Butterfly by Kathryn Harvey

Title: Butterfly (Book One in the Butterfly Trilogy)
Author: Kathryn Harvey (Barbara Wood)
Publisher: Turner Publishing
Published Date: May 1, 2012 (Turner)
Format: Paperback, Hardcover, & Kindle

Buy on Amazon: Paperback or Kindle
Author Website: http://www.barbarawood.com/

Synopsis from Back Cover:

 Above an exclusive men’s store on Rodeo Drive there is a private club called Butterfly, where women are free to act out their secret erotic fantasies. Only the most beautiful and powerful women in Beverly Hills are invited to join: Jessica, a lawyer who longs for the days when men were men, and women dressed to please them; Trudie, a builder who wants a man who will challenge her—all of her—with no holds barred; and Linda, a surgeon, who uses masks to unmask the desires she hides even from herself.

But the most mysterious of them all is the woman who created Butterfly. She has changed her name, her accent, even her face to hide her true identity. And now she is about to reveal everything to realize the dream that has driven her since childhood—the secret obsession that will carry her beyond ecstasy, or destroy her and everyone around her.

My Thoughts:

Let me start off by saying that Kathryn Harvey's Butterfly is an excellent, EXCELLENT read and I am very happy to have been able to read and review it!  I went into Butterfly having already bunched it into a certain clique of books (BAD, CANDACE!)  Google it and you will find Butterfly in the same sentence as Fifty Shades of Grey, with words like erotica thrown around every which way.  So I thought to myself, "OK, I'm ready for an erotic tale of romance, sex, romance, sex, and then true love winning out in the end."  STOP RIGHT THERE!  I couldn't have been more wrong if I tried.  While some may classify Butterfly in the erotica genre, or suggest that you read it if you liked Fifty Shades, it is SO much more.  Butterfly is a well written novel, with believable characters and a strong plot.

Kathryn Harvey's Butterfly is a story about life.  Past regrets, lost love, hardships, success, revenge... If you picked up Butterfly looking for a romantic, touchy feely, chic lit novel, you have the wrong book.  It is SO much more than that.  Butterfly follows the life of Rachel, who during her first 16 years of life suffers from abuse, rape, prostitution, and a forced abortion.  Let me be clear, Butterfly deals with hard subjects.  The book follows Rachel for 35 years as she works extremely hard to earn money, prestige, and power.  She feels that she needs to have power and influence in order to reach a place where she can exact her revenge upon Danny Mackay.  Danny was the one person in Rachel's life that she thought she could count on, however he ended up hurting her the most.  Every step she takes through adulthood is a calculated, thought out move in order to bring herself closer to seeing the downfall of Danny.

Interwoven between the present day chapters are chapters detailing Rachel's past.  However, Butterfly isn't just about Rachel, it also tells the story of a few other women.  All are from different walks of life, but each have something missing in their personal lives.  Jessica is a victorious, married lawyer; Trudie is a successful business owner who happens to be single; Linda is a twice divorced doctor.  To fill the voids in their lives, these women find themselves members of a secretive Hollywood bordello- Butterfly.  I found it very rewarding to see how all of the characters and Butterfly fit together as the story evolved.  Harvey also threw me for some major loops.  Just when I thought I had recovered from the last surprise, a bigger twist would be introduced.  

I truly loved Butterfly; the characters and smart writing especially.  Harvey succeeded in creating a touching story that left me wanting more.  Luckily, the second book, Stars, is out and waiting to be read.  Butterfly has found a place on the highly coveted Top Shelf of my bookcase; reserved only for the books I truly appreciate.

If you are looking for a great summer read, Butterfly is for you.  I highly recommend it (in fact, my Mom is currently devouring it on her Kindle!)  Kathryn Harvey's Butterfly is not a novel to miss! 

Turner Publishing has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book, Butterfly, for the purpose of review. 

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I was lucky enough to interview Butterfly's New York Times best selling author, Kathryn Harvey.  Don't miss the interview, look for it to be posted soon!