Twisted Bargain

Underworld Kings #16

by Alexandria Bishop

I’ve been cleaning up after my father for most of my life. Between his drug and gambling addictions, it seems like whatever I do, we’re always drowning. Until he does the unforgivable.

Trading me to the tortured billionaire in our small town. His debts are erased and I have to do whatever Marco Blackstone demands. I should have run screaming when the first task he gave me was to clean the blood stains from his expensive five piece suit.

When I overhear a conversation I shouldn’t, our bargain becomes even more twisted when Marco fakes an engagement to save my life. And I become even more trapped in this world I never wanted any part of.

I don’t know who I can trust. But I’m running out of time when my fake engagement turns into anything but and I just might have to say “I Do,” for real.

Genres: Dark Romance, Romance, Mafia Romance, Contemporary Romance, Dark, Forced Proximity, Enemies To Lovers

236 pages, Paperback

Published November 15, 2021

About the author

Born on a small southeastern island in Alaska and raised in southern Oregon, Alexandria Bishop is a PNW girl at heart. By day, she goes to battle with a tiny dictator aka her toddler and by night, she can be found typing ALL the words of her contemporary romance novels accompanied by a glass of wine or two ;)

When she’s not in mommy or author mode, she can be found drinking copious amounts of cold brew coffee, bingeing her latest obsession on Netflix, or attending concerts of her favorite pop-punk bands.

Reviews

[Jenn (The Book Refuge) · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thank you to Give Me Books PR & the author for an ARC of this title.*

This book was a nice surprise. I really enjoyed meeting the characters and getting a sample of this authors writing. This was my first book by Alexandria Bishop and I would very much be willing to read more of hers.

I liked the kind of Pretty Woman fake dating vibe I was getting from it but with a Beauty and the Beast twist. Her father owns a debt and Marco pays it and now she owns him her time and service. She moves into his home to clean but when she overhears a conversation she should not have, they become "fake engaged" very soon after. The chemistry between them is off the charts and things just keep escalating between them. It was very steamy and a quick read.

I was a bit confused by some of the set up for this world and the people we were dealing with. I think this may connect with other books the author has written, so I may need to look into those.

Over all, this was a fun, quick, spicy little read and a great entry to the Underworld Kings.

4/5 stars

[Intel Chicky Reads Romance (Kara Merideth) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Trope: Fake relationship
Angst: 😰😰
Smexy: 🔥🔥🔥

Twisted Bargain is by Alexandria Bishop and part of the multi-author, Underworld Kings series. It can be read as a standalone and is told in person with dual POV. This was my first book by this author. I REALLY enjoyed the way this book started out. I liked the heroine, I liked how independent and capable she was... it's just that she seemed to undergo a personality change in the book. I ended up having a hard time finishing after really enjoying the beginning. The storyline was great, but the pacing just felt wonky.

[PP's Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twisted Bargain by Alexandria Bishop was a fast paced, action packed and super steamy romance. The story had so many twists and the chemistry was insane. Marco and Ariana had a rollercoaster ride for sure and I am here for all the dirty, sexy, swoony and suspenseful details.
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Ariana has been cleaning up after her father whole life. Her father is an addict and has issues with gambling and he gathers debt faster than she can pay by stretching herself thin with her poorly paying jobs. Now her father has stuck a deal with Marco Blackstone. A powerful and dangerous man in Falls Creek. She has to work for him and stay at his mansion. But Marco and Ariana has a twisted attraction between them instantly. And Marco has secrets. Will Ariana hurt herself or find love of her life?
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The story is told from Ariana's pov and I loved it. This girl is a fighter. She keeps it real. She has a beautiful heart. She never stopped caring for her father even when he couldn't take care of her. In Marco's house, she always kept reminding herself that she is here to pay the debt and nothing else. Her fierceness is admirable! Marco has an all consuming personality. His presence is like a storm. He is gorgeous and alpha extraordinaire. He wants to hurt Ariana for pleasure, to ruin her but also wants to protect her and cherish her. He wants Ariana but he knows its not right. So he resisted like Ariana did. But their connection was electrifying and there was no escaping it. It was so deliciously dirty! And the story was like a puzzle that the author delivered in pieces. I loved the mystery as it kept me engaged till the last page. Last few chapters were heartstopping.
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I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

[Sarah DeLong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ariana and Marco's story in Twisted Bargain was all-consuming! Intense, heart-stopping and extremely arousing in places, this was a super quick read for me. I couldn't put it down and I loved every single word.

