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Unforgettable passion . . .

Two months have passed since Karina's painful departure from James, the mysterious lover who awakened her darkest desires, and she'll do anything-anything-to locate him and win him back. Her search takes her to London, where she finds herself immersed in the world of fine art and forbidden pleasures. And soon, Karina meets another enigmatic man who promises to help her find James . . . for a price.

Unexpected pleasure . . .

Damon George is rich, gorgeous, and a member of a secret society that caters to the sensual thrills of the wealthy and powerful. Though Karina insists her heart will always belong to James, Damon is determined to have her, body and soul. By the time she finds James, Karina has been "trained" to please another. Will James reject her again . . . or find her more irresistible than ever?

272 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

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About the author

Cecilia Tan

195 books567 followers
Susie Bright says, "Cecilia Tan is simply one of the most important writers, editors, and innovators in contemporary American erotic literature." Since the publication of Telepaths Don't Need Safewords in 1992, she has been on the cutting edge of the erotic form, often combining elements of fantasy and science fiction in her work. She is also founder and editor of Circlet Press.

RT Book Reviews awarded her Career Achievement in Erotic Romance in 2015 and her novel Slow Surrender (Hachette/Forever, 2013) won the RT Reviewers Choice Award and the Maggie Award for Excellence from GRW in 2013. She has been publishing Daron's Guitar Chronicles as a web serial since 2009 and her Secrets of a Rock Star series (Taking the Lead, Wild Licks, Hard Rhythm) is published by Hachette/Forever. In 2018 Tor Books will launch her urban fantasy/paranormal series, The Vanished Chronicles. In her other life, Cecilia is also the editor of the Baseball Research Journal and publications director for SABR, the Society for American Baseball Research.

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
Profile Image for Amy.
1,632 reviews174 followers
January 26, 2014
Join me, will you, in emitting a heavy sigh for yet another erotica trilogy.

Is there a law somewhere - a regulation - that all erotica must come in threes? Is it not possible for a writer to just tell a story and end it on the last page of ONE BOOK?

Apparently not.

Oh, what E. L. James hath wrought. And, no, Cecilia Tan, that is not a compliment.

So here we have the second book of the threesome. I didn't read the first one, and while having done so would have helped understand one of the major plot points, I have a feeling that said major plot point would still be a mystery.

Following the predictable course of erotica, we have Karina, in the last year of her graduate studies (yes, she's another young one), getting over the broken heart left her by James (yes, he's another older, richer one), who apparently did not like that Karina "broke through his walls" and "saw the real him" and "forced him to realize that he can love."

Does this sound like other erotica we've read? Yes, it absolutely does.

So Karina heads to London to work at an art gallery, but more importantly to try and track down James. It turns out that, in addition to his BDSM lifestyle, James is also an international rock star. And apparently also an artist.

To find him, she accepts an invitation to The Crimson Glove, a BDSM playground. Damon George, another purveyor of spanky panky, wants to take Karina under his black leather belt, so to speak, and help her understand the Mind of the Dominant in hopes that she can get James back.

One thing leads to a spanking leads to another thing, and Karina's plan works. Sort of. I mean, it can't work too well, because a third book must be written.

We know nothing about James, and that's what I wonder about the first book. Is he in it more? Do we know him? Or is he still a mystery? I suspect the latter, and I suspect I would end reading Book One much like I did Book Two: asking what in the world is so great about Karina.

Yet again, we have the dull heroine. Oh, she's supposed to be high spirited, but she isn't. She's a sniveling, whiney, woe-is-me-I-miss-James-I-love-James-my-heart-cannot-go-on-without-James kind of character.

Now, Damon is a bit more interesting, but even then, we've read him before. Nothing about him or Karina, or James, for that matter, stands out.

Which brings us to the sex scenes.

Again, nothing new here. They're hot, but since Karina has a "no penetration allowed" clause, you might suffer from blue, er, ovaries for most of the book. I don't think you will need to strap on your vibrator for this one.

Give it a pass and read Blindfolded Innocence instead, which at least has an interesting heroine AND super hot headboard rockin'.


