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Envy
New York book editor Maris Matherly-Reed knows a best seller when she sees one - even if it is just a tantalizing partial manuscript submitted by a writer identified only as P.M.E., with the return address of an obscure island off the Georgia coast. Maris is intrigued enough to search for him.
Her trip to Georgia to meet the mysterious author takes her to an eerie, ruined cotton plantation, where Maris finds Parker Evans, a man confined to a wheelchair who carefully hides his past. Coaxing his novel from him chaper by chapter, Maris becomes caught up in his tale of two friends who rent a boat with a young woman for a night of sex and drinking. Only one person will return from that trip.
Disturbed about her sexual attraction to Parker and worried about her marriage to author and her co-publisher Noah Reed, Maris returns to New York, where the delivery of Parker's newest chapters convince her they are more than fiction. She wonders how well she knows her husband and begins a harrowing search for a truth that ties back to a terrifying crime and a man who will use her, or anyone, to get his revenge.
©2001 Sandra Brown Management, Ltd; (P)2001 Simon & Schuster Inc.; AUDIOWORKS Is an Imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster Inc.
Her trip to Georgia to meet the mysterious author takes her to an eerie, ruined cotton plantation, where Maris finds Parker Evans, a man confined to a wheelchair who carefully hides his past. Coaxing his novel from him chaper by chapter, Maris becomes caught up in his tale of two friends who rent a boat with a young woman for a night of sex and drinking. Only one person will return from that trip.
Disturbed about her sexual attraction to Parker and worried about her marriage to author and her co-publisher Noah Reed, Maris returns to New York, where the delivery of Parker's newest chapters convince her they are more than fiction. She wonders how well she knows her husband and begins a harrowing search for a truth that ties back to a terrifying crime and a man who will use her, or anyone, to get his revenge.
©2001 Sandra Brown Management, Ltd; (P)2001 Simon & Schuster Inc.; AUDIOWORKS Is an Imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster Inc.
549 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
About the author
Sandra Brown
333 books18.2k followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Sandra Brown is the author of more than sixty New York Times bestsellers, including STING (2016), FRICTION (2015), MEAN STREAK (2014), DEADLINE(2013), & LOW PRESSURE (2012), LETHAL (2011).
Brown began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published over seventy novels, bringing the number of copies of her books in print worldwide to upwards of eighty million. Her work has been translated into over thirty languages.
In 2009 Brown detoured from romantic suspense to write, Rainwater, a much acclaimed, powerfully moving historical fiction story about honor and sacrifice during the Great Depression.
Brown was given an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Texas Christian University. She was named Thriller Master for 2008, the top award given by the International Thriller Writer’s Association. Other awards and commendations include the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Award for Literature and the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Sandra Brown is the author of more than sixty New York Times bestsellers, including STING (2016), FRICTION (2015), MEAN STREAK (2014), DEADLINE(2013), & LOW PRESSURE (2012), LETHAL (2011).
Brown began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published over seventy novels, bringing the number of copies of her books in print worldwide to upwards of eighty million. Her work has been translated into over thirty languages.
In 2009 Brown detoured from romantic suspense to write, Rainwater, a much acclaimed, powerfully moving historical fiction story about honor and sacrifice during the Great Depression.
Brown was given an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Texas Christian University. She was named Thriller Master for 2008, the top award given by the International Thriller Writer’s Association. Other awards and commendations include the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Award for Literature and the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,888 reviews
October 10, 2014
Envy was such a remarkable book. I have not read any other books by Sandra Brown so of course I didn't know what to expect. I read two amazing reviews and decided to give it a go.
When I started reading Envy, I could not put it down. It was that kind of book that I read every free moment I had. Finishing each chapter craving the next. I loved EVERYTHING about it. The characters, the location, the mystery.
For me, what made it so great was the depth of the characters and the mystery. It was also told in the present lives of the characters as well as in the past. There was no waiting for the mystery and intrigue. Right from the beginning it was as though Sandra Brown had opened Pandora’s Box. As a reader you are left needing to know the what, the who and the why.
Sandra Brown’s writing style is incredible. The main characters were complex and amazing. There wasn’t anything simple about them. Even the side characters, Mike, Nadia and Daniel added more mystery and kept you guessing motives and connections.
Sandra Brown doesn't make things easy for the reader which made everything so captivating. There was no skimming in this book. Every word was important to read. The building of the plot, the suspense and the conundrum at the heart of this “story” was remarkable!
And finally, I am sure you know that I love my sexy reads and all things romance. While this book was different, filled with suspense, twists and turns, I still got my romance. I still got the passion I love.
"I'm not pretty, Maris." "You're beautiful." Tentatively, she leaned toward him. He didn't stop her. She began at his neck and kissed her way down. Her lips whisked across his skin, her tongue licked it softly. Her mouth wetly covered his nipple and he hissed a profanity and sank his fingers into her hair....
It has been said in other reviews that you should go into this book blind with no real background of the story and I couldn’t agree more. Yes, I read two review’s but they didn’t give anything away. Honestly, you shouldn’t have anything else floating around in your mind because you’re going to have to use every morsel of your head to absorb everything that goes on. :)
LOVED LOVED LOVED IT! If you love Sandra Brown and haven’t read Envy, you MUST read it soon. If you have never read a book by Sandra Brown then I think Envy would be the perfect book for you!
February 23, 2019
4.5 Stars
Loved!
Loved!
September 19, 2014
Living on a remote island under an assumed name, novelist Parker Evans guards his secrets well. Fascinated by this reclusive genius, publisher Maris Matherly-Reed decides to pursue him. But this new project threatens an old commitment, a commitment at the very center of her life.
There are plenty of twists and turns and some of them may be a bit predictable but they kept me on my toes.
I really don’t want to say too much about the plot. You are better off just diving into the book.
“It takes far less courage to cling to the past than it does to face the future".”
It is like a story within a story, if that makes sense.
“He gathered a handful of her hair, then wound it around his fist and drew her closer until their faces were inches apart. He hesitated for several heartbeats, then settled his lips against hers, tested the angle, readjusted. He was moderately controlled until he heard a small whimper from her. He backed off, looked down into her eyes, and recognized a desire that equaled his own.
Control was abandoned. He covered her face with wild, random, artless kisses and she was doing the same to him. Then mouths melded and tongues touched, and they kissed with carnal greed.”
The hero is an ass quite a bit of the time. I know that will be a plus for some of you. But he has his reasons.
There is laughter, tears, mystery, love, hate, greed, sex … envy.
“Women readers aren`t turned on by nice heroes any more than male readers lust after heroines who are too virtuous.There should be at least a hint,maybe even a promise, of corruptibility.”
“The F word turns me on, she whispered.
"The F word?"
"Food"
He threw back his head and laughed. It rumbled up out of his chest and felt so good it startled him. For the first time in years,his laughter was spontaneous. It wasn`t tinged with bitterness and cynicism.”
This is about the third or fourth Sandra Brown book that I have read and they have all been excellent.
August 16, 2016
5 STARS ★★★★★
This book was SENSATIONAL! In fact I don’t even know where to begin with this review. It is definitely the type of book that you should go into blind. Don’t read any descriptions or possible spoilers… just read the book. I will not describe the story here… it is unnecessary to do so. You are much better off in your own head with this, trust me.
What I will say is that it totally caught me off-guard. This was the first book I’ve read by Sandra Brown, and it will definitely NOT BE THE LAST. She is a fantastic writer. Her writing style, her description, her characters… oh my God… these characters were so incredibly rich and juicy…so dark and complex. I fucking LOVED being in their heads. The story is told from multiple points of view, providing some really interesting insight into their motivations. And the plot was brilliantly laid out. Edge-of-your-seat kind of stuff…from start to finish. Just brilliant.
It will blow your freaking mind!!!!
And just in case you were wondering… is it a romance? It most definitely is, in the purest sense of the word. But you will have to work hard for it. You may have to bleed for it. But it’s there, behind all the trap doors and heavy curtains. And it is beautiful.
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Writing was demanding, solitary, backbreaking work. A writer mined the tunnels of his brain, using words for his pickaxe. A week’s effort might yield only one nugget that was worth keeping, and you could weep with pathetic gratitude over that.
![]()
“Control was abandoned. He covered her face with wild, random, artless kisses and she was doing the same to him. Then mouths melded and tongues touched, and they kissed with carnal greed.”
![]()
‘Some human characteristics are common to us all. Manifestation of these characteristics is dependent upon circumstance. Everyone has temporary displays of fear, happiness, frustration and so on.’