[Natalia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book looks like a homework made last notice!
All the cheesy mafia cliché mix together.

*poor girl working 2 jobs to pay father debts ✔️
*girl working for the sexy boss and drooling all over him ✔️
*sexy boss insta lust the special poor girl ✔️
*sex ✔️
*OW drama from other girl that pretended to be a friend but just wanted the sexy boss ✔️
*girl almost got shot but sexy boss pretends they are engaged ✔️
*sex ✔️
*pretty women makeover moment ✔️
* More Ow drama ✔️
*sex ✔️
*h is kidnapped, bad guy confessed all his crimes just before the H rescue the h and kills the bad guy ✔️

Just lazy and unimaginative...

[Claudia |✨Cushin Violeta's Bookish Realm✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Sensual, Mind-Twisting steamy ride ahead 😍😍

THIS ONE IS A FREAKING PAGE TURNER, WHERE I JUST COULDN'T GET ENOUGH OF MARCO AND ARIANA FROM PAGE 1. THEY WILL TEASE AND CHARM YOU AND WILL KEEP YOU GUESSING AND AT THE SAME TIME ENTRANCED IN THEIR WORLD.

Ahhh.. I ABSO-FREAKING-LUTELY loved this story. I felt for Ariana as she is a hard working girl but a dealt a bad hand by fate. Always taking care of her father and paying the bills and never doing anything for herself.

Then it all changes one day when she realises that now even her life doesn't belong to her.

Now working for the mysterious Mr. Marco Blackstone, thinking he would be some old guy with lots of money and ego.
She couldn't believe that the handsome guy who she didn't take a lift from was the very owner of her now.

But Mr. Blackstone was nothing like the rumours are and not only Ariana but I too was intrigued by this man who acted hod and then cold but also did little things that showed he cared.

AHH. The build-up, the Chemistry between these was mesmerizing, alluring and together they definitely lit my kindle on fire. 🌶️🌶️🔥🔥🔥

I freaking loved Marco Blackstone. He's an enigma but a delicious and charming enigma for sure.

Then... That freaking twist from left field left me like what 😲😲. When you realise how it all connects, I definitely didn't see that coming.

Engrossing, Steamy and a freaking page Turner was what is this awesome beauty. Loved freaking loved this one. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author to review for Stephanie's Book Reports.

I've been cleaning up after my father for most of my life. Between his drug and gambling addictions, it seems like whatever I do, we're always drowning. Until he does the unforgivable. Trading me to the tortured billionaire in our small town. His debts are erased and I have to do whatever Marco Blackstone demands. I should have run screaming when the first task he gave me was to clean the blood stains from his expensive five piece suit. When I overhear a conversation I shouldn't, our bargain becomes even more twisted when Marco fakes and engagement to save my life. And I become even more trapped in his world I never wanted any part of. I don't know who I can trust. But I'm running out of time when my fake engagement turns into anything but and I just might have to say "I Do" for real.

This is another good read in the Underworld Kings series. This one is about Ariana and Marco. She has a father that is just a pain in the butt and does horrible things so she hasn't had a good life at all. Arian has been cleaning up after him for her whole entire life from his addiction to his gambling the man is way over his head in debt. Ariana is running herself ragged trying to keep up with what and who he owes. Now though her father has struck a deal with Marco who is the most powerful and dangerous man in Falls Creek. Ariana finds herself having to go to work for him and stay in his mansion and what she sees and here's is things she never expected in her life. But can what you don't expect lead you to the love or your life or down a dead end street. You have to read to find out. I thought this was a good book. It is a fast read but it didn't feel like I would have been at all.

[Jennifer Pierson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twisted Bargain is another exciting addition to the Underworld Kings world that drew me in again. I'm pretty new to the Alexandria Bishop world, and I plan to make sure I stay in it permanently. I'm all about the dark & twisty hero,but I'm not going to lie, Marco really pissed me off with the way he was so mean to Ariana because it wasn't her fault her father was a terrible man when it came to her. See, he doesn't take care of them, Ariana takes care of him working her fingers to the bone at awful jobs to pay off the things like his out of control gambling. She ends up with Marco because of that awful father, so yeah, completely innocent in all of this. They had sparks in spades so it was only a matter of time before they acted upon them, however, when she hears something she's not supposed to, the mean hero steps up to keep her safe. To see how this super exciting story pans out, you know what to do as I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

[Rosiliane · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Lissa Smith Reads'~A Bookaholics Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rated
4 Suns: ☀☀☀☀
Kindle Unlimited Read

[Destany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this in eBook format.

