormal, Romantic Suspense, Contemporary, Dark, Suspense

426 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 7, 2026

About the author

Christine Feehan is a #1 New York Times bestselling author multiple times over with her portfolio including over 100 published novels, including five series; Dark Series, GhostWalker Series, Leopard Series, Drake Sisters Series, the Sisters of the Heart Series, Shadow Riders, Torpedo Ink and her Romantic Suspense novels. All of her series have hit the #1 spot on the New York Times bestselling list as well. Her debut novel Dark Prince received 3 of the 9 Paranormal Excellence Awards in Romantic Literature (PEARL) in 1999. Since then she has been published by various publishing houses including Leisure Books, Pocket Books, and currently is writing for Berkley/Jove. She also has earned 7 more PEARL awards since Dark Prince.
Her series include:
The Dark Series - https://www.christinefeehan.com/darkb...
The GhostWalker series- https://www.christinefeehan.com/ghost...
The Leopard Series - https://www.christinefeehan.com/leopa...
The Shadow Series- https://www.christinefeehan.com/shado...
Torpedo Ink series- https://www.christinefeehan.com/torpe...




IN HER WORDS:
I've been a writer all of my life -- it is who I am. I write for myself and always have. The ability to create pictures and emotions with words is such a miracle to me. I read everything; I mean everything! All kinds of books, even encyclopedias. I am fascinated by the written word and I love storytellers. It is a great privilege to be counted one myself. (www.christinefeehan.com)

Reviews

[Cathy McCaughan]

I don’t know why I stay with this series. Yes I do. I want Lana’s story. So, I keep reading books where the women are groomed to accept abuse under the guise of it being a necessary kink. The characters dialogue is indistinguishable from other characters. The exact same conversations happen for no discernible reason. I love the Drake sisters. I hate this group more with every book.

[Lover of Romance]

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review. Also my tags may have spoilers in them so be forewarned before checking out full review.


Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖
Narration:🎧🎧🎧🎧
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨.5


First Impressions
Twisted Road is the story of “Keys and Lyric” and while I was nervous at first of reading this one, as recent releases from this author have had less romance focus, I was hoping that wasn’t the case with this one. I have to say that this one blew my expectations out of the water and I am so grateful that the romantic magic that this author has always been good with is still there!!! She hasn’t lost it completely, and Twisted Road was everything that I could have hoped for and more for Key’s book. Now I went into this book pretty blind, and mostly did it through the audiobook. And the narrator did a very good job here. So if you love audiobooks, this would be a good way to consume this one here. This has a blend of opposites attract, mutual friendship that has been building and develops into more, and some dark twists and a bit of a light kink explored here (but nothing too crazy on this one here).

The Main Protagonists

The Hero: Lazar "Keys" Alexeev

The Heroine: Lyric Johansen


What I Loved
Keys has been working undercover regarding a human trafficking ring and trying to bring that down, and during his undercover mission, he connected with a lovely redhead who is a beautician and a bit of a sassy mouth, but she is not like all the women he has been with, and he can’t let go of her. He has always had to have variety in his bedmates until … Lyric, and she makes him want to give it all up. But there is one problem …..Lyric might not be so eager to be with him. Lyric knows exactly the kind of man that Keys is and doesn’t want to put herself through the pain in the future of risking it all with him. But Keys is determined when he wants something, and he wants Lyric. Seeing how determined Keys is for Lyric was so breathtaking. I think out of all the books in the series…..this devotion was so heartfelt and deep, and you can see how much Lyric makes him want something more in a way that no other woman would be capable of. Lyric has her own self-doubts, and it’s so relatable. I really resonated with this heroine. And seeing how the brothers treat her ….yeah, not the first time that they have been idiots lol. But I soaked it up like a sponge, and seeing how well Czar connects with Lyric and makes her feel welcome was so endearing. We also see some side drama with some of my favorite couples in the MC, which I felt was the right touch here.




What I Struggled With

I think the only thing that I wasn’t a huge fan of was aspects of the suspense plot; it felt a bit too distracting from the actual romance in parts. And then we have some voyeurism scenes that just weren’t my cup of tea. They might work for some readers, but never been a fan of these in this series.



Narration

Honestly, for a single narration,…..this was super solid, and I would definitely want to listen to more of this narrator for this author’s books. He really captured the intensity of the writing for this series while keeping the characters endearing and human to the listener.



Overall View

Twisted Road was a delightful twist that captures the reader just right….it delivers on the grit and the thrills while reaching out to the reader with poignant love that you want to cheer our characters towards! A TRUE GEM OF A READ!



Book Details (also in my shelves)

Sub Genre: Dark Romance

Character Types: Bikers, Sassy and Snarky, , Unconventional, Tortured Characters

Themes: Working Undercover, BDSM

Tropes: Opposites Attract, Friends to Lovers, Unrequited Love


Book Perspective
3rd POV


Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict

Both

If you like these authors, I recommend This Book
Joanne Wylde
Madeline Sheehan
Laura Kaye

Song This Book Inspires
Prisoner by Ashlee

Recommendation For Reading Order
Yes

Steam/Spice Explanations

Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.

Narrators:
Ryan West

[Mamacita aka MawMaw]

Damn that was so good!

[Kathleen Kolling]

Lazar “Keys” wakes up to find himself locked inside a coffin, after getting beaten and knocked unconscious. Only, he's not alone! Laying underneath him is Lyric, the woman he's been watching and getting to know over the last few months. With his enemies about ready to open the coffin and unleash hell on them, Lazar has to figure out how to get them out of this mess and get word back to his club who will protect him at any cost. But are these enemies his or Lyric's?

Another great book by Christine Feehan. I love reading Keys' story and seeing another club member find HEA after the horrors of their childhood. I also liked Feehan's inclusion of Lyric being a neurodivergent character with autism, though I preferred Rikki's neurodivergent story better, Water Bound. Lyric's case seemed very mild and I wasn't sure the label of autism was necessary. Lazar and Lyric have a cute relationship, quite spicy at times, but I love how they support each other. I always enjoy catching up with the other Torpedo Ink members and seeing them find love and happiness. The additional plot of Lyric having been rejected by her parents and brother seemed a bit random and needed to be better flushed out.

Christine Feehan is one of my favorite authors and every new release is an automatic purchase for me. I love the Torpedo Ink club members and all of their stories. I was a bit disappointed to hear that they're enveloping other motorcycle clubs from around them. I would've been content with just reading the stories for the 18 surviving club members. Now the newest club members open it up for Feehan to publish dozens more books, similar to the Dark series that's gone on and on and on.

