“This. Book. It deserves so many more than 5 stars. It could have ended at 15% and still would have been one of my favorite books EVER!” -Kelli, Goodreads reviewerIf envy is a sin, then let me be damned.Graham was born to be a star. Once upon a time, that star shone only for me. Now, I have to share him with the rest of the world. For a while, I thought I could do it. Because, beneath the …
Now, I have to share him with the rest of the world.
For a while, I thought I could do it. Because, beneath the hypnotic smile, gorgeous body and God-given charm that made him famous, I still caught glimpses of my best friend.
Of the boy who called me sunshine and loved me.
I wore that love like a crown . . . until he placed it on another’s head.
Losing him was agony, distance felt like the only cure.
When tragedy reunites us after years apart, it only takes one touch to erase the past. Just like that, I’m back in his arms.
He promises this time will be different. But I’m afraid to believe him.
Because behind his star’s blinding brilliance is a darkness that doesn’t want to let him go.
I know a star that bright can’t belong to just one person, but my jealous heart doesn’t want to share him.
I want all of him . . . even if wanting what doesn’t belong to me leads me to ruin.
more
Envy has definitely shot straight to the top of my list for books by this author. I was addicted from the first paragraph and her characters have remained with me for days after. This book isn’t like anything I’ve read before, and I wasn’t ready to say goodbye when I got to the end. Envy is a love story that will take you on an emotional ride, but one that you won’t want to get off.
One thing I liked about this book is that we get to see Graham and Apollo’s friendship blossom and grow into something more. When they first meet, they have very different lives, but have both suffered losses, and I feel meeting each other allowed them to no longer feel alone. But life tends to have a habit of ‘throwing a spanner into the works’ and their journey has only just begun. Dylan Allen shows the realities of life, and of love, and you’ll be there with them every step of the way. You’ll be rooting for this couple and hoping they get their much deserved HEA.
As with any book by this author, the words used to describe the scenery allows you to clearly visualise what the characters are seeing, and often I feel like I’m right there with them. In Envy, I was able to feel the sun on my skin and hear the water running as Graham and Apollo spend time together and get to know each other. Dylan Allen has this incredible talent of allowing the reader to experience everything her characters are doing, seeing and feeling, which just adds to the story. The word that always comes to mind when describing this author’s work is – beautiful!!!
Envy is a must read book for 2018, and beyond.
*I voluntarily reviewed an advance complimentary copy of this book and all opinions are my own
´¨) ¸.•’¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•` ~~4.5 SHINING GRAHAMSTARS! ~~
“The sun and her star.”
Dylan Allen is a revelation! This is my first novel by this resplendent author and it will not be my last! ENVY is an extraordinary second chance tale that’s ravishingly romantic, rich in emotion, overflowing with raw, untempered feeling and leaves a lasting imprint on your heart!
THE STORY:
Growing up in a commune in the strict religious community of Cain’s Weeping has been painful and oppressive and UNBEARABLY LONELY for Graham Davis. But everything changes one sun dappled day while the 14 year old is drifting in his canoe, with his nose buried in a book, escaping from his horrendous reality for a few precious hours. He can’t believe his eyes when he glimpses a young girl with “hair like a raven’s wing” who’s falling out of the sky into the river. Realizing she’s drowning, he dives in after her.
The spirited young girl, Apollo Havaa Locklear–who has been aptly named after the Sun God– is staying in the nearby town of Fredericksburg for the summer and gazes upon her savior with stardust in her dark, luminous eyes. Although the sullen young teen scoffs at her silly notion that he’s her “superhero,” and she is his “cape,” there is something about the skinny young sprite with the sunny smile, infectious optimism and aching innocence that calls to the deepest part of him.
“She’s just like the sun. She chases away the dark. She lights me up and makes me worth looking at.”
