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Crushed (Twisted Vines) Kindle Edition

4.1 out of 5 stars 187 ratings

What happens when the one you want the most is someone you’ve never met?

He’s a hunted hacker.

She’s a bookshop owner and a wealthy heiress.

Until now, their identities never mattered.

Their virtual friendship was a haven from real life.

Until the day he walked into her store.

He’s on the run from his murderous business partner, hiding off-grid in a vineyard safehouse. He and his small team are building a black ops high-tech security firm because he doesn’t plan to play defense forever.

On a whim, he pings the location of his long-time virtual friend and discovers she’s close.
The plan is to finally put a real face to the avatar. Simple. Easy.

His identity, and their connection, would remain hidden.

Of all the things he expected, he never anticipated her.

A crush. That’s all it is.

Enemies circle and dark secrets loom.

His. And hers.

And yet, he’ll stop at nothing to protect her.

Crushed is a stand-alone billionaire romance with hidden identities, vigilante justice, and a band of friends on the run from the new-age mafia.

The first in the Twisted Vines series, Crushed is a standalone romance novel with no cliffhanger. Characters from First Light from the Haven Island series make appearances, as Erik’s twin sister Cali is the heroine in First Light.

See What Reviewers Are Saying…

“Fantastic read and spicy romance.” -Filipinobookworm

“characters are raw, gritty, and real. The story is fascinating, dark, and frightening….in a different kind of way. Absolutely incredible read!!!” -Cheryl B.

“well-written story…. a slow burn, filled with secrets, danger, suspense, twists, mystery, trust, and love, which leads to an entertaining addictive page-turner.” --W. Livingstone

“This book, and especially the ending, all make the bookworm, the gamer geek, and the nerd girl in me “squee!” in delight….suspense held me at the edge of my seat…constantly wondering what would happen next.” -K. Lewendon

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There are 3 books in this series.
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From the Publisher

What happens when the one
you want the most is
someone you've never met?

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In CRUSHED, Isabel Jolie deftly executes a seductive and suspenseful contemporary romance set against the gorgeous backdrop of California wine country.

Erik and Vivi's intense, budding romance is the main focus, CRUSHED also dabbles in the thriller genre with a hacking subplot. The novel explores cybercrime and government counter-efforts without becoming too complicated or tech-heavy. Jolie clearly did thorough research into the topic and efficiently communicates big-picture concepts through engaging, light prose without getting stuck on overly technical details.....Overall, the complex characters and suspenseful elements add a twist to the classic whirlwind romance plot, creating a satisfying reading experience for both lovers of the romance genre and general audiences." -
IndieReader

"Fantastic and spicy romance." -
Filipino Bookworm

"This book, and especially the ending, all make the book worm, the gamer geek, and the nerd girl in me "squee!" in delight....suspense held me at the edge of my seat...constantly wondering what would happen next." -
K. Lewendon, Goodreads

"characters are raw, gritty, and real. The story is fascinating, dark, and frightening....in a different kind of way. Absolutely incredible read!!!" -
Cheryl B., Bookbub

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09P7KWFTV
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Noctivity (January 31, 2022)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 31, 2022
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 830 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 out of 5 stars 187 ratings

About the author

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Isabel Jolie
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Heart-warming love stories. Edge-of-your-seat romance. Unforgettable heroes. Sizzling happily-ever-afters.

These are the stories Isabel Jolie loves to read and write. Her books have tough, strong characters, compelling suspense, and relevant, thought-provoking storylines. Her characters face tough choices, but at the end of the day, they always choose love.

When she’s not writing or reading, she can often be found with a glass of wine in hand relaxing with her husband, daughters, or good friends lakeside at her home outside of Charlotte, NC.

Follow her at: Instagram, Facebook, BookBub, Goodreads, and Pinterest.

Izzy fills her Instagram feed with funnies, inspirational “brain candy”, and anything that meshes with her mood of the day. #mood.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
187 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoy the suspenseful story of the book, describing it as a spicy romance with plenty of drama. The book receives positive feedback for its readability and pacing, with customers appreciating the main characters.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

8 customers mention "Suspenseful story"8 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the suspenseful story of the book, particularly its spicy romance and drama elements, with one customer noting it has the right amount of action.

