REVIEW: Twisted Up by Erin Nicholas

 
In Twisted Up (Taking Chances #1) by Erin Nicholas, Avery Sparks and Jake Mitchell have always had intense chemistry and over the last year, it has only seemed to get stronger. So, with Jake back in town, Avery knows there’s no way she’ll be able to keep her hands off the gorgeous man, no matter how hard she tries. But when a class-four tornado rips through Chance, Nebraska; leaving a lot of destruction in its wake, Jake and Avery — as both experts on emergency management – must work together to help the town bounce back from the latest disaster. The question is – when things are finally back to normal, will Jake stay or will he break Avery’s heart all over again?

”So it’s kind of an emergency when I get back into town?” Jake asked.
She lifted a shoulder. “Something like that.”
He grinned. Which made her frown. “That’s the nicest thing you’ve said to me in a long time. Not ever, of course,” he added. “There was that one night where you said very nice things to me – but it has been a long time.”

Every time I sit down to read a book penned by Ms. Nicholas, I know I’m going to enjoy it no matter what, and this story was very entertaining from start to finish, as it encompasses the friends to lovers and second chance romance tropes. The way this story started had me laughing, because Avery needed the warning her friends gave her to prepare for when she finally came face-to-face with Jake. How could she face him without wanting to kiss him?

As for the dialogue, it was intense due to the heroine’s back story, the characters facing a violent tornado and the tension between Jake’s parents and Avery. Can Jake repair the close relationship Avery once had with his parents, especially his mother? However, there were some light-hearted moments that made me smile. The secondary characters love any time that Jake and Avery are around each other, and hope that they’ll finally give forever love a chance between them. The mayor’s wife, Shelby, was a real hoot who isn’t afraid to express her opinion, even if it makes those she’s talking about uncomfortable.

”I love how the two of you get all wrapped up in each other and the charge in the air around you,” Shelby said. She picked up her drink and sipped, a mischievous sparkle in her eye. “The whole town loves it.”
Avery sat up straighter and looked around. “What do you mean?”
Shelby laughed. “Everyone knows that all of your bickering and snapping is just a crazy form of foreplay. And everyone is just waiting for it to explode.”

I was absolutely charmed by the hero. He’s confident, cocky and would do anything for those that need help. He’s also kind and caring with what he does for a young girl. He wouldn’t give up looking for what she wanted until he found it, even if the creature she wanted back didn’t bring a happy ending. While Avery, she’s smart, hard-working and I liked how good she was at her job. Seriously, it was interesting to read when she went into dangerous situations and took control to make certain everyone comes out of said situation safe and sound. Also, Avery has serious abandonment issues and I could understand why she was displeased by what Jake’s parents did to her, considering how close they were. Yet, at the same time, I was a little annoyed that she couldn’t forgive them since they thought what they did for her was for the best.

Scorching sex scenes heat up the story and illustrate how good Avery and Jake are together. They have really strong chemistry, which is proven by how they can’t keep their hands off each other, no matter how hard Avery tries to resist Jake. Knowing that once the town is back to how it was before the tornado hit that he’ll leave town again. Why does he never want to stay for her, especially when it’s so palpable how much he cares for her?

“Get me out of this tree, Jake.”
“How about a please?” He jumped to the ground.
“I think I’m out of pleases.”
He turned to her and extended his arms. “You only said one earlier. Right after the ‘God, Jake.”
“Of course you’re keeping track.”
“You bet I am. Three of my favorite words when they’re in that particular order.”

Overall, Ms. Nicholas has penned a wonderful novel to launch this new series of hers, which I’m looking forward to more of. Since Avery’s friends, Bree and Kit, had some rather interesting romantic encounters of their own. The way this story ended had me cheering, as Jake finally made the right decision when it came to his relationship with Avery. Moreover, I liked what he did for Avery to prove he wants forever love with her. I would recommend Twisted Up by Erin Nicholas, if you enjoy the friends to lovers trope or small town romances.

Book Info:

 August 23rd, 2016 | Montlake Romance | Taking Chances #1

Avery Sparks is a master at controlling chaos—and she gets plenty of opportunities as fire chief and head of emergency management in her hometown of Chance, Nebraska. The only thing she can’t seem to control are her feelings when she’s around Jake Mitchell, the man who was her first everything the night of their high school graduation. But Jake was so quick to leave Chance—and Avery—behind that she swore she’d move on.

While Avery’s job is to minimize drama, Jake embraces the chaos of an emergency. After enlisting in the Army National Guard, Jake became a nationally recognized leader in disaster recovery. Yet a life on the road has left him restless. So when a class-four tornado wreaks havoc on Chance, he’s eager to return home—and to the woman never far from his mind.

Now, Avery and Jake must team up to help their hometown weather a siege of violent storms. But it’s clear to them both that nature isn’t the only force they’ll have to reckon with. Will Avery and Jake’s whirlwind love affair be an all-new disaster—or can they recover from their stormy past to build a future together?