‘Other traits are unique to certain individuals. They define the person and his character. Among these traits are admirable examples like humility, charity, bravery.’
![]()
Parker
‘Unfortunately these have dark counterparts like jealousy, greed, and envy. Persons governed by one of these traits typically cloak it with charm, and most are very successful at it, because along with the trait invariably comes the cunning to conceal it.’
![]()
Noah
‘Nevertheless, the trait lives and matures inside them as insidiously as an eel inside a cave, waiting, even anticipating, the times with it can strike anything or anyone that threatens.’
![]()
Maris
I have no more to add. You will love this.
![]()
This book was SENSATIONAL! In fact I don’t even know where to begin with this review. It is definitely the type of book that you should go into blind. Don’t read any descriptions or possible spoilers… just read the book. I will not describe the story here… it is unnecessary to do so. You are much better off in your own head with this, trust me.
What I will say is that it totally caught me off-guard. This was the first book I’ve read by Sandra Brown, and it will definitely NOT BE THE LAST. She is a fantastic writer. Her writing style, her description, her characters… oh my God… these characters were so incredibly rich and juicy…so dark and complex. I fucking LOVED being in their heads. The story is told from multiple points of view, providing some really interesting insight into their motivations. And the plot was brilliantly laid out. Edge-of-your-seat kind of stuff…from start to finish. Just brilliant.
It will blow your freaking mind!!!!
And just in case you were wondering… is it a romance? It most definitely is, in the purest sense of the word. But you will have to work hard for it. You may have to bleed for it. But it’s there, behind all the trap doors and heavy curtains. And it is beautiful.
Writing was demanding, solitary, backbreaking work. A writer mined the tunnels of his brain, using words for his pickaxe. A week’s effort might yield only one nugget that was worth keeping, and you could weep with pathetic gratitude over that.
“Control was abandoned. He covered her face with wild, random, artless kisses and she was doing the same to him. Then mouths melded and tongues touched, and they kissed with carnal greed.”
‘Some human characteristics are common to us all. Manifestation of these characteristics is dependent upon circumstance. Everyone has temporary displays of fear, happiness, frustration and so on.’
‘Other traits are unique to certain individuals. They define the person and his character. Among these traits are admirable examples like humility, charity, bravery.’
Parker
‘Unfortunately these have dark counterparts like jealousy, greed, and envy. Persons governed by one of these traits typically cloak it with charm, and most are very successful at it, because along with the trait invariably comes the cunning to conceal it.’
Noah
‘Nevertheless, the trait lives and matures inside them as insidiously as an eel inside a cave, waiting, even anticipating, the times with it can strike anything or anyone that threatens.’
Maris
I have no more to add. You will love this.
August 5, 2021
4.5 stars 📕
Well, what the fuck…I freaking loved this. It’s honestly really hard to write a review about this without spoiling anything about it. I think a lot of the enjoyment of this book came from me knowing literally nothing about the plot, characters, or twists. Many things that make the book so good seem to all be spoilers in one way or another.
You may read this book and find out that I have mislead you in this review, but it was only to prevent anything from being spoiled or prevented you from creating any theories before reading. BTW, this is a romantic suspense/triller/mystery
Plot
The book follows Maris Matherly-Reed, a book editor that works at her dad’s publishing company, along with her husband. Maris comes across the prologue of a book about 2 friends that rent a boat, along with a woman, and take it on a ride off the coast to Key West. Only one of them makes it back. Maris instantly falls in love with the tale so she tracks down the author, Parker Evans, only to find out that he’s as arrogant as he is an asshole. As she learns more about Parker and his background, things seem to unravel around her.
Parker (H)
Listen, Parker is ANYTHING, but perfect. But, that’s what makes him such an amazing character. Okay, he’s an asshole. Like seriously, some of the things he does are extremely questionable. For example, when he first meets Maris he forcibly kisses her in hopes that she’ll get scared and leave. She doesn’t fall for it though, which I loved. He also says some really hurtful things to the people he cares about because he’s a self-sabotager
That scene truly pained me. I just hate when character try to push away the person they love because they think it’s the “best thing to do”. Parker is also cocky, yet extremely insecure about himself
Parker’s backstory’s is some of the most tragic I’ve ever read. The things that he overcame to get where he is, is so fucking incredible. Once again, it’s hard for me to say anything more about him without spoiling anything.
Maris (h)
This poor thing. Literally EVERYONE around her was either lying to her face or using her. It was pretty horrible to watch people smile in her face, but talk shit about her behind her back (this book is in 3rd person and told from multiple perspectives). But, I was cheering her on so hard because so many times I thought there was no way she would bounce back from all the betrayal, but damn did she freaking ever 😌
I loved that she was written as a strong heroine that didn’t take shit and didn’t let people walk over her despite the pretty lies people were telling her.
YES MA’AM 💅🏻💅🏻
Twists/Revenge tropes
I predicted a bunch of the plot twists, but there’s was still plenty of times that I was genuinely shocked by what I was reading it. There’s like half a million times where you think a character has been kicked down for the final time and they surprise you by getting back up
Everyone is trying to get revenge and everyone is being betrayed so I honestly didn’t know who to trust at the very beginning of the book, which ofc I loved and added to the suspense. You can really tell I was living for the plot because I made 98 notes in this book and that’s the most I’ve ever made
Banter
The banter between Maris and Parker is iconic. Whether they were angry at each other, making fun of each other, or horny for each other, I was absolutely livinggg
Did she lie?!
Now this scene, yes it long, but it's so good and it really depicts their relationship so well-
Final thoughts: This was incredible and the ending was so fucking satisfying, but also shocking. I wasn't shocked by the way it ended, more so how it ended (it does have HEA I wanna make that clear)
Note: Before you ask, yes Maris is married and yes her love interest is Parker a.k.a not her husband. I want to be clear that she does NOT cheat on her husband, not accounting for the kiss I mentioned between her and Parker.
Well, what the fuck…I freaking loved this. It’s honestly really hard to write a review about this without spoiling anything about it. I think a lot of the enjoyment of this book came from me knowing literally nothing about the plot, characters, or twists. Many things that make the book so good seem to all be spoilers in one way or another.
You may read this book and find out that I have mislead you in this review, but it was only to prevent anything from being spoiled or prevented you from creating any theories before reading. BTW, this is a romantic suspense/triller/mystery
Plot
The book follows Maris Matherly-Reed, a book editor that works at her dad’s publishing company, along with her husband. Maris comes across the prologue of a book about 2 friends that rent a boat, along with a woman, and take it on a ride off the coast to Key West. Only one of them makes it back. Maris instantly falls in love with the tale so she tracks down the author, Parker Evans, only to find out that he’s as arrogant as he is an asshole. As she learns more about Parker and his background, things seem to unravel around her.
Parker (H)
Listen, Parker is ANYTHING, but perfect. But, that’s what makes him such an amazing character. Okay, he’s an asshole. Like seriously, some of the things he does are extremely questionable. For example, when he first meets Maris he forcibly kisses her in hopes that she’ll get scared and leave. She doesn’t fall for it though, which I loved. He also says some really hurtful things to the people he cares about because he’s a self-sabotager
“…What in hell has this been about? Why the lies, the games?”
“They seemed like fun at the time. We both got laid. Several times last night you moaned, ‘Yes, yes, harder, faster, Parker.’ X-rated things, too. Sounded to me like you were having fun.”
That scene truly pained me. I just hate when character try to push away the person they love because they think it’s the “best thing to do”. Parker is also cocky, yet extremely insecure about himself
“I’m not pretty, Maris.”
“You’re beautiful.”
Parker’s backstory’s is some of the most tragic I’ve ever read. The things that he overcame to get where he is, is so fucking incredible. Once again, it’s hard for me to say anything more about him without spoiling anything.
Maris (h)
This poor thing. Literally EVERYONE around her was either lying to her face or using her. It was pretty horrible to watch people smile in her face, but talk shit about her behind her back (this book is in 3rd person and told from multiple perspectives). But, I was cheering her on so hard because so many times I thought there was no way she would bounce back from all the betrayal, but damn did she freaking ever 😌
I loved that she was written as a strong heroine that didn’t take shit and didn’t let people walk over her despite the pretty lies people were telling her.
He’d treated her like a child who could be easily mollified with a candy stick, or a pet whose trust could be earned with a pat on the head…The way in which he’d placated her had been more belittling than his original offense. Didn’t he know her any better than to think she could be so easily defused and dismissed?
