Sunday, April 22, 2012

Early Review: Turn to Me by Tiffany A. Snow

Turn to Me by Tiffany A. Snow 
Kindle Edition, 311 pages
Published April 2012 
ISBN 0985374209
Courtesy of Author
When Kathleen Turner, office runner for the prestigious Indianapolis law firm of Kirk & Trent, started dating the boss she knew the risks. Senior Partner Blane Kirk is known for being a notorious player - the Baskin Robbins of dating with a different flavor every month. Kathleen is the happiest she’s been in a long time, especially as Christmas approaches, but she’s always known there was a termination date on her relationship with Blane.
She just didn’t expect that termination to be her funeral.
A festive afternoon of Christmas tree shopping turns life-threatening when Kathleen and Blane become targets for an unknown gunman. They make it home alive, but Kathleen realizes her boyfriend has been keeping secrets. The deadly kind.
Blane’s current case is drawing heated debate and stirring the pot of public fury. Kathleen is horrified by the threats – and worse – being directed at him. A former Navy SEAL stands accused of the wrongful death of an American citizen during a military operation overseas. The case has far-reaching political and military implications. Someone with a lot of money, and even more clout, wants Blane to lose.
As dead bodies of people connected to the defense start piling up, it becomes painfully obvious that disappearing witnesses and altered testimony are no longer enough for whoever is intent on guaranteeing the SEAL gets convicted. Kathleen and Kade, Blane’s brother and ex-FBI-agent-turned-assassin-for-hire, are on the trail of the killer.
Unfortunately for Kathleen, he’s already moved for the end-game – by painting a target on her...and pulling the trigger.
Purchase for Barnes & Noble Nook and Amazon Kindle


Jolene's Thoughts:
Kathleen Turner finds it difficult that Blane Kirk, high profile lawyer with aspirations to public office, former Navy Seal and all around charmer, would choose to be with her; Kathleen Turner, runner for his law firm and bartender. She's been dating Blane for six weeks now, though feels that this fantasy may come crashing down any minute, just seeing the warmth in his eyes when he looks at her, seems to ease her worry. As comfortable as her life may seem to be at the moment, there is always someone who wants her dead.........

I've had some health issues over the last couple of weeks and my reading time has basically been nonexistent. Picking up this book was refreshing and just what I needed to pull me back in. It's finding a book like this that reminds me exactly why I love reading and getting lost in a book. For two days, I lived and breathed with these characters. I was happy, sad, angry, annoyed. You name it and I was feeling it. Tiffany Snow took me through a range of emotions that exhausted me. When I hit the end of the book, I felt drained and had to take a good couple of hours of letting the entire story soak in before I could start this review.


I thought No Turning Back was amazing and I waited none to patiently for this book to come out. I was nervous when I first started this, I had such high expectations and hoping it would deliver. It's often I come to a second book in a series that features the same characters and it doesn't hold a candle to the first book. I have to say that Tiffany knocked it out of the park. I didn't think it was possible, but this book was so much more. More emotion, more action, more drama, more intrigue, more plot twists, more mystery and more romance. The story flowed quickly and just when I was hoping for it to drag, just a little so I could put it down and get some sleep, it kept going adding another twist. It took me away from the problems I was having in my life and enticed me to the world Tiffany created. I was immersed in the writing and Kathleen's life, that as I put the book down it was like a glass of cold water in my face, real life welcoming me back. I may be doing some gushing, but I am hooked to this series and will follow this author anywhere. I can't wait for the series to continue and hope Mrs. Snow is slaving away at the next book as I am writing this :)


