Title: Seductive Secrecy (Shadows Series #2)
Author: Marni Mann
Genre: Erotica/Contemporary Romance
Release Date: October 24th, 2013
Publisher: Booktrope (http://booktrope.com/)
Synopsis:
“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?
Goodreads:
My Review
5 of 5 Seductive Secrecy
Holy Mother of God I do not know where to start on this review...... I mean my head and my heart went on two different trips because I just could not get enough of this story. Lord have mercy me I mean I went from hating to loving to screaming at my kindle. Marni has crafted and created a world where I could not get enough of. Poor Charlie lord everything she went through is enough to break a person but she is determined to get her life back on track.
Charlie and Cameron have both been through some things that have made them hard towards the world but through it all they can see the light through each others eyes. They know they have a long road ahead of them but Charlie is painting again and she has a great job and she is excited to be sharing her life with Cameron. Cameron knows he loves Charlie and will do anything to keep her safe and protect her from the horrors she faced and escaped from. Their love is overwhelming and all consuming but they Cameron wants and needs Charlie in his life.
The only person standing in his way of happiness is his brother Ryder. Ryder has a link to Charlie from her past and Cameron wants to be her future but what happens when the past refuses to stay the past and soon comes face to face with the future? Will Ryder be the one to take care of Charlie or will Ryan stay her constant in this sea of waves?
Man Marni you blew me away with this one and I could not put it down. I need to re-read it after I re-read book one to enjoy Charlie and Cameron again and again.......
Excerpts:
“It was well worth the wait to see you like this,” he said.
Keeping my eyes fixed on him, I turned on my heels so he could see both sides, and completed the full twist. “You have excellent taste.”
He shook his head. “You’d look good in anything.”
I could tell by the way he gripped the molding of the door that he was having a hard time keeping his hands off me. As much as I needed them on my body, the feeling of want that consumed me felt so good that I could tolerate it for a little longer.
“Sometimes I look at you and I’m amazed that you’re mine.”
I knew the words had come from his mouth, but it felt as if I had spoken them. It was exactly what I’d been thinking; that, after everything we had experienced together, everything he knew about me, he still treated me the way he did. He still wanted me as much as he had before he knew the truth. He showed me continuously that he wanted me even more. And I felt the same. Cameron made me insatiable; as much as he gave me, I wanted to be even closer than we were. I wanted his breath to come from my mouth every time I exhaled.
He didn’t take a step forward. He just reached out his hand and felt along the shrug, following the fabric until he arrived at the knot between my breasts. He untied both sides and pulled it off my shoulders. His fingers then circled around me, and without warning he yanked me toward him. My palms settled on his chest, my mouth moving closer to his as he had bent his neck to reach me. Our lips didn’t touch; they hovered, each waiting for the other to close the gap.
We simmered in the temptation.
He was the first one to move. His mouth finally crushed against mine, his tongue dipping inside with each kiss. After several, he pulled away. We were both left breathless, our chests rising and falling as we tried to calm ourselves.
“Walk to the bed,” he ordered.
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.”
A gust of cold air burst through my body, tightening every muscle and clenching my lungs. The feeling was always the same, and it only came when I thought of that place…when the memories were thicker than the lessons I had learned by leaving there.
I set both brushes in a jar of water and walked across the hall to the apartment. Then I moved through the kitchen, my hands yanking at my sweater, lifting it over my head and releasing it once I got to the entryway of the bedroom. I peeled off my black skinny jeans until I reached my knee-high boots and dropped both along with my pants in front of the bathroom sinks. My panties and bra fell before I stepped into the shower and turned on the water.
The wall of glass that separated the shower from the rest of the bathroom began to fog, and the marble under my feet turned warm. Windows spanned both sides, overlooking different sections of the Back Bay; below the ledges were niches that held our bottles of shampoo and body wash, and benches for us to sit on. The back wall was a mosaic, an abstract. Water shot out from every direction, spraying from all sides as well as the ceiling. There were even streams below that covered my feet.
My skin was sweating now. Drops of scalding water ran off my body. The places that were being hit directly by the jets had turned a bright red. But it couldn’t stop the chill that continued to spread beneath my flesh.