I felt blessed to get an ARC from one of my favorites!!

*** I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. ***

[Beyond the Pages with Eva K]

Quick Summary: A twisted love romance

My Review: Twisted Road by Christine Feehan is book #10 in the Torpedo Ink series. It is categorized as "Romance | Women's Fiction." This motorcycle club novel was released on 7/7/26.

About the Book: "Survival means staying focused.

Lazar “Keys” Alexeev... is back in the middle of a nowhere town where a petite redhead with a pouty mouth and a ready smile drives him to distraction.

He can’t get her out of his head—and now he’s facing the consequences.

Lyric Johansen doesn’t like to look anyone in the eyes, but Keys’s gaze is the one thing keeping her from a full-on panic attack.

...when Keys kisses Lyric to snap her out of losing it, he’s the one who ends up falling apart."


In My Own Words: A troubled past. An impossible situation. Twists and tangles. MC action. And then there is her.

The Hook That I Could Not Get Away From: "...trapped in a coffin with a man she barely knows, minutes away from a painful death."

What You Need to Know Going In:

🏍️ - Motorcycle Club (MC) Romance
⛓️ - Undercover Mission Gone Awry
⚰️ - Forced Proximity (Bizarre, Peculiar, Extreme)
❤️‍🩹 - Trauma & Scars
👥 - Neurodivergent warrior-survivor with sensory overload issues + Alpha Biker with Untouchable Stamped All Over
❤️‍🔥 - Keys & Wildfire

About the Couple: Lazar and Lyric were a puzzle whose pieces you would not think would fit and yet they did. Likewise, they are so different than what's expected, personality wise and heart action wise. I don't want to give too much away. I will simply say this: He is rough and ready, yet he also has a tender protective side where she is concerned. She has sensory and anxiety issues, but she is a fiery protector in her own way and has a protective mode when it comes to her stabilizer.

About the Conflict: Internal and external challenges dominate throughout. Feehan does not shy away from disturbing drama, does she?

My Final Say: This was a challenging review to write, full stop. I have been at level 🥵 for days, as it was an up and down, back and forth read for me, of the pick up and put down variety.

I decided to read this ARC because of the Hook (see above). That line alone brought octane-level intrigue and I was all for it.

However...my Torpedo Ink history was not so stellar, and I had to fight myself not to tag this reading experience with that one. With that said, it was a lot.

I want to be fully transparent and clear: this was a mixed bag read for me. Some parts I liked and some parts I did not like. Do with that what you will.

If I were called upon to express my take on Twisted Road via emoji, this is what I would say:
🏍️💀🧬💋🛑 💬💔🔥🖤🚨

Why?: This story deals with some heavy stuff. Absolutely, there is this whole couple vibe, but there are some dark elements right there alongside the spicy sizzle. It will be important for readers to read the content warnings.

Other: ⚠️ Proceed with caution.

For those who are in the know about this series, this will likely be a solid addition in the Torpedo Ink universe. For those brave souls who want to give it a go, umm...yea. For those on the line about whether or not to proceed with this world, I will advise you to do your research and see what you are getting into with these stories.

In the end, it is a niche read, in my opinion. You will need your mental wherewithal to finish. These 3 things I know:

1) With this installment, you will get the power/control dynamics that you crave in a MC novel. ('Tude and dude energy is going on mightily, for sure.)

2) With this story, you will get the spicy-caliente that you desire. (Do I need to say any more than that?)

3) With Keys and Lyric, you will get an undeniable anchoring connection via an opposites romantic pairing. (Read the room and put what was said on the whole together.)

Rating: 3.5/5 + 3.75/5 = 3.625 (🌶️🧩🤯)
Recommend: +/-
Audience: A
Status: ⭐⭐⭐...
Level: 🏁
Format: 📱
Series: Yes
Cover: +
Title: +

Appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley), and to NetGalley. Thank you so very much for providing access to a digital ARC of this title in exchange for an honest critique. The words I have shared are my own thoughts and opinions. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to review this work of fiction. It was quite the experience.

[Dozelina 666]

It's always a good day when a new Torpedo Ink book comes out, and I was especially happy to finally see Keys get his HEA.

One of my favorite things about this series has always been the club itself. Spending time with these characters again felt like coming home, and I loved seeing the other members pop in throughout the story. Their loyalty, banter, and unwavering support for one another continue to be one of the strongest parts of the series.

Keys and Lyric made such a sweet couple. Lyric, who is neurodivergent, was a wonderful heroine, and I really enjoyed watching the relationship between her and Keys develop. From the moment these two meet (in probably one of the most dangerous ways imaginable) you just know they're in for quite the ride.

As expected from Christine Feehan, the romance is packed with chemistry, PLENTY of spice, danger around every corner and enough suspense to keep the pages turning. She always manages to blend action, romance and the Torpedo Ink family dynamics into a story that's incredibly easy to get lost in.

My only small criticism is that, while I thoroughly enjoyed the book, it didn't quite leave the same lasting impact on me as some of the earlier installments in the series. Everything was there—the romance, the action, the emotional moments and the suspense, buuuut overall it felt like a quieter story that sat comfortably in the middle of the series rather than becoming one of my favorites.

That said, I still had a wonderful time returning to the Torpedo Ink world, and I'm already looking forward to the next book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.75*)

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Gina]

I do not read these books because they are good. I read them because they are so bad they're good. Not really that either...more like so bad I can't possibly believe anything crazier but yet this book has topped even the 9 previous books in this series in how unbelievably bad it is but also appeals to a side of me I'm not proud of in a weirdly compelling way. Save yourselves.

[Mary Heron]

Didn't enjoy this one at all.

I have always had a bit of a hard time with this series. The backstory of the Torpedo Ink members is truly horrific and a hard thing to get past then there is the way all the club members have been left so emotionally and psychologically damaged ......... Which is irreparable. So each club member is meeting the woman who can live and love the man they are ...... without reservation. So there is a lot of sex and sex play (some books focus on this more than others). My problem with this book is that it's one big emotional reassurance from start to finish ............. with a few action scenes thrown in for good measure. Lyric is not a bad character and as a person who is neurodivergent would have been a great character but as with this series she turned into a woman who just wanted to please her man. I like the idea of this series I even like the relationship all the club members have with each other. I don't like 300+ pages of can he love me/ can she love me, please go back to telling a proper story.................

