Seductive Shadows

Shadows #1

by Marni Mann

When sensually-inspired art student, Charlie Williams, is sought out for erotic pleasure and fantasy, she jumps at the chance to escape her haunted and agonizing past—not realizing that she just secured an even more terrifying future.

Led into a world of danger and betrayal, she finds secrets she was never meant to uncover. One of those secrets is Cameron Hardy. He could be the answer she’s always been looking for, or her final mistake.

The deal offers security.
The money promises financial freedom.
But is it too good to be true?

Genres: BDSM, Erotica, Romance, Dark, New Adult, Adult, Dark Romance

258 pages, Paperback

First published July 17, 2013

About the author

USA Today Bestselling 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, Marni was fantasizing about penning her first novel. She crafts sexy, titillating stories that weave together her love of darkness, mystery, passion, and human emotions. A New Englander at heart, she now lives in Sarasota, Florida, with her husband and their Yellow Lab. When she’s not nose deep in her laptop, working on her next novel, she’s scouring for chocolate, sipping wine, traveling, or devouring fabulous books.

Visit her at:
WEBSITE: www.MarniSMann.com
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/MarniMannAuthor
INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/marnimann/
NEWSLETTER: http://marnismann.com/e-mail-signup/

Reviews

[Lana ❇✾DG Romance❇✾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Left me speechless Stars

"You always told me that I lived my life in the shadows. Well, I’m not there anymore. I’m not even reaching for them anymore. I’m running from them now."

I don't even know where to start with this book. Truly. I'm fucking speechless, though not in a bad way. This book was something else. It was unlike anything I have ever read before, and I have read some dark and fucked-up books. It's not exactly what I was expecting, but fuck me sideways if I will be forgetting it any time soon. All that aside, if you're expecting a romance novel, boy are you in for a rude awakening. I'd say this was more of an introduction. An introduction to Charlie, to Cameron, and to the catalyst to the story.

Meet Charlie. She is unlike any heroine you've read about before. Virgin?! HA! Forget about it! The woman has the sex drive of a cat in heat. No joke. Everything turns her on. I'm pretty sure a stiff wind would get her going.

If from my description you're thinking that she's some vapid, two dimensional character, you would be very wrong. There is a reason that Charlie is the way she is. She was a dark ad complex heroine, though it does take a bit of time to really begin seeing below her surface. Charlie is dealing with an alcoholic and terminally ill mother and no small financial problems. Until the answer to her problems walks into the door of her work and offers her a very intriguing way out.

The Mansion
But it comes with some rules
You do not talk about The Mansion.
You DO NOT talk about The Mansion.
You're constantly monitored.
Based on your cycle, you will get a whole week off, but get compensated during that time.

Oh and then there was the teeny tiny little detail about the audition: having to do a little something with the recruiter...who happens to be a chick.


And if you're thinking what I think you're thinking...


This may seem a bit extreme to most, but for Charlie it was the answer to everything.


The Mansion and everything about it is shrouded in mystery. But when that mystery begins to get unraveled. Holy.Shit. Your head will spin


It took me a while to get into the story. It was extremely descriptive, which I don't typically mind. But in the case here it got to be almost too much. The hero doesn't enter the picture until about 30% into the book, and their relationship takes even longer to develop. This was not a love story. It didn't read that way, and it didn't feel that way until pretty much the last few chapters.

Beautifully written, Seductive Shadows is a dark and provocative story about the journey of a woman struggling with hiding in the shadows and a dark and turbulent past, learning how to find her dawn, forgiveness, and redemption.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to give myself a much needed mental health break before diving into Seductive Secrets. And I thank you


**ARC courtesy of publisher in exchange for an honest review**

For more reviews visit

[Kelli C · Rating 4 out of 5]

hmmmm...this book is all kinds of crazy hot! Reading book 1 and 2 in a box set...will review fully at completion of the tale!

[Laurie (barksbooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a sucker for dark, gloomy novels and tormented characters. Combine that with a little deviant sexual behavior and you’ve got my attention. Keeping it? Well, that’s the problem . . .

Seductive Shadows is part erotica, part personal journey and part thriller with a smidge of romance thrown in there too. Charlie had a painful childhood. She grew up too fast, witnessed too much and now has a screwed up view on relationships and sex. I’m not going to go into everything but will just say that the author did a great job developing Charlie and I sympathized and understood her choices.

Charlie is a struggling to make a better life for herself. She’s a part-time art student, paying her own way and working her butt off to pay off her mother’s enormous debt. One night she is approached by a recruiter who offers her a job she’s unable to resist. She knows upfront she’s going to get paid (a shit ton) in exchange for sex. She’s told she can leave whenever she wants and that she will be safe and protected and welcomed into a “family”. For a girl like Charlie this is a dream come true. She self-medicates with sex anyway and enjoys the attention, the release, the power and the anonymity of it all.

“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 craved sex and attention. I needed it. 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. The challenge would make my release so much sexier. ”

But, alas, nothing ever goes Charlie’s way for long. Soon after she takes on this sexy new job, she meets Cameron, a talented artist she admires and lusts after. He treats her with respect and appreciates her art and she starts falling a little in love. Here’s where the complications come in and boy are there some whoppers thrown at you in the last few chapters. Charlie is in a very dangerous and desperate situation because, shocker, the mysterious recruiter wasn’t exactly telling the truth . . .

This book is a hard one to review. As erotica it’s pretty good, it’s sensual, slightly dirty (but not squicky) and a wee bit dangerous which is how I like my erotic books. As a personal journey type of story it works too, Charlie has a lot of crap to leave behind and still finds the will to make a better life for herself. That’s admirable. As a romance it doesn’t work for me but that’s only because we never get to know much about Cameron besides what Charlie feels for him. But it is Charlie’s story so I can’t fault the book for that. But as a thriller? Hell. No.

The best and worst thing about Charlie’s story is the fact that her inner torment, her longing for a real family and her grief were so well painted. Her pain was so intense that at times it felt suffocating. That poor girl needed a break from the doom and gloom and so did I. There was very little joy or levity in the dialogue and story and I had to keep stopping because it was depressing the hell out of me. I usually dig this heavier stuff (Chase In Shadow, anyone?) but for some reason, either my bitchy, burned out mood (nah that can’t be it!) or the fact that I could only connect with Charlie and felt disconnected from everyone else, this book just wouldn’t go down easy. And then the WTF reveal arrives along with the unfinished ending and I was stunned in a really bad way. I actually clicked my next button at least ten times thinking something was wrong with my reader. Nope. Nothing wrong with my reader. The book was simply over and done, leaving some very important bits left swinging in the wind with no resolution (or not enough for me, at least). There is a sequel coming so I guess that’s the reason. Had I know that earlier I probably would’ve DNF’d this because it feels incomplete and this one was such a struggle to finish that I can’t see myself rushing to buy book #2.

[Tamara Hook Me Up Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

For more reviews visit my blog - Hook Me Up Book Blog

"It's always darkest before the dawn."

Charlie is searching for her dawn. She lives in the shadows of darkness after enduring a life of neglect and abuse at the hands of her mother. With no real friends or family (apart from her dying mother) she desperately craves love and a sense of home. All she has is her art and it is through her art that she finds a way to express herself. Her other preferred method of release is sex and when she is offered a position at the mansion she decides that she can't pass it by.

"I could get lost in the sex; I could escape, even if it was for just a brief period of time. I could forget."

Charlie wants to block out her pain, her feelings of abandonment and her feelings of worthlessness. The sex she experiences at the mansion allows her to do this; it allows her to hide behind a mask and leave Charlie behind. She becomes Cee at the mansion.

"I stayed mostly in Emma's shadow because I was afraid to stand in the light. But Cee stretched out of those shadows. She wanted the attention, consumed it.."

The people she works with at the mansion provide her with the sense of belonging and family that she is looking for. They are pretty much all she has until she meets Cameron, an artist that she meets through her art class. They are instantly attracted and drawn to each other; two scarred souls looking for the same thing. He doesn't make any demands on her but he pushes her and helps her on her path to self-discovery.

"I realised at that moment that, in Cameron, I had found a home."

Their relationship grows slowly and she starts questioning her choices in life and whether she still wants the same things in life. She realises she wants more but comes face to face with the harsh reality of just what her past choices mean for her now. The sinister side of the mansion is exposed and Charlie must find a way to leave it all behind and move forward in her life.