Thanks to NetGalley (I guess) for the preview
Published on cupcake's book cupboard
@VivaAmaRisata
Profile Image for Alexis Sky.
385 reviews
August 9, 2016
I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.
I am so disappointed. I really enjoyed the first book and thought Karina and James were great characters. I didn't like either one of them in this book, at all.
The elusive James is gone and Karina would do anything to find him and get him back, including turning her self over to Damon, a dom in need of an attitude adjustment. Nothing about the plot drew me in, save the appearance of James. I liked him in the first book, but in this one- wow, I wasn't expecting it, but I just ... I can't say too much because it'll give away the end. It was disappointing to say the least and I'll only be reading the third book to find out how it's resolved.
Profile Image for Betsy.
821 reviews35 followers
August 11, 2016
This is a review of all three books, so there is info in here about the other two, if you haven't read them be careful.

As a whole work I'm very unsure how to rate these books. I feel like the first book was maybe a 3.5 star read, but it lacked an ending which certainly knocked it back a star. Then there is the fact that the first book feels like almost a completely different story than the next two, though one does not work without the other two which makes it confusing. The second two books are very, very short, more like novellas which was aggravating since they are the same price.
Slow Surrender is more like novel length, but it feels like the author just didn't feel like giving the reader the ending because she wanted it to be a trilogy. The trouble then is that the ending isn't provided for the reader until Slow Seduction, but there is a lot that really isn't needed in those last two books and so I feel like the whole thing could just be condensed into one volume and share the reader a lot of trouble and reduce the amount of skimming.

Slow Surrender grabbed my attention because of the very mysterious James who is introduced right away as he asks Karina a question when she waitressing. They immediately begin playing a "game" of seduction. Karina doesn't know the rules, and neither does the reader. That works well and draws the reader into the story. The reader remains in the dark about who James is and his intentions with Karina throughout the entire book. That mystery provides thrilling aspect that makes you want to keep reading. There are definitely obvious clues as to James' true identity, but it is still fun to read about Karina and James' encounters because for the whole first volume it feels like they are virtual strangers becoming more and more intimate without their relationship progressing in any "normal" way.

However, James' true identity was a bit of a deal-breaker, really a jump-the-shark moment for me because it just seemed utterly ridiculous.



However, what did work for me is the very good writing and excellent portrayal of the BDSM culture. The D/s scenes that James and Karina play out with each other I felt were well-done and pretty stand out for the genre as a whole. I wish actually that this book had focused only on D/s element between the two characters because there is a lot to explore there as Karina experiences being a submissive with James for the very first time. The reader gets to see her go through that as she realizes that she really enjoys it and she is sort of flummoxed abut her feelings. Also, the latter two books briefly, but in my opinion much too superficially, explore Karina's mental state as she wonders if she enjoys being a submissive in general, or if it is just James that gets her going. That would have made a better, more emotionally potent book for me.

The whole thing should be condensed in to one volume and all the other nonsense in James character should be taken out. Tan should also get rid of the whole bit with Karina going to London and almost becoming a submissive at the secret BDSM club, but then doing actually doing it, and go straight to the reconciliation between her and James. If I was editing this book that is what I'd do.
Profile Image for Coffee&Books.
1,040 reviews83 followers
Read
January 24, 2014
I'm not even rating this book. SLOW is right. The only reason I finished it is because I need to do a review. I had zero interest in the MC's kinks and foray into submissive-Ville. I wanted her to find James and by the time she did, I was thoroughly bored. James is no longer compelling to me. I'm really not reading the next book. Just tell me what happens.
Profile Image for Eva.
387 reviews
May 12, 2022
The first book in this series was definitely the best and it went downhill. I didn’t really understand the need for this book besides her chasing after a man who really didn’t give her much to go on and then also exploring her sexuality (but also not). I was just overall confused and hoping for a HEA but it seems I need to read another book for that to happen and I don’t think I care enough to read another. She runs away from him this time and expects him to chase her even though he hasn’t sought her out in two months, it’s just not realistic or at least fun fantasy.
Profile Image for Ilana.
1,216 reviews14 followers
January 1, 2014
Title: Slow Seduction
Author: Cecilia Tan
Publisher/Year: Grand Central Publishing 1/28/14
Length: 272 pages
Series: Struck by Lightning #2

Overview

Unforgettable passion . . .

