**ARC received for honest review**
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!!
Giveaway!
Courtesy of author Marni Mann we have a $10 Amazon eGC & a Seductive Shadows keychain to giveaway (US ONLY)
Enter below!
Sounds great. Thanks for sharing your review and for the giveaway.
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