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Black Butterfly

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Sydney Allen has a dream. To dance one day on Broadway, and be a star. She's moved to New York, and with her best friends Portia and Trish at her side, her dream is destined to be a reality. That is until she meets the Executive Producer of her show--Nolen Adams. A Wall Street Investment banker who's playboy ways are notorious among the Big Apple's socialites. His lust and desires for Sydney are at first spurned. She will never be a casting couch bunny. But Nolen Adams doesn't take well to rejection. He's a man who always gets who and what he wants. Despite her efforts to achieve her chance at stardom through handwork and discipline, she is forced to address the admiration of her Producer. His pursuit of her sets Sydney and her friends on a collision path of pain, heartache, and self-discovery that will forever change their friendship. Every bond between friends and new lovers are put to the test when lies and deceit overshadow the best of intentions. And Sydney soon learns the price of fame can ultimately be the cost of one's heart.

380 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 21, 2011

140 people are currently reading
3117 people want to read

About the author

Sienna Mynx

81 books1,017 followers
Sienna Mynx is your naughty writer of Paranormal, Contemporary, and Historical Interracial Romance for readers that love the bad boy's but desire to be the women that tame them. A current resident of south of Georgia, Sienna Mynx has just emerged into the e-publishing arena. Her novellas reflect her thirst for romance told from a fresh perspective with the diversity she craves in erotic Romance. Explore and Enjoy.

Also writes under the pen name T.A. Ford

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5 stars
966 (28%)
4 stars
1,065 (31%)
3 stars
830 (24%)
2 stars
357 (10%)
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190 (5%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 199 reviews
Profile Image for Sylvia.
687 reviews118 followers
July 14, 2012
This book would have to be the most frustrating, annoying, I want-to-bang-my-head-against-the-wall and roll my eyes constantly type of read. I mean COME ON! Besides the hot scenes, Nolan and the plot line concerning Todd and Trish, I really found it so incredibly over the top and unrealistic.

First of all, small town girl Sydney, who is an untrained, yet aspiring dancer, wins the lead role in an off broadway ballet. She also captures the eye of it's financer Mr Nolan Adams. This rich entrepreneur is a man who gets what he wants and whatever cost, and is mesmerised by Sydney. So basically, she plays really hard to get, will not have a bar of him because she doesn't want anyone to think that she "slept her way to the top." Okay, I quite liked the chase at the beginning and thought it would play out for a little longer, but soon enough, she found herself in the back of his limo and let's just say that this man has a way to convince her otherwise. So, they continue their relationship in secret.

In the meantime, Sydney's best friends and roommates have their own story going on. Trish, who is a struggling artist is sweet and kind and pretty much keeps to herself, but she has a big secret she is keeping from everyone. She finds herself, suddenly taken aback my Nolan's friend, Todd. He is a successful and renowned fashion photographer, who is a man whore, to say the least. He, in fact, is the photographer that Portia (the stupid ass, skank hoe, mother fudger), their other friend, decides to go down on to get herself a step in the right direction for her career. When, he rejects helping her, after she pretty much humiliates herself, she looses the plot, beats him, trashes his place and cries rape. But, Nolan, with all his power and connections, makes things "go-away" and the secret is safe, from Sydney and Trish. They are clueless to everything. And soon enough both girls and falling head over heels in love with Nolan and Todd.

Okay, so much drama goes down, but it's not the nail biting, tension filled drama we all love and expect from stories. It's the oh-my-GOSH I can't believe that this shit is happening, it's so predictable, and corny and I don't think I would put up with any of this shit if it happened in real life. Like seriously, I know it's a fiction, and meant to be dramatic, but it's just plan ridiculous.
Pretty much I HATED PORTIA, PORTIA, PORTIA, PORTIA, PORTIA, TRISH'S PARENTS (who think they could sweep in, demand their grown daughter to come back home with them even though her father did what he did...the disgusting piece of shit), PORTIA, PORTIA, PORTIA, PORTIA, Sydney's whining and carrying on and running away after a fight and being stubborn to no avail, and PORTIA. She is the worst character ever to be written. She sets women back generations and cries rape every time she doesn't get her way. It's women like her that make the real victims of a sex crime, go unnoticed as they are too afraid to come out because no one will believe them since, bitches like Portia, corrupt the system with constant fake allegations. I'm telling you I was ready to grab her and beat the living shit out of her, she is that bad. I really can't believe the shit she caused and blamed everyone else, except her stupid arse self.

