Review: Twist by Karen Akins

Title: Twist
Author: Karen Akins
Series: Loop, #2
Format: Hardback, kindly provided
by the publishers in exchange for
a review. (Thank you!!)
Publisher: St Martin's Griffin
My rating: 4.5 / 5

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Bree Bennis finally has it all—a non-comatose mother, an uber-hot (albeit anachronistic) boyfriend named Finn, and a new-found mission to protect the timeline from those who would skew it for their own gain. But when she leans over one day to smooch said boyfriend, her lips meet those of her arch-nemesis Wyck instead. The timeline has been altered, and Bree is caught in the crosshairs. But when she goes back to repair the damage, she is stopped by none other than her Future Self, who delivers an urgent message: Someone is kidnapping Shifters from the distant past. It’s up to Bree to stop them. But first, she has to figure out who... and why.

To follow the trail of chronocrumbs, Bree reluctantly accepts her new undercover gig as Wyck’s girlfriend. Everything goes spiffy until Finn shows up in the 23rd century on the eager arm of a gorgeous fellow Shifter, Blark. Even as Bree struggles with jealousy, she battles the nagging dread that Finn might be better off with someone less chronologically complicated. Her worst fear is confirmed when Finn becomes the kidnapper’s next victim. As Bree zeroes in on the culprit, they unravel her life one timeline-change at a time. She realizes that she alone has the power to save herself and everyone she loves. But to do that, she may lose Finn forever.

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

*I received a copy of this book from the publishers in exchange for an honest review. This didn't influence my opinion in any way.*

I loved Twist so much! It was just as entertaining and fast paced as Loop, and oh gosh, the titles for this two-part series are simply perfection. The pacing is blisteringly fast, and the story twists, turns and loops on a hairs breath and keeps you on your toes from beginning to end - it’s fabulous!

Bree finally has a little normality and stability in her life after the events that took place in Loop. She almost up-to-date with correcting timeline changes and is beginning to feel like she has everything under control… until one evening when she’s on a date with Finn, and she leans over to kiss him, but ends up kissing Wyck instead. Someone is messing with the timeline, and Bree is firmly in their sights. When Shifters start going missing, it’s up to Bree to find the source of the changes and save the timeline from begin thrown into irreparable chaos. Little does she know just how tangled things are, and with some interference from Future Bree, correcting the timeline once and for all could cost Bree everything.

Both Bree and Finn are simply adorable characters! While we didn’t get quite as much Bree and Finn together time in Twist as we did in Loop, I still loved their banter when they were together. They both have really likeable personalities that bounce off each other so well, and this creates so many hilarious moments. Add in Bree’s snarkishly sassy inner monologue, and it’s so awesome to read! The entire story isn’t all fun and laughs though, and I felt so many emotions throughout the book and I went from laughing one minute to fighting off tears the next.

As I briefly mentioned earlier, the plot is VERY fast paced. When the story really began to kick off there is so much going on all at once, with dozens of different directions the plot can go in, and I really applaud the author for crafting this book so clearly. I loved the perfect balance of heart pounding action, lightning fast plot, and entertaining, humorous and adorable characters. There isn’t a dull moment, and I loved finding out everything right along with Bree, and I was afraid to blink or I’d miss something.

The ending, the ending, oh gosh, the ending! I just about had a heart-attack during that last chapter. I’m not going to say anything specific, don’t worry, but I loved how well wrapped up everything was, but it wasn’t without some heartbreak. I’m a little sad that this is the final book! I was hoping it would be a trilogy, and I’m not really ready so say goodbye to these characters.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed both Loop and Twist, and I highly recommend both books. Time-travel is such a tricky topic to pull of believably, and I thought Karen accomplished this brilliantly. Add in two adorable, courageous and loveable characters, and I’m completely in love! I can’t wait to see what other stories we get from her in the future – and I’m going to be over here living in hope that there might be something from Bree and Finn, too!