I'll Take Manhattan

I'll Take Manhattan #1

by Judith Krantz

ISBN: 0-553-26407-9

Here is Judith Krantz's greatest triumph--I'll Take Manhattan.  In the high-stakes world of magazine publishing, she weaves a dazzling tale of love and betrayal, and creates her most joyous character--sensational Maxi, an uninhibited woman who unexpectedly discovers that her talent for life is matched by a hunger to succeed.

Gorgeous, flamboyant Maxi Amberville is twenty-nine and has already discarded three husbands on two continents.  Life is a stream of endless pleasure in her lavish Trump Tower apartment--until her widowed mother married a man who plots to sell her father's magazine empire.  And Maxi turns her incredible lust for living into a passionate quest for power.

Maxi takes over the small weekly Buttons And Bows. She gathers her hot-blooded ex-husband, sassy daughter and a coterie of the powerful elite.  Then, risking all, Maxi creates B&B --the glitziest, ritziest, most successful fashion magazine in the country.  Here is a dramatic, sizzling story of love, family, ambition and one unforgettable woman who gives life and love everything she has.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Chick Lit, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Womens Fiction, Adult

439 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Judith Krantz was an American author of blockbuster romance novels including her first novel Scruples followed by Princess Daisy. Krantz's books have been translated into 52 languages and sold more than 85 million copies worldwide. Seven have been adapted as TV miniseries, with her late husband, Steve Krantz.

Reviews

[Jade Cary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Judith Krantz is the kind of writer you just don't see anymore. When I first read I'll Take Manhattan in the 80's, I read it as a reader. It took me away to places I'd never been before: Monte Carlo, New York, a drafty castle in Scotland. It immersed me in a life I knew nothing about: publishing, extreme wealth, bitter siblings who would stop at nothing to destroy others. Exciting stuff.

This time around, I read ITM as a writer. Judith write with a flair rarely seen in romances anymore. She can, and does, go on for pages and pages about how someone is feeling, in eclectic prose that belie the character's truth. I saw a different Maxi this time around. I saw a different Rocco. Lily was not the woman I remember from 20 years ago. I saw situations that seemed so outrageous that, if written today, would have quite possibly been slashed to bits by any editor with even a fool's concept of what sells.

Yet, somehow, Judith Krantz still remains belle of the ball in this genre. Maybe it's because, when all is said and done, we read romance to escape. It doesn't have to be real, doesn't have to ring entirely true to be entertaining. Sometimes real is...well, TOO real, and sometimes we need a break from it. Sometimes reading about the heroine who has been raped and abused and unable to love again, and the hero who follows her around for 365 pages trying to change her mind, can be trying at best--no matter how good the writing, no matter how wonderful the characters. That's when we return to Judith, who takes us on journeys to foreign lands with spoiled, rich women who trudge through their trials, get burned, get up and dust themselves off, and realize in the end what is truly important--love. The alphas, the brutes, the rakes and the swindlers she tosses in just for fun are the icing on an already very rich cake.

I'll take Judith Krantz. Any day.

[Beatriz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pero… ¿qué acabo de leer?? No lo digo en un sentido peyorativo, sino que si me pidieran encasillar esta novela en algún género narrativo, me sería muy, muy difícil.

Escrita en los años ’80, nos presenta la historia de Amberville Publications, cuando el mundo editorial de revistas aún no había sido derrocado por Internet y la publicación electrónica, y era una industria competitiva y multimillonaria. Me encantó introducirme en ese entorno del arte de diseño de maquetas, de fotografía, de impresión y distribución, narrado en forma muy amena e inserto hábilmente en el argumento.

Fundada casi de la nada en los años ’40 por Zachary Amberville, un hombre visionario y carismático, recorreremos la vida de esta familia y cercanos, cuya existencia gira en torno a la editorial. El cuidado y esmero con que la autora nos involucra en la vida y evolución de cada uno de sus personajes a través del tiempo es fabulosa e, insisto, con un estilo muy ameno que invita a seguir leyendo y leyendo.

Por supuesto, entre medio encontraremos de todo: traición, envidias, infidelidades, intrigas, venganza; pero también algunas relaciones familiares y de amistad que cualquiera desearía tener.

Por último, no quiero dejar de referirme al personaje de Maxi Amberville, hija de Zachary, y la única con una personalidad que iguala a la de su padre. Ella me encantó, sobre todo en la forma poco ortodoxa de conseguir sus objetivos. Es un personaje fresco, caprichoso, creativo, obsesivo, fiel a su familia y absoluta merecedora de heredar este imperio.