Alright, that's it, I've had enough of this book and writing about something that has numbed my mind. I really can't say anything else about it.
Profile Image for Alex .
236 reviews35 followers
September 25, 2016

The cover is gorgeous (well, not the cover, the guy on it, who looks a lot like Jonathan Rhys Meyers), but that's all there is to this book. It's awful.

Profile Image for Penney.
194 reviews12 followers
January 19, 2012
In a nutshell, this was a story about mentally unstable people and their dysfunctional relationships. However, I don't think that was the author's intention. The hero was a thug in a suit with no moral compass, who showed "red flag" signs of being a future domestic abuser. The heroine liked to send mixed signals and then dole out punishment for the resulting reactions. And the three 'best friends' were as follows; 1. deceitful, covetous whore, 2. Childlike mental case and 3. needy misogynist. ~Lovely.

Once you get past the completely unlikeable characters, you have to deal with bad, inconsistent writing and cringe worthy sex scenes. Distress and panic, are two words one should never find in a passionate love scene.

Finally, I understand the need for self publishing, but does that mean you can't gather a couple of buddies to help you proofread? Maybe even give you their honest thoughts and opinions? I can't imagine someone reading this, cover to cover, and then saying "Looks great! Don't change a word.".

The only reason I'm not giving Black Butterfly a one star rating is that I liked the concept and really wanted to like the book.
*2/5 stars
Profile Image for La-Lionne.
484 reviews841 followers
January 4, 2014
Review complete 28.08.2012 (brought from AMZ)

I don't know what to say. I usually don't rely on the customer reviews, I read them only out of curiosity. But there were few that made me think that it could be a fun read. Boy do I feel stupid now.

WARNING SPOILERS!
I got intrigued at the beginning. Even though girl was young and at times came across as a bit naive, I liked the fact that she had goals in life and was determend to reach them by working hard. And we have a bad boy, they are always fun (to read about;)). I liked that when he asked her to meet him, for the very first time, she got pissed that he have sent her a dress and a car to pick her up, without knowing if she would like that. Because he thought that it would work, because it always had worked on other girls before. But she was not "any other girl".
I also liked the fact that she blew him off and told him where to stick it. I thought to my self "my type of woman".
I got the impression that she was the smartest of the 3 roommates and that all 3 of them were really close. She always knew the right thing to say and right advise to give.
The thing that threw me a bit off was them calling each other family, even though they have known each other just a little over a year. But still, I tryed not to overanalyze their relationship.
And then there was a scene where she got in to an argument with one of her roommates. I felt like it totally ruined her character (it was pretty early in the book). I get that everyone can have disagreements, and it's perfectly fine, even best friends. But when I read that she got slapped in a face, by one of the girls and then she got all up in her grill, dragged her down to floor and they tryed to rip each others throats out, it became too much for me. First she acts like dalai lama, giving life/relationship advice to everyone and next thing you know, she rolling down on the floor and fighting like 10 year old. What?

Oh, and the fucker choked her the first time they had sex. As in squeezed her neck til her eyes bulged out. There were no indications that she was into that kind of stuff. She is a good girl, remember? And they barely knew each other for crying out loud.

Even though after that I had lost all my interest I still kept reading, only because I felt like I had to, because I have paid for it.
At some point there was a 3 stories running parallel to one another, involving 3 couples. It could have been okay, if execution was better. But I thought it was all over the place. There is nothing wrong with a little bit of mystery in the story. Is there?
In my opinion the whole book was poorly edited. It felt like author was trying too hard to explain what was going on, with every singe character, at the same time. It made me think that maybe author ran out of ideas, just gave up and tried to get it over with the story.
For me personally, it was hard to understand who was running the show there. I thought that the whole book suppose to revolve around the Sydney and Nolen and the rest of them should be just supporting characters?
What irritated me the most was that there was way too much of "you go girl", "come on girl", "what's wrong girl" and "oh no girl you didn't". And the same goes for the guys in the story "what's wrong man", "talk to me man", "what's up man".... It just went on and on...
After I read the book it made me seriously question intelligence of the people who have given this book a 5 stars review (sorry, just thinking out loud.) I can't believe I said that when I wrote the review back in 2012, but this book was just that stupid and made no sense.
Profile Image for Sonya.
59 reviews13 followers
December 6, 2011
The idea of this book was good. The actual book, not so much. I tried to like it. About two thirds of the way through I found I was actually forcing myself to finish it. The gist of the story is a an african american woman moves to New York to become a dancer, catches the eye of a rich white man, starts a romance. There is a lot of drama with her two room mates, his best friend, everyone's parents, etc.