YES MA’AM 💅🏻💅🏻
Twists/Revenge tropes
I predicted a bunch of the plot twists, but there’s was still plenty of times that I was genuinely shocked by what I was reading it. There’s like half a million times where you think a character has been kicked down for the final time and they surprise you by getting back up
Everyone is trying to get revenge and everyone is being betrayed so I honestly didn’t know who to trust at the very beginning of the book, which ofc I loved and added to the suspense. You can really tell I was living for the plot because I made 98 notes in this book and that’s the most I’ve ever made
Banter
The banter between Maris and Parker is iconic. Whether they were angry at each other, making fun of each other, or horny for each other, I was absolutely livinggg
“Stop it, Parker.”
“Okay, I will.”
“Thank you.”
“When you stop looking like that.”
“Like what?”
“Thoroughly fuckable.”
“That’s not a word.”
“Thoroughly? Is, too.”
“I should have you charged with sexual harassment.”
“I’d deny it.”
She knew exactly what he was thinking. Their minds were moving along the same track. He could see it in the way her eyes turned smoky and hear it in the catch of her breath.
“The f word turns me on,” she whispered.
“The f word?”
“Food.”
Did she lie?!
Now this scene, yes it long, but it's so good and it really depicts their relationship so well-
“Why don’t you have your navel pierced?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“If you’re going to wear hip-riding skirts and shirts that tie at the waist, why don’t you have—”
“I heard you.”
“Then why?”
“Because I don’t want to.”
“Too bad.”
“The thought of it gives me the willies.”
“A small loop. A tiny diamond stud. It’d be sexy. Er. Sexier.” His eyes moved up from her midsection to her face. “Those glimpses of your belly button are already a major turn-on.”
She squared her shoulders. “Parker, if we’re going to have a professional relationship, you cannot talk to me like that.”
“I can talk to you any damn way I please.”
She gave a stubborn shake of her head. “Not if you want to work with me, you can’t.”
“You’re free to go.”
Final thoughts: This was incredible and the ending was so fucking satisfying, but also shocking. I wasn't shocked by the way it ended, more so how it ended (it does have HEA I wanna make that clear)
Note: Before you ask, yes Maris is married and yes her love interest is Parker a.k.a not her husband. I want to be clear that she does NOT cheat on her husband, not accounting for the kiss I mentioned between her and Parker.
April 28, 2016
Seriously slacking in the review department. No mojo. I liked this one, though. It had a nice combination of suspense and romance.
January 9, 2016
Written March 15, 2015
4.7 Stars - Top quality crime novel with a nice romance touch. Add a superb narrator making it so very exciting
At last was it time for a Sandra Brown book. My friends Karen and Mo's so beloved suspense / crime writer. I crossed my fingers for a great start to a new author with has a high pile of beloved books to choose from.
High Five! ~ For a new book-life with Sandra Brown
This was a great novel, with a thrilling good crime plot and a sweet romance part. I loved it all and I was kind if exhausted and drained after over 14 exciting audiobooks hours. — I needed a night to summarize my thoughts.
***********************************************************
New York and Georgia 2002
Something horrible happened three summer happy 'youngsters' on a boat trip 1988. The (shy and hiding) novelist Parker Evans, living on a, once grand but nowadays ruined, cotton plantation on a small Georgia island, tells us a sad story about two college kids and an unsolved death.
Envy is also the story about the New York book editor (publisher) Maris Matherly-Reed who feels an interest in a tantalizing partial manuscript submitted by a writer identified only as P.M.E.
Maris has a goodlooking former rake and womanizer, the talanted (one success novel) author and co-publisher Noah Reed, as her husband. But things has started to feel odd and Maris starts to wondering if she really know her husband? Is there something wrong or are she just imagine it all?
***********************************************************
The audiobook edition, narrator etc
I listened to the 14:40 hrs audiobook narrated by Victor Slezak. He was simply fantastic. Not a tiny little complaining from me. Not one bad character voice or any lacks whatsoever. I have a fondness for male deep voiced narrators and here I got another favorite to that bunch. ~ I'll for sure search for more books read by him.
***********************************************************
Envy is a story about old debilitating ugly envy (course) and a book in the book, but also a novel about our love for books, the struggle with writing and those who tells a really good story. As this story.
I'm not sure this should be labeled as just a crime romance. I should recommend it to all novel readers in the bigger fiction crime genre. Even hubbies, brothers or non romances loving girlfriends. This is romantic, and sexy enough, but that's more a second (wonderful) topic, which I liked.
***********************************************************
I may have guessed some of the outcomes in the (very well done) plot quite early, but I don't want spoil anymore here, so I stay with these words. ~ Highly recommended! I just found a new favorite author to enjoy in the future. I like clever stories...good brain training.
I LIKE - yep, enormously glad about it
4.7 Stars - Top quality crime novel with a nice romance touch. Add a superb narrator making it so very exciting
At last was it time for a Sandra Brown book. My friends Karen and Mo's so beloved suspense / crime writer. I crossed my fingers for a great start to a new author with has a high pile of beloved books to choose from.
High Five! ~ For a new book-life with Sandra Brown
This was a great novel, with a thrilling good crime plot and a sweet romance part. I loved it all and I was kind if exhausted and drained after over 14 exciting audiobooks hours. — I needed a night to summarize my thoughts.
***********************************************************
“It takes far less courage to cling to the past than it does to face the future.”
New York and Georgia 2002
Something horrible happened three summer happy 'youngsters' on a boat trip 1988. The (shy and hiding) novelist Parker Evans, living on a, once grand but nowadays ruined, cotton plantation on a small Georgia island, tells us a sad story about two college kids and an unsolved death.
Envy is also the story about the New York book editor (publisher) Maris Matherly-Reed who feels an interest in a tantalizing partial manuscript submitted by a writer identified only as P.M.E.
Maris has a goodlooking former rake and womanizer, the talanted (one success novel) author and co-publisher Noah Reed, as her husband. But things has started to feel odd and Maris starts to wondering if she really know her husband? Is there something wrong or are she just imagine it all?
***********************************************************
The audiobook edition, narrator etc
I listened to the 14:40 hrs audiobook narrated by Victor Slezak. He was simply fantastic. Not a tiny little complaining from me. Not one bad character voice or any lacks whatsoever. I have a fondness for male deep voiced narrators and here I got another favorite to that bunch. ~ I'll for sure search for more books read by him.
***********************************************************
Envy is a story about old debilitating ugly envy (course) and a book in the book, but also a novel about our love for books, the struggle with writing and those who tells a really good story. As this story.
“Women readers aren't turned on by nice heroes any more than male readers lust after heroines who are too virtuous. There should be at least a hint, maybe even a promise, of corruptibility.”
I'm not sure this should be labeled as just a crime romance. I should recommend it to all novel readers in the bigger fiction crime genre. Even hubbies, brothers or non romances loving girlfriends. This is romantic, and sexy enough, but that's more a second (wonderful) topic, which I liked.
***********************************************************
I may have guessed some of the outcomes in the (very well done) plot quite early, but I don't want spoil anymore here, so I stay with these words. ~ Highly recommended! I just found a new favorite author to enjoy in the future. I like clever stories...good brain training.
I LIKE - yep, enormously glad about it
February 5, 2016
Envy is a standalone, thriller/mystery novel written by author Sandra Brown. I just discovered Ms. Brown in 2014 and obviously haven't read all of her novels yet, but based on what I have read I had already come to my own conclusion that her recent novels are bounds better than anything she has written in the past.
Yeah...I was wrong. Not that her new stuff isn't good! OMG, Mean Streak and Friction are freakin' amazing! But Envy is just as good, and fortunately for me, my premature conclusion has just been dismissed.
Envy features an array of mysteriously complicated relationships, it shows the ugliness of envy, deceit, and revenge, and it's a book about writing a book for God's sake! Oh...I forgot to mention one tiny, little thing: wheelchair sex. Let's just say that although our hero may have some physical limitations, his virility is not one of them. Mmmmm.
I'm glad I gave Envy a chance even though I thought I had already read the author's best work. I've opened myself up to an entire library of Sandra Brown thrillers and I'm super excited! Check her out!
My favorite quote:
"Everyone is opportunistic. Everyone. Without exception. Only the degree of one's opportunism separates him from others. How far is one willing to go to get what he wants?"
01/31/16:
Review to come...
Yeah...I was wrong. Not that her new stuff isn't good! OMG, Mean Streak and Friction are freakin' amazing! But Envy is just as good, and fortunately for me, my premature conclusion has just been dismissed.
