TWISTED DUET by L.L. Collins-Review, Book tour and Giveaway
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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release July 2017
Life is a series of choices, and every one we make sends us down a different path…
It is easy to look back at your life and see the mistakes you’ve made and wonder how it all could’ve been different. But when the path you thought would last forever comes to an end and you have to choose a new one, do you follow the route that looks the straightest and easiest? Or do you follow your heart and choose the one that might have more twists and turns but could lead you to the happiest tomorrows?
Follow the story of lifelong friends Liane and Blake as they navigate life, love, and the twists that both inevitably take you on as fate tries to straighten their path once and for all.
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REVIEW: Told from three first person points of view (Blake, Liane, Ronan) TWISTED DUET is the re-release of L.L. Collins contemporary, YA to New Adult to Adult romance duet- Twisted Souls and Twisted Paths (originally released in 2015). TWISTED DUET is a story line that spans close to forty years in the life of soul mates Blake McIntyre and Liane Kelly but a case of mistaken belief, a lack of communication, and the interference of Liane’s former flame Ronan Collier push our story line couple in opposite directions until years later a chance meeting at the very place they first met washes away years of heartbreak and pain only to face deception-once again. Lives were destroyed but their love never died in the face of perceived betrayal, and a separation of miles and years. Scars that have barely healed will be ripped open when the truth is finally exposed. The $ex scenes are mostly implied or fade to black.
The TWISTED DUET is a love-triangle romance that follows Blake McIntyre and Liane Kelly from childhood friends to lovers to the day everything fell apart as the two, then eighteen year olds, prepared for their future-together. Twisted Paths advances the duet approximately eighteen years wherein life for Liane and Blake could not have been more different. Returning to Sanibel Island, Florida where it all began Liane and Blake will reconnect, and the truth about the past will slowly be revealed until the explosive announcement that will change everyone’s lives-once again. The love-triangle aspect focuses on jealousy, lies, secrets and betrayal as Ronan Collier sets into motion a series of events that will destroy and change Liane and Blake-forever.
THE TWISTED DUET is an emotional but predictable story line. Liane and Blake’s fairytale romance will be destroyed by jealousy and deceit, outside factors and a distinct lack of communication. Two families, once closer than blood, will watch from the sidelines as their children grow up without the person they love. The premise is tragic but encouraging; the characters are passionate and impulsive but broken; the romance is heartbreaking and fated. L.L. Collins’ THE TWISTED DUET is an engaging and poignant look at two lost souls who finally found their happily ever after.
Copy supplied for review
Reviewed by Sandy
“Liane?” I open my eyes, wondering where I had heard my name. Geez, I had fallen asleep again, this time in the chair with my feet in the Gulf of Mexico. I need to get a grip. The warm sun must’ve lulled me into a stupor again.
“Li?” When that one syllable reaches my ears, I stand up so suddenly that I fling the magazine I had been holding into the water. I watch it for a moment, floating then sinking into the water before a hand reaches past me and picks it up, throwing it behind me into the sand. Turning around slowly, I have no idea if I make any sound outwardly, but I sure as heck inwardly gasp. I’ve seen pictures of him over the last four years. We’d sent each other our senior pictures. But never did I expect that the man standing in front of me was Blake McIntyre. The young teenage boy I had left standing on this beach four years ago was gone, and in his place was the hottest man I’d ever seen. His blonde hair is still unruly, and his chocolate brown eyes still exude kindness. But while before he had been very thin, now he is all filled out. Cuts of muscle define his arms, chest, and stomach, and he looks like he has already gotten tan.
I’m staring; I know it. But I can’t make myself stop. This is my best friend. My lifelong friend; my everything. Standing in front of me looking like he just posed for GQ. “Blake,” my mouth finally works, a grin that would rival a Cheshire cat’s spreading over my face. His eyes drink me in, trying to read my reaction and my thoughts. At this moment, nothing in the world matters but him. I fling myself into his arms and he catches me with a laugh, his large hands splaying on my bare back as I wrap myself up in him. He’s so much bigger than I remember. I’ve grown a few inches, sure, and am heavier and more womanly than I was when I was fourteen, but am still mostly the same. Blake, however, has grown a good six inches and gained at least 40 or 50 pounds since I have seen him last, and not an ounce of it is fat. He’s Adonis-like. And just my friend, I chant inside my head.
Twisted Paths
The first thing I notice is that the man is seriously beautiful. His body is cut and sculpted like he spends hours a day in the gym, and even in the dim light from the pool deck, I can tell he’s tan. His board shorts hang low on his hips, and the defined cuts of muscle on his chest and abs is enough to send women running to him and dropping at his feet. Had I been a single woman, he would definitely be my type. My eyes lift past his impeccable body to the face and head that’s attached, and that’s when my heart completely stops. I must’ve gasped out loud, because I feel Mia turn and look at me as he gets closer.
I feel my mouth drop open as his eyes meet mine for the first time in years. “Blake.” He stops in his tracks, both of us staring at each other for what seems like every moment of the time we have been apart. I can’t believe he’s standing here, and had it not been for Mia standing next to me, I might’ve thought I was dreaming.
He lifts his eyes back to my face, a small smile playing on his lips. “Well, well, well,” he drawls, his South Carolina accent more pronounced than I remember. “Look what the cat dragged in.” He smirks at me before hauling my dripping wet body to his. The second our skin touches, I inhale sharply. It isn’t lost on me that we’re wearing the equivalent of underwear and our bodies are pressed together like they belong there. His hard muscles press into my softness as his hands caress my back, and my mind goes back to that alcove all those years ago where we had first touched. I’ve purposely stayed away from that area of the beach since I arrived; there are some things better left alone.
LL Collins is the self published author of the bestselling Living Again Series, the Twisted series, Back to the Drawing Board, and the Jaded Regret series.
LL has been writing since she was old enough to write. Always a story in her head, she finally decided to let the characters out and start writing and try to make her lifelong dreams of becoming an author come true. She has been a teacher for over ten years and lives in Florida with her husband and two sons.
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Very nice review, Sandy. Is this two books in one?
Yes…two books in one!
Excellent review, thanks Sandy. Looks heartbreaking !
Wonderful review, thanks. Congratulations to LL Collins on the new release.
Great review, Sandy. Looks like an emotional dark read.
Looks like a different kind of read from LL, thanks for the great review.
Terrific reviews, Sandy. Looks interesting.
Looks great, thanks Sandy. Congratulations to LL Collins on the re-release of her books.
Thanks for another great review. I will definitely have to check this one out !