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Book club questions for A Twisted Love Story by Samantha Downing explore the themes of passionate yet tumultuous relationships, the consequences of toxic behavior, the secrets we keep even from those we love, the thin line between love and danger, and the gripping tension of navigating through a police investigation while trying to hold a relationship together.
How do Wes and Ivy’s extreme highs and lows reflect the complexities of modern dating? How does the presence of a detective add to the suspense and urgency of their situation? What role does the unspoken event from their past play in shaping their present choices and actions? How does the author’s portrayal of love and danger blur the lines between the two? … and many more questions!
Don’t start reading it if you need to go to sleep or work because you won’t want to put it down. The twists keep coming & most are not expected. It’s definitely a wild ride!
What were your impressions of this novel? ✨
A Twisted Love Story by Samantha Downing
This blog post contains the book club questions for A Twisted Love Story, a printable PDF for use with your book clubs (which you’ll find at at the bottom), and some additional recommendations for similar books.
I’m excited to hear your unique perspectives during your book club discussions.
Let me know your thoughts in the comment section!
About the Story
A Twisted Love Story is all about this crazy, intense love between two people named Wes and Ivy.
They’re like head-over-heels in love, but their relationship is like a roller coaster – sometimes super sweet, with flowers and deep talks, but other times, it’s a total disaster with fights and even the police getting involved. They’re stuck in this wild pattern of breaking up and making up. But here’s the twist: they’ve got a secret from one of their really bad breakups, and someone even ended up dead.
Now, they’ve got a detective on their tail, and they need to figure out how to stay together and survive this mess. If they mess up one more time, it could be the end of everything. It’s like a crazy mix of love, danger, and suspense that will keep you hooked until the very end.
About the Author
Samantha Downing, a celebrated author, has captivated readers with her gripping thrillers.
Her debut, “My Lovely Wife,” achieved bestseller status and earned nominations for prestigious awards in the US and UK. Following this success, her second novel, “He Started It,” quickly became an international bestseller.
With the release of her third thriller, “For Your Own Good,” Downing once again claimed instant bestseller status on the USA Today list.
Her latest release, “A Twisted Love Story,” hit the shelves in the US on July 18, 2023.
Book Club Questions for A Twisted Love Story
1. Initially, what were your impressions of Wes and Ivy? Did your perception of them transform as the story unfolded? If so, how did your opinion change?
2. Wes and Ivy’s relationship is the central driving force of the narrative, with various characters becoming unintentionally entangled or deliberately inserting themselves into their dynamics. How did these external influences impact their relationship, and how did it shape your perspective of it?
3. Karen’s past experiences with men have left a profound impact on her. Did you find yourself sympathizing with Karen? How would you describe her likability or lack thereof?
4. Throughout the story, Wes and Ivy engage in both dramatic and commonplace actions towards each other, such as evoking jealousy, ghosting, or drunk communication. Have you personally experienced any of these situations? If so, did your own encounters affect your view of Wes and Ivy?
5. Given the information available to her, was Karen justified in suspecting that Ivy might be in an abusive relationship?
6. Ivy and Wes have a history that is filled with both passionate connection and destructive behavior. How did this history influence your perception of their relationship? Did you find yourself rooting for their reconciliation or hoping for a different outcome
7. Compare and contrast the relationships between Wes and Ivy and Karen and her husband. In what ways are they distinct, and where do they share similarities? Which relationship do you consider more favorable or unfavorable?
8. Heath plays a pivotal role in Wes and Ivy’s narrative, yet we never gain insight into his perspective. How much responsibility (if any) should he bear for the events that unfold? How might Wes and Ivy’s situation have evolved if Heath had not been as involved?
9. Bianca is another character who willingly involves herself in the complexities of the story. Did your feelings towards Bianca shift as the plot developed? If so, what prompted these changes?