From that moment on a beautiful friendship is born! And over the next few weeks, they steal precious moments together, connecting over their shared love of books, astronomy, Greek mythology and ALL of life’s miraculous wonders. And… sob! Even when they cannot be together, their unbreakable bond sees them through their darkest, most grueling hours. Eventually, Graham escapes from the commune and when he and his beautiful “Sunshine” finally come face to face again, their tender hearted friendship eventually blossoms into soul burning love. They go on many adventures together, becoming one another’s sun and moon and stars, until heart wrenching sacrifices, blind ambition, broken dreams, and shattered promises tragically tear them asunder!
Their stars are finally aligned again 5 years later, and even though their love still burns brighter than the sun, can their unfaltering devotion transcend the most agonizing heartache?
MY MUSINGS:
ENVY splintered my heart into a trillion pieces and then ever so slowly stitched it together again. I adore coming of age best friends stories like this one because they are rooted in such rich history and built on a strong foundation of pure innocent love that evolves into passion of a lifetime!!
Dylan Allen’s writing is PURE POETRY. She is a glorious wordsmith, her prose brimming with vibrant imagery, and her ability to weave an intricate love story with such stunning scope and complexity is mind-blowing! I was immediately swept up into the sheer majesty of this tale, and Graham and Apollo’s serendipitous meeting as children sets the stage for a beautiful love saga that spans decades! The depth of their soul-consuming love is, in short, spellbinding.
Apollo is a BREATH OF FRESH AIR! This beautiful, effervescent heroine who is “always smiling, like a little ray of sunshine” is so sweet and bubbly, brave and wise, and loves with her whole heart and soul. I also dig that she’s of half Native American descent…not something we see a lot of in romance.
As for the hero, Graham is just a GOLDEN-HAIRED DEMI-GOD!
“He’s beauty, brilliance, and a whole lot of stardust—all held together by a gravitational force that makes people forget everything but him.”
This tragic hero is so magnificently sculpted on the outside it took my breath away yet so profoundly damaged on the inside it gutted me!! Growing up in a strict religious commune, which was ruled with an iron fist by his tyrannical stepfather, this young man has had a VERY rough life. When we first meet him as a lad, he’s angry and completely despondent about his grim circumstances— “I feel like the rest of the world is happening, and somehow, they forgot to include me.” But when he meets Apollo she becomes the brightest ray of sunshine in his bleak world. And although she is 3 years younger, she has so much to teach him!
“Your deeds are your monuments.”
Apollo’s vast knowledge and natural wonderment about the universe whets his own secret cravings, giving him a rare glimpse of life outside of the stifling confines of his horribly closed-off world. But once he finally is liberated from the shackles of his past, would his fierce yearning to reach for the stars dim the brightest constellation in his galaxy?
Omg! THE ANGST! THE PASSION! THE HOPE! THE HEARTBREAK! This timeless love tale took me on such an intense emotional odyssey! One moment I was bubbling over with happiness, the next fanning myself off, the next wailing in despair! Graham and Hope are star-crossed lovers and true soul mates who complete EACH AND EVERY PART OF EACH OTHER. They share many precious firsts together but their innocence is shattered far too soon—in a jawdropping plot twist I never saw coming— and when fate cruelly drives them apart their universe feels woefully off kilter.
And yes, the choices they make, which oftentimes are catastrophic, did admittedly at times test my patience…and PUSH ME TO THE BRINK! But all their agonizing setbacks and palpable discord made for some deliciously juicy drama that had me frantically flipping the pages, hoping against hope their enduring love could finally breach the wide chasm between them. And yay, it does happen… just takes a heck of a long time for these tortured lovers to get there! But gah their smoldering hot encounters and THAT ending? So epic!!!!
BOTTOM LINE:
ENVY is a wondrous second chance romance that made my heart sigh, my soul weep, and restored my belief love that can INDEED conquer all!
loved this!
I have a confession to make…I’m so not a lover of excessive angst; in fact, a lot of the time I don’t understand its necessity to the plot line and I become disengaged because of it. But if the drama is well written and seemingly instrumental to the characters’ finding their way amidst the chaos, amidst the maelstrom that has become their lives then I can hang in there and reap the rewards of their struggles and revel in the fact that they endured…that they survived because I’m a huge believer in second chances, which makes me want to give characters the benefit of the doubt, even when they destroy their own lives and those closest to them without truly thinking about the repercussions OR feeling that it’s their only option regardless of the pain caused.