I have read a trilogy by this author and blew through all three in two days, so to get an ARC of this book, I had some high hopes going in! The writing style and emotional impact did not disappoint. It took me a while to warm up to the pairing, tho, because I thought our heroine deserved better haha! I did enjoy this book, and I'm glad our characters got their HEA. They deserved it. This book is a quick read, but it's fast-paced and doesn't lull. Lots of twists and turns in this story!

Cleaning up her father's messes is a way of life for Ariana. Drinking, drugs, gambling. He's done it all. Ari is a saint for sticking with him and trying to take care of him and pay off his debt. I had some trouble identifying with her at first because she was such a doormat. I mean, I would've said "SO LONG SEE YA" and changed my name and disappeared before putting up with everything her father put her through. But when he "pays off his debt" by trading her to Marco Blackstone, that would've broken it for me. But like a dutiful daughter, she packs her stuff and heads to Marco's. See, Ariana's dad was in debt to Marco's father, so they all know there would be a price on everyone's head at this point.

Along the way to Marco's mansion, someone tries to give her a ride (you know who right?), but she's incredibly rude to him and brushes him off lol Once she gets to Blackstone's mansion, she realizes it's him and tries to play nice.

And "nice" it becomes.

Ari starts working as a maid, befriended by Kadey, another maid. Kadey teaches her everything around the house, and Ari has some tension-filled moments with Marco. Kadey and Ari go out for a drink, and Ariana attracts an admirer who comes on pretty strong. Marco busts in and saves her before things go too far. I don't wanna do a play-by-play, so I'll skip to the impt part: Kadey asks Ariana to clean Marco's office for her, but when Ari walks in the room, she ends up with guns pointed at her. To keep the men from shooting her, Marco says Ariana is his fiancee. Convenient?

As the tightly-wound ball of mystery deepens, something snaps and everything comes crashing down (well, not literally, but you catch me). I don't wanna give away the surprises. I saw some of them coming, and I hope others enjoy those twists. No one and nothing is what it seems.

There are sexy times, some more explicit and detailed than others with lots of dirty talk. I'd definitely recommend 18+.

[AmyLynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twisted Bargain is a fast paced dark romance. It has great character development with amazing chemistry and all the feels. I loved Ariana and Marco. This story has lots of twists and turns you won't see coming.

[A Book Lover's Emporium Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twisted Bargain is incredibly well written, and I enjoyed it very much. I can readily say that I was impressed by Alexandria Bishop's work. While the plot of this book was a tad formulaic, the author had the skill to pull it off without it becoming overly tedious.

The characters in this story were intriguing. I found Ariana to be an incredibly relatable character. She was loyal to her father and worked herself to the bone to take care of him no matter how difficult he made it for her. It took me a little while to warm to Marco because he was so mean to Ariana at first. I was relieved to find that he wasn’t as bad as I had first assumed because they had amazing chemistry.

I would recommend this book to anyone over the age of eighteen who enjoys a good steamy romance. Some of the scenes in this book had me hot under the collar! I will be looking forward to reading more of Alexandria Bishop's books in the future and seeing what else she has to offer!

[1-Click Addict Support Group · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fake romance, real danger…

I’ve been hiding from the world in the Underworld Kings reads and Twisted Bargain was the latest in the dark read series. Ariana was stuck, devoting her life to keeping her father safe and on a good path. Marco was the small town billionaire, a bit mysterious but definitely rich… How they came together was an exercise in manipulation but where they ended up was entirely on them…

This read was lighter on the darker elements and all about the characters. I found the plot pulling me in yet I struggled at times with how things played out. Ariana’s father was a lynch pin to their story and her feelings about him ping-ponged and I found it difficult to follow and understand. The relationship with Marco, however, was clearer. Their attraction was immediate – their initial meeting was a bit of fun as well. The desire was strong (and super steamy) yet the love behind was harder (for me) to see and connect with.

This was my first read by this author and I’m intrigued – I will be back for more. ~Diane, 3.5 stars

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ariana has been dealing with her addict and gambling father for a long time. She has to clean up after his mess with her low paying job wages. Her father ends up trading her to Marco Blackstone for his gambling debts. Marco now owns her time and life for awhile. She initially comes to clean but when she hears something incriminating, she ends up being a fake fiancée to Marco to save her life. Problem is she may end up having to say I Do in the end.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was somehow both an enemies-to-lovers and instalove? With thrown in sob stories with little actual development? Yeah, no.

