Title
- In His Shadow
Author
- by Tiffany Snow
Genre
- Romantic Suspense
Publisher
- Montlake Romance
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.
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 particularly like
looking for easter eggs within the author's books and whilst 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 courtesy of Montlake Romance via NetGalley***
