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The Tangled Ivy Trilogy #1
In His Shadow
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.
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.
342 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 16, 2014
366 people are currently reading
1893 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 282 reviews
October 26, 2014
2.5 stars!
I felt like a ticking time bomb when I was reading this book. Aside from the amazing writing, everything else did not work for me. The characters (especially the heroine) were dense, the plot was chaotic and all over the place, and not going to lie, this book read like a watered down version of the Kathleen Turner series. I was fortunate to be able to chat to a friend who had read this book as well and we noted the similarities: the heroine Ivy is a reflection of Kathleen (insecure, indecisive, and idiotic), her best friend Logan is an up and rising lawyer (just like Blaine) who has feelings for her, and Devon is a mystery man who wouldn’t hesitate to hurt or kill (just like Kade). Add in a plot that had too much thrown at me while I read with not enough closure at the end and a potential lovesquare triangle situation this book just wasn’t for me.
Ivy is the heroine who works as a bank teller and has a love for nice clothes. She had a horrific childhood with an abusive stepfather and stepbrother and allows no men to get close to her. Her only trusted friend is Logan, the guy who was there for her since they were kids. I think it’s because of how closed off she is that it really took me by surprise when she let Devon – the hero – in so easily and quickly. Their connection in the beginning I just didn’t get and it alarmed me how fast Ivy fell for this guy.
In short, there is almost nothing she wouldn’t do for Devon. I also found a lot of events in this story to be overdramatic, unrealistic, and downright weird.
• Lost count the number of times Ivy is hospitalized.
• The second half taking a turn down sci-fi lane. Nothing wrong with that, but it was just SO out of the blue.
• Devon’s formality in the sex scenes
• Devon keeps breaking into Ivy’s house to visit her. There’s always the door...
• Clothing jargon. I don’t care about clothes in a romantic suspense book.
• The last 25% of the book where everything seemed to happen at once and loose ends were tied up hastily.
• This part which made me consider DNF-ing at the 85% mark
It’s pretty obvious this book wasn’t for me. There were a few parts scattered throughout the book I enjoyed but it only lasted a few chapters before something from the above list happened and my enjoyment level of the story went down.
In His Shadow is the first book in the Tangled Ivy trilogy and not a standalone. Though the ending isn’t an exact cliffhanger, it leaves many questions unanswered and the story will continue on in the next 2 books.
ARC provided by Montlake Romance via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I felt like a ticking time bomb when I was reading this book. Aside from the amazing writing, everything else did not work for me. The characters (especially the heroine) were dense, the plot was chaotic and all over the place, and not going to lie, this book read like a watered down version of the Kathleen Turner series. I was fortunate to be able to chat to a friend who had read this book as well and we noted the similarities: the heroine Ivy is a reflection of Kathleen (insecure, indecisive, and idiotic), her best friend Logan is an up and rising lawyer (just like Blaine) who has feelings for her, and Devon is a mystery man who wouldn’t hesitate to hurt or kill (just like Kade). Add in a plot that had too much thrown at me while I read with not enough closure at the end and a potential love
Ivy is the heroine who works as a bank teller and has a love for nice clothes. She had a horrific childhood with an abusive stepfather and stepbrother and allows no men to get close to her. Her only trusted friend is Logan, the guy who was there for her since they were kids. I think it’s because of how closed off she is that it really took me by surprise when she let Devon – the hero – in so easily and quickly. Their connection in the beginning I just didn’t get and it alarmed me how fast Ivy fell for this guy.
In short, there is almost nothing she wouldn’t do for Devon. I also found a lot of events in this story to be overdramatic, unrealistic, and downright weird.
• Lost count the number of times Ivy is hospitalized.
• The second half taking a turn down sci-fi lane. Nothing wrong with that, but it was just SO out of the blue.
• Devon’s formality in the sex scenes
• Devon keeps breaking into Ivy’s house to visit her. There’s always the door...
• Clothing jargon. I don’t care about clothes in a romantic suspense book.
• The last 25% of the book where everything seemed to happen at once and loose ends were tied up hastily.
• This part which made me consider DNF-ing at the 85% mark
It’s pretty obvious this book wasn’t for me. There were a few parts scattered throughout the book I enjoyed but it only lasted a few chapters before something from the above list happened and my enjoyment level of the story went down.
In His Shadow is the first book in the Tangled Ivy trilogy and not a standalone. Though the ending isn’t an exact cliffhanger, it leaves many questions unanswered and the story will continue on in the next 2 books.
ARC provided by Montlake Romance via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 20, 2014
3.5 Stars
As a huge fan of Tiffany's Kathleen Turner series, I had high hopes for this one, but unfortunately I didn't love it. It felt similar to Kathleen's series, but not nearly as good. The writing was terrific, there is action, a bit of romance, steam and mystery...but I just didn't find myself invested in the characters and the plot felt too chaotic at times. Ivy and Devon were okay characters, but I didn't buy their romantic connection. There was no build up, and in the end, I just didn't feel it. That said this is the first of a 3 book series, so things may improve as the series goes on. For me In His Shadow was an okay romantic/suspense read.
*ARC provided by Montlake Romance via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
As a huge fan of Tiffany's Kathleen Turner series, I had high hopes for this one, but unfortunately I didn't love it. It felt similar to Kathleen's series, but not nearly as good. The writing was terrific, there is action, a bit of romance, steam and mystery...but I just didn't find myself invested in the characters and the plot felt too chaotic at times. Ivy and Devon were okay characters, but I didn't buy their romantic connection. There was no build up, and in the end, I just didn't feel it. That said this is the first of a 3 book series, so things may improve as the series goes on. For me In His Shadow was an okay romantic/suspense read.
*ARC provided by Montlake Romance via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
October 19, 2014
*3.5 ~ 3.75 Stars*
”I was caught, caught between what seemed to be two equally dangerous sides.”
This is my first book by Tiffany Snow and I did enjoy her writing style but found myself dragging a bit through. I also didn’t realize when I requested this from Net Galley that it was a three book series. Luckily the ending isn’t a painful cliffhanger so it worked out just leads the way for the author to write more about these characters.
This story is about a bank teller who is beautiful and the hot British customer who seems taken with her. Ivy Mason doesn’t do men and sees the danger in Devon Clay but she finds herself mixed up in big things with very dangerous people. There’s a deadly virus for sale, spies, and the hunt for the antidote. Added into the mix is her newly paroled stepbrother, Jace who is her childhood and the action/danger is nonstop.
Poor Ivy is hospitalized twice and on death’s door so many times and each time she has a speedy recovery which was just a tad too unrealistic.
Devon has opened Ivy up sexually and she finds that she has strong feelings for him. Ivy waivers with completely trusting Devon while he struggles to keep his feelings out of the equation.
”Not only was I in this too deep to get out, I felt too much for Devon to have the will power to leave. It was a demoralizing realization.”
This story has a ton of action scenes, sex scenes and some interesting characters. It seems that her roommate Logan and Agent Lane have feelings for Ivy as well and should make the next book in the series interesting.
ARC provided by Montlake Romance via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 12, 2014
Rating: 3.5 ★'s
Being a huge fan of the Kathleen Turner series, I was pretty excited to get my hands on In His Shadow, the first book in Tiffany Snow’s Tangled Ivy trilogy. I wanted to lose myself in a fast paced, romantic suspense novel without all the angst and heartbreak associated with a love triangle. My heart is still trying to recover from the last one ;) And in some respects, this book had everything that I was in the mood for. There was plenty of action, mystery, romance, and steam to keep me turning pages, however, some aspects of the execution prevented me from getting completely invested in the story.
Ivy Mason is a character that turned out to be so different than I expected. Damaged from a difficult childhood, Ivy prefers to live a safe, predictable life where she doesn't have to put herself out there and risk being vulnerable with other people. Normally, when I read about damaged heroines like Ivy, I expect them to come across as insecure and weak but she really surprised me in this respect. She is comfortable in her own skin, confident in her appearance, and isn't naive about the fact that men notice her.
Ivy's comfortable lifestyle is turned upside down when the sexy, mysterious, and dangerous Devon Clay inserts himself into her life.
Devon is pretty much the typical literary bad boy. He is handsome, charming, and lives a life that doesn't lend itself to relationships. Due to his dangerous profession, Devon has learned to avoid emotions at all costs because they lead to irrational and risky decisions which could get him killed.
As individuals, I really liked Devon and Ivy but together, I had a hard time feeling their romantic connection. I felt like there was very little build up to their relationship and that it all happened too quickly. I missed the anticipation, the butterflies in the stomach feeling when two characters finally start to realize their feelings for one another.
While I would definitely describe In His Shadow as a fast paced story with plenty of action, romance and plot twists; there were times where it felt like there was too much going on plotwise. There is a lot of details for the reader to absorb regarding Ivy's background, the dangerous situation that she finds herself in with Devon, and her possible love interests throughout the book.
Despite the issues I had with this book, I do plan on continuing the series to see where Ms. Snow takes the characters and story next. This is the first book in the trilogy but In His Shadow does not end with a horrible cliffhanger. I would recommend this book to fans of the romantic suspense genre and to readers who have enjoyed Tiffany Snow's previous books.
ARC courtesy of the publisher, Montlake Romance, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Being a huge fan of the Kathleen Turner series, I was pretty excited to get my hands on In His Shadow, the first book in Tiffany Snow’s Tangled Ivy trilogy. I wanted to lose myself in a fast paced, romantic suspense novel without all the angst and heartbreak associated with a love triangle. My heart is still trying to recover from the last one ;) And in some respects, this book had everything that I was in the mood for. There was plenty of action, mystery, romance, and steam to keep me turning pages, however, some aspects of the execution prevented me from getting completely invested in the story.
Ivy Mason is a character that turned out to be so different than I expected. Damaged from a difficult childhood, Ivy prefers to live a safe, predictable life where she doesn't have to put herself out there and risk being vulnerable with other people. Normally, when I read about damaged heroines like Ivy, I expect them to come across as insecure and weak but she really surprised me in this respect. She is comfortable in her own skin, confident in her appearance, and isn't naive about the fact that men notice her.
Ivy's comfortable lifestyle is turned upside down when the sexy, mysterious, and dangerous Devon Clay inserts himself into her life.
Devon is pretty much the typical literary bad boy. He is handsome, charming, and lives a life that doesn't lend itself to relationships. Due to his dangerous profession, Devon has learned to avoid emotions at all costs because they lead to irrational and risky decisions which could get him killed.
As individuals, I really liked Devon and Ivy but together, I had a hard time feeling their romantic connection. I felt like there was very little build up to their relationship and that it all happened too quickly. I missed the anticipation, the butterflies in the stomach feeling when two characters finally start to realize their feelings for one another.