Envy features an array of mysteriously complicated relationships, it shows the ugliness of envy, deceit, and revenge, and it's a book about writing a book for God's sake! Oh...I forgot to mention one tiny, little thing: wheelchair sex. Let's just say that although our hero may have some physical limitations, his virility is not one of them. Mmmmm.
I'm glad I gave Envy a chance even though I thought I had already read the author's best work. I've opened myself up to an entire library of Sandra Brown thrillers and I'm super excited! Check her out!
My favorite quote:
"Everyone is opportunistic. Everyone. Without exception. Only the degree of one's opportunism separates him from others. How far is one willing to go to get what he wants?"
01/31/16:
Review to come...
December 30, 2008
Who knew Sandra Brown could write sexy and scary so well together?
My neighbor did, I suppose. She has been pushing this book off on me for the past year and I finally gave in and read it over the holiday. So glad I did!
New York publisher, Maris "Matherly" Reed, receives an intriguing manuscript regarding two college kids and an unsolved murder from someone identified only as P.M.E. She feels compelled to meet the anonymous author, so she travels to a remote Georgia island and begins snooping around. On a cotton plantation she finds razor sharp Parker Evens, a man who is concealing his true identity and his ties to Maris.
There were several subplots and twists to this story that kept me on the edge of my seat, including an interesting subplot with Maris's sleezy husband, Noah, and her nemesis, Nadia. Like I said - this one is a real nailbiter. I am off to get a manicure now. =)
My neighbor did, I suppose. She has been pushing this book off on me for the past year and I finally gave in and read it over the holiday. So glad I did!
New York publisher, Maris "Matherly" Reed, receives an intriguing manuscript regarding two college kids and an unsolved murder from someone identified only as P.M.E. She feels compelled to meet the anonymous author, so she travels to a remote Georgia island and begins snooping around. On a cotton plantation she finds razor sharp Parker Evens, a man who is concealing his true identity and his ties to Maris.
There were several subplots and twists to this story that kept me on the edge of my seat, including an interesting subplot with Maris's sleezy husband, Noah, and her nemesis, Nadia. Like I said - this one is a real nailbiter. I am off to get a manicure now. =)
October 12, 2014
This summer I started to read suspense/thriller novels and they became my new obsession. Yes, there are cliches even here, but nothing that I can't get over. I thought that there would be no one better than Linda Howard. And then I started to read Sandra Brown.
Five reasons why you should read Envy:
1. Story that will keep your attention until the very end. It just pulls you in from the page one and doesn't let you go. I couldn't do anything else but read because I had to know what happens next. And you get two stories in one - I should probably stop talking now before I spoil it for you. The best way to read this book would be just to pic it up an read. Don't ask too many questions.
2. Characters. So complex and well developed. You live and breathe with them.
3. Writing. And all parts about being a writer. I like to say that you can always notice when author writes about something that is familiar and personal for her/him, and there is nothing more personal for author than the very process of writing and creating fictional world.
4. Angst, but not the kind of angst you will find in popular trashy romance novels.
5. Parker. He is heart and soul of this book and one of the most intriguing characters I've read about.
But unfortunately, Envy didn't stay amazing all way trough. Last few chapters were rushed and filled with too much melodrama. I wish it ended differently, but still it was a good book.
Who should read it? Fans of good suspense stories.
Five reasons why you should read Envy:
1. Story that will keep your attention until the very end. It just pulls you in from the page one and doesn't let you go. I couldn't do anything else but read because I had to know what happens next. And you get two stories in one - I should probably stop talking now before I spoil it for you. The best way to read this book would be just to pic it up an read. Don't ask too many questions.
2. Characters. So complex and well developed. You live and breathe with them.
3. Writing. And all parts about being a writer. I like to say that you can always notice when author writes about something that is familiar and personal for her/him, and there is nothing more personal for author than the very process of writing and creating fictional world.
4. Angst, but not the kind of angst you will find in popular trashy romance novels.
5. Parker. He is heart and soul of this book and one of the most intriguing characters I've read about.
But unfortunately, Envy didn't stay amazing all way trough. Last few chapters were rushed and filled with too much melodrama. I wish it ended differently, but still it was a good book.
Who should read it? Fans of good suspense stories.
May 10, 2023
Sooo I really liked this book.
Maris Matherly Reed, daughter of the esteemed publisher Daniel Matherly and well known editor in her own right, happens upon a gem of a prologue in her slush pile. Determined to read more of the captivating story, Maris seeks to find the reclusive author who had given her only initials and the name of a small island off the Georgian coast as clues to their identity.
This book is so much better if you don't know anymore about it than that. I promise, just read it. 4.5/5 stars!
Maris Matherly Reed, daughter of the esteemed publisher Daniel Matherly and well known editor in her own right, happens upon a gem of a prologue in her slush pile. Determined to read more of the captivating story, Maris seeks to find the reclusive author who had given her only initials and the name of a small island off the Georgian coast as clues to their identity.
This book is so much better if you don't know anymore about it than that. I promise, just read it. 4.5/5 stars!
February 27, 2015
“Envy. That’s what this is all about. Envy."
Sandra Brown is one of those authors that I have been wanting to check out for a long time. I see rave reviews of her work on my friends updates and walls. Her books have been sitting on my TBR shelf forever! I simply cannot rave enough about my first Sandra Brown read! Envy has suspense, a well developed plot, intriguing characters, greed, romance, and of course envy!
Maris is a smart and savvy business woman. She is passionate about her job as an editor and has an amazing relationship with her father.
"Her mother’s death could have been a heartache that wedged them apart. Instead, it had forged the bond between father and daughter. His discipline had been firm and consistent, but only rarely necessary."
I absolutely adored Daniel (Maris' father). He was such a kindred spirit. Oh the gift of a good parent is like nothing else in the world. I found myself rereading his dialogue as if it were a message from my own father.
"Marriages go through periods like this. Even good marriages. Dry spells, if you will.”-Daniel
Professionally Maris is happy but personally she is struggling. Although she is married to a sophisticated equally savvy man, she knows that something is amiss. While immersed in her work, she comes across a prologue to a book entitled Envy. She makes her mind up to meet the author and enrage him to complete the book so that she can publish it.
Parker is the mysterious author of Envy. He has quite a story to tell. He is not a happy man. It took me a while to understand his character. It is the anticipation of knowing his past that keeps the reader engaged in the present story.
Maris leaves the hustle and bustle of the big city to visit Parker. She wants to pursue his book. She has no idea what she is walking in on. He is crass and gritty and full of spite. Maris is one hot headed heroine. When she has made up her mind, she won't stop until she gets exactly what she is after.
Maris thrives on the quiet island. She spends time listening to Parker read his novel. As the story is revealed, Maris becomes more comfortable with Parker.
"If he’d been forced to use an applicable adverb to describe the way in which they were looking at one another, he would choose “expectantly,” a modifier that combined curiosity with caution, wonderment with undertones of wariness."-Parker
Meanwhile, Noah (Maris' husband) is up to no good. As the plot slowly reveals itself, we see what kind of man Noah truly is.
Maris is such a great heroine. I loved watching her grow. She knows that she is doubting her marriage. She knows that she is feeling something for Parker and yet she cannot quite explain it.
“He’s the most complex individual I’ve ever met,”-Maris
Envy isn't just a love story (although the love story is a beautiful one). Envy is full of suspense, drama, failed friendships, and choices.
As much as I would love to give you more information about this story, I can't! I don't want to ruin it for you. It doesn't take long to put some of the pieces of the puzzle together and yet the full picture doesn't fall into place until the last few pages of the book. The pacing in Envy is perfect. About half way through the book, I simply could not put it down. I will not hesitate to read another Sandra Brown novel. Her writing is like dining in a 5 star restaurant. It's hard to hit the drive thru after experiencing such genius!
"Maris had been essential to his plot, but he hadn’t expected her to become essential to him. In the brief time she had been in his life, she had become the most important element of it."-Parker
Sandra Brown is one of those authors that I have been wanting to check out for a long time. I see rave reviews of her work on my friends updates and walls. Her books have been sitting on my TBR shelf forever! I simply cannot rave enough about my first Sandra Brown read! Envy has suspense, a well developed plot, intriguing characters, greed, romance, and of course envy!
Maris is a smart and savvy business woman. She is passionate about her job as an editor and has an amazing relationship with her father.
"Her mother’s death could have been a heartache that wedged them apart. Instead, it had forged the bond between father and daughter. His discipline had been firm and consistent, but only rarely necessary."
I absolutely adored Daniel (Maris' father). He was such a kindred spirit. Oh the gift of a good parent is like nothing else in the world. I found myself rereading his dialogue as if it were a message from my own father.