This book snuck up on me. I knew nothing about it before I read it and from the cover I thought it was going to be erotic fiction. It was so much more than that; in fact it wasn't even really erotic. There was sex in it but this was not the main feature of the book. This story was about the theme of masks - the masks we hide behind when we are trying to leave ourselves behind and forget the pain of life. It is about the paths we take when we are trying to forget; the ways we try to escape. It is a story of self discovery and I loved the journey that Charlie went on.

Marni Mann weaved all these themes into a beautifully written story that spoke to me on a deeper level. It touched me and made me think about the ways I try to escape and hide in my own life. The characters were well developed and the story was peeled back layer by layer. I couldn't predict where the story would go and was stunned when the truth of the mansion came out. If you enjoy a story with flawed characters searching for more out of life you will like this one.

[*J* Too Many Books Too Little Time · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid 4 Stars!!!

This was dark, different, deep, emotional, sensual, intriguing, erotic.....I don't even know how to go about describing it. It wasn't anything like what I was expecting yet I found that I couldn't stop reading. There was such a mystery surrounding the story. More layers revealed as the story went on. I had no idea what was going to happen, how everyone was involved or how it would end.

Seductive Shadows is Charlie's story. Her story of self-discovery. Of learning to let go of a past that haunts and affects her everyday. Of learning to love herself despite not ever feeling loved. A story of losing your "home" only to find a new one. Of letting go of old friends and finding new ones.

Charlie is an art student. She takes care of her sick mom, goes to school during the day and works nights. She struggles to get by. She doesn't form relationships easy and has spent the majority of her life alone. A proposition to work at the "mansion" is an opportunity she can't pass up. But what is the mansion really? Who is behind the mansion?

Outside the mansion, her art is coming to life. She meets Cameron in her art class and for the first time in her life she wants more. Cameron and Charlie connect through their art. But Charlie refuses to give herself to Cameron until she can give herself to him completely. Which means telling him about her past and her time at the mansion. But can she willingly leave the mansion? What will happen if she tries? A connection from her past is revealed....a connection that might save Charlie and help her get the future she desires.

[SheReadsALot · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Hearts On Fire Review

3.75 STARS--Marni Mann's "Seductive Shadows" is the first book her erotic Shadows series. The writing starts off well, with raw, erotic prose, angst and pain a good sense of emotional abuse with main protagonist 23 year old Charlie Williams. She doesn't know who her father is, neither does her alcoholic, cancer stricken mother, Lilly. She's been emotionally abused her entire life by her monster of a mother, the only happiness, sense of family/friendship via her best friend Emma, has been ripped away due to a horrible accident five years ago and she's numb. One of the ways she chooses to express herself is through painting, the other...through sex. And Charlie has a lot of sex because that temporary feeling gives her a semblance of feeling.

The story is told in first POV from Charlie's perspective. This quote definitely defines a lot of who Charlie is:

"I feel you color. It's extremely red, and quite loud. You're a desirous one, Charlie, and incredibly sexual."

But Charlie read like three different people in one damaged package: Charlie B.E. (Before Emma - the almost happy girl we meet in flashbacks), Charlie A.E. (After Emma's death) and Cee, the sexpot. We meet Charlie A.E. who has a seriously great fuck buddy in Dallas, tattooed and carries a torch for Charlie but Charlie can't reciprocate feelings unless it is having sex. Charlie's broke, in debt thanks to Lilly and struggling to go to college part time and balance a full time job. One night, a lady walks into Charlie's life and offers a chance out of her desperation, she'd have sell her body for a few nights each week for a lot of money.

At this point, it felt a little Alice in Wonderland-ish. I questioned who this "recruiter" was and how she knew so much about Charlie but Charlie did not. Charlie gets to be Cee for those nights. Cee is the seductress that she recognized in herself for awhile. Charlie is easily aroused, masturbates a lot (this I applaud because I don't come across a lot of M/F where female masturbation is given such a healthy perspective) and figures Cee might as well get paid for what she did for free. How does Charlie define her choice of work?

"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."

Charlie has a lot of sex, male or female, she does not discriminate. She covers her hurt with this. At this point, I got where she was coming from. The sex was so far from being emotional or romantic in any sense. It was full erotica. But the author introduces a fellow art student/ famous local artist, Cameron. Charlie does not introduce Cee to him. Cee is doesn't make love, she fucks, she owns her pleasure and makes sure to give it back to her partner.

When Cee was reborn every night, I was able to rest Charlie's pain, her fear, and loneliness. I could shut off her brain. But it wasn't just the sex I was after. It wasn't just the love and the holding and the attention and feeling of being wanted. It was being able to become someone else."

Cee is given to everyone else but Cameron. With Cameron she was Charlie A.E., her personal self, something she tried to avoid most days unless she shared through her painting. There's something that connects them, could be that he too is a damaged soul. What was refreshing was that Cameron, Charlie's love interest was not a depraved, anti-social, alpha hero, not another FSOG knockoff, thank goodness. I wish we were able to switch to his POV because I'm so curious about him.

The story became more romantic as the story progressed, secrets are revealed, friendships formed and tentative love has been discovered. Charlie learns more about herself than she thought she would, there's a sense of a thriller vibe in the latter half of the story and the story does end with a soft cliffhanger. Why did I describe the cliffhanger as soft? I expected more of a punch from the 'powers that be', they loomed but they did not make their presence necessarily known. I liked the story a lot. I plan on following up because I really came to care about Charlie and hope for her happiness.

Here's what gave me pause:

-No protection...I cringed when no mention of condoms were mentioned. I'm all for Charlie being sexually liberated but in this day and age, sleeping with all of those people, no condom came up, bareback the entire time? I was disappointed and nervous for her safety. She's a sex worker! It should have been automatic.

-The F/F, no warning. Although it was brief, a little warning would have been appreciated.

- Wetness/Dampness - Charlie was wet so much, I almost wanted to get her a bucket. At the scene where she stated she was dry...I believed it. This girl spent most of the book eternally damp.

- They/Them/The Mansion - Who are they? Why do they have so much pull? They have been mentioned to be mega-badasses but they didn't do much, other than research the hell out of Charlie's life.

- The Romance(?)- I got used to the lack of emotion from Charlie when it came to sex that when the romance angle started late in the game (the latter half of the book), I actually did not want the romance. Me, a romance reader probably for life, actually cringed. Because I didn't believe Charlie to be that girl or who she chose as her love. (Alright, I'm a little in love with tattooed-sleeve Dallas and thought he'd be a great choice for Charlie) Charlie and Cameron...eh, maybe if I squint my eyes, turn to the side, I may buy them falling for each other. But love? I will need to see how the next book plays out before I fully stand behind their relationship.

Yes, they are damaged artists who appear to fancy one another. But I wanted to smack the both of them at 96%. Lives are on the line (allegedly) and this is what you choose to do? Maybe that's where the "new adult" tie in comes in. I hesitate to describe this as new adult because Carlie might be young but she's experience so much from such a young age, she's an adult in my eyes. The sex scenes weren't as graphic as I expected for a number of scenes so maybe that can fall in the "new adult" tag.

The story is written well, interesting characters are introduced and I was left intrigued.

I would recommend to fans of romantica who like beta heroes and damaged souls.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

"It's always darkest before the dawn."

Charlie is a young girl who has had a tough life. She’s grown up with an alcoholic whore of a mother, watching in the shadows at night as her mother brought home random men, had sex with them in the living room and listened to as she begged them for their love each night. She also has had to endure years of verbal abuse from her mother ranting about how her life has not been everything it should have been. She also had to live with the memories of losing her best friend in a car accident.

Charlie works full time now in order to pay all of the bills and take care of her mother. In her spare time she takes a class when she can afford it. Art is her passion and what she’s good at. She uses it as a way to escape and deal with the demons in her head. Her professor sees the talent that she exudes and encourages her to paint more.



Charlie also has another way of dealing with her feelings, sex. It’s something she’s grown up with and she uses it as an escape. She also knows she can get the attention an even for a short time the love that she hasn’t had.

"I could get lost in the sex; I could escape, even if it was for just a brief period of time. I could forget."