Reto Rita 5.0 (agosto)

Reto #47: Un libro de tu lista TBR que asocias con una persona, lugar o cosa favorita

[Margitte]

Strong female characters, great new possibilities for young women in social mobility, but bling and fame became everything. Nostalgia again. Just adding the book to my sinful past in reading :-)))

[Floripiquita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Otro culebron de lujo a la enésima potencia, con personajes / situaciones al límite del estereotipo. Lo leí nada más salir, de adolescente, y me pareció entretenidisimo. Mi valoración tiene que ver con mis recuerdos, no sé si leyéndolo ahora pensaría lo mismo.

De este libro también hicieron una miniserie, con Valerie Bertinelli, ex mujer de Eddie Van Halen!! de protagonista, Julianne Moore, Jack Scalia (Rocco, I love you) y Brett Cullen, entre otros.

[Chris Kennelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I turned the last page of “I’ll Take Manhattan”, my “head was as light as if {I} had rapidly scaled a mountain peak and breathed deeply of the light, bright exhilaration of the air of the summit…{I} saw nothing except the vastness of the shining temptation, the immensity of the horizon, the infinite vistas that opened before {me}.”
Yes, reader, I (insert your own -ly adverb here) TOOK it!

[shuurei · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love this book. i enjoyed reading it. it was recommended by friend laurie. it is also helpful for my project so i was hitting 2 birds with one stone. this is my first time to encounter a character like Maxi Amberville which depicted in the book as stubborn, naughty, fun and a con artist (according to her) all in one. i also like India and Angelica. India being a beautiful and smart while Angelica being the daughter of Maxi is embodied of a high level of maturity. i agree with Rocco, who would have thought Angelica is the daughter of Maxi? haha! i learned the technicalities in a publishing company and creating a magazine. the book also incorporated facts about business law specifically 'corporation' regarding the stocks, circulation etc. all of these are new to me except the adultery and making love part. haha! i find it a little bit irritating when Ms. Krantz did not describe the making love of Rocco and Maxi it was all about Lily and Zach and Lily and Cutter. you are force to imagine, sky is the limit. well, it would be nicer and clear if it was described. and lastly i find it irritating because i was left hanging. i still want more! i hope there will be a part 2.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is funny reading other reviews, how many people stole/borrowed/were lent this book from their mother's bookshelves as a child. I had seen the Valerie Bertinelli miniseries on TV, and so my mother, having her own selection of trashy books in her bookshelf, also lent me this one, when I was about 14. I skipped all the sex parts... But I loved the story about the magazine published, so much so that I did my own bi-monthly fashion magazine with my own drawings and fashions, which I think I kept up for two or three years... I loved the high-flying lifestyle of Maxie and her many men, and her wonderful actress friend India, and her down-to-earth brother Toby, and her gay photographer brother Justin, and the scandals and affairs of their parents... It is just rich, self-indulgent trash that gives you everything you don't have in your life and wouldn't really know what to do with... Incidentally, the only Judith Krantz novel I ever attempted...

[María José · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me gusta como escribe Judith Krantz, me gusta que dentro de sus libros esté la historia de todos sus personajes.
Ahora está muy de moda el hacer trilogías, donde el segundo y el tercer libros están dedicados a los personajes secundarios y, en muchos casos , bajando la calidad por el afán de convertir en protagonistas a quienes no daban la talla.
En New York, New York, la protagonista es Maxi, pero hemos de conocer de dónde viene, qué hace que sea así. Por eso conocemos la historia de sus padres, su tío, hermanos y amigos. Pero es ella la que marca el ritmo. Todo lo que hacen los demás termina en ella, que es la prota. No quiero decir que haya interminables historias dentro de la trama. ¿Se podría sacar un libro de alguno de esos secundarios? ¡Por supuesto! Pero ¿la historia sería interesante? ¿Aportaría algo nuevo? Probablemente no, nos ha contado todo lo importante, lo que viniera sería paja.

[Susan Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still a great book after 40 years.

[Sorcha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gorgeous, flamboyant Maxi Amberville is twenty-nine and has already discarded three husbands on two continents. Life is a stream of endless pleasure in her lavish Trump Tower apartment--until her widowed mother married a man who plots to sell her father's magazine empire. And Maxi turns her incredible lust for living into a passionate quest for power.

Maxi takes over the small weekly Buttons And Bows. She gathers her hot-blooded ex-husband, sassy daughter and a coterie of the powerful elite. Then, risking all, Maxi creates B&B --the glitziest, ritziest, most successful fashion magazine in the country. Here is a dramatic, sizzling story of love, family, ambition and one unforgettable woman who gives life and love everything she has

Maxi Amberville, another sensational heroine in another TV-miniseries-to-be-novel. Beautiful, thrice-married Maxi is independently wealthy, and flamboyantly carefree until she locks horns with her vile uncle over a matter of family honor. He would close down several unprofitable magazines in her late father's publishing empire, but she insists on trying to rescue the sentimental underdog. Her transformation scheme is a delight. Power struggles, steamy sex, high finance, and scandal in the Big Apple provide a fascinating cast of characters with a fast-paced story line that will keep readers turning pages late into the night

Lots of money, energy, sex and business politics in the magazine world. The denouement comes a bit quick at the end, but the story doesnt suffer too much because of it

[Khushi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maxi....Evolving !
Toby....overcoming his limitation.
Cutter....a product of jealousy n hatred.
Lily....foolishly romantic, bloomed late!
A book which is interesting in parts with a happy ending!