[Thea™]

💀 Underworld Kings series 💀

▶️ website ↠ https://under-world-kings.com

[Shock · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not a cliffhanger. I found the characters under developed, they lacked so much. She sure does whine a lot. The hero was boring and so under developed. This entire book seemed so rushed. I just didn’t feel that there was any chemistry between the main characters. Some of the things didn’t make any sense to me. I am guessing that is why I continue to use the words under developed and rushed. Things that should have been explained in better detail were not. But maybe I missed something. But, kind of doubt I missed anything. Read this one at your own risk.

[Ashley Simpson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Received this book from Reveal Romance Book Box but I just was not interested in how the story played out. The overarching concept is what awarded this book 2 stars. Was not a fan that I stayed up very late to finish only to not feel satisfied by the ending.

[Wendy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn’t like the h. No real build up to relationship. The ending is rushed.

[Raven61 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another solid stand-alone story in the Underworld Kings series

Part of the Underworld Kings series. The common thread among the stories are Desolation, New York and The Ruin. Stories can be read as stand-alone works, but some I have found are connected to some of their own individual series.

⛔️ Contains references or detailed scenes with subject matter that may be a trigger or offensive to some including: adult language; adult intimate scenes with light domination; and violence such as kidnapping, abduction, illegal gambling, gambling addiction, alcoholism, threats, betrayal, assault, blackmail, consensual / non-consensual acts, murder, attempted murder, etc.

There are a few grammatical issues, but they are minimal. Nothing that was difficult to interpret. I am trying to mention these for readers such as myself that visualize the story as it is read, because errors interrupt the flow.

The characters and plot are solid and there is even a twist or two. The POV is primarily Arianna’s, but I believe that it would have been better to have both hers’ and Marco’s, and maybe even her new friend that she made at his mansion after she arrived. There were also a few areas that I would have liked additional information about to really bring this to the next level, such as what role does Marco have in the mafia, or how exactly is he connected to The Ruin. I don’t remember either or these areas being explored in any detail.

Here is a high level overview of how the story begins:

Arianna has to stop high school when she was 16 years old to help make money to pay the rent, buy food and try to get them out of whatever trouble her dad got them in from his drinking and gambling. He was always after the next great thing and somehow everything bad seemed to find him. She is currently working every shift she can get at 2 different jobs. She is about through with her shift, when her co-worker kept after her to have a drink or two after they were finished.

Although she initially said no, Arianna finally agreed since their bartender was a heavy pour and she wan’t paying. After all, what kind of trouble could her dad get into while sleeping?! Which is what he said he was getting ready to do when she spoke with him earlier. Plus she actually had a complete day off when she finished up, something that hadn’t happened in over a month. A couple of drinks ends up the two of them shutting the bar down and the bartender driving them home.

When Arianna arrives home, she fully expects her dad to be asleep, but he not only got into trouble this time … he actually sold her to the man with the most ruthless reputation in their small town, Marco Blackstone!!

[Kaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
STEAM: 🔥🔥🔥🔥



Twisted Bargain is a fast-paced, spicy dark romance that puts Beauty and the Beast in a mafia world setting.

Ariana received a lousy deal in life. Motherless, she is left to deal with her father's drinking and gambling problems. She works multiple jobs just to keep them afloat with bills and debt repayments only to have her dad shove them back to square one. She comes home one day to find out that she has become the repayment plan for her dad's debt to the city's notorious billionaire.

I am 50/50 on Ariana. On one hand, I understand her struggles and am as frustrated with her paying for her father's sins. I find her resilient and emotionally strong. On the other, there are times that she comes off as being naïve for someone who has been essentially on her own. She is too quick to trust, and even Marco says it himself:

"So naive and trusting. I could do whatever I wanted to you right now, take anything I want, and you'd let me."

I love a good anti-hero, and Marco Blackstone fits the bill. He has kept his good heart masked for so long that he does not know how to deal when Ariana crumbles the walls around it. He is hot-tempered and intimidating, but he is fair and fiercely protective.

The story was well-paced in the beginning. I like how we're introduced to the different characters naturally as we go through the story. The ending, however, was a bit off-paced for me. It seemed rushed, cutting quickly from one scene to the other. I would have liked an extended comeuppance to the antagonists in this book, because I am sick like that. LOL.