The reason I prefaced my review with the above insight is because Dylan Allen’s Envy caused my heart to hurt, tied my stomach in knots and had me going out of my mind with the trials Allen put her characters through…BUT, her poetic prose and her ability to create perfectly imperfect characters forced me to ride out the emotional torture and accept that the journey may be bumpy when it comes to Graham and Apollo’s journey, but the payoff was worth the trauma caused to my head and my heart.
Graham and Apollo’s initial interaction illustrates the uniqueness of these two characters as well as how effortless their bond begins, and because Allen provides readers with a firsthand account of the journey that Graham and Apollo take to become so much more than childhood friends, we can’t help but be their biggest supporters and wish to be their voice of reason when everything seems to go wrong and the decisions that are made force two people apart that should have never left one another’s side.
Sunshine, Graham’s nickname for Apollo, is the perfect moniker for, her not only because she brings light to his darkness, but also because that term perfectly describes her constant presence in his life, even when they’re apart. There’s such a purity to Apollo…a genuineness that is very rarely found in people. Her honesty, her truths and her ability to see beyond the fractured facades of those around her provide hope and love to someone like Graham who hasn’t had those things in his life for quite some time and even though he lost them at one point, the fight to get them back and the realization that they wouldn’t come without a dedicated effort proves to readers just how much Apollo means to Graham and why he’ll do anything to revel in her lightness once again.
Graham’s misguided actions sent me into a tailspin of frustration and anger…I get that he did the only thing he felt he could and I also understand how damaged his sense of self is/was due to his step father’s mistreatment, but I physically hurt for Apollo and I grieved for her and her dissolved relationship with Graham. They meant EVERYTHING to one another…they saved each other…they loved each other with abandon and then it all ended and those years apart were disastrous for these two lost souls because they didn’t have their other half…they didn’t have the person who spoke to their heart and to their soul without saying anything aloud. It was so effortless between Graham and Apollo, until it wasn’t, and it’s in those times and in those moments that I couldn’t help but want to shake Graham and wake him up to what his decisions caused and continued to cause until he finally resolved to make things right, to reclaim his Sunshine and the sole keeper of his heart.
Graham and Apollo’s story is one that illustrates the complications that life brings when sacrifices have to be made and hearts get broken in the process. Even though these two were apart and struggling, their memories of their time together and the love they felt/still feel never truly diminished and it’s that thought that allowed me to remain hopeful despite how heartbroken their disconnect made me feel.
Dylan Allen is a masterful storyteller – one whose stories demonstrate how passionate she is about her profession and how every part of who she is plays a part in the tales she crafts. I’m so glad that I was introduced to her books, and even though she mangles my heart, she always puts it back together and makes me realize how precious and necessary love is.
4.5 Poison Apples
Can you survive assumptions, can you get past half-trues and lies? Envy tells the heartbreaking and angst-y story of Apollo and Graham, for who a Happily Ever After doesn’t come easy. While I was sometimes angry, sometimes sad while reading Envy, I simply love this book.
“Once upon a time, he had been my compass. My star. But, I can’t do this anymore. Not for one more day. Loving Graham is killing me. Slowly. Softly. Surely.”
Apollo and Graham meet as young teenagers. They’re from very different backgrounds, but both share a similar devastating loss, and both are dealing with the aftermath. In each other they find a true friend, and over the years they share a lot; hopes and dreams. Slowly, their friendship starts to change into love, but due to Apollo’s age Graham is trying to do the right thing. Before they can finally give into their feelings for each other, everything falls apart. Years later both have moved on (or so it seems), but Apollo and Graham still have feelings for each other.
“He’s mine. And I’m his. I lean forward, rise up on the tips of my toes and press my lips to his. It’s a light kiss. But there’s so much promise and passion in it.”
