The Man in the Black Suit by Sylvain Reynard Published by Indie on December 19th 2017
Pages: 437
Genres: Romance
Review Copy Provided By: Author
Goodreads
AMZ US AMZ UK
Brazilian Acacia Santos excels at her job as concierge at the prestigious Hotel Victoire in Paris. When her senior colleague is attacked and sent to the hospital, 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. Compelled to report her discovery, she contacts a former boyfriend who works for the elite BRB, a unit of French law enforcement that deals with stolen art.
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.
Secrets and danger abound as Nicholas and Acacia try to solve the mystery of a piece of stolen art. But Acacia may prove to be the most dangerous mystery of all.
I was provided a review copy; this did not influence my opinion of the book.
“Think of me as Robinhood in a suit”
Nicholas is on the hunt for the killer of his sister and the people who stole precious art from his family. He is determined to bring them to justice, HIS justice.
Acacia is hiding a secret and is always looking over her shoulder. She is careful and calculating. While working as a hotel concierge, she comes across a wealthy man who is charming and good looking. He is intriguing and appears to be hiding a secret, too.
What was built on lies, turns into mutual admiration and attraction. Can he forgive her for her lies and can she forgive him for his truth?
‘The Man in the Black Suit’ was intriguing, mysterious and held quite a bit of steam. The issue for me was the length of the book. The storyline dragged. Much of what I read felt like filler. I think the purpose was to develop the relationship between the two main characters, but it ended up boring me instead. Having said that, I was dumbfounded as to why Nicholas wanted a relationship with Acacia, the insta-attraction didn’t seem to be based on anything. I found myself skimming because I wanted to get to the story arc, to the grit of the story!
2.5 Stars – it was an okay read.
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