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Tangled Web (Tangled #1)

Lizzie James (Goodreads Author)

4.29 · Rating details · 121 Ratings · 92 Reviews

“Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive!”

At the top of London’s ivory towers business is ruled over by the Walker and the Johnson families. There is no competition. No battle. It is all out war.

When Chloe Johnson – the baby of the Johnson family – decides to move back home to London there was one rule: Stay away from Nathan Walker.

One problem ...more

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Kindle Edition, 171 pages

Published February 12th 2016 by Lizzie James

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May 02, 2016 Winter Sophia Rose rated it it was amazing

Sexy, Hot, Steamy, Addictive & Intriguing! An Amazing Read! I Loved It!

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May 29, 2016 Jessica Ozment rated it it was amazing

In this tale of all-out war, two families (The Johnson's and the Walker's) struggle to over take the business world in London. There is nothing the other family will not do to preserve their family legacy, and the story escalates when Nick Walker and Chloe Johnson meet.

Nick is captivated by Chloe, even though he finds out that her father is his very own father's mortal enemy in the business sector. That doesn't stop him from falling deep for the girl. Their "Romeo and Juliet" style romance is n ...more

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Mar 03, 2016 Stephanie Farrant rated it liked it

I loved the idea for the story of Tangled Web. It very much has a Romeo and Juliet vibe, with two families that share a hatred of each other and a love trying to blossom in the clash of that hatred.

However at times I felt certain feelings and relationships were rushed and I just couldn't really feel the story, even though I desperately wanted to.

As a reader I like descriptive text. I like to know details of my surroundings and have a clear picture in my mind of characters. Reading Tangled Web I ...more

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Mar 08, 2016 Ella Price rated it it was amazing

I absolutely LOOOOVVVEEED this book! It was kind of like a modern day Romeo and Juliet when it came to the forbidden love between the son and daughter of warring families’ aspect. I honestly didn’t expect Nathan to act the way he did. I thought he was going to be a total a**, but he turned out to be an amazing guy. Chloe is a great girl who hasn’t had a chance to establish her own identity. She is living in the shadow of her family’s name and it is obvious that it is driving her insane.

I love ...more

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Feb 23, 2016 Tracy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Although i did find this book to be quite slow in the whole, it did include a wonderful love story between the two main characters. Even with the other characters causing problems and heart brake all the way through.
Chloe has returned home to London from Paris and moves in with her brother Chase, and taking position of Account Manager at Johnson Architecture. Everything seems to be going well as she gets swept of her feet by long time friend, the gorgeous and very sexy Nathan.
Nathan is Head Of F ...more

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Jul 13, 2016 Books 2 Blog rated it really liked it

This modern day Romeo and Juliet story centres around the Walker and Johnson family. The two families parted ways years ago and are now rivals in business. This makes things especially awkward for Chloe Johnson when Nathan Walker sets his sights on her and surname aside he is making it his mission to make her his, the only problem is that Chloe wants to resist but for how long can she hold out?

This book was my first by this author and I loved it. I sped through it in just 2 sittings. The story w ...more

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May 10, 2016 Judy Miracle rated it it was amazing

** AMAZING DEBUT NOVEL BY LIZZIE JAMES **

I am dying to read the next one in this series! In Tangled Web we have a forbidden romance kind of like Romeo & Juliet. The two families hate each other but when Chloe moves back to London one thing leads to another and shes in Nathan's bed. Chloe tries to put up a wall and only have a business relationship with him but Nathan is not having that. He will do all that he can to get Chloe. I loved how developed the characters were as well the the twists ...more

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May 06, 2016 Amber - TBR Book Blog rated it really liked it

Tangled Web by Lizzie James is just WOW. I don't know how else to describe it. Although full disclosure, it is a cliffhanger and Miss Lizzie is very lucky I haven't beaten down the door - ok flooded her FB inbox - asking when more is coming.

Chloe Johnson & Nathan Walker meet, unknowing that each is part of the family they're sworn to hate. Nathan decides to pursue Chloe, even after finding out she's related to his father's nemesis.