[Julia Lednicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

High Entertainment Value

I’d rate this number 2 behind Scruples for entertainment value in the Krantz repertoire. We get the trademark multi-generational family saga, the rags to riches rise, reversals, drama, twists, sexual exploits (a little tamer than some of the other Krantzes), the intrepid heroine, & of course the happy ending that makes it all worthwhile. My only gripe is that our protag, Maxi Amberville, was just a bit too spoiled, wildly extravagant, and badly behaved. I liked her better as the book went on—when she matured through the process of hard work and dedication to the family legacy & her career path. Highly recommended summer reading!

[Kalyn Botz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have you ever had a book that you started and then put aside to read other books? This is what happen to me with this book. I would read book club books, Goodread Challenge books, and so on. I would come back to it for a few pages before I started another. Finally I had a few days to finish it. This is a story that made me smile from the beginning. It was a book that I felt the true essence of the early 80s. Comical to read it now that Donald Trump is our president and he had a few lines in the book. The rich is a society that I will never get to be a member of but find it so fascinating how they can spend and make money but still want the core essentials of life like anyone else: love transcends all economic statuses.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Amberville family owners of the magazine publishing company. Lily and Zacary marry. They have 2 kids Maxi and Toby. Lily has an affair with Zacarys brother Cutter she become pregnant, but stays with her husband they have Justin. Maxi is a handful in this book marries young has a daughter marries 2 others after that only to fail. She takes over a magazine B&B. She makes a go of it and at the end takes over the company.

[Angelika · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used to be embarrassed about the fact that I love Judith Krantz and would never admit it willingly. Thanks to Goodreads I feel liberated enough to confess that I absolutely love this writer. This was one of the first books I read as a teenager and it swept me away. Too bad that so many of Krantz's books were adapted for the small screen. I think the T.V. cheapened the books.

[May Ling]

I can understand why this author – in the category of mass market books – does so well. Though the story is about upper crust Manhattan society, the author has made the characters approachable and likable. Plenty of twists and turns, you feel as if you know the family.

[Magdalena Wajda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Re-read it after about 25 years since the first time. It's still entertaining, well-written and amusing. Maxi is still likeable, and New York of the 1980s amazing. It is a bit like "Dynasty" in print version, but nevertheless it's fun.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved loved looooved this! The story wa a brilliant and it progressed very well. It did drag a bit and was a pain to read in parts (hence no five stars). However, I really liked Maxi and the other ‘good’ characters and anythinf set in New York will always be favourable to me.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this one as a teenager, loved it and I feel the same 20 years later... The mark of a great book !

[Carol · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrible. Could not wait to finish, skimmed the last 100 pages or so just so I could find out who did what.

[Larisa Yossefi · Rating 4 out of 5]

*“I’ll Take Manhattan”* is far more than a glamorous, fast-paced novel set in the world of fashion and media. Beneath the surface of high society and luxury branding, Judith Krantz offers a surprisingly rich psychological exploration of character development, trauma, and emotional resilience.

As a PMHNP-BC, I was particularly impressed by how deeply Krantz delves into the formative experiences of her characters—especially their childhood wounds, attachment styles, and maladaptive coping mechanisms. The protagonist’s transformation is rooted in a believable and gradual journey of psychological growth, with clear links between early emotional neglect, identity struggles, and the drive for external validation through success, appearance, and control.

Krantz skillfully portrays patterns of codependency, emotional dysregulation, and impulsive behaviors such as compulsive shopping—illuminating how these behaviors are often used to manage deeper fears of rejection, abandonment, and inadequacy. She also touches on co-occurring conditions, such as disordered eating and perfectionism, showing how these can be woven into ambition and high-functioning personas.

The narrative offers a fascinating window into the world of magazine publishing, media, and celebrity culture, and how these industries can both mirror and mask personal vulnerabilities. The underlying themes of power, envy, and female rivalry are framed in a way that invites reflection on social comparison, self-worth, and the psychological cost of public image.
*I’ll Take Manhattan* provides an engaging, fiction-based case study in emotional development, trauma recovery, and the intersection of identity, success, and interpersonal dynamics. I plan to continue reading Krantz’s work—not only for entertainment but also for its rich psychological layers and character insight.
PMHNP-BC Larissa Yossefi

[Nena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this book multiple times and although somewhat "dated", the theme never grows old. It's about love and overcoming the seemingly impossible challenges of life. It's about growing up, learning from your own mistakes and discovering that nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it.