The spice is strong in this book. Marco is a dirty, dirty man, and I appreciate that Ariana is no innocent flower, either. I stan an equally dirty couple, and you get that in several scenes in this book.

If you're looking for a quick dark read with super-hot sexiness, this is a great pick.

TW: murder, violence, dubcon

** I am voluntarily reviewing an advance copy of this book. **

[~lil maso~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars
Twisted Bargain is the first story by this author I have read and I can honestly say that I am really happy to have found another terrific author to read.

This fast-paced story is dark, raw and gritty at times yet there is a fabulous counterbalance within the story and that’s mainly centered around Ariana. She is an amazing character, for someone who had nothing but disappointment after disappointment and struggles to try to overcome, but she never gave in. Her father I actually wanted to slap silly. Marco was such a stealthy character that very people knew much about him, it took a poor young woman to help him unpack a lot of feelings and misconceptions.

Lots of action and drama make this an exciting literary adventure. I enjoyed the unpredictability aspect of the story as well as the romance.

*ARC received in exchange for an honest review*

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[Basak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twisted Bargain starts with Ariana who is down on her luck due to her burden of a father who is addicted to gambling and keeps them in debt up to their necks. She works thankless jobs to keep afloat only to come home one day to find out that her father made a deal with an infamous billionaire who covers all his debts in exchange of his daughter’s forceful employment.

Marco, on the other hand, is an intense man with possessive and commanding personality and he seems to take an interest in Ariana immediately. They have some sort of a push and pull relationship with many secrets and twists to enrich the story.

I liked the premise of the story a lot. I just wishes there was a bit more angst. The heroine was really likable from the start with her selfless personality but that kind of changed throughout the book and she seemed way too pushy and forward which would be fine if she started out that way from the beginning. She acts too desperate for Marco and it just doesn’t feel like he feels the same desperation though he says the right words. The feeling just didn’t really pass onto me.

On the other hand, there are layers of secrets that create a nice mystery to solve and a few twists that made me curious enough to read in one sitting.

I reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

[Joy Avery · Rating 5 out of 5]

☆☆☆☆☆
Twisted Bargain was another exciting read in the Underworld Kings series. It was also my first read by Alexandra Bishop and I really enjoyed her writing style.
The story combined mafia, fake engagement, small town and romantic suspense tropes. In it, we get the story of Marco Blackstone and Ariana. Ariana has been struggling to keep her family afloat due to her father’s drug and gambling addictions. She works herself to the bone in dead end jobs just to pay off his debts. Then he does the unthinkable. He trades with the most dangerous and wealthy member of Falls Creek. Marco will pay his debts and in return, he gets Ariana. She has to move into his mansion and essentially, be his made. Both of them are attracted to each other yet both of them resist. Then she hears something she shouldn’t have, putting her life in danger. To protect her, Marco says they are engaged. When the tension finally breaks and they give in to their desires, will their hearts get involved? Will she end up willingly saying, “I do"?
This story contained twists that were completely unpredictable which I love finding in books. The chemistry and resulting heat made for some juicy scenes that I ate up. The plot kept me fully engaged and I truly loved it from start to finish. I highly recommend it. This is my honest opinion, freely given.

[Charlene Gaskins · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 I rated this book a 3.75 because the author wrote an original plot with some twists and turns that didn't have me successfully predicting the end of the book half way through. I am so tired of the "read and repeat" plots that some author's are reverting too. I want some originality, not a change of names and locations but an original storyline. It was not a bad read even with the soap opera moments that I had to blow through, in order to get to the parts of the book that had substance. Lately, I have been on a dry spell starting books and then dumping them before I get to 50%. This book kept my interest (once I got past Days of our Lives) and got into the meat and potatoes of this plot.

Ariana's character was difficult to get use to. She was a trained doormat always putting her father's welfare over her own. She worked horrible jobs making little to no money, had no education because she was always cleaning up dad's messes. OMG, get a spine and move on darlin. It's called "classic enabler syndrome" allowing a person to continue on a destructive path because you always bail them out so they can continue their downward spiral. Heroine's such as Ariana can become a cliché with the words "stupid is as stupid does" tattooed across their foreheads.