The characters just weren't likable. The heroine of the story started out decent enough. She wants to make it on her own, doesn't want anyone handing her anything. Except she's kind of stupid. She lets people kind of run all over her. She lets him strangle her during their first time having sex, without even knowing him, without even a "hey, what are you doing?". Their first weekend out of town, she lets him drop thousands of dollars on her, and you don't hear a peep about how she doesn't want him spending money on her. He was just a whiny man-boy, throwing temper-tantrums throughout the book. She didn't even act like she liked him half the time, or was really all that interested in him. The secondary characters were also annoying.

It kind of felt like, through out the book, that every thing that happens, that everything they think or do was added as an afterthought. Like the writer was reaching, trying to add things that would hold our interest. It seemed sort of scattered in parts. One minute a character is freaking out about something, the next they aren't, one minute something is a problem, the next it's not. They flip flopped their emotions/opinions/morals so much, I almost got whiplash. Do yourself a favor and avoid this one.
Profile Image for Sandra.
393 reviews16 followers
August 23, 2012
Oh My God! I'm in Awe. I loved this book. I don't even have words to describe how much, i am speechless. There hasn't be any other book I have held to as high a standard as the Fifty Shades Trilogy ever. Until this book. Its just fantastically and brilliantly written.

There are a few stories that make me actually hyper ventilate while read 'em. This is one. I can only pray that more people read and love it just as i do. Its one of those books that leaves you dazed for days afterwards, that you're compelled to pick it up again and read it almost immediately.

Its honesty the only book I have read that even though the book delved into other characters other than the main two, i.e. Nolen and Sydney, I was genuinely interested in ever single character in the book, and the were all brilliantly written and captivating, every single one. I was literally at the edge of my sit form start to finish.

Words fail, only, I loved it.
Profile Image for Ginger .
726 reviews29 followers
September 6, 2018
Why do I keep picking up these horrible rich boy 'romance' books?!



Lets make this short (like the book)
and sweet (not like the book)

The good:
I enjoyed the mixed romance, but I don't think it really added any depth to the story. It seemed like it was just a thrown in sentence here and there to make it edgy.
I loved that she was a dancer, but there was almost no focus on this fact at all.
I loved the side kick diva, we needed more Juanita!



The bad and the ugly:
Lets face it. This entire relationship was all about 'fixing' our broken 'bad boy'. There wasn't even much drama and in the end EVERYONE kissed and made up *blech*.
There was no kidnapping in this one which was refreshing and no cliff hanger at the end.
I just cant take the stalker/richboy/forgivehimeeverythingbecausehehadabadchildhood BS.
I wouldn't really put this one in the BDSM genre either. It was all pretty vanilla

Over all basic and not twisty enough for this girl.

Profile Image for Nile Princess.
1,580 reviews174 followers
May 9, 2012
Ok, had to review this one because I loved my other Sienna Mynx read. Black Butterfly started off really well. Nolen gave me butterfiles and Sydney was a strong female lead. Somewhere along the line everything went pear shaped and I literally struggled to complete this.

Sienna is an awesome writer but her books tend to go on too long and have entirely too much drama, especially this one. The drama was wayyy over the top to the point that it was just ridiculous. The three female characters were a) a ditzy Southern belle, b) an emotionally scarred introvert and c) a slut. Yay for us!

At the end of the book, I really only fully liked two of the secondary characters and, just barely, the male lead, so that's saying something. Nolen was an Alpha male but the author went so over the top with him he seemed mentally unbalanced. The heroine was, simply put, an idiot. No, Sydney, they are not babying you because you're a country bumpkin. You are a danger to yourself because you're stupid!

I literally skimmed the last 25% of this book just to get to the end. There were too many (non) storylines taking up valuable space and the characters were, for the most part, unlikeable.

