Review: No Turning Back
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 03 19, 2013
The infamous `they' say you can never forget the past or go home again, but in the small town of Sweetwater one man-Marc Baron-refuses to let go.Charlie Hanover was a con artist who all but destroyed the small town of Sweetwater and in his wake left three sons who must now deal with the aftermath of their father's con.  Fast forward twenty years, and the now three adult men, have returned to claim their grandmother's estate-only the house once belonged to Marc Baron.  And Marc is determined to seek retribution and revenge for the sins of the father.Leah Baron has grown up with the knowledge that Charlie Hanover destroyed her parent's marriage and left most of the town bankrupt and destitute.  Now it is her job to rebuild the town of Sweetwater. But Leah's plans go awry when the Hanover men return and want to start their lives over in the house once owned by her father.Leah and Declan were children when Charlie conned an entire town but Leah's perception of Declan and his brothers has been tainted by her father's need for vengeance.  When Declan returns, Leah makes it her mission to run the brothers out of town, hoping to reclaim some of her father's dignity in the process.  But as Declan and Leah begin to research the documents and files, they will discover that the truth about the past has been tainted by revenge, betrayal, greed, lies and lust and, not everyone who claims to be-is a victim.I am no sure how to explain my feelings about this particular storyline.  I had a very difficult time accepting the heroine's anger and attitude especially when she acknowledges that the Hanover sons are not responsible for their father's betrayal, yet Leah Baron persists for a good portion of the storyline that Declan and his brothers are in the wrong and should return the family home, move out of town and never return. Another difficulty I had was that one man-Marc Baron-had the ability to sway several generations in the town of Sweetwater and sway law enforcement that the sons of Charlie Hanover were guilty by association and therefore should be held accountable for their father's con. The Hanover sons are taunted, threatened and ignored yet most of the town does not blame the sons.  There is a bit of a conundrum -no one is held accountable for the threats and we do not know who is responsible.There are several secondary storylines building that ensure each Hanover brother has a story to tell.  But it is the relationship between Leah and Declan that amped up my anxiety.  The write up about the book states `fun, new contemporary romance' but I did not find the fun in any of the book.  The premise surrounds revenge, betrayal, lies and manipulation yet, once the truth is finally revealed, I still could not find the humor at any stage of the story. There is sex and some romance, mystery and revelation: the storyline is not dark or horrific but I must have missed something because I did not find anything funny or humorous.The storyline felt choppy whenever Declan and Leah were together but flowed smoothly when the Hanover brothers had their stories to tell.  If you are looking for a contemporary story with a little bit of sex, a little bit of romance and a little bit of mystery- NO TURNING BACK- is the story for you.