Series Review: Tangled by K.L. Middleton

Series Review: Is this series worth your time? Does it get better as the novels progress? Or does it get worse? Find out below:

Synopsis for Tangled Beauty (from Goodreads):

Sinclair Jeffries thought she knew what she was getting into when her zany, gay friend, Jesse Eddington, talked her into portraying his girlfriend during his parent’s anniversary party on Huntington Beach. That is, until she met Reed, Jesse’s sexy as hell older brother, and ends up getting much more than what she’d bargained for.

Reed Eddington assumed his future was settled until he met Sinclair, his brother’s so-called “girlfriend”, but the raw, sexual tension between them is hard to ignore. As he watches their ruse from the sidelines, he finds himself wanting to uncover more than just their amusing little facade.

Series: Tangled Trilogy
Author: K L Middleton
# of Books: 3 (Tangled Beauty, Tangled Mess, Tangled Fury)
Book Order: Connected but Chronological Events
Complete?: Yes
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Suspense
Heat Rating: really warm
Point of View: First Person, Alternating
Publication Dates: February 2013 – June 2014
Source & Format: Own (Kindle)–eBook

Disclaimer: I never picked up Book 3: Tangled Fury. Find out why below…

Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:

Tangled Beauty was a freebie that I picked up a few years ago. I love the “fake” girlfriend premise but the angle here–that Sinclair was a fake girlfriend for her gay BFF–really intrigued me and so I picked it up right away. While I love stories where fake couples fall in love, I loved the drama this one provided by NOT being that story.

What I Liked:

–Fast Moving Story–

I found myself easy absorbed into these novels. They do have a substantial number of pages but I found I just flew through them every time. The story is always moving and new elements are introduced to keep you intrigued.

They are the perfect example of a light contemporary read.

–The Surprise Suspense Angle–

I really didn’t expect this aspect at all in either story. This isn’t a flat out suspense story (Tangled Fury seems to be a little more however) but there is enough of it to make it worth mentioning. It just gives this story another angle that I found was exciting.

What I Didn’t Like:

–Fast Romance–

I found this to be more of the case in Tangled Beauty but both romances happen fast. They are pretty insta-love in my opinion. I also feel like they are never really elaborated on. That made it hard for me to really see the connection between the characters (it’s better in Tangled Mess [#2])

–The Plot Never Fully Develops–

I feel like things were introduced, scratched a bit and then ignored for the novels. The focus of the plot just seemed off to me; like it couldn’t find that perfect balance.

Tangled Mess is a great example of that. Certain things happen, important enough developments for the plot, but nothing else happens with it. I just felt like I never got closure–maybe I just focused on the wrong things.

Part of the issue is that the suspense element–while a good feature–carries throughout the trilogy. Perhaps I would get closure if I read Tangled Fury but I’m just not that invested.

Will I Finish It?

Like I said, I’m not that invested in this series. While I’m curious to know how the suspense element will resolve, the synopsis of Tangled Fury doesn’t appeal to me at all. So I’m comfortable leaving this series as is.

Series Rating: 3/5

Tangled Beauty 4/5 | Tangled Mess 3/5 | Tangled Fury N/A

It’s a cute, quick series that would make the perfect weekend binge. But it just doesn’t have that intensity of other series in this genre.

Read if You Like: quick reads, some suspense
Avoid if You: want stronger stories

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