[Jenna]

I voluntarily read and reviewed this advanced copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I can't believe we're finally at the tenth book of Torpedo Ink! I believe this may go onto 18 books, considering that's the number of original Russians who escaped the compound. Who knows though since her Carpathian series is still kicking at nearly 40 volumes! Twisted Road wasn't the best entry but it certainly wasn't the worst. I do miss that the cover doesn't feature a hot dude on a motorcycle who doesn't match his book description at all. This book had an odd opener with the main couple trapped in a coffin together. He kept smooching her to prevent her from having a claustrophobic panic attack. Ok, dude. Chill out. The pacing was way off for me. There were major time-jumps as they recovered from their injuries and the drama revolved around the motorcycle club. This was another case of the plot overshadowing the romance, but I'll take it. This is also the third redhead this month I've read! Who doesn't like a ginger? Keys obviously did. The book ended on a cliffhanger and I wonder which Torpedo Ink member is next on the roster. I'm sure they'll be freaky, but I'm gonna read it regardless. This series is totally Twisted, and so are their Roads!

[Marybelle]

Another winner for Christine Feehan. This Torpedo Ink installment was different from the other nine books. Keys’ story was way more introspective than the others.

Each of the books in the series shows how each member of the Torpedo Ink MC grow and develop in their relationships. However, in this book, Keys spends a lot of time actually thinking and figuring out who and what he is in respect to Lyric. He takes the time to actually analyze himself. It’s a little refreshing not having to read about specific tragedies and suffering that he went through in Russia; it’s more like an acknowledgment. Keys thinks about his motivations and how it effects is actions. It was very refreshing.

I can’t wait to see who the next member will be in the series. Personally, I hope it’s one of the women.

[Missy Jane]

Another installment of the Torpedo Ink series, it had all the sex and violence of the previous books. Not as graphic, but still intense. My only real complaint is the unrealistic choreography in the sex scenes.
I wish CF would actually find a 6'+ man and a "tiny" woman and line them up to see there's no way he's kissing her mouth during stationary sex. He holds her against the wall to kiss her and their genitals are NOT going to be touching.
Anyway, decent read over all even if the characters are constantly saying each others' names.

[Terri Palermo]

Torpedo Ink is one of my favorite series!
It can be a bit intense, a very different lifestyle and sometimes a bit too kinky, but I feel like I can really understand the way they support each other, even if it is their own special code of honor.
Whenever I read one of the installments, I can’t help but remember my own very outer ring brush with a biker gang and the memories that come back are actually pretty good :)

[Katie]

After struggling to get in to and connect with this story, I have decided to DNF at 85%. I just did not connect with these two characters at all. I felt like the story was very formula driven to match the other stories in this series.

My favorite part was seeing the characters from other Feehan titles. Sadly, while I usually love her works, this one is a no for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for the ARC opportunity.

[Cait B]

Love to see the tough hard Torpedo Inks become big old marshmallows for their ladies. Will continue the series.

[Maryann]

Keys and Lyric......the man who thought no one would love him because of who he is and the woman who found her way in.

[Shelina]

I’m at 9% and I truly despise the mmc. The fmc can do so much better. I’m done.

[Jite]

not one for the books..

This isn’t one of the better or more memorable Torpedo Ink books. The drama was so-so and while Czar and Lyric had a lot of page time, and while their relationship was… sweet-ish, and while Lyric was an adult, the dynamic, especially given Lyrics’s innocence and neurodivergence felt a little bit groomer adjacent. This was especially the case with Lyric expressing boundaries and Czar constantly pushing and convincing her that her boundaries were not her boundaries. I found it pretty uncomfortable to read how she bent and bent to his will over and over. I just didn’t really enjoy this one.

[Julie]

I enjoyed the romance between Keys and Lyric but the suspense plot fell flat. There was little tension between the MCs as Lyric fell in line and Keys explained the way it had to be. Once again, Torpedo Ink easily got the job done and everyone was agreed they are as good as their reputation. In the end it was just a filler book to push the story arc with the Ghosts forward an inch.

[EKO_TheNeurospicyAfterDarkArchive Oakley]

Title: Twisted Game (Torpedo Ink #10)
Author: Christine Feehan
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Subgenres:
• MC Romance
• Romantic Suspense
• Dark Romance
• Action Romance
• Found Family

⭐ My Rating: 4/5
🌶️ My Spice Rating: 4/5
Publication Date: July 7th 2026

Tropes:
• MC Club
• Trapped Together
• Forced Proximity
• Protective Alpha Hero Type
• Touch Her and Die
• Morally Gray Characters
• Trauma Healing Vibe
• High Stakes & Survival
• Action & Suspense

Trigger/Content Warnings:
• Childhood abuse and trauma
• PTSD
• Panic attacks
• Kidnapping
• Burial alive / confined spaces
• Violence
• Murder
• Organized crime
• Graphic injuries
• Torture references
• Emotional abuse
• Strong language
• Open-door sexual content

The Quick & Dirty Rundown
Lazar "Keys" Alexeev thought his undercover mission was over, but one stubborn return trip changes everything when he meets Lyric Johansen. Lyric is a quiet woman with gentrle nature that immediately captures Keys attention despite her being unlike anyone he has every met or imagined himself falling for.

A brutal attack leaves the pair buried alive together and survival becomes their only focus. In the darkness together, an impulsive desperate kiss changes everything for them. As they fight their way back to freedom, Keys realizes there is no force on earth powerful enough to keep him away from the woman who somehow found her way beneath every wall he'd ever built.

Okay…So Hear Me Out…
Christine Feehan has built the Torpedo Ink series around deeply damaged people learning to trust, heal, and love despite unimaginable trauma, and Twisted Road continues that tradition beautifully.

I can’t say I was shocked that the storyline didn’t waste any time whatsoever in throwing the reader directly into danger. The buried-alive sequence chilled me to the bone and created an immediate suspense while simultaneously laying a foundation for the forecasted romance. I appreciate that Feehan doesn’t rely on constant misunderstandings but lets shared survival i.e. trauma bonding become the catalyst for the relationship central to the plot.

The FMC: Lyric Johansen
I really liked Lyric Johansen. She is probably one of my favorite characters from recent Christine Feehan novels. Let me tell you, I have been reading Chrisine Feehan novels since the beginning.

Lyric is introverted, socially anxious, uncomfortable with eye contact and often she exhibited overwhelm when forced into large social situations with constant stimulation. I liked the fact that despite these characteristics she was not portrayed as weak or lacking.