In a nutshell, this is a generational saga (one of my favorite genres). The main character, Maxie Amberville, comes from a magnificently wealthy family. She is spoiled and self-centered and extremely selfish thanks to her parents indulgences and being typical uber-parents, have some kids and let the nanny raise them. The parents' backstory is compelling in itself.

There is plenty of sizzle and steam in the romance department and still written in a tasteful (as compared to what is put out there today) way.

It's a happily ever after ending for some of the main characters but not for others which keeps the story unpredictable.

The mini-series (if you can find it) is just as good and lives up to the book.

If you have some downtime, in the mood for some sweeping generational saga with some "taboo" please do pick up a copy of this and read it. Well worth the time.

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah yes, the 80s. Dynasty, Hotel, Falcon Crest, Dallas...when soaps really started to take over the evening TV lineup. This is wish-fulfilment chicklit to a fare thee well--beautiful apartments and houses, beautiful clothes, beautiful chotchkes, money no object. I thought I had read this years back, but I must have started it and then laid it aside. It was perfect popcorn reading for a weekend when I really didn't want to think too hard. (It made me laugh that Donald Trump and the Tower made a cameo appearance, in which he calls Maxi "pretty girl" and buys back her apartment...at a profit for himself of course).
The only quibble is the strange twist in the tale; it was like Krantz got bored with her story, or realised she was near her page limit and didn't want to take the time to go back and redo a whole section, so she quickly got rid of the evil genius of the whole book and patched on a happy ending.

[Gianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven’t read Judith Krantz for years so when this came up on my Thriftbooks suggestions, I bought it. I did love the miniseries that came out based on some of her books. I had forgotten how Ms. Krantz is such a captivating storyteller and how she fleshes out her characters so well. Maxime Amberville is a socialite of one of the biggest publishing scions in NY and gets a chance to run her own magazine. I love the twists and turns in the book; it reminded me of Sidney Sheldon’s plot lines. I worked in publishing for many years and enjoyed the references to publishing jargon as well. I will look for more of her novels in the future.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maxi Amberville is the beautiful, spoiled daughter of publishing magnate Zachary Amberville. When he dies suddenly, his legacy is about to be upended by his vengeful brother, Cutter. Enter Maxi.

I really just loved this book. It reminded me of Jackie Collins but slightly less raunchy and a bit less dated for whatever reason. I read it on the beach and it was exactly what I was looking for. Lighthearted, just a little bit trashy, but with a good enough plot to keep me very entertained.

I'm excited to read her others.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maxi Amberville is in Brittany at Quiberon when she receives a phone call from her brother Toby, telling her to get back to New York for an unexpected board meeting of Amberville Publications.

Over a year ago, their father Zachary Amberville the founder of Amberville Publications, had died suddenly, as a result of an accident.

When the group gather for the meeting, Cutter, Zachary’s younger brother announces that they would be ceasing publication of all four magazines because they were losing money and moreover, he and Lily Amberville, his brother’s widow and Cutter’s sister-in-law were married.

[LetCap · Rating 3 out of 5]

Libro di intrattenimento puro, molto anni '80 con donne bellissime, ricchissime e fighissime che si fanno uomini bellissimi, ricchissimi e fighissimi, tutti hanno una vita pazzerella e sopra le righe. Le relazioni non sono a sfavore delle donne, ma tutto diventa un mirabolante lunapark, con tanto di thriller e tanto tanto senso dell'umorismo.
Non va inteso come un romanzo serio, ma letto per la gioia di distrarsi.

[Margaret Gerberding · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maxi, the middle child of a wealthy magazine publisher father and a French mother who was a star ballerina, has spent her life in search of fun. She has been married 3 times, and has an 11 year old daughter and a best friend who is a movie star. After her father dies, she learns that her uncle is trying to kill the business her father built. She decides to save it, despite having no work experience. A fun read!

[Alex (Alex's Version) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was born in the 90's but I remember seeing Judith Krantz's name and colorful titles as a kid in the library and I saw this on libby and I thought why the hell not? She's probs like Danielle Steel or any other powerhouse ladies in the 80's in publishing. which is true.. I loved Maxi and loved the characters.
what a fun way to spend a day outside reading and sipping Shirley Temples... Next up the the TV movie from 1987 LOL!

[Cara Byrne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Took me a while to decide whether this was a 2 star or 3 star rating. Settled on a 2. It was okay.
The constant flitting backwards and forwards of years without any warning annoyed me a bit. The whole business side of stuff was boring but something made me keep on reading - maybe it was the occasional sex that kept me turning the pages.