Married Lovers

by Jackie Collins

Three high-powered Hollywood couples, two hot affairs, one underage Russian ex-hooker, a passionate murder—and the players’ lives are changed forever.Cameron Paradise , a stunningly beautiful twenty-four-year-old personal trainer, flees Hawaii and her champion-surfer husband, Gregg , in the middle of one of his abusive tirades and makes her way to L.A. Tall, blond, with a body to die for, it doesn’t take Cameron long to find a job at an exclusive private fitness club where she encounters LA's most important players. She has plans to open her own studio one day, and while every man she meets comes on to her, she is more focused on saving money and working hard than getting caught up in the L.A. scene of wild parties and recreational drugs.Until she meets Ryan Lambert, an extremely successful independent movie producer. Ryan is married to overly privileged Mandy Lambert , the daughter of Hamilton J. Heckerling , a Hollywood power-player son-of-a-bitch mogul. Ryan has never cheated on his demanding Hollywood Princess wife, but when he meets Cameron, all bets are off, especially since she’s seeing his best friend Don Verona , the devastatingly attractive talk-show host and legendary player.In her latest sizzling blockbuster, internationally bestselling author Jackie Collins explores what happens when lust and desire collide with marriage and power—and the results lead to murder.

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

448 pages, Paperback

First published June 10, 2008

About the author

There have been many imitators, but only Jackie Collins can tell you what really goes on in the fastest lane of all. From Beverly Hills bedrooms to a raunchy prowl along the streets of Hollywood; from glittering rock parties and concerts to stretch limos and the mansions of power brokers-Jackie Collins chronicles the real truth from the inside looking out.

Jackie Collins has been called a "raunchy moralist" by the late director Louis Malle and "Hollywood's own Marcel Proust" by Vanity Fair magazine. With over 500 million copies of her books sold in more than forty countries, and with some 30 New York Times bestsellers to her credit, Jackie Collins is one of the world's top-selling novelists. She is known for giving her readers an unrivalled insider's knowledge of Hollywood and the glamorous lives and loves of the rich, famous, and infamous. "I write about real people in disguise," she says. "If anything, my characters are toned down-the truth is much more bizarre."

Jackie Collins died of breast cancer Saturday, September 19, 2015. Jackie Collins, who had kept her illness secret, said recently that she believed in an afterlife, that she had no regrets and that she had emulated Frank Sinatra in that “I did it my way.”

Visit Jackie's website: www.jackiecollins.com
Twitter:
www.twitter.com/JackieJCollins
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/jackiecollins and Pinterest:
www.pinterest.com/jackiejcollins

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolute rubbish from start to finish but I couldn't put it down. The perfect poolside vacation book, and you can toss it in the bin with pride when you're done with it.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

My first Jackie Collins and I felt it was just bang average. I will try some of her other books though to see how I go.

[Bodosika Bodosika · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read!

[Adriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

well i finished it finally today.

I must say i loved it. I am so into these kind of books. I know i know... what can i say- im not ashamed :)

I recommend this book if you are into family drama, couple problems, Hollywood sex drama, and Russian prostitution. I must say i cant wait to read my next romance novel... Rogue? maybe...

I loved all the characters - Mandy, ANya, Cameron, Don... especially him- Ryan- poor guy- good guys dont end up loosing :)

[JANET · Rating 4 out of 5]

TYPICAL JACKIE COLLINS BOOK. EASY READ, TRASHY, LOTS OF SEX AND CHEATING. GREAT SUMMER READ, LOVED IT.

[Ju Haghverdian · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were a few things that bugged me quite a bit in this book... the stereotypes that were borderline prejudice.. the "out of work actor-type valet", the "unemployed model/actor waiter", the Hispanic trainer lines with "mucho bucks", "mucho hot" was pesky.
For a mindless reading/listening it was ok, the story itself was not bad, just the execution that lacked something more.

