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beastreader's review against another edition
2.0
It has been a long while since I have read a book by Sandra. Yet, all of the books I did read by her were good. So I thought I would have no problems jumping right into Envy. The beginning of this book was good. The mystery surround what happened years ago between friends had me really wanting to know the truth like Maris.
My issues that I had with this book are:
1) Maris is boring.
2) The story lacked any real suspense
3) Too long of a storyline
4) Uninteresting characters
5) An so, so ending.
My issues that I had with this book are:
1) Maris is boring.
2) The story lacked any real suspense
3) Too long of a storyline
4) Uninteresting characters
5) An so, so ending.
gg1213's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. After the prologue, which was a little difficult to get into, though not for a lack of action, the story picked up and became a page turner that I couldn't put down. It wasn't a perfect book by any means, I will get into the few things that readers could have issues with in a moment, but it was a fun, fast paced read that is perfect if you want to take a break from fluffy, light hearted contemporary or heaver books.
The chapters were a little long, which can be a problem for those readers who like to break their reading up by chapter. The way the antagonist goes about his plot development is overdone in a far fetched way and it seemed like Brown was trying too hard to put across the fact that the bad guy is rotten to the core.
There is a bit of instalove. It's not as bad as in other stories, but the relationship develops in a jumpy sort of way that makes it seem like the characters involved go from hating one another to having deep affection with no middle ground to see that change shift.
The storyline was good, the plot was intriguing, but it also seemed like there were a lot of plot points that made it seem like multiple underdeveloped plotlines were going on together and I can see that getting confusing for readers who aren't planning on finishing the book in just a few sittings. It can also make the book itself come across as never ending with so many twists and new plot points popping up seemingly out of nowhere.
My last note isn't a gripe about the story, but it is a comment that some people might be able to relate to, I am a big fan of the television show "Frasier" and because of that, it makes it difficult to read or hear about anyone named Maris without picturing the forever unseen character from the sitcom.
Aw well, I got used to it, and anyone else who may be in the same boat will too soon enough after they start reading.
The chapters were a little long, which can be a problem for those readers who like to break their reading up by chapter. The way the antagonist goes about his plot development is overdone in a far fetched way and it seemed like Brown was trying too hard to put across the fact that the bad guy is rotten to the core.
There is a bit of instalove. It's not as bad as in other stories, but the relationship develops in a jumpy sort of way that makes it seem like the characters involved go from hating one another to having deep affection with no middle ground to see that change shift.
The storyline was good, the plot was intriguing, but it also seemed like there were a lot of plot points that made it seem like multiple underdeveloped plotlines were going on together and I can see that getting confusing for readers who aren't planning on finishing the book in just a few sittings. It can also make the book itself come across as never ending with so many twists and new plot points popping up seemingly out of nowhere.
My last note isn't a gripe about the story, but it is a comment that some people might be able to relate to, I am a big fan of the television show "Frasier" and because of that, it makes it difficult to read or hear about anyone named Maris without picturing the forever unseen character from the sitcom.
Aw well, I got used to it, and anyone else who may be in the same boat will too soon enough after they start reading.
littlelady_28's review against another edition
4.0
It took a while for me to get into this book, but by the half way mark, I found it hard to put down. A book publisher named Maris gets an intriguing prologue and goes to St.Anne's Island to convince the writer to continue the book. From there the story goes on to include love, deception, infidelity, and even murder. Just a few complaints: some of the characters were (to borrow a term from the book) a little too verbose. Also, while I liked the ending, there were almost too many plot twists; they took the story a little too far beyond believability. But all in all, a very enjoyable and engrossing book. I give it a B.
nixerix's review
3.0
Couldn't get into it at first and it sort of dragged at times. However... it has some very good twists, really well-fleshed out characters and a satisfying ending. Things ended up picking up and this redeemed itself as a well told story and good read.
All the SB novels I've read feature romance, but this one goes very heavy on it. It was a tad much for my own personal tastes and I felt a bit uncomfortable reading in such vivid detail during some parts. This is my own personal comfort level, however, and I don't deny that it was written well. I think someone who likes romance and drama in their books would really enjoy this.
All the SB novels I've read feature romance, but this one goes very heavy on it. It was a tad much for my own personal tastes and I felt a bit uncomfortable reading in such vivid detail during some parts. This is my own personal comfort level, however, and I don't deny that it was written well. I think someone who likes romance and drama in their books would really enjoy this.
gustus's review against another edition
4.0
Won this from Goodreads First Read Giveaway:
This romance-mystery book was well-written with a wonderful plot twist and characters. I won't go into detail of the plot as you can read from other reviews. However there is 2 problems that I have with this story:
- About half way through the book, Maris should have recognised the story written by Parker was in fact based on his on life and his relationship with Noah (i.e. a chapter of his book mentioned The Vanquished, the book Noah got famous for)
-. Really!?
But overall, I was enjoyed reading it, so 4/5.
