The Ultimate Book List of Gasp-Worthy Plot Twists & Crazy Endings

Well… it’s obvious I’m BIG on crazy twisty-turny books that shock the heck outta me. I like ‘em “psych-thriller” (as it seems those are the ones I’ve been reviewing lately). But ANY book that leads me in a certain way to believe a certain “thing” (or to deduce it and anticipate it) only to SHOCK me right outta my expectations and/or comfort zone, well… I JUST LOVE that!

I especially love it when it’s clever. SO well done that I went on “a certain story’s journey in my own head” and the author was actually taking me on a different journey entirely. GAH!  *blink blink* Done right, they just take my breath away! And when I suddenly realize just how wrong I was, and backtrack through specific key scenes and realize it was obvious the entire time? Yep! Those authors, to me, are pure writing geniuses!

But I’m into more than just “psych-thrillers” that seem to be a sure thing for the twisty-turny stuff. I especially love a book like that, that still delivers a love story. THAT is the best of both worlds. Angsty love, AND crazy shock-value. That’s for me! And I want to know which ones I should read. It doesn’t have to be scary… just gasp-worthy exciting!

Some of my favorites? I have a good mix of romance or psych-thrillers in my favs. These below, are links to my reviews, and PLEASE NOTE: Even if I label it “*gasp!!* the ending…” it doesn’t mean it ends badly. Just gasp-worthy. ‘Kay? Er… and it also doesn’t mean it doesn’t end badly, either. *snort* I’lllll neverrrrr teeeellllll <— *creepy singsongy voice* Good luck! You’ll have fun no matter what! These ALL rocked my world from start to end, and made me gasp in delight (or horror) at some point in the journey (and scroll down past this list below, for our fellow reader’s recommendations further down):

• The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski <—romance-angst… I won’t tell you where but… *gasp*!!
• Black Lies by Alessandra Torre <— romance + thrilling clever reveal!!
• Tight by Alessandra Torre <— romance + psych thriller + clever reveal… twice!
• The Girl On the Train by Paula Hawkins <— psych thriller clever reveal!!
• Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J. Bick <— student teacher + the ending. *gasp*!!
• Push by Claire Wallis <— Dark romance/thriller and I’m just gonna *gasp* altogether here… LOL!
• How to Kill a Rock Star by Tiffanie DeBartolo <— Angsty romance + *GASP* I won’t even tell you where. The WHOLE darn thing!
• Rainfall by Melissa Delport <— Romance + *gasp* = OMG the WHOLE thing…
• Reason to Breathe by Rebecca Donovan <— YA/Romance the ending *Gasp!!*
• Mud Vein by Tarryn Fisher <— Psych thriller + a touch of romance = clever reveal!!
• Destined for an Early Grave (#4) by Jeaniene Frost <— Urban Fantasy… angsty romance = the whole darn thing! Fun and gasp-worthy!
• On The Island by Tracey Garvis Graves <— Romance… clever reveal!
• Lying Season (EIT#4) by Karina Halle <— Thriller/romance & angsty as heck and that ending! *gasp*
• Stolen by Lucy Christopher <— The title should give you an idea. OH YES. The whole thing. Especially the ending. *gasp*!!!!
• Held by Edeet Ravel <— The title should give you an idea. OH YES. The whole thing. Especially the ending. *gasp*!!!!
• Slammed by Colleen Hoover <— YA/NA romance + clever reveal!!
• Hopeless by Colleen Hoover <— NA romance = clever reveal!!
• Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James <— Erotic romance + the ending!! *gasp!!*
• Fifty Shades Darker by E. L. James <— Erotic romance + The middle!! *double gasp* *thud*
• Please Don’t Stop the Music by Jane Lovering <— Romance & clever reveal!!
• Curio by Cara McKenna <— Erotic romance… clever reveal!!
• Shadow Kiss (#3) by Richelle Mead <— YA Urban Fantasy romance *GASP* I won’t even tell you where. The WHOLE darn thing!
• Shadow fever (#5) by Karen Marie Moning <— Urban Fantasy romance *GASP* I won’t even tell you where. The WHOLE darn thing! And all of this series for that matter!
• Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma <— YA Romance *GASP* I won’t even tell you where. The WHOLE darn thing!
• Comfort Food by Kitty Thomas <— Psych-thriller/Dark erotica… *GASP* I won’t even tell you where.