I would say that instead she was portrayed as a quiet resilient woman and that throughout the novel this was her greatest strength. She was able to repeatedly step into frightening situations despite living with anxiety simply due to this resilience. It made her character feel much more relatable to me and authentically human.

The MMC: Lazar “Keys” Alexeev
I would say that Keys is everything that readers have come to expect from a Torpedo Ink hero. He is dangerous, protective, violent when necessary and completely confused the moment Lyric enters his life.

Unlike a lot of possessive MC heroes, I would say that Keys spends a lot of the novel question why he feels so intensely connected to Lyric especially when she is so far outside his comfort zone. I enjoyed reading as he slowly realized that being vulnerable, letting someone isn’t a weakness and that he can have that for himself.

The Chemistry Check: Keys & Lyric Together
I felt that this relationship worked exceptionally well for me. They balanced each other, had amazing intimacy and great chemistry. The trauma bonding via being buried alive together established a trust immediately between the two that can only be achieved through this shared event. The physical connection and chemistry never overshadowed the connection and the development of the relationship which is key for me when reading a novel like this.

The Author’s Pen
As I always come to expect from Christine Feehan, the writing is immersive and cinematic. She excels at creating tension while allowing readers inside the emotional struggles of both protagonists. Her descriptions remain vivid without becoming overly flowery, and as a longtime Torpedo Ink reader I appreciate how seamlessly familiar characters remain woven throughout the story.

The pacing balances action, suspense, romance, and quieter emotional moments remarkably well. Every action sequence pushes both the external danger and the emotional high stakes forward.

The Dopamine Hits:
✔️ Excellent opening that immediately hooks the reader.
✔️ Strong emotional chemistry between the leads.
✔️ Lyric is an incredibly likable heroine.
✔️ Keys has fantastic emotional growth.
✔️ Great balance between romance and suspense.
✔️ The Torpedo Ink family dynamic continues to be one of the best aspects of the series.
✔️ High emotional payoff.

The Dopamine Deficits:
• Some internal monologues become repetitive, particularly regarding Keys questioning his feelings.
• Readers unfamiliar with Torpedo Ink may occasionally feel like they're missing background information about secondary characters.
• Some action scenes move quickly enough that I occasionally wished they had lingered just a bit longer before transitioning back into romance.

Before You Add It to Your TBR:
Although each Torpedo Ink novel follows a different couple, this series is heavily interconnected. New readers can certainly enjoy Twisted Road, but longtime fans will appreciate many of the recurring relationships and character growth even more.
This is also a considerably darker romance than the bright cover colors might initially suggest. Childhood trauma, violence, organized crime, and psychological healing remain central themes throughout the series.

The Neurospicy Perspective:
Lyric was the standout character for me due to her neurodivergent characteristics and perspective.

Her discomfort with prolonged eye contact, tendency toward sensory and social overwhelm, and preference for quieter interactions may resonate with many neurodivergent readers.

What I appreciated most is that these traits are never portrayed as flaws to be "fixed." Instead, Keys accepts Lyric exactly as she is, learning how she communicates and recognizing that her quieter demeanor doesn't diminish her strength. It was saddening to read about her being rejected by her family but also extremely common with many neurodivergent people later in life due to differences and inability to accept them.

The broader theme of finding people who accept your authentic self rather than expecting you to mask hit home. Much like many neurodivergent individuals, several Torpedo Ink members carry deep emotional scars and struggle with believing they're "too broken" to deserve love. Watching these characters slowly build trust and create a family where they can exist without pretending felt incredibly rewarding. It was inspiring as well because neurodivergent readers need to be reminded that they can find that it is possible.

That message i.e. that healing doesn't require becoming someone else, only finding people who love the real you is one of the novel's strongest emotional takeaway.

The Bottom Line:
Twisted Road delivers exactly what readers have come to expect from Christine Feehan: dangerous bikers, explosive action, emotionally scarred characters, found family, and an intensely protective romance wrapped inside a suspense-filled story.

While not my favorite Torpedo Ink installment overall, it is certainly one of the stronger recent entries thanks to Lyric's wonderfully written character and the believable emotional progression between her and Keys.

Diagnosis: Acute Motorcycle Book Hangover with recurrent emotional damage... and an inexplicable urge to join a biker family that would absolutely tell me to stop overpacking my saddlebags.
Until Next Time…

Until next time… stay delightfully neurospicy, stay hydrated, and may your fictional husbands always remember where they left their boots…even if they forget everything else.

- Dr. Neurospicy, MD
The Neurospicy After Dark Archive Curator

Disclaimer: Thank you to Christine Feehan and the publisher for providing me with an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of Twisted Game (Torpedo Ink #10). I am leaving this review voluntarily and received no incentive or compensation to do so. Receiving an ARC did not influence my opinions either. As always, every thought, emotional breakdown, happy sigh, and rating expressed here is entirely my own.

[Books Data]

Twisted Road by Christine Feehan continues the dark, emotional, and action-filled world of the Torpedo Ink series, focusing on the lives of people who survived brutal abuse and built a family out of loyalty, love, and shared trauma. The book centers on a romance shaped by danger, mistrust, and deep emotional scars, while also expanding the larger story of the Torpedo Ink motorcycle club and the many threats surrounding its members. As with the rest of the series, the novel blends suspense, healing, passion, and violence, showing how people who have lived through terrible experiences can still fight for connection and peace.

The story follows two people who are carrying heavy emotional burdens and are not easily able to trust anyone, even themselves. Their relationship develops in a world where every feeling is intensified by survival instincts. For characters like these, love is not simple or safe; it is tied to fear, memory, control, and the risk of being hurt again. Feehan builds the romance slowly, letting the emotional tension grow alongside the physical danger. The attraction between the leads is immediate, but the real challenge is whether they can believe they deserve something healthier than the chaos they have always known. That struggle gives the story its heart, because the book is not only about falling in love but also about learning how to survive love after trauma.

The Torpedo Ink crew remain central to the story, and their presence gives the novel both toughness and warmth. They are a group of men and women who function like a family, but not a conventional one. Their bond is based on shared pain, fierce protectiveness, and absolute loyalty. They are capable of frightening violence, but they are also capable of great tenderness with one another. In *Twisted Road*, that group dynamic matters as much as the central romance. The club provides support, backup, and a sense of belonging that the characters often cannot find anywhere else. Feehan uses the group to show how people who have been damaged by the world can create a private code of honor and care that holds them together.

