No Turning Back [Mass Market Paperback]

Patricia A. Phillips (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2008

Her Biggest Challenge In Life...

Darian Cantrall may have been born in New Orleans, but ever since she moved to L.A., she can't imagine living anywhere else. With a dream job and a glamorous life, she has everything she wants. But when her sister Monique's battle with cancer takes a turn for the worst, Darian returns home to be there for her family and do whatever is needed of her--even if it means taking on the one thing she dreads most...

Just Might Become Her Greatest Joy.

Darian isn't cut out for motherhood or small-city life. And now it looks like she's diving right in to both. Monique left behind two small children and Darian is the only one who can raise them. Moving back home brings up all sorts of issues about the past. But when reality sets in, Darian discovers that her fast-paced glamorous L.A. life wasn't as idyllic as she thought. With help from Monique's kids and a high school sweetheart who comes back into the picture, Darian just might find the true meaning of happiness...

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Phillips's involving domestic drama (after Last Bride Standing) follows L.A. career woman and New Orleans native Darian Cantrell, a 35-year-old with a dream job and a film-producer boyfriend. When she learns her little sister, Monique—a single mom with three daughters in what seems to be pre-Katrina New Orleans—has cancer, Darian rushes home to her sister's side. When Monique dies, their mother, Shirlee, who's married to a much younger man, thinks she's done enough parenting and expects Darian to assume responsibility for Monique's daughters. Darian's unexpected momhood involves multiple problems, but it brings her into contact with Brad, an old boyfriend, and now a divorced single dad who still adores her. It also brings her the unwanted attentions of a stalker. Amid all the drama, Phillips makes Darian courageous and worth rooting for. (Apr.)
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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Dafina (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758223838
• ISBN-13: 978-0758223838
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 3.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,834,744 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Changes In Life, June 28, 2008

By 

The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (RAWSISTAZ.com and BlackBookReviews.net) - See all my reviews

This review is from: No Turning Back (Mass Market Paperback)

Darian Cantrall couldn't be happier; she's engaged to her soul mate, living the good life in Los Angeles, and, to top things off, has just received a well deserved promotion. However, when she receives a frantic call from her sister Monique, her world is turned upside down. Monique is dying and she needs Darian to return home to New Orleans to care for her two children. Darian's not the motherly type, in fact she and her fiancée vowed to never have children. But, after Monique passes away, she is tossed into a role she has no desire in playing. Darian's at her wits end where the children are concerned, but with the help of Brad St. James, an old boyfriend, she begins to make the best of her situation.

NO TURNING BACK is a heartfelt tale of coping with the loss of a loved one, while at the same time taking on the responsibility of raising the children left behind. Patricia Anne Phillips does a wonderful job intertwining the lives of each character depicted in this novel. Page after page, readers will feel their pain and suffering, as well as cheer them on as they struggle to find peace within.

Reviewed by Pamela Bolden

of The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers

5.0 out of 5 stars 4.5 Stars, April 26, 2009

By 

R. A Rippy "rarippy" (Shelbyville, Tennessee United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: No Turning Back (Mass Market Paperback)

I loved this story. Darian Cantrall is on the fast track with her career and the love of her life and then she gets a devastating call from her sister in New Orleans that changes her life completely. Her sister has terminal breast cancer and has only a short time to live and has 2 beautiful little girls that she will be leaving behind. Darian takes a leave of absence from her job to help care for her sister believing that her Mom will take the kids if her sister dies. Darian never had plans to have kids and her Mom has no plans to raise her grandkids. The more Darian is around her nieces, the more she loves them and decides to raise her sister's kids because her sister wants her too. After deciding this she goes L.A. to tell her fiance her plans even though he said that he doesn't want anymore children since he has one from a previous marriage. She gets an unexpected surprise when she goes to see him to plead her case and finds his other woman there and he tells that she is expecting and they are going to try and make it work. She is devastated but quits her job and moves back to New Orleans from L.A. She has help with her neices from her best friend, her Mom and her young husband and the next door neighbor. She runs into her old college boyfriend who is divorced and is raising his son and sparks fly but his Mom doesn't like her and does everything she can to keep them apart. A lot of drama takes place for Darian from his Mom and the kids long lost dad that everyone thought was killed in prison. This story will keep you on the edge of your seat and it was a great story from the beginning to the end.

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, August 20, 2008

By 

Okie (Oklahoma) - See all my reviews

This review is from: No Turning Back (Mass Market Paperback)

While I thought the plot was intriguing, and could make for a great story, I was ultimately disappointed in this book. (Fortunately I had taken it out of the library!) The mix of genres - romance, thriller, etc. just resulted in too much going on, and made it too unrealistic. I also felt that the writing could use some help - there was too much switching of character perspectives, and punctuation/grammatical errors that were. I got the feeling that the book had not really been edited or checked at all before going to print. Too many random things happened that were never fully explained, and some things seemed to just trail off and serve no purpose. It made me reluctant to read anymore of this author's work.