"Marriages go through periods like this. Even good marriages. Dry spells, if you will.”-Daniel
Professionally Maris is happy but personally she is struggling. Although she is married to a sophisticated equally savvy man, she knows that something is amiss. While immersed in her work, she comes across a prologue to a book entitled Envy. She makes her mind up to meet the author and enrage him to complete the book so that she can publish it.
Parker is the mysterious author of Envy. He has quite a story to tell. He is not a happy man. It took me a while to understand his character. It is the anticipation of knowing his past that keeps the reader engaged in the present story.
Maris leaves the hustle and bustle of the big city to visit Parker. She wants to pursue his book. She has no idea what she is walking in on. He is crass and gritty and full of spite. Maris is one hot headed heroine. When she has made up her mind, she won't stop until she gets exactly what she is after.
Maris thrives on the quiet island. She spends time listening to Parker read his novel. As the story is revealed, Maris becomes more comfortable with Parker.
"If he’d been forced to use an applicable adverb to describe the way in which they were looking at one another, he would choose “expectantly,” a modifier that combined curiosity with caution, wonderment with undertones of wariness."-Parker
Meanwhile, Noah (Maris' husband) is up to no good. As the plot slowly reveals itself, we see what kind of man Noah truly is.
Maris is such a great heroine. I loved watching her grow. She knows that she is doubting her marriage. She knows that she is feeling something for Parker and yet she cannot quite explain it.
“He’s the most complex individual I’ve ever met,”-Maris
Envy isn't just a love story (although the love story is a beautiful one). Envy is full of suspense, drama, failed friendships, and choices.
As much as I would love to give you more information about this story, I can't! I don't want to ruin it for you. It doesn't take long to put some of the pieces of the puzzle together and yet the full picture doesn't fall into place until the last few pages of the book. The pacing in Envy is perfect. About half way through the book, I simply could not put it down. I will not hesitate to read another Sandra Brown novel. Her writing is like dining in a 5 star restaurant. It's hard to hit the drive thru after experiencing such genius!
"Maris had been essential to his plot, but he hadn’t expected her to become essential to him. In the brief time she had been in his life, she had become the most important element of it."-Parker
October 22, 2014
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What a brilliant book! Sandra Brown is a fantastic author!
I've read 2 books only by her so far, including this one and both turn up to be 5 stars reads.
Even though I did guess very early on what was going on in this one, she kept me on my toes and made me second guess and re-think EVERYTHING. ❤️ this author.
What a brilliant book! Sandra Brown is a fantastic author!
I've read 2 books only by her so far, including this one and both turn up to be 5 stars reads.
Even though I did guess very early on what was going on in this one, she kept me on my toes and made me second guess and re-think EVERYTHING. ❤️ this author.
January 3, 2016
To all outward appearances Maris Matherly-Reed leads a charmed life and has everything. Books have been her passion every since she can remember, and she’s the sole heir to the well respected Matherly Publishing. She’s totally immersed in the literary world and has a lot of power. Maris also snagged publishing’s most eligible bachelor, Noah Reed, the author of her favorite book. She was halfway in love with him even before laying eyes on him just because of his words. But seeing how gorgeous and charismatic he was, and the fact that he wanted her after breaking so many hearts was the icing on the cake. While marrying Noah seemed like a dream come true, things seem a little off to her now.
Her doubts in regards to Noah get put on the back burner when a story from the “slush” pile catches Maris’ eye. She reads it and is hooked, but realizes the rest of the book is not there. Neither is the writer’s contact info, only the initials: P.M.E. Envy, as the prologue is called, recounts a day of celebration that goes horribly wrong and Maris desperately wants to know what happened. She feels compelled to search for the mysterious P.M.E. not knowing the secrets and past she’s about to uncover.
Envy was a real page turner with twists and connections at every corner. The villain was a master plotter, evil to the core; a narcissistic creep! After getting away with so much this person overestimated their cleverness and underestimated the intelligence of others; “pride comes before a fall” and I was eagerly looking forward to that fulfillment! It was sweet watching him/her get some of their own medicine because most of the book I wanted to reach into the pages and smack this person silly!
I adored Maris! She was sweet, pure-hearted and looked for the best in people or a situation, but wasn’t stupid enough to fall for bullshit when someone is trying to spoon feed it to her.
Our hero was unrefined and crass; a dirty talker who liked to shock, but one who had a vulnerable soft heart. He had an intense pull on Maris, and she affects him far more than he expected. Add in the steamy, sultry southern setting, and you have a recipe for a smoldering romance.
Envy was another score for Sandra Brown, and as usual with her books I was glued to the pages! I usually end up putting aside everything else so I can finish and find out how it all turns out. I think one of the best features of a Sandra Brown story is the fact that the bad guy usually gets a much deserved payback, one that is cleverly delivered. Envy was no exception and I was grinning in satisfaction when this villain got their comeuppance! If you love mysteries with a hot romance or romantic suspense and haven’t picked up a Sandra Brown novel, you are definitely missing out.
This review is also posted at The Readers Den.
Her doubts in regards to Noah get put on the back burner when a story from the “slush” pile catches Maris’ eye. She reads it and is hooked, but realizes the rest of the book is not there. Neither is the writer’s contact info, only the initials: P.M.E. Envy, as the prologue is called, recounts a day of celebration that goes horribly wrong and Maris desperately wants to know what happened. She feels compelled to search for the mysterious P.M.E. not knowing the secrets and past she’s about to uncover.
Envy was a real page turner with twists and connections at every corner. The villain was a master plotter, evil to the core; a narcissistic creep! After getting away with so much this person overestimated their cleverness and underestimated the intelligence of others; “pride comes before a fall” and I was eagerly looking forward to that fulfillment! It was sweet watching him/her get some of their own medicine because most of the book I wanted to reach into the pages and smack this person silly!
I adored Maris! She was sweet, pure-hearted and looked for the best in people or a situation, but wasn’t stupid enough to fall for bullshit when someone is trying to spoon feed it to her.
Our hero was unrefined and crass; a dirty talker who liked to shock, but one who had a vulnerable soft heart. He had an intense pull on Maris, and she affects him far more than he expected. Add in the steamy, sultry southern setting, and you have a recipe for a smoldering romance.
Envy was another score for Sandra Brown, and as usual with her books I was glued to the pages! I usually end up putting aside everything else so I can finish and find out how it all turns out. I think one of the best features of a Sandra Brown story is the fact that the bad guy usually gets a much deserved payback, one that is cleverly delivered. Envy was no exception and I was grinning in satisfaction when this villain got their comeuppance! If you love mysteries with a hot romance or romantic suspense and haven’t picked up a Sandra Brown novel, you are definitely missing out.
This review is also posted at The Readers Den.
December 14, 2014
5 SPELLBINDING STARS
Why I waited so long to read Sandra Brown is beyond me? I’ve read two great reviews on this novel (thankfully they gave nothing away) and a few reviews on some of her other books and all of them were 5 star raves. So, SB had been hovering at the top of my TBR list for a while…Wow, this was an EXHLARATING read!
I love going in blind on a book and this one was no exception! Ms. Brown is a brilliant writer. I could hear the cicadas and feel the thick, humid air clinging to my skin.
“The island had captivated her with its lavish landscape and its musical insects whose concert lulled her to sleep every night. At first she’d found the humidity cloying and almost unbearable, but she had actually come to like the feel of it against her skin. With its moss-laden trees that were almost as ancient as the surf, the island was otherworldly, entrancing and seductive.”
And her imagery and metaphors are so vivid and priceless: “He likened the place to an old whore. It looked used, seedy, a little unhealthy, and a lot tired.”
PARKER - “His foul, abusive, nasty mouth”
MARIS - “Eloquent, classy and dignified”
NOAH - “His strength was his cunning”
This story had so many twists and turns and even if you see it coming, it’s still mesmerizing. The characters were amazing and I was just so caught up in this book that when RL got in the way and forced me to put this down, I had my Todd-like moments ;D
If you love amazing writing were every word is essential, a plot that is multi-dimensional and engrossing, and characters that are real, complex and magnetic…you MUST READ this book!!
Why I waited so long to read Sandra Brown is beyond me? I’ve read two great reviews on this novel (thankfully they gave nothing away) and a few reviews on some of her other books and all of them were 5 star raves. So, SB had been hovering at the top of my TBR list for a while…Wow, this was an EXHLARATING read!
I love going in blind on a book and this one was no exception! Ms. Brown is a brilliant writer. I could hear the cicadas and feel the thick, humid air clinging to my skin.