Two months have passed since Karina’s painful departure from James, the mysterious lover who awakened her darkest desires, and she’ll do anything-anything-to locate him and win him back. Her search takes her to London, where she finds herself immersed in the world of fine art and forbidden pleasures. And soon, Karina meets another enigmatic man who promises to help her find James . . . for a price.

Unexpected pleasure . . .

Damon George is rich, gorgeous, and a member of a secret society that caters to the sensual thrills of the wealthy and powerful. Though Karina insists her heart will always belong to James, Damon is determined to have her, body and soul. By the time she finds James, Karina has been “trained” to please another. Will James reject her again . . . or find her more irresistible than ever?

My Thoughts

I had to re-read Slow Surrender so that I could refresh myself on this exciting and erotic game that James was playing with Karina, and boy was I happy that i did. Where we left off with this couple is upon James flight from Karina after the first ‘society’ party that they had attended together, where they not only ‘consummated’ their relationship but Karina ‘forced’ James to reveal his full name and therefore his identity that he has been working SO hard to hide all this time. Once that’s done, he up and leaves her at the party and she doesn’t hear from him again.

Where Slow Seduction picks up is a few months in the future where Karina has just taken a summer job at the Tate Britain through the connection that she made via James with Martindale who is the curator there. Karina has the opportunity to be a guide through the pre-Raphaelite exhibit so that’s something to do until she finds out if she’ll be allowed to graduate (once the nonsense with Renault settles hopefully). The other reason that she’s taken this job too is that she’s heard through the grapevine that James is in England and she’s trying to locate him and see what went wrong.

The path that this 2nd installment takes us is the journey of Karina searching for her love since she won’t give up hope that they can be together, and the people that cross her path in that journey are quite interesting.

Through her roommate Becky, she meets Paulina and Michel who put her up in their home in exchange for help in renovating and opening their own gallery. There are interesting connections of this couple to others in the story as we learn throughout.

We also meet Damon George who in his own way is very much like James and is even a member of the London branch of the same society that James is, and Karina some how hopes that through the club she can find him, so she builds that relationship with Damon as a means to find him. Of course though, we know that things aren’t quite that simple, and Damon has plans of his own, and intentions of his own, and plans to make Karina his if he can manage it.

So, we’re taking on a search and rescue excursion here that’s a great plot line, and peppered in with steamy sceneing between Karina and Damon and he works to train her. It’s yet another introduction into the world of BDSM for her, which we saw in book 1, but certainly in more depth in this 2nd book.

I’m really pleased with this bridge in the series. I think that we get everything that we were expecting and a little bit more with the way that it ended up. There were a few unexpecteds that showed up towards the end, and that’s the lead in to what i hope will be an even better 3rd and final installment. Now if only i didn’t have to wait so long for it! I hope you guys enjoy!
502 reviews4 followers
January 27, 2014
This book grew on me as I read it - and I started by reading it out of order because by the time I picked it up to read (having had it on my review shelf for a couple weeks at the time, I believe), the language in the blurb description had become a little irritating. Training made me think unwilling or being treated like less than a person, for whatever reason, and that made me reluctant to read.

So I read some of the start, a chapter in the middle and then the end, and kind of read backwards - first the last chapter , then the last few, then another, and then I went deeper into the middle and read from there, and then I skimmed back to the beginning and worked forwards for a while.

I never did read the whole book in order, but the more of it that I *did* read in order, the more I liked it.

I haven't read the first book in the Struck by Lightning series so I didn't have a pre-existing love for the pairing of Karina and James. This book is about Karina's search for James, to reunite with the Dom after he left her alone in the middle of a sex party (? what a jerk!). She chases after him to England (from New York), getting work at an art gallery, and joining a secret BDSM club in hopes that it'll put her in contact with him. Along the way, she picks up a new Dom - Damon - who teaches her more of the lifestyle, and learns more about her own sexual preferences.