Graham is a great kid / young man who wants to do what is right. He wants to take care of the people he loves, what changes his life into something he despises, but he can’t get away. Graham comes to terms with his work (kind of), but Apollo is always on his mind. Apollo is a sweet girl, a wise girl beyond her years. She loves Graham with all her heart, until he walks out of her life without a real explanation or anything. The only thing she has left are her assumptions and social media painting a certain picture, so all she can do is moving on. When they meet again it’s angst-y and messy, but this time love conquers all.
My feelings for Envy are all over the place. I went from sad, to angry, to happy, and all the feelings in between. The story of Apollo and Graham is not a fairytale; it hurts, it’s real and it’s messy. So are Graham and Apollo. Especially Graham makes some bad decisions that cost him almost everything. I was so proud of him when he finally had the courage to walk away. Graham and Apollo’s journey was hard, but they have their Happily Ever After.
“I feel like I have known this woman in a thousand lives and will in a thousand more …”
Envy is the incredible story of Graham and Apollo’s journey which spans from the time they meet as children to adulthood. Their path certainly wasn’t easy. One of the many things I love about this book is level of intensity in their relationship. Their connection is magnetic and a force to be reckoned with. While their story can be described as a slow-burn romance, they engage in some heated and tantalizing moments that creates an explosive sexual relationship and its well worth the wait. Envy is filled with lots of angst, emotional moments and you will definitely need tissues. At times, this book was so devastatingly heartbreaking that I couldn’t breathe.
What I love the most about Dylan Allen’s books are that her plots are very unique, captivating and meaningful. Envy is all of those things and much more. It is hands down one of the BEST books I’ve read this year. When I started crying at 22% into the book, I knew it would be a winner until the end. And true to form, Ms. Allen did not disappoint me.
Apollo is such a brave, fierce and courageous woman and I am in awe of her. She’s a nurturer who’s been taking care of Graham since she came into his life. And Graham, his character absolutely slayed me and blew me away. He’s also brave, profound, selfless and a survivor. There were moments when he was so vulnerable and desperate which led to him being taken advantage of and it made me want to wrap him in my arms and hold him.
If you are looking for an emotional, amazing read with deep love and passion; then Envy is the book for you. This book will linger in your mind, heart and soul forever. I will never forget Graham and Apollo as their love story is unparalleled.
When I first saw Dylan Allen’s cover of Envy, I swooned because the guy looks hot. Then I read it. Oh man, I wasn’t prepared for what’s coming!
Believe me when I say that this book is sooo much more than a sexy cover. The hero will be so much more than a long-haired hottie when you discover the reason why he wears his locks like that.
ENVY captured my heart and gave it so much feelings at one point I even thought it’s gonna break its cage. This is poetry, people. IT’S BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN. Beautiful because Allen’s words has so much eloquence. Beautiful because the story stands out. Beautiful because you wanna transport yourself in that book and really exist where the story is happening.
As I go further to Graham and Apollo’s world, I just shake my head and smile because it still amazes me how these authors come up with these kinds of stories. They put amazing pictures in your head and plant unforgettable feelings in your heart.
And yes, Dylan Allen is one of those INCREDIBLY talented authors that everyone should have the chance discovering.
PS. I’m not yet done with showing how much I FREAKEN LOVE THIS BOOK soooo you might see me sharing it again and again like a madwoman in the next days!
I’m not one usually at a loss for words after reading a book, but I am having a hard time getting my thoughts into words about Envy. And that is because it was so damn good! This story was so moving; it had so much emotion in its pages.
“She’s the most beautiful person I know. Inside and out. She’s my superpower.”
I absolutely adored Apollo. Such a strong, beautiful, intelligent woman. A true ray of Sunshine.
“You consume me. You motivate me. You, and you alone see me.”
And oh my goodness, Graham! I couldn’t love you more. Even when you were making poor decisions, you were only trying to do what was best for the ones you loved. You always were a Star.
