by MARNI MANN
The Assistant, a haunting new romantic thriller.
At forty-two, I’m married to my best friend, and we have two beautiful children.
Everything about my life is perfect until my father gets sick.
Before: I owned and operated a massively successful women’s shapewear company.
After: I stay home with my family because I’ve learned the importance of time.
Before: My husband could rely on me to take care of everything.
After: I hire him the perfect assistant.
My entire life can be summed up in before and afters, but something happens in the middle.
A meeting.
First and foremost, if you are looking for a romance, this is probably NOT it. I cannot tell you how much this was NOT it for me. I feel like the lines may be blurred a little bit on the understanding of what a romance is. Was there romance in it? Yep. Sure was - a heavy, and heart-numbing love, but it was not the romance you were led to believe you were being given. This one was the ultimate book of betrayal and selfishness masked by selflessness and a love that was reserved specifically for a soul mate. I absolutely loved Emery, but I couldn't reconcile what was going on between my mind and my heart, trying to rationalize what Jesse was doing. The secret keeping on every level did not sit well with me either. Not hating. Not mad. Just a bit dismayed at the miscategorization of this book. I am not even sure I would even call it a thriller, but it did have some romance with quite a bit of suspense.
Marni Mann gave me one helluva first read with When Ashes Fall. That book shocked me and took me on a very emotional ride. Her voice was so different and the way that she told of a love that never died, I cried right along with her characters for the harsh reality of what came next. I now know that's what draws me to Mann's writing. She can take a sensitive subject and wrap an emotional story around it - which is exactly what she was doing with this book. I could see that immediately, and the writing was on the wall. Make no mistake, this is a very well written book. She gives a vision not many control freaks would dismiss, so this one took me on a slightly creepy journey. Yes, I did DNF this one, but I did skim the entirety of it and I did read the epilogue. The writing is really good, but it was slow in the beginning and I didn’t particularly like the layout of the story, nor did I honestly care for the storyline itself. I wanted the after more than the before in terms of getting the story, but it was a story full of intrigue. Needless to say, and regardless of my feelings on this one, I will be back for more from her.
This is definitely a case of, it was me and not her. I can easily and comfortably say that. It's not that this was a bad book, because it wasn't. First of all, it deals with a subject that I cannot and will not willingly read and the minute I figured out what was going on (within the first few chapters), I knew this book was not going to work for me. That didn't tamper down my curiosity, because I was most definitely intrigued about where she was going to take it. Unfortunately, it wasn't one I could stomach.
What I'd like to commend Mann on is the fact that she wrote this book that dealt with something that has many different tactical sides to it - all centered around your emotions. You have the sad side and you have the angering side, but you ultimately have the love of a woman that would do anything to make sure her husband, her soulmate, the man of her dreams, was taken care of for as long as she could. Whether he wanted it or not. Knowingly, or not...
~BEE
Here is the SPOILER GROUP for those that navigated the journey and completed the task. Sadly, it was not one that I was able to do.
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HERE IS A GREAT EXCERPT. THIS DELIVERS HER EXCELLENT WORD BUILDING SKILLS AND HER ABILITY TO TELL A STORY.
I breathed through that thought and filled my nose with his scent. There was a constant rotation of different shampoos and soaps in our shower. No matter what he used or the cologne he added after, Emery always smelled like leaves during a spring rainstorm with a hint of spiciness like the cinnamon and nutmeg I’d shaken onto his coffee.
After several deep inhales, I pulled my mouth away, observing how handsome he looked at his desk. He had on a pair of dark jeans and a plaid button-down with a navy sweater on top.
And, even though I couldn’t see them, he had on argyle socks and dark brown leather shoes. I just knew my husband that well.
Emery began to move his chair, swiveling it around to face me. When he stopped in front of me, I stepped between his legs, setting my coffee on his desk so that both of my hands were free. My palms went to his cheeks. I loved the way his whiskers felt on my skin. He kept his beard longer in the winter and trimmed much shorter in the summer. Winter was my favorite, and he had reminded me of one of the reasons after Alicia’s party when he rubbed it across my entire body.
From the look on his face, I had a feeling he was thinking about the same thing. “We have the house all to ourselves today,” he said, confirming my suspicion. His hands slowly slid to the back of my thighs. “When was the last time I was able to do this”—he rubbed his nose across my navel, air from his lips bursting through my top—“on a weekday?” He continued to wrap around until his fingers were on my butt. His lips slowly parted, his eyes fiery with seduction. “I’m going to put you on top of those blueprints, and then I’m going to—”
“You have an interview in fifteen minutes.” I put a finger on his lips. “But I want you to remember the thought you just had, and when the interview is over”—I leaned in a little closer—“I want you to put me on top of those blueprints and do to me whatever it was that you had planned.”
He kissed the back of my finger, and it started to tremble. “You’re turning me on so much; I’m shaking,” I said, pulling my hand away at the same time the doorbell rang. “She’s early. I like that.” I slipped out of his grip and took several steps back. “I’ll go get her, and we’ll meet you in the dining room.”
He nodded, and I walked out of his office, still feeling the tremors as I headed down the rest of the hallway.
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~MEET MARNI MANN~
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 two dogs, who have been characters in her books. When she’s not nose deep in her laptop, working on her next novel, she’s scouring for chocolate, sipping wine, traveling, or devouring fabulous books.
~CONNECT WITH MARNI~