I liked Karina quite a bit. She's strong willed, she's adventurous and curious, she's going after what she wants, even if that's some guy. I think if she hadn't been such a good character, the rest of the book might not have been as enjoyable.

There's quite a bit of sex in here, a lot of variety, a lot of kink. Because Karina's heart isn't really in the sex so much as in getting through all the hoops she has to in order to reunite with James, I found the sex less satisfying than it might have been. If she'd been engaged in it for pleasure's sake, I think that might have won me over, but... yeah.

Now, the way things were left at the end of the book did make me want to read the third - so kudos for that. It's one of the reasons I bumped this up from 3.5 stars to 4 stars.

See this and other reviews at To Each Their Own Reviews

I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for M. Todd Webster.
51 reviews2 followers
August 31, 2016
Good things come to those who wait! I've waited a year for this book, and now I'm eagerly awaiting the appearance of the third and final novel in six months.

At the end of Slow Surrender, James disappeared from Karina's life like Prince Charming fleeing Cinderella at midnight. Now, armed with only a job offer from theTate in London and a mysterious sculpture of a glass slipper, Karina goes in quest of her missing beloved. In London she is soon drawn into two different but slightly overlapping worlds which James inhabits, one a world of dominants and submissives, discipline and service, the other a world of artists and artisans, creatives and free spirits. Tan introduces a raft of new characters, all of whom are connected with James in one way or another; I particularly liked oddball couple Paulina and Michel (and I don't consider quirkiness a character flaw). The crucial question Karina faces is whether it's really James she wants, or simply the type of sex to which he introduced her. Could she be happy with another dom?

While Karina and James are separated for much of the novel, he is never out of her thoughts, and he makes one affecting appearance before the climax of the story, which is intense both emotionally and sexually. Tan also sets up a crisis in Karina's relationship with her mother that will need to be resolved. I honestly don't think that this book suffers too much from "middle book sag"--it's mostly set-up and not much pay-off, but I trust the pay-off in book three will be worth the wait. If you liked the first book, I say don't hesitate to get this one!
310 reviews5 followers
July 5, 2016
This was a filler book for me and I hate filler books. But I did give this one a 3 star rating, 2.5 stars for the plot and 0.5 star for it being an easy read. This books starts off 2 months after "James" has just up and left Karina with no explanation. She is following leads to find him.

During this book the main thing that stuck out to me was that Karina started to question was it "James" that she missed and loved or was it the adventure she was addicted to. She put herself through a lot to figure that out. As I stated before, the story was ok. It brought nothing to the table development wise. It brought forth more questions than answers since "James" has another secret at the end of this. I felt that this was not needed and could have went in a different direction.

I thought Damon was a good foil for James. He was a sexy man that knew how to please a woman (that should be a given since he is in a secret society that deals with sex). I liked reading how he tried to seduce Karina and try to persuade her to forget about "James".

The main reason I am excited about the next book was that since "James" cannot be honest with Karina she is now requiring him to chase her. She chased him halfway around the world for lies and he pushed her away. Now, if he wants her then he needs to chase her with the same fervor that she chased him. I want to see how much she will make him keep that commitment.
Profile Image for ♡B♡.
651 reviews13 followers
January 4, 2015
3.5 - 4


The first book in this series had me. I was instantly drawn in. I wanted more of James. I couldn't get enough! I couldn't wait to start this one and see where things would go.

For me this one was good but not great. It didn't pull me in the way I hoped it would. It just felt drawn out. We get to meet Damon and he was okay but he wasn't James. I wanted James! And I will say that yes she meets Damon and yes she goes with him so that he can train her to be a good submissive. He is alright I guess but to be honest he really isn't a great Dom. They don't really spend a lot of time together "training". Or maybe that's just me and I didn't think they did. I just wasn't really feeling their 'togetherness'.

And like the synopsis says she finds him...She finds James! I was so excited! I wanted to get answers I wanted to know what the hell happened!

There are a few things that come out and a few twists and turns. So that was interesting! I can say that I didn't see it coming!