I loved how this story started when Graham and Apollo were kids. I loved how it wasn’t an easy road for either of them. Ms. Allen has a way of weaving such a beautiful, enchanting, real tale with her words and I just get lost in her world. I want to live in her book and I never want it to end. I really need more Graham and Apollo in my life and look forward to many, many, many more books from Dylan Allen. (5 stars)
4.5 STARS
I truly have no words to describe my love for this book. Dylan Allen is an extremely gifted storyteller, of that there is not doubt. Yet, even knowing this, I manage to fall deeper and deeper under her crafty spell with each new story she pens. Envy is a standalone, friends to lover’s romance that will grab your attention from the very first line and likely keep you cemented to your seat until the very end. I was. Envy spans more than a decade of friendship between Apollo Locklear and Graham Davis. Only friendship is not the only tie that binds the two together… a growing longing for each other exists as well. Yet, Graham has been raised to wait until he can offer his heart and financially stability. Unfortunately, life has other plans for Graham which cost him and Apollo everything.
Dylan Allen is truly brilliant and there is so much to love about Envy. As her fifth book, I was not surprised to find Envy was superbly well written. The plot was thought-provoking and at times, unpredictable. Although the pace was a little slow for me at the start, I was far too intrigued with the twists and turns taking place to put it down. I am so glad I pushed through the beginning because I ultimately loved this book. Since Envy spans so many years of the characters lives, readers will see incredible character progression. Dylan Allen’s attention to details and the chemistry she builds layer by layer between Graham and Apollo is outstanding. The relationship between Graham and Apollo is special and unique from the very being. Graham is a delicious hero and while I found myself disagreeing with his decisions, I couldn’t help but love his character. He’s sweet and his dedication to the women he loves is beautiful. Apollo is so strong and has a beautiful soul. She brings light to a boy surrounded in darkness. While she also makes bad decisions, I found myself able to understand her reasoning and I connected with her as a heroine. Envy is a delicious slow-burn romance that will leave you hot and bothered. Envy is bursting with emotions – you will be deeply moved by the story, yet in my humble opinion, the real achievement is the immense emotions that readers will experience.
I truly loved Envy. I wish it had been longer so that I had more time to bask in the beauty of Dylan Allen’s words… and in the heat that existed between Graham and Apollo!
6 Amazing Stars! TopReadList2018
Envy is a poignantly written love story, one I won’t soon forget. I was moved by so many emotions while reading it, but most of all I was in awe of this beautiful friendship/romance, that began innocently between children, and spans years as they become adults and ends in the most perfect epilogue. While so many readers want to breeze through a love story and move on to the next, I’ve spent hours reflecting on this epic tale of love, friendship and redemption. This story had me teary-eyed and feeling heartache, due to so much sadness; when I wasn’t laughing, out of sheer joy, and feeling my heart ache, as if it would burst, so full of happiness. With so much of the book highlighted, it will be sheer anguish to pick a few favorite quotes, but I’ll try to show some restraint.
As a side note: don’t be alarmed, as I was, reading the first chapter. I actually went back and re-read it, thinking the story takes place in some strange Middle-Earth realm. But it is a Contemporary Romance and you’ll understand “The Hobbit” references as the story moves along. Trust me on this and keep reading! This is going on my list of TopReads2018 and I’m sure it’ll be one of the top five.
“The Star is my Universe. And I am his.”
Graham and Apollo meet under unusual circumstances, Apollo literally fell from the sky and Graham rescued her, and one can argue about who saved whom from an uncertain death. Just suffice it to say they both saved each other; their friendship was formed, and sealed, that summer as if destined by Fate or the Universe.
“Your deeds are your monuments. It’s what Papa used to say that it’s the things we do that make us who we are.”
Graham Stevens, at fourteen, had been living a horrible and miserable life and Apollo Havaa Locklear, at eleven, was far too mature for someone so young. Both realized they had suffered the loss of a sister and father, something they shared that helped form a bond between them, as if only they could understand the pain the other had suffered at such a young age.
“I know that Apollo and I, like a lock and its custommade key, fit each other.”
When distance and circumstances separates them, they somehow find a way to keep in touch; they know their friendship is something so strong and unbreakable and that very few can understand their attachment.
