THE MAN IN THE BLACK SUIT by Sylvain Reynard-Review & Excerpt
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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 19,2017
Acacia Santos excels at her job as concierge at the prestigious Hotel Victoire in Paris. When her superior, Marcel, is attacked in a supposed random mugging, she is tasked with serving one of the hotel’s most mysterious and attractive guests.
Nicholas Cassirer checks into the hotel under an assumed name every three months. Usually, he stays in the penthouse suite with a beautiful female companion but on this occasion, he arrives alone and is displeased in having to deal with someone new. A match of wits ensues as he tests Acacia’s expertise with a series of almost impossible demands. Her intelligence and creativity rise to the challenge, earning his respect.
They strike a tenuous accord until Acacia discovers a famous stolen painting in his suite, she contacts a former boyfriend who works for the elite BRB, a unit of French law enforcement that deals with art thefts.
Nicholas is questioned by police and released when it is revealed the painting is a reproduction. Irked with her behavior, Acacia’s supervisor demotes her threatening dismissal and the cancellation of her work permit.
But Acacia has already attracted Nicholas’s attention. Remorseful that she may lose her job on his account, he offers her a choice – she can wait until her supervisor dismisses her, or she can leave the city of lights behind and become his personal assistant.
Acacia initially refuses his offer, but Nicholas is persistent. He reveals himself as a man who quietly acquires stolen art in order to restore it to its rightful owners. Faced with mounting familial debts and the possibility of dismissal and deportation, she agrees to work for him.
Nicholas opens up a whole new world of beauty and intrigue to Acacia as they travel the globe. Soon the line between employer and assistant is blurred, and the two lonely people embark on a passionate relationship.
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REVIEW: THE MAN IN THE BLACK SUIT by Sylvain Reynard is a stand alone, contemporary, adult, erotic romantic suspense story line loosely connected to the author’s GABRIEL’S INFERNO and THE FLORENTINE series. THE MAN IN THE BLACK SUIT can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. This is concierge Acacia Santos, and billionaire businessman Nicholas Cassirer’s story line.
NOTE: The detailed blurb above covers a good portion of the story outline so I will give some format details and my concluding comments.
Told from dual third person perspectives (Acacia and Nicholas) THE MAN IN THE BLACK SUIT follows the building but reluctant relationship between Parisian hotel concierge Acacia Santos, and businessman Nicholas Cassirer, two people who live dual lives, have secreted pasts, and are about to join together in the search for a killer that will expose history, a need for revenge, and the dysfunctional dynamics of two families caught between the present and the past.
THE MAN IN THE BLACK SUIT takes the reader on a trip around the globe: from Paris to Geneva, Cologny, Santorini, Helsinki, Dubai, Morocco and Moscow where Nicholas will face down the man who destroyed his family, as Acacia comes face to face with her past-a past from whom she is on the run. Nicholas is an over protective, dominating, and powerful hero, with (questionable) legal and illegal connections. A man who doesn’t do relationships, Nicholas is drawn to our heroine from the start. Acacia is a beautiful thirty seven year old woman, on the run, who knows that to get involved with our story line hero means exposing herself to curiosity, the paparazzi and potentially, fatal harm.
Throughout the story line Sylvain Reynard weaves a tale of religious discrimination, or more so, stereotyping based upon ethnicity, faith and religious belief. Once again, the art world plays a major role from the beginning (including the aforementioned connected series) wherein several classic paintings have been stolen, and their recovery means a chance to begin healing, and moving forward.
THE MAN IN THE BLACK SUIT is a detailed story line about family, retribution, revenge and second chances. The relationship is slow to build as Acacia is determined to remain professional in the face of potential danger, as Nicholas begins to develop feelings for the woman that calls to his heart. The premise is intricate, comprehensive and engaging; the characters are energetic and passionate; the romance is sensual and inspiring.
Copy supplied for review
Reviewed by Sandy
She tilted her head to take his mouth and tasted his lips leisurely before she pushed her tongue inside.
His palms slid up her back and crushed her against his chest.
She inclined her head the other way and tugged at his upper lip.
Nicholas kissed his way to her chin and down to her neck. He licked at the skin and pulled it into his mouth.
Acacia exposed her neck even more.
He nipped a path to her collarbone and traced it with his finger. When she shivered at the sensation, he cradled her breast above the water and wrapped his mouth around her nipple.
Acacia hummed and squirmed in his lap at the sensation.
Follow Sylvain: Goodreads / Website /Facebook / Twitter
My latest book, “The Man in the Black Suit, (#TMitBS), is a contemporary romance/suspense standalone novel, set in Paris. It released December 19th: https://t.co/pdpHlvVtjO
The final book in The Florentine Series, “The Roman,” has been released. The paperback edition has additional content. An audiobook is also available.
The second book in the series, “The Raven,” was nominated by RT Magazine as Best Paranormal Romance Suspense novel of 2015.
Recently, Huffington Post Books ranked “Gabriel’s Inferno” as the best teacher/student romance novel.
I am honoured to have had my novels appear on the New York Times and USAToday Bestseller lists.
I was a Semifinalist for Best Author in the 2011 and 2012 Goodreads Choice Awards. “Gabriel’s Inferno” was a Semifinalist for Best Romance in 2011 and “Gabriel’s Rapture” was a Finalist for Best Romance in 2012, in the Goodreads Choice Awards, as well. The final novel in The Gabriel Series, “Gabriel’s Redemption,” debuted at #6 on the New York Times Bestseller list. It was a Finalist for a 2014 Goodreads Choice Award as Best Romance.
I’m interested in the way literature can help us explore aspects of the human condition – particularly suffering, sex, love, faith, and redemption. My favourite stories are those in which a character takes a journey, either a physical journey to a new and exciting place, or a personal journey in which he or she learns something about himself/herself.
I’m also interested in how aesthetic elements such as art, architecture, food, drink, and music can be used to tell a story or to illuminate the traits of a particular character. In my writing, I combine all of these elements with the themes of redemption, forgiveness, and the transformative power of goodness.
I try to use my platform as an author to raise awareness about the following charities: Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation, WorldVision, Alex’s Lemonade Stand, and Covenant House.