Profile Image for J.E..
143 reviews
May 6, 2012
I really was disappointed with this book. The female protagonist Sydney had stupid character lines and I didn't find her likeable at all. She pouted and threw tantrums towards the end. Her friends weren't that amazing either and I guess I liked the male character a bit better Nolan, but all in all this story fell flat. The end was a disappointment. Felt like falling off the side of a cliff. I thought the characters were underdeveloped and the storyline all over the place. I thought the author tried to do too much and didn't do a good job of bringing the reader along. Because I read Fifty Shades and Bared To You before it, I was just underwhelmed to say the very least. While there were a few good scenes here and there, for the most part it was predicatable. I just couldn't connect.
Profile Image for Sarah.
62 reviews2 followers
August 26, 2012
Okay I am having some trouble with this one....I'm not even a quarter of the way through the book and I am already looking for something else to read. I feel like this is a good story and it COULD be executed well but it just isn't. I'm kind of getting a flashback to "Gabriel's Inferno" because of the downright annoying heroine and tall, dark, handsome, rich, and badass guy (love the guy, dislike the girl). I feel like the conversation alone is kind of forced between everyone. I mean, I do not know one female who says "gurrrrrlllllll" half as much as these people do. If I hear (or read) it one more time I may just hurl by Ipod through my TV (just kidding :) lol). Maybe I'm just being a little snippy but I can't find the perseverance to finish this book. May come back to it later. On a positive note, the cover is awesome! Woo hoo does he look good! :) Don't let my review stop you from reading. After all, it has gotten plenty of positive ones. I want to like this book but, sadly, at the moment, I don't.
Profile Image for Kim.
740 reviews80 followers
March 31, 2012
I loved this book from beginning to end. It was truly a complete story as we really get to see an evolution with all of these characters. Nolan was something else, and I didn't think I was going to like him in the beginning, but shortly into the book my opinion of him completely changed. You wouldn't think him and Sydney could make a go at it since they came from two completely worlds, but they really made it happen. The passion between them was off the charts. These were some of the best sex scenes I have read, and bordered on being erotica. A lot of them were sweet and sensual as well which made it a good mix. The supporting characters were a trip. Particularly Juan aka Ms. Juanita, he provided a ton of comic relief. Portia did a complete 180 from her earlier manipulative ways, it was good to see that she could make that change in herself. Overall an excellent read, nice and long, and tells the whole story, I'd definitely recommend.
Profile Image for Alexis *Reality Bites*.
757 reviews3,656 followers
April 9, 2012
Spoiler Free Review
"Then you've got your head in the sand, honey. He's everywhere! What is there to understand? The man is rich,fine and wanting to spend time." Juan in Black Butterfly

Sienna Mynx is quickly becoming an author i love to read from!!I really liked this book and it's characters. Black Buuterfly is about three young women trying to make it big in N.Y.C. Sydney the Ballerina, Trish the artist/painter and Portia the model. They are best friends and love eachother dearly. But things start to change when Sydney meets Nolan Adams one of N.Y.C.'s wealthiest bachelors and he decides he wants Sydney to be the main woman in his life. Two of the women find love, one of the women has a deep dark secret, and one of the women will betray the other for self but in the end the path to success can be dangerous for these friends. I really liked the twist thrown in about Trish and her background i did not see that coming. I loved Nolan and all the bad that came with him. YUM*lickslips*

Book Summary below from Goodreads
Black Butterfly
Genre: Multi-cultural Romance
Category: Romance
Word Count: 140K

Description:
Sydney Allen has a dream. To dance one day on Broadway, and be a star. She's moved to New York, and with her best friends Portia and Trish at her side, her dream is destined to be a reality. That is until she meets the Executive Producer of her show--Nolen Adams. A Wall Street Investment banker who's playboy ways are notorious among the Big Apple's socialites. His lust and desires for Sydney are at first spurned. She will never be a casting couch bunny. But Nolen Adams doesn't take well to rejection. He's a man who always gets who and what he wants. Despite her efforts to achieve her chance at stardom through handwork and discipline, she is forced to address the admiration of her Producer. His pursuit of her sets Sydney and her friends on a collision path of pain, heartache, and self-discovery that will forever change their friendship. Every bond between friends and new lovers are put to the test when lies and deceit overshadow the best of intentions. And Sydney soon learns the price of fame can ultimately be the cost of one's heart.

Publisher Warning: Strong language, Explicit Sexual Content, Autoerotic Asphyxiation, Mild Violence, Strong Adult Themes. If you want more of Sienna Mynx, please be sure to visit: thedivaspen.com.
Profile Image for Formerly Known as Spoiler W.
1,515 reviews342 followers
September 19, 2012
*Slight Spoilers*

Kinda predictable story but it's worth the read.


Syndey, an aspiring dancer meets and falls in love with Nolen.

Nolen, a genius with a shady past and present falls in love with Sydney.

Trish, painter with a mysterious background falls in love with Todd.

Todd, a photographer also shady falls in love with Trish.

Portia, aspiring model who does anyone to benefit her career and is all kinds of messed up.

Do they all fall in love immediately and is it all hearts and flowers?...HELL NAH! Secrets are revealed, trust is broken, heartbreak is a given and certain people you just wanna bitch slap. There's laughter and the sex is always good. Who comes out on top and who gets theirs....read and find out. But I will say this, you can do bad but there's still good in you if ya take the time to find it and it doesn't hurt if you find that someone special helps you along the way.