While I would definitely describe In His Shadow as a fast paced story with plenty of action, romance and plot twists; there were times where it felt like there was too much going on plotwise. There is a lot of details for the reader to absorb regarding Ivy's background, the dangerous situation that she finds herself in with Devon, and her possible love interests throughout the book.
Despite the issues I had with this book, I do plan on continuing the series to see where Ms. Snow takes the characters and story next. This is the first book in the trilogy but In His Shadow does not end with a horrible cliffhanger. I would recommend this book to fans of the romantic suspense genre and to readers who have enjoyed Tiffany Snow's previous books.
ARC courtesy of the publisher, Montlake Romance, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
December 10, 2014
IN HIS SHADOW is an action packed book.
Ivy is a bank teller who ends up being connected with a dangerous guy. Even though, Devon, lives a lifestyle that isn’t conducive to relationships he still pursues Ivy. Logan, Ivy’s best friend, is wary of her involvement with such a mysterious and dangerous man. Logan's repeated warnings are never heeded.
Ivy is the type of girl that most women hate. She’s beautiful and has many male admirers. Currently, in this book she has 3 guys who have taken an interest in her.
Regardless, I had a hard time connecting with Ivy because she willingly fell for a man she barely knew. She spent close to a decade staying away from relationships because of what had happened to her as a child in her mother's home. A few times while reading this book I actually wanted to yell at her to listen to Logan, who has known her since her childhood, when he warned her that Devon was a dangerous man and would end up hurting her. But, in true, Ivy style, she ran head first into danger with no regard for herself or those around her. Luckily for her Devon was good at rescuing her.
The adventure will continue in the next book of this trilogy. The ending wasn't a cliffhanger but the reader is aware there is more to come with theses characters.
IN HIS SHADOW is my first book by Tiffany Snow. This past summer I purchased the whole Kathleen Turner series and after reading all my friends reviews I'm looking forward to reading that series.
✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦
RELEASE DATE: December 16, 2014
Pre-order | order: http://amzn.to/15PXJPl
SERIES:
To find out when the next book will be released click here.
**Complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.**
Ivy is a bank teller who ends up being connected with a dangerous guy. Even though, Devon, lives a lifestyle that isn’t conducive to relationships he still pursues Ivy. Logan, Ivy’s best friend, is wary of her involvement with such a mysterious and dangerous man. Logan's repeated warnings are never heeded.
Ivy is the type of girl that most women hate. She’s beautiful and has many male admirers. Currently, in this book she has 3 guys who have taken an interest in her.
Regardless, I had a hard time connecting with Ivy because she willingly fell for a man she barely knew. She spent close to a decade staying away from relationships because of what had happened to her as a child in her mother's home. A few times while reading this book I actually wanted to yell at her to listen to Logan, who has known her since her childhood, when he warned her that Devon was a dangerous man and would end up hurting her. But, in true, Ivy style, she ran head first into danger with no regard for herself or those around her. Luckily for her Devon was good at rescuing her.
The adventure will continue in the next book of this trilogy. The ending wasn't a cliffhanger but the reader is aware there is more to come with theses characters.
IN HIS SHADOW is my first book by Tiffany Snow. This past summer I purchased the whole Kathleen Turner series and after reading all my friends reviews I'm looking forward to reading that series.
✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦
RELEASE DATE: December 16, 2014
Pre-order | order: http://amzn.to/15PXJPl
SERIES:
To find out when the next book will be released click here.
**Complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.**
![Profile Image for [~Ami~]♥Sexy Dexy♥ .](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1388500902i%2F22427047._UY200_CR8%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
October 29, 2014
3 stars
Ivy has a broken past. When dangerous Devon walks into her life, can he save her heart and her life?
Having read the Kathleen Turner series I was kind of use to all the OTT action and didn't mind it. I felt there was too much kissing going on with no love connnection. Didn't like Ivy. Didn't like Devon. Come to think of it I don't think I liked any of the characters.
Overall when I don't like the characters or convinced of their romance I can't rate it any higher. But I would recommend if you like books with loads of action and sexy time.
ARC provided by NetGalley
Another awesome BR Jeanne :)
Ivy has a broken past. When dangerous Devon walks into her life, can he save her heart and her life?
Having read the Kathleen Turner series I was kind of use to all the OTT action and didn't mind it. I felt there was too much kissing going on with no love connnection. Didn't like Ivy. Didn't like Devon. Come to think of it I don't think I liked any of the characters.
Overall when I don't like the characters or convinced of their romance I can't rate it any higher. But I would recommend if you like books with loads of action and sexy time.
ARC provided by NetGalley
Another awesome BR Jeanne :)
September 6, 2015
3.5 stars
It's no secret I'm a fan of Tiffany Snow's writing. The Kathleen Turner series was a lot of fun, and Kade from that series is my number two top book boyfriend of all time. (because Dex is number one, obviously). I'll be in love with him forever. I enjoyed In His Shadow and I think it's a promising start to her new series, but there are three issues that made me feel that I couldn't rate it higher than a three.
The first thing I noticed about this book is how similar it is to the KT books. It didn't feel new or original. The characterizations, the plot, everything reads like the first series, but unfortunately not as good.
First of all, there is Ivy, or as Ami and I call her, Kat 2.0. She is very similar to Kathleen, wishy washy, impulsive, puts herself in danger constantly. The problem is that she isn't as likable as Kathleen. This girl is so dumb, she makes Kathleen seem like a rocket scientist. If there was ever a fictional character not smart enough to own or operate a weapon, it's Ivy. Good lord.
Secondly, I don't expect plausible suspense from these books, but for me, this one was just too far fetched.
Lastly, I wasn't into the romance. The magic of the first series was in the sexual tension and build-up of the love triangle. I don't know any one who read that series for the Stephanie Plum like suspense plot. We read it because of her hot and cold roller coaster of a romance with Blane, and the will she/won't she with Kade. I can't even tell you what the suspense was about at this point to be entirely honest, because that wasn't what I cared about. I think what we have going on in In His Shadow is a love square, not just a triangle. I will admit I have a "team" picked out, Lol. I didn't like Devon, so right now I'm hoping for
My understanding is that this is a three book series, which imo is a good call on the author's part. If I had a complaint with the first series, it was that it went on for too long. The angst was drug out until it was more irritating than fun. I'm hoping that the romance will resolve itself quicker this time, but I won't hold my breath:)
Thanks for br Ami!! I really needed a br for this one, it's no fun making sarcastic comments to myself!!
*arc provided by Netgalley*
My review for my favorite KT book:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
It's no secret I'm a fan of Tiffany Snow's writing. The Kathleen Turner series was a lot of fun, and Kade from that series is my number two top book boyfriend of all time. (because Dex is number one, obviously). I'll be in love with him forever. I enjoyed In His Shadow and I think it's a promising start to her new series, but there are three issues that made me feel that I couldn't rate it higher than a three.
The first thing I noticed about this book is how similar it is to the KT books. It didn't feel new or original. The characterizations, the plot, everything reads like the first series, but unfortunately not as good.
First of all, there is Ivy, or as Ami and I call her, Kat 2.0. She is very similar to Kathleen, wishy washy, impulsive, puts herself in danger constantly. The problem is that she isn't as likable as Kathleen. This girl is so dumb, she makes Kathleen seem like a rocket scientist. If there was ever a fictional character not smart enough to own or operate a weapon, it's Ivy. Good lord.
Secondly, I don't expect plausible suspense from these books, but for me, this one was just too far fetched.
Lastly, I wasn't into the romance. The magic of the first series was in the sexual tension and build-up of the love triangle. I don't know any one who read that series for the Stephanie Plum like suspense plot. We read it because of her hot and cold roller coaster of a romance with Blane, and the will she/won't she with Kade. I can't even tell you what the suspense was about at this point to be entirely honest, because that wasn't what I cared about. I think what we have going on in In His Shadow is a love square, not just a triangle. I will admit I have a "team" picked out, Lol. I didn't like Devon, so right now I'm hoping for
My understanding is that this is a three book series, which imo is a good call on the author's part. If I had a complaint with the first series, it was that it went on for too long. The angst was drug out until it was more irritating than fun. I'm hoping that the romance will resolve itself quicker this time, but I won't hold my breath:)
Thanks for br Ami!! I really needed a br for this one, it's no fun making sarcastic comments to myself!!
*arc provided by Netgalley*
My review for my favorite KT book:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
November 26, 2014
"There was confidence...and then there was Devon, who put a whole new level of meaning to the word arrogant..."
A new series by Tiffany Snow! If anyone has been following me for awhile, they'd know that Ms. Snow's Kathleen Turner series is an all-time favorite of mine. When I saw that not only was she coming out with another series, but that her new hero was a dark and mysterious assassin-type, I was over the moon! No one does bad boy quite like Tiffany Snow.
Ivy is a bank teller, and Devon...the mysterious, quiet, sexy man who comes to see her on occasion. Despite his attractiveness, Ivy doesn't really like him. She can sense the danger around him, and the fact that he won't go to any other teller's line but hers is a little scary and frustrating. Even more frustrating is how she seems to react to his very presence, and how his arrogant smile says that he knows the effect he has on her.
One thing leads to another, and holy hotness, Devon's intimidating and overly confident advances are the perfect mix to have me panting for more. Only problem is that Ivy has some demons in her closet...and a male roomie/best friend who is understandably overprotective. When she's suddenly thrown into the middle of a very scary predicament, Devon lets his instincts rule him more than he probably should. The two are enmeshed in a scary game of cat and mouse, and Ivy's not sure who the good guys or the bad guys are.
"Don't fight it, luv. You were mine from the moment I laid eyes on you."
DEVON...
Devon is an interesting character. I think I expected him to be a little more hard core than he ended up being. He's quite the badass, and he's definitely got the intensity level rising to the top for quite some time. But he also came across as less decisive and solid than I wanted him to be. On the other hand, his character was dead sexy, bossy, and just cocky enough to really put your faith in. The guy knows what he wants and knows how to get it.
IVY...
It's hard not to compare Ivy to Kathleen, and I really couldn't help myself. Kathleen was such a strong character, and she really MADE the Kathleen Turner series. Ivy was less likeable for me. The way she was continually described as model-like in looks and form, how her appearance was constantly alluded to kind of turned me off. I would rather her have been less perfect and more relateable. I just didn't find her as dynamic of a character as I wanted. She was just a tad too helpless, made a few too many bad decisions, and was way too clueless about certain issues.
CHARACTERS AND PLOT...
I loved Ivy's roommate and could easily relate to him most of the time. He's the best kind of bestie, because he gave Ivy a sense of security along with all the other friendly feelings. He had been her friend since they were young, knew everything about her, and loved her platonically the entire time.
The cop who initially has very little influence on the story ended up being a favorite character of mine, too. He's solid and steady, and ultimately a nice character to give the story levity.
