Laura’s Review of Turning Back (Turning, #2) by J.A. Huss

Synopsis

I lived in the dark for three years. My whole world revolved around the whims and happiness of three men. It was just a trip into the forbidden. A way out of a bad situation and forward into nothingness.

Quin, with his easy smile and charming good looks. He was always there for me... Until he wasn’t.

Smith, and his dispassionate attention. He was never there for me and he never regretted it.

Bric, the one who listened, but only to himself. Self-absorbed, self-obsessed, and self-serving. He was never the one I wanted.

And now he might be the only one I have left.

It was good while it lasted, I guess. But it could’ve been so much more. It could’ve been so much better.

And that’s why I’m turning back.

What I Loved

        After the epilogue in Taking Turns I couldn’t wait to jump back into this dark world of sex and secrets!  Quin was a character that had captured my heart because he was so heartbroken in the first book and he seemed like such a genuine guy that I just wanted him to be happy.  So, bringing Rochelle back into the mix was finally going to be his happy ending and I just couldn’t wait for that happen.

        The story begins from Quin’s point of view and it’s obvious he’s just going through motions of life but not really living it anymore since Rochelle had left and Chella and Smith stopped playing the game.  My heart just went out to him like a lost little puppy that needed love and affection desperately.  In walks Bric who has discovered where Rochelle is staying and she has come back to make things right.  The three of them agree to start a new game and become a thriple (I’m more familiar with the term throuple so I will be using that) and right away this new relationship is on shaky ground.  What I truly loved about this story was that I didn’t where things would go for Quin, Bric and Rochelle.  Bric becomes such a central character in this story and even though I love Quin I fell head over heels for Bric by the end.  The way feelings develop and characters change, I wasn’t sure how all of this would end.  I love reading stories that I can’t predict, they keep me addicted and I finished this book within 48 hours. 

        Much like the first story there is a lot of hot sex involving more than two people that I couldn’t get enough of.  Taking Turns was about laying the groundwork for this series and what kind of games these characters play but in Turning Back you’re over that hump and because of that the sex was more intense and wild, they are referred to as “professional players” and the three of them sure as hell are.   I loved the passion and lust that poured off the pages because no matter who was angry at who they all physically wanted each other and it was steaming!

Not So Much

       Overall this was a really great read that I couldn’t put down but I did feel like there was a lot of fragmented sentences and although there was more description than in the first it still fell short in some respects.  When it came to descriptions of people or places the sentences became very broken and came off robotic, rather than flowing with the story. Once again, I didn’t feel like there was entire description of what Rochelle looked like and when describing Quin and Bric it fell short.  Quin is described as having light eyes and light hair, so does that mean he’s blonde, or has light brown hair?  It just was just lacking some important details for me to really grasp the entire picture.

        Also, I felt like there were some plot holes towards the end that won’t be addressed in His Turn.  Smith and Chella weren’t in this story a lot and Smith had a lot of anger towards Rochelle for hurting Quin and it was never really resolved.  It was like he hated her one moment and the next they were one big happy family with no explanation.  I noticed that in some other parts of the story but I don’t want to give away any spoilers.

To Sum It All Up!

        Overall I was so happy for this story to continue and to see if Quin would finally get his happily ever after with Rochelle or not.  I absolutely loved that I wasn’t sure what was going to happen with these characters till the end because it kept me on my toes.  When I wasn’t reading, I was thinking about these characters and all the drama they were going through showing how emotionally invested I was. 

        Much like the first story the points of views changes in each chapter so you get the story from all sides letting the reader get to know each character intimately.  From the first book I wasn’t quite sure what to make of Bric but my opinion of him did a total one eighty and I fell absolutely in love with him.  All of sudden I was more concerned about his happily ever after then Quin’s and I loved the push and pull between the two men.  I also loved all the secrets that got layered on as the story went on and it was suspenseful to watch it all boil over eventually.

        I absolutely love this series, it has seduced and intrigued me as a reader.  I have shied away from erotica recently because I felt like some stories were more sex than the story but JA Huss offers up a perfect balance of erotica and emotions.  Watching Rochelle struggled to find her new place in everyone’s lives was hard to read at times because I was so sucked in and I just wanted her to be happy.  I can’t wait to see what coming in His Turn because I’m going to love it!