Favorite lines/moment:

"Let me do the honors," she said.
Nolen placed his hands behind his head. Sydney released the rubber from the foil and expertly smoothed it over the cap of his cock and rolled it down his shaft. It only stretched a little over half the way down. She stared at his dick in wonder.
"You didn't believe the myth did you?" he joked.
"That white men had small penises?" she laughed.
Nolen wiggled his brows.
Profile Image for Laura †.
418 reviews20 followers
January 27, 2019
well...this book was weird, there were so many stuff...but at the same time nothing to big. It was a bit boring too. So 2 star is enough.
Profile Image for SheReadsALot.
1,861 reviews1,269 followers
August 9, 2017
This is my first foray with Sienna Minx and I was not disappointed. I was on the fence at first but once I finished the sample, I knew I had to purchase this book. I've been waiting for a story like to be written. We meet Sydney, a twenty-something aspiring dancer who is searching for a break in her life. She's on her way to audition and sprains her ankle. While on her audition, she gives herself a pep talk, she's overheard by Nolen Adams. Nolen Adams is twenty-seven, a genius with the IQ to back it up, Wall Street worker who is thinking of financing the show Sydney's auditioning for. These two would have never met otherwise as they do not run in the same circles. Without delving into to spoilers, this day begins a wild ride into a relationship with some bumps along the way.

Now, where this book wins is while this is not a unique plot (poor girl meets rich man and voila they're in love), Sienna gives dabs of differences here and there without getting into fantasy proportions (I've read some far-fetched stories but will not name those stories...because I choose to wipe them from my memory)

PROS: Character development...each of character had enough depth to support this story and their reactions were believable. It did not feel as if they were added just to write a juicy plot.

***P.S. sex scenes were SCORCHING!

CONS: Typos...It might be a little distracting for grammar sticklers out there. But it did not distract from Ms. Minx's story nor were they found in every other sentence

So all in all, this is a keeper and I recommend to those on the fence. Stop reading this and read this story!!
Profile Image for Toni.
Author 4 books22 followers
January 17, 2013
Let me start by saying that I got 75% done with this book and just had to stop. The writing style was horrible and I had to keep back tracking just to figure out which character was talking because the dialogue wasn't separated correctly. Also, the story is unrealistic. The novel contains an aspiring dancer (who has no real training) wins a lead role, a 27 year old male is a millionaire, and everyone in the story is dysfunctional. Literally, there isn't one person in the novel who is a semi normal functioning person. The dialogue between characters was rudimentary and lacked any emotions. Oh, so you fell in love with the man of your dreams but just a day ago you thought he was trying just to sleep with you? Really? After a while I got really frustrated and said, "To hell with this crap" and deleted off my kindle.
Profile Image for Savannah- Quad Motherin' Book Readin' Diva.
230 reviews34 followers
September 20, 2013
I'm not sure how an author that is capable of what Mynx does with the Battaglia's could be responsible for this.....

Its not horrible. Its not even CLOSE to the worst I've read in this genre. But its still beneath her.

The heroine. I just don't even know where to start. Childish? Superficial? Maybe she's just annoying, I don't know. Either way, I didn't like her. That happens sometimes, so I kept trying to move past it. But then I realized I didn't much like HIM either. He doesn't seem to have any real emotional depth. Or maybe its just that it comes and goes in spurts. As far as she's concerned, she goes from keeping him at arm's length to accepting him and making demands at lightning speed. Her relationships with her besties is WAY suspect. They're all just a dysfunctional mess with nary a brain cell betwixt the lot of 'em.
Profile Image for Rosie.
1,652 reviews32 followers
October 14, 2018
Both couples in this story fell much too fast. As a friend said to me, this story was reminiscent of Valley of the Dolls. Portia, the roommate of both Sydney and Trish (the mediator) was a hateful witch. The things Portia did and said to Sydney were awful. She proved time and time again she wasn't a true friend. Sydney knew she had to cut her from her life, but Trish kept wanting them all to be friends -- when they had clearly reached the point of no return in their friendship. Just as relationships can and sometimes should end, so do some friendships. Especially when the so-called friend is jealous and toxic. There is no fixing that. By the end of this book Trish annoyed me just as much as Portia.

Black Butterfly 2 - Extended Epilogue that can be read on the author's website.