“I thought of him in the only context my mind could create—as a friend, someone I care deeply. But even if my mid couldn’t understand, my heart knew the difference. And there are large, red hot pieces of it that are his.
Forever.
Loving him doesn’t feel like a choice.”
When Graham threatens that bond and betrays Apollo’s trust and faith in him, they’re separated for a number of years; they are both farther and further away, physically and emotionally, than they’d ever imagined. It causes them great unhappiness, despite how successful they become, until one reaches out to the other, with a cry for help. But is it too late?
“It feels like falling off the edge of a cliff. I would die for Graham to belong to me and me alone. The way I know I’ll always belong to him. I would wait forever for him. I would walk through fire. I would scale mountains and swim oceans. I would let him take everything he needed from me, and then give him more until I had nothing left.
Once upon a time, he had been my compass. My star.
Loving Graham is killing me. Slowly. Softly. Surely.
This time, though, as I fly off the side of the cliff, I decide to save myself.”
Infinite stars! Top 5 of 2018!!!
I do not even know how to begin to describe everything that this story made me feel, Oh my God, Apollo and Graham will stay forever in my heart, I want to live with them in their world forever.
I literally do not have words. It crushed my soul so deep that it will forever remain etched in my soul.
This story consumed me, tear me apart, broke me and remade, left me breathless a thousand times. I can not stop thinking about it, it characters, it was so beautiful and sublime that even days after reading makes me sigh.
You really need Apollo and Graham in your lives.
It is a completely addictive and emotional journey about best friends, the first love and the soulmates, about the first encounters and childhood, which is full of sweetness, love, courage, friendship, anguish, tenderness, sexual tension and chemistry, tears, but especially from friends and loyalty.
Graham and Apollo known each other in childhood by accident, when Graham saves Apollo from drowning. From there they form an unbreakable bond of friendship, begin to frequent and become better friends. Graham has problems with his stepfather and he practically keeps him locked in the village, but Apollo helps Graham and his mother escape and after a while they meet again.
Graham grows up to be a man too sexy, shy, I loved him so much and I suffered too much with him, several scenes were quite difficult to read, I wanted to enter the story, embrace him and never let go.
Apollo, as I loved her, is a beautiful, determined, brave, loyal girl, who faces everything for those and what she loves. I loved her character, I fell completely in love with her.
Although they meet on a few occasions for long periods, their friendship remains stronger than ever, and friendship gives way to love. Their scenes together are so tender, my heart almost does not overcome it, and those dialogues so sweet, that made me sigh thousands of times. It stopped my breathing and caused thousands of butterflies in my stomach, I did not want it to end never.
My best friend. My sunshine. My salvation. My heart is beating harder and faster than it ever has as I hold my entire world in my arms.
But problems appear and the protagonists stop communicating for a while, and that part frustrated me so much, because despite everything they love each other, and suffer so much in their separation, my heart hurt so much for them, I broke one and a thousand times, I cried, I suffered, I laughed, I sighed, with them.
Mrs. Allen gives us a poetic, magical, and epic story, captivating from the first page, the plot makes everyone fall completely in love with her characters and keep the reader hooked almost without blinking. It is definitely a masterpiece that you will not want to miss, if you like the stories of friends to lovers, this is undoubtedly super recommended for you.
There are no words for the exquisite, explosive moment your lips touch those of the person who is the keeper of your heart.
And that epilogue, killed me, in the good sense of the word.
She was his sun; He was her star
“That’s what stars do. They shine when it’s dark.”
This was my first book by this author and I fell in love!
This story began with two kids finding a friend in the other during a summer vacation. Well, Apollo decided that after Graham became her hero, they were going to be best friends.
Apollo was eleven and Graham was fourteen. He had been given a strict, religious, sheltered upbringing living on the outskirts and in a small settlement. He wasn’t familiar with much of the outside world. His stepfather led with a Bible and his iron fist! Apollo introduced him to everyday nuances that we take for granted and they shared their love of books.