The plot was my favorite part about the book...the last thirty percent of this was intense and pretty freaking awesome! Snow does action so well, and I was glued to the pages. There was one big "AHA!" moment that snuck up on me, and a few more enlightening scenes that have me clamoring for more. I have to admit, the middle of the book lost some luster...it just dragged and felt a bit too New Adult angsty. But I can see where the series is headed. Sometimes you read a book and just know that there is so much more story to tell. That's what I'm holding out for here. Tiffany Snow knows how to grab my attention.
Advance copy provided for review
3.5 Stars
A new series by Tiffany Snow! If anyone has been following me for awhile, they'd know that Ms. Snow's Kathleen Turner series is an all-time favorite of mine. When I saw that not only was she coming out with another series, but that her new hero was a dark and mysterious assassin-type, I was over the moon! No one does bad boy quite like Tiffany Snow.
Ivy is a bank teller, and Devon...the mysterious, quiet, sexy man who comes to see her on occasion. Despite his attractiveness, Ivy doesn't really like him. She can sense the danger around him, and the fact that he won't go to any other teller's line but hers is a little scary and frustrating. Even more frustrating is how she seems to react to his very presence, and how his arrogant smile says that he knows the effect he has on her.
One thing leads to another, and holy hotness, Devon's intimidating and overly confident advances are the perfect mix to have me panting for more. Only problem is that Ivy has some demons in her closet...and a male roomie/best friend who is understandably overprotective. When she's suddenly thrown into the middle of a very scary predicament, Devon lets his instincts rule him more than he probably should. The two are enmeshed in a scary game of cat and mouse, and Ivy's not sure who the good guys or the bad guys are.
"Don't fight it, luv. You were mine from the moment I laid eyes on you."
DEVON...
Devon is an interesting character. I think I expected him to be a little more hard core than he ended up being. He's quite the badass, and he's definitely got the intensity level rising to the top for quite some time. But he also came across as less decisive and solid than I wanted him to be. On the other hand, his character was dead sexy, bossy, and just cocky enough to really put your faith in. The guy knows what he wants and knows how to get it.
IVY...
It's hard not to compare Ivy to Kathleen, and I really couldn't help myself. Kathleen was such a strong character, and she really MADE the Kathleen Turner series. Ivy was less likeable for me. The way she was continually described as model-like in looks and form, how her appearance was constantly alluded to kind of turned me off. I would rather her have been less perfect and more relateable. I just didn't find her as dynamic of a character as I wanted. She was just a tad too helpless, made a few too many bad decisions, and was way too clueless about certain issues.
CHARACTERS AND PLOT...
I loved Ivy's roommate and could easily relate to him most of the time. He's the best kind of bestie, because he gave Ivy a sense of security along with all the other friendly feelings. He had been her friend since they were young, knew everything about her, and loved her platonically the entire time.
The cop who initially has very little influence on the story ended up being a favorite character of mine, too. He's solid and steady, and ultimately a nice character to give the story levity.
The plot was my favorite part about the book...the last thirty percent of this was intense and pretty freaking awesome! Snow does action so well, and I was glued to the pages. There was one big "AHA!" moment that snuck up on me, and a few more enlightening scenes that have me clamoring for more. I have to admit, the middle of the book lost some luster...it just dragged and felt a bit too New Adult angsty. But I can see where the series is headed. Sometimes you read a book and just know that there is so much more story to tell. That's what I'm holding out for here. Tiffany Snow knows how to grab my attention.
Advance copy provided for review
3.5 Stars
August 13, 2016
4.5 ☆
Another unputdownable romantic suspense by Tiffany Snow full of twists and turns. She did not disappoint me. I was hooked from the moment I picked up it up and started reading.
Ivy Mason has a past she would rather forget, therefore she chooses to have her life a little bit predictable and maybe boring. She works as a bank teller and she has one customer she really not like - Devon Clay. After a few run ins outside the bank, Devon knows that he wants Ivy, and soon Ivy is sucked into the danger that consumes Devons life. Ivy always thought that love is twisted and that sex is nothing enjoyable, but with Devon everything is different. Because of danger of his life, Ivy knows her life is at risk, but she is not ready to give him up...
I loved that there was no long boring introduction of characters or their background, and almost immediately I was thrown into the story. The plot twists on every page kept me guessing and I just could not turn the pages fast enough!
I enjoyed it immensely.It was such a great romantic suspense novel with off-the-charts hot sex scenes, hot badass hero and strong heroine with a lot of courage. The writing was terrific as always with Tiffany Snow and it kept me glued to every page. I tried to put the clues together but in the end, I didn't even come close to resolving the mystery.
Unfortunately, I did have a few tiny problems with the book, which did not ruined the reading experience for me, but did bother me a bit. Like how easily they trusted each other - Devon is trusting Ivy with his 'profession', Ivy trusts Logan with everything relating Devon, Ivy trusts Devon with her past, Ivy then trusts an FBI agent, and we are talking murders, secret weapons and secret organizations. It should have bothered me more, I think, but I let it slide. Also, I just did not like the ending. I love the epilogue, but the ending made me a bit mad and annoyed with Ivy and her decisions.
If you like/love romantic suspense reads and you have never ever read anything from Tiffany Snow, then you are seriously missing out! I highly recommend this book and all her other books.
Release date is December 16th, 2014. You can PRE-ORDER the book HERE
*ARC provided by Montlake Romance via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
Another unputdownable romantic suspense by Tiffany Snow full of twists and turns. She did not disappoint me. I was hooked from the moment I picked up it up and started reading.
Ivy Mason has a past she would rather forget, therefore she chooses to have her life a little bit predictable and maybe boring. She works as a bank teller and she has one customer she really not like - Devon Clay. After a few run ins outside the bank, Devon knows that he wants Ivy, and soon Ivy is sucked into the danger that consumes Devons life. Ivy always thought that love is twisted and that sex is nothing enjoyable, but with Devon everything is different. Because of danger of his life, Ivy knows her life is at risk, but she is not ready to give him up...
I loved that there was no long boring introduction of characters or their background, and almost immediately I was thrown into the story. The plot twists on every page kept me guessing and I just could not turn the pages fast enough!
I enjoyed it immensely.It was such a great romantic suspense novel with off-the-charts hot sex scenes, hot badass hero and strong heroine with a lot of courage. The writing was terrific as always with Tiffany Snow and it kept me glued to every page. I tried to put the clues together but in the end, I didn't even come close to resolving the mystery.
Unfortunately, I did have a few tiny problems with the book, which did not ruined the reading experience for me, but did bother me a bit. Like how easily they trusted each other - Devon is trusting Ivy with his 'profession', Ivy trusts Logan with everything relating Devon, Ivy trusts Devon with her past, Ivy then trusts an FBI agent, and we are talking murders, secret weapons and secret organizations. It should have bothered me more, I think, but I let it slide. Also, I just did not like the ending. I love the epilogue, but the ending made me a bit mad and annoyed with Ivy and her decisions.
If you like/love romantic suspense reads and you have never ever read anything from Tiffany Snow, then you are seriously missing out! I highly recommend this book and all her other books.
Release date is December 16th, 2014. You can PRE-ORDER the book HERE
*ARC provided by Montlake Romance via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
November 22, 2015
Now I understand why Tiffany Snow has such a devoted following! In His Shadow is intriguing, exciting, fast paced, and very sexy. Even though I'm not (normally) a fan of stories in which the romance isn't 'resolved' in a single book, this one worked for me, and I'm looking forward to the next installment.
ARC courtesy of, and reviewed for, Affaire de Coeur Magazine.
www.affairedecoeur.com
November 6, 2014
In His Shadow , by Tiffany Snow
4.5 Stars
I loved this book and it completely reminded me of why I love Tiffany Snow’s books. They give me everything I am looking for and then some! Romance-Suspense books were my first love; before and above all others and it had been a while since I sunk my teeth into one. So I was thrilled when I realized I had struck gold with this one. For me it was like having three separate stories to unwrap which had me like a kid on Christmas morning! Once I started reading, I couldn’t turn the pages quick enough. I was intrigued. All the action and suspense mixed in with some HOT sexy scenes, funny at times and sad at others. Devon is all kinds of yummy with his British accent and I could totally picture him saying the things he said in just the way he said them. It made the whole thing feel so authentic. The writing impeccable, I couldn’t really ask for more. Yes this book hit ALL the right spots for me. I am looking forward to the next book and actually quite glad that this is a trilogy, not too many books; yet long enough to become totally invested in the characters and their stories. I am excited!
MY Devon <3
MY Ivy
4.5 Stars
I loved this book and it completely reminded me of why I love Tiffany Snow’s books. They give me everything I am looking for and then some! Romance-Suspense books were my first love; before and above all others and it had been a while since I sunk my teeth into one. So I was thrilled when I realized I had struck gold with this one. For me it was like having three separate stories to unwrap which had me like a kid on Christmas morning! Once I started reading, I couldn’t turn the pages quick enough. I was intrigued. All the action and suspense mixed in with some HOT sexy scenes, funny at times and sad at others. Devon is all kinds of yummy with his British accent and I could totally picture him saying the things he said in just the way he said them. It made the whole thing feel so authentic. The writing impeccable, I couldn’t really ask for more. Yes this book hit ALL the right spots for me. I am looking forward to the next book and actually quite glad that this is a trilogy, not too many books; yet long enough to become totally invested in the characters and their stories. I am excited!
MY Devon <3
MY Ivy
January 2, 2015
My immediate feelings upon finishing In His Shadow: wow, just wow. I was nervous due to the fact that I loved Snows previous books so much that I worried the next ones wouldn’t measure up. I couldn’t have been more wrong in that preconceived notion.
Beauty that is powerful and delicate: that’s how I would describe Ivy. She is sweet, but there is a fierceness that whispers from her. It’s subtle and underlying, but it’s there. I feel drawn to her character. And then there’s Devon. Helllooooooo dark and sexy, how are you? Now who doesn’t want a deadly assassin/spy/killer/sex god/mystery to rescue you from all that is bad in the world?
Problem is - will being with Devon prove more dangerous than not? Is Ivy a pawn or a pleasure? Is she both? The mystery and all the players within were fantastic. As soon as I thought I knew what was going on, a curve ball was thrown. I love suspense/romance and this one is incredibly good.
In the end we are left still in the dark, but embracing the darkness with fervor. With the little light that shines in the final pages, maybe we will find the answers In His Shadow.
5 STARS
T~
www.ktbookreviews.com
Beauty that is powerful and delicate: that’s how I would describe Ivy. She is sweet, but there is a fierceness that whispers from her. It’s subtle and underlying, but it’s there. I feel drawn to her character. And then there’s Devon. Helllooooooo dark and sexy, how are you? Now who doesn’t want a deadly assassin/spy/killer/sex god/mystery to rescue you from all that is bad in the world?
Problem is - will being with Devon prove more dangerous than not? Is Ivy a pawn or a pleasure? Is she both? The mystery and all the players within were fantastic. As soon as I thought I knew what was going on, a curve ball was thrown. I love suspense/romance and this one is incredibly good.