One night she is approached by a stranger with an invitation to audition for a job, a job for sex. If she passes and decides to take that job she could make more money in one night than she would in a month at her current job. When she arrives at the “Mansion” she feels like she is safe, cared for and like she belongs here. Where else could you have sex, enjoy it and no one judge you. The clients of the Mansion are the most influential, prestigious members of New England’s society. To keep anonymity everyone is required to wear a mask and not use real names. This is when “Cee” is born. She sees this as an opportunity to get out of poverty and have time to focus on art so she takes it.



During the day she was Charlie, the talented, budding art student.

“I glanced around the room at my fellow schoolmates. My eyes couldn’t travel through their skin; nor could they pierce the murkiness of their souls to reveal the secrets that lived beneath. Yet I knew they all had a bit of darkness inside of them. Everyone did. But could my classmates transform into a different character every evening, dress in a costume to fit that fantasy, and let a complete stranger have sex with them?”

“Could they live two separate lives as I was doing?”



But at night, she got to become Cee and live out not only some of her sexual fantasies, but those she was with.



Everything is going great until she meets Cameron. She’s paired up with Cameron in art class and instantly is attracted to him.

…it was his eyes. They were an icy, baby blue that popped against his light caramel skin. His hair was buzzed short, each strand the same length, and it spread down his cheeks, around his chin and top lip. He was sexy... and not in a subtle way.“

Slowly their relationship grows and he makes her want more, but she knows there can never be more with him while she is currently working at the Mansion. If she is going to be with him she wants to be with him and no one else. She begins to question how he could accept her or want more with her once he finds out what she’s been doing for money.



Soon circumstances arise and Charlie decides she wants to leave the Mansion, but that’s easier said than done. I can’t say more without giving the ending away. You will have to read the story for yourself.

This book sucked me in and kept me on my toes with little twists and turns that left me thinking…”I did not see that coming!” and “I want more!”



Marni Mann is a great author and I love her writing style. I need book two now. Is there a book two??? I sure hope so. The ending was a little bit cliffy. If there is not a second book it could end this way and it would be okay, but I’d really like to know what happens next!

[T.M. Frazier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just realized that I rated this a while back but never left a review. How is that possible? Charlie is an awesome character and the author pulls you in during the first chapter when she is describing Charlies take on the world around her. She finds sensuality in everything around her from page 1 and that draws you in. Then you stay in because you want, no you NEED to know about her childhood and her abusive mother, and you want to know about her casual relationships vs her serious ones, then you want to know about the mysterious mansion and how she is going to react to the crazy and sexy things requested of her there. Then at the end BOOM a twist you never saw coming. FIVE STARS ALL FREAKING DAY LONG

[Donna ~ The Romance Cover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seductive Shadows by Marni Mann

4 stars!!!

No-one warned me this was a cliffie!!! Not a biggie but I was not ready for the book to finish, I was totally engrossed!! The first quarter of the book, is really setting the scene, but as soon as the “Mansion” comes into play the book speeds up and then it is wham bam!!

Charlie is in her early twenties and has had a rough life, her mother is currently terminally ill and confined to bed so Charlie is the bread winner and responsible for paying all the bills despite still being at University. She can only afford one class a semester as her other time is spent working and looking after her mother. She is a brilliant artist and her professor at University encourages her to be the best that she can be. Her mother has always been a single mum, she did not know who Charlie’s father was, she was an alcoholic and a bit of a whore, Charlie’s life growing up was far from pretty. This was compounded when she lost her best friend. She has hardly any friends and lives quite a solitary life. You could not help but feel sorry for her. Her self esteem was non existent.

One night whilst working at the hotel, Charlie receives a proposition about earning more money in a week than she does in a month at the “Mansion”…seeing this as a way out of poverty Charlie goes to the interview and decides to take the job. This is where Charlie’s life changes…but you will have to read if it is for better or worse!!

The style of writing in this book is addictive, you are pulled into Charlie’s life and at times actually feel that you are living it with her, it is dark, extremely sad, emotional and at times intoxicating. The drama and story that Marni pulls you through is written in such detail that you feel everything! Slowly but surely, layer by layer Charlie’s story is revealed with flashbacks from past to present. You understood why Charlie was the way she was. In the beginning I wondered where this self loathing had come from, but once you see the glimpses into her childhood all becomes crystal clear.

All Charlie wanted was to be loved, to live and to belong, she had a deep ridden sense of guilt that ate at her even though she had nothing to be guilty for. She needed to forgive herself before she could move on and this was very hard for Charlie to do. She used to have conversations with the Doctor and he summed it up beautifully:-

“you need something more in your life. Something more than just this. You need to feel your emotions and not bury them in sex. You need to forgive yourself. You need to cry. You need to let go, and then you may forgive those that have wronged you. There will be a day when you will understand that forgiveness is about you and no one else.”

Charlie does use sex to forget. There is quite a fair bit of it in this book, so is definitely for adult audiences and those that like this kind of read. It is not gratuitous or over the top and is required for the story.

This book made me cry, a fair bit as well…just when you think that Charlie is getting her life back on track something always happens to cause the bumps and life throws a curve ball. It is at this point where I totally lost it, the twists and turns were OMG moments and it all just pulled me further in and then I got to the end and I was OMG No No No No No. I need to know what happens…..

I can’t wait for the next instalment, I have been well and truly sucked in and I need to know what happens to Charlie going forward. As soon as that book is out, I am there 1click at the ready.

Amazing book, loved it loved it loved it!!

www.theromancecover.com

[Britney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was not what I expected at all. It is not a romantic. It is not heartwarming. It is not sweet in any way. It IS disturbing. It IS enticing. It IS inspirational in a way. This is a coming-of-age story about an emotionally damaged girl who makes some bad decisions and has to find her way to discover her true self and learn to forgive both herself and others.
I will be honest; it took me a little while to really feel like I was going to like this book. It captured my attention from the beginning, but I was not sure if I was going to like where it was going. As it turned out, I really liked it! The main character, Charlie, is damaged. She’s been broken and has tried to put the pieces of herself back together, and in reality, she is still very fractured. As the book evolves, Charlie really grows and comes into her own. Once she started seeing there was more to her life, that she could be more, I really fell in love with the story.
This book is dark. Very dark. There is no pretty bow or sweet love story. There is a love story that unfolds, but the central focus is Charlie. If you are squeamish about sex or prostitution this is probably not the book for you; however, if you like a book about a girl that is completely lost and alone who struggles to overcome adversity and fights for a future I think you will love this book. I look forward to more of these characters.

[[~Ami~]♥Sexy Dexy♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

My feelings are a bit mixed with this book.

Charlie is struggling financially when caring for her sick alcoholic mother and being an art student. She is a very sexual person so when she gets offered work at the 'mansion' she jumps at the opportunity.

You need to feel your emotions and not bury them in sex

I liked the storyline, it was very original and Charlie was a strong heroine that knows what she likes. My main problem was I had no clue at first who the main hero was. There was the Doctor, 'Jay', Cameron and Dallas. None of them really stood out to me.

You pulled me out of the shadows

My suspicions with the Doctor were spot on with a 'I knew it' moment. I then had an 'eww yuck bit that made me cringe. Followed by a 'uh oh things are gonna get messy' moment.

The book ended with a few issues left open. If you are looking for a sexy and original book, this would be a great choice.

