Secret Obsession

I have read Kimberly Lawson Roby books from the beginning. The first series with Curtis Black was awesome, I've been hooked since. I love the way she draws you in, its a non stop read. I read her books slowly, one you start it is hard to put down. I have read them all, not disappointed yet.

All of her life Paige Donahue has been treated like an outcast while her sister, Camille, got plenty of love, affection and material things from their parents. Well, no more!! Paige is planning to take what she feels she deserves and she doesn't care who she hurts.Paige: This woman was living in her head; in a dream world so far away from reality. She was very good at lying and she believed her own lies. She was vindictive, manipulative and had no problem `playin' with other peoples emotions'. And the lengths she went to so she could steal her sister's husband shocked and disappointed me. I wanted to think she was just plain evil at first, but `a bit touched' is how I describe her. At times it seemed like she had a bit of a conscience, but not enough to stop what she was doing. As I read, I kept thinking that her parents' neglect did some serious psychological damage. I questioned why she was attacking her sister instead of trying to get back at her mother - the one who made her childhood miserable. The answer is animosity and her mother caused it.Camille: She seemed to have completely different memories than Paige when it came to their childhood. She loved and trusted her sister, but still, I was amazed at how naïve she was. There are some things she really should have figured out on her own. How her sister could plant seeds of doubt so easily, I could not understand.Pierce: He claimed to love his wife so much, but he was quick to believe the worst. I couldn't understand that either.Maxine Donahue (Paige's mother): Favoring one child over another can cause animosity. It was obvious she never thought about that... but if she did, she didn't care. I had to wonder what was really going on with this woman. Why did she treat her daughter so badly ever since she was born? Even before she called Paige that name (no child should hear those words from a parent), I knew there were serious issues there. When a hidden truth came to light, my first thought was that Maxine could have made a different choice in the past, and then Paige may have been spared all of the unnecessary pain she suffered.I'm thinking this is a Christian novel since Roby usually writes Christian Fiction, but it didn't really read like one until I got to the end. I don't know who Paige thought she was praying to during most of the story, but the God I know would not answer such prayers. But then again, she was in her little fantasy world for a good while.I have read Kimberla Lawson Roby's work before; she writes well and has never failed to entertain. However, there was a scene in this novel that should have been more intense, considering what was taking place. It's not that I had a difficult time visualizing, but something was missing. The incident should have made me cringe or flinch and feel for Paige even though she brought it on herself. Despite my feelings about one of thirty-two chapters (there's also a Prologue and Epilogue), Secret Obsession is a good read. There are lessons to be learned and I appreciated how short most of the chapters were. I read this book in one sitting.

I have always loved Kimberla's books. She is a very talented author. This book, like all the others did not disappoint.

As soon as I read the two chapter preview, I KNEW something was not quite right about Ms. Paige Donahue! Yet I couldn't wait to pre-order my copy of `Secret Obsession' so I could dive into this craziness! My book arrived on Sept. 8. I finished the book the very next day! I could not put this book down!!!Paige went to GREAT LENGTHS to get the man she... LOVED...once & for all! The fact that this man was her BROTHER-IN-LAW didn't mean that he was out of reach to Paige. Clearly, Paige was a hurting woman. I didn't know just how much until I continued reading.I don't want to give all the details away BUT...WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND...STAGES THEIR OWN...oops, you've got to read the book for those juicy details! (Sorry!)You know the saying "Hurt people, hurt people"? Well, Paige wasn't the only woman who was hurting. Her mother CLEARLY was hurting for a long time to treat her own flesh & blood the way that she did. That was very, very sad! I would have liked to see (read) how/if the mother-daughter relationship may have changed after everything went down. (I really don't want to spoil it for those who haven't read the book yet.)This book is about more than a woman obsessed with her well-to-do sister's husband. This story, crazy as it is, eventually deals with forgiveness & also mental illness.`Secret Obsession' left me gasping at times (thinking: "Did she SERIOUSLY just do THAT?!"), laughing at others and teary-eyed at others. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that any fan of Kimberla Lawson-Roby's books read this one! I promise it won't take you long! You won't want to put it down!Happy reading!

Living in older sister Camille's shadow her entire life has taken it's toll on Paige Donahue. We can easily empathize with her upon finding out that her mother clearly favored her sister growing up, and still makes Paige feel unworthy and second class. Fed up and ready to take what she believes should be hers, Paige concocts a master plan of deceit, manipulation, and heartbreak, which then makes it difficult for readers to feel sorry for her. She can't stand the sight of her darling sister, but puts up the most convincing act as she plans to steal her sister's car, home, and husband, Pierce. Paige is sickly obsessed with anything Pierce, and will stop at nothing to be his next wife. Her game plan seems to be running smoothly, and exactly according to plan in the beginning, but not for long. As the tale unfolds, secondary characters appear seamlessly to claim the spotlight, and the drama becomes jaw dropping and unpredictable.I like the overall plot, but this read did not contain the intriguing story lines we are used to from this author. The product description of this novel is extremely straight forward, and precisely sums up exactly what happens between the pages. Nothing more, nothing less. Although surely entertaining, I found this short read to be either too simple or over done in every category. The twists make the novel, but the drama is heightened above that of a dramatic film, and the fairy tale ending comes off as abrupt and left me feeling cheated.

This story line takes sibling rivalry to another level. Totally believeable. Excellent Read Kimberla Lawson Roby does it again.