This romance-mystery book was well-written with a wonderful plot twist and characters. I won't go into detail of the plot as you can read from other reviews. However there is 2 problems that I have with this story:
- About half way through the book, Maris should have recognised the story written by Parker was in fact based on his on life and his relationship with Noah (i.e. a chapter of his book mentioned The Vanquished, the book Noah got famous for)
-
Spoiler
At the end of the story, Maris said "That's why the kiss alarmed me. Because I knew you. And not just knew you, but knew you well,....,I had loved you for so long, Parker. For years. From the day I first read The vanquished"But overall, I was enjoyed reading it, so 4/5.
joyousreads132's review against another edition
4.0
It was a draft of a Prologue; nearly forgotten in a slush pile of Matherly Press. If they were a bigger publishing house, it would probably have ended up in little pieces of confetti. But Maris Matherly-Reed believes in a long-standing tradition of giving all prospective writers a chance. She believes that a writer, regardless of skills, deserves to be given the light of day. So she was going to ignore that the writer did not send in his or her query according to the guidelines. She was going to ignore that the writer didn’t even leave their contact information.
Had it not been for Maris’ innate ability to home in on an outstanding read, Parker’s novel would perhaps, have remained unwritten. Had it not been for Maris’ gift, a spool of revenge – fourteen years in the making – would have probably remained unraveled. When she found the wheelchair-bound writer, she was sure she’d never met a more egocentric, ill-mannered person. But the more time they spend working on finishing his novel, the more she gets pulled in on his web.
Another engrossing read by Ms. Brown. It didn’t take long for me to finish this one off. As usual, the entanglements of the mysteries in this book is out of this world. Something that was both easy to solve and at the same time, intricately woven. I especially loved the book within a book aspect. Basically, Parker wrote a story about his sordid past and submitted it to Maris’ publishing house with the intention of luring her into his web of revenge. Unfortunate for her, since she hadn’t a clue that she will spark off the flames that has long been smouldering inside of Parker.
It was, in all honesty, transparent. But I enjoyed it immensely, just the same. I couldn’t put it down. It was another one of those intricate knots that I had a great time untangling.
This book was written in 2001. Some of Sandra’s characterizations here will either be frowned upon, or jovially rejoiced – depending on which character you’re talking about. For instance, you have an ambitious critic who uses her body to get ahead in an otherwise, male dominant industry. It’s a classic case of objectification. Then, there’s Maris. She’s whip-smart. But when it comes to her husband, she’s easily placated. Sometimes, easily bested. I also found some of her male characters here to be sexists with their slighted remarks and condescending mannerisms. Bookish people will appreciate the insight to how the publishing industry works. From critiquing, marketing, and how small-time houses get swallowed by the big publishing companies, Sandra Brown shows the backdoor of how the machinery works. Really interesting stuff.
I really enjoyed this book, and really glad to find some more unread Sandra Brown in the basement of my house. I didn’t buy this new but I know I’ve had it for a while.
Had it not been for Maris’ innate ability to home in on an outstanding read, Parker’s novel would perhaps, have remained unwritten. Had it not been for Maris’ gift, a spool of revenge – fourteen years in the making – would have probably remained unraveled. When she found the wheelchair-bound writer, she was sure she’d never met a more egocentric, ill-mannered person. But the more time they spend working on finishing his novel, the more she gets pulled in on his web.
Another engrossing read by Ms. Brown. It didn’t take long for me to finish this one off. As usual, the entanglements of the mysteries in this book is out of this world. Something that was both easy to solve and at the same time, intricately woven. I especially loved the book within a book aspect. Basically, Parker wrote a story about his sordid past and submitted it to Maris’ publishing house with the intention of luring her into his web of revenge. Unfortunate for her, since she hadn’t a clue that she will spark off the flames that has long been smouldering inside of Parker.
It was, in all honesty, transparent. But I enjoyed it immensely, just the same. I couldn’t put it down. It was another one of those intricate knots that I had a great time untangling.
This book was written in 2001. Some of Sandra’s characterizations here will either be frowned upon, or jovially rejoiced – depending on which character you’re talking about. For instance, you have an ambitious critic who uses her body to get ahead in an otherwise, male dominant industry. It’s a classic case of objectification. Then, there’s Maris. She’s whip-smart. But when it comes to her husband, she’s easily placated. Sometimes, easily bested. I also found some of her male characters here to be sexists with their slighted remarks and condescending mannerisms. Bookish people will appreciate the insight to how the publishing industry works. From critiquing, marketing, and how small-time houses get swallowed by the big publishing companies, Sandra Brown shows the backdoor of how the machinery works. Really interesting stuff.
I really enjoyed this book, and really glad to find some more unread Sandra Brown in the basement of my house. I didn’t buy this new but I know I’ve had it for a while.
rainysakura's review against another edition
3.75
Based purely on plot, I could have given this book five stars. The writer writing about a writer writing about a writer was captivating. I couldn’t give it that fifth star though; the reason lies somewhere within the characters themselves. For such a long book, I didn’t feel like many of the characters had much depth, though I would say Maris is the exception. Even Parker seemed somewhat static for how big his character is. The other hang up for me was the dialogue. Many of the lines left me unconvinced of the characters’ heartbreak, malice, and love.