“The island had captivated her with its lavish landscape and its musical insects whose concert lulled her to sleep every night. At first she’d found the humidity cloying and almost unbearable, but she had actually come to like the feel of it against her skin. With its moss-laden trees that were almost as ancient as the surf, the island was otherworldly, entrancing and seductive.”
And her imagery and metaphors are so vivid and priceless: “He likened the place to an old whore. It looked used, seedy, a little unhealthy, and a lot tired.”
PARKER - “His foul, abusive, nasty mouth”
MARIS - “Eloquent, classy and dignified”
NOAH - “His strength was his cunning”
This story had so many twists and turns and even if you see it coming, it’s still mesmerizing. The characters were amazing and I was just so caught up in this book that when RL got in the way and forced me to put this down, I had my Todd-like moments ;D
If you love amazing writing were every word is essential, a plot that is multi-dimensional and engrossing, and characters that are real, complex and magnetic…you MUST READ this book!!
December 3, 2014
This is my favorite SB yet! Filled with mystery, intrigue, incredible suspense, unfathomable events and a heavy dose of sensual romance, I loved it. SB has a way of building things up, revealing little by little...making you think one thing while suspicious of another. And she does this all seamlessly and brilliantly. My mind is always working overtime when I read her work so it's no surprise I figured things out early on. It's not my keen mind but the knowledge that anything she writes has to be looked at in the most cunning of ways. Never take anything at face value and always suspect everyone, hence clueing into what happened.
Even suspecting things didn't prepare me for my reaction to how everything went down as portrayed in the prologue, it was heartbreakingly sinister. But seriously, writing a book about a writer writing his own book? That may sound redundant but it was done so well, so detailed I was blown away. I loved Maris and how she never gave up on Parker. The love scenes were trademark SB: erotic and sensual without being overly drawn out. I love that! It doesn't take from the story but adds that lovely romantic element I crave.
And the way she describes things from the scenery to a characters action is flawless. I felt like I was in Georgia, I felt the claustrophobic humidity and smelled the foliage, just loved this and highly recommend it!
Thanks Mo! <3
Even suspecting things didn't prepare me for my reaction to how everything went down as portrayed in the prologue, it was heartbreakingly sinister. But seriously, writing a book about a writer writing his own book? That may sound redundant but it was done so well, so detailed I was blown away. I loved Maris and how she never gave up on Parker. The love scenes were trademark SB: erotic and sensual without being overly drawn out. I love that! It doesn't take from the story but adds that lovely romantic element I crave.
And the way she describes things from the scenery to a characters action is flawless. I felt like I was in Georgia, I felt the claustrophobic humidity and smelled the foliage, just loved this and highly recommend it!
Thanks Mo! <3
March 23, 2010
OK, this really deserves 3.5*, but I just couldn't give it 4* for two reasons:
1. Maris fell in love with Noah because she loved his book so much - I know that reason can go out the window when emotions walk in the door, but really?!!
2. Maris again - she came to Parker's bed while still claiming to love her husband, and then was upset with him for 'using' her and pushing her out the door (which he did).
Envy is a good read; a well-told story with some predictable plotlines but also some surprising twists.
Bottom line? I had a problem with Maris. However, I loved Mike - he was the real hero of this book!
And I really liked the story-within-a-story format.
1. Maris fell in love with Noah because she loved his book so much - I know that reason can go out the window when emotions walk in the door, but really?!!
2. Maris again - she came to Parker's bed while still claiming to love her husband, and then was upset with him for 'using' her and pushing her out the door (which he did).
Envy is a good read; a well-told story with some predictable plotlines but also some surprising twists.
Bottom line? I had a problem with Maris. However, I loved Mike - he was the real hero of this book!
And I really liked the story-within-a-story format.
April 5, 2024
6/30/20 I listened to this again and it was just as enjoyable.
Reviewed for Audiogals.net
Narrated by Viktor Slezak
Envy came to my attention over a year ago, but I kept putting it off because I feared it wouldn’t have enough relationship development. For decades I’d read straight mystery and suspense, and while I still love suspense, I now want books with a strong romantic element. Surely, I thought, Sandra Brown is too mainstream for my current tastes. How wrong I was, and how glad I am that I finally gave into the curiosity and bought the audiobook. If I'd read Envy in print I would have still give it an A. But, if you will excuse me for being effusive for a moment, Victor Slezak's narration is so perfect it makes me want to stop strangers on the street and force them to listen.
Envy is an amazingly well-crafted suspense story with a multilayer plot and perfect pacing. Sandra Brown immerses the listener in her story. Whether it's a big city, a college frat house, Key West, or an obscure Georgia island, the settings feel as important as any character in the book. This amazing ability to evoke a sense of place for her readers is one of the things I enjoy most about Brown’s writing. But the shining star in Envy is Brown’s incredibly well written suspense. The book consists of two story arcs that eventually intersect. One story arc starts when Maris, a publisher, receives the first chapter of a book in the mail. That manuscript peaks her interest, and sends Maris to an isolated island off the coast of Georgia in search of the reclusive author. Parker Evans is the author who submits the unsolicited manuscript to Maris’s publishing house. The second arc is the book Parker is writing, titled "Envy." The two story arcs are interwoven seamlessly, with Brown doling out the backstory contained in the manuscript in tantalizing installments.
In addition to the mystery in Parker's book, there is intrigue and betrayal going on in the present day story of Parker, Maris, Maris's husband (Noah), and her father. Brown alternates the present day story of Parker, Maris, Noah and the rest with chapters from Parker’s manuscript,” Envy.” I can’t emphasize enough how masterfully she builds the suspense story throughout this book. Both story arcs are full of enough detail to stand on their own, but when brought together, the result feels like much more than a sum of the parts.
While there are many important and well-developed characters in Envy, the relationship between Parker and Maris stands at the center of the book. Their uneasy, yet magnetic, partnership is the spark that sets off the present day chain of events, but it’s also what allows for healing in the end. Parker Evans is not a likeable man for much of the book, and it’s obvious he’s playing some deeper game than simply trying to get a book published. Maris tries to convince herself it’s only the book she’s interested in, but she’s soon questioning Parker’s motives as well as her own. Is she continuing to pursue the matter because of the manuscript or does the recalcitrant author have something to do with her continued visits to the island?
Victor Slezak voices all the characters well, but he has a special knack for the southern accents of Parker and his assistant, Mike. Slezak's voice for the often cantankerous Parker is deep, rough, and perfect. Slazek doesn't use a high voice for the female characters, but instead he softens his voice. All the voices are easy to differentiate and keeping track of who is speaking in a conversation is never a problem, even though there are many characters in this book. I honestly cannot think of any way to improve on the narration for this book.
Reviewed for Audiogals.net
Narrated by Viktor Slezak
Envy came to my attention over a year ago, but I kept putting it off because I feared it wouldn’t have enough relationship development. For decades I’d read straight mystery and suspense, and while I still love suspense, I now want books with a strong romantic element. Surely, I thought, Sandra Brown is too mainstream for my current tastes. How wrong I was, and how glad I am that I finally gave into the curiosity and bought the audiobook. If I'd read Envy in print I would have still give it an A. But, if you will excuse me for being effusive for a moment, Victor Slezak's narration is so perfect it makes me want to stop strangers on the street and force them to listen.
Envy is an amazingly well-crafted suspense story with a multilayer plot and perfect pacing. Sandra Brown immerses the listener in her story. Whether it's a big city, a college frat house, Key West, or an obscure Georgia island, the settings feel as important as any character in the book. This amazing ability to evoke a sense of place for her readers is one of the things I enjoy most about Brown’s writing. But the shining star in Envy is Brown’s incredibly well written suspense. The book consists of two story arcs that eventually intersect. One story arc starts when Maris, a publisher, receives the first chapter of a book in the mail. That manuscript peaks her interest, and sends Maris to an isolated island off the coast of Georgia in search of the reclusive author. Parker Evans is the author who submits the unsolicited manuscript to Maris’s publishing house. The second arc is the book Parker is writing, titled "Envy." The two story arcs are interwoven seamlessly, with Brown doling out the backstory contained in the manuscript in tantalizing installments.
In addition to the mystery in Parker's book, there is intrigue and betrayal going on in the present day story of Parker, Maris, Maris's husband (Noah), and her father. Brown alternates the present day story of Parker, Maris, Noah and the rest with chapters from Parker’s manuscript,” Envy.” I can’t emphasize enough how masterfully she builds the suspense story throughout this book. Both story arcs are full of enough detail to stand on their own, but when brought together, the result feels like much more than a sum of the parts.