ARC provided by the Author

[TeriLyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

5++ brilliant stars! I absolutely loved Seductive Shadows. Ms. Mann's writing is as haunting as it is beautiful. This story is dark, mysterious, and alluring. Every sentence I read I always felt a sense of loss or brokenness. It was very powerful reading.
Charlie's life will captivate you in a haunting way. You always feel her pain even through her pleasure, whether that pleasure is art or sex. She's broken, living a nightmare, and we live it right along with her because of this author's amazing storytelling. I liked that we don't see all her pain as flashbacks, there is so much happening in her life in the present and I felt that. She feels guilty and broken; damaged beyond repair. In direct contrast to her life, she beholds a sense of innocence and naiveity. I just wanted to reach out and hug her. I wanted to see the dark pieces of art she created. Professor Freeman tells her that she'll captivate her audience because of the irony of her light appearance versus the dark reflections of her art. And as the reader, you feel that irony too. Cameron, the Professor, the Doctor, and Dallas show her true love, albeit in different ways, and help her believe she is capable of loving herself. All four of those men are crucial to her self discovery and I believe a bit discovery within themselves. Cameron finally gives her a sense of home and belonging. His art is a representation of himself and in that she finds a kindred spirit. The progression of their relationship is slow and sweet. Again, in direct contrast with the life she is living. The nuances in the story between light and dark are ever present.
Charlie is propostioned to become part of a dark family where she will live behind a mask and fulfill her desires. The parts of the story where we are in the mansion are the most cryptic. Everyone wears a mask. As the reader, you'll want to know what are they hiding in this place? What are they escaping from in their lives? And what will they need to escape from here? The descriptions of the gothic castle paint a very vivid picture and make you want to take a walk inside. The allure of the mansion is it's dangerous mystery within it's beauty. I always felt that sense of danger when Charlie was inside even though I had no idea what the danger could be. Mansion secrets become revealed and their twisted and crazy. I expected danger, I never expected what the danger actually was.
I highly recommend this book. If you like dark stories then you will not regret reading this. It's engrossing, extremely well written, and beautifully haunting. I cannot wait to read book 2. Bravo Ms. Mann, I loved it!

[Gitte TotallyBookedBlog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed on: http://totallybookedblog.com/2013/09/...



So, you know one of those books where you have absolutely no idea how you feel about it after reading and you’re still thinking about it for a while after?! Well this one is just that book for me. I was intrigued throughout and I needed to know what was going to happen. At times I rolled my eyes at others I felt so emotional my heart was pounding. To be honest I’m still not sure how I feel so bear with me.

The premise is one we’ve read about in a lot of books, in fact it’s a really fabulous mix of a lot of the books I’ve enjoyed. Despite this I felt it was quite unique too and quite artistic in parts as the writing was brilliant.

The story was quite slow to begin with; it was setting the scene for what was to come yet in some way I think the focus was placed too much on the sexual nature of our heroine.

“Sex held me at night, kept me from dwelling in the pain, from remembering and regretting. It was the only time I didn’t feel alone……”

I completely appreciate that we needed to understand the part sex played in her life as it was part of her traumatised psyche. However, it became too much for me which made me irritated with her story at times rather than have her gaining my sympathy. I’m not sure I really connected with her. She was fascinating, but I didn’t quite get her. At times she was just a little bit too odd for my liking, though I appreciated that she was a tortured soul. I just didn’t learn what I needed about her in order to fully understand her, I think. I loved that she was an artist, and after all, it takes eccentricity and a tortured soul to create a master piece no?! So in that respect the Author was spot on.

But wow, once it got going it was un-put-down-able! It was intense, raw and dark and I was enthralled; swept away by some class writing.

Our heroine Charlie is extremely passionate. She comes from an abusive home where sex was the order of the day as in her Mum and every Tom, Dick and Harry in their tiny flat. It’s the only thing Charlie knew, and by watching her Mum’s behaviour, Charlie soon starts to equate sex with love and self-worth. Her existence is heavily weighted by her past and she almost lives in her own little world in the shadows of life.

When Charlie is given a proposition, which comes about under extremely bizarre and mysterious circumstances, she sees an escape, a legitimate reason for her behaviour. She almost sees it as an affirmation and a release of responsibility.

The mansion of intrigue and menace fascinated me, I thought it was a real exciting concept and twist in the story and once we got more and more involved I was left gobsmacked. Charlie’s journey of self-discovery and ‘secrets revealed’ are all instigated by the acceptance of a fateful proposition. A journey that will shock and devastate her and make her realise and question everything.

“The music reminded me of a haunted house. But the loudest sounds of all were those in my mind. Questions swirled with each step: would I be working in this mansion… where was he taking me…what job was I going to be offered…would I accept it…and why was I dressed like this? I was anxious to find out the answers…”

Then we have Cameron, the gorgeous sexy bad arse painter who comes with his own mysterious circumstances surrounding him. The scenes with Charlie and him are highly charged and sensual. I wanted more of Cameron in this story, I felt we weren’t given enough of ‘him’ as well as them together before all hell broke loose so it was difficult to get the complete connection and the development of their relationship.

Hmmm…sat here thinking about it, I wonder if I have talked myself into a higher rating? Gah!!! I just don’t know how I feel, but maybe that’s part of the overall appeal? Who knows…?

If I had to describe Seductive Shadows in 5 words it’d be: Compelling, Dark, Erotic, Emotional & Unique!!

3.5-4.0 Stars

ARC supplied by author in exchange for an honest review

[Falling In Fall Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. For Jodie Rae's full review, visit http://fallinginfall.blogspot.com

“It’s always darkest before the dawn.”

Wow. 5+ leaves!! You would have a whole tree made upon how many leaves I loved this book!!
One of my new favorite reads of the year!!!!!!

I LOVED LOVED THIS BOOK!!! I loved Charlie and Cameron. This story is mysterious, trilling, erotic, story of Charlie's journey to self discovery.

The story is about Charlie and how she uses sex and painting to escape her life. All throughout the book I kept asking myself, "what is going on with Charlie?" "Why does she act the way she does?"
We slowly get to into her past involving her mother and the tragic event that changed her life. She had some serious demons to battle, but I loved that it didn’t let them totally overcome her; despite the darkness that she has been through, she didn’t let it stop her from being with the man she wanted.

Growing up it was just Charlie and her mom, Lilly. Lilly wasn't the most caring and affectionate mother. When Lilly gets cancer and it is left to Charlie to take care of everything, even Lilly. Charlie is going to college and working full time at a hotel to make ends meet. Soon, she is recruited by a woman to work at a house of ill-repute. Charlie takes the job because it pays well and she gets to have tons of sex. Speaking of sex, the sex isn’t just the focus of this story, it helps reveal Charlie's story. Charlie has used sex as a way for her to stop dwelling, remembering, and regretting her past. Charlie craved attention and love and I think that's why she turned to sex because it helped fill the void in her heart.

Charlie meets Cameron and he brings light to her dark life. He was so gentle, sweet, and patient. The only complaint I have about this book is I wish we could have got to know more about Cameron. I thought Cameron and Charlie's relationship was rushed. That being said, I hope there is a sequel to this book. I would love to see more interaction between them as they grow in their relationship. That being said- I was Facebooking the author Marni (who is just a sweetheart) and she said that the sequel is in talks... very early stages! This makes me soooo happy!!

Since I'm a bookaholic I can usually guess what will happen, but not in this book....not even close. I loved how the author kept surprising the reader and kept us guessing. I had a roller-coaster of emotions throughout the book. I cried my eyes out during a couple of events and then was stark raving mad and angry at other moments. I honestly haven't read something in a long time that made me feel so much emotion!

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a dark, complex erotica story! This story will stay on your mind for days to come!!

[Literati Literature Lovers · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read the synopsis for Seductive Shadows, I was intrigued. A story about a young girl who loves art and finds love with a mysterious guy with blue eyes, (seriously she had me at baby blue eyes ;) ); I must say this book did not disappoint. This story delves deeper into the main character’s emotional and inner struggles and is much more than just another erotic book. It’s thought provoking, and at times a little heavy. Marni has a true talent for story telling, that I am sure of. As a reader, you always try to guess what the secret is, or what’s going to happen next, but with this one, I was wrong every time! Just when I thought she had me, Marni threw a curve ball that made my jaw drop.

Charlie hasn’t had it easy, at all. Her mom doesn’t care about her and she doesn’t have anyone else. Her escape from her tough reality is her art, and she’s great at it. Everyone at school can see her potential, which makes her wonder what her future might be in the field. Everything seems to be going smoothly, but something is missing in her life. Charlie is beautiful, she knows this, but she isn’t one for relationships. She has the love of a boy that would fall at her feet but it’s not enough. The opportunity to express herself and open her mind, body, and soul to others comes up and she takes it knowing very well that it’s not the best decision, but she needs the money. Her mom is sick, she has no problems with her sexuality…it seems like a done deal. Things start to change when she finally opens her eyes and sees things much clearer thanks to Cameron, her male counterpart, who makes her question everything. Cameron brings out her need (and want) for more out of life, making her believe that her world can be bright again. It’s never easy, and Charlie’s past comes crawling back right when she’s ready to move on, and the only person that can help her is the last person she would’ve ever imagined.

