In association with Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours, Jersey Girl Sizzling Book Reviews is pleased to host the virtual book tour event for
The Shadow Series by
Author Marni Mann!
The Shadow Series
Series Description:
Readers Beware: This is not your mother's romance, nor is there a rich, playboy millionaire seducing an innocent virgin. Charlie leads a passionate, controversial, and thought-provoking life - the sex scenes will make you blush, the twists will make you gasp in disbelief and the characters' angst and pain will make your heart ache. Prepare to dive into a highly sensual, unique storyline with substance and a touch of darkness - as well as explicit language and descriptive sexual content. After all, real life is lived in the shadows, and Marni will take you there. But love can linger in the darkness....
These books are for mature audiences. They contain explicit language and sexual content.
BUY THE SERIES: The Shadow Series
Book 1: Seductive Shadows
Book 2: Seductive Secrecy
Book Review
Seductive Shadows by Marni Mann
Book 1: The Shadow Series
Publisher: Entice by Booktrope
Publication Date: May 22, 2013
Format: Paperback - 256 pages
Kindle - 455 KB
Nook - 825 KB
ISBN: 9781620153420
ASIN: B00CY22GOU
Genre: Erotica
BUY THE BOOK: Seductive Shadows
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours.
Book Description:
Charlie is a sensually-inspired art student, desperately seeking an escape from the abusive past that haunts her and a tragic accident that emptied her heart. Scarred and unable to love, her yearning for physical pleasure leads her into a tantalizing, dangerous world of power and seduction. The anonymity of the deal offers security; the money brings financial freedom and the madam is the mother figure she longs for.
But the thrill of the mansion and its arousing dominance quickly fades when she meets renowned-yet-mysterious Cameron Hardy, whose intense baby blue eyes send a nervous flutter through her core. Cameron is sexy, and not in a subtle way. He stimulates Charlie's art, her intellect and her desires. Just as he begins to break through her emotional boundaries, she discovers a devastating connection between her past and her scandalous work at the mansion, shattering everything she thought to be true.
Provocative, intoxicating and erotic, Seductive Shadows is the unforgettable tale of a young woman's self-discovery as she learns to forgive, to love and be loved, and to find redemption amidst a remarkable journey that will captivate your mind and stimulate your soul.
Book Excerpt:
I wasn’t a prostitute. I was an artist who used her fingers to paint a fantasy and her body fulfilled it. The muse, or the canvas, but always the artist. And when I was desired by men was when I felt the most creative.
Just because I was hired to provide pleasure, didn’t mean I couldn’t enjoy every moment of passion and every uninhibited deviant thought. I was turned on by the cameras that would point toward my bed, the lust that would be whispered in my ears, and playing out the fantasy that I would compose. Not knowing anything about these men, what the top half of their faces looked like, their names, meant they also knew nothing about me. I would never have to discuss my past or the accident; the only thing I would have to unzip would be my lingerie. I would have enough money to pay off my mother’s debt in a reasonable amount of time and take more than one class a semester. The arrangement was perfect.
But then I met Cameron. With icy, baby blue eyes so intense...he was sexy, and not in a subtle way. Bold and confident, he inspired my art and challenged my emotions and, for the first time since the accident, I felt a strong connection to another person.
I had a burning desire to trust Cameron, to escape the dark life I had been leading and reveal to him the wounds of my soul…until I discovered a devastating connection between my past and the mansion. And in the midst of all the truth I uncovered, I learned my life was in imminent danger....
My Book Review:
Seductive Shadows is a gritty and provocative story of one girl's journey of self discovery. Written in the first person narrative, author Marni Mann weaves an enticing, dark, and emotional tale that delves into the life of Charlie, a twenty-three year old art student. Charlie has had a troubled life, through her passion for art, she tries to escape her abusive past with a neglectful and alcoholic mother, and the memory of a tragic accident that occurred five years ago, but the past still haunts her, leaving her scarred and unable to love. Charlie uses art as a way to channel her emotions and sexual acts as a way to forget her past. Charlie accepts a position in a high class brothel that allows her to hide behind a mask as Cee, her alter-ego that enables her to leave Charlie behind. When she meets a fellow artist named Cameron, she finds someone who she can trust and love. Cameron encourages Charlie to take the journey toward self-discovery in order to move forward with her life.