We catch up with Nolen and Sydney a year later and see what changes they've made in their lives. There is a knock at the door and the last person Sydney would expect is on the other side of it. Portia is there because Trish took it upon herself to share private matters with Portia about Nolen and Sydney's life, even though she knows the two of them have a strained relationship. I'm not clear on why Portia refuses to go away or why Trish felt the need to share confidences that Sydney didn't want anyone else to know about -- least of all Portia. Sydney would do well to get rid of both of those witches.
Profile Image for Tee Loves Books.
950 reviews
July 12, 2012
My rating for this changed a few times as I read the book. I liked it starting out, it seemed like a slightly above par romance with some seriously hot scenes to keep me glued to the iPad. But as the story progressed, some of the characters really started getting on my nerves, and the last 30% was just riddled with eye-rolling moments, over-dramatizations, and an ending that was just packaged far too tightly to be believable.

The premise behind this story has echoes of Fifty Shades, though I wouldn't go as far as to say it's trying to mimic in any way. Nolen is the young, incredibly wealthy, and delectably perfect bachelor, and Sydney is the relatively naive dancer trying to make her mark in NY. They cross paths when Nolen goes to watch the production he's considering executive producing, the same one Sydney is trying out for. When he sees Sydney, he's immediately drawn to her and is intent on getting to know her. But Sydney doesn't give Nolen's usually successful attempts a second glance, which just makes him even more determined to win her over. When he does finally catch her eye, Sydney isn't sure what to make of him, and it doesn't help that her roommates are questioning the idea of her even giving Nolen the time of day. With friends, family, business associates, and Sydney's director all pushing them apart for their own reasons, Sydney and Nolen never seem to catch a break once word gets out that they're together.

In a nutshell, here are my likes and don't likes:
Likes:
-Nolen! He's freaking hot as hell, and I loved everything about him up until he had his major temper tantrum later in the book. He pretty much redeemed himself, though, so I suppose I can wipe the slate clean for him. =)
-this book has a LOT of steamy scenes, and they were scorching! Nolen should really get all the credit, because he was just plain sexy as hell and it definitely showed every time he had his way with Sydney!!
-the relationship between Trish and Todd really grew on me; I didn't like him at all in the beginning, but he really changed and helped Trish when no one else could
-Juanita, he cracked me up!!

Dislikes:
-PORTIA!!! This may officially be my least favorite character in a book, and there have been some bad ones! The description selfish b*tch doesn't begin to scratch the surface for this one, and I was honestly hoping she wouldn't make it to the end of the book
-I liked Sydney enough in the beginning of the book, but she started to irritate me after awhile. Her behavior got a little 'woah is me' and self-righteous at times, and I didn't see the newfound maturity that she believed she had found.
-PORTIA!!!
-Trish's parents...good god, you HAVE GOT to be kidding me??!! I mean, I get the use of her past abuse being a big plot twist and how bringing them in is a huge climax in the story, but the scene in Todd's place and the subsequent scenes with Trish's dad were so outlandish it made me want to stop reading. Trish is a GROWN WOMAN, not a child that parents can come in and claim custody of. Ugh.
-PORTIA!!!
-the dynamic between the roommates; I never really felt like they were "the three musketeers" like they claim to be. I found myself wondering how they ever became friends in the first place in the end!
-Sydney's whole singing/dancing on broadway dream; people don't just walk into an audition, untrained, and earn a lead role in a major production. It was so far-fetched that I just didn't buy any of it, so when the show came around in the end I just didn't care.
-And, last but not least, PORTIA!! =D

So yeah, I had a lot of gripes. I really did like Nolen, though, and he got my heart racing more times than I could count!! Just wish the other characters and the plot could have supported him better!
Profile Image for Mello ❣ Illium ✮Harry✮ ☀Myrnin☀ Torin Ichimaru.
1,544 reviews104 followers
July 14, 2012
So, I read this as a buddy read for one of the groups I'm in and I hate that this book disappointed me. The cover totally had me ready and excited to read this, but it just didn't do it for me ultimately.

It honestly started off pretty well. A rich guy showing interest in a young woman trying to make her way in the big city. She's determined not to get involved with him, but he manages to pull her in, anyway. I really didn't mind how quickly they started a relationship and I enjoyed that aspect of the book until sometime near the end when What turned me off, was the things that were going on around Sydney and Nolen.

There was this complete ho/bitch of a friend of Sydney's named Portia and her sweet but damaged friend Trish. Portia sleeps with a photographer to try to land herself a gig. He totally blows her off and then the story starts to go downhill. Nolen makes some mistakes by not revealing that the photographer, Todd, is his friend and Trish ends up getting involved with him. I know why he did it. He didn't want to interfere because it had nothing to do with his and Sydney's relationship. Understandable. Anyway, Portia becomes a huge Jerry Springer/Maury Povich archetype and I just hated her. Mynx tries to redeem her later and make the girls all make up, but I'm sorry, that just did not do it for me. Portia is a selfish bitch and losing everything was the only thing that could make her change her ways? I'd have cut that ho loose long before Sydney did.