Marco is a brooding dark character that gave the storyline some grit and substance and kept me entertained. Ariana takes on a different persona when she enters Marco's house as revelations are uncovered and she is exposed to the criminal world by her actions. When she burst into Marco's office WITHOUT KNOCKING to clean it, I wanted to smack her right across her face. Geez, does this girl have any street smarts or is she just a child in a woman's body. As the story evolves, it is clear that someone is trying to kill Ariana and Marco is the one keeping her alive.

The plot wasn't predictable like so many of these novels (even including the fake engagement) and the writing was good accept for a few editing issues. The attraction between Ariana and Marco is a slow burn attraction with plenty of sex for most readers with a decent dose of kink.

[Lita Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twisted Bargin (Underworld Kings Series) by Alexandria Bishop is the next book in the Underworld series. This is my first time reading anything by this author. Ariana is caught between a rock and a hard place. She is working dead end jobs just to keep a roof over her head while caring for her father.  He not only has a gambling habit but is an addict as well. When she finds herself traded to Marco Blackstone to cover her father's debt she is floored. Initially thinking he is old, with a pot belly and graying hair, that is dispelled when she sees this Adonis. Trying to reconcile with what her father has done, she in addition is dealing with her feelings for her boss. He seems interested but runs hot and cold. When a certain incident has him introducing her as his fiance, their relationship takes a different turn. Initially I was not happy with the premise of staying in a situation with a father who is draining the life force out of her but as I continued with the story the relationship between Ariana and Marco more than made up for it.  When a twist comes into play and secrets are revealed, it made for a nice suspenseful end to their story. The epilogue set up for another series the author is writing and I am interested in continuing on with that series. A 3.5 star read for me.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, if you like sexy, suspenseful storylines with dominating leading men, you are going to love Twisted Bargain. Especially if you’re like me and like books where things are not always what you think and keep you guessing - which Twisted Bargain did for this reader.

The author has given us a very well storyline that is fast paced, intense, emotional and very sexy. Ariana is a young woman who is stuck in a rut. She works for pennies trying to keep her and her father’s head above water. But when her fathers way of life catches up with them, Ariana learns her father has traded her to become a live-in servant to Marco Blackstone, to make all his problems go away. Marco is a reclusive billionaire who lives on the outskirts of town who everyone says to stay away from. What has her father done? How could he sell her away like that? Is something else afoot? What makes it worse is a few weeks into her servitude as a maid, she overhears something she shouldn’t. Now What?

Very good read in this reader's opinion. It kept me on the edge of my seat and clutching my kindle. The twist and turns kept me guessing and flipping the pages to find out what was going to happen next.

2 Thumbs Up and 5 Stars

[Heather Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marco Blackstone, hasn't known love much in his life. He is estranged from his father. He doesn't let anyone into his heart at all.

Ariana has been cleaning up her father's mess ever since she could remember. Ariana knows her life isn't supposed to be her waiting tables and trying to get her father out of his gambling debt. But, it's all she can imagine at 22 doing, waiting tables, getting tips, trying to pay off debt, that is her daily routine. When her father says to pack her bags she's leaving, Ariana doesn't know what to do.

There were a few times in the story I was lost, I didn't think it flowed as well as it should have. I didn't realize she was on a plane in the back on a bed. I thought she was in a bed - in a bedroom. The flow needs to be worked on.

This story does have a Pretty Woman / Beauty & The Beast Vibe. Ariana has always been poor, she's never known wealth. She loves what items she has and she cherishes everything.

The way the story ends, I'm not sure if it is supposed to connect to another book, or if it's setting up another book by the same author. I'm not sure.

I did receive a free ARC copy of this book. I am freely leaving an honest review.

[Clara Martinez Turco · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of Twister Bargain went by fast, as it grabbed my attention from the first pages. Ariana works two jobs to make ends meet while hoping to keep his dad out of trouble. But he is way too deep in debt and mixed with dangerous people. In a desperate attempt to make things rights, he strikes a deal with Marco Blackstone, who agrees to pay his debt in exchange for Ariana working for him.

Marco is the town's billionaire, wrapped in a veil of mystery and commanding authority. No one truly knows what his deal is or what he does for a living. His first encounter with Ariana is far from ideal. He is arrogant and demanding, and while she has some spunk, she is also afraid of what could happen to his father if she doesn't do what she is told. One wrong move, almost has her killed. And to save her, Marco pretends she is his fiancé.

Until this point, I was completely enthralled with the story. I don't mind fast-paced developments as long as they make sense. Unfortunately, the numerous plot twists became predictable, rushed questions were left unanswered. It didn't quite work out for me.