The plot includes the kind of external threat readers expect from the Torpedo Ink world. There are enemies, hidden dangers, criminal elements, and people who would like to destroy the club or exploit its weaknesses. The suspense is constant, with the sense that violence could erupt at any moment. The characters are forced to stay alert, think strategically, and rely on each other’s skills to survive. This action-heavy structure keeps the story moving, but it also serves a deeper purpose. The danger outside the characters mirrors the danger they have already lived through inside themselves. In that sense, the external conflict becomes a reflection of their internal wounds.

One of the most important themes in the book is healing. Feehan does not present recovery as easy or neat. Instead, healing is shown as messy, uneven, and often painful. The characters are not simply “fixed” by love; they are changed by being seen, accepted, and protected. Small acts of trust matter. So do patience, honesty, and repeated reassurance. The romance becomes a space where both leads can begin to imagine a future that is not ruled by abuse or survival alone. Their relationship is intense and deeply physical, but it is also emotional and protective, built on the idea that someone can be both strong and safe at the same time.

The title *Twisted Road* reflects the shape of the story well. The characters have taken complicated, damaged paths to get where they are, and nothing in their lives has been straightforward. Their histories are full of loss, betrayal, and violence, and the road ahead is still uncertain. But the book suggests that even twisted paths can lead somewhere meaningful. The journey matters as much as the destination. Feehan uses this idea to emphasize that the characters’ pasts do not define their worth; instead, the choices they make now—toward loyalty, honesty, and love—shape what kind of life they can build next.

There is also a strong sense of sensuality in the novel, which is a hallmark of Christine Feehan’s style. The romantic and physical connection between the main characters is described with intensity, but it is always tied to emotional vulnerability. Desire is not separated from trust. The intimacy in the book serves as another way the characters communicate what they cannot yet say out loud. For readers, this adds urgency and emotional weight to the romance, because the closeness between the leads feels hard-won rather than casual. In a world where so much has been taken from them, choosing closeness becomes an act of courage.

The supporting characters add depth to the story and help build the broader emotional landscape of the series. Their loyalty, banter, and protective instincts create moments of relief amid the tension. At the same time, each member of the club carries their own scars and secrets, reminding the reader that this is a community of survivors, not perfect heroes. Their relationships are often complicated, but they are also genuine. That complexity makes the series feel alive, because no one is reduced to a simple role. Everyone has history, pain, and a reason to fight for the people they love.

By the end of *Twisted Road*, the novel delivers both emotional resolution and the promise of more danger to come. The central couple move closer to trust and commitment, even if their healing is still ongoing. The larger threats surrounding the club are confronted, but not in a way that makes the world suddenly safe. That balance is typical of Feehan’s storytelling: the characters may win a battle, but they are still living in a harsh world that demands vigilance. What they gain, however, is something more lasting than safety alone. They gain connection, purpose, and the possibility of peace.

Overall, Twisted Road is a gritty, passionate, and emotionally charged romance that combines suspense, family loyalty, and trauma recovery. It speaks to readers who enjoy dark contemporary romance with protective heroes, strong emotional stakes, and a powerful sense of found family. Beneath the violence and intensity, the book’s core message is hopeful: even the most twisted road can still lead toward love, belonging, and a future worth fighting for.

[DJ]

TWISTED PASTS, TRUE LOVE, AND TORPEDO INK MAYHEM!

I have missed Christine Feehan and her Torpedo Ink series. It has been two years since the release of Betrayal Road, book nine of her paranormal motorcycle-club romance series, so the arrival of Twisted Road was eagerly anticipated.

I am happy to report that Feehan did not disappoint.

Book ten is packed with everything readers have come to expect from Feehan's unique brand of magic: a flawed hero hiding a heart of gold beneath his bad-boy persona, a heroine who sees past the mask to the man underneath, pulse-pounding suspense, and enough twists and turns to make you feel like you're riding a roller coaster at Coney Island.

Hold on to your hats—Feehan is on a roll with this one!

Feehan's character development remains unsurpassed. The members of Torpedo Ink are all survivors of unimaginable abuse and torture at Sorbacov's brutal Russian "school." With each installment, Feehan reveals new emotional scars left behind by those horrific years and explores how those wounds continue to affect the survivors' lives and relationships.

In Twisted Road, Keys is no exception. His response to his trauma—becoming a player with little regard for women—makes him difficult to understand and even harder to sympathize with at first. But Feehan slowly peels back the layers of his pain, revealing the frightened, damaged boy hidden beneath the swagger. As Keys recognizes a kindred spirit in Lyric, he begins to believe that true love might exist even for someone he considers a "monster."

That realization leads to an equally important epiphany: he owes his brothers' women an apology for all the terrible relationship advice he has dispensed over the years.

I cried for the little boy who grew up believing love was a fantasy. And I cheered for the man who finally realized that being human means being flawed—and that our flaws do not have to define us.

And Lyric?

Feehan shines once again as she tackles the topic of neurodivergence with compassion and authenticity. Lyric struggles with social cues, physical touch, and fitting into a world that often makes little sense to her. Yet Feehan never portrays her as broken. Instead, Lyric is intelligent, resilient, and wonderfully unique.

What fascinates Keys is that Lyric only drops the mask she wears for everyone else when she is with him. For perhaps the first time in either of their lives, someone truly sees them. Lyric recognizes the man beneath Keys' carefully crafted persona—and, unlike everyone else, she is perfectly willing to call him on his BS when necessary.

Together, they are a perfect match.

Feehan does a magnificent job of showing why Keys and Lyric belong together, and like the other women of Torpedo Ink, Lyric proves that surviving hardship does not make a person damaged—it makes them strong.

The action explodes from page one and never lets up. Twisted Road is another captivating read that will keep you up long past your bedtime as Keys and Lyric fight to survive kidnapping, attempted murder, and one disaster after another. An incredible escape forces Keys to unleash the monster he works so hard to keep hidden, setting off a chain reaction of danger that had me holding my breath more than once.

Meanwhile, Feehan delivers her trademark mystery. The suspect list is long, tangled, and deliberately confusing. Red herrings, plausible motives, and multiple potential villains send readers down one twisting path after another before the truth is finally revealed.

And trust me—you won't see it coming.

After two years away from Torpedo Ink, Christine Feehan returns with a story that is thrilling, emotional, and impossible to put down. Twisted Road reminds us that even the most twisted paths can lead us exactly where we belong.

