thebookdisciple
Written on Jan 26, 2015
Ivy Mason is hiding—from her past, from herself, and from anyone who could love her. The only kind of love she’s ever known hurts, leaving scars on her body and soul. Now, her world may be boring and predictable, but that’s exactly what she wants. Until Devon Clay walks into her life.
A lonely man in a deadly profession, Devon works as an agent for an underground British agency known only as the Shadow. Nothing about him is safe or ordinary. The danger that consumes his life turns into an addiction Ivy can’t resist…even if it proves fatal.
As Ivy’s past begins to catch up with her, she wonders if love really is the twisted thing she’s always thought it was. Maybe it could be more with this man, who’s shown her that she doesn’t need to protect herself from everyone. Is what she feels for Devon worth the risk? He may save her heart or break it, if she manages to stay alive.
- ISBN10 147782586X
- ISBN13 9781477825860
- Publish Date 16 December 2014
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Montlake Romance
- Format Paperback (US Trade)
- Pages 350
- Language English
Reviews
Lynn
Written on Nov 6, 2014
As an victim of abuse, Ivy has built a wall around her life to protect herself. Her best friend Logan introduces her to suitable guys to date, but she prefers to remain single and unattached. She's living her life as she sees fit and enjoys a lifestyle comparable with young women her age, whilst hanging out with friends that she trusts and make her feel safe. So with this in mind, I didn't comprehend why Ivy was attracted to Devon; the mysterious customer from the bank she works at.
Devon Clay is an enigmatic guy, who plays his cards close to his chest. He has an eye for the ladies' but only long enough to satisfy his needs. He is a man of few words, at least in the beginning, so I didn't feel any chemistry between him and Ivy. For me, actions didn't speak louder than words on this occasion. Towards the end, Devon begins to open up more about his feelings, so only then did I see a glimpse of mutual attraction.
I find both Ivy and Devon confusing characters to relate to. Some of Ivy's decisions, including her attraction to Devon are seriously questionable, which I can only attribute to the abuse she suffered. Devon's identity to me is confusing because he speaks with a “cultured British accent” (??) but his preferred term of endearment is “luv” which is a contradiction to me.
The author likes her protagonists to carry firearms, so you know people are going to be shot at and fatally wounded along the way. These darker elements presented were not to my personal taste, so I skimmed those pages along with the sex scenes which did little to convince me of Ivy and Devon's attraction to one another.
Towards the end of the book, the plot picks up pace and we finally begin to see the brilliance of Ms Snow's writing, hopefully a launch pad for better things to come in books two and three. I'm not completely sold on this first book in The Tangled Ivy Trilogy, I firmly believe what will follow will be worth taking the time to reading.
3 Stars
***arc received via NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher, Montlake Romance***
Cocktails and Books
Written on Jun 5, 2014
There are times when an author I adore changes things up. They create a world, characters and a story that is different from what I'd previously known. Sometimes the change works, sometimes it doesn't. But for Tiffany Snow, her exit from the world in the Kathleen Turner series brings us into a new one. One that's much darker, much sexier, with a hero who is absolutely to die for.
Ivy Mason, the mild mannered bank teller, and the mysterious, sexy, sometimes scary and oh so British spy Devon Clay are the central characters. These two could not be more opposite, but you know the saying and it's absolutely true here. Ivy Mason is a character I liked from the very beginning. On first impression, she seemed a bit fragile. Timid even. But as the story moved forward and Ivy starts to find herself in some rather interesting situations, we see there is a hidden strength to Ivy. Where other woman might have broken down or backed off, Ivy pushes forward. She's not afraid to fight what she wants, even though there are times when her childhood fears do cause her to momentarily lapse. Devon is the complete opposite. He's cold, calculated and at times you have to wonder if there is a beating heart in this chest. But we discover there is and it's bound to be his ultimate downfall because his heart beats for Ivy.
The storyline is magnificent and kept me at the edge of my seat. It played out like a movie in my head as I frantically turned to the next page. The vivid imagery the author provides had me at times cringing because I could feel the punch, or felt the harsh words spoken or even saw the unimaginable horror the characters saw. But Tiffany Snow has drew me into the story with the emotional responses of the characters too. There was some tough subject matter and she was able to capture the emotions of the characters so that I felt them as they relieved something painful or came face to face with their worst fear.
IN HIS SHADOW knocks the Tangled Ivy Series out of the park. I'm desperate to discover what happens next with Ivy and Devon.
Candace's 4 Star Review
I was excited to read the beginning of Tiffany's new series but a little reluctant since her Kathleen Turner series is one of my all time favorites. To say I had high hopes for this book would be a serious understatement. The protagonist in this series is Ivy and she is carrying around heavy baggage that stems from her past. She tends to make judgment calls that the average person would not make and they get her in a bit of trouble. Sometimes I question her common sense throughout the book.
Devon Clay is a customer of the bank where Ivy works as a teller. From the first meeting, something is "off" about Devon and as the story unfolds, Ivy realizes their is quite a bit to Devon. When Ivy is pulled unwittingly into a murder and international conspiracy by one of her customers, Devon seems like her only chance to survive whoever is coming after her. Despite warnings from Logan, Ivy's roommate and lifelong confidant, Ivy chooses to trust Devon. She begins to ignore Logan's opinions which seems odd for a girl with a damaged past and she seems to move forward quickly with trusting Devon.
As Ivy had suspected Devon is not who or what she thinks he is. She soon finds out that Devon is a spy and she can't tell if he is good or bad...is he trying to help her or hinder her? The more she is with him, the more the danger around her escalates. Ivy gets into more and more dangerous situations and honestly it makes you question why she wouldn't walk away. Since this is a series, I know that their is going to be more twist and turns to the story. Tiffany Snow is a master of romantic suspense. Eagerly anticipating Tangled Ivy #2.....