Life was hard for both of them in different ways. Both had suffered loss and it bonded them. A short time spent together each day, sneaking what time they could, reading, talking and living. But Graham was not allowed to break the rules because in his house, broken rules led to painful consequences. It wasn’t discipline that Graham endured but abuse.
No longer able to watch her son be beaten, Graham and his mom flee in the night to begin a new life.
This was only beginning of Apollo and Graham’s love story.
Apollo and Graham reconnect and stay in touch through the years. Life seems to never be without it’s obstacles. Graham wants to become a successful man that can provide and love a woman properly. Apollo doesn’t care about any of that, because she just wants him.
She follows her dream, while his gets derailed. And after making a decision, that feels like the only choice he had at the time, everything spirals. It’s hard to tell the truth to the woman you love, when all you want to do is bury it and forget.
This is their story of living, hurting, trying to let go, finding their way back to the only place they belong, forgiveness, love and forever. She was his sun and he was her star.
This was in my top reads of 2018!
I received this book in the middle of the night and started it right away because the blurb invited me in. I read this book in just a few short hours. If I didn’t have to work and sleep, I would have read this incredible 5 star in one sitting.
Graham and Apollo met when they were young. They lived in 2 different worlds. He saves her from drowning and she saves him from a life of torture. They are soul mates but it wasn’t their time yet. This pure, raw first love, a story that evolves over years of angst and life events. She’s his Sunshine and he’s her Star.
Beautifully written story that really got me addicted to the point that I read half in one sitting. I was so intrigued that I couldn’t put it down for very long. The storyline and plot were unlike anything I’ve ever read before. It was unique. What I look for in an amazing story are the characters. They were perfectly created to make me feel so many different emotions. It’s like I was feeling what they were feeling. Bottomline is this a 2018 MUST read story.
Standalone told in a dual POV with an HEA. I strongly recommend this story.
Dylan Allen blows my mind every single time! I have been anticipating Envy’s release because I knew that this would be a story I would remember forever. And I will!
Graham and Apollo completely stole my heart. The way these two characters are brought together and the obstacles they overcome, it’s so beautiful!
Apollo has to be one of my favorite heroines of all time. She is so strong and loves so hard. Her love for Graham and the things she does for him..epic!!
I love to read a coming of age story because its a love that starts out in friendship and this story has it all! It’s heart wrenching and ugly at times..but Dylan is brilliant and I absolutely loved Envy!!
Envy by Dylan Allen was not what I expected from this friends-to-lovers romance, it was so much more. It was an angst-filled story that was emotional. This second chance romance was full of unexpected twists and will break your heart.
Graham Davis barely survived a haunting childhood. His one saving grace was his Sunshine, Apollo. They met when he was still living in hell. They remained friends and made plans for a future. But when Graham needs money to help his mother, he accepts a job that will change everything.
Apollo has always loved Graham and dreams of a future with him. When she realizes she may be losing him, she takes a chance and loses him. Even as she has no idea why. They spend years apart building separate lives, but never stopped loving each other.
When they meet again years later, the chemistry, love and want is still there, but is it too late? Graham is now a household name. He built a brand that lets him do whatever he wants, but what good is that without his Sunshine? But can Apollo and Graham truly have a second chance together or will his secrets destroy them once and for all?
Envy by Dylan Allen was very angsty and emotional enemies-to-lovers romance who get a second chance. It will take you for one wild ride. The twist in the story may be too much for some readers, but it is explained why he did it and was part of the journey the author gave us.
Read and reviewed for Sultry Sirens Book Blog.
Happy reading!
4.5 stars!
Envy is such a heartbreakingly beautiful story, that is unlike any other I have read recently. And quite different from any of the author’s previous stories. It captured me from the beginning and I just had to find out what was going to happen to the star and his sun.
Graham is not your typical hero……..such a broken soul, whom I just wanted to reach out and give a hug to. My heart just broke for him on so many occasions, seeing what he went through at such a young age. When he grew up, I still wanted to hug him; yet there were times I wanted to smack him. He knew who he loved and wanted to be with, but I think he was slightly naïve to the ways of the world. And Apollo……how I adored her spirit. She really showed Graham what friendship and love was all about. Their relationship was unique and truly something special.