There was a secondary relationship with Trish and Todd that actually turned out really sweet. I was highly against this at first, but it worked. Although, it did bug me how close they got so soon. It was a cute relationship in the end.

My main gripe with this book besides Portia's ho-ness is that the drama seemed incredibly contrived. Trish's past, while horrific, was expected and no surprise at all. Her parents showing up followed by Todd's dad showing up was drama for the sake of drama and all of the dialogue there just didn't feel right to me. My other gripe was that little diatribe Xenia went off on Sydney before Nolen cut her off. That shit was so typical of women that have no self respect for themselves that it was one of the beginnings of my dislike for this book. There were other things as well, but if I go on too much longer, I'll never stop.

I really wanted to love this book. The cover just got to me when I saw it. Despite my dislike of the book overall, I still really liked Nolen. He wasn't the best kind of person and he kept secrets and manipulated situations, but when he put himself out there for Sydney, I just loved him. He was a bad boy through and through, but he was loving and he was good to Sydney. He was hot too and seems like a lot of fun in the bedroom.
Profile Image for Fatima.
889 reviews352 followers
December 15, 2011
Black butterfly is my first Sienna Mynx novel , and i must say i'm very impressed with her writing style . She manages to bring out the most intricate facts with simplicity .

Black butterfly is the story of Sydney Allen who dreams of making it big on the broadway scene keeping her disciplines and principle's in tow . But then she meets Nolen Adams , a wall street investor and banker who manages to let loose the butterflies in her belly making her go weak in the knees . But Nolen is'nt your prince charming . He is a typical bad boy who knows how to get what he wants and Sydney is definitely not willing to give him what he desires off her . From there on the story goes through massive twists and turns leaving the reader happy , sad , thoughtful , confused etc etc ..

Some aspects that i really loved about this book were firstly its characters . Black butterfly just is'nt about Sydney and Nolen . There are many other characters in this book that a reader can hate , love , envy and more . My other fav characters were Trish , Sydney's best friend and Todd , Nolen's best friend . Their relationship was just beautiful , but i wished that the author should have concentrated a little more and given them some more screen time . The character that i hated the most in this book was Portia , Sydney and Trish's best friend . She was a total bitch in the literal sense .

If this were a movie , i would have certainly loved it to have the following songs in itss playlist :
- New york by Alicia keys & Jay z ( Introduction of sydney on the streets of new york on the way to the audition )
- Little bit by Drake & Lykke li ( Nolen & Sydney's theme song )
- Corrupt by Depeche Mode ( Nolen's theme song )
- I want you by Cee lo green ( Nolen and Sydney's first date )

On the whole , this book was an exciting read and is definitely recommended for its true hollywood style !
Profile Image for Elle Chardou.
Author 31 books138 followers
May 3, 2012
I initially bought this e-book on Amazon but returned it due to the wacky formatting and had to purchase it from Smashwords instead. I have no idea why some of the e-books I buy on here have formatting issues but from what I read, I knew I wanted to finish it.

All I can say is wow. I have a great love for novels that have dancing involved, including classical and ballet, so I knew this one would be satisfying too.

Sydney dreams of nothing more than to get her shot as professional in the dancing world and due to an incident and the eye of a very slick businessman, Nolen Adams, she gets her opportunity. She is a bit naive but this seems to work in her favor and that is what made reading this book so eye-opening.

Everything about the characters ring true of how they would behave. Nolen is extremely dominating and used to getting what he wants but when he falls for Sydney, all bets are off.

There is a drama, of course...it's a romance novel, but not as much to be found in Aaren or Before Sunrise but just enough. The reader also finds out more about Sydney's roommates and friends: the over ambitious Portia who is a pain and I'm only happy she wasn't given more page time than she was already allotted. There is also the mysterious Trish who hides so many secrets but when she is freed of all her pain and heartache, you root for her to finally have her happy ending.

The author's prose is smooth and I am really beginning to like her novels. She is definitely becoming a favorite of mine in the romance category and I would definitely recommend this novel to anyone who has read her work in the past and liked it as much as I do.
Profile Image for Cem73.
384 reviews19 followers
May 31, 2012
After all the good comments i was disappointed by this one . The idea of this book was good but the story, the characters are just boring! I feel absolutly no connection nor sympathy with (and between) the protagonists . The author tells us that the H/h have a really strong attraction to each other and even love deeply each other, well as far i'm concerned i'm still looking for that. All the characters (except, i will admit, Nolen) are so versatile that 's very hard for me to love them.
I give two stars for the idea of this book , Nolen (i fell sorry for him to have to support egocentrical Sidney. Talk about a TSTL heroine!) and the cover!