[LizReads.Late]

Synopsis:
To all who know him, Keys is a womanizer with no intentions of settling down. However, when he wakes up trapped in a coffin with Lyric—the woman he has been secretly stalking for weeks—he begins to realize she might be the one to change his ways. Lyric has been running from her past, and it seems it has finally caught up with her. While fighting for their lives, Keys must convince her to stop running and start fighting for a future together.
Review:
As a long-time fan of this author, I was eager to dive into this latest installment. This series is known for its "burn-down-the-world" possessive male leads and interconnected plots. While these are standalone romances, the cameos from previous characters are a highlight, and I would highly recommend reading the series in order to fully appreciate the world-building.
The author excels at jumping straight into the action. The story is fast-paced, and I appreciated that the main characters already had a foundation of friendship. The narrative effectively sprinkles in details of their history without needing to dedicate the entire beginning of the book to it. However, I struggled more with the male lead in this book than in previous novels. While the "morally gray" archetype is a staple of the series, some of the character dynamics felt more abrasive than romantic.
What I Liked:
- Pacing and Structure: The story starts in the middle of the relationship’s development, which keeps the momentum high from the first page.
- Character Cameos: Seeing previous leads was the highlight of the book for me and made me nostalgic for their specific stories. Probably going to re-read my favorites.
- Emotional Conflict: The moments of betrayal and heartache—specifically when other characters were testing Lyric’s fit for Keys—were highly effective and emotionally resonant.
- Neurodivergent Representation: The FMC’s neurodivergent traits were a notable and appreciated addition to the character dynamic.
What I Didn't Like:
- Character Behavior: I found it difficult to connect with Keys. The constant emphasis on his history as a womanizer felt heavy-handed and unrealistic for the setting. Additionally, his tendency to blame poor behavior on a "monster" persona felt like a way to avoid accountability.
- Consent and Tone: There were moments where the language leaned closer to abusive behavior than romantic tension. I would have liked to see more explicit signals of consent earlier in the book.
- Contradictions: There were several inconsistencies in Keys' characterization regarding his past and his preferences that made his growth feel less cohesive and abrupt.
- Lack of Context: I expected a deeper exploration of his specific trauma to help justify his distrustful and occasionally misogynistic worldview, but this wasn't fully delivered, making him harder to sympathize with.
Final Verdict:
For dedicated fans of the series, this book offers the usual high-stakes possessiveness and familiar faces that we’ve come to appreciate. While the spice levels are consistent with previous books and the kinks are more mainstream than in the most recent installments, the lead character’s behavior may be polarizing.
I would not recommend this as a starting point for those new to the series. However, if you already love this author’s world, it is worth the read for the cameos and the fast-paced plot. I would suggest newcomers start with the earlier books for a more balanced introduction to these types of heroes.

***I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.***

[Sandy S]

TWISTED ROAD is the tenth instalment in Christine Feehan’s contemporary, adult TORPEDO INK erotic, slightly paranormal, romance series focusing on the members of the MC Torpedo Ink. The Torpedo Ink series is a spin-off from the author’s Sea Haven series but you do not have to have read the original series to understand or follow Torpedo Ink. This is Lazar ‘Keys’ Alexeev, and hair stylist Lyric Johansen’s story line. TWISTED ROAD can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary

NOTE: Most of the characters including Torpedo Ink club president Victor ‘Czar’ Prakenski, were first introduced in the final instalment of the author’s Sea Haven Series BOUND TOGETHER.

WARNING: BETRAYAL ROAD contains graphic reflections of , and makes reference to violence, rape, murder, torture, child prostitution, human trafficking and abuse against children, women and men, and may not be suitable for more sensitive readers. The violence is a part of the history and lives of the Torpedo Ink crews. The eighteen (plus one) original Torpedo Ink members are the sole survivors of a one particular Russian pedophile ring, and as such work towards rescuing children, women and men in similar situations.

SOME BACKGROUND: At the age of ten years old, Victor ‘Czar’ Prakenski set about to save and rescue over three hundred children from a Russian child sex-slave operation but in the end only eighteen survived. The Torpedo Ink series focuses on the survivors: their stories, their history, and their happily ever afters.

Told from dual omniscient third person perspectives (Keys and Lyric) TWISTED ROAD follows Keys as he finds himself, along with Lyric Johansen in an impossible situation. Trapped and imprisoned, our couple must fight their way to freedom wherein the members of Torpedo Ink set up a search and rescue for our story line couple but Like any and all newcomers, the fear of the unknown places Lyric in the proverbial hotseat, wherein she will find herself at the mercy of the members of the Torpedo Ink MC. All is not well in the small town of Caspar where the Torpedo Ink MC have laid claim as their own, a human trafficking ring is taking aim at members of several surrounding local MCs, and Torpedo Ink has been targeted.

The world building focuses on betrayal and obsession as the members of the Torpedo Ink strive to save the people they love, and the townsfolk they have sworn to protect. Lyric Johansen reveals a haunting past mired in abuse and tragedy, as she struggles to trust the man with whom she is falling in love.

The relationship between Keys and Lyric is one of a power imbalance. Like all of CF’s men, Keys is an alpha male, pushy and controlling but a man who has proclaimed himself guardian and protector of our story line heroine. Lyric had watched from afar as Keys flaunted his sexual prowess, and she must now come to terms with a possible future tied to Lazar ‘Keys’ Alexeev. The $ex scenes are aggressive, intense and provocative.

Once again, there is a large ensemble cast of familiar, resilient, vulnerable and tragic secondary and supporting characters including the members of the Torpedo Ink MC, and the author’s interconnected series including Sheriff Jonas Harrington and his wife Hannah.

TWISTED ROAD is a story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, family and survival, relationships and love. The character driven premise is detailed, dramatic and edgy; the romance is fated and impassioned; the diverse cast of characters are broken, animated, and inspiring.

copy supplied for review

[Mary Kirkland]

Keys and Lyric wake up in a pine box after getting knocked out by some bad guys. Keys has been undercover in Lyrics small town for a few months and they have gotten to know one another a bit. But waking up in a box on their way to be slaughtered is not a good day.

Keys knows he can get them out alive but first he has to calm her down from having a panic attack which isn't easy since he's just found out she's claustrophobic. He gets through to her, tells her to act unconscious and he'll do the rest. It almost works but she's not known for her ability to take orders and sit idlily by when she thinks she could help.