There are many twists and turns that you do NOT see coming. ...more

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May 26, 2016 Dawn rated it it was amazing

I loved this book!
The chemistry between Nathan and Chloe was electric.
It was clear that they were meant for each other, but some family rivalry was in the way, blocking their relationship. I was glad when they didn't let it and carried on regardless.
I like Chloe's brother until he did some things to try to force Chloe to end things with Nathan.
I can't wait for book two to find out what started the rivalry between the Walkers and the Johnsons, and also to see what Sophie's game is.
Excellent book ...more

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Apr 14, 2016 Paula Genereau rated it it was amazing

I loved this book. I like the style of writing it makes the book very interesting. Chloe is my favorite character because she's strong willed and no one can make up her mind for her. She's told to stay away from Nathan but can she?

I can't wait to read more by this author. I was given a copy of the book for my honest review

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Feb 18, 2016 J.A. Lafrance rated it it was amazing

I loved this book. I fell in love with the main couple and wanted to hurt the people that made them hurt. I am patiently waiting for the next book.

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May 05, 2016 Bobbie Stanley rated it liked it

I am a sucker for love stories and I desperately wanted to love this one. There's always something attractive about a forbidden romance. Unfortunately, what we want isn't always what we get. While there were moments in this book that I did enjoy, I found it somewhat difficult to connect with. In particular, I found it difficult to like Chloe, whose perspective the entire story was being told from. When it's difficult to connect with or like the narrator of the story, it becomes difficult to get I am a sucker for love stories and I desperately wanted to love this one. There's always something attractive about a forbidden romance. Unfortunately, what we want isn't always what we get. While there were moments in this book that I did enjoy, I found it somewhat difficult to connect with. In particular, I found it difficult to like Chloe, whose perspective the entire story was being told from. When it's difficult to connect with or like the narrator of the story, it becomes difficult to get attached to the story at all. At least that's the case for me, anyway. I found Chloe to be incredibly gullible and rather unrealistic at times. On the whole, I would have liked to see a great deal more development for this character and many others. There was a small amount of history discussed, but there was much more that was never mentioned, almost as if the author assumed that readers would know such details without explanation.

In addition to having difficulty connecting with the characters, I found it difficult to understand the motivations of many of them. As such, many changes in situations, relationships, and alliances felt extremely abrupt. For example, as Louise shifted roles in the story, there seemed to be little indication of any changing of sides. One moment, she was on one side and the next she was on the other, with no reason given for the change. Without giving away too much, I do want to say that I felt this abrupt sort of change in many of the characters. In some cases, it was warranted, as their motivations didn't seem to actually change. In others, though, it gave the feel of an underdeveloped character or plot.

The pacing of the story was very fast, apparently taking place in a matter of weeks, perhaps less than a month, even. While I am a fan of whirlwind romances, I do need to feel the urgency of the characters' emotions and understand how they've become caught up in one another. In this book, I felt the focus was primarily on the physical, which does happen with new relationships, but I never really felt the underlying emotions that the characters voiced. They said they loved one another, but there was no evidence of the development of such a feeling. Instead, they were intimate over and over again, and somehow these sexual encounters gave way to a love so great that they were ready to commit for a lifetime in less than a month? The transition didn't make sense to me and I felt like there was a whole lot of character and relationship development that could have been included here.

Overall, I feel like this story has good bones. I like the setup with the forbidden romance. I like the lead characters' intentions to have a fling that goes nowhere and I love that their intentions blew up in their faces. I just wish that there was more story with all of the eroticism in this novel. I have no issue with sex scenes, but I always prefer that the serve a purpose. A book that consists almost entirely of sex leaves so much to be desired for me because my greatest love in reading is watching characters grow and develop. Sex on its own is not a good basis for character development and relationship growth. It's not a bad read, really. For me, it just felt incomplete and rather shallow. I really would have liked more depth in the characters and the story line. ...more

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Mar 02, 2016 Itsy Bitsy Book Bits rated it really liked it

Tangled Web by Lizzie James does a good job of pulling the reader into the author's debut novel from the start. Forbidden love stories never get old; feuding families are a universal obstacle people from any culture or class can relate to easily. The way the Johnsons and the Walkers loathe each other with no given reason beyond: 'It's the way things are for Johnsons and Walkers." That comes across well throughout the whole work.