10. Did you find yourself rooting for a particular character or outcome? What motivated your support for that choice?
11. The characters in “A Twisted Love Story” exhibit various degrees of dysfunction and unpredictability. Which character stood out to you the most, and why? How did their actions contribute to the overall atmosphere of the story
12. The story blurs the lines between love and danger, with moments of passion intertwined with tension and violence. How did this juxtaposition impact your emotional connection to the characters and the story? Were there instances where you found yourself empathizing with Wes and Ivy despite their flaws
13. A few reviewers mentioned the comparison to “Bonnie and Clyde” in the context of the story. How does this comparison resonate with the events and characters in the book? In what ways does the story mirror or diverge from the classic crime duo narrative?
14. The book’s title, “A Twisted Love Story,” aptly captures the essence of the narrative. How did the title influence your expectations and perception of the story as you read? Did the book deliver on the promise of a “twisted” love story?
15. As the story concludes, what are your thoughts on the situation between Wes and Ivy? What do you speculate might be transpiring in their lives at the story’s end?
Selected Reviews
“Samantha Downing has achieved something so special in For Your Own Good. A story that is dark as night, sinister as hell, clever, twisting and downright fun.”
—Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of We Begin at the End
“This story about a toxic relationship spiralling out of control is dazzlingly, deliciously dark—and enormous fun.”
—JP Delaney, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Before
“Slick and chilling.”
—Megan Miranda
Additional Recommendations
Hope you enjoyed the book club discussion questions and reading guide for A Twisted Love Story by Samantha Downing!
Here are some more of my book club recommendations related to this book:
For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing
USA Todaybestselling author Samantha Downing is back with her latest sneaky thriller set at a prestigious private school—complete with interfering parents, overeager students, and one teacher who just wants to teach them all a lesson…
Teddy Crutcher has won Teacher of the Year at the prestigious Belmont Academy, home to the best and brightest.
He says his wife couldn’t be more proud—though no one has seen her in a while.
Teddy really can’t be bothered with a few mysterious deaths on campus that’re looking more and more like murder or with the student digging a little too deep into Teddy’s personal life. His main focus is pushing these kids to their full academic potential.
All he wants is for his colleagues—and the endlessly meddlesome parents—to stay out of his way. If not, well, they’ll get what they deserve.
It’s really too bad that sometimes excellence can come at such a high cost.
My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing
Dexter meets Mr. and Mrs. Smith in this wildly compulsive debut thriller about a couple whose fifteen-year marriage has finally gotten too interesting…
Our love story is simple. I met a gorgeous woman. We fell in love. We had kids. We moved to the suburbs. We told each other our biggest dreams, and our darkest secrets. And then we got bored.
We look like a normal couple. We’re your neighbors, the parents of your kid’s friend, the acquaintances you keep meaning to get dinner with.
We all have our secrets to keeping a marriage alive.
Ours just happens to be getting away with murder.
A Fatal Affair by A. R. Torre
Stars. Lovers. Liars. Killers. This is Hollywood, and everyone has a part to play in a shocking novel of suspense by New York Times bestselling author A. R. Torre.
Actress Nora Kemp loves two men. One is Hugh Iverson, a philanthropic movie star who gives Nora security and respectability. The other is Hugh’s twin brother, Trent, a Hollywood bad boy who brings out Nora’s wild side. When Trent and an unidentified woman are found dead on the Iversons’ Beverly Hills property, more than Nora’s and Hugh’s reputations are at stake.
An investigation suggests murder-suicide. But there’s more to the crime than first meets the eye: suspicions of a serial killer with a bizarre motive, Hugh’s unnerved and cautious staff, and a missing mother and son. As two LA detectives sift through the deceptions of the innocent and the guilty―some living and some dead―solving the case becomes a cunning cat-and-mouse game.
Because in a city of illusions, the truth―no matter how dangerous―is so easy to hide.
Printable PDF
Feel free to distribute these discussion questions to your book club members before your meeting. Simply click the link below to download and print the PDF file.
Happy reading! ❤️