So I asked our Facebook crew to tell me their favorite…

Maryse: Book with the craziest twist? Don’t tell us the twist, but I’m SO into HUGE story-surprises so I’d love to know your favorite one… or the one that made the most impact. Was it because you were sure you knew all along, and were wrong? Or was it because you didn’t even see it coming at all, and BOOM! There it was. I LOVE books like that and would love to marathon read some crazy-fun (or scary) ones!

Sarah: Oh, I love this post. I’m in the mood for a “holy cow! I did not see that one coming!” book. I can’t wait to pick one from this list tonight.

Shelly: Following

Tessa: These types are some of the best books. If done right, they end up in my extreme greatest collection. Done wrong, and I’m hitting my head against the wall in boredom. Thank you for such a great list of those done right.

Amy: I love it when you make lists like this!  There are several up there that I already have but have not read yet, and I had no idea there were twists. Plus I’m going to one-click some of the new-to-me books as well. I’m making a new collection for my Kindle app!

AND OMG did you guys deliver!!!

So here’s a list of our favorites. Reader recommended books with CRAZY plot twists and/or WTF endings!! YAY SHOCK-VALUE!! If you ask me, looks like we have some tried & true reads here! P.S. Let me know if I’m missing any or if you loved any (from this list or elsewhere).

AND!!! Keep in mind:

There is an equal mix of angsty romance reads, and psych-thrillers below. BOTH genres can twist and turn and make me gasp equally. So whatever you’re in the mood for, I’m sure you’ll find just the right one below:

