In His Shadow by Tiffany Snow

In His Shadow (Tangled Ivy, #1)

by Tiffany Snow

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.

Reviewed by Lynn on

3 of 5 stars

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My overall impression of this first book in the new Tangled Ivy Trilogy is it's going to get better. For me, In His Shadow was a slow start, setting the scene for the following books and lacked the “wow factor.”

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***

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 6 November, 2014: Finished reading
  • 6 November, 2014: Reviewed