Now the bad guys are dead, another bad guy is waiting for confirmation of their death, they're both hurt and Keys has no way to get ahold of his motorcycle club members to help them. But his club, Torpedo Ink does come for them when he can get word to them. Afterwards when the wounds are healed and Key and Lyric have time to themselves, they come to realize that they don't want to go back to being alone and want to make a life together but Lyric doesn't know if she'll be enough for him, to stay with her in the long run. It was fun watching these two learn how they fit together, even if Keys was way too bossy for my taste.

Keys makes it a point to show Lyric and tell her that he doesn't want to live without her. The first meeting with some of the other members of Torpedo Ink, doesn't go as well as Keys was hoping because the guys don't think Lyric is the kind of woman that Keys would end up with if he ever claimed one woman. There's some misunderstandings and then when Lyric meets Czar, their leader he can see that both Keys and Lyric are meant to be together. All of the members of Torpedo Ink have special supernatural type gifts. Steele is a doctor and can surgically repair injuries psychically. Someone else in the group is a human lie detector and Czar knows instantly if two people are meant for each other. They all have their own gifts in that way.

But the guys are all like family because they all went through something truly horrible as children. It made them killers, killers who go after human traffickers and pedophiles. Czar thinks that there's a human trafficking ring operating from the town that Lyric was living in when she met Keys. So, Czar and some of the others question her about what she saw and heard while she lived there. While she's not comfortable, she does her best to answer them. They know they have to go after the human traffickers and save whatever women and children they might have kidnapped.

While I liked the storyline quite a bit and loved being able to see what some of the other characters have been up to, Keys is over the top bossy and pushy in what he wants to do with Lyric. She goes along with him because she wants to please him which sat wrong with me on more than one occasion. I didn't love his characters the way I loved some of the others, but it was a nice addition to the series.

Twisted Road is the 10th book in the Torpedo Ink series by Christine Feehan. I've read all the books and they are best read in order to understand what the members have gone through since they were children. There's a lot of talk of murder, revenge and sex in these books. But these are not bad people, they spend their lives saving people when they can.

Disclosure: I was given an e-ARC of this book via NetGalley but all opinions and thoughts are my own.

[Hollollolly]

Twisted Road is a dub con paranormal motorcycle club story. It carries themes of found family and is not quite fated mates, but does seem to have elements of it. Though I found the story repetitive, and book over book repetitive, I did enjoy the neurodivergent diversity. Sections become skimmable if you’re reading through the series because there is so much recap. Twisted Road reads like every other Christine Feehan book. If you like those, you will like this.

We jump right in the action and are playing catch up with the characters right off the bat. MMC Keys and FMC Lyric are short term friends to lovers and I wish we had gotten to see part of the friendship instead of being thrown right into him convincing us they belong together. I wasn’t really rooting for them yet because I didn’t know anything about them.

I also struggled to connect with Keys. He’s misogynistic as only a white motorcycle club man can be. He doesn’t want to commit but doesn’t want her to do her own thing, Lyric doesn’t even want him, yet he keeps pushing the issue. Said he wouldn’t force a marriage proposal and then forced her to do everything but legally marry him. Demanding lots of sex and loyalty when she already said nah. Less dark romance vibes more misogynist romance. Requires a specific type of femininity. IE do as I say, I want full control, rules like no swearing and punishments to match. All elements of submissive/master relationship but none of the consent. The spicy scenes seemed a little vanilla for the FMC to be so immediately dickmatized, even with her being a virgin…until he starts blowing past boundaries and the orgies hit. He kinda took advantage of her with some dub-con, but he’s a psychic in an MC so what would you expect. Thanks to NetGalley I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Spoilers! Below are the tags I included in my personal tracking that other readers may find relevant: anal, California, contemporary, dark, fmc-lyric, friends to lovers, interseries, mental health, mmc-keys, motorcycle club, paranormal, sexual assault, spanking, toys, virgin

Fiction, contemporary, crime, romance, dark, emotional, fast paced
Plot or Character Driven: character
Strong character development: no
Lovable characters: no
Diverse cast of characters: somewhat
Flaws of characters a main focus: yes
Prior reading required: A lot of the book is recapping the other characters stories, so you don’t necessarily need to have read the prior books, but it will help a lot. This is book ten and the series is a spinoff of a spinoff series. I have read a handful of prior books in this series and was able to follow along, but if you’ve read only this it might be too deep in the series to follow fully.

[ALR]

I’m excited to say that the Torpedo Ink series is back everyone and book 10 in this series does not disappoint! Keys and Lyric are not what you’d expect given their opposite natures, but as you know opposites attract.
Keys is a playboy with no plans on finds his ¨one.¨ Growing up in unimaginable circumstances has left him jaded about women and focused on the MC family and their missions but even though he’s used to following orders and keeping his missions separate from his ¨regular¨ life there is something about Lyric that keeps Keys coming back for more. He becomes obsessed with making her ¨his,¨ which is something he never expected to want for himself. It has him reevaluating his life, wanting to be the one that Lyric can depend on and willing to work at it, which is nice.
Lyric is more timid and shy, and used to being on her own, her own insecurities having her never imaging that she’d find someone for herself, yet her neurodivergence nature lets some of Keys ¨alpha male¨ vibes flourish. Don´t get me wrong, Lyric is far from being a limp noodle yet her gentleness seems to settle some of the more harsh tendencies Keys has and she seems to understands him better than anyone else, giving him the space he needs when letting his inner darkness emerge but also taming it at the same time.
Like many of the other MC members stories, Keys and Lyrics relationship has a high amount of spice (4/5), yet it is softer than some of the other MC brothers. My only complaint is Keys more than some of the other Torpedo Ink members, at time seems to override some of Lyric´s concerns. Yes, she seems okay with it in the end but at times it is a bit more heavy handed than I typically like. Still, I am so happy that we’re getting more stories from the Torpedo Ink family.
Those familiar with the series will be happy to see many familiar faces, even those outside of the Torpedo Ink MC. There are some overlapping story lines that are enhanced by reading the other books in the series, but you it has its own intrigue and action aspects that mean you can read it on its own and still enjoy it.
I received an advance review of this book from NetGalley and I am voluntarily leaving this review.