I was left yet again having more questions than answers. I know that is what a series is supposed to do, a good one will leave you waiting for the next one in the series! So Well Played!! ;)
Profile Image for Karinosa.
682 reviews11 followers
February 17, 2014
Well well well!!! OMG!! I can see that some reviewers didn't get the whole plot and understand this one. This is a second book of the series. This first book has to be read in order to understand this one. I enjoyed this book very much! I could not put it down. I felt the nervousness of these characters down to my toes!! Damon and James and the Heroine of the story are a good match. They allow you to see certain things of each character that you would not normally see otherwise. Damon seems cocky and arrogant. I did not know how far that went, but some of the things that come out is crazy wicked!! I had a feeling that some things were going on, but not to the extent that they did!!! That is also a little frustrating as well. I am usually really good at figuring things out...it sucks that I did not get the whole extent of it. I am going to patiently wait for the next and hopefully last in this series. There should be a hot, sexy, arrogant, alpha male doing lots of groveling and ass kissing in the next book!! I can't wait!!! Uughh!! Not sure about patiently waiting!!!
Profile Image for Daphna.
105 reviews20 followers
January 29, 2014
I received an ARC from Net Galley for an honest review.
I want to shout and tell everyone about this series. I have not seen great reviews for this book or this series but something about Karina and James has completely caught my attention and I want more. It is hard to talk about this book with out giving away the book itself. But one thing I want to know is...what the hell is up with James. I mean seriously. A neurotic protagonist is new for me and I am loving it. I am ready to pre order the third one. Grab Slow Surrender and then this one Slow Seduction so you can meet Karina and James. Different twist on erotica.
Profile Image for Katya.
825 reviews
May 4, 2014
1.85 Stars!!!

UGH.....I don't know why most of this novel exists....a few good parts in the beginning and end with alot of "filler" in between. I think it is the publishers looking to make more money by stretching a one novel story into three. I hate to be mean, the writing is good, the twists and turns are fabulous but half way though this book I was begging the heroine to stop being stupid and dump the dude! Yawn, sex...even kinky sex is boring when you don't care about the characters. I pushed through this middle section of this ONE NOVEL and will read book 3 when it comes out....to see it to the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for ceecee.
373 reviews4 followers
December 11, 2019
This series was just not for me. After reading book 1 and not loving it, I thought I'd try book 2 and see where it went. Half way done I found myself not wanting to read and so I decided to not continue and pick up another book.

Many people might like this book, but I just wasn't for me. I couldn't find a connection with a woman who chases a man who has run for some unknown reason across the ocean to another country. I could not connect with a man who clearly has issues, but once he connects with a woman still decides to leave. The leaving didn't bother me so much as how he left. I've never read a book where a dom who clearly likes to be in control has sex with a woman and leaves her while she's still tied up. I just couldn't get passes so many of these issues.

The sex was fine, but again I couldn't get past how someone could just start doing what another man asked her to do without knowing him. Trust is earned and in this book it was just given from the start.

Sorry if my review disappointing, but I just didn't like the book. I'm sure others loved it, but I wasn't one of them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Lydia.
374 reviews4 followers
February 25, 2022
Really, So Good

And the plot with James thickens. I’m sure we all can agree that Karina is a stellar character, and I’m dying to find out the answers to all these mysteries! I’ll come back at some point and write a thorough review, but for now just know this is a great series, that you should definitely read.
82 reviews
March 18, 2022
I love the series so far. My only downfall was I was waiting for James to appear sooner in the book. But I enjoyed karina and Damon’s interactions. I secretly wants them to be together. She is the muse for everyone. And the revelations at the end between James, Damon, karina, vanetta and Ferrara were jaw dropping. On to the next.
Profile Image for Emily Hobson.
149 reviews5 followers
July 7, 2017
**2.5 STARS ---- I read this not knowing that its the second book in a trilogy (waahhh) but it read just fine... very slow thought and I wasn't very engaged in the story... Again, this may be due to the fact that I haven't read the second but still an okay read.
Profile Image for Dina Riadh.
175 reviews38 followers
September 8, 2019
What the hell is this? It was so bad slow surrender was much better than this one.. The only star I gave was for the information I gained about Hokusai.. And the pre-Rafailites.. In this one I hate James 💔
Profile Image for Heron.
572 reviews15 followers
May 24, 2018
I enjoyed this as well, but the level of emotional and physical manipulation without consent was a bit much for me.