In the end we are left still in the dark, but embracing the darkness with fervor. With the little light that shines in the final pages, maybe we will find the answers In His Shadow.
5 STARS
T~
www.ktbookreviews.com
January 20, 2016
3.5 Stars
Tiffany Snow had me guessing about these characters until the end. I am not sure what to think of Devon, Luke, or Agent Scott Lane. This is not a love triangle. I don’t think... I don’t know! Like I said Tiffany Snow had me guessing and I am still trying to figure them out.
Devon is the main man in Ivy’s life. He is a secret agent whose job is to find information about one of Ivy’s customers at the bank she works at. One day Ivy dropped off some documents at a customer’s house only to find out days later that this customer was murdered after she left his residence. Devon has also been a customer at the bank, but Ivy knew since the first time she met him that Devon was danger. She tried staying away from him, but circumstances kept pulling them together. I loved those initial scenes between Devon and Ivy.
I enjoyed the suspense of finding this formula that very evil people are trying to obtain. Then there is Ivy’s past. Ivy truly had a tragic childhood only to have evil be released and her having to watch her back. Devon is protective, an alpha male but he has a lot of rules. Devon does not fall in love and he does not do relationships no matter what. You see how Devon treats and starts to fall for Ivy, but you are always guessing. Then there is Luke, Ivy’s best friend since she was twelve years old. Luke knows what happened to Ivy when she was young. I was questioning all the characters in this book and anticipate reading the next book in the series to see how everything unfolds.
The characters were likable. The story was interesting.
Copy provided in exchange for an honest review.
Tiffany Snow had me guessing about these characters until the end. I am not sure what to think of Devon, Luke, or Agent Scott Lane. This is not a love triangle. I don’t think... I don’t know! Like I said Tiffany Snow had me guessing and I am still trying to figure them out.
Devon is the main man in Ivy’s life. He is a secret agent whose job is to find information about one of Ivy’s customers at the bank she works at. One day Ivy dropped off some documents at a customer’s house only to find out days later that this customer was murdered after she left his residence. Devon has also been a customer at the bank, but Ivy knew since the first time she met him that Devon was danger. She tried staying away from him, but circumstances kept pulling them together. I loved those initial scenes between Devon and Ivy.
I enjoyed the suspense of finding this formula that very evil people are trying to obtain. Then there is Ivy’s past. Ivy truly had a tragic childhood only to have evil be released and her having to watch her back. Devon is protective, an alpha male but he has a lot of rules. Devon does not fall in love and he does not do relationships no matter what. You see how Devon treats and starts to fall for Ivy, but you are always guessing. Then there is Luke, Ivy’s best friend since she was twelve years old. Luke knows what happened to Ivy when she was young. I was questioning all the characters in this book and anticipate reading the next book in the series to see how everything unfolds.
The characters were likable. The story was interesting.
Copy provided in exchange for an honest review.
January 9, 2015
Not as great as the Kathleen Turner series, but still a decent read.
June 5, 2022
I've read one other series by this author and realized she likes love triangles. While that isn't a trope I would normally read, I found that last series to be very good despite it. I really like her writing and I find her characters to be enough of a draw that I want to read more. I did find that to still be the case in this first book of the Tangled Ivy trilogy. The intrigue in these series is pretty fun to follow along with. I didn't love Ivy as much as I loved China in the Corrupted Hearts series, but China was a pretty unique character. I think Devon will be more of a draw in this series for me. He's a dangerous but cool character, and I liked getting that glimpse of vulnerability from him towards Ivy. Agent Lane, while a character I like, I do feel will get his heart broken in the end. I could be wrong and Agent Lane ends up the winner of Ivy's heart. I will be reading the next book to find out.
December 23, 2017
4.5/5 Stars!
Have you ever enjoyed a book so much that once you finished reading it you turned right around and began reading it again? Well, that's what happened to me with In His Shadow. I loved being in the fictional world Tiffany Snow created; I didn't want it to be over when I read the words "The End."
Fans of the author's Kathleen Turner series are going to eat up every single word of this novel. I'm telling you, it was like crack for my book loving soul. I was is in need of some romantic suspense in my life and this book fed every craving. I have a thing for mysterious heroes and Devon Clay is the epitome of mystery. He enters Ivy's life through her job at a bank, and a series of violent events bring them together again and again.
"Don't fight it, luv," Devon said, his voice a low thrum of sound. "You were mine from the moment I laid eyes on you."
The sexual tension between Ivy and Devon is thick. I could feel their attraction deeply. Honestly, I wanted to take Ivy's place in the story. Between Devon's killer physique and sexy British accent I've easily added him to my BBF list.
I CANNOT WAIT to read the rest of this series. I'm dying! In His Shadow was so addicting I literally devoured it. I need to find out what's in store for the couple and the other players in this heart racing suspense novel. I can tell you there's more than one man vying for Ivy's attention. I know I'm going to love watching it all play out.
"Perhaps in another time, another life, I might be the man to heal you."
Have you ever enjoyed a book so much that once you finished reading it you turned right around and began reading it again? Well, that's what happened to me with In His Shadow. I loved being in the fictional world Tiffany Snow created; I didn't want it to be over when I read the words "The End."
Fans of the author's Kathleen Turner series are going to eat up every single word of this novel. I'm telling you, it was like crack for my book loving soul. I was is in need of some romantic suspense in my life and this book fed every craving. I have a thing for mysterious heroes and Devon Clay is the epitome of mystery. He enters Ivy's life through her job at a bank, and a series of violent events bring them together again and again.
"Don't fight it, luv," Devon said, his voice a low thrum of sound. "You were mine from the moment I laid eyes on you."
The sexual tension between Ivy and Devon is thick. I could feel their attraction deeply. Honestly, I wanted to take Ivy's place in the story. Between Devon's killer physique and sexy British accent I've easily added him to my BBF list.
I CANNOT WAIT to read the rest of this series. I'm dying! In His Shadow was so addicting I literally devoured it. I need to find out what's in store for the couple and the other players in this heart racing suspense novel. I can tell you there's more than one man vying for Ivy's attention. I know I'm going to love watching it all play out.
"Perhaps in another time, another life, I might be the man to heal you."
February 2, 2015
The main reason why I liked this is because of the hero, Devon. I didn't care much for Ivy, the heroine. I found her to be self centered and silly at times. There were so many descriptions of her beauty, body and her straight platinum hair. We get it, you look like Barbie. Enough already!
With that said the action and suspense was great. Ms. Snow never disappoints in that area. At the end the heroine made a dumb decision that I didn't agree with, but I see that Ms. Snow is setting up the events for book two.
Now that I've gotten my thoughts out the way. Here's some of the plot.
Ivy is a bank teller who lives a pretty boring life. She lives with her male best friend who everyone has a a hard time believing she's not romantically involved with. There's a customer who regularly visits the bank that has attracted Ivy's attention. She goes to meet her best to have dinner and guess whose there. If you guessed the mysterious guy from the bank you're right. When she goes to the bathroom he grabs het kisses her. Then when she's leaving she sees him shoot someone and the book takes off from there. There's a bank robbery, shootings and bodies begin to pile up everywhere Devon and Ivy go.
Sure some of it was over the top but it is fiction and I enjoy it for what it is.
Rating: 4 That Was A Crazy Ride Train Stars
With that said the action and suspense was great. Ms. Snow never disappoints in that area. At the end the heroine made a dumb decision that I didn't agree with, but I see that Ms. Snow is setting up the events for book two.
Now that I've gotten my thoughts out the way. Here's some of the plot.
Ivy is a bank teller who lives a pretty boring life. She lives with her male best friend who everyone has a a hard time believing she's not romantically involved with. There's a customer who regularly visits the bank that has attracted Ivy's attention. She goes to meet her best to have dinner and guess whose there. If you guessed the mysterious guy from the bank you're right. When she goes to the bathroom he grabs het kisses her. Then when she's leaving she sees him shoot someone and the book takes off from there. There's a bank robbery, shootings and bodies begin to pile up everywhere Devon and Ivy go.
Sure some of it was over the top but it is fiction and I enjoy it for what it is.
Rating: 4 That Was A Crazy Ride Train Stars
December 11, 2014
On the one hand this isn’t a bad read at all, I quite enjoyed the storyline, which is an over the top romp full of drama, danger, intrigue, betrayals, passion and hot sex, although I have to say I really disliked the main characters.
Ivy is young, beautiful and knows it with a fierce passion for clothes. She oozes confidence and hotness but underneath it all she has spent years trying to get over an adolescence filled with sexual abuse. Although she has looks to die for and oozes confidence, she comes across as clingy and needy.
Working as a bank teller and sharing an apartment with her old school friend Logan, she lives a fairly quiet life until she meets Devon, the quiet, polite, well spoken young man who always joins her queue for service.
Devon is a modern day young James Bond type, but sadly out of the “wooden Roger Moore on a bad day” mould. His dialogue was incredibly cheesy and sleezy and I did get to the point where I just wanted to tell him to keep it zipped for the rest of the read. He didn’t come across as “silently sexy” just as a sleezeball who talks in clichés. He didn’t seem like someone trying not to fall in love with Ivy, just as someone manipulating her for sex. He is British, cultured and rich with the accent to match and had this annoying habit of calling Ivy “luv”. No way! That is definitely not a “posh man” word and he would never have used it.
There is instant chemistry between the two characters although Devon makes it clear to Ivy that he is not going to be hanging around – his life is dangerous and there is no room for romance. Ivy on the other hand cannot help but be attracted to him whilst at the same time wanting nothing to do with him. But, what will happen as the story unfolds and they are drawn together when their paths collide and Ivy finds herself caught up in a world of espionage where killing is part of the game? What would have happened if Ivy had not been asked to deliver some papers to an elderly long standing bank client one afternoon after work – a client who then died the same night? And what is the connection to Devon who seems to be popping up everywhere?
Now this book is HOT, seriously HOT and I did have problems with the way in which a young girl who has suffered serious sexual abuse which left her traumatised and unable to form close relationships suddenly turns into a rampant sex goddess just because of the ONE man who immediately and instantly cures her. This isn’t the first book that has used that tack and it really makes me uneasy. If it were that easy, why are there so many psychoanalysts around? As Ivy finally unburdens herself to Devon about her past he is shocked and horrified at what she went through and was far more considerate of her feelings – so much so, in fact that when he wanted to perform an intimate sex act on her – he didn’t wake her up first, just let her carry on sleeping. And when she did wake up half way through – why did she not have a flashback and panic? That was the one thing that really put me of Devon for life – the arrogance and selfishness of it, just made me “blerghhhh”.
