Everyone wants to be with or like Faye, a mother with beautiful children who works out and models in her spare time she has a lot to be envied for. But how far will some people go to get what they want?

I found Envy to be a disjointed and confusing read. The chapters alternate perspective between main characters Faye, Erica, Phillip and Jonah with chapter titles to say who is narrating. However, throughout the book there are times within chapters where the perspective randomly changes which seemed very odd to me and really confused the plot. I didn’t really understand why this convention was set up and then ignored at times, particularly as some of the chapters were very short – why not just stick with this throughout the book? It didn’t help that all four of the characters had very similar voices, motivations and plot points which further added to the confusion. I didn’t like or sympathise with any of them either.

Envy is a very good title for this book and lots of different twists on the theme were explored. Although I initially thought it would be an easy, fast read, I did find it dragged quite a lot in the middle. I liked the build-up of suspense but it sort of felt like after the initial event (no spoilers) it then got a little ‘samey’ until the big reveal at the end. I particularly found that I didn’t really enjoy Erica’s storyline after the first event in the plot and didn’t really understand why she was included as much as she was. I found the whole plot to be quite unrealistic – Faye can’t be that amazing to have so many people completely obsessing over her. The ending as well I thought was written more for shock value than actually staying real to the characters and their emotions and progression within the story.

Overall Envy felt like an unrealistic read with a really confusing writing style that should have just stuck to the convention it had set up in the beginning. Thank you to NetGalley & Avon Books UK for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third book I've read by Amanda Robson, the story is well plotted and paced,with twists and turns and a creeping sense of menace.
The characters were well written and realistic. Both Erica and Faye drew me in and I was fascinated by everything about them.
Envy is a gripping novel with dark elements and unexpected turns that will pull you in from the beginning and have you eager to find out what happens.

Having read Obsession another book of Amanda Robson’s I knew I was in for a treat when I received this.

Erica who is shy and overweight is obsessed with watching the beautiful Faye, who passes her flat every day with her 2 children on the way to and from school. She is envious of her beauty and lifestyle and likes to follow her around.

Faye and her husband Phillip have 2 children, Faye is beautiful and likes everyone to notice it, she has done small modelling jobs but hopes to get noticed by a top modelling agency.

When Faye makes a terrible mistake with her husbands friend Jonah, who is also obsessed with her beauty. Everywhere she goes he turns up pushing his way into her life. One terrible decision can cause such chilling consequences that will affect everyone.

Told over 4 people’s view points this is a book with short chapters that are easy and gripping to read. I thoroughly enjoyed this story full of secrets and twists.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy in exchange for a review.

Envy By Amanda Robson
Avon Books UK Pub Date April 4,2019
4 out of Five Stars

Synopsis
She wants your life – and she’ll do anything to get it…

Erica has always wanted to be exactly like her neighbour, Faye: beautiful, thin, and a mother. But Faye’s life isn’t as perfect as it seems – she has a terrible secret, and slowly but surely, it is threatening to destroy her and everything she holds dear.

When Faye’s daughter Tamsin goes missing after school, the police turn to Erica. But is Erica the only one who has been enviously watching Faye? Or is there another threat hiding in the shadows…?

What I liked:
This is a true Alfred Hitchcock style thriller, at moments while reading, I literally jumped out of my skin at the sound of my car door opening. Ms Robson has you completely on edge, waiting for the next axe to fall. I liked the multiple point of views the story was being told from, each person had their own psychological issues, and as the story progresses each turn of events show the domino effects each isolated choice we make can make everything in our lives change ,and not only one persons life; Faye's choice made Erica's life change, her husbands, his best friends, and her children's lives. Everything can end with just one moment. The characters reminded me of the movie Closer or The Unbearable Lightness of Being. A beautful flawed Faye, a charismatic ,narcissist Jonah,the husband Phillip once so easy going and doting turns sociopathic, and Erica once believed doomed from her childhood to never succeed decides to take a second chance and live.This book uses a ,zoom lens to examine each characters flaws and remind us that life is ultimately lived with priceless series of events.with great sacrifice.
Why it wasn't a five star book..
Boom Erica is happy ever after.. boom Jonah is dead... boom ..... What the heck??? Did the ending not get written?? Did the author just throw up her hands and say.. I am done lets sweep the floor and leave for the night? I just was waiting for a secret ending in the credits that never happened.. Was a five star till the last chapter!!!