• Empathy by Ker Dukey <— HIGHLY recommended by so many in our reading crew. This one came up A LOT! AND THIS BLURB made me go YIKES!! Definite blurb-jolt alert! Maria said: “Favorite mindf**k of all time!!!!!!” and Jessica agrees, naming BOTH books in this series “Empathy and Desolate“
• NOCTE (The Nocte Trilogy Book 1) by Courtney Cole <— Jessica’s recommendations and Niki agrees: “….the secrets….it definitely sucks you in!!”
• VERUM (The Nocte Trilogy Book 2) by Courtney Cole <– Kristen agrees! “Just finished Verum and…this series is total bat-crap crazy.”
• Nine Minutes by Beth Flynn <— Jennifer suggested this one, and yep! It had quite the crazy twist! Here’s my review.
• The Club (The Club Trilogy Book 1) by Lauren Rowe
• Black Lies by Alessandra Torre <— Betty suggested this one and Julia agrees: “huge twist.. Great story” and Melanie agrees: “Black Lies by Alessandra Torre, never saw that twist coming“ AND I AGREE!! ANYTHING by Alessandra Torre is pure twisty-turny shocking fun! Here’s my review. You’ll see. I LOVED IT!!!!
• Tight by Alessandra Torre <— And since we’re on an Alessandra Torre kick (or at least, I am!) Shelly suggests this one saying: “Just finished Tight by Alessandra Torre, it was twisty!!” OMG it sure was, Shelly. I LOVED it too. I said: “I will officially add “Tight” by Alessandra Torre to this list. FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC and she should have called it “Twists” <— LOL!!! SO GOOD!!!” and here is my review.
• Statistic by Dawn Robertson <— Sherry said: “Statistic by Dawn Robertson did that for me..” Oh! YES!!! A woman doing the online dating thing and is interested in four men… BUT! “Aurora thinks she has found her happily ever after. But among her suitors is one man who plays by a different set of rules, someone who isn’t who he says. Will Aurora figure out who doesn’t have her best interest at heart? Or is she destined to become a Statistic?” <— EEEEP!!
• Beautiful Oblivion: A Novel by Jamie McGuire <— Vicki liked this one (and sure enough… it took me a few seconds to remember the twist, but yep!! I didn’t see that coming and found it quite clever!) Just a mini-gasp for me, but still had one, nonetheless! (my review)
• Dead Witch Walking (The Hollows Book 1) by Kim Harrison <— Charity’s recommendation! And Cynthia agrees: “these are absolutely wonderful too.. very similar to the Fever series in some aspects!”
• Until You’re Mine: A Novel by Samantha Hayes <— Karen’s recommendation: “Until Your Mine by Samantha Hayes. Never in a million years will you guess the twist! Soooo good!” OH SOUNDS SOOOO GOOD! Right up my alley! “When Claudia hires Zoe to help her around the house in anticipation of the baby’s arrival, it seems like the answer to her prayers. But despite Zoe’s glowing recommendations and instant rapport with the children, there’s something about her that Claudia cannot trust…“
• Transcendence by Shay Savage <— Claudia loved this one: “Transcendence by Shay Savage was a great twist ending!! Totally makes you wanna read it again right after to see it in a different light” and OMG I AGREE!! Sweeeeeeet and super-unique and addictive love story and SUCH a CLEVER ending!!! (my book review)
• When It Rains (Rains Series Book 1) by Lisa DeJong <— Jeannie says: “This is a great post! Two that come to mind – When It Rains by Lisa DeJong and Away by B.A. Wolfe were two that had very unexpected twists. Both books stayed with me, loved them!” (here’s my review)
• Away (The Keaton Series Book 1) by B.A. Wolfe
• Left Drowning by Jessica Park <— Candace says: “Jessica Park – left drowning. One of my all time favorites and the ending kills” (here’s my review)
• Wildest Dreams (Fantasyland Series Book 1) by Kristen Ashley <— Krystal says: “Kristen Ashley: wildest dreams- totally crazy and loved it.”
• Rainfall by Melissa Delport <— Kathy suggests this one, Kandace agrees: “Empathy and Rainfall both got me good last year.” Ickbal agrees too! “I agree with Rainfall, had me crying from start to finish.“ And I must say YES OH YES!!!!!!!! Quite the twist and ending. I didn’t even seen it coming. TWICE! LOVED LOVED LOVED!! (here’s my review).
• Black Hill Farm (Book One) by Tim O’Rourke <— CJ recommends this one! “Read Black Hill Farm by Tim O’Rourke - master of the mindfk!!” OH YES CJ!! Thanks for bringing this one to my attention. It sounds AWESOME! A blurb that says: “A dark tale of love and horror with a deadly twist.” IS FOR ME!!!