Ivy is young, beautiful and knows it with a fierce passion for clothes. She oozes confidence and hotness but underneath it all she has spent years trying to get over an adolescence filled with sexual abuse. Although she has looks to die for and oozes confidence, she comes across as clingy and needy.
Working as a bank teller and sharing an apartment with her old school friend Logan, she lives a fairly quiet life until she meets Devon, the quiet, polite, well spoken young man who always joins her queue for service.
Devon is a modern day young James Bond type, but sadly out of the “wooden Roger Moore on a bad day” mould. His dialogue was incredibly cheesy and sleezy and I did get to the point where I just wanted to tell him to keep it zipped for the rest of the read. He didn’t come across as “silently sexy” just as a sleezeball who talks in clichés. He didn’t seem like someone trying not to fall in love with Ivy, just as someone manipulating her for sex. He is British, cultured and rich with the accent to match and had this annoying habit of calling Ivy “luv”. No way! That is definitely not a “posh man” word and he would never have used it.
There is instant chemistry between the two characters although Devon makes it clear to Ivy that he is not going to be hanging around – his life is dangerous and there is no room for romance. Ivy on the other hand cannot help but be attracted to him whilst at the same time wanting nothing to do with him. But, what will happen as the story unfolds and they are drawn together when their paths collide and Ivy finds herself caught up in a world of espionage where killing is part of the game? What would have happened if Ivy had not been asked to deliver some papers to an elderly long standing bank client one afternoon after work – a client who then died the same night? And what is the connection to Devon who seems to be popping up everywhere?
Now this book is HOT, seriously HOT and I did have problems with the way in which a young girl who has suffered serious sexual abuse which left her traumatised and unable to form close relationships suddenly turns into a rampant sex goddess just because of the ONE man who immediately and instantly cures her. This isn’t the first book that has used that tack and it really makes me uneasy. If it were that easy, why are there so many psychoanalysts around? As Ivy finally unburdens herself to Devon about her past he is shocked and horrified at what she went through and was far more considerate of her feelings – so much so, in fact that when he wanted to perform an intimate sex act on her – he didn’t wake her up first, just let her carry on sleeping. And when she did wake up half way through – why did she not have a flashback and panic? That was the one thing that really put me of Devon for life – the arrogance and selfishness of it, just made me “blerghhhh”.
October 15, 2014
ARC provided in exchange for honest review.
4.5 Stars...I rounded up, explanation below.
Tiffany Snow is a master at mysterious, thrilling romances. She can take a hero and make them into this mysterious, alpha male that saves the day while infuriating you. Then you find yourself liking that infuriating man more and more.
Ivy is our heroine in this book and I like her attitude, her fierce will to fight and her love of clothes (I too love clothes and have a feeling I'd love her closet.) Here's where the 1/2 star came in...Ivy did a couple of incredibly stupid things, things that had me screaming, "NO you dumb girl! Don't do that!" However, I still liked her character and her depth. She has had some very traumatic things happen in her life and God love her, I would have fallen apart by now with all that mess. Leaving her family behind, she has moved to St. Louis and lives with her childhood best friend Logan. We see Logan takes great strides to take care of her and there are undertones of him caring more for her than she thinks...she doesn't see this.
Her job as a bank teller introduces her to Devon Clay. Devon is mysterious and initially scares Ivy because she recognizes attributes from people in her past that exist in him. Ivy does her best to stay in her own little world but she and Devon are thrown together through a series of circumstances. What ensues is a series of events that seem very close to today's current events. Through these events, Ivy develops feelings for Devon and you see Devon start to care for Ivy but we don't get anything beyond that.
While this book has similarities to the Kathleen Turner series, there is a different edge of danger here that I enjoyed just as much as Kathleen. I see the possibility of the beginnings of several men in Ivy's life, more than the love triangle we saw with Blaine and Kade but I like it more because they aren't family and I didn't feel like she would be betraying anyone by choosing one of them.
I can't wait to see where this series takes us...
4.5 Stars...I rounded up, explanation below.
Tiffany Snow is a master at mysterious, thrilling romances. She can take a hero and make them into this mysterious, alpha male that saves the day while infuriating you. Then you find yourself liking that infuriating man more and more.
Ivy is our heroine in this book and I like her attitude, her fierce will to fight and her love of clothes (I too love clothes and have a feeling I'd love her closet.) Here's where the 1/2 star came in...Ivy did a couple of incredibly stupid things, things that had me screaming, "NO you dumb girl! Don't do that!" However, I still liked her character and her depth. She has had some very traumatic things happen in her life and God love her, I would have fallen apart by now with all that mess. Leaving her family behind, she has moved to St. Louis and lives with her childhood best friend Logan. We see Logan takes great strides to take care of her and there are undertones of him caring more for her than she thinks...she doesn't see this.
Her job as a bank teller introduces her to Devon Clay. Devon is mysterious and initially scares Ivy because she recognizes attributes from people in her past that exist in him. Ivy does her best to stay in her own little world but she and Devon are thrown together through a series of circumstances. What ensues is a series of events that seem very close to today's current events. Through these events, Ivy develops feelings for Devon and you see Devon start to care for Ivy but we don't get anything beyond that.
While this book has similarities to the Kathleen Turner series, there is a different edge of danger here that I enjoyed just as much as Kathleen. I see the possibility of the beginnings of several men in Ivy's life, more than the love triangle we saw with Blaine and Kade but I like it more because they aren't family and I didn't feel like she would be betraying anyone by choosing one of them.
I can't wait to see where this series takes us...
November 2, 2014
What a hot stinking mess. 3 thoughts ---
How many times can one woman get the ever-lovin' shit beat out of her?
This was a Jason Bourne meets 24 type spy caper; but nowhere near as good or entertaining as either of those.
There are not two guys in this one with hots for our intrepid h, but three guys. Ivy's vajayjay must be more magical than even Kathleen Turner's was.
How many times can one woman get the ever-lovin' shit beat out of her?
This was a Jason Bourne meets 24 type spy caper; but nowhere near as good or entertaining as either of those.
There are not two guys in this one with hots for our intrepid h, but three guys. Ivy's vajayjay must be more magical than even Kathleen Turner's was.
December 30, 2014
I really, really hate writing this review.
Full disclosure: I 100% HATED the last two books in the Kathleen Turner series (LOVED the first 3 books), and the way the final book ended devastated me. Not just because she ended up with Kade, but because the writing was lacking something, the characters were unrecognizable and unlikeable, and there was WAY too many sex scenes and not enough plot in the final book. So I went into In His Shadow a bit wary. While I loved the first half of the Kathleen Turner series, Tiffany Snow is going to have to win me back before I allow myself to get too attached to a story of hers again. So I feel like I was probably more harsh on this book because of that.
...unfortunately, this book did not wow me. It did not win me back.
As with my last review of a Tiffany Snow book, this review is probably going to be a little discombobulated. So I'll just list the good and bad, and my review isn't going to make much sense if you haven't read the book.
The Good:
1. Devon has a British accent. I am a sucker for a British accent.
Aaaaand yeah. That's about it. :(
The Bad:
1. Ivy is another flawless, gorgeous heroine. I am sick of perfect heroines. Gimme a normal girl that has flaws. Why do all authors seem to only create gorgeous heroines? My initial reaction when reading about Ivy talk about how drop dead gorgeous she was, was something along the lines of Please don't let this be like the Kathleen Turner series, where every guy Ivy meets falls madly in love with her. Unfortunately, this was pretty much exactly like that. Tiffany has actually written an article about how girls hate pretty girls because they're pretty. She used Angelina Jolie as an example. I 100% disagree with this. I hate Ivy because she's a brainless twit. It's got nothing to do with her looks. Just like I'm pretty sure most women don't dislike Angelina Jolie because of her looks - they dislike her because she's a home wrecker.
2. Ivy is a dumbass. A complete and utter dumbass. What girl in her right mind goes wandering into an alley at night by herself when she hears a suspicious noise? A STUPID ONE, that's who. Seriously. Unless you've got a weapon, that is just about the dumbest decision ever.
3. And solidifying her dumbassery: WHAT KIND OF MORON DOESN'T CALL THE POLICE AFTER WITNESSING A MURDER?! "I wouldn't know what name to tell them." Are you effing kidding me? You know what name Devon goes by at the bank, and you know what name you were introduced to him by tonight, you know he regularly has business at the bank. If he has an account at the bank, then the bank has an address on file. What do you mean, you wouldn't know what to tell the police?! Tell them both names you've known him to use! Tell him about seeing him regularly at your bank! I am so very disappointed in Ivy. She's just about one of the stupidest characters I've read about in a while.
3. There's a difference between being a cocky asshole and being confident. At 12% into the book, Devon says: "You've already decided to sleep with me. It's a foregone conclusion." Hello, Beautiful Disaster. And why isn't she a little offended or pissed that he said that? That would be a MASSIVE turn off for me. My respect for Devon just took a dip.
4. Also at 12%, Ivy calls herself pretty, sensible, smart, and wise. I've seen absolutely no evidence of anything but pretty, so far.
5. ALSO at at 12%: WTF is wrong with you, Ivy?! You know NOTHING about this man except he has at least one alias he uses, and he killed someone. And you're considering spending time with him and sleeping with him? You are STOOPID.
6. At 15%, someone attempts to rob the bank Ivy works at. Their main goal is to get into a safe deposit box. I don't know how familiar everyone is with safe deposit boxes, but my mom has worked in banking since before I was born. She's worked in 3 banks in my lifetime and an employee of the bank can NEVER get into a safe deposit box. Ever. It requires two keys. One that only the bank has, and one that only the customer has. So the "high security deposit box" thing is a load of crap. Ivy wouldn't have been able to get into the box regardless. (And yes, I'm aware that this is small potatoes and that it's fiction but this story is annoying the crap out of me, and therefore I'm nitpicking the crap out of it. I just can't help it.) Even worse, later in the book, the safe deposit thing comes up AGAIN. And this time the bank is all, "Oh, Ivy, Mr. Galler's family wants to empty that safe deposit box and pick up his things. Take care of that, will you? Here's a key." OMGWTFBBQ THE FAMILY WOULD NOT DO THAT! Not to mention the bank wouldn't be able to do that. There would be no spare key just laying around so someone at the bank could open any deposit box they wanted. This is the most ridiculous freaking thing I've ever read and I am so annoyed.
7. I lost count of the number of times Devon broke into her apartment, and the number of times Ivy was completely okay with it. And then he just walked into her shower uninvited. And she's totally okay with it. That is not normal. Wtf is wrong with you, ivy?!? And now you're going to fool around in the shower with a guy you don't even know. Literally the only thing you know about him is that he has aliases and he's a murderer. Yet you're TOTALLY okay with him breaking into your apartment and walking into your shower, butt nekkid.