While there are many important and well-developed characters in Envy, the relationship between Parker and Maris stands at the center of the book. Their uneasy, yet magnetic, partnership is the spark that sets off the present day chain of events, but it’s also what allows for healing in the end. Parker Evans is not a likeable man for much of the book, and it’s obvious he’s playing some deeper game than simply trying to get a book published. Maris tries to convince herself it’s only the book she’s interested in, but she’s soon questioning Parker’s motives as well as her own. Is she continuing to pursue the matter because of the manuscript or does the recalcitrant author have something to do with her continued visits to the island?
Victor Slezak voices all the characters well, but he has a special knack for the southern accents of Parker and his assistant, Mike. Slezak's voice for the often cantankerous Parker is deep, rough, and perfect. Slazek doesn't use a high voice for the female characters, but instead he softens his voice. All the voices are easy to differentiate and keeping track of who is speaking in a conversation is never a problem, even though there are many characters in this book. I honestly cannot think of any way to improve on the narration for this book.
August 22, 2019
A great story by Sandra Brown. A near-perfect blend of romance, mystery and even suspense. The book has three focused characters. Maris, daughter of the CEO of a publishing company and editor. She is sent a prologue to a story that immediately captivates her. After some searching, she comes across the writer. The author is Parker, a bitter recluse. due to a horrid incident in his past, he was left in a wheelchair. The other main character is Noah, Maris' husband. Noah has a darker agenda to sell of the publishing company and make a hefty profit. This novel also closely follows the story Parker is writing and its characters. Soon Maris is questioning how much of this story is based on real life. Little does Maris know that Parker has his own agenda to fulfill.
This novel was nicely written, the characters were easy to love (or hate as the case may be). Some nice surprises ant twists throughout the book, following well into to suspense line. The romantic aspects were well blended into the story. A few things were a bit predicable but not overly so that you lose interest. The intrigue holds through to the very end. 4.5 stars
When I first read this, I vaguely remember that I loved it. Going back as an audiobook, I hated the narration. Unfortunately this cost the book my rounded up star. Way too monotone. Granted it was short, but it was just lacking in this format. So I recommend reading this for yourself.
This novel was nicely written, the characters were easy to love (or hate as the case may be). Some nice surprises ant twists throughout the book, following well into to suspense line. The romantic aspects were well blended into the story. A few things were a bit predicable but not overly so that you lose interest. The intrigue holds through to the very end. 4.5 stars
When I first read this, I vaguely remember that I loved it. Going back as an audiobook, I hated the narration. Unfortunately this cost the book my rounded up star. Way too monotone. Granted it was short, but it was just lacking in this format. So I recommend reading this for yourself.
July 31, 2023
Sandra Brown would be a writer writing about “a writer writing about writing”
ENVY is a tale within a tale told with a masterful command of both plot and character development using the clever literary device of having much of the mystery’s back-story told via an author’s unpublished manuscript. A plot summary for ENVY really isn’t necessary. Suffice it to say that Sandra Brown touches all the bases – love, murder, adultery, intrigue, narcissism, revenge, corruption and more. A male reader in particular might hesitate to read a book which would be most accurately characterized as “romantic suspense” but the fact is that the romance never overshadows the suspense. In fact, despite expectations to the contrary, the romance is well done and it is an integral and important part of the plot. So, ladies and gentlemen, if you’re a fan of the thriller genre, pick up a copy of ENVY, set aside a few hours and prepare to be thoroughly entertained.
Definitely recommended.
Paul Weiss
ENVY is a tale within a tale told with a masterful command of both plot and character development using the clever literary device of having much of the mystery’s back-story told via an author’s unpublished manuscript. A plot summary for ENVY really isn’t necessary. Suffice it to say that Sandra Brown touches all the bases – love, murder, adultery, intrigue, narcissism, revenge, corruption and more. A male reader in particular might hesitate to read a book which would be most accurately characterized as “romantic suspense” but the fact is that the romance never overshadows the suspense. In fact, despite expectations to the contrary, the romance is well done and it is an integral and important part of the plot. So, ladies and gentlemen, if you’re a fan of the thriller genre, pick up a copy of ENVY, set aside a few hours and prepare to be thoroughly entertained.
Definitely recommended.
Paul Weiss
January 27, 2018
Frighteningly evil bad guy, and interesting romantic development.
I read this nine years ago and gave it 4 stars. I recently bought the audiobook and changed my opinion. It’s a definite 5 stars. Nine years ago I guess I wanted more emotional draw. But now I think it’s great just the way it is.
Victor Slezak narrated the audiobook. He is excellent.
My original review from nine years ago follows.
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 had 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. I was fine with the mystery.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. 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: romantic suspense, mystery suspense thriller.
I read this nine years ago and gave it 4 stars. I recently bought the audiobook and changed my opinion. It’s a definite 5 stars. Nine years ago I guess I wanted more emotional draw. But now I think it’s great just the way it is.
Victor Slezak narrated the audiobook. He is excellent.
My original review from nine years ago follows.
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 had 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. I was fine with the mystery.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. 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: romantic suspense, mystery suspense thriller.
July 30, 2015
**4.5 stars**
This is a terrific romantic suspense book with one of the most despicable villains I've ever had the misfortune to find in fiction. There were tons of good twists and at times I was truly afraid that the villain would get away with murder but just when you thought everybody was well and truly f*cked, something would happen that would put the villain in his place.
I won't go into detail about the plot or characters because for the first couple of chapters the reader doesn't know who's the villain and who's the hero (you can find out if you hunt around for a description but I liked not knowing for sure.) As usual with Sandra Brown, there are several POVs, intertwined with the chapters of "Envy" a book the heroine is editing (sort of a book within a book.) The author skillfully ties the narrative in this book so it gives you hints of the overall arc without revealing everything upfront. As somebody who is not familiar with the book writing process, I found all the discussions about writing, editing and publishing very interesting and I felt they didn't detract at all from the plot, but on the contrary, they gave you a hint about several important twists in the book.
This book doesn't get 5 stars because I thought we needed an epilogue, mostly to make sure the villain got what he deserved. This guy was just soo slippery that I wished we knew for certain that he paid for all his crimes.
Victor Slezak kicked ass with the narration. He has that tough guy voice that's just perfect for Sandra Brown's heroes.
Overall, an excellent book which I recommend to all lovers of romantic suspense.
This is a terrific romantic suspense book with one of the most despicable villains I've ever had the misfortune to find in fiction. There were tons of good twists and at times I was truly afraid that the villain would get away with murder but just when you thought everybody was well and truly f*cked, something would happen that would put the villain in his place.
I won't go into detail about the plot or characters because for the first couple of chapters the reader doesn't know who's the villain and who's the hero (you can find out if you hunt around for a description but I liked not knowing for sure.) As usual with Sandra Brown, there are several POVs, intertwined with the chapters of "Envy" a book the heroine is editing (sort of a book within a book.) The author skillfully ties the narrative in this book so it gives you hints of the overall arc without revealing everything upfront. As somebody who is not familiar with the book writing process, I found all the discussions about writing, editing and publishing very interesting and I felt they didn't detract at all from the plot, but on the contrary, they gave you a hint about several important twists in the book.
This book doesn't get 5 stars because I thought we needed an epilogue, mostly to make sure the villain got what he deserved. This guy was just soo slippery that I wished we knew for certain that he paid for all his crimes.
Victor Slezak kicked ass with the narration. He has that tough guy voice that's just perfect for Sandra Brown's heroes.
Overall, an excellent book which I recommend to all lovers of romantic suspense.
June 7, 2015
Suspense? Nonexistent.
Mystery? The key part in Envy is mystery. But the mystery is mostly not mysterious to me:/
Plot? The information that is required to power up the plot lack substances.
Characters? The bad guy is delusional and at times, laughable, and Maris frustrates the heck out of me. All main characters are 2-dimensional.
Romance? Weird. I have to say that Maris fell in love with the book character, not the hero:/
Dialogue? Good for the most part.
Pace? Slow in some chapters.
That said, her books will still be in my top tbr.
Mystery? The key part in Envy is mystery. But the mystery is mostly not mysterious to me:/
Plot? The information that is required to power up the plot lack substances.
Characters? The bad guy is delusional and at times, laughable, and Maris frustrates the heck out of me. All main characters are 2-dimensional.
Romance? Weird. I have to say that Maris fell in love with the book character, not the hero:/
Dialogue? Good for the most part.
Pace? Slow in some chapters.
That said, her books will still be in my top tbr.