Also: I abhor conflict based on miscommunication.
April 9, 2019
Great

Wow, what a change in events. Didn’t see that ending, even as appealing as it is. Can not wait to read more.
Profile Image for Sandra.
368 reviews12 followers
February 16, 2020
Karina and James second story. And her and James are not together, but a twist to this story so well and good book to read.
Profile Image for J.L..
Author 4 books7 followers
March 5, 2020
Borrowed from the library and listened to audio. I did not read the first book so I was missing part of the story. All in all the book was okay. A little far fetched but hey it was imaginative.
595 reviews2 followers
May 19, 2020
This story was ok. I didn’t realize till I was half way finished that this was the second book in a series. I might of liked it more if I had read the first one first.
Profile Image for Stephanie- The Boyfriend Bookmark.
487 reviews344 followers
February 17, 2014
When I started reading this trilogy, I had to force myself to put images of Christian Grey out of my mind. There was a lot of similarities in the first book, but what I loved about the second book is that it was such a drastic turn from what I was expecting to happen next. That for me was a big win for this book. No, James isn't really a main character in the second book of this series, but he is always at the front of mind. Always. This book was the drive and passion of Karina to see out the man that she loves and she was willing to do what it took to find him.

Karina finds herself a couple months later traveling across the ocean, not only to work in an art gallery but to find the elusive James that left her after she forced his brick walls to fall in Slow Surrender. But nothing is as it seems once she gets to London. On one of the first tours she gives, she meets Damon. Damon is clearly a Dom from the first mention of his name. But there is more to it than that. He prances in with two sub trainees and what happens in front of that famous art is not very artful at all. In fact, it was kind of a turn off on the book for me. But what came from that experience is what captured me.

Karina is desperate to find James and to find out if her love for him is only on her side or if indeed, he could possibly have those same feelings. In her search of James, Karina takes a chance on Damon's invitation to become a member of the club. Karina is not a typical sub and she knows that there is only one man that she wants out of the situation. But in order to find him, she needs Damon's help. What intrigued me was why Damon was so willing to help. I questioned it and questioned it throughout the book and by the end, I knew exactly why he was willing to help, but there was more to the story, as there always is.

On her journey to find James, Karina meets some very unique and fun loving people. From the couple she moved in with and helped begin their journey with their gallery to the glass makers. Slow Seduction was more about a journey than a destination. Yes, there was a few times I was questioning why I was reading it and there were a few times I was wondering why the author was taking us such a long journey to get to James, but in the end as things are revealed, we find some of the answers.

Because this is a trilogy, there is still a lot of the story left to be told. But I loved that this book takes a different turn and is about the search for love that Karina is looking for. Of course, the ending left me with more questions which is why I am desperate for the third book in the series.

Karina pushed even more limits for herself in this book and took quite a few very risky chances, but it was only going to be worth it if in the end she would have a chance to talk to James and decipher what happened when he left her alone those few months earlier.

Was I intrigued? Yes. Did I get all of the answers I wanted? No. But that is the beauty of it. I know there is another book coming and I cannot wait to see what happens. I have more questions now than I did when I started this book. So why not five stars? Well... as much I love the twists and turns and the journey that Karina took in this book, I was left with even more questions than after the first book and I really wanted to see more of James in this book. It is no secret, I am not a big fan of the cliffhanger. I like to have an ending. It doesn't have to be a good one or a happily ever after ending, but I like reading books that indeed end. Even though I knew going into this it was a trilogy, part of me wanted at least a little bit of resolve. I really did enjoy it and it and I cannot wait for the third book because I want to know how things end for Karina and James.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
Profile Image for Valérie Carreau.
456 reviews18 followers
April 1, 2015
Mon avis: J'avais lu il y a quelques jours le premier tome de cette trilogie et j'avais adoré, c'est donc avec une réelle impatience que j'attendais la sortie de ce second opus pour continuer les aventures de Karina et James qui m'avaient je l'avoue vraiment intrigués lors de ma lecture de ce premier tome. Sitôt acheté sitôt dévoré, je me suis plongée dans la suite et rien ne m'aurais fait lâcher le livre avant la fin.