Seductive Shadows is so much more than an erotic tale, it is a riveting story that takes the reader to a deeper and emotional level as it delves into a flawed person's journey to come out of the recesses of her dark shadowy past and into the light in search of herself. The author does a wonderful job of creating layers upon layers within this story, alternating between flashbacks to the past with the present, she entices the reader with intriguing twists and turns as each of the layers are uncovered. You can't help but feel for Charlie as her story unfolds. From her troubled life with her mother, to the tragedy and loss of her best friend, to the choices she has made in her life, it is easy for the reader to relate and understand Charlie, feel her pain, and cheer as her journey leads her towards self-discovery and moving forward in her life. This story deserves to have a sequel, it's open-ended and surprising conclusion leaves the reader wanting more. I would love to be able to continue to follow Charlie and Cameron's story, I know they have more to tell the readers.
Seductive Shadows is a thrilling and provocative story, it is captivating and thought-provoking, it is simply a must read.
RATING: 4 STARS
Seductive Secrecy by Marni Mann
Book 2: The Shadow Series
Publisher: Entice by Booktrope
Publication Date: October 21, 2013
Format: Paperback - 235pages
Kindle - 1944 KB
Nook - 825 KB
ISBN: 9781620151723
ASIN: B00E8OQ9R2
Genre: Erotica
BUY THE BOOK: Seductive Secrecy
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours.
Book Description:
"We were two broken souls who had found each other in a world of shadows. We were held together by a connection of secrets, dark and fearful and reluctant to leave. Their depth was seductive and overwhelming, an endless ocean of black that threatened to cover the brilliance we kept reaching for with each other."
With her art career flourishing and the mansion predators no longer a threat, Charlie is creating a new life. Her desires have changed, and she has a chance at a healthy, loving relationship with Cameron--if they can bury the memories and doubts that plague them.
Can they overcome the destruction of their clouded pasts, or will the revelation of more painful, shocking secrets pull them back into the shadows?
Book Excerpt:
I lifted my arm out of the comforter and placed my fingers on top of his. I couldn’t stop the guilt that washed through me. I had questioned Cameron’s feelings. I had thought that maybe he still wished I was wearing my mask, or maybe that he wanted me to put one back on. And now I knew none of that was true.
“I need to ask you something,” I said, squeezing his hand, “and I need you to be completely honest with me when you answer.”
He nodded. “Always.”
Now I was the one who was holding on. “You’re not going to lose interest now that you’ve—”
“Never,” he said interrupting me.
“But you’ve gotten what you wanted now. What else is there?”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Charlie. You haven’t given me everything that I want.”
“I haven’t?” I couldn’t imagine what might have been missing.
He exhaled through his nose and shook his head. Then he lifted his hand and rubbed it over my cheek. The intensity in his touch hadn’t diminished at all. It was even more severe than before. But behind all that raw emotion was a softness that was pushing its way to the surface. “I’m not talking about your body.” His thumb went to my lip, dragging it out from my teeth. “It’s true that I’m as insatiable as you, and that no matter how many times I have you, it isn’t enough. I want you again…and again. And every time, you give me that.” I didn’t understand what else there was. “What you haven’t given me all of is…your love.”
My Book Review:
In
Seductive Secrecy, Charlie and Cameron's story picks up where it left off in the first book of the series,
Seductive Shadows. Author Marni Mann easily draws the reader back into Charlie and Cameron's relationship. This couple has a complicated relationship full of troubling pasts, dark secrets, personal demons, and complex issues that keeps drawing them back into the shadows. While their relationship is intense and once again tested, this passionate couple is truly perfect for each other, and their ability to sustain their love, overcome obstacles, heal, and move forward is oh so worth the read!
Seductive Secrecy is an amazing story about two broken souls who find each other, and conquer the shadowy obstacles that life keeps throwing their way in order to help them to grow, heal and find a way to stay together.
RATING: 4 STARS
The Shadow Series is a gritty, emotional, and intense series that is a must read!
About The Author
Best-selling author
Marni Mann, knew she was going to be a writer
since middle school. While other girls her age were daydreaming about
teenage pop stars, Mann was fantasizing about penning her first novel.
She crafts sexy, titillating stories that weave together her love of
darkness, mystery, passion, and human emotion. A New Englander at
heart, she now lives in Sarasota, Florida with her husband and their
two dogs who subsequently have been characters in her books. When
she's not nose deep in her laptop working on her next novel, she's
scouring for chocolate, sipping wine, traveling to new locations, and
devouring fabulous books.
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Virtual Book Tour
Tour Schedule:
November 17 - Chick LitPlus – Review
November 19 - Chick Lit Goddess – Excerpt
November 21 Authorsand Readers Book Corner - Excerpt
November 21- FictionDreams - Excerpt
November 24 - Jersey Girl Book Reviews – Review
November 24 - Two Children and a Migraine - Review
November 24 - Jess’s Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