Like I said, this book isn’t just your typical read. It’s mysterious and thrilling! Seductive Shadows is a provocative story of a girl’s journey to self discovery. As the synopsis states, this is definitely a book for mature audiences, but if you like to read books that have more complex issues then get ready for a hell of a ride. ;)

[Reanell Tisdale · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 kept me on my toes stars!

I was contacted by the publisher on my blog asking if I could read and review Marni Mann's series. Even though I over-booked myself I accepted because the synopsis looked intriguing. And I'm so glad I did! I got more than I thought I would out of this story!

Charlie is living in the shadows, her mother Lily has always treated her horribly and now she is dying. She is her only family after her best friend Emma was killed in an accident.

While working the late shift she is contacted by a woman for a job offer. But this isn't a typical job offer, it's for a brothel at a mansion! After her mother took out credit cards in her name she had to figure out a way to repay the debt so she accepted the job.

Right about the time that she starts working at the mansion some good comes into her life. Charlie lets all the darkness out in her paintings, and her professor sees something in her and connects her with Cameron. Cameron was once also a dark and damaged person, so Charlie is drawn to him.

This leads to some pretty steamy non sex scenes. The buildup is intense and even I needed relief!! Cameron helps her with her painting, and her professor gets her set up at a gallery and she sells her paintings and has offers for more.

This is where the plot takes a twist and I'm literally sitting with my jaw on the floor. This was about 68% in the story, and it becomes an intense read from that point on. I couldn't stop reading because I HAD to know what was going to happen next.

This book is very well written, has hot sex scenes, as well as steamy non sex scenes. It is highly recommended by me! Now I'm off to start the next one Seductive Secrecy, that will be out on the 24th of October.

[Jillian (NetGalley Addict) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was part of a blog tour I was given a copy for my honest review

Charlie is a gifted art student with an innate sensuality, her past has left her scarred and she can't love but she needs physical contact. This need leads her down a dangerous road with a mysterious madam; at first everything is great until she meets Cameron. Cameron changes Charlie and as the two of them really begin to connect, she discovers horrible secrets at her work that change everything. This book is dark and raw with a razor sharp erotic edge to it. Charlie starts out closed off with her emotions only really shown to people through her artwork, through out the book her hard outer shell begins to crack. I really have no words to accurately describe how wonderful this book is. The first pages draw you in and the rest of the book holds your attention until the very end. I loved this book, it takes a lot of talent and skill to create the detailed scenes this author did without it becoming too much or too little. This book is not one that every person will enjoy or understand, but it is one that everyone should at least try to read.

[Rita L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Apesar de ter gostado da história e de ter simpatizado com a personagem principal, como muitas reviews que vi por aí também eu não senti uma ligação com a história, não fiquei envolvida com as suas vidas, acontecimentos nem relações. No entanto, vou avançar com o próximo e último da duologia.

Despite having enjoyed the story and have sympathized with the main character, as I saw many reviews out there also I did not feel a connection with the story, I was not involved with their lives, events or relationships. However, I will proceed with the next and last of the duology.

[Anncleire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Real vote: 4,5

SPECIAL REVIEW JULY 16Th ON MY BLOG!
http://pleaseanotherbook.tumblr.com/p...



When his eyes met mine again, they didn’t just graze; they dug in and pulled everything out of me, my thoughts and feelings. What if he wasn’t satisfied with what he found underneath—not the woman who could make him come alive with desire and orgasmic suffering, but the broken girl Dallas and the Doctor were trying to heal? The Charlie that he had portrayed on canvas was truly beautiful. But if he knew all of me, the deep dark malaise of my secret self, would he find that Charlie equally stunning?

“Seductive shadows” è finito nelle cose da leggere grazie ad AToMR Tours che lo metteva a disposizione per essere recensito. Non ho saputo dire di no ad una occasione del genere e ho dovuto richiederlo. Sia perché la trama mi aveva incuriosito, sia perché si tratta di un esordio e di una scrittrice, Marni Mann, che non avevo mai sentito prima. Sono sempre pronta ad aiutare scrittori esordienti o meno che non hanno grosso pubblico. Questo libro è oscuro, pieno di dramma e episodi che straziano l’anima, ma è anche un libro di redenzione e speranza. È un libro difficile da leggere, ci ho messo un po’ per finirlo, ma sicuramente è un libro che entra dritto nel cervello e invita a fare molte riflessioni. È un libro che non si dimentica e davvero molto interessante.

Provocante, intossicante ed erotico, questo libro è il racconto indimenticabile della scoperta di una giovane donna che impara a perdonare, amare e essere amata e che trova la redenzione durante un viaggio che terrà ostaggio sia la mente che l’anima del lettore.
Charlie infatti racconta la sua storia in prima persona ed identificarsi con la ragazza ed entrare nella sua mente risulta molto facile. La Mann adotta una scelta narrativa molto interessante, quella di iniziare l’azione nel presente ma continuare a disseminare la narrazione di flashback che ci mostrano come era la vita di Charlie prima, prima dell’incidente e immediatamente dopo, aggiungendo pezzi al quadro che risulta essere la vita della ragazza. Un new adult dal fascino oscuro, l’anima erotica e assolutamente da contemporary romance, che si mischia al mistero e al dramma. Charlie è una donna segnata, segnata dal dolore e dalla rabbia, dalla disperazione e l’ingiustizia di una vita che l’ha sempre lasciata a piedi. Una madre alcolizzata che non ha mai mostrato il minimo interesse per lei, che anzi l’ha costretta a subire e a vedere le brutture di un mondo squallido e deprimente di un sobborgo oscuro di Boston fin da piccolissima. Una madre che le ruba nella borsa e le impedisce di vivere una cena a casa con la sua migliore amica. Una madre con cui deve convivere perché non può lasciare in mezzo ad una strada. E l’incidente che non solo le ha distrutto la vita ma l’ha privata addirittura del suo stesso cuore l’ha trasformata in un involucro vuoto che non le lascia scampo, che la distrugge emotivamente e che non le consente di avvicinarsi emozionalmente a nessun altro, nonostante ci sia chi ci provi. L’unico mezzo di comunicazione con il mondo esterno che ha trovato è la sua arte. Quadri oscuri, pieni di tratti feroci e colori scuri, che lasciano chi li vede interdetto e assolutamente affascinato. Costretta a lavorare di notte per pagarsi gli studi quando le viene offerta la possibilità di lavorare alla villa per un prezzo esorbitante non ci pensa due volte. Si offre ad un mondo di lussuria, speculazione e benessere e soprattutto di incontri sessuali privi di significato che la lasciano solo con il conto pieno. Quello che le interessa è non sentire nulla, non essere sommersa dal passato, i rimorsi, la paura e quel senso do solitudine profonda che le scalfisce l’anima. Ma soprattutto è una punizione che si auto-infligge credendosi di fare del bene. Vendendosi come un oggetto si nega ancora di più la possibilità di essere amata e si ritrova nella condizione di odiarsi ancora di più. La villa è un incubo che l’abbraccia e la avvolge, l’emblema della ombre che lottano per avere controllo sulla sua anima.
La cosa bella del libro è che Charlie mantiene il focus del lettore ma la Mann è capace di mostrarci un ampio spettro di personaggi capaci di conquistare il lettore.
La madre violenta che mostra un segno di cedimento e di amore quando ormai sembrava perso per sempre, Emma con il suo amore incondizionato, la sua forza e la sua comprensione anche in momenti in cui Charlie non se l’aspettava per niente. Il Dottore che con un colpo di scena inquietante e scandaloso avrà un ruolo più importante di quello che pensavo all’inizio e che sarà il vero centro della redenzione di Charlie. Il Professor Freeman, suo insegnante al college che l’aiuta a capirsi, a perdonarsi e a far conoscere la sua arte incoraggiandola ad ogni pie sospinto.
E come dimenticare Dallas, uno dei miei personaggi preferiti? Un amico di quelli che non giudicano, passano sopra e ci sono sempre anche quando ne combini di tutti i colori.
Ma soprattutto, altro cardine della storia, e mezzo di salvezza per la ragazza: Cameron. L’uomo è incredibilmente affascinante e sembra nascondere moltissimo dietro la sua calma e la sua apparenza. Apprezzatissimo dagli addetti ai lavori nel settore, in breve si è costruito un nome per sé stesso ma non è il tipo da vantarsi o trarre vantaggio dai risultati ottenuti. Anzi è un uomo con i piedi per terra che vuole aiutare seriamente Charlie e le mette a disposizione tutto quello che sa pur di vederla felice. Un uomo che non si lascia mettere i piedi in testa da nessuno, ma capace di andare incontro alla donna che ama.