[Linda (un)Conventional Bookworms · Rating 3 out of 5]

Married Lovers is in the same vein as other Collins novels, with intricate characters, lots of Hollywood intrigue and some quite enticing characters.

This and all my other reviews are originally posted on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trash at its best...enjoyed every minute of it. As always with Jackie Collins.

[JC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Won't really recommend it. Sorry, the book was trash. However I got hooked into the story lol, somehow.

[H L C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jackie Collins is one of my guilty pleasures! .. my mum loves her work and so do I ..

Cam is a PT working in LA with the dreams of having her own fitness studio, she meets all the hottest celebs on the scene and there bitchy wives ...

Go through the Hollywood daily lives of all the A listers and struggles of hardworking Cameron, until she meets married film producer ...

'
It's one where I read the whole thing in a day and a half ! .. a page turner, but I love Jackie's humour, the way she describers her characters just makes it impossible for you not to visualise them and see them dancing in your mind with her words.

I gave it 4 stars because the ending came to a sudden, where I felt a buildup through the book! I was also waiting for this romance to kick off between cam and Ryan .. and it didn't happen til the end!

[Annette Keating · Rating 1 out of 5]

Total garbage. And borderline racist to be honest. The Latina character's name is Shakira and the Japanese neighbor is Mr.Wasabi..?? Really?? There should be a Spanish character named Mr. Sombrero. The other characters are so obviously based on real celebrities- to the point where only the name is different. Ludicrous book. But honestly, what more could I have expected?

[Seren Jenkins · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t know if my copy is messed up or something but my blurb goes on about a Ryan lambert yet in the book he’s Ryan Richards? The blurb is about how she meets this boy and he’s never cheated on his wife but she changes that BUT THEY NEVER EVEN GET TOGETHER?? She’s with someone else throughout the whole book?? It’s all over the place and just isn’t that good

[MJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

By far a perfect start to GarbAugust and my least Favorite Jackie Collin’s book to date. Jackie has a certain style that flips between character perspectives. Enjoyed it, but it really could have been much better.

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Cameron Paradise flees Hawaii and her abusive husband Gregg and makes her way to Los Angeles.

Shortly after she lands a job at an exclusive private fitness club called Bounce where she’s been working for three years. She’s focused on opening her own studio one day than getting caught up in the L.A scene of endless wild parties, late-night clubs and recreational drugs.
Her three best friends Dorian and Lynda. And Cole de Barge.

Meanwhile Ryan Richards is a successful movie producer who happens to be married to Mandy daughter of Hollywood mogul Hamilton J. Heckerling. Ryan’s marriage has been failing and although he’s never cheated on his wife even though they’ve been married for seven years. Then he meets Cameron and is instantly attracted to her even though he know she’s seeing his best friend Don Verona an attractive talk-show host and legendary player.

The book is interspersed with a character named Anya whom we’ll come to know more from reading about her background

[mary · Rating 1 out of 5]

awful book. i forced myself to make it at least 1/2 way until i just couldn't last anymore. the plot is empty, the dialogues are reminiscent of 12-year-olds, and the characters are written in such a juvenile, unimpressive, and stereotypical manner. i tried to even skip half the book and read the last 50 pages or so to see how it ends but it was just ridiculous and i couldn't get past two scenes towards the end. i expected more from this book with the ratings it had. i thought it would be at least somewhat decent. this book isn't even the enjoyable trash that i (guiltily) like. it's just flat out trash.

[Hol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jackie Collins books are a guilty pleasure. Sometimes you just need a trashy novel. Married Lovers is an easy read with lots of smut, romance, but also a pretty sad story when it comes to one of the characters. Definitely worth a read if you fancy a bit of chick lit.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love Jackie Collins, but this is by far the worst book by her that I've read. She relies way too much on already-used tropes and characterizations, and even the Hollywood stuff that is ordinarily so entertaining in her books is boring here. I couldn't even finish it.