Six months had passed since I’d left the mansion. I didn’t think about it as much as I used to, but when something instigated those thoughts—something like the mirrored floor in the painting—I had a hard time calming them down again. I still wasn’t sure how I was supposed to process what I had done there, what I had allowed to happen and how much I had once enjoyed it. Part of me didn’t want to take it back; part of me could barely keep down the bile that threatened to rise when I remembered. But that time in my life had gotten me here. And I was here, unlike some of the girls I had shared that house with.
I moved closer to one of the shower heads and pressed my hands against the cold marble that tiled the wall, leaning into the stream of water. It massaged the top of my head.
Breathe.
The drops that filled my ears blocked any noise that was around me. I could taste the product that drizzled from my hair—the spray I had used to hold my curls and the oil that gave it shine. My eyes closed and I inhaled the steam, trying to find a place of relaxation.
A place where the images and the screams would quiet to a dull moan.
And just as I found it, just as my palms no longer kneaded against the stone and my back didn’t pump and arch to find that place of complete comfort, just as I had finally gotten used to the temperature of the water, his arms wrapped around my chest. His hands cupped each of my breasts, his thumbs grazing my nipples.
“Why didn’t you wake me?” he whispered into my neck. His lips followed his words to my skin, his tongue circling the spot just to the side of my throat. It didn’t matter how often he had roamed my body, or how many times, it still felt so new, so unexpected.
“You need your sleep…” I told him. As soon as he touched me, I completely lost my voice. All I had were my desires, and they consumed me.
“I need you more,” he breathed.
Purchase Links:
Amazon:
Barnes & Noble:
About Marni Mann:
A New Englander at heart, Marni Mann, now a Floridian is inspired by the sandy beaches and hot pink sunsets of Sarasota. She taps a mainstream appeal and shakes worldwide taboos, taking her readers on a dark and breathtaking journey. When she’s not nose deep in her laptop, she’s scouring for chocolate, traveling, reading, or walking her four-legged children.
Connect with Marni Mann:
Website:
Goodreads:
Facebook:
Twitter:
Interview With Marni Mann:
1. Seductive Secrecy is the sequel to Seductive Shadows, how does it differ from the first book?
Seductive Secrecy really focuses on Charlie and Cameron's relationship, if they're able to move on and grow from everything that happened while they were together as well as what had occurred in their pasts. Of course, with the sequel comes a whole new set of problems and they either have to weave through them together or the issues will drive them apart.
2. What character have readers asked you the most about? Which left an impression on them, and did it surprise you?
Cameron is the most asked about character: who inspired his looks, is he based on someone I know, will he receive his own story? I would also say he's left the strongest impression on my readers. Cameron has haunted me for a while (he still does!), so I can't say I'm surprised by their curiosity. I'm more intrigued by their questions, if anything.
3. What is the best personality trait of your heroine, Charlie? Worst personality trait?
Underneath Charlie's mask, her scars, her erotic behavior, is a survivor. She truly has an instinctive will to survive regardless of what she's faced with. Her worst personality trait is that she's fearless.
4. Did you know how Seductive Secrecy was going to end, before you wrote it? It was quite the shocker!
Ha! Thank you! :) I knew the main events that were going to take place, but the details weren't flushed out until I wrote the actual ending. Because the ending is so layered, those points were smoothed out even more during the editing process.
5. Is there a message in the Shadows Series that you want readers to walk away with? If so, what is it?
It's always darkest before the dawn.
6. Will there be a third book? What can we expect in the next installment?
As of right now, there is no plan for a third book. I did write a short story in Cameron's point-of-view that readers can receive by purchasing a copy of Seductive Secrecy before November 1st (details are here: http://marnismann.com/claim-your-electronic-copy-of-camerons-point-of-view/) My next release is tentatively scheduled for January and it's a New Adult title.
7. Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?
Write as much as you can. Every writer has his or her own unique voice and it’s impossible to find that voice unless you experiment. My other piece of advice is read everything you can get your hands on because behind every great writer is a great reader.
Giveaway:
There will be 7 winners in the Seductive Shadows Tour Giveaway!
Grand Prize -- $100 Victoria's Secret eGift Card & Seductive Secrecy E-book
First Runner-up -- $50 Total Wine eGift Card & Seductive Secrecy E-book
(5) Runner-ups -- Seductive Secrecy E-books
