Rating: 
Summary: "Guilty Pleasures" was a pleasure for me!!
Review: Contrary to popular opinion, I really enjoyed this book. The plot and characters were twisted enough to keep my interest throughout. As always, I look forward to the next one.
Rating: 
Summary: Sibling Rivalry At Its Best
Review: Family secrets, that's what it is all about, after all wasn't the entire USA captivated by the Bill and Monica saga, most were. Lets face it folks, if you like hearing about other peoples trash (and most do, Bill and Monica were a prime example) then this is a book for you.Emmet Folsby founder, owner and CEO of Folsby publishing and Barbara have been having an affair for awhile. OK, so other men have had an affair, but not with their daughter. A bisexual son who marries in an attempt to get ahead in his fathers company and better his chance for inheriting the entire thing when his fathers time comes. Barbara sees right through this scheme and decides she must come up with one of her own. What these two won't do in an effort to get ahead. Both are obsessed with money and power and of course sex. I chose this as an audio book and was not disappointed. Granted, it wasn't what I thought it was going to be, not my usual genre; however, one doesn't become more literate by confining oneself to a particular genre or author. What I liked about this book, was the style of Mr. Sanders. He made the characters seem extremely colorful and with the help of Mr. Gaines (narrator) they were presented in a manner that really made you understand them. I chose the abridged version of this audio book. Now, I wish I had selected the unabridged. It was obvious that many parts were omitted which were relevant to the story line. You could easily pick out where areas had been left out and you could tell that they were rather large areas. In addition to the missing segments, there were no real breaks indicating the end of chapters or subchapters. Everything ran together and it was easy to get confused as to what was going on. This was the first book by Mr. Sanders that I have ever had the opportunity to experience. I found it to be somewhat simplistic but gripping and at times even humorous. It was fun to see what the other would do next or what would happen to them. The book had a rather surprising ending but I won't give that away here. As I said, this was my first Lawrence Sanders book and being one who doesn't normally read this genre, it would be unfair of me to attempt a comparison to other authors in this arena. If you haven't read anything by Lawrence Sanders don't hesitate to try. However, go with the unabridged version. Personally, I think this book had the potential for a higher rating had I listened to the unabridged version.
Rating: 
Summary: A waste of time
Review: Guilty pleasures by Lawrence Sanders G.P. Putman's Sons 1998 Sanders has a number of novels to his credit and on the whole, those I have read, have given pleasure, although personally I find the McNally series weaker than the "Sin" and "Commandment" series. This book seems to fit with the McNallys. The story revolves around Emmet Folsby, the owner of a wealthy publishing company, his dying wife Constance and his two children Barbara Ann and Brett. Emmet and his daughter Barbara have an incestuous relationship of long standing which has been kept secret from Constance. Barbara is also having affair with a young Noah, being sponsored at Harvard Law School by their neighbor, retired Judge Hampton, who is sleeping with Noah's mother. Brett, who is bi-sexual, decides to marry and have a child to enhance his chances of inheriting the business. All except Constance are very sexually active. You get the picture - not much to the story and not one that I would recommend.
Rating:
Summary: Not up to scratch
Review: Guilty pleasures by Lawrence Sanders G.P. Putman's Sons 1998 Sanders has a number of novels to his credit and on the whole, those I have read, have given pleasure, although personally I find the McNally series weaker than the "Sin" and "Commandment" series. This book seems to fit with the McNallys. The story revolves around Emmet Folsby, the owner of a wealthy publishing company, his dying wife Constance and his two children Barbara Ann and Brett. Emmet and his daughter Barbara have an incestuous relationship of long standing which has been kept secret from Constance. Barbara is also having affair with a young Noah, being sponsored at Harvard Law School by their neighbor, retired Judge Hampton, who is sleeping with Noah's mother. Brett, who is bi-sexual, decides to marry and have a child to enhance his chances of inheriting the business. All except Constance are very sexually active. You get the picture - not much to the story and not one that I would recommend.
Rating:
Summary: A dark tale of a family empire.
Review: Guilty Pleasures may disappoint some Lawrence Sanders fans who have grown accustomed to the humor in the McNalley series or the procedural based Deadly Sin's/Commandment series. In this book the author takes you into the same dark areas of human relationships that he took you in with books like The Case of Lucy Bending or The Passion of Molly T. Sanders has covered a twenty year span in the life of the Folsby family. Emmet Folsby is the founder of a publishing empire, his wife who helped him in his business is now a house bound invalid. There is a son and a daughter - Barbara Ann and Brett. Barbara Ann is a fighter and wants to rise through the ranks in her father's empire; Brett is the wild one who expects everything given to him. This is a dark novel that deals with infidelity, incest, and homosexuality. I get the impression that Mr. Sanders wanted to continue the story with another novel, but his death in February this year may prevent that. From what I have seen this book has not been too well received, but I am a loyal Sanders fan and I liked this book. There are many scenes of "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" that have become a Sanders trademark, along with his usual extensive vocabulary. Lawrence Sanders gave us 38 novels before he died and I for one will dearly miss him.
Rating:
Summary: Well, at least no one was murdered !
Review: I agree with all of you out there. This was a terrible book. So Sanders says that any love is okay between consenting adults; black/white; bi/gay, even incest. Pardon the rest of us while we all Ralph at your pseudo libralism. The fact that no one was murdered was a welcome relief to that tired cliche, but the fact that nothing else happened either was totally boring! I have read many Saunders books and this was the last. No mas.
Rating: 
Summary: A view into a world not often traveled by the masses!!
Review: I disagree with all the bad reviews that this book has received. I've never read any book by Lawrence Sanders but I loved this book. It is a view into a world that no one wants to talk about but undoubtedly exists. Make no mistake, this book is not for the squeamish. I've never seen sexual manipulation and consensual incest handled with such insight. I cannot wait for the next book.
Rating:
Summary: Not Lawrence Sanders, and that's not a compliment.
Review: I enjoy and look forward to any Lawrence Sanders book. This was unlike like anything I have ever read from him. I don't object to how he paces the book, with years of gaps in the storyline. But this is beyond disjointed. There is no logic or motive behind the characters, except sickness perhaps. And there is no satifactory conclusion to any of the multiple storylines, with the ending being the most inconclusive part of the book. If you want to be disgusted, confused and disappointed in an otherwise good author, then this is the book for you. I won't even put in on a garage sale, I don't want anyone to know that I wasted my time reading it.
Rating:
Summary: I'M GOING TO MISS HIS EARLIER WRITING!!
Review: I gave up reading this type of book a long time ago. It's more of a Danielle Steele,Jackie Collins type of novel. I was so disappointed in Mr. Sanders - his McNally series is one of my all time favorites. I have loaned those books to many people and they all loved them. Guilty Pleasures was not a pleasure to read. I, like others, kept waiting for something to happen. At the end, I just closed the book and said to myself "What a sad way to finish such a wonderful career. What were you thinking?!?"
Rating: 
Summary: A big diappointment for an avid fan of Lawrence Sanders
Review: I have been an avid follower of Lawrence Sanders' novels. I especially love all the McNally series. I have gotten to the point where I buy all his books sight unseen, as was the case with this new novel. What a sad disappointment I was in for. There was a great deal of build-up and foreshadowing, and you kept waiting and waiting for something to happen - but nothing does! The book seems as if it was published with half the book still unwritten. There is no conclusion to any of the individual storylines. It was an immense let down, and nothing was resloved. I cannot wait until the next McNally book. I will buy that one hardcover before it is even released! But I would not waste my money on this one.
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