Butterfly (The Butterfly Trilogy, 1)

This is such an excellent book. I have owned 3 copies. Each time they have been borrowed and not returned.

1st time I read this book I was in my late teens. I'm now in my 40's & have read it several times & I swear it was the 1st book that I have reread. I have since reread other books, but this is the first! Fabulous book! I reread it every few years! Subsequently I then reread Stars. (Shouldn't read Stars without reading Butterfly)Butterfly is a revenge story, I don't want to give it away so I'll be vague. Man does woman wrong, woman plots revenge....flash backs & "present" brings it together fabulously! Stars is similar in the writing style. Another book Private Entrance should not be considered as part of the set (although for some reason it is so they call it a trilogy) it has absolutely nothing to do with Butterfly or Stars. I will leave a separate review for it but don't let that stop you from reading an awesome book! FYI there are intimate scenes in the book but (in my opinion) tastefully done.

I should begin by saying that going into this book, I thought it was published in 2005 & was a contemporary romance. As I began reading, it became evident that this was not a story in that time period. I then found it was originally published in 1988. The many references in this book definitely made sense in that context but it became a bit of a distraction because there were so many brand names mentioned that are no longer "high end" (Lear instead of Gulf Stream, Pierre Cardin, Members Only, etc) or even recognizable. Furthermore, it didn't set the time in the way a story by Bret Easton Ellis can or more to this genre Ruth Harris, it just felt like it was pushing "wealthy L.A. in the 80s" in a heavy handed way with all the name brand dropping.I found the first chapter intro to be very compelling because you don't know who has died or who the woman who put it all into motion happens to be. I thought the mystery/revenge set up would get going much earlier on but instead we go back & forth in time getting to know the main female characters. While that was somewhat interesting, I found that it was mostly tedious because I wanted to get to the mystery. The main women we follow have all been on the rough side of relationships with men & other life circumstances but they excel in their professional lives & so seek liberation & freedom in Butterfly. I am a fan of stories of empowered women & certainly love stories where women take charge of their own happiness but none of the characters were very compelling in the long run. There was nothing new here & nothing that will stand out as revelatory or have lasting impression.This may well have been an edgy story when it was originally published (what with women running & patronising the brothel) but by today's standard, it is quite tame. There's nothing sexually graphic or kinky here. And there's nothing wrong with that but I wouldn't even say there was anything in this book that felt like it belonged in "romance". It is a broad chick-lit ensemble where the b-story revenge plot is the most interesting thing going on (but that takes some time to get around to). Don't go into it looking for more & it should be a satisfying telling. If you're looking for a romantic & erotic story of a woman patronising a brothel, pick up Robin Schone's "The Lover".This is definitely a book that caught my attention because of the cover & its blurb about being sensual & romantic but in the end, that's just a great marketing strategy to reissue this book to new readers hunting for a sensual, romantic read. That is fairly brilliant to sell books but it's disappointing as a reader when that's not what you get. This is the first in the Butterfly Trilogy but I don't have any desire to read the remaining installments.

"Sweet sweet fantasy babyWhen I close my eyesYou come and take meOn and on and on"(Mariah Carey)A small, high end men's store caters for a lot more than a woman's gift list for a significant other. One floor up from the elegant display of French clothing, members of the exclusive club often select a little something for themselves as well.The real story of Butterfly however is one of revenge, which is, as they say, better served cold.Vividly told, this page-turner revolves around two main characters, one of them male, each from a humble and squalid background, who both rise to the top of their game by vastly different methods.The female protagonist is a homely young girl, forced to escape an abusive situation, and who falls for a smooth talking young man who twists the knife in even deeper. Along the way she befriends three other troubled women, and through hard work, determination and a little plastic surgery, she and her inner circle build an empire to call their own. The charismatic but ruthless male lead claws his way up the ladder by whatever means necessary, leaving a path of destruction in his wake. Although the story is quite character-heavy, each of the supporting players has their own back story, with a common theme of unfilled dreams, desires and ambitions.If you like racy books about love, loss, revenge, deception and manipulation, and are willing to suspend disbelief for a short while, this is recommended for you.Amanda Richards, October 27, 2012

This is a still guilty *not guilty* pleasure, after rereading 30 some odd years later.The multiple POV story revolves around Butterfly, a swanky bordello located on Rodeo Drive that caters to exclusively to women and it's owner, a woman scorned and out for revenge. It spans from the late 40s (the Hollywood glory days) to the 80s (think the glitz of "Dynasty" or "Dallas", for those of you old enough to remember.) I feel like saying anything more would send me into spoilery territory. So I'll just say there's a lot of harsh stuff that happens in the first 100 pages but it was want sets our MC on the road to bringing these stories together with a very satisfying conclusion. It could easily have been a standalone.

My sister had this book when it was first published and it was passed around all her friends and well read. I really enjoyed it then but sadly the hardcopy has been lost over the years. When I found it was available for my kindle I jumped at the opportunity to own a copy myself. The storyline had lost none of its escapism, intrigue or excitement that I'd remembered. I have now gone on to download the other other two books in trilogy and throughly enjoyed all of them. Damn good holiday ready, couldn't put it down.

Great book never tire of rereading

Excellent book I have now read it 6 times over the last 10 years and even now once you start to read it you cant put it down

Second time of reading a very engrossing story, already picked up on a few points missed the first time around. Motivational in most areas and a good read

amazing