September 15, 2024
great fun mystery. Book within a book. Not my usual type of read but I could not put it down. A sure cure for a reading slump or a long plane ride. Get a bowl of popcorn and sit back and enjoy. The audio was most well done.
October 3, 2021
Such an amazing book! Loved every minute of it ❤️❤️❤️
February 22, 2018
4.5 Fangs
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: No
4.5/5 Fangs
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
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: No
4.5/5 Fangs
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
August 8, 2021
I can't believe that this is my first Sandra Brown's book given that i love romantic suspense.
It starts a little slow so it took me awhile to get into the story but I ended up staying 'till 2 pm to finish it bc i couldn't put it down. (Matilda if you see this i'm blaming you!)😂
I didn't even read what this is all about and it's best if you go in blindly bc there are so many plot twists which i guessed some of them, some took me by surprise.
And i loved the ending, it was so satisfying.
Now i need to check her other books!😂
It starts a little slow so it took me awhile to get into the story but I ended up staying 'till 2 pm to finish it bc i couldn't put it down. (Matilda if you see this i'm blaming you!)😂
I didn't even read what this is all about and it's best if you go in blindly bc there are so many plot twists which i guessed some of them, some took me by surprise.
And i loved the ending, it was so satisfying.
Now i need to check her other books!😂
February 21, 2018
☆4/5☆
▪Plot 5/5
▪Details 4/5
▪Characters 5/5
▪Romance 3/5
▪Logic 3.5/5
▪Writing style 4.5/5
▪Enjoyment 4/5
UPDATE
I couldn't decide if I should keep it or not. So, I deleted (yes, deleted) all the sex scenes from book. !With black pencil and white marker on top! Clap clap.
--------------------------------------------
I couldn't stand all disgusting, nasty, filthy sex scenes. It was unnecessary.. It could have been 5 starts.
Overall, I really like 'book in a book' idea and all the twist were awesome too. But the end of the book was kinda rushed, tho.
▪Plot 5/5
▪Details 4/5
▪Characters 5/5
▪Romance 3/5
▪Logic 3.5/5
▪Writing style 4.5/5
▪Enjoyment 4/5
UPDATE
I couldn't decide if I should keep it or not. So, I deleted (yes, deleted) all the sex scenes from book. !With black pencil and white marker on top! Clap clap.
--------------------------------------------
I couldn't stand all disgusting, nasty, filthy sex scenes. It was unnecessary.. It could have been 5 starts.
Overall, I really like 'book in a book' idea and all the twist were awesome too. But the end of the book was kinda rushed, tho.
July 6, 2011
I am one of the luckiest Goodreaders who actually won a copy of this book via the Goodreads Firstreads Giveaways. When I received the news I was really happy, happy because I think this was the very first time I actually won something through luck.
I actually have no idea who the author was and what was the book was all about because I just randomly enter any books that are listed in the Giveaway list. So I'm like Sandra Brown Who? Nevertheless someone commented that Sandra Brown was a good author so even though I have no idea if I'll like the book or not I'm still excited to read it.
The book actually arrived very late and it just arrived this month of July when supposedly it should arrived earlier like in the months of January or February.My mom was the one who received the package and she was very delightful when she learned that I just got that free from a giveaway contest.
The package contained the book Envy, the one I won and another book which is called Chill Factor. The book Envy was in hardbound and I'm really glad because it was actually signed by the author. Which for me was also a first time to have a book that was actually have the author's signature in it.
I am really anxious to read it and I don't know what to expect. I was pleased that from the very first chapter I got hooked and I simply can't stop reading. The one thing I really liked about it was that you'll learn a lot of things about writing a novel, publishing, books, authors etc. I do like that this book draw me to that experience wherein I learned so much about book business because you know I really like books and it's just really interesting to know more about how novels are made.
I really like the concept of this one, there are two stories involved in this book, the story itself and also the story about Envy, the novel that this mysterious writer was trying to write. It's like there's a story and then within it there's another story. The plot of this book is layered between the two stories.
I could have given these 5 stars, it was a good story actually, it will keep you guessing and you'll find yourself reading and turning pages and after the end of a chapter you'll get more excited to get into another chapter. However I was disappointed on how everything ended I just felt that the mystery of the novel was really strong at the beginning but at the end it was just okay how the mysteries were revealed one by one and honestly I didn't feel that much excitement.
I really recommend it if you like romance and suspense in a novel and I just want to say that I really like this more rather than The Women's Murder Club and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.
I actually have no idea who the author was and what was the book was all about because I just randomly enter any books that are listed in the Giveaway list. So I'm like Sandra Brown Who? Nevertheless someone commented that Sandra Brown was a good author so even though I have no idea if I'll like the book or not I'm still excited to read it.
The book actually arrived very late and it just arrived this month of July when supposedly it should arrived earlier like in the months of January or February.My mom was the one who received the package and she was very delightful when she learned that I just got that free from a giveaway contest.
The package contained the book Envy, the one I won and another book which is called Chill Factor. The book Envy was in hardbound and I'm really glad because it was actually signed by the author. Which for me was also a first time to have a book that was actually have the author's signature in it.
I am really anxious to read it and I don't know what to expect. I was pleased that from the very first chapter I got hooked and I simply can't stop reading. The one thing I really liked about it was that you'll learn a lot of things about writing a novel, publishing, books, authors etc. I do like that this book draw me to that experience wherein I learned so much about book business because you know I really like books and it's just really interesting to know more about how novels are made.
I really like the concept of this one, there are two stories involved in this book, the story itself and also the story about Envy, the novel that this mysterious writer was trying to write. It's like there's a story and then within it there's another story. The plot of this book is layered between the two stories.
I could have given these 5 stars, it was a good story actually, it will keep you guessing and you'll find yourself reading and turning pages and after the end of a chapter you'll get more excited to get into another chapter. However I was disappointed on how everything ended I just felt that the mystery of the novel was really strong at the beginning but at the end it was just okay how the mysteries were revealed one by one and honestly I didn't feel that much excitement.
I really recommend it if you like romance and suspense in a novel and I just want to say that I really like this more rather than The Women's Murder Club and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.
July 8, 2007
Envy is the third novel by Sandra Brown I've read and she's rapidly earning her way onto my list of "go-to" authors. Her novels always manage to surprise once or twice and certainly entertain from cover to cover.
Envy is the title of the book within the book and it's the lure that brings Maris Matherly-Reed to a remote Georgian island to purchase the rights to a novel. What she doesn't realize is that she's been lured into an elaborate scheme of revenge long buried in the past.
There are excerpts of the fictional Envy included as interludes between some of the more emotionally charged chapters. They are there both as background information and as a character building device to better understand Parker, the author Maris has gone to see. Frankly, these chapters aren't necessary and serve as a distraction to the meat of the book. I suggest saving them until the end to read as bonus material.
Envy has three major story lines: Parker's past, the romance between Parker and Maris, and Noah's machinations to sell Maris's publishing company out from under her. Noah Reed, Maris's husband and her relationship to him is the glue that holds Envy together.
What I liked best about the novel was Parker. He's wheelchair bound but by no means "handicapped" nor is he seeking sympathy or special treatment. He's rough, crude and fowl mouthed and tempered and yet he's a very believable and oddly likeable character. It's clear that the wheelchair isn't the cause of his "bad" traits; it's just another part of who he is. It was refreshing to meet characters like Parker who weren't obviously built up from a series of checked boxes on a character sheet.
Envy is the title of the book within the book and it's the lure that brings Maris Matherly-Reed to a remote Georgian island to purchase the rights to a novel. What she doesn't realize is that she's been lured into an elaborate scheme of revenge long buried in the past.
There are excerpts of the fictional Envy included as interludes between some of the more emotionally charged chapters. They are there both as background information and as a character building device to better understand Parker, the author Maris has gone to see. Frankly, these chapters aren't necessary and serve as a distraction to the meat of the book. I suggest saving them until the end to read as bonus material.
Envy has three major story lines: Parker's past, the romance between Parker and Maris, and Noah's machinations to sell Maris's publishing company out from under her. Noah Reed, Maris's husband and her relationship to him is the glue that holds Envy together.
What I liked best about the novel was Parker. He's wheelchair bound but by no means "handicapped" nor is he seeking sympathy or special treatment. He's rough, crude and fowl mouthed and tempered and yet he's a very believable and oddly likeable character. It's clear that the wheelchair isn't the cause of his "bad" traits; it's just another part of who he is. It was refreshing to meet characters like Parker who weren't obviously built up from a series of checked boxes on a character sheet.
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