"...This was the first book in the Twisted Vines series, and I cannot wait for more...." Read more

"...Twists, turns, suspense, and just the right amount of action propel this story along nicely...." Read more

"Ms. Jolie delivers a hot, spicy and suspense-filled romance that will have you needing a cold shower as well as sitting on the edge of your seat...." Read more

"...Jolie writes a well-paced story that will make you quickly want to read more. You may want to gobble it up in one day." Read more

6 customers mention "Readability"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the book readable and enjoyable, with several mentioning they love the series, and one customer particularly appreciating the gaming elements.

"...I really enjoyed this book...." Read more

"Love this series and all the characters. I also find the hacker world fascinating and scary...." Read more

"...I enjoyed the gaming aspect. Hope to read more about Wolf, and Trevor…also Max and her sister ...." Read more

"Loved the premise of this book, and it had so much potential, it just wasn't executed very well. Not awful but not great either...." Read more

3 customers mention "Pacing"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the pacing of the book.

"Love this series and all the characters. I also find the hacker world fascinating and scary...." Read more

"Main characters you can fall in love with. Good set up with all the elements you are looking for...." Read more

"...action packed romance with plenty of drama and a over the top cast of nerdy characters ...." Read more

Fantastic and spicy romance suspense
5 out of 5 stars
Fantastic and spicy romance suspense
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 STEAM: 🔥🔥🔥 Erik Lai and Vivienne Rossi are childhood friends, except that they did not really know each other in real life. They bonded over victories in an online game and talked (albeit vaguely) about their personal lives. Even though they drifted apart, they still managed to message each other once in a while on the app. Meanwhile, Vivi headed to Paris to oversee part of her family's vineyard business, while Erik got involved in an unsavory online business. This has put Erik and everyone around him in serious danger. His current hideaway is Napa, California, where Vivi herself has come home to be close to family and opened a charming bookstore and café. Erik found out she was in close vicinity, so he visits her bookstore without disclosing who he is. Immediately they are drawn to each other, but would secrets and danger get in the way? I really enjoyed this book. I love the different layers of mystery around Erik's background story and how it compares to Vivi's less dangerous but equally complicated family drama. I found them both to be charming with Erik's introverted and guarded quirks and Vivi's often-too-trusting approach to life. Their chemistry is sizzling! These two introverts are most definitely not shy between the sheets, and I am here for it. This was the first book in the Twisted Vines series, and I cannot wait for more. I believe Erik is a character from one of Isabel Jolie's books, but this book works great as a standalone.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2022
    RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
    STEAM: 🔥🔥🔥

    Erik Lai and Vivienne Rossi are childhood friends, except that they did not really know each other in real life. They bonded over victories in an online game and talked (albeit vaguely) about their personal lives. Even though they drifted apart, they still managed to message each other once in a while on the app.

    Meanwhile, Vivi headed to Paris to oversee part of her family's vineyard business, while Erik got involved in an unsavory online business. This has put Erik and everyone around him in serious danger.

    His current hideaway is Napa, California, where Vivi herself has come home to be close to family and opened a charming bookstore and café. Erik found out she was in close vicinity, so he visits her bookstore without disclosing who he is. Immediately they are drawn to each other, but would secrets and danger get in the way?

    I really enjoyed this book. I love the different layers of mystery around Erik's background story and how it compares to Vivi's less dangerous but equally complicated family drama. I found them both to be charming with Erik's introverted and guarded quirks and Vivi's often-too-trusting approach to life. Their chemistry is sizzling! These two introverts are most definitely not shy between the sheets, and I am here for it.

    This was the first book in the Twisted Vines series, and I cannot wait for more. I believe Erik is a character from one of Isabel Jolie's books, but this book works great as a standalone.
    Customer image
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Fantastic and spicy romance suspense

    Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2022
    RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
    STEAM: 🔥🔥🔥

    Erik Lai and Vivienne Rossi are childhood friends, except that they did not really know each other in real life. They bonded over victories in an online game and talked (albeit vaguely) about their personal lives. Even though they drifted apart, they still managed to message each other once in a while on the app.

    Meanwhile, Vivi headed to Paris to oversee part of her family's vineyard business, while Erik got involved in an unsavory online business. This has put Erik and everyone around him in serious danger.

    His current hideaway is Napa, California, where Vivi herself has come home to be close to family and opened a charming bookstore and café. Erik found out she was in close vicinity, so he visits her bookstore without disclosing who he is. Immediately they are drawn to each other, but would secrets and danger get in the way?