Il particolare da non dimenticare? Un lenzuolo di un letto singolo…

Incredibilmente vero e assolutamente stupefacente, questo libro è davvero una piccola chicca, che sono davvero molto felice di aver avuto l’onore di scoprire. Spesso non si capisce il vero valore della sofferenza, quella che ti lascia agonizzante e in preda a paure pericolose. Spesso amore e dolore sono le due facce di una stessa moneta, spesso ci si ritrova a strapparsi il cuore da dentro. Ma a volte si può e si deve resuscitare e vivere davvero in un mondo che non lascia tregua. Charlie è molto più forte di quello che sembra, la salvezza nasce da lei e quando finalmente si lascia andare alla luce e abbandona le ombre che hanno sempre cercato di sedurla può finalmente essere libera e felice. Bellissimo.
Buona lettura guys!


Io ringrazio immensamente AToMR Tours per avermi concesso l’opportunità di leggere questo libro in cambio della mia opinione. Grazie.

[Liz F · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley

Reviewed for Evie at In Love With Romance!


I think that this book absolutely defies convention. I don't know what to call this one. I mean, its part erotic romance, part straight erotica and part women's fiction! Having said that, I think that just about anyone (over the age of 18) would enjoy reading this tale... as long as they enjoy lots of sex with their drama!

When we meet Charlie, wow, she has a crappy, crappy life. Her mom is an dying alcoholic whore and she has no one else in her life that she can truly connect with. Not that she would ever be able to connect with her mother so she pretty much has no one. She's still feeling a lot of guilt over an accident she was in with her childhood best friend. On top of that, I think she's some kind of nymphomaniac or a sex addict. That's how she copes with her problems. She has a casual sex partner but no one who she would call a friend. The only bright spot in her life is her art. She's attending classes for art but its slow going since she can only afford one or two classes at a time. Her professor is a great mentor for her and he encourages her art, which is quite dark, but I think its cathartic for Charlie. A way for her to get her emotions and feelings out of her. Now, I don't know art but it sounded like Charlie had a lot of talent.

During one of her classes, her professor pairs her with a man named Cameron Hardy. Cameron is a very successful Boston artist and begins to work with Charlie on her art. Charlie is inspired by Cameron as he becomes a sort of mentor to her. But he also becomes her muse. Can a man be a muse? I think so. Cameron becomes Charlie's one good, honest relationship and although she's attracted to him, he keeps their relationship purely platonic. Its awesome to see how this changes and helps Charlie. You can see how she ends up being able to relax, really relax, around Cameron. And its great because you're rooting for Charlie to get her shit together.

But its not all art and friendship for Charlie. She finds herself in something of a situation. One night, while working at the hotel, Charlie is visited by a stranger who offers her an opportunity for an interview. I really want to tell you what the interview was for but I don't know if that would be giving too much away. So I'll tell you that she gets the job and it changes her life. But like a lot of changes, it can be good and it can be bad. It introduces her to a person who is important to her but she also stumbles upon something she would have been netter off not knowing.

So in Seductive Shadows you have friendships, intrigue, mystery, drama lots of sex. Not a lot of laughs though. Even though I'm not a big fan of women's fiction, I found that I really enjoyed watching Charlie go from someone who has no idea of her worth to someone who finally values herself. It's a long, hard road for her but you're always rooting for her, hoping she'll make the right choices.

I would recommend this book to fans of women's fiction who are looking for something much sexier. It has a lot of heart and Charlie goes through an amazing transformation. You won't believe what she has to go through to get there though. You may not be laughing out loud but won't need tissues. And so, I have to grudgingly admit that I liked this book... and I think you will too.

[Lucinda Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five thought-provoking stars!

This is a story of love – of wanting to love, and of wanting to be loved – but if you’re looking for a romance, this is NOT your book. However, you’re looking for a redemptive story of hope, and the courage that’s required to walk out of darkness and into the light, look no further! I was offered an ARC of Seductive Shadows in exchange for an honest review. I have to admit, however, I was not fully prepared for the emotional journey on which I was about to embark. Charlie’s story is tragic and captivating; it “seduced” me from page one, and I literally read it in a single sitting.

Charlie Williams has endured unimaginable loneliness and loss. Growing up on the wrong side of the tracks, the product of an alcoholic, neglectful mother and a father her mother doesn’t even know, she finds strength and comfort in Emma Hunt, her best friend since middle school. With a neglectful and virtually absent mother, Charlie readily accepts when Emma’s family embraces her as a part of their family. However, both girls, for very different reasons, cannot wait for the liberation that going away to college promises. Tragically, just two weeks before graduation, an unspeakable disaster occurs, and Charlie’s dreams are shattered.

Driven by her desperate need to escape her grief, Charlie turns to the only thing she knows – her sexuality – as a means of dulling her pain and coping with the loss. But what happens when the pain becomes so overwhelming that her coping mechanism no longer works and she needs more? She looks for the answer through her alter-ego, Cee. Through Cee, Charlie explores the dark side of her sensuality, desperately seeking to alleviate the painful memories of her past, and the misery of her present, in the arms of strangers who cannot emotionally hurt her, or leave her. Unfortunately, these faceless men offer only temporary satiation of her addictive appetite for escape.

Even more compelling than the story of Charlie’s pain is her indomitable resilience. Deep down inside, underneath all that hurt, is a woman who wants nothing more than any of us wants – to love and to be loved. But the idea of surrendering past pains and embracing hope also means being vulnerable to the possibility of experiencing more loss. Is the prospect of “losing” Cee in the hopes of finding herself enough of an impetus for Charlie to walk away from her drug of choice?

Charlie’s one “acceptable” obsession is art, and her ability to express herself through that art. Her dark and seductive portraits capture the attention of not only her Art Professor, but of local artist, Cameron Hardy – a man with his own painful past. Through Cameron, Charlie begins to hope for more. He encourages her to use her talent as a catharsis to embrace not only the painful scars of her past, but also the promise and beauty of her healing. But leaving the world she’s come to rely on may not be as simple as merely walking away.

Beyond just the mechanics of a carefully crafted and well-written book, Author Marni Mann has created a courageous story that explores the painful effects of alcoholism, loss, and guilt. She reveals a dark world few of us even dare to imagine. However, through Charlie’s journey, she also shows us that while the path to redemption may not be easy, the courage to accept, to forgive, and to dare to trust beyond our fears can lead to a restoration of the hope to love, and the courage to be loved.

[Wennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Review of Seductive Shadows by Marni Mann
Review by Wennie Conedy
5 out of 5 stars

Has there been a time in your life where you tried to balance light and darkness in your life? For Charlie, her life is dominated by darkness. Seductive Sadness is an erotic work of fiction, with sexually explicit scenes and language and is for mature audiences.

Charlie is a young woman who seeks escape from an abusive past and a traumatic event that empties her soul. She seeks solace from men, and is lured into a dark world of anonymity, seduction and power. She feels that she has found her home, her haven and her security until she meets anonymous world that promised her a sense of family, money and security will clash with her past and threatens her very existence.

From the first few pages, I was drawn into Charlie’s story. Marni Mann took me on a journey where at times, the darkness felt overwhelming and where sadness and grief manifested itself through sexually deviant scenes.

Marni Mann skillfully let the reader understand the pain that Charlie felt, by adeptly peeling the layers of the story, through strong characters and dialogue. I am thankful that she didn’t spoon feed the reader with information and motivation but allowed me to go deeper and go through my own journey of discovering and understanding Charlie’s story. She let us feel and see why Charlie felt so lost, so alone through the adroit use of flashbacks; flashbacks that not only told us what had happened to make her feel this way, but also allowed us a glimpse of her embarrassment and her need to belong. She longed for love, but looked for it in very wrong and dangerous places.

“Love and attention, from a man or woman, was what I wanted. I was starving; they temporarily fulfilled me. They coddled me. Appreciated me. Needed me emotionally.”

