Marianne by Simon Lowrie

Story: 8.5

Presentation: 9

Total: 17.5

Publisher: eXcessica

BDSM

To Purchase

Blurb: Marianne and Simon have been more than friends since they were kids, but when she meets Mark her whole life changes. It’s not easy being spanked when you’re not used to it, but although the two men in her life are rivals the one thing they agree on firmly is that Marianne needs her wild side taming. And once she's had a taste of what that kind of life can offer, she's no longer sure she wants to argue. She loves them both and means to have it all, but Mark is not the kind of man to share. He breaks the triangle and makes her choose, but at a cost to everyone – himself included. Can Sophie save the day? She isn’t beautiful and dazzling like Marianne, and the special qualities she has aren’t on the surface. Sophie is a quiet girl who accepts Simon’s discipline with absolute humility and never one word of complaint. It’s how she wants her world to be, and her love for him goes past all limits. Shy and gentle though she is, perhaps her resolve to heal two broken hearts will prove to be more powerful than all Mark’s dominance and strength...

Review: How can my tummy flutter, my heart feel trampled and yet, I’ve never been more satisfied by a story? Because Marianne! ~ a Journey Round a Golden Sun isn’t your typical erotic romance. In fact, it didn’t read like any erotic romance I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. In a word, this is a journey. An intense, emotional, gut-wrenching and often aggravating tale of submission. A journey that ends in a most beautiful understanding between truly giving characters. However, this is not a sexually explicit novel. Mr. Lowrie didn’t need long, graphic scenes of lust and love to expose the sexuality of his characters. At times, Marianne! reads like a fiction novel, and then at times it feels like a memoir, a telling of events rather than watching them unfold.

The story - Marianne is portrayed as a narcissistic, overindulged woman. A beautiful package with little substance within. I found her difficult to like and in Simon’s response to her, I found him to be less than heroic. How wrong I was.

There are four primary characters in Marianne! ~ a Journey Round a Golden Sun. Each, in their own way, is emotionally broken. Marianne’s faults are the most glaring which is why she is difficult to like. She’s manipulative, selfish and she didn’t deserve Simon. Simon adores Marianne to a fault. She is his heart. He knows he’s being used and toyed with but if she’ll throw him small scraps of her affection, he’ll let her walk over him, digging in her heels as she does. And then we have Sophie. She worships Simon. He is her master in the purest form of the word. She’s sweet and special. For a time I thought she would be too fragile for the likes of Simon and Marianne, but she has a hidden strength. During much of the story, I felt Simon didn’t deserve her. And Mark, Marianne’s passion, just wants an obedient woman. Only Marianne struggles with obedience.

There were times I wanted to slam the book closed and yet I couldn’t. I had to know how Marianne, Simon, Sophie and Mark could find completeness. The subtle changes each character makes along the way culminates in an emotionally twisted conclusion. How much of themselves will each have to give up of in order to have what they want?

If you love a story of true submission without the overly graphic qualities of typical erotic romance, this story is perfect for you. Memorable characters, a lesson in pleasure, and the beauty of surrender.