A psychological thriller about obsession & ENVY. I enjoyed this book very much and look forward to reading her earlier books. The short chapters made it a quick read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Book for this opportunity to read the advanced ready copy.

I’d like to thank Avon Books UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Envy’ by Amanda Robson in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Part-time model Faye is happily married to Phillip and they have two little daughters, Tamsin and Georgia, but Faye does something that needs to be kept secret to avoid destroying her marriage. When Tamsin is abducted by a local woman, Erica, it becomes clear that Erica envies Faye and wants to copy her lifestyle, but is Erica the only one stalking her?

‘Envy’ is a disturbing thriller about a woman’s desire to imitate another’s looks and way of life. It has a riveting plot, is fast-paced and chilling with numerous unexpected twists and turns and an exciting and totally unexpected conclusion. The narrative is written from each character’s view-point but I have had to go back a page or two on a number of occasions as I’ve been confused by which character is speaking or thinking at that particular time. Apart from this I thought it was as an amazing thriller which I thoroughly enjoyed reading and can wholeheartedly recommend.

This was a good read , I did find it a little drawn out in places and a little confusing who's perspective I was currently reading . Erica covets her neighbours perfect life , her own life is a bit of a mess and she starts to stalk Faye , but it seems Faye has another stalker . It was entertaining and I rushed to the end , but not my favorite from Amanda .

Thank you to Netgalley, Amanda Robson and Avon Books UK for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

Erica has always wanted to be just like her neighbor Faye and strives to become a beautiful, thin mother. But Faye’s life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, she’s keeping an awful secret that may just tear her life apart. Faye’s daughter ends up missing from school and all eyes turn on Erica, but is Erica the only one that is watching Faye from the shadows?

I enjoyed that this novel was from so many different characters perspectives so that you could see what was going on with everyone and why people were acting so insane. I found some of the book a bit long and drawn out, but I did enjoy that the characters were all a little bit off their rockers and that in the end, there is a different person that you begin to dislike. I really didn’t like Faye’s character in this novel and how she seems only concerned about herself and her life throughout the whole novel; she just seemed to selfish to me that I couldn’t handle her towards the end of the novel. I did enjoy the action that happens in this novel and how one person affects everyone’s life so much.

Out April 4th!

I found the writing style a little confusing at first but finally figured it out. It's a bit disturbing when you have to keep checking who is talking! A classic psychological thriller, never sure where it was headed, but enjoyed the ride! I may look for more by Amanda.

Great book of a neighbour who becomes obsessed with her perfect neighbour and her perfect life, until it stops being perfect and she feels like she must step in and help.

Great twists and turns and realistic human behaviour In the face of difficult decisions

This is my first arc and I was super excited so a huge thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for the advanced copy.

I love psychological thrillers, so I was certain I would enjoy it but unfortunately I didn’t. Eek. Sorry. It’s not you, it’s me...

The most prominent problem was a formatting issue within the e-arc. There were multiple perspectives and often there was no indication that we’d switched narratives so I had a little difficult figuring out whose perspective I was reading from. I’m sure this will be fixed by the time of publishing so it’s not a deal-breaker but worth mentioning as it may have coloured my reading experience.

Mostly I struggled with the writing style. The dialogue felt wooden and unnatural to me. I asked myself on multiple occasions: ‘who talks like this?!’ The emotions didn’t feel organic either and as such I couldn’t connect to any of the characters. I love unlikable, messed up characters and so I was excited to hate them, but I wasn’t invested at all which was such a shame.

In the last 30% of the book, the plot ramped up and everything happened at once. The ending was perhaps a little underwhelming but it was fine. It tied things together without popping on a pretty little bow, which I appreciated. My pet peeve is neat and tidy happily ever afters in thrillers so thank you for that.

What I did love, and want to give credit for but without spoiling anything, is the way that Erica’s storyline is handled. Her development is great and not at all what I’ve come to expect from this genre. So kudos and thanks to Robson for treating Erica well when you could have easily stereotyped her.

