Envy

I had a difficult time reading this book because it’s like s book inside of a book. It made it somewhat cumbersome but was integral to the plot. The characters were strong and easy to like or dislike. I would recommend this book.

STORY BRIEF:Two stories are being told. The first story is about Maris, an editor and executive in her father's publishing company Matherly Press. Noah was a famous author who came to work at Matherly Press. He and Maris married. Maris recently read an unsolicited manuscript in her slush pile. It was a prologue titled "Envy" submitted by P.M.E. with no phone and no address. She loved it and eventually finds the author (Parker Evans) living on an island off Georgia. She travels there to discuss the book. She ends up staying longer than she planned.The second story is "Envy" (the novel Parker is writing). "Envy" starts with Todd, Roark and a girl renting a boat. They have been drinking. Something happens and the boat returns with only Todd on it. The story then goes back in time showing Todd and Roark before the boating accident. They had been college roommates and aspiring authors.REVIEWER'S OPINION:Very good. Solid writing. None of my pet peeves. It's an in depth mystery with some nice romantic development. After I had been reading for over an hour, I was so worried about what would happen to the good guys that I had to read the ending before going back to finish the story. Then I was able to relax a little more and enjoy it. The bad guy was frighteningly evil and deceptive. Mystery lovers should love it. To get 5 stars from me I would have wanted a little more wow factor or emotional draw. This was more of an intellectual draw, but very, very good. The sex scenes were a little weak on passion/emotion, but should appeal to romance lovers. Mystery/thriller lovers might not want the sex scenes.I noticed other reviewers saying there is not much mystery because one can guess a key plot point early on. I too guessed this, but other mysteries remained about what the main characters were going to do and how they were going to do it. So I feel the mystery label is appropriate.DATA:Story length: 549 pages. Swearing language: strong, including religious words. Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: 6. Total number of sex scene pages: 15. Setting: 1985 - 2002 Manhattan, NY, St. Anne Island, Georgia, Key West, Florida, and Tennessee. Copyright: 2001. Genre: mystery suspense thriller romance.OTHER BOOKS:I've read one other book by Sandra Brown. My 3.5 star review of "Where There's Smoke" copyright 1993 was posted 5-26-08.

I love Sandra Brown books and this one did not disappoint. I gave four stars because the ending felt a little rushed. However, I love the twists and turns!!!!!

I believe the author was able to carry out the overlapping efficiently and to keep the book and the story separate but together.

I'm on a Sandra Brown kick. I finished one and started another one book by her. They are addicting!Envy is as entertaining as all of the other books I have read by her. The suspense, intrigue, and twists are classic Sandra Brown.This novel begins when Maris Matherly-Reed receives a new manuscript for her review. She's a well-known editor and part owner of a very famous publishing house in NYC. She has a great relationship with her dad who opened the publishing house decades ago. She's married to Noah Reed, a famous writer who's now working for the publishing company as well.Maris can't stop thinking about the manuscript. She contacts the writer P.M.E. but he's rude and seems unapproachable. She knows she can't pass up this opportunity and she decides to travel south and convince P.M.E to sign up with them. P.M.E aka Parker Evans's novel could become the next hit. It's the tale of two friends who had a rivalry. They both aspired to become more. Jealousy and envy will prevent one of them from succeeding.When Maris meets Parker, she is taken by him. Behind the rude facade is a man who's in pain. He's also angry and she can tell he's keeping things from her. His manuscript is also captivating as the man who's writing it. Then, a terrible chain of events forces Maris to open her eyes and to realize what has been in front of her eyes all this time. But, is it too late???I loved Envy. Both main characters felt real to me. Their emotions jumped out of the pages and swirled all around me. Prepare yourself to be sucked into this novel without a chance to stop. I was compelled to continue in a rapid spiral to the end. Unputabledown to say the least. A great book with a great plotline! Yes, some of the twists I saw coming but they were done right. Sandra Brown's writing is addicting like I mentioned at the beginning of my review.Next for me is Lethal.Cliffhanger: No4.5/5 Fangs

good

Brilliant - one of her best

OK

brilliant story

Die Geschichte einer Freundschaft, die sich im Laufe der Jahre zu einer erbitterten Feindschaft entwickelt, spannend erzählt im Buch im Buch.Die New Yorker Verlegerin Maris Matherly-Reed bekommt einen Prolog zugesckickt. Sie ist von diesen ersten paar Seiten fasziniert, reist nach Georgia um mit dem Autor persönlich zu sprechen und wird somit zu seinem Werkzeug der Rache. Parker Evans hat alles bis auf's Kleinste geplant, hatte er doch mehr als ein Jahrzehnt Zeit seinen Plot zu entwickeln. Was er nicht geplant hat, sind die Gefühle, die sie gegenseitig entwickeln.Er "füttert" Maris mit weiteren Kapiteln seines Buches und schon bald wird ihr klar, daß der Autor selbst eine der beiden Hauptpersonen ist. Zu erkennen, daß der zweite Protagonist ihr eigener Ehemann Noah ist, dauert länger. Zu dem Zeitpunkt ist die Ehe jedoch schon zerrüttet und Maris hat das wahre Gesicht des Mannes gesehen, den sie geheiratet hat.Ein spannendes Buch, daß nur schwer aus der Hand zu legen ist. Ein Muß für alle Fans von Sandra Brown - meiner Meinung nach eines ihrer besten Bücher.