[Tamera · Rating 4 out of 5]

True smut and a guilty pleasure, Jackie Collins style.
Good to read while on holiday at a pool somewhere. I was a little disappointed in Anya’s ending, I thought she deserved more, and I would’ve loved to see Cameron and Ryan really getting together, not just the last page.

[Lynn]

I picked this because Jackie Collins stated one of the characters was based upon Craig Ferguson. How much fun would that be!

Perfect for a summer read - light, fast and mindless.

[Laura Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than some.....

[Ashton Noel · Rating 1 out of 5]

This review is going to get very nostalgic because I just feel this story needs to be documented.

I have had this book on my shelf for 13 years. It was one of the first books I bought with my own money, having a job for the first time and being on my own. I would go on down to Pamida and buy books and cds occasionally. I called it 'retail therapy.' For some reason, I never picked this up. It sat on my shelf, many shelves in fact. It came with me through 3 moves. It survived going into the yard sale box, then coming back out to my shelf when it didn't sell. It survived sitting in the garage for a year or two in a "get rid of pile" but somehow came back inside to sit on my shelf again. I always thought I would read it someday. I even purchased the audio book on an audible 2-for-1 sale 3 or 4 years ago thinking that would prompt me to get into the story more, because this is a chonky book and I thought maybe this was why I was intimidated and just never picked it up. I never did.

It wasn't until a library book bingo prompt (a book 500+ pages) led me to this book as it was the only book I owned that fit the prompt that I had not yet read (besides Stephen King and I was not in a King mood). So begrudgingly, I picked the book up and added it to my TBR. I knew I wasn't going to want to read it without help so I decided to enlist the help of the audiobook I had purchased several years ago. It didn't help. Nothing seemed to help. I wanted to DNF so many times, but I kept pushing through.

I cannot specifically state why I didn't enjoy this book. The writing was ok, I suppose. The characters I found to be boring and I didn't connect with any of them. The storyline seemed silly and pointless to me. The setting was not my favorite. Was this a bad book? No, I wouldn't say that. Afterall, it has a 3.8 average goodreads rating which isn't bad. Unfortunately it was not for me. I tried, I really did.

But now I can say I have finally read it, after owning it for over 13 years. It sat on my shelf and has seen many many new books come and go and this one went unread for many years. Not anymore, but it's time to part ways now old friend. Tomorrow I will donate it to half price books along with another Jackie Collins I had purchased at a library book sale. I don't think we mesh well, and that's ok. Hopefully someone else can enjoy and love them now. God speed, little doodle. ✌️

[K Stockmal · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book wasn't very entertaining to read because some of the plot was predictable, and there wasn't much going on in the story to draw the reader in. The ending has a lot of action, but this book is by no means a must-read.

The main characters in Jackie Collins' Married Lovers are Cameron Paradise, a personal trainer who flees an abusive husband (Greg) in Hawaii for L.A. to start her own business. She becomes entangled with Don Verona, a talk show host, and Ryan Richards, a movie producer married to Mandy Heckerling, the daughter of a powerful movie mogul (Hamilton J. Heckerling). Another significant character is Anya (Pola), a young Russian woman who eventually moves to Hollywood and marries Mandy's father.
Cameron Paradise: A personal trainer from Hawaii who runs away from her abusive surfer husband to Los Angeles, aiming to open her own fitness studio.
Don Verona: A charismatic, high-powered talk show host who pursues Cameron.
Ryan Lambert/Richards: An independent film producer married to Mandy Heckerling. He and Cameron have an immediate attraction, creating a love triangle.
Mandy Heckerling: The daughter of a powerful Hollywood mogul, who is married to Ryan.
Ana: A young Russian woman who escapes the Chechen war, eventually finds her way to Hollywood, and marries Mandy's father.