Another beautiful book by Dylan Allen. I had every emotion reading this book. I loved the characters, Graham and Apollo. I enjoyed reading about them from the beginning of their life, how they met, the angst, finally coming back to each other. Dylan is one of my most favorite writers.
I have started this review several times only to delete what I have written. It is really, really really hard to put together the right words to describe how utterly wonderful ENVY by Dylan Allen is.
The fateful moment Apollo Locklear meets Graham Stewart a star is born. The dark and chaotic nebulae that spawned each of these beautiful beings is what makes them strong, courageous fighters. Each struggles daily to shine through their dim reality.Together they connect and burn fiercely with a passion unequaled.
Theirs is the story of childhood friends who love each other beyond reason. They tell the story of self discovery and success earned through hard work, sacrifice, and absolute focus. Apollo and Graham embody love, loyalty, and total commitment. As the star that is Graham burns brightly in the world, it meets the natural course of all those that shine brightest. After a spectacular collision between the two, Graham becomes a supernova and Apollo’s light shines a little less brightly. The black hole they must traverse to find their way back to each other is tumultuous and heart wrenching.
I wanted to read ENVY by Dylan Allen based on the cover alone. You have to admit it is quite an eye-catching cover. The story is equally compelling. It is heartwarming, heartbreaking, and heartfelt. I smiled , laughed, cringed, cried, got angry, and smiled again.
The writing is gorgeous, emotional, sensual, and downright sexy. I loved every moment of this book. Dylan Allen continues to bring only the best to her readers. She gives us exotic irresistible characters, unexpected twists, a huge dose of reality, diversity, unique points of view, despair, hope, redemption, compassion, forgiveness, love, laughter, and most of all hope. ENVY is a book that belongs on every reader’s To-Be-Read list. Dylan Allen continues to secure her place on my automatic must-read author list with every word she pens.
Graham and Apollo’s journey from childhood friends to their separation to lovers is a beautifully told, heartfelt story that spans years of love and pain and every emotion in between.
I think what I loved most about Envy is Graham. He’s such a sweet, deeply layered character. In pairing him with a bold, bright spirit like Apollo, Dylan Allen is able to give the reader the perfect couple. Their story, their journey, is so well-written, so poetic, and just plain beautiful. I liked the other story I read by her, Release, but I can safely say that I LOVE Envy. I can’t remember the last time I read something so beautiful.
*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book.* Envy – One of the most BEAUTIFUL LOVE STORIES *EVER*! Dylan Allen’s words have taken me from the lowest of the lows to highest of the highs with this book. It is truly an ever-lasting love story of EPIC proportions.
Graham’s story is one that battered and bruised my heart. His story story left me spent with raw emotion, and unsure of what was to come of his life. With grim moments and situations that left no room for hope, Apollo represented a beacon of light for him. This connection, for me, was the driving force for this book.
As this story takes place over the span of many years, I loved Allen’s character development of these two. Both Apollo and Graham grew in ways that were unexpected and made this story flourish. I absolutely adored the unfiltered nature of Apollo, her ability to be so honest and forthright. And Graham, well, he’s someone that I ended up loving to pieces. He was, as so many say, “perfectly imperfect”. His undeniable love and draw to Apollo is intoxicating. How Dylan Allen created this addictive love concoction is a mystery. And I will always line up to buy more.
With love stories there is always a resolute connection. However, with this story, Apollo and Graham’s connection is cosmic, something indescribable. They were always one another’s life house. And through Allen’s words, I experienced the depth of their love; and the strength they had to conquer each and every set back.
This story has set a standard that other romance books will have to attempt to match. Dylan Allen’s writing has superseded most love stories that I have read. The story line is challenging and thought provoking on various levels; and as a romance reader, it’s what has me turning pages. If there is one book you make sure to read, make it this one. It has made its mark on my heart and it is sure to make it on yours.