Distorted

the twist both saved this book and ruined it at the same time.

this is a very dark story, but I appreciated how Nyla K brought levity through the side characters and banter amongst the inmates; I was just as invested in them as I was with the MC (SpoilerI AM SO INVESTED IN REN AND LUTHOR'S DRAMA EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE JUST SIDE CHARACTERS, I can't wait to read their story!!).

a lot of morally questionable / downright bad things happen in dark romances and that's part of the territory; so I was okay with going along for the ride... but I'm happy that things took a completely off-the-wall turn because it made the romance palatable... but it also made the prior plot really confusing.

the twist completely changed the dynamic of everything that was portrayed before the 70-80% mark of the book, and it left plot-holes that I can't seem to figure out, unless they're amended in the [b:sequel|58511928|Joyless (Alabaster Penitentiary #2)|Nyla K.|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1631691504l/58511928.SY75.jpg|91738934]. the way it changed the dynamic of the romance was really endearing, but it also added romantic elements that developed so fast that I found it slightly unconvincing. that's all I can say without spoiling the story because the less you know, the better. 

side note, the audiobook production was really good!