This series is written in first person and though sometimes first person frustrates me because I'm dying to have thoughts and feelings from other characters, I feel like it just works with these books. Kathleen is a great lead character and I'm so busy keeping up with her and her life and the disaster that follows her that I don't want any of the page time taken from her. Part of the fun and mystery leaves me guessing on the feelings and motives of those around her. I'm unsure and insecure about things just as she is. It makes it easy for me to connect with her and puts me in her shoes. I feel her doubts and her fears. What path will she follow? When it comes to Kade and Blane, I don't even know what path I want her on, just as I'm feeling loyal to Blane, I feel myself leaning towards Kade.
Love triangles can be tricky when thrown in a book. Sometimes I feel like it's a waste of page space, or the other person is just in the way and I want to shove them out. I'm so enamored with Blane and as soon as Kade steps on the page, I feel pulled in a different direction. He's tough, broken and seems to almost hate Kathleen, but he gives off such strong sexual energy towards her, I can quickly call his bluff for what it is. His character has so many different layers and has great dimension, I can tell the author spent a great deal of time and care on making Kade who he is. When he is being crude and at his cockiness, I can pick up on his subtleties that are coming through. We had a nice little glimpse of Kade in the last book and we are given so much more with his character in this one. When Kade drops his walls and not only shows Kathleen the man that he is, but the reader as well, it was beautiful. I ached for him as Kathleen did. They shared common ground and formed a bond, but then there is Blane. When I felt confused, mad and wanted to hate Blane, I felt there was more to the story and the circumstances and I couldn't discount his allure. I wanted his character to prove me and Kathleen wrong. Though this triangle is tricky and I feel like Kathleen belongs with Blane, Kade is in the corner of my mind, a strong presence that refuses to leave. It makes me question what I really want for her. I don't know what will happen with Kathleen and Blane and how Kade fits in, but I plan to be along for the ride.


Though things are miss-communicated, feelings are jumbled; there is a lot of second guessing from the characters. Kathleen knows she's in love with Blane but insecure if it will last and questions his feelings. She feels that Kade dislikes her but refuses to think about what she knows is under the surface of his anger. She felt it in Chicago and knows there is an attraction. Kade is fighting his attraction and the few intimate scenes they share are beautiful and hot but lack the explosion of not only lust but feeling that she has with Blane. Add to that the mystery and intrigue and Kathleen dodging punches and bullets, trying to stay alive and figure out who exactly wants her dead and Blane's career ruined and you have an amazing story. I loved being able to see Blane in the court room and seeing into the military case that revolves around this story. He is exactly the dominating and suave character I expected him to be in doing what he did best. This trial showed exactly the man Blane was and his reasons for being a lawyer and going into politics. His gestures and instances when he thought of Kathleen first and foremost, though hurtful at times, proved how committed he was.


In the last book, I knew early on who the bad guy was. In this book, my mind was a blank and constantly moving through different scenarios and characters trying to figure out their motives. James made an appearance, he's a given, but I knew I wasn't grasping the whole picture and held on for the ride I was taken on, picking up clues just as Kathleen was. Just as something clicked and I thought all was revealed, I was told it wasn't over and a new twist was thrown in. It was a crazy breathless ride. Kathleen showed how brave and resilient she was by enduring some awful things. She proved she could make it on her own and paved her own way. She proved what a strong woman she was and it was empowering to see.


Most of the cast of character from No Turning Back made a small appearance with a few new characters thrown in. Anyone who was as shocked as I at C.J.'s betrayal in the last book will be happy to know that storyline makes an appearance in this book. There are questions that are answered, things that are explained and tied up, but also a whole new set of questions left hanging and a new set of troubles that are introduced and leaves me to wonder how it will play out in book three.


Overall, I absolutely loved this book. Anyone who likes mystery, intrigue and romance should start this series, or if you just want to see what it is I'm gushing about :) I do want to thank Tiffany Snow for giving me a little bit of a look into both Kade and Blane. What a great surprise to see each of their characters both had a turn at the wheel. Even if it short, it added so much more to the story and I loved that little peek inside their heads.


Rating: 5 Wine Glasses



1 comment:

  1. You convinced me, great review. I am adding to my TBR.

    ReplyDelete

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