Charlie is damaged, very much so. But she is also strong and very self-aware. She searches for a place where she can belong, but she also searches for forgiveness. And a most unlikely person helps her realize why she needs to forgive.

“You need to forgive yourself. You need to cry. You need to let go … There will come a day when you will understand that forgiveness is about you and no one else.”

There were several scenes towards the end of the story where I found myself crying – crying for Charlie as she faces the ultimate sacrifice – just when she finds the happiness she is looking for, she needs to let it all go. My heart was breaking for her.

Marni Mann created a character that is flawed yet desired; strong yet needs others to lean on; talented yet scared. I felt for her. I wanted her to succeed and I needed to know that the choices and decisions she would make would lead her to a better life.

As I approached the end of the book, I truly appreciated that Marni gracefully brought all the elements of the story together, and did what a few authors have successfully done ... closed the circle and brought the reader back to the beginning.

This is a book that will draw you in, make you cry, make you angry, make you sad but will have you rooting for Charlie. And as you join Charlie in her journey, remember …

“It’s always darkest before the dawn.”

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 out of 5 stars

I received a copy of this story for an honest review.

Child abuse, alcoholism, cancer, death, random sexual encounters and prostitution don’t usually add up to a fun read. But when handled with the skill and care shown by Marni Mann in “Seductive Shadows,” all of the elements add up to a gritty and gripping tale of survival, redemption, and finding a way to love yourself.

To truly appreciate light you have to have experienced the dark and twenty-three year old artist Charlie knows dark. She has spent her entire life existing in the shadows. From a brutal childhood full of neglect and violence to a traumatic accident that broke her body and stole her best friend, Charlie goes through the motions of life without any hope for herself. Art allows Charlie to channel her feelings but sex is her only honest release, brief but fleeting sparks of light and pleasure. Sex is like water or air for Charlie, she needs it just to survive.

Faced with her mother’s pending death and mounting credit card debt, Charlie thinks she’s found a solution to all of her problems when she receives an offer to work at the mysterious Mansion, sexually entertaining the upper-crust of New England society.

“I could get lost in the sex; I could escape, even if it was for just a brief period of time. I could forget.”

As Charlie navigates her way through the Mansion she learns that it may not be everything she hoped for. Charlie’s time with her clients serves as an escape but she begins to realize that the encounters do nothing to fill the emptiness that she feels inside. Secrecy about the Mansion begins to wear on Charlie.

“Sex and art briefly waylaid my emptiness, but I didn’t believe I had ever found fulfillment.”

Charlie’s newly forming world is rocked when she’s partnered in her college art class with Cameron, a talented professional artist who see’s value in Charlie’s art and in Charlie herself. Cameron challenges Charlie to embrace her scars and begin to heal.

“Accept the darkness, because it’s who you are. It’s who we all are. Some of us get lost in it…others wrap themselves in it and wear it like a skin.”

“Seductive Shadows” was a difficult but rewarding read for me. Flashbacks to Charlie’s childhood are heartbreaking and make Charlie’s pain palpable. Scenes between Charlie and her clients in the Mansion are in turns steamy, intense, and disturbing. The story continuously shifts between drama, suspense, and erotica. Through every twist and turn, Mann ensures the story flows seamlessly.

I found myself alternating between feeling happy for Charlie in her brief moments of pleasure to wanting to jump in the book, pull her out and just give her a big hug and safe place to stay. “Seductive Secrets” made me invest in Charlie from page one and I really cared about what happened to her.

If you’re a fan of well-written angsty reads, “Seductive Shadows” is the story for you. “Seductive Secrecy,” a continuation of Charlie’s story, is scheduled for release 10/24/13. I’ve already added it to my TBR list and look forward to being part of Charlie’s continued journey.

Happy reading.

[Ashley Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seductive Shadows was such a great read, I really liked this book! It was dark and gritty, with a sensuality that demands you to keep reading. I love reading stories about real life, fucked up people and this book gave me just that! Seductive Shadows isn't like other erotic novels, there is sex but it's not in the forefront of the plot. The sexual encounters are just an added bonus.

Charlie struggles with a darkness in her life that has her seeking solace in painting and sex. You can relate to her pain and struggles. You find yourself questioning the decisions she made and can understand why she made them. Mann slowly unfolds Charlies past and present making you feel her pain and numbness. Mann's writing is perfect!

I love the introduction of Cameron's character, it added the lightness that this book needed. He is sexy and confident, with baby blues that could kill. He never pushes Charlie for more than she is willing to give. My only complaint about this book, is that I wish it were longer. I felt like Cameron and Charlie's relationship was rushed. I wanted more interaction between them. I felt the attraction and bond that was building but wasn't necessarily fully in love with them. With that being said, I love that they were able to find someone equally as damaged and were able to bond over their love for art.

As the plot unfolds at the end, I found myself not wanting the story to end! If this book is a good indication of Mann's writing, she has a new fan. I totally loved this book, and still feel that my review doesn't do justice for the book. I highly recommend this book!


ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review!

[Jonel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those novels that is extremely intense from the get-go, stays that way throughout, but where the intensity in subtle. Mann draws you in and keeps your emotions and thoughts embroiled in this novel throughout. Your emotions get so tangled up in this story that it feels like you’re living it yourself. The storyline is somewhat off the wall yet the premise is extremely captivating. It’s also extremely scary in its possibilities. The knowledge that this type of thing really can and does happen adds to the intensity of the story.

Everything in this novel is presented very naturally but in minute detail. The dark undertones that let light and hope shine through really allow you to understand the characters, their plights, and their emotional states. Mann very subtlety tackles some very tough subjects. Through her play on light and dark she really sets a specific tone that you can’t escape.

The main characters in this novel are quite well developed. You get to know where they came from, why they are who they are today, and what they think and feel about that. They are a perfectly matched pair who contrast each other just enough to remain separate entities while becoming a strong couple. The supporting characters fill out the story nicely. Some are very well developed as friends and family. Others remain mysterious to the reader and to the characters themselves.

Overall, this is an extremely vivid and exciting story that I couldn’t put down.

Please note that I received this novel free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Blushing Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

Whoa.... What a ride!!! I need to let this story sink in before I review it... HOLY COW! I actually hope this is a series so I can read more, I have no idea how to rate this yet

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need to know this author more and I'm going to give a few copies away what a great book #mustread

[Swoon Worthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

~~Rosie's 4 1/2 Blazing Star Thoughts~~

I had never heard of the author Marni Mann before I read this book. When I am doing a review I never read other reviews. I think if you are going to review a book you need to approach it with your own thoughts and assumptions. That being said I dont want to give too much away, because I REALLY want you to read this book and be suprised like I was.

The main character in the book is Charlie. She grew up in a very abusive home, with her alcoholic Mother. Her Mother Lily never knew who Charlies Father was, and they had no other family. Charlie witnessed the revolving door of men that her mother went through. Lily never showed Charlie any type of love. (Let me just tell you if I ever ran into Lily I would give that woman a hard slap in the face!)

Charlie was able to find love and family in her best friend Emma Hunt. The Hunt family treated Charlie as if she were part of the family. They were so close that Emma and Charlie got matching tattoos. (Emma is such a sweetheart, I just loved her) There was a very meaningful scene in the book to me that showed what kind of a friend Emma was to Charlie. Charlie never had friends over because she was mortified by her Mothers behavior. Emma witnessed this abuse first hand along with Lilys drunken sickness. Charlie was cleaning up her mothers vomit.

“Let me help you,” she begged. I stared into her eyes; there wasn’t any fear or sorrow. There was strength. She carried enough for the both of us.

Something terrible happened to bring the friendship to a screaching and horrifying end. Charlie was forever changed, and not for the better. She would never allow herself to feel love or to give it again. It was safer that way. Sex became her way to cope.

Charlie had a relationship with Dallas. It was very sexual in nature. He had very deep feelings for her. She would never reciprocate those feelings. Dallas was just good sex to her. She cared about him as a friend, but that was it. He was a really great guy, always there for her when she needed him.

