Owning Violet by: Monica Murphy

I've moved through life doing what's expected of me. I'm the middle daughter, the dutiful daughter. The one who braved a vicious attack and survived. The one who devoted herself to her family's business empire. The one who met an ambitious man and fell in love. We were going to run Fleur Cosmetics together, Zachary and I.

Until he got a promotion and left me in the dust. Maybe it's for the best, between his disloyalty and his wandering eye. But another man was waiting for me. Wanting me. He too has an overwhelming thirst for success, just like Zachary - perhaps even more so. He's also ruthless. And mysterious. I know nothing about Ryder McKay beyond that he makes me feel things I've never felt before.

One stolen moment, a kiss, a touch . . . and I'm hooked. Ryder's like a powerful drug, and I'm an addict who doesn't want to be cured. He tells me his intentions aren't pure, and I believe him. For once, I don't care. I'm willing to risk everything just to be with him. Including my heart. My soul.

In the novel Owning Violet by Monica Murphy, I was introduced to Violet Fowler who is an heiress to the Fleur Cosmetics fortune and Ryder McCay, one of the company’s employees in the marketing/packaging department. Despite fact that she appears to others as a nervous wreck and emotionally fragile and at time aloof, Violet has taken the role of the dutiful daughter who wants to one day run Fleur Cosmetics. She has a philandering boyfriend, Zachery Lawrence, that she knows is cheating on her but she has decided that they WILL be together until that one day she has decided that she had enough.

Ryder McCay is a reformed bad boy turned good with the occasional tendencies to be bad oozing out of his tailored suits and well groomed hair. He has a shady past and has set his eyes on Violet; believing that if he was with her then he would get opportunities for career advancement… with Violet being the daughter of the CEO of the company he works for. So like all shady plans to scheme and use someone, Ryder’s appeared to work for a few seconds before Violet realized that what he had to offer was not enough or maybe even too much, than she was will to tolerate. But then they all lived…I’m not completely sure how they all lived or turned out.

Overall, the characters were likeable and I somewhat liked the story, but honey, let me tell you… something was missing. Violet has two other sisters, Rose and Lily, who played significant roles in the story but the way to story ended gave me information about them without any rhyme or reason. And then how did the dad end up with that one chick? And then there was this overwhelming feeling I had, that Ryder was leaving something out of his life story. I don’t know what, but like my overall feelings about this book, something was missing.

I, digress. I am somewhat looking forward to reading the follow-up novel Stealing Rose. However, if I somehow forgot about it, I would be okay.

A complimentary copy was provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.