Anyway yeah, unfortunately not for me, but I can see this being very enjoyable for someone else who isn’t as fussy. This book and I just weren’t meant to get along. That’s fine. Different strokes etc. Thanks again to Amanda Robson, Netgalley and Avon.

Envy is a great thriller from Amanda Robson but not in my opinion as good as her previous books.Told from the perspective of Faye her husband Phillip and Jonah a family friend and Erica the book rattles along at a fast pace.Jonah is a complete nightmare and Erica is also a stalker they can do without,I never saw the clever ending coming so all in all a very good read the only negative comment from me is at times the writing style was a bit off putting as the story switched from one character to another mid chapter without warning which for me was a bit odd.Because of that it's a 4 stars review instead of 5 but still a great read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon publishers in exchange for my review of this ARC. What to say about Envy? It certainly wasn’t dull. A little all over the map perhaps. Erica is a neighbor of Faye’s. Faye is everything Erica would like to be: thin, beautiful, married with children. Erica becomes a bit stalkery if that can be a word and decides to kidnap Faye’s eldest after Erica sees Faye doing something she finds distasteful and oh so selfish! But wait! Faye has another obsessed stalker, long time friend of Faye’s husband. Even though he is an absolute creep he saves the day by reporting Erica abducting Faye’s daughter. Still with me? It keeps going.

Erica gets punished and rally works on herself. Mostly. Here’s to therapy!

Faye gets paranoid because she has a secret and the stress of two stalkers has her coming undone. Unremarkable hubby to Faye has his own methods of problem solving. Problem solved! Or is it?

Now Faye’s in therapy and boy I’d that therapist handsome. Faye’s hubby just can’t catch a break!

Really though, in a cast of unlikeable characters it may just be Erica who is the real winner in the end!

I absolutely loved this book from start to finish! If you are looking for a book you won’t be able to put down, then Envy is the perfect choice. I loved how it was written in the different points of view of the four main characters. This gave you an insight into what each of them was thinking. I can’t wait to read Amanda Robson’s next novel. I am definitely putting her on my list of go to authors.

Oooh all the favorites in this book. Stalking, obsession, and blackmail. Faye is obsessed with herself and everyone else is obsessed with Faye. A good thriller that had me rushing to the end!

I've read all of Amanda Robson's books and loved them but Envy wasn't as good I felt as her others. Disappointing read this time.

Was a fan Robson's Obsession so I was looking forward to reading Envy. Pretty standard psychological thriller - wasn't terrible, wasn't great. Quick, fun read but overall nothing to write home about.

2.5 Stars
I’m really hoping that with this book done I’m at the end of a triad of books I haven’t liked.
This was an average, predictable and banal read. The plot by itself is nothing very unique. The characters are all unlikable. The ending is disappointing.
When you first start reading this book you think there are 2 narrators but as you read further you realize that there are more! Each narrator unfortunately had a very similar voice and you had different people’s commentary in another person’s narration, making it hard to remember whose narration you are reading! However the chapters are short enough to go through them fairly quickly. All the narrators are unreliable but the fact that you can’t empathize with even one of them makes this book difficult to enjoy.
About the plot, well to sum it up: Erica stalks Faye, wants to be like her, then sees that Faye is far from perfect, keeps stalking her, craziness ensues, we find another sinister stalker who knows what Faye is up to, more madness, ends unrealistically.
I did like the author’s writing style but all in all this was something I was tempted to quit reading multiple times. I didn’t simply because it was quick enough to get through.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
#NetGalley, #Envy

Also shared on: https://romasharma.blogspot.com

Aristotle defined envy as “pain at the sight of another’s good fortune, stirred by those who have what we ought to have.”

Erica’s picture, or better stated - mugshot, is the illustration you’d find beside the definition of envy. Yes friends! Erica wants what she can’t have; that being everything that the fateful Faye has. How far will Erica go to get what she wants? You gotta read to find out!😘

Envy was an enjoyable read; not as good as Robson’s book, Obsession. However, I must say it’s still a read deserving of 3.5 stars to which I’ve rounded up to 4 due to the love of her previous work! ❤️

Overall I enjoyed this book but it kept switching point of views without saying what character it was...very confusing. It wasn’t the most well written book I’ve ever read either. The storyline saved it for me. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for review.

3/5 stars