Chloe makes for a good protagonist in the sense she's young enough Tangled Web by Lizzie James does a good job of pulling the reader into the author's debut novel from the start. Forbidden love stories never get old; feuding families are a universal obstacle people from any culture or class can relate to easily. The way the Johnsons and the Walkers loathe each other with no given reason beyond: 'It's the way things are for Johnsons and Walkers." That comes across well throughout the whole work.

Chloe makes for a good protagonist in the sense she's young enough to make the reader want to feel terrible for her circumstances as they spiral from bad to worse. There's a kind of casual charm to her characterization which I think, for me, comes from the fact she has a lot of 'young' struggles. Chloe missed her college graduation due to a bad situation she'd landed herself in with a boyfriend. Most people in their last year of college make some mistakes while panicking about going out into the 'real world' to get a job. I empathized with her plight without thinking she 'should have known better' which is the attitude passed her way by her misogynistic father and brother.

"Come on, Chloe, live a little."

That seems to be the theme for the whole work as Nathan Walker sweeps Chloe off her feet in a whirlwind romance. They start out as a rough-and-tumble affair only for both of them to find themselves surprised.

Nathan's 'Boss Voice' was amazing. Most women enjoy the idea of a man who'll take charge, never stop respecting them, and be willing to leap to their defense while making it obvious they don't believe this guy thinks they're too weak to take care of themselves. He's the kind of guy I'd buy a drink in the bar for being too good to be true.

"I'm not asking you for anything. I just want to be clear. I want everything with you."

Who doesn't want to be wanted like that?

First person in Chloe's POV throughout, Tangled Web by Lizzie James sets a fast pace which feels almost too fast at time, but life feels that way for people in Chloe's age bracket. I think the author captured the feeling of turning 21, of graduating college, of going back home when one is on the cusp of being a 'real adult.' It's a solid read which has some steamy scenes as well as some silly ones. Four stars on the whole for being an enjoyable debut novel which I would recommend to people looking for a light afternoon read who enjoy contemporary work and don't mind an unresolved ending since this is distinctly the first of a series, not a standalone work. ...more

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May 07, 2016 The Magic of Books Blog rated it really liked it

Tangled Web by Lizzie James

Four stars.
Reviewed by Patricia

This book has so much in it's favour, the premise of rival, feuding business families with animosity to spare, make for an interesting, romantic attraction between two of the family members. A modern day Montegues and Capulets; Chloe is a Johnson, Nathan is a Walker, rival business families. One group an architectural company and the other a construction group which means an occasional association on projects...a potential for tempers to Tangled Web by Lizzie James

Four stars.
Reviewed by Patricia

This book has so much in it's favour, the premise of rival, feuding business families with animosity to spare, make for an interesting, romantic attraction between two of the family members. A modern day Montegues and Capulets; Chloe is a Johnson, Nathan is a Walker, rival business families. One group an architectural company and the other a construction group which means an occasional association on projects...a potential for tempers to rise and personal dislikes to dominate as mistrust prevails.

As Chloe returns to London from an extended stay in France, she becomes involved with Nathan. Can this relationship work? Can they overcome their natural distrust of each other that has developed over so many years? Will their budding romance survive the obstacles placed in their way by both families?

The author moves this story along at a steady pace despite a slow, but necessarily detailed, start. The budding romance is beautifully developed as it progresses.

This first book sets the scene of a developing relationship that is obviously going to have many obstacles to overcome if it is to become a lasting love. The cliff hanger ending will leave you desperately wanting to get your hands on the sequel to see how things will develop between these two young people.