• Black Hill Farm: Andy’s Diary (Book Two) by Tim O’Rourke <— And here’s the SEQUEL!! I think this completes the “duo”
• Conklin’s Trilogy Box Set (Conklin’s Blueprints, Conklin’s Foundation, Conklin’s Corruption) by Brooke Page <— Tonya says: “Conklin’s Trilogy… The third book was like… WTF? Didn’t see that coming.”
• DAMAGED GOODS: The Outsider Chronicles by Nicole Williams <— Jessica’s recommendation saying: “YES!!! Damaged Goods had a twist I didn’t see coming! It’s one of my top favorite books ever!!!“ and I must say… this part of the blurb has me titillated!! “The quiet, contemplative man who works on cars by night and takes care of his mentally ill mother during the day is nothing like any of the local boys Liv grew up avoiding. But just when Liv considers suspending her golden rule this one time, she finds out something about Will that will change everything…“
• With the Father by Jenni Moen <— And Brenda says: “With the father by Jenni moen. That one has stayed with me for a long time.” WHOA!!! SHOCK VALUE YES!!! Look at this mini-excerpt of the blurb: “Father Sullivan was a force – a living and breathing force, a forbidden desire I couldn’t resist. I didn’t want to resist. But I wasn’t the only one who wanted him, and by all accounts neither of us should have him.” <— RIGHT??!!!
• The Opportunist (Love Me With Lies Book 1) by Tarryn Fisher <— And Ruth suggests this one. YES YES YES!! I agree!! (Here’s my review)
• Love In Rewind (Audio Fools Book 1) by Tali Alexander <— Lee chooses this one! “Love in Rewind by Tali Alexander… swear to god.. I did NOT see the twist .. I knew something was coming, but from all the scenarios I had envisioned the real thing was above and beyond.. I literally screamed -noooo!!! to my kindle .. And when the twist became another twist I cussed the author.. I was sure the author had some sort of death wish because I was ready to hunt her down and scream at her – you don’t play with reader’s emotions like that..“
• Hopeless by Colleen Hoover<— Jill reminds us of this one! Hopeless YEP!! Agreed. Great great great reveal!!! (my review)
• Island by Richard Laymon <— Veronica recommends this one! OMG THIS SOUNDS AWESOME!!! DESERTED ISLAND ALERT!! “When eight people go on a cruise in the Bahamas, they plan to swim, sunbathe and relax. Getting shipwrecked is definitely not in the script. But after the yacht blows up they’re stranded on a deserted island, and there’s a maniac on the loose.“
• Darkfever: Fever Series Book 1 by Karen Marie Moning <— Yvonne says: “I feel that way about every book in the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning…just finished Burned and can’t wait for the October release of the next one.” And Amy loves ‘em too! “…several of the Fever books had me dropping my jaw on more than one occasion.“ <— AGREED!!!!! Lots and LOTS of twists in this one. FANTASTIC SERIES with crazy plot twists, reveals and shock-value. PERFECTION! (here’s my review of book #1)
• Creep (Creep series Book 1) by Jennifer Hillier <— Teresa recommends this one! Oooooh this one looks delightfully creepy! “Dr. Sheila Tao is a professor of psychology. An expert in human behavior. And when she began an affair with sexy, charming graduate student Ethan Wolfe, she knew she was playing with fire. Consumed by lust when they were together, riddled with guilt when they weren’t, she knows the three-month fling with her teaching assistant has to end. After all, she’s finally engaged to a kind and loving investment banker who adores her, and she’s taking control of her life. But when she attempts to end the affair, Ethan Wolfe won’t let her walk away.” <— Ruh roh.
• Unravel: A Novel by Calia Read <—Daria’s recommendation! “Behind the walls of a mental hospital, Naomi Carradine feels her world breaking to pieces. She’s starting to believe all the voices questioning her sanity…“
• Gone Girl: A Novel by Gillian Flynn <— Amy says: “Gone Girl would have to be on my list.” and Sadie agrees: “Gone Girl for sure…”