His fingers warmed my hand in the way that Emma’s had. He was still here. He hadn’t run away after stepping inside our apartment, viewing our mess, smelling the scent that wafted off her body. But something would eventually make him leave. They all left, like the ones Lilly had always brought home. I wouldn’t let anyone leave me again. - Seductive Shadows

Charlie is very poor and worked to support her mother and pay for school. She is a very talented artist and has a promising future ahead of her in the art world. Her professor paired her off with Cameron. He was an amazing artist, and the professor thought that they would be good for each other. They enjoyed thier time working together and definitely had some chemistry going. (OMG this man is sexy! He could paint my nude anyday!) On second thought he would probably give up art if he saw me nude ;)

Charlie is approached about a job that she can do. She will make as much in a week as she makes in a month! It sounds like a dream come true! She would be able to use the talents she already possesses and be pampered. She can afford a different place to live, take care of her Mom, and pay for school. Could she afford to pass up this opportunity?

My nights at the mansion were a release. The lack of emotion, the all-consuming fucking, the domination, was what kept me moving. Sex held me at night, stopped my mind from dwelling, remembering, regretting. It was the only time I didn’t feel alone. - Seductive Shadows

Rosie's thoughts

I am not giving up anymore about this book. I absolutely LOVED it. Its been a while since I read a book for review that I can say that about. It had every element to keep me sucked in. You will not believe the twists and turns with this story. You wont know WHO to trust as you watch Charlies past and present unfold and collide before your eyes. You will find yourself cheering, and yelling (no no Charlie don't do it!, but most of all whispering (be careful Charlie)!

I have to say to the author, that you really threw me with this one. I definitely didn't see that coming! The book left off nicely but could definitely be carried on into another book. I hope the author continues. This is a gritty story, not your afternoon feel good fluff. It has a broken woman with an abusive life, friendship, deception, thrilling mystery, and love. The book is so beautifully written that you can actually visualize what she is writing. You can see yourself there, feeling, smelling. It really and truly captured me. I would highly recommend this book to my friends. It is definitely going on my "read again" shelf! Good luck to you Marni Mann! I will be watching you ;)

[RoloPoloBookBlog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seductive Shadows by Marni Mann
Source: ARC/Author for a fair and honest review
Rating: 5/5 stars

When I got the email asking me if I would be interested in possibly reading and reviewing Seductive Shadows I was instantly drawn to the cover. My only concern after insta-loving the cover was could this book live up to the awesome of the cover. Oh hell yes, is the answer!

Marni Mann and her damn Seductive Shadows had me hooked at page one with Charlie on the train trying to control her intense desire to jump and shag the hot guy sitting across from her. Charlie’s fantasies are prematurely interrupted by the insistent ringing of her phone and the loud complaints of her dying mother on the other end of the line. As she has for her entire life, Charlie sets aside her needs, wishes, and desires in order to care for her mother, a woman who really can’t die soon enough. (Read the book dear reader and you will hate Lilly too.)

Up until she was a senior in high school, Charlie pretty much managed life with Lilly because of her best and only friend Emma Hunt. Emma was from a wealthy family who all but took Charlie in and raised her as their own. Charlie could manage her awful home life as long as she had Emma but all that changed the day Emma was killed in a horrific car accident. Because Charlie was driving, Emma’s family turned on her completely and for five long years, it has been Charlie alone dealing with her mother. In order to cope, Charlie works nights at a hotel, she takes art classes during the day and when the need arises (and it does frequently) she indulges her sexual desires. Everything changes one night when Charlie is approached at work by a woman who inexplicably knows about Charlie’s particular proclivities and her desperate situation at home. The woman offers Charlie an opportunity she cannot refuse.

Several nights a week Charlie is escorted to a mansion where she is dressed and prepared for the man who has purchased her services for the evening. The money is fantastic, Charlie is cared for medically and emotionally to a certain extent, and she is allowed, albeit anonymously to indulge her darkest phantasies. For a time, this arrangement works well for Charlie, she is able to provide care for her wretched mother and she works far fewer hours which allows her to further her painting skills in class. In fact, one of Charlie’s professors is so convinced of her talent that he pairs her with a talented and successful local artist for a joint project. Charlie is attracted to her partner, Cameron but doesn’t want her night life to intersect with her daytime life.

In all honesty, I thought Mann was going to take this plot line right on through to the end: Charlie would eventually tire of being a high-end hooker, her wretched mother would die and she could be free, her art would take off and she would be able to support herself and she and Cameron would be able to finally acknowledge their attraction for one another and make a go of it. Oh but no, Mann decided to throw a hugely ginormous monkey wrench into the plot that sucked me in even further and kept me up reading even later. Damn you, Marni Mann, damn you!! And no, dear reader, I am not giving you a single clue as to what the monkey wrench is or may involve. YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK!!

The Bottom Line: I was hooked on this book from the moment I saw the cover and when I turned the first few pages I was a total and complete goner and couldn’t put this book down to save my life. Despite all the really bad choices Charlie makes I understand her decisions are based on her deplorable circumstances and can therefore completely understand her reasons for making those choices. By the end, Charlie becomes a most unlikely kind of hero and one I truly wanted to see succeed. As to the rest of the characters, there were a few I really liked (Cameron, Dallas, and Professor Emerson) and a few I truly hated (Lilly, the Doctor, and Hunter). BUT, everyone has a part to play and no matter my feelings for them, their parts were well played. As to the plot: the initial premise was enough to make me happy but the added twists and turns, even the truly sick twists and turns, took everything up a notch or two or three. The sex scenes were plentiful and deliciously detailed and nothing was gratuitous, a quality I very much despise in books. Overall, I can heartily recommend this read to adult readers with an interest in erotica mixed with suspense. Due to the graphic nature of this read and sexual content, I cannot recommend this read to readers below the age of 18.

[Roses Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlie is a gifted art student with a gift of expressing her feelings on canvas. To her art is a way to express herself and all the pain she has experienced in her life. Having a mother who has neglected her for a better part of her life and a best friend who died in a car accident she's only left with her love for painting and her need for sexual pleasure. The only person that Charlie has in her life that she can turn to at this point is Dallas. But when Dallas wanted more from her she ran the other way only using Dallas for sex.

One night at her job at the front desk of the hotel she works at, a woman she's never met before approaches her and offers her the job of a lifetime. A way to obtain sexual release and a job so much better than the one she is currently in. The next night she enters a darkened limo and the note inside tells her to change into the clothes provided and to put on the mask. Where is she taken? To a mansion. Everyone inside wears a mask. There is no one around but Victoria and a few other employees and after she passes the initial test and is given a job, she is shown to her wing where she is to go every night. She's told not to speak to anyone and after she is prepared by the woman inside the room to wait for the client to arrive. That's the first time she met Jay. She's attracted to Jay and comes to see her several times over the course of the book. In the mansion she is no longer Charlie but Cee and can be someone else in the time she spends in the mansion.

But as things begin to shift in Charlie's life so does her outlook and how she views the mansion. In her art class she is paired with Cameron Hardy an experienced artist who slowly as time goes by makes her desire to work at the mansion and the allure it once had begin to fade in the face of the desire she feels for Cameron. As they paint one another, Charlie begins to find new meaning in her life and slowly begins to find the self she lost after her friend died. Charlie begins to find herself again in those around her including the only employee in the mansion that talks openly with her every couple of sessions that she spends in the mansion. There she is allowed to talk about her feelings versus using her sexual desires to cope with her feelings and soon forms a bond with the mysterious doctor of the mansion.

As the allure of the mansion begins to fade, Charlie begins to really wonder about the mansion. She never sees any other girls, she's told to talk to no one other than the doctor in emergencies and Victoria the woman who tells her that she's now her family. She's never seen where the mansion is located nor an address that tells her where the mansion is. All she knows is the more time she spends there, the more she begins to wonder what working there really is all about. Join Charlie as she tries to rediscover who she is and who the people she works for.

This was a brilliant book. I always think when I see anything that links the passion of art and desire together that I'm going to be highly disappointed, but I have discovered in this book that they really do go hand in hand. Painting allowed Charlie to deal with her pain and later on her sexual desires on the canvas and it was exciting to watch. I loved this story very much especially with the flashbacks that allowed you to really view the shattered relationship between Charlie and her mother and how it had a helping hand in how she became years later in her life, Marni really let you feel the pain in the flashbacks that Charlie felt. How could this book have been better? If there was more. There were some questions I was left with at the end and I really would like to know what happened with those things. I would be thrilled if there was another book but as for just this book itself I give it five stars!

***ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review***