8. Devon keeps calling her "Sweet Ivy." Ugh. Lame.
9. He also calls her "Darling." Also lame.
10. Instalove. I hate, hate, HATE instalove. And Ivy and Devon moved WAY too fast for my taste (which is becoming very common in books, unfortunately. The best part of a romance is the slow burn. Jumping right into things kind of ruins that most of the time.) At 19%, Ivy and Devon have sex. WAY to soon. Especially when you learn about Ivy's crappy past, which makes the fact that she jumped right into bed with Devon that much less believable.
11. At one point in the book, Ivy's scared of her rapey stepbrother that's out of jail, so hides in Devon's closet with a gun. Someone opens the door, she immediately shoots, and it's Devon. She misses. Devon says something along the lines of "Only because of my quick reflexes." Um, no. Unless you're The Flash or Superman, your reflexes are not fast enough to miss a bullet. *facepalm*
12. Somewhere between 19% and 36%, I checked out of this book. There were too many annoying things that annoyed me, but I'll give you a brief rundown: Ivy is a moronic twit. A pretty moronic twit, but I don't think her looks make up for her personality flaws. She sleeps with Devon pretty much as soon as she meets him - AFTER her breaks into her apartment a few times, and she sees him murder someone. Great decision making skills you've got there, Ivy! I've lost count of how may sex scenes there are in this book, but there's way too many. I've been skimming them. I enjoyed Tiffany Snow's writing style MUCH more in books 1 - 3 of the Kathleen Turner series. Where yes, the romance was there, but there was limited sex, and there was actually a plot. This? Not much of a plot. Oh, and Ivy knows absolutely nothing about him, but she's now falling in love with him. Even though he has a tendency to be a jackass to her. And she's blown off her very awesome, loyal friend Logan, for Devon. We've also learned that Ivy has an abusive history. Her stepbrother was abusive and rapey. Which makes her jumping into bed with Devon pretty much immediately a little unbelievable. I cannot tell you how disappointed I am in this book. Ivy has no depth. I feel very much like I'm reading Kathleen Turner 2.0, but with a stupider version if Kathleen. Devon is very similar to Kade. I wasn't a Kade fan, so big surprise, I'm not all that attached to Devon.
13. At 67%, there's a virus that Dr. Galler supposedly created that was a mutation of the Ebola virus. This was supposed to have happened during Nazi Germany. Ebola wasn't even discovered until 1976!!!!! And there's no point in speeding up the effects of Ebola. It's pretty freaking effective as it is - it's got a 90% kill rate and kills fast. It's incubation period is longer, but that is what allows it to spread unchecked, and if you're looking at making something a bio weapon, a long incubation period is a good thing because people will be spread all over the place before they realize they even have it and they'll infect others. (Yes, I'm a nerd and know WAY too much about Ebola. I've been minorly obsessed with it since 9th grade.) Ebola is already a pretty flawless bioweapon without any tweaking. The only way to make it worse would be to make it airborne. But still, IT WASN'T EVEN DISCOVERED UNTIL 1976!!! I think Tiffany Snow even addresses this lightly a couple of pages later saying it wasn't officially discovered or some crap like that, but this is a journal we're reading of Dr. Galler's from Nazi days. While there's no doubt that Ebola existed in the wild before 1976, it was not discovered yet, and therefore, it would NOT have been called Ebola in his journal. This is where I COMPLETELY checked out of this story. There was no recovering from that one. (Oh, yeah, and Ivy's the cure. Bullshit.)
14. The Kade/Kathleen cameo. Ivy sees Kade and Kathleen in Paris. At Christmas. WITHOUT THEIR CHILDREN. (Or, child. Since technically, we don't know where this is in the timeline - still, we know they at least have ONE child, since they got together when Kathleen was pregnant.) Kathleen + Kade = WORST PARENTS EVER. Who goes to Paris at CHRISTMAS without their children? Not to mention, obviously they also ditched the rest of their family - Blane, Mona, etc. KATHLEEN AND KADE ARE THE WORST FICTIONAL CHARACTERS EVER.
So, this book was a massive disappointment. In addition to a boring plot, unlikeable characters, and instalove, it looks like there could possible be a love quadrangle, too, between Agent Lane, Logan, Devon, and Ivy, in the upcoming books. Which is going to seriously piss me off, because Tiffany Snow insisted this wasn't going to be a love triangle. Yes, I know technically it wouldn't be, it would be a quadrangle. But still. I hate love triangles. Is she completely incapable of writing just one love interest?! Because I had already decided to skip out on any Tiffany Snow books until her series are finished so I don't get attached to the losing guy, after the way the Kathleen Turner series ended.
Sadly, despite how much I disliked this book, I'll probably read book 2 to see if she can redeem herself. I still haven't given up on Tiffany, because I loved the first 3 books of the Kathleen Turner series so much. But I'm not holding out much hope, I'll be honest. I did not enjoy this book.
Full disclosure: I 100% HATED the last two books in the Kathleen Turner series (LOVED the first 3 books), and the way the final book ended devastated me. Not just because she ended up with Kade, but because the writing was lacking something, the characters were unrecognizable and unlikeable, and there was WAY too many sex scenes and not enough plot in the final book. So I went into In His Shadow a bit wary. While I loved the first half of the Kathleen Turner series, Tiffany Snow is going to have to win me back before I allow myself to get too attached to a story of hers again. So I feel like I was probably more harsh on this book because of that.
...unfortunately, this book did not wow me. It did not win me back.
As with my last review of a Tiffany Snow book, this review is probably going to be a little discombobulated. So I'll just list the good and bad, and my review isn't going to make much sense if you haven't read the book.
The Good:
1. Devon has a British accent. I am a sucker for a British accent.
Aaaaand yeah. That's about it. :(
The Bad:
1. Ivy is another flawless, gorgeous heroine. I am sick of perfect heroines. Gimme a normal girl that has flaws. Why do all authors seem to only create gorgeous heroines? My initial reaction when reading about Ivy talk about how drop dead gorgeous she was, was something along the lines of Please don't let this be like the Kathleen Turner series, where every guy Ivy meets falls madly in love with her. Unfortunately, this was pretty much exactly like that. Tiffany has actually written an article about how girls hate pretty girls because they're pretty. She used Angelina Jolie as an example. I 100% disagree with this. I hate Ivy because she's a brainless twit. It's got nothing to do with her looks. Just like I'm pretty sure most women don't dislike Angelina Jolie because of her looks - they dislike her because she's a home wrecker.
2. Ivy is a dumbass. A complete and utter dumbass. What girl in her right mind goes wandering into an alley at night by herself when she hears a suspicious noise? A STUPID ONE, that's who. Seriously. Unless you've got a weapon, that is just about the dumbest decision ever.
3. And solidifying her dumbassery: WHAT KIND OF MORON DOESN'T CALL THE POLICE AFTER WITNESSING A MURDER?! "I wouldn't know what name to tell them." Are you effing kidding me? You know what name Devon goes by at the bank, and you know what name you were introduced to him by tonight, you know he regularly has business at the bank. If he has an account at the bank, then the bank has an address on file. What do you mean, you wouldn't know what to tell the police?! Tell them both names you've known him to use! Tell him about seeing him regularly at your bank! I am so very disappointed in Ivy. She's just about one of the stupidest characters I've read about in a while.
3. There's a difference between being a cocky asshole and being confident. At 12% into the book, Devon says: "You've already decided to sleep with me. It's a foregone conclusion." Hello, Beautiful Disaster. And why isn't she a little offended or pissed that he said that? That would be a MASSIVE turn off for me. My respect for Devon just took a dip.
4. Also at 12%, Ivy calls herself pretty, sensible, smart, and wise. I've seen absolutely no evidence of anything but pretty, so far.
5. ALSO at at 12%: WTF is wrong with you, Ivy?! You know NOTHING about this man except he has at least one alias he uses, and he killed someone. And you're considering spending time with him and sleeping with him? You are STOOPID.
6. At 15%, someone attempts to rob the bank Ivy works at. Their main goal is to get into a safe deposit box. I don't know how familiar everyone is with safe deposit boxes, but my mom has worked in banking since before I was born. She's worked in 3 banks in my lifetime and an employee of the bank can NEVER get into a safe deposit box. Ever. It requires two keys. One that only the bank has, and one that only the customer has. So the "high security deposit box" thing is a load of crap. Ivy wouldn't have been able to get into the box regardless. (And yes, I'm aware that this is small potatoes and that it's fiction but this story is annoying the crap out of me, and therefore I'm nitpicking the crap out of it. I just can't help it.) Even worse, later in the book, the safe deposit thing comes up AGAIN. And this time the bank is all, "Oh, Ivy, Mr. Galler's family wants to empty that safe deposit box and pick up his things. Take care of that, will you? Here's a key." OMGWTFBBQ THE FAMILY WOULD NOT DO THAT! Not to mention the bank wouldn't be able to do that. There would be no spare key just laying around so someone at the bank could open any deposit box they wanted. This is the most ridiculous freaking thing I've ever read and I am so annoyed.
7. I lost count of the number of times Devon broke into her apartment, and the number of times Ivy was completely okay with it. And then he just walked into her shower uninvited. And she's totally okay with it. That is not normal. Wtf is wrong with you, ivy?!? And now you're going to fool around in the shower with a guy you don't even know. Literally the only thing you know about him is that he has aliases and he's a murderer. Yet you're TOTALLY okay with him breaking into your apartment and walking into your shower, butt nekkid.
8. Devon keeps calling her "Sweet Ivy." Ugh. Lame.
9. He also calls her "Darling." Also lame.
10. Instalove. I hate, hate, HATE instalove. And Ivy and Devon moved WAY too fast for my taste (which is becoming very common in books, unfortunately. The best part of a romance is the slow burn. Jumping right into things kind of ruins that most of the time.) At 19%, Ivy and Devon have sex. WAY to soon. Especially when you learn about Ivy's crappy past, which makes the fact that she jumped right into bed with Devon that much less believable.
11. At one point in the book, Ivy's scared of her rapey stepbrother that's out of jail, so hides in Devon's closet with a gun. Someone opens the door, she immediately shoots, and it's Devon. She misses. Devon says something along the lines of "Only because of my quick reflexes." Um, no. Unless you're The Flash or Superman, your reflexes are not fast enough to miss a bullet. *facepalm*
12. Somewhere between 19% and 36%, I checked out of this book. There were too many annoying things that annoyed me, but I'll give you a brief rundown: Ivy is a moronic twit. A pretty moronic twit, but I don't think her looks make up for her personality flaws. She sleeps with Devon pretty much as soon as she meets him - AFTER her breaks into her apartment a few times, and she sees him murder someone. Great decision making skills you've got there, Ivy! I've lost count of how may sex scenes there are in this book, but there's way too many. I've been skimming them. I enjoyed Tiffany Snow's writing style MUCH more in books 1 - 3 of the Kathleen Turner series. Where yes, the romance was there, but there was limited sex, and there was actually a plot. This? Not much of a plot. Oh, and Ivy knows absolutely nothing about him, but she's now falling in love with him. Even though he has a tendency to be a jackass to her. And she's blown off her very awesome, loyal friend Logan, for Devon. We've also learned that Ivy has an abusive history. Her stepbrother was abusive and rapey. Which makes her jumping into bed with Devon pretty much immediately a little unbelievable. I cannot tell you how disappointed I am in this book. Ivy has no depth. I feel very much like I'm reading Kathleen Turner 2.0, but with a stupider version if Kathleen. Devon is very similar to Kade. I wasn't a Kade fan, so big surprise, I'm not all that attached to Devon.