    I really enjoyed this book. I love the different layers of mystery around Erik's background story and how it compares to Vivi's less dangerous but equally complicated family drama. I found them both to be charming with Erik's introverted and guarded quirks and Vivi's often-too-trusting approach to life. Their chemistry is sizzling! These two introverts are most definitely not shy between the sheets, and I am here for it.

    This was the first book in the Twisted Vines series, and I cannot wait for more. I believe Erik is a character from one of Isabel Jolie's books, but this book works great as a standalone.
    Images in this review
    Customer image
    4 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2023
    Crushed is book 1 in the Twisted Vines series and gives us the story of Erik and Vivienne, long time virtual friends who have never met in real life. When Erik's hacking puts him in danger he goes on the run. With no where to go he turns to his long time friend Vivi, only she has no idea he is atcually Phoenix, since they;ve never actually met in person. Twists, turns, suspense, and just the right amount of action propel this story along nicely. Add in the romance and some spice and it's the perfect way to start a series. Looking forward to the next stories.

    I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2022
    I enjoyed this story for the most part. There were a few times where I felt like the author forgot what she had already said previously, such as the gender of the H’s dog and the fact that the 2 main characters had already discussed their ages and later on she says he looks to be around her age yet she knew how old he was based on a prior conversation. ***POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT*** this doesn’t necessarily relate to this particular couple or book but I am a little disappointed to see that Kairi’s love interest is a man that Chloe is dating and has talked about multiple times. Now without reading her book and just what happens in this book and seeing as how he is the H in the next book which is Kairi’s it makes me feel a little sad. Obviously Kairi has been through something traumatic and deserves to find love but I don’t like how the author decided to write that character to be someone Chloe starts dating as if she herself hasn’t had enough dating drama already. For that reason and the fact I don’t care for second chance romance I won’t be reading her story or Trevor’s which is an age gap. Also, there is no closure with the bad guy here and we have to continue reading I assume to find out what happens so I guess I just won’t find out.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2024
    Love this series and all the characters. I also find the hacker world fascinating and scary. I hope there are real life white hats out there kicking ass!
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2023
    Ms. Jolie delivers a hot, spicy and suspense-filled romance that will have you needing a cold shower as well as sitting on the edge of your seat. I was pulled in by how the two main characters seemed like complete opposites but in reality, they were very much alike.

    I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2022
    Main characters you can fall in love with.

    Good set up with all the elements you are looking for. This story grabs you from the first word of its very exciting opening.

    Jolie writes a well-paced story that will make you quickly want to read more. You may want to gobble it up in one day.
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2022
    I really got into Erik, but it took me awhile to get into the complete story line. The beginning was for me at least all over , thus the 4 ⭐️ stars. I enjoyed the gaming aspect. Hope to read more about Wolf, and Trevor…also Max and her sister . Let’s face it I would like more definitions on the complete crew. I lived in that area and understood about the total landscape. But it was Erik, and his crew that I enjoyed the most. I also love the ethnic background…❤️👍🏻
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2022
    Vivi and Erik are sweet and adorable together ❤️ the steam is definitely there too! While I get the trauma and fear Erik has over things that have happened in the past, his paranoia is extreme at times and his utter lack of social skills is cringe inducing. I thought Vivi was very well written and portrayed beautifully, but I thought Erik was still a bit rough around the edges. However, I can see the cause due to his hacking/gaming background. I would’ve liked to see him more confident in the relationship by the end of the book (not just the epilogue - which was great!)
    4 people found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 30, 2022
    Love this author, one of my favourites to be sure. She gets the balance just right. This is an involved story line about a subject most of us now's very little or nothing about, so it was exciting to delve into some thing quite new and fresh.

    Love the characters. They all meld so well. Now onto the next book in this series, Breathe.
  • Dark Angel
    4.0 out of 5 stars Cybersecurity and Romance
    Reviewed in Australia on February 1, 2022
    A good book is one that informs as well as entertains, and this book does that in spade. It’s a great clean romance with some hot smexy times to turn the heat up. I have to say, I kept expecting something to come from his past, but was surprised when the dangers came from the opposite direction. I will say, Vivi has to be the most naïve personal security geek I’ve ever encountered. That part was a little unbelievable, but small town country girls get a pass in that respect.
    I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to people who like a good wholesome romance with a side of geek.

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