"Owning Violet" (The Fowler Sisters #1)
Written by Monica Murphy
Note: this ebook was generously provided to me by the Random House Publishing Group - Bantam Dell, via Net Galley, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.
A Bit of Background
In the interest of honesty, I have to come clean about this right up front. This review is, admittedly, long overdue (much like the one that I wrote for "The Job"). My request for this novel on NetGalley was approved in November, and I wasn't able to read it because of school work overload at the time. Over the holiday break, I also wasn't able to read this book, because I had neglected to check whether my whole Kindle library had transferred over to my new iOS device, or if some books had been left out... this happened to be one of the books that got left out, for some reason.
In any case, last week, I received an email from WordSmith Publicity regarding the availability of the Advance Review Copy of the second book in the Fowler Sisters series, entitled "Stealing Rose". That's when I suddenly remembered that I had yet to read or review "Owning Violet". So I checked on my Kindle app, redownloaded the ebook, and started in on it.
The Author
I haven't read any of Monica Murphy's other work. I had heard about her before, via Barnes & Noble and Amazon recommendations (based on other books that I had purchased, read, or enjoyed), and from other people's commentary about having really liked her books. That's a big part of why I clicked to request "Owning Violet" to begin with -- I recognized the author's name as one that had been recommended to me time and time again, and I figured... well, why not finally give her a shot?! I'm glad I did.
The Series
Lily, Violet and Rose are the three grand daughters of Dahlia Fowler, the creator of the very successful Fleur Cosmetics company. The three sisters are born with silver spoons in their mouths, and raised to place importance on success in business, and with a bond between the three of them that ties them together, no matter how divergent their personalities and choices in life.
Each novel in the series focuses on one of the three sisters, beginning with Violet (the middle sister), in "Owning Violet", then moving to Rose (the youngest), in "Stealing Rose", and forthcoming is the book on Lily.
The Style
The chapters alternate between the perspectives of Violet and Ryder, whose voices are distinctly different, but somehow seem to blend together naturally when they tell this continuing story. Typically, I'm not a fan of this style -- I'd rather stick to one perspective first, throughout the entire series of events, then come back and read them from another character's point of view (the way that "Beautiful Disaster" and "Walking Disaster" by Jamie McGuire are set up). Somehow, Monica Murphy manages to make it work seamlessly, and I quite enjoyed reading this book.
The Story
Violet Fowler is the middle daughter, the one who has worked hard to earn her position at the family firm, Fleur Cosmetics. She's the consummate good girl, the responsible one, the daughter who can do no wrong. She's dating a rising star at the company, Zachary, who her father approves of, and is a good match for her.
At least, that's how it looks on paper.
Zachary is a womanizer, who has cheated repeatedly on Violet, and has used her to fuel his rise within the company. The night that Violet expects him to propose to her, he informs her that he has gotten a promotion that requires him to move to London for two years, and expects her to be happy for him. She decides that it's time to move on, and finally breaks things off with him.
As soon as this happens, a new Violet emerges. The strength and fire that it took for her to brave an attack in her past (and survive it), seems to finally be returning, and it's all thanks to the new man in her life, Ryder McKay. He's her ex's arch nemesis -- and in many ways, they're very similar: driven to succeed (at all costs), ruthless, and mysterious. And he wants her. Badly.
Violet knows that Ryder is bad news, but she's quickly addicted to him, and she doesn't want to give him up. She has shed the role of dutiful daughter, is breaking all the rules that she set up for herself, and living out loud for once in her life -- and loving it.
She's risking everything that she is on Ryder. Will he bring her everything she's ever dreamed about and more, or will her entire world come crashing down around her?
My Thoughts
WOW! Again, I'm wondering why in the world it took me this long to start reading this book... to start erading this author! A few pages into the novel, I was already impressed... and after a few chapters, I waas absolutely hooked.
I found myself sympathyzing with Violet, falling in lust with Ryder, wanting to hit Zachary, absolutely despising Pilar, and all sorts of emotions for all the other characters in between. It's not often that an erotica novel comes around that affects me this deeply, and pulls me into the characters' world -- but this one did. And I wanted to be sucked in.
In many ways, Violet brought to mind the rather crass, and very overused phrase "lady in the streets, but a freak in the sheets". I was impressed that the author was so convincingly able to make me perceive the delineation between Violet's professional demeanor at work, and the all-consuming lust and passion that she felt for Ryder behind closed doors. It sort of reminded me that people aren't always what they seem on the surface.
I loved the way that Ryder's inner struggle was expressed in this work. It seemed like he was a bad boy, who discovered that he had a soul, when he assumed for so long that he didn't. The way he grappled with his conflicting thoughts and emotions seemed so realistic, and not forced, and it made me like his character almost immediately, perhaps more than I was initially supposed to.
Pilar is well-written, and I can imagine her in my mind being an abolutely vapid, spiteful, hateful bitch. I loved that I hated her, because it signified (to me) that she was an effectively written villainess, and I had to respect her for that, if for nothing else. Honestly, maybe her character was a little bit flat, in the sense that she seemed almost purely evil, rather than simply being misunderstood... but I enjoyed having someone to hate in this book.
The sex is hot. REALLY HOT! But the book stands on its own, even if you take the sexy bits out of it (but let's be honest, why would you go and do that?!) -- it's actually a well-crafted story, with engaging characters, and the hot sex is a great bonus that I appreciated very much.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I had a hard time putting it down in order to study for my classes, like I was supposed to. In fact, in my breaks from reading for class, I found myself sneaking in chapters of this book... so much for resting my eyes, I suppose.
I think that anyone who likes the work of Christina Lauren (who I absoutely adore), will really enjoy this series, too. I'm definitely thinking about moving on to Monica Murphy's other work as well, once I'm done reading "Stealing Rose".
Overall Rating
5 big, bright, shiny stars
Very very highly recommended!!!
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