• The Kind Worth Killing: A Novel by Peter Swanson <— And here’s another one that Sadie recommends (and Sadie and I have VERY similar book tastes. I know if she loved it, I WILL). She says: “ …the one I just finished has some awesome twists – The Kind Worth Killing. I think you’d like this one. A lot.” and Mandi agrees! “I agree with Sadie, I just finished The Kind Worth Killing and it was full of WTF moments!! Best mindfu×÷ of a book since Gone Girl”  Oh yes it sounds psych-scary thrilling: “…there are a few things about Lily’s past that she hasn’t shared with Ted, namely her experience in the art and craft of murder, a journey that began in her very precocious youth. Suddenly these co-conspirators are embroiled in a chilling game of cat-and-mouse, one they both cannot survive . . .“
• Three, Two, One (321): (A Dark Suspense) by J.A. Huss <– Sarai says “I didn’t want it to end lol. I’m hoping there is a 2nd part” and Carol agrees: “I’m reading this right now… Almost done! Am loving it!” and Kristi jumped in, too: “321 by Julie A Huss…best book of 2015 so far and I bet will be on my top three by December 31. She blew me away with this story. Loved. Every. Word.” And from the blurb? “After years of searching, love lifts the veil of darkness, and three people–with three very big secrets–find themselves bound together in a relationship that defies the odds. Or does it?“
• Reaver (Demonica Book 10) by Larissa Ione <— Sophie’s choice. LOL!! I said Sophie’s choice.
• How to Kill a Rock Star by Tiffanie DeBartolo <— Selena reminds us of this one and OMG YESSSSSSS!!! HOLY MOLY I didn’t see THAT twist coming. YES YES YES!!! Rock star romance but SUPER intelligent even in it’s delicious angst! And Ashley agrees! “I’ve had How to Kill a Rockstar on my TBR list for ages!. Well I started yesterday morning after seeing this list and stayed up till 2:00 finishing it!!! Arrrggghhhhh it was SOOO good. Thanks for reminding me to dig deep down through my unread books; that is what I love most about these lists especially as I feel I’ve been in a big book slump lately.“  Here’s my review.
• Mud Vein by Tarryn Fisher <— Bethany’s choice and YES YES again I agree SO YES!!! “…her past has a heartbeat…and her kidnapper is nowhere to be found. With her survival hanging by a thread, Senna soon realizes this is a game. A dangerous one. Only the truth can set her free.“ Here’s my review.
• Bang (Black Lotus #1) (The Black Lotus Series) by E.K. Blair <— Jamie recommends this one! “My innocence was stolen from me. Taken was the life I was supposed to have. The soul I was born with. The ruby heart embedded in a life full of hopes and dreams. Gone. Vanished…“
• RAW by Belle Aurora <— Jamie’s recommendation and Eeeeep! STALKER-ALERT! “I’m sure you’re wondering how a person falls in love with their stalker. So am I. This isn’t a story. This is my life.” I read it and here’s my review!
• Tug (Irreparable Book 3) by KJ. Bell <— Brandi says: “Black Lies, Tug and Raw all three are WTF just happened” and Gina agrees: “I vote for Raw by Belle Aurora. Lots of twists and turns.”
• Monster in His Eyes by J.M. Darhower <— Another one that Jamie suggests! He’s a monster… “He’s a monster, wrapped up in a pretty package, and what I find when I unmask him changes everything. I want to hate him. Sometimes, I do. But it doesn’t stop me from loving him, too.“
• Bitter Sweet Love: A Twisted Novel (Twisted Series Book 1) by R.C. Stephens <— Irene’s suggestion. “Despite the pain Dylan’s caused her, Lexi is once again drawn to the blue-eyed boy-next-door. Will Lexi choose the man who seems perfect but hides a dark side or the boy who smashed her heart into pieces so many years ago?“
• Handled by Angela Graham & S.E. Hall <— Angie recommends these! “Not completely crazy but definitely surprised me. There are 3 books that S.E. Hall and Angela Graham collaborated on you should check out. Good reads and good surprise endings.“
• The Consequences Series: Part 1 by Aleatha Romig <— Ivonne loves these! “Consequences series by Aleatha Romig too many twists!! Loved it!! Kept me glue until the end!” and Denyse agrees: “…..unbelievable series.” Oh yes!! I read the first two and they are very shocking and twisty! And twisted! Here’s my review of book #1.
• Underestimated: Book One by Jettie Woodruff <— another one of Jamie’s suggestions. I read this dark read! Here’s my review.
• Flat-Out Love by Jessica Park <— Diane suggested this one and YEP!! I agree. Not a crazy psych-thriller or anything, just a sweet, witty and highly intelligent NA romance, but OMG THAT TWIST!!! Here’s my review.