13. At 67%, there's a virus that Dr. Galler supposedly created that was a mutation of the Ebola virus. This was supposed to have happened during Nazi Germany. Ebola wasn't even discovered until 1976!!!!! And there's no point in speeding up the effects of Ebola. It's pretty freaking effective as it is - it's got a 90% kill rate and kills fast. It's incubation period is longer, but that is what allows it to spread unchecked, and if you're looking at making something a bio weapon, a long incubation period is a good thing because people will be spread all over the place before they realize they even have it and they'll infect others. (Yes, I'm a nerd and know WAY too much about Ebola. I've been minorly obsessed with it since 9th grade.) Ebola is already a pretty flawless bioweapon without any tweaking. The only way to make it worse would be to make it airborne. But still, IT WASN'T EVEN DISCOVERED UNTIL 1976!!! I think Tiffany Snow even addresses this lightly a couple of pages later saying it wasn't officially discovered or some crap like that, but this is a journal we're reading of Dr. Galler's from Nazi days. While there's no doubt that Ebola existed in the wild before 1976, it was not discovered yet, and therefore, it would NOT have been called Ebola in his journal. This is where I COMPLETELY checked out of this story. There was no recovering from that one. (Oh, yeah, and Ivy's the cure. Bullshit.)
14. The Kade/Kathleen cameo. Ivy sees Kade and Kathleen in Paris. At Christmas. WITHOUT THEIR CHILDREN. (Or, child. Since technically, we don't know where this is in the timeline - still, we know they at least have ONE child, since they got together when Kathleen was pregnant.) Kathleen + Kade = WORST PARENTS EVER. Who goes to Paris at CHRISTMAS without their children? Not to mention, obviously they also ditched the rest of their family - Blane, Mona, etc. KATHLEEN AND KADE ARE THE WORST FICTIONAL CHARACTERS EVER.
So, this book was a massive disappointment. In addition to a boring plot, unlikeable characters, and instalove, it looks like there could possible be a love quadrangle, too, between Agent Lane, Logan, Devon, and Ivy, in the upcoming books. Which is going to seriously piss me off, because Tiffany Snow insisted this wasn't going to be a love triangle. Yes, I know technically it wouldn't be, it would be a quadrangle. But still. I hate love triangles. Is she completely incapable of writing just one love interest?! Because I had already decided to skip out on any Tiffany Snow books until her series are finished so I don't get attached to the losing guy, after the way the Kathleen Turner series ended.
Sadly, despite how much I disliked this book, I'll probably read book 2 to see if she can redeem herself. I still haven't given up on Tiffany, because I loved the first 3 books of the Kathleen Turner series so much. But I'm not holding out much hope, I'll be honest. I did not enjoy this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 23, 2014
Shannon's 5 Star Review
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.....
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.....
March 25, 2015
ARC courtesy of the publisher, Montlake Romance, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
2 Girls a Book & a Glass of Wine Blog
What can I say other than OH MY FRIGGIN GOSH!!!!!!!! Anyone that knows me knows how much I love Tiffany Snow. This is by Far my favorite book of hers (I may that every time a new one comes out lol).This one take the prize. It's fantastic, amazing and exhilarating .
This has all the making of an awesome book. OMG the sex is HOT like super HOT, like melt your panties off hot!!! The action and suspense is off the charts. My heart was racing. This book is fast and extreme. The characters are phenomena. Ivy keeps to herself, she's beautiful, kind, tough a real survivor, she's been through hell. She doesn't have many friends. Logan her best friend is always looking out of Ivy. They grew up together, and he's very protective of her and I think he likes that she only leans on him. Logan is handsome and is a player. Agent Lane also handsome and sweet he’s your typical good guy. I saved the best for last, Devon, handsome, hot, sexy, strong, mysterious, delicious, smart, dangerous and did I mention British, can I say HOT again. From the moment his character comes on to the page you'll be hooked on him. Devon breaks Ivy walls down. I feel in love with him on the spot. With all the craziness of his job and everything poor Ivy goes through. He’s perfect and most definitely on my BBF list.
This book will keep you on the edge of your seat. You won't want to stop reading. My kids love when this happens, they get away with everything. I didn't even want to sleep. I got lost in to this story. You'll never want the story to end, but when it does you'll want more. I can't wait for book 2. More Devon please.
It’s a lot darker and a heck of a lot more sexier than the Kathleen Turner series. It’s winter I needed AC.
Tiffany Snow has stepped it up and hit a home run with this one. Hold on to your kindles, this is going to be incredible trilogy.
This book will be on my list of best book of 2014
October 30, 2014
ARC provided by Montlake Romance via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
What a great start to a new series! I love a book that pulls me into the story from the first paragraph and Ms. Snow does that with In His Shadow. The story moves along quickly. I couldn’t stop reading for two days when I reached THE END. It is one of those books that once you start you can’t put down. The love story is a will they/won’t they and the action is so nerve racking that my stomach kept tied up in knots. Did I mention I love it!
Ivy, the protagonist, is a woman with a very tragic past. Her father dies when she was a very young girl then after remarrying her mother dies tragically a few years later. She has a violent step brother in prison trying to get out on parole. As if that isn’t enough she is pursued romantically by a spy involved in a dangerous case.
Devon Clay is a hot, mysterious man who only stops at Ivy’s station when he comes in the bank where Ivy is a teller. He scares Ivy but she is drawn to Devon nonetheless. She knows instinctively that Devon is dangerous but that knowledge doesn’t keep her from throwing caution to the wind. Ivy accepts his offer to dinner and, sure enough finds herself mixed up in a murder investigation, hanging out with spies, crossing paths with a criminal group who wants to develop an Ebola type virus, and for good measure add in the fact that her crazy step brother is released on parole.
”Not only was I in this too deep to get out, I felt too much for Devon to have the will power to leave. It was a demoralizing realization.”
In the beginning I had the feeling Ivy is going to be a wimpy and whiny female. She suffered a lot in her early life and I can understand why she would be a little whipped but that isn’t Ivy. She is surprisingly strong and independent. I like that in a female character and I like how Ivy is developed.
There are some great antagonistic scenes between her longtime friend Logan and her love interest Devon. Devon reads Logan in a way that Ivy can’t. There is a scene where Devon confronts Logan that is very emotional and telling about both of these men.
Ivy knows Devon is a mystery and he admits he doesn’t usually share his life with anyone. He knows that a woman can be used by his enemies to get to him. Therefore he tries to push Ivy away a couple times to protect her but he can’t resist her pull and Ivy can’t resist Devon.
His eyes were the lightest of blues with a web of fine lines at the corners, as though he’d spent too much time squinting into sunlight. Some might compare his eyes to an ocean or the sky. I likened them to ice.
Except for a couple slow moving parts (not enough to take away from the story) the dialog among the key characters is well written and the story is fast paced. The bad guys are really bad guys. You will not feel any sympathy for them at all. In fact, they are wicked to the core.
The action is realistic especially with the events happening in the news today. The suspense is gut wrenching and moves along so quickly that I had to take a breath every once in a while before continuing.
”I was caught, caught between what seemed to be two equally dangerous sides.”
There are a couple things that made me angry. Ivy made a couple strange decisions (in my opinion)—well more than strange, BAD! She knows that Devon is a spy. She knows Devon has a dangerous job and has to keep his professional life secret. I get that she has trust issues but she is a little too blabby with an FBI agent. This is going to come back and bite them in the future and I don’t like it. For me it is a betrayal. I hated that this incident portrays Ivy as weak and so careless with the life a man she loves. I guess it is hard to take since she appears weak and that isn’t the Ivy we know from the start.
All in all this is a great romantic suspense novel—good spine tingling action, well developed characters that are relatable and hot, hot love scenes. What more can a girl wish for?
This is the first book I read by Tiffany Snow but it won’t be my last.
What a great start to a new series! I love a book that pulls me into the story from the first paragraph and Ms. Snow does that with In His Shadow. The story moves along quickly. I couldn’t stop reading for two days when I reached THE END. It is one of those books that once you start you can’t put down. The love story is a will they/won’t they and the action is so nerve racking that my stomach kept tied up in knots. Did I mention I love it!
Ivy, the protagonist, is a woman with a very tragic past. Her father dies when she was a very young girl then after remarrying her mother dies tragically a few years later. She has a violent step brother in prison trying to get out on parole. As if that isn’t enough she is pursued romantically by a spy involved in a dangerous case.
Devon Clay is a hot, mysterious man who only stops at Ivy’s station when he comes in the bank where Ivy is a teller. He scares Ivy but she is drawn to Devon nonetheless. She knows instinctively that Devon is dangerous but that knowledge doesn’t keep her from throwing caution to the wind. Ivy accepts his offer to dinner and, sure enough finds herself mixed up in a murder investigation, hanging out with spies, crossing paths with a criminal group who wants to develop an Ebola type virus, and for good measure add in the fact that her crazy step brother is released on parole.
”Not only was I in this too deep to get out, I felt too much for Devon to have the will power to leave. It was a demoralizing realization.”
In the beginning I had the feeling Ivy is going to be a wimpy and whiny female. She suffered a lot in her early life and I can understand why she would be a little whipped but that isn’t Ivy. She is surprisingly strong and independent. I like that in a female character and I like how Ivy is developed.
There are some great antagonistic scenes between her longtime friend Logan and her love interest Devon. Devon reads Logan in a way that Ivy can’t. There is a scene where Devon confronts Logan that is very emotional and telling about both of these men.
Ivy knows Devon is a mystery and he admits he doesn’t usually share his life with anyone. He knows that a woman can be used by his enemies to get to him. Therefore he tries to push Ivy away a couple times to protect her but he can’t resist her pull and Ivy can’t resist Devon.
His eyes were the lightest of blues with a web of fine lines at the corners, as though he’d spent too much time squinting into sunlight. Some might compare his eyes to an ocean or the sky. I likened them to ice.
Except for a couple slow moving parts (not enough to take away from the story) the dialog among the key characters is well written and the story is fast paced. The bad guys are really bad guys. You will not feel any sympathy for them at all. In fact, they are wicked to the core.
The action is realistic especially with the events happening in the news today. The suspense is gut wrenching and moves along so quickly that I had to take a breath every once in a while before continuing.