I did find that there was a lot of repetition of certain phrases that the writer obviously enjoys using which became a little boring after a while, along with an over used, repetitive reference to the differing heights of the couple. Also, a little warning; if you are offended by the infamous four letter 'F' word, you will need to avoid this book. I counted no less than 24 uses of this word in chapter 2 alone, and it wasn't unusual for it to be repeated 5 or 6 times on one page. It's not because I am a prude in any way shape or form but I did find it a little excessive, as I don't imagine it would enhance the act of making love. Personally, I would be totally put off !

A fast read that is a good first effort by a new author whose talents will develop with progress and the help of a good editor. I will be looking for the second episode as I feel that this story has a lot of potential if the author explores it well and develops her grammatical skills. (My reason for deducting one star)

Reviewed by Late Night Books Reviewer Patricia
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May 30, 2016 Crystal rated it really liked it

I really enjoyed Chloe and Nathan’s story, it was filled with twists, turns, betrayal, loyalty, and seamy scenes. The plot of the book was great, two twenty-somethings from families who used to be close, but are now bitter rivals. Chloe and Nathan decided they didn’t care what their families thought, they wanted to be together. There were plenty of people getting in their way though, from an overprotective brother and parents who did not approve, to a cousin with less than innocent intentions. T ...more

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May 15, 2016 Alicia rated it liked it

Truly A Tangled Web

An interesting novel with a truly tangled premise. I found the basis for this novel very interesting. Two families once the best of neighbors who out of the blue become families at war against one another in the business world and extending beyond.

When Chloe Johnson and Nathan Walker start dating no one is happy or supportive of them. Their lives become complicated by family members on both sides, but their love for one another just gets stringer. Until there is a misunderst ...more

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May 31, 2016 Twin Sisters Rockin' Book Reviews rated it it was amazing

Overall Rating: 4.5 Rockin’ ★★★★☆

Lizzie James' book Tangled Web, receives a 4.5 awesome stars! As a warning this book is a cliff hanger and that is the only reason this book does not get 5 stars from me. With that said when the series is complete you can bet that I will be buying the entire thing and reading the story over and over. I'll be talking this story up to everyone (with the cliffy warning).

Lizzie James creates a wonderful world of deceit, where two people take a chance on each other. ...more

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Jun 09, 2016 Heidi rated it really liked it

Lizzie James brings us an awesome modern day story kind of like Romeo And Juliet especially when it came to the whole forbidden love between the son and daughter of the warring families.

I Totally did not expect Nathan to act the way that he did. Me being me i thought he was going to be a total idiot...., but i was so so wrong he is an amazing stand up guy.

Chloe is a lovely lady see as lovely as she is she has been unable to have a chance to establish herself and her own identity. She has been ...more

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Apr 04, 2016 Amber .:★Wild Heart Reviews★:. rated it really liked it

Tangled Web is the very first book I've read by Lizzie James. Not only that, it's her debut novel and let me just say, she has knocked it out of the park. I was enthralled with this book. It is a spin on a modern day Romeo and Juliet tale, but don't let that run you off. The way the author has written it will leave you craving more.

This book is a cliffhanger. Normally I'm not big on those, but I'm already craving the next part of this. This was one that made me sit up and go WOW. I was flipping ...more

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Feb 23, 2016 Tracy rated it really liked it

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Mar 12, 2016 D.B. Canavan rated it it was amazing

I highly recommend this book!

I was drawn into this book from the start, and had a hard time putting it down.
Even though the plot of the book is similar to that of the Hatfields and McCoys, and Romeo and Juliet, it also is deliciously different. Just when I thought I knew where the characters were headed, the author threw in unexpected twists and turns.
The author did an excellent job of character development for all the characters. Nathan, is not only a gorgeous/hot character, he also has many ...more

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Apr 01, 2016 CommonBookSense rated it liked it

Tangled Web wasn't a horrible book, but it definitely lacked depth. I felt like the opportunity was there to expand, but it seemed as though the content was more of a novel outline and less of a completed book. The characters were well developed, but I kept hoping for more of a back story. I can't help but think that I would have felt more of a connection with the characters if the time was spent on explaining what happened between the Walker & Johnson families. Knowing what severed their re ...more

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Mar 07, 2016 Kathryn CLiK Book Blog rated it really liked it

What happens to a girls heart when she's constantly told the man she's fallen in love with is no good for her, only wants to use her, is only after her name?

