Customer Reviews

Turn For Home

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In this sequel to TURNING POINT, we find Brenna and Cassidy caught in the glare of media attention concerning their new and budding romance. New love isn't all a bed of roses for the two. There's the reaction of Brenna's two sons, and that of Cassidy's family and ex husband to their relationship. While there is plenty of angst, it is balanced by the high notes of true love, and the support of friends. Ms. Zielinsky gives her characters a realistic feel and depth. The events that happen to them are believable. There is also a message very skillfully woven into the story about the importance of Power of Attorney for same sex or unmarried couples in making life and death decisions for each other. This novel is no where near the length of TURNING POINT, but the pages are packed with superb writing and information. The reading is pleasurable and smooth. I understand there is a sequel in the works, which I'm looking forward to reading.

Brenna Lanigan and Cassidy Hyland were both actors in the TV drama "Time Trails," and their working relationship eventually led to sexual attraction and a relationship. They are still negotiating the possible logistics of being open about their feelings at work, as well as the initial shock of Brenna's two teenage sons, when an attack by Cassidy's abusive ex-husband sends her to the hospital and alerts the media to their situation. While Cassidy recovers, it is up to Brenna to safeguard Cassidy's young son Ryan, try to minimize the damage to their careers, appease the paparazzi, as well as help the police bait a trap for Cassidy's attacker.

This is a sequel to the author's "Turning Point," which I have not read, but she provides enough of a backstory not to let that detract from the enjoyment of this novel. Suspenseful and well-written with realistic, emotionally-rich characters, I give this four stars out of five.

- Bob Lind, Echo Magazine

Turn For Home is the sequel to Turning Point and picks up the story of actresses Brenna Lanigan and Cassidy Hyland as they are trying to decide how public to make their relationship. Their sons are divided in their support and Brenna is going through a divorce, so keeping things quite seems best. As the stars of a popular TV show and actresses who are in demand for other jobs, they have a lot at risk professionally. The issue is taken out of their hands when a violent attack against Cassidy by her ex-husband brings everything out into the open. The women find out just who their friends are and how much the entertainment world will support. Brenna is also in for some surprises from her sons.

This book provides an opportunity to catch up with characters the reader may already be familiar with and see how their lives are progressing. It covers a brief, but traumatic period in the women's relationship. There are few books that describe a physical attack as vividly as Zielinsky does in this one. Besides the issue of abuse, the book also delves into the difficulty that partners can have with the health care system when they have no legal rights and the parents of one of them tries to seize control of the situation.

Turn For Home has a weakness. It's really necessary that the first book has been read. A new reader will definitely feel like she's walked into the middle of what is going on and won't have much frame of reference for how these women reached the point where the story picks up.

This book is good for a couple of hours of entertaining reading.

Turn For Home follows up after the holiday break for Time Trails, the sci-fi series that both Cassidy and Brenna star on. Trying to find time to continue building their relationship is full of pitfalls: not only do Brenna's sons give her the cold shoulder, but as well-known actresses, trying to hide from reporters and photographers is all but impossible. When Cassidy's abusive ex-husband Mitch arrives on the scene, the doors are thrown wide-open, leaving the women to face the challenge of surviving under the microscope of Hollywood.

Compared to its prequel, Turning Point, Turn for Home moves at a much faster clip. This is an action-and-reaction based storyline, as opposed to the relationship discovery of the first book. When their relationship becomes public, Brenna and Cassidy must both face shocked and angry people in their lives. When Brenna is forced to give a statement to the press by the show's producers, she experiences first-hand the animosity that some have toward gays and lesbians. For Cassidy, it hits even closer to home as she once again must deal with her conservative, self-righteous father and passive mother. Zielinsky demonstrates that with the bad comes the good, as support comes at the hands of not only cast and crew on the show, but in smaller figures such as a patient rights advocate. Brenna's relationship with her sons and their activities is another focus of this book. While it becomes a nice plot device to bring Cassidy back into the boys' good graces by having her act as the go-between for Brenna and her younger son, James, I found the sequence of events served more to tie the characters together neatly towards the end than any other reason. The active storylines overshadow most of the romance and emotion that was evident in Turning Point, but I believe the book still presents a relationship that is being built in the face of adversity and self-recognition for both Cassidy and Brenna.

Turn for Home is an fast but engaging read. While not as romantic as its predecessor, it is one that will pack a punch for those who pick it up. It is a book about a new relationship that has to survive many obstacles, and many will recognize the love - or the pain - to connect to from their own experiences.

Brenna Lanigan and Cassidy Hyland are actresses in a television series. Both women are married to men and both have sons, Brenna has two teenagers, Cassidy has a five-year-old. When they become lovers, they decide to remain deeply closeted, although Brenna tells her two sons, who, while not wild about the idea that their mom is a lesbian, don't reject her either. The women's affair sets off a chain of events that ends in violence when Cassidy's abusive husband attacks her. Of course, the media has a feeding frenzy on the events and the fact that the two stars are lesbian.

Zielinsky starts off slowly setting the scene, giving the reader background on both women, and bringing readers of her first book in this series up to speed. The pace picks up when Cassidy's husband manages to get by the studio's security and lures her into an empty trailer and attacks her first with his fists and then a baseball bat. Brenna and other members of the cast of their show arrive on the scene before the husband kills Cassidy. From this point, the reader will have to suspend belief when Cassidy not only survives the severe beating, but leaves the ICU mere days after the attack despite the author's description of her injuries as being life threatening, including two heart attacks. Her recovery is remarkably fast and little emotional trauma results. The author gives us a good picture of the outward manifestations of the beating- a cast on a wrist and protection for broken ribs - but next to nothing of the emotional scars other than the angst by Brenna of being outed.

If the reader is looking for a quick read about first love, regardless of the age of the women, this book may satisfy. Reading the first book in this series is not necessary to enjoy this book, although the characters are introduced there and it might explain why Breena didn't care for Cassidy when they first met.

Brenna Lanigan is getting divorced, her son's aren't happy about her relationship with Cassidy Hyland. Brenna and Cassidy try to keep their relationship from the press to give everybody time to adjust to their new circumstances. Cassidy's ex husband Mitch, gets wind of their relationship and beats Cassidy up, severely injuring her. Then their story becomes public knowledge.
This is a very welcome long awaited fast paced sequel to Turn From Home. I couldn't put the book down. I'm really hoping Lara writes more and very soon.

The biggest fear in some people's lives is being known what they are. "Turn for Home" tells the story of recent divorcee Brenna Lanigan who finds her newest love in a woman by the name of Cassidy Hyland. Working on a television show, the two have the eyes of the paparazzi ousting them as lesbians. And for Cassidy, her ex-husband suddenly has a problem with her raising their son. "Turn for Home" is a riveting read of drama and romance, highly recommended.