”I was caught, caught between what seemed to be two equally dangerous sides.”
There are a couple things that made me angry. Ivy made a couple strange decisions (in my opinion)—well more than strange, BAD! She knows that Devon is a spy. She knows Devon has a dangerous job and has to keep his professional life secret. I get that she has trust issues but she is a little too blabby with an FBI agent. This is going to come back and bite them in the future and I don’t like it. For me it is a betrayal. I hated that this incident portrays Ivy as weak and so careless with the life a man she loves. I guess it is hard to take since she appears weak and that isn’t the Ivy we know from the start.
All in all this is a great romantic suspense novel—good spine tingling action, well developed characters that are relatable and hot, hot love scenes. What more can a girl wish for?
This is the first book I read by Tiffany Snow but it won’t be my last.
December 7, 2014
It is no secret that I am a huge fan of the Romantic Suspense genre. I love the thrill of danger and suspense that place the hot alpha male hero and brave heroine in a world of peril. Tiffany Snow is a master of writing romantic suspense books. Her books are loaded with high octane action, page turning peril, and sizzling hot loves scenes that leave the readers hearts racing.
In His Shadow is the first book in the Tangled Ivy Trilogy. It was a page turner that I couldn’t put down. The first page gives the reader a sense of the dangerous undertones that Devon Clay possesses. It also gives the reader a strong sense of Ivy Mason’s sharp intelligence, quick sense, and a strong intuition of dangerous threats.
As the story begins to unfold Tiffany Snow keeps the reader guessing at why Ivy is being involved in the world to shadows that Devon rules. She is put in perilous situations. She witnesses several murders. She is attracted to man she knows nothing about. She is giving up her innocence and her instincts of self protection all for a man that only brings death and danger to her door. Little does she know is that she was involved before Devon even came on the scene. One innocent moment with a lonely old man placed her on the radar to a world of espionage and mass destruction.
The chemistry between Devon and Ivy is sizzling hot. Devon will make your panties melt off with his sexy English accent and mysterious persona. He brings Ivy to her knees with one look, one touch, and one suggestion. He is a man that knows his way around a woman’s body. When he seduces Ivy he is also seducing the reader.
Ivy is one of my favorite kind of heroines. She is intelligent and compassionate. She has a strong sense of self and does not let Devon walk all over her. She makes her own decisions and accepts the good with the bad. She has an ugly past that would scar anyone for life. She does not let the past rule her present. She has learned from all she endured and has become a strong woman.
In His Shadow kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved the chemistry between Ivy and Devon. I loved the pacing of the story. I loved the intricate plot. The book had a satisfactory ending even though it was not the conclusion to Ivy and Devon’s story. It has me anticipating the next book.
I highly recommend In His Shadow by Tiffany Snow. It is a thrilling reading experience.
December 30, 2014
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***
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***
December 10, 2014
Devon was definitely an awesome bad boy with some serious sex appeal... liked his character a lot! The steam alone was worth the 3 stars... :)
Didn't care for 'ole Ivy though... her lack of concern for her own self preservation was... frustrating... and just didn't add up when you consider her tragic past.
This is very, very insta-lust... no build up whatsoever to their relationship. And, I would've expected a little more caution and fear from her in wanting to get involved with Devon especially after what she witnessed him do in the beginning. I never felt a love connection between these two... just a whole lot of lust. So, if that's what you like then you are in for a treat because Devon is delicious!
Her constant need to put her life in danger for this man and her inability to tell him no... ever... was a turn off for me. Especially since she really didn't know him at all and had absolutely no reason to trust him. Her final decision at the end of the book just blew my mind... seriously Ivy?? You're just going to... And, I guess this is going to become a potential foursome?? Yep... looks like there are 3 men who will be pining for Ivy's attention. Hhhmmmmmmm.... Pretty sure I don't want to go there...
This is cover to cover suspense... the action never stops... so it is a page turner... I just wish I had liked the leading lady more than I did.
I don't think I'm going to finish this series... I'd rather step over and dive into this author's Kathleen Turner series of which I have not read but have heard great things!
ARC provided by Montlake Romance
Didn't care for 'ole Ivy though... her lack of concern for her own self preservation was... frustrating... and just didn't add up when you consider her tragic past.
This is very, very insta-lust... no build up whatsoever to their relationship. And, I would've expected a little more caution and fear from her in wanting to get involved with Devon especially after what she witnessed him do in the beginning. I never felt a love connection between these two... just a whole lot of lust. So, if that's what you like then you are in for a treat because Devon is delicious!
Her constant need to put her life in danger for this man and her inability to tell him no... ever... was a turn off for me. Especially since she really didn't know him at all and had absolutely no reason to trust him. Her final decision at the end of the book just blew my mind... seriously Ivy?? You're just going to... And, I guess this is going to become a potential foursome?? Yep... looks like there are 3 men who will be pining for Ivy's attention. Hhhmmmmmmm.... Pretty sure I don't want to go there...
This is cover to cover suspense... the action never stops... so it is a page turner... I just wish I had liked the leading lady more than I did.
I don't think I'm going to finish this series... I'd rather step over and dive into this author's Kathleen Turner series of which I have not read but have heard great things!
ARC provided by Montlake Romance
November 16, 2015
Really? We are supposed to believe that James Bond has an op is St. Louis, MO? I'm sorry, that is soooo hard to believe. The writing is excellent and the romance scorching hot. I got caught reading after lights out, the action has such a grip on me. This is my first Tiffany Snow book and I am loving it, even with the James Bond style intrigue taking place in St. Louis, MO, of all places. The narration is first person from the viewpoint of Ivy, the heroine.
Ivy is a bank teller, a nice comfortable job for a woman who has had an awful childhood. She is drop dead gorgeous, but is very wary of any male other than her best friend, Logan. Ivy is sent to the home of Mr. Galler, an elderly, wealthy bank customer, with documents for him. This is not unusual as Mr. Geller doesn't get around much these days. He is murdered that night and Ivy was the last person to see him alive.
Devon is a customer at Ivy's bank also. He makes Ivy very uncomfortable with his overwhelming masculinity, drop dead gorgeous looks and cold blue eyes. Every sense tells Ivy to avoid him at all costs. He pops up at a dinner between Ivy, Logan and Logan's friend. Ivy is thrown off balance when Devon kisses her then disappears. As Ivy leaves the restaurant, she sees Devon kill a man. Later, Devon breaks into her apartment and they begin a really hot, intense romance. Devon is there is to catch a spy who has stolen valuable secret information and Ivy is right in the middle of it.
Ivy is a bank teller, a nice comfortable job for a woman who has had an awful childhood. She is drop dead gorgeous, but is very wary of any male other than her best friend, Logan. Ivy is sent to the home of Mr. Galler, an elderly, wealthy bank customer, with documents for him. This is not unusual as Mr. Geller doesn't get around much these days. He is murdered that night and Ivy was the last person to see him alive.
Devon is a customer at Ivy's bank also. He makes Ivy very uncomfortable with his overwhelming masculinity, drop dead gorgeous looks and cold blue eyes. Every sense tells Ivy to avoid him at all costs. He pops up at a dinner between Ivy, Logan and Logan's friend. Ivy is thrown off balance when Devon kisses her then disappears. As Ivy leaves the restaurant, she sees Devon kill a man. Later, Devon breaks into her apartment and they begin a really hot, intense romance. Devon is there is to catch a spy who has stolen valuable secret information and Ivy is right in the middle of it.
April 30, 2015
3.5 Stars
I had never read a Tiffany Snow book before so I didn't know what to expect when this became available for review. What I did know is I love romantic suspense novels - which this book is, and Ms. Snow has a huge following. Those two factors alone had me intrigued and wanting to read this book.
This was certainly a book mixed with suspense and erotic moments about a "damaged" young woman who falls for a "deadly" young man. The suspense comes in trying to figure out who he is and what his purpose in her life is. The relationship that develops between them comes hot and fast.
While I had some difficulty relating to the story line and the characters because of the "unbelievablility" factor, I did like the writing and can certainly see what the author has the following she does.
ARC PROVIDED BY PUBLISHER THROUGH NETGALLEY FOR HONEST REVIEW
I had never read a Tiffany Snow book before so I didn't know what to expect when this became available for review. What I did know is I love romantic suspense novels - which this book is, and Ms. Snow has a huge following. Those two factors alone had me intrigued and wanting to read this book.
We're all products of our past," Devon said. "What we choose to do with it is our decision, no one else's. You can choose to be manged, fragile. Or you can choose to be more than the broken elements of your psyche. Fire tempers steel. Pain tempers character."
This was certainly a book mixed with suspense and erotic moments about a "damaged" young woman who falls for a "deadly" young man. The suspense comes in trying to figure out who he is and what his purpose in her life is. The relationship that develops between them comes hot and fast.
While I had some difficulty relating to the story line and the characters because of the "unbelievablility" factor, I did like the writing and can certainly see what the author has the following she does.
ARC PROVIDED BY PUBLISHER THROUGH NETGALLEY FOR HONEST REVIEW
January 18, 2024
In His Shadow by Tiffany Snow was such a fun listen for me. Snow is an author who is great at what she does- writing well developed female characters and the badass men who fall for them. While this may seem like every other romance you’ve ever read, don’t dismiss it as such. The incredibly action filled plot moves the story and relationship along in each of her stories that leaves you feeling like you’ve read a novel, not just a run of the mill romance.
All of that being said, this book, out of the now 10 total I’ve read from her, did lack in the overall development of her characters and compelling love story that gives Snow’s books that 5 star rating. The action and plot was there, and I believe was done stronger in this book than some of her others, but the chemistry of the love interests sometimes felt rushed in a way I’ve come to expect from other romance authors, but never Snow.
However, I am thrilled to be reading/listening to yet another series from the AMAZING Tiffany Snow (who was probably my favorite author last year) and cannot wait to continue with Ivy and Devon’s story. I will probably need to reread Kathleen Turner after this, though. That series was just too good to read just once!
3.5/5 Stars
Listened on KindleUnlimited (highly recommend you read all of Tiffany Snow’s books this way, I have and thoroughly enjoyed all of them!)
All of that being said, this book, out of the now 10 total I’ve read from her, did lack in the overall development of her characters and compelling love story that gives Snow’s books that 5 star rating. The action and plot was there, and I believe was done stronger in this book than some of her others, but the chemistry of the love interests sometimes felt rushed in a way I’ve come to expect from other romance authors, but never Snow.
However, I am thrilled to be reading/listening to yet another series from the AMAZING Tiffany Snow (who was probably my favorite author last year) and cannot wait to continue with Ivy and Devon’s story. I will probably need to reread Kathleen Turner after this, though. That series was just too good to read just once!
3.5/5 Stars
Listened on KindleUnlimited (highly recommend you read all of Tiffany Snow’s books this way, I have and thoroughly enjoyed all of them!)
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