This is the dilemma that Chloe Johnson faces in Lizzie James' stunning book - Tangled Web.

The opening paragraph : "Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive" is the basis for this emotion charged, lust fuelled story of family deceit and long held feuding between the Walker and the Johnson families who have been invol ...more

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Jul 04, 2016 Kathy Rouchelle rated it it was amazing

This is the first time I read this author and I have to say that I really enjoy her writing, and I really loved this book, even though there is this huge cliffie!!!! LOL. I loved this story even though it had my emotions riding a roller coaster, but the whole time I kept an anxious feeling that the other shoe would drop and everything would fall apart. This makes it a great read. When a book can capture you and then keep you in an anxious state throughout the book, you know the author has IT. Th ...more

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May 10, 2016 Michelle Brace (Wicked Babes Blog Reviews) rated it it was amazing

This book is about a case of forbidden love. We get to see how they deal with all the hurdles being in a relationship together will throw out on their road to a happy ever after. So many people are out to end this relationship before it's barely begun and we are going to see people's true colors.

I loved the relationship between Nathan and Chloe. They have such chemistry and add to that they have history. They are going to really be able to communicate with each other and talk things out because ...more

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May 05, 2016 ♚Julia ~ The Romance Rebels ♚ rated it really liked it

Modern Day Romeo and Juliet
Chloe is returning home to London and is moving in with her brother Chase. She works as an account manager at Johnson Architecture. Life is good, until in walks in Nathan.

Nathan is head of finance at Walker Enterprises. He has a serious crush on Chloe, and has been for a long time. He knows now is the chance to act.

But wait!!

The Walker and Johnson family are major rivals. They hate each other with every fiber of their being.
Will these two have a Happily Ever After ...more

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Mar 20, 2016 Miki rated it really liked it

Love is hard enough without all the buzz around and the difficulties that families throw especially when they dont like the couple to be toghter.
So when Chloe Jhonson meets again with Nathan Walker, 2 families who were close in the past but now are bitter enemies, she's scared.
This is like a roemeo and juliet kind of story.
2 lovers with their love against their families opinion.

The character of Chloe is very deep as we can see, she has a lot on her mind that we read about.
The story was a bit fa ...more

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Aug 18, 2016 LettyT rated it really liked it

What a treat this story is! It's a modern day Romeo and Juliet tale with lots of family drama. Chloe Johnson and Nathan Walker each come from powerful London families. Growing up they know to stay away from anyone in the other family. That's no problem while Chloe is away studying. Upon her return she goes out and finds herself attracted to the very person she can not have. However, it's an attraction neither can or will deny. Secrets are eventually revealed and we find some answers on why these ...more

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May 12, 2016 Amanda Gillespie Shock N Awe Book Blog rated it really liked it

Shelves: sass-promotions, arc, blog-tour, adult

This is a play on a modern day Hatfield and McCoy's to me. The feud between two families that, in reality, would be ridiculous. The need to have what is forbidden drives the characters to reach out and take what they want without realizing that it's really not the forbidden that is attracting them. Nathan knows that he's always wanted Chloe. And he is a "take what you want" kind of man. But not only do they have to battle the father's, her brother Chase and his brother Adam, make their lives mis ...more

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Jul 26, 2016 Ellie Williams rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: everyone

Shelves: finished

I'm so in love with this story.
To me, it's like a modern day Romeo and Juliet - without the deaths.
Chloe and Nathan, such an unlikely couple but still a brilliant couple. Their struggle to be together is very real. So much so that their families will do anything to keep them apart.
It's so not fair. I fought back tears often praying and rooting for them to stay together.
Chloe's story is so sad and lonely, losing her family, especially her brother was not what she intended at all. She hopes that ...more

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