• The Girl on the Train: A Novel by Paula Hawkins <— Michelle agrees with me on this one. She says: “This was me today with Girl on the Train!!!” Plain old AWESOME and twisty and scary and perfect!
• Gravity: A Novel by L.D. Cedergreen <— Bobbi recommends this one! “Just when Gemma feels that she has found her second chance at happiness, she is faced with a shocking truth as her reality spirals out of control. She can’t deny the powerful force that brought Andrew back into her life anymore than she can defy the same force that now threatens to pull them apart…“
• Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1) by Jim Butcher <— And this is Chris’s recommendation… saying: “The Dresden files. There are two ENORMOUS twists in the book Changes. One is in the first paragraph and the second is on the last page. I honestly think the first one is bigger… That first paragraph almost killed me. I had just inhaled on my cigarrette. See kids smoking is bad for you.” and Candice agrees: “I remember reading those and having to set the book down and come back again.” and so does Kari: “Agree. Butcher is the boss.”
• Fate’s Mistake (Los Rancheros Book 2) by Brandace Morrow <— Faith recommends this one. “He was the perfect gentleman, and my parents adored him. In time, I learned to adore him too. I married him. He was my forever. Until the day he hit me. Five years went by with the speed of a ticking clock, counting down my life one painful second at a time. Until Danny. Danny saw me. Danny was my hero.“
• Mockingjay (The Hunger Games) by Suzanne Collins <— Candice says: “Mocking Jay, really did it to me. Is still feel a little bit sad when I think about it.” Yep!! Here’s my review (but Mockingjay is book #3, so if you haven’t read the series yet, skip the review).
• We Were Liars by E. Lockhart <— Melanie’s recommendation! “A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
  A revolution. An accident. A secret. Lies upon lies. True love. The truth.“
• The Mistress: The Original Sinners Book 4 (Original sinner seires) by Tiffany Reisz <— Kandace says: “I’m still ****** about the twist-ending The Mistress by Tiffany Reisz’s.”
• He + She by Michelle Warren <— Amber’s recommendation. “HE is trying to piece together his broken life. SHE is running away from her wedding day. THEY meet in San Francisco. From the beginning they agree not to exchange anything truthful about their lives, not even their real names.”
• Push by Claire Wallis <— Robyn suggests this one! AND I AGREE!!! CA-RAZY!!!
• Stirred Up by S.E. Hall & Angela Graham <— Pauline says: “Stirred Up. I didn’t see that one coming ”
• The Good Girl by Mary Kubica <— Denise says: “The Good Girl, I can’t believe no one has said this one yet. Totally blew me away” and Mandi agrees: “Omg, I loved The Good Girl! Did not see that ending coming!!” EEEEEEEEEP!!! How have I not read this one yet!!! Check out this part of the blurb: “Mia enters a bar to meet her on-again, off-again boyfriend. But when he doesn’t show, she unwisely leaves with an enigmatic stranger. With his smooth moves and modest wit, at first Colin Thatcher seems like a safe one-night stand. But following Colin home will turn out to be the worst mistake of Mia’s life. “
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Harry Potter, Book 1) by J.K. Rowling <— Gamu says: “Harry pottter. The snape thing. I never saw that coming”
• Poison Princess (The Arcana Chronicles Book 1) by Kresley Cole <— Juliet loves these! “Any of the Arcana Chronicles by Kresley Cole. She got me shocked. Usually I can predict everything…”
• The Forgotten Girl by Jessica Sorensen <— Alisha recommends this one… and the blurb sure has that creep-factor! “In the aftermath, Maddie’s left struggling with who she is—the forgotten girl she was six years ago or the Maddie she is now. Sometimes it even feels like she might be two different people completely—the good Maddie and the bad one. Good Maddie goes to therapy, spends time with her family, and works on healing herself. Bad Maddie rebels and has dark thoughts of hurting people and sometimes even killing them…“
• By a Thread (By a Thread series Book 1) by R.L. Griffin <— And Janet loves this one! “Some more of my favs—-The entire By a Thread series by R.L. Griffin” and this one does sound angsty as heck! “Tragically, her perfectly planned future ends just as it was beginning. With no ties to family or friends, Stella finds herself alone in a new city, spiraling out of control. Her typical day comes to a close with her passed out on the floor, sometimes clothed…“