[Rashmi Kamath · Rating 4 out of 5]

Married Lovers by Jackie Collins is, for the lack of better words, a typical Jackie-Collins read! For those who aren’t familiar with this author, a lion’s share of her publications is known for her straightforward portrayal of life in Hollywood inclusive of both its charisma and angst in its highest glory. Married Lovers encompasses multiple characters, and it would be erroneous to identify any one single individual as a protagonist considering their balanced influence in the narrative. Admittedly, this book does not exude literary richness in terms of language or syntax, however, what it doesn't lack is its ability to regale the reader with sheer, unadulterated entertainment. Fair warning, this book may not be suitable for readers who are troubled by the use of profanity. Although the probability of Jackie Collins taking a precedence in an avid reader’s list is not very likely, she has managed to make her way into my ever-growing list for the very reason that I find her books very light, albeit full of no-brainer drama as well as very engaging from start to finish. The charm probably stems from the fact that Jackie Collins is, by nature, a raconteur through and through. 4 stars.

[Hannie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Het boek leest redelijk vlot en is luchtig geschreven, ondanks dat er ook wat serieuze onderwerpen aan bod komen. Het boek speelt zich deels af in de wereld van de tv- en filmindustrie. Ook bijkomende zaken zoals fitness en media-aandacht komen aan bod. Een ander onderwerp dat in het verhaal voorkomt is (seksueel) misbruik van vrouwen. Verder speelt de liefde, of juist de afwezigheid daarvan een rol. Aan het einde zitten er ook wat thrillerachtige elementen in het boek. Daardoor is het een zeer divers verhaal. Toch raakte het boek me niet echt. Vandaar dat ik het drie sterren heb gegeven.

[Marisha G · Rating 1 out of 5]

0 stars.

This book was…unbearable.
Starting from the unbelievably insensitive narrative that made me feel like i was reading a flippant story written by a 12-yo who just got into writing.
Then there’s the stupid repeating “ew this woman is bad” and “oh this man may be bad but he had a hard past sooo…” troupe that absolutely grated my nerves.
No character had any real depth, or, at least, the narrative made it seem like they were just a bunch of people thrown into a storyline.
The underlying misogyny and racism is a separate topic altogether.

[S. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why are there no WARNINGS !????
Rape and abuse is mentioned so much in this book. While there was no full description of the rape and abuse, as well as the sex slave acts...it was still hard to swallow...forgive the pun! There are way to many temp side characters. I also did not like the back and forth between time lines and who the Fuck is anya and why the fuck does she keep getting Raped!??? Not a fan. Not impressed. DNF!!

[ABCD · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hadn't read a Jackie book in a while before picking this one up, so it took a bit of time to get used to her writing style (and themes) again but once I was I was immersed.

The story was typical Jackie, if you've read any of her US based stories they are all sort of in the same universe. I enjoyed this book, the only thing I was disappointed in was the ending, it all ended too quickly for my liking and the epilogue was a bit short.

[Nikki Winson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jackie Collins is my guilty pleasure and again she took me to my happy place with hollywood decadence. It's trashy, brain candy and why I love her books. It didn't pack the big punches that some of her books have but still amd enjoyable read. The characters although not relatable (as I'm no hollywood star) are still likeable and i love how she mentions some characters from her "Lucky Santangelo" books. All in all an easy and enjoyable read.

[Holly is Happy Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about Cameron who escapes from her husband who abused her to go to LA and is a personal trainer. There’s Ryan who is married to Mandy and he struggles with her. There is also a side character called Anya who I felt for the entire thing. This book I enjoyed because it kept you wanting to read more and I just would have liked to have seen more scenes with the main characters together.

[Leslie Peters · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book. Jackie Collins is a great writer! I love the way she gives multiple POVs and yet you’re never confused.
I also love that she is NOT repetitive. A fantastic quality to have.
This book was not magnificent or anything but it was a funny at times, a good light read.
Very Hollywood. Romance in the air.
Nothing crazy really happened until the end.
But it was a good read.