09.23.2005 Twist of Fate By Mary Jo Putney Contemporary Romance (c) 2003 338 pages

There's a certain stigma associated with romance novels, both for the writers and the readers. In some ways, it's earned. The girl always ends up with the guy, all conflict is resolved, no wrongs are left unrighted. There is always that formula, keeping it easy. But there are some writers who work well within the limits of this genre. I consider Putney to be one of them.

Lawyer Val Covington needs a change in her life. She opens her own practice, enrolls in the big sister/little sister program, and meets a great guy in her landlord Rob. Her life goes from incredibly busy to incredibly busy and emotionally trying, as she maneuvers through her relationship with Rob and works against the clock to get an innocent man off of death row.

No big surprises, plot-wise, but it was engaging nonetheless. The main plots of Val and Rob's relationship and the investigation of the death row inmate were complex and interesting, and I enjoyed the subplots of Val's new little sister and the working of another case trying to stop a woman's litigation-happy ex-husband off her back. The biggest thing I can get out of a book is that it makes me think, and learn. Twist of Fate accomplished that, on several levels. And the genre change was refreshing. It's still hard to stomach a book where the main character is immediately beloved by all and where every aspect of the story comes to a neat and happy end. But it was a good, thoughtful book, and I definitely enjoyed it.

3.5/5 STARS

FAVORITE AMAZON REVIEW by mominva
Putney is one of those "if I see it, I'll buy it" authors - she consistently produces compelling, involving stories about people you care for.
Unfortunately, Twist of Fate falls far short of the high standard she has set in the past - especially its predecessor, "The Spiral Path".
Most jarring is the switching of viewpoints without warning. You're reading a scene told from, say, Val's point of view while conversing with Kendra, then all of a sudden you're reading what Kendra is thinking. I had to backtrack to figure out what was going on.
Then there are the events that apparently occur simply because the Romance 101 textbook says so - Val and Rob's first romantic encounter seemed to come out of the blue, with no real buildup or tension, for example. A case of "It's time for things to get hot so let's put these people in the sack". Frankly, the relationship didn't seem to develop naturally at all.
And there's the fact that the entire novel is a treatise against the death penalty, very thinly veiled as a novel. Putney could find far better and more effective forums for her activism. At the very least, the topic deserves something better written and more compelling. I simply didn't care enough about the characters.

INDEX