If you are looking for a strong attraction between H/h, possessifs characters (bof H/h), great dialogues between them , strong story (and not multiplot, which distract from de main characters) ... i suggest to you Bared to you by Sylvia Day.
Profile Image for Shelby P.
1,320 reviews33 followers
July 24, 2012
This was my first book by Sienna Mynx. I liked the idea of a struggling dancer trying to have a successful career in New York and falling for the powerful and rich guy. This book was long, too long. It had too many things going on and therefore, I never really cared for any of the characters except Trish.

I would have liked to see more of Syndey and Nolen's relationship develop in a normal way. I loved their date at the skating rink. Portia was an interesting villian. Standout star was Ms. Juanita! She was nice comic relief and the voice of reason.

Overall this was just ok for me.
Profile Image for ★Codie Abibliophobic ★.
189 reviews9 followers
July 12, 2013
This novel was not my cup of coffee, tea, juice, heck not even my cup of water! I like the plot. The idea of a struggling dancer, that is very talented with a kind and gentle heart. And a rich millionaire who is a genius with a tragic past. By fate they meet and the rest is, shall we say, history? Nope, there is a bunch of unnecessary conflict that led to nothing. Yupp, the WHOLE story was highly unlikely and unbelievable. I really hated this novel, the writing was sophomoric and the progression was awful.

Profile Image for Adriana.
1,325 reviews148 followers
May 19, 2013
Wow what can i say..

I had heard mixed reviews about this book but was eager to see for myself what it was like and i enjoyed it. It was a bit slow to start but once it got going damm i could not put it down. It was supposed to be a buddy read but i couldnt stop.

I loved that it was an Interracial Romance.

Sydney dreams of being a professional dancer and then she meets the seductive and successful Nolan Adams. As soon as Nolan sets eyes on Sydney he knows that he wants to get to know her and he does everything to get this to happen but Sydney is not so easily swayed as she has had a bad experience before and she is not one of those girls who lets her guard down very easily. As they spend more time together her walls start slowly falling. But with lies and secrets can this relationship last.

Then there is the story of Portia and let me say from the begining i knew she was trouble and so many times i wanted to slap her.

I also loved the relationship that developed between Nolans best friend Todd and Trish. But once again there is secrets and lies in this relationship, like how Todd knows Portia.

Will love save the day or will the secrets and lies detroy everything. Well you have to read to find out..
Profile Image for Kelly 'Perusing Princesses blog'.
487 reviews59 followers
August 27, 2012


I did really like this book and I thought the storyline was good. My favourite character was Trish, and I found that I got more wrapped up in her and Todd's story than those of the two main characters, Sydney and Nolen. I have given this 3.5 stars because I found it hard at times to warm to Sydney, she annoyed me a little and as for Portia, I just wanted to strangle her. I have a major bug bear with women who cry rape, call it a personal preference thing, but by the end of the story I felt like banging my head up against a wall with regards to their friendship. I could never have forgiven anyone who treated me the way Portia did, and tell unforgivable lies, so I was surprised by some of the events near the end.

Although the ending was satisfying, and I can't deny that I am happy that I have read this book, but I wouldn't continue with this series if there was a sequel, once was enough for me. Unless the author writes more on Trish and Todd that is...

Technically however, this is a well written story, that is obvious by the emotions it provoked in me. There is nothing wrong with this book, let me make that clear, I have friends who just loved it. I just didn't love it as much as I thought I would, so therefore 3.5 stars is a good medium for me.
Profile Image for Trish.
302 reviews19 followers
December 18, 2011
I kept going back and forth as to whether i liked the book and its characters. in the end, it was just ok. she is decent writer, but the story was too much drama for me.

instead of the author sticking with 2 maybe 3 solid plots, she threw out way too many and it seemed as though i was reading a soap opera and i didn't get a chance to really embrace any one particular story arc.

with that being said, it wasn't a bad soap opera but it wasn't great either.

*spoiler* just didn't get the asphyxiation in bed. not condoning it, and what ever floats your boat, however, im not sure why the author had to go this route to prove he was a dominate male in bed. if that even was her point, im not sure really sure? the couple were not into dom/sub etc and its as if she added this to their lovemaking as such a casual thing.. it just didn't fit in the story imo.

this is my only book by this author and i may give her another try b/c i see potential, she writes well she just may need to cut back a bit on quantity and concentrate on quality.



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