Du coté de l'histoire: Nous retrouvons Karina deux mois après sa rupture avec James. Après avoir dénoncé son professeur d’histoire de l’art pour harcèlement sexuel, elle désire passer à autre chose, alors quand Réginald Martindale, un conservateur anglais lui propose un poste lors d’une exposition dans sa galerie de Londres, elle accepte volontiers. Ce n’est qu’un travail de quelques semaines mais la jeune femme voit en cette opportunité une bonne raison pour quitter New York et ainsi espérer retrouver James . Afin de se donner toutes les chances de retrouver son amant perdu, Karina va approcher de plus près, la société écarlate, un lieu de libertinage que fréquente fréquemment James, et grâce à la rencontre avec Damon George, un artiste riche et dominateur qui va la prendre sous son aile en tant qu'esclave sexuelle dans cette Société secrète dont James est un des membres. Karina espère ainsi réussir à capter l'attention de son ex-amant, mais est-ce vraiment la meilleure des manières pour regagner ses faveurs ? Comment cet homme torturé va-t-il réagir face à cette situation ?

Du coté de l'écriture: La plume de Cécilia Tan est toujours aussi agréable et addictive, cette fois-ci elle nous transporte dans les rues de Londres et nous fait découvrir encore plus le coté BDSM de cette saga. Dès les premières pages, j'ai été littéralement transportée dans cet univers et dans l'histoire que nous conte l'auteure avec finesse et subtilité, alors, c'est vrai que ce coté BDSM, vous allez me dire que c'est pas vraiment fin mais j'ai trouvé que Cécilia Tan avait la faculté de nous décrire les scènes avec une belle sensualité et en aucun cas de vulgarité et c'est vraiment ce que j'ai apprécié dans ce livre et dans le premier opus d'ailleurs. Les personnages ne sont pas spécialement attachants de part leur coté rempli de mystère qui plane à chaque instant au dessus de leur tête mais la plume de l'auteure fait qu'on arrive tout de même à les apprécier vraiment. Même si James est très peu présent dans ce second tome voir même absent et j'en suis un peu désolée, il plane toujours sur l’histoire son " aura si sensuelle" qu'on a découvert dans le 1er tome. Les nouveaux personnages et notamment Damon, sont eux aussi très mystérieux et j'ai beaucoup aimé les jeunes soumises que nous rencontrons dans ce tome. La fin est égal au premier tome, tout en suspens et rebondissements ce qui promet je pense un troisième tome encore excellent .


En conclusion:
Dans ce tome, nous entrons plus profondément encore dans l'univers du BDSM mais la belle plume de Cécilia Tan nous apporte cette note de légèreté dans le récit qui fait que l'ambiance est agréable et pas glauque du tout . Les scènes explicites, je les ai trouvées vraiment belles malgré le coté noir de cette société et les mystères qui planent autour. L'auteure a réussi à nous écrire son roman tout en finesse et subtilité et ce mystère autour des personnages, qui c'est vrai, ne les rendent pas spécialement attachants mais nous les fait appréciés et rend cette lecture addictive. J'attends avec impatience le tome 3 qui sortira normalement en mai prochain . Ce ne sera pas un coup de cœur comme le premier tome mais cela a été un très bon moment de lecture