• Mandi recommends this one! “I finished Dangerous Girls by Abigail Ha as last night and that had a WTF Ending to it! Highly recommend that one as well!!” and yep… this sounds like a wild ride! and Sadie agrees! “Also, Dangerous Girls, which Mandi just finished and we’ve been chatting all morning… very twisty.”  “It’s Spring Break of senior year. Anna, her boyfriend Tate, her best friend Elise, and a few other close friends are off to a debaucherous trip to Aruba that promises to be the time of their lives. But when Elise is found brutally murdered, Anna finds herself trapped in a country not her own, fighting against vile and contemptuous accusations.“
• Harbour Falls (A Harbour Falls Mystery Book 1) by S.R. Grey <— Abby recommends this one! “Have you ever read Harbour Falls by S.R. Grey? Set in a small town in coastal Maine, when a young woman goes missing her fiancé, a hot millionaire who owns his own island, becomes the prime suspect. The lead female is investigating him and OMG do the twists and turns start happening! You end up not trusting anyone and the ending is a holy crap! moment.“
• Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J. Bick <— One of my favs (up on my list up there) and Amy agrees: “Drowning Instinct, oh my…that one still makes a mess of me when I think about it. The coat at the end and what he tells her to do with it.  Seriously ladies, it’s worth the higher price.“
• Insanity (The Asylum Trilogy Book 1) by Lauren Hammond <— Amy also liked this one! “Insanity by Lauren Hammond. Holy twistedness…that ending. I wanted to cry. I think I did a little bit. The second one was okay, and I wasn’t thrilled with the third, but I DO recommend the first. It delivers a *great* kick in the gut.” Okay the blurb makes me go whaaaaaa?!! “Adelaide and Damien were young, wild, and fiercely in love. And they had a plan. They were going to run away together. To live and love each other freely without restraints. And their plan was set in motion, until tragedy struck and for some reason, Adelaide wound up in The Oakhill Institution for the insane. Adelaide has no idea what she did to wind up at Oakhill, but she knows one thing for sure… She wants out. And after Damien follows her there to aid her in escaping, Adelaide slowly begins putting together the pieces of her missing memory.”
• Half-Blood (The Covenant Series Book 1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout <— Tessa’s recommendation: “Covenant series! Between number two and three is the big wtf twist that escalated the series to be better than the Lux series. (Either that or I just loved Seth that much.)” and Amy agrees! She says: “I wish I could read that again for the first time! “
• Elite (Eagle Elite Book 1) by Rachel Van Dyken <— Tessa loved this one, too! “Once it starts to reveal itself, it becomes obvious, but until then, totally clueless. However when I went back to reread, tiny miniscule hints are there, but nothing overly obvious until she wanted us to guess.”
• Debt Inheritance (Indebted Book 1) by Pepper Winters <— And another Tessa recommendation! “Debt Inheritance by Pepper Winters is full of twisties, especially the end of Second Debt. Twisty add for the rest of the series.” and Kim agrees! “Debt inheritance is the bomb but I am holding odd reading it until all 6 come out. I can’t take the suspense“
• Murder In Thrall (A New Scotland Yard Mystery Book 1) by Anne Cleeland <— Carina’s recommendation: “…cleverly written and made me frantically back-track a few times to check when I missed ”it”. And bargain priced at the moment!“
• Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill <— And Cindy brings on the creep-fest. “I have to mention 2 books that were great! They are always so hard to put into a category! … Horns and Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill. Both have creepy-ish moments but also some gasp worthy moments/plot twists. He writes such cool stories!! I’m not sure what HSB is classified as but to me it is in part a love story, def not our traditional, but still it is.”
• Insidious (Tales From the Dark Side Book 1) by Aleatha Romig <— Donna says: “I am in shock! Nobody has mentioned Insidious by Aleatha Romig. A few twists and the last sentence in the book was a major WTF moment. Great book”

1. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty <— Tasha found us this one! “Anyone read Big Little Lies? I just finished and absolutely had a gasp worthy moment!” and Cindy agrees: “Big Little Lies… Yes!!! I absolutely loved this book!! Just awesome!!! Definitely a bunch of gasp worthy moments! Such great writing… you must read this Maryse!!!”
2. Luckiest Girl Alive: A Novel by Jessica Knoll <— Tasha also suggests this one! “…and just finishing up Luckiest Girl Alive… Sooo good!!… I’m just so excited!!“”
3. The Scholomance by R. Lee Smith <— Caroledee found us this one! “R. Lee Smith’s The Scholomance is so twisted. But the end? Just nuts.”
4. CARNAGE: Book #1 The Story Of Us by Lesley Jones <— Susan reminds us of this one!!! “what about Carnage by Lesley Jones?? Talk about a WTF ending!” and Michelle agrees! “Oh I feel dumb of course Carnage has to be on this list – good thinking Susan!” (my review)
5. You: A Novel by Caroline Kepnes <— And Michelle suggest this one too! “Another one that you have reviewed Maryse that fits is You by Caroline Kepnes.” HECK YES! I agree! (my review)
6. Sharp Objects: A Novel by Gillian Flynn <— Elizabeth’s suggestion: “Sharp Objects and Dark Places by Gillian Flynn. Very dark and twisty! She is one of my favorite authors, but her books are not romantic “
7. Dark Places: A Novel by Gillian Flynn
8. Before I Go To Sleep: A Novel by S. J. Watson <— Elizabeth suggests this one, too! “Oh and Before I go to sleep.” and Tasha agrees! “Another mentionable is Before I Go To Sleep. (Similar feel to The Girl on the Train where the narrator is somewhat unreliable)”
9. Lost Until You (Until You Series Book 1) by J.R. Grant <— This one is Tasha’s suggestion! “Have you read Lost Until You by J.R. Grant? Holy shizzle! That plot twist will kick your a## like you wouldn’t believe. And its on sale. I got it yesterday and finished it in 6 hours. So so good”
10. Landslide by Jenn Cooksey <— Kim says: “I just read Landslide. Oh my..what a book. The writing is incredibly beautiful and poetic and the story is angst and heartbreaking. ..and the twist?? Freaking fantastic”
11. Blind Obsession by Ella Frank <— and Kim loved this one: “Blind obsession by ella frank. Loved that book. The ending gutted me.” (my review)
12. Beautifully Awake by Riley Mackenzie <— Robin insists on these! “Great list!!!! You have to add Beautifully Awake ( Beautifully Done right behind) and Nine Minutes!! Character development and chemistry are always important but a killer plot makes a book!”
13. Beautifully Done (Beautifully Awake Book 2) by Riley Mackenzie
14. Sloth: A Sinful Secrets Novel by Ella James <— Arianna emailed me about this twisty one! “I just finished reading this amazing book that I thought many others would like to hear about. It’s titled Sloth by Ella James. This book had me hooked from the very beginning. It’s dark, gritty, with a love story like no other. There is a huge twist near the end of the book so I can’t give much away. You just have to read it! I literally had to set the book down a few times because my tears were affecting my reading abilities. My roommates looked at me like I had lost my mind, but I just couldn’t explain to them how connected I felt to these characters, and how their pain felt like my pain. For warning it is a very steamy read, and a little confusing at times, but what that all amounts to is a beautifully tragic love story.”

Tagged as: gasp-worthy, plot twist, psychological thriller