[Sandy Kelly]

This is book 10 in the Torpedo Ink series, and I would absolutely read the previous books before this one just so you understand the relationships between all the members. We finally get Keys story!! When Czar shut down Lazar “Keys” Alexeev’s undercover mission, that should have been the end of the story. Instead, Keys is back in the middle of a nowhere town where a petite redhead with a pouty mouth and a ready smile drives him to distraction. He’s not sure why he’s breaking all of Torpedo Ink’s rules to spend more time around a woman who’s not even his type. He can’t get her out of his head—and now he’s facing the consequences. Lyric Johansen doesn’t like to look anyone in the eyes, but Keys’s gaze is the one thing keeping her from a full-on panic attack. Her instinct to charge into the fray and help the biker fend off a group of vicious thugs has led to the most insane situation she’s ever been trapped in a coffin with a man she barely knows, minutes away from a painful death. Survival means staying focused. But when Keys kisses Lyric to snap her out of losing it, he’s the one who ends up falling apart. He’ll need to unleash hell to get them out alive. If only to get another taste….

I absolutely loved most of this book! I have been impatient for Keys story for quite a while, and it did not disappoint! He, of course, has a lot of the same issues that his brothers and sisters have due to their childhood. But, he also realizes pretty quickly what he truly needs to make him happy. And it's Lyric. I absolutely loved Lyric! She has been through so much in her short life, but she still manages to push forward. They have insane chemistry together, but they also truly just talk to each other. And when she tells Keys something, and he understands that she needs it, he does whatever is necessary to make sure she is good. I loved that about him!! I love how even with her own issues, she doesn't hesitate to push back when needed. Especially against the brothers. The part I really didn't like? I felt like his brothers didn't have his back at first. And I hated that for him. They are supposed to be his family through everything, and it didn't feel that way at first. Thankfully, that changed! Otherwise...I loved it and really, really hope this series continues!

[Dusty]

Christine Feehan's Twisted Road, the latest book in the Torpedo Ink series, opens up with a bang and I was all here for it. Main characters Lyric and Keys wake up in a coffin on the back of the truck (headed towards a very bad fate if they do not escape), and readers have to progressively go back and learn how they got to that point in the first place. That delivers more suspense, twists and turns, and an even bigger network of interconnected bad guys as the club continues to work to unravel the Ghosts and work their way towards finding 'the Russian'.

All of the members of the club have scars (both physical and mental) from their time in Sorbacov's 'school', and Keys is no different. He comes across as wearing a mask most of the time to protect himself, and while he's seen many of his brothers find their people he didn't believe it was something worth pursuing for himself until he met Lyric.

I really liked Lyric's character. This is the first time that I can recall in any of Christine Feehan's books that she has had a neurodivergent character as a lead. Lyric has learned to be on her own after her family made her feel broken for the way that her brain works (i.e. she doesn't recognize social cues unless someone explains it to her). I appreciated how fiercely Keys fought to remind Lyric that she wasn't broken, that he worked with her differences instead of against them, and that in a way their jagged puzzle pieces fit together.

Overall, this was an excellent book and I'm hopeful that the publisher will continue to allow her to write more. I really want to see Lana and Alena find love in the future, and I really want to see Pierce from the Diamondbacks finally receive the retaliation for all the hurt he caused Alena. This is a paranormal romance with adult themes, so not recommended for anyone under 18 in my opinion. While you could read the books out of order or individually and still follow the story, I do recomend reading the series in order for the best experience (and the most details on things like what the Ghosts are doing, and how long Torpedo Ink has been working to shut them down).

[Nancy Wood]

*I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Some spoilers below:

Twisted Road is a moody, character-driven entry in the Torpedo Ink series that leans heavily into emotional and physical trauma, healing, and the complicated bonds of found family. Christine Feehan delivers exactly what her longtime readers expect—intense romance layered with danger and graphic sex scenes.

The story centres on Lazar "Keys" Alexeev and Lyric Johansen, two deeply scarred individuals whose connection unfolds quickly and with volatility. Feehan starts the novel with a brutal kidnapping, murders for revenge and the relationship builds improbably from there.

One of the novel’s strongest elements is its exploration of trauma. Keys is a serial womanizer who never sleeps with the same woman twice. Lyric is neurodivergent and feels uneasy about her social skills. As a result she is a runner, who doesn't ever stay in one place for long. With her many quirks she never feels like she belongs. Both of them carry significant psychological wounds, and Feehan doesn’t gloss over the impact—sometimes to a fault. There is a focus on past abuse and recovery which can get repetitive. Still, there’s a sincerity in how healing is portrayed: messy, nonlinear, and deeply dependent on connection with others.

The Torpedo Ink brotherhood's loyalty and protectiveness add tension and warmth, though readers new to the series may want to read some of the other books in the series which set out the established dynamics. I was surprised that Keys doesn't play music once during the book, although that's kind of what he's known for. The suspense plot takes a backseat to the emotional arcs, which may disappoint those expecting a more balanced thriller-romance blend.

Overall, Twisted Road will resonate most with readers who appreciate intense, trauma-focused romance and are already invested in the Torpedo Ink world, though newcomers should be prepared for fairly graphic and kinky sex scenes.

[Maureen Gianinio]

Now's Keys turn in to share the twisted fate he faced in Sorbacov’s School, his role in Czar’s chosen to deliver their karma. How it shaped him and the way he saw himself and people. Trying to Live Free, but shaped to still hunt and need to protect the victims of trafficking and innocents… he's pulled from a mission that won't give him anything but questions. It also led him to experience the friendship Lyric seems to bring him, a new experience of trust… but how open can he be, can he trust her beyond the fear of betrayal and rejection vulnerability can bring.

Both wear masks. I love the  journey as they share who they are, see the reality and come to love each other even more, as both have to decide to accept and understand the reasons for them and choose the honesty, trust to take them off, the desire for a relationship to be together without them. Finding someone who you trust not only to see the real you and find they accept you but also sees the best in you can be not only uplifting but also disconcerting! Are they willing to do what’s necessary to live free, be all in?

Of course, this takes place woven through dangerous life-threatening edge-of-seat moments. Ones where Masks are worn, Keys gladly let’s his monster out and vengeance and justice are delivered. Be it delivered for missions or Lyrics shadows, TI is facing many antagonists some from past paths, some current paths and reader can tell they’ve paved dangerous paths to come… are these all separate antagonists different paths or all connected  to form one Twisted Road?

As Lyric finds her place with Keys, the Torpedo Ink family and others, we get to see growth and slight stumbles by these brothers and sisters trying to find their new reality and still act to protect themselves and each other’s backs, finding it hard to trust they are safe. That happiness is in the way you choose it. But steps forward and back are part of life  and endear them to me more, can't wait to see what comes next…where the Road takes them!