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Profile Image for Jeannie Zelos.
2,823 reviews55 followers
February 3, 2014
Slow Seduction. Cecilia Tan
Review from Jeannie Zelos Book reviews.
So we pick up the story with Karina determined to trace James, but with little to go on she's clutching at straws. The LL grapevine says he's in England ,so she jumps at the chance of a summer job in the art world in London. There she meets Damon, member of the English branch of the club in US that James took Karina to – and the one he abandoned her at. Not a happy memory for her, but she's willing to re renter that world if it helps her find James. Damon clearly wants her for himself though – openly says so, and isn't put off that she's told him about James, and her mission to find him, without revealing anything other than his club name. He agrees to help her, convinced that he can change her mind about him in the meantime...so she enters a world of Submission, Service and Secrets.
Karina didn't seem quite as sparky in this book, maybe its just that the magic is between her and James, and though she showed her mettle to Damon and clearly intrigued him, it wasn't as fun as when she was with James. Damon- on the surface helping, but we know he only wants her to find James convinced he will leave her again, leaving the way open for him. He's an odd man, very arrogant in ways, very in love with himself, and yet when it comes to Karina, like James he's fallen for her magic, the spark that makes her so different form the obedient, placid ladies he's used to. Then there's Vannette who has a senior position in club management. She seemed very cold at first I thought, and yet when Karina needed help and advice she was there and spot on.
Through her search Karina meets lots of other characters too, some funny and quirky, some from James past, and more of the LL fans. They crop up in a number of different, minor plots that end up joining and being connected. Its like that six degrees of separation thing again :) I thought it was really clever the way Cecilia has taken what seem like disparate events and characters, and yet woven them into a thread that winds round the journey, and brings it full circle. Once again there's lots of erotic sensuality without actual sex, and after all the books where its sex every other page, its such a treat to get an author who's clearly put a lot of thought into how to portray sensuality and passion, without just giving us constant, in your face, boring after a while sex. That's what happens when we get the same thing, page after page after page, it gets dull, the reader switches off and it loses its edge. I really enjoyed that Cecilia has taken a different direction with this book. When she does do sex, then it becomes something to be treasured, something special and revered, a magic moment between two lovers, more than just another quick shag, and fits the novel perfectly.
The ending – wow, what a lot of surprises and revelations, and once again I’ve a truckload of questions I need answering. Of course, as has become almost obligatory in contemporary erotica, there's a semi cliffhanger ending. Semi because thankfully Cecilia gives us a glimpse of what's to come at the end, and its positive so it left me wanting more, wanting it now but at least feeling positive, and not that awful empty feeling so many cliffhanger endings give me. Part three should be out this autumn :)
Stars: four and a half again. Fabulous read.
ARC supplied by Netgalley
Profile Image for ReadingDiva Book Reviews.
498 reviews83 followers
September 12, 2016
**Originally posted @ SinfulReads Blog**

REVIEW: If you have followed this blog for some time, you have realized by now that I am a big fan of independent, strong-minded and smart mouthy heroines. Cecilia Tan does not disappoint, she first introduced us to Karina in Slow Surrender. Now in Slow Seduction Karina has traveled to London in search of James, the man who has awaken her desire and need for submission.

I give it to Mrs. Tan, she has given us a more secure and mature Karina, one that isn’t afraid to explore and experience. She has kept Karina’s spunky personality, but has made her a more mature woman who is able to express and say things exactly as she feels them. However, we have met a more elusive and secretive James, a lot more than before, his running has only sparked questions that I am sure will be left unanswered and though we have a vague idea of his reasons for running, I can’t help but wonder if there is a bigger and darker reality to his unexpected departure.

Slow Seduction is pretty much dedicated to Karina’s exploration and seduction into a world of pleasure, submission and hard-core sexual experiences. We are also introduced to sexy, dark and sinful characters such as Damon George a rich and egotistical man who promise unimaginable pleasures. I think overall Slow Seduction has delivered a good follow-up story, and it has given us another taste of the world Karina has wanted to experience, though it is not necessarily what she wants, it has however allowed her to question her feelings and desires. Is it James she loves or the raw sensuality she experiences with him, is it what she feels for him or what he has accomplished to make her feel, is it love or what he has awaken inside her.

I am looking forward to the next installment and I am hopeful we get to see a more involved and giving James, because let’s be honest, he is secretive, sensual, kinky and that is the perfect combination to make him in all counts a hot character. I would like to see a lot more action between Karina & James, I want to be transported to the world where Slow Surrender took us, passion, sex, submission & pain.

Their chemistry is key and their romance is hot, if Cecilia Tan keeps the spark I think the trilogy would be a hit. Karina & James are likeable characters, and though there seem to be a lack of character development, I think if we are given a more emotional, raw and transcendental love story I think one can look past that small detail. Overall, Slow Seduction is a good read, it kept me looking for the next experience and the possibility of Karina & James reunion.
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