What do you think?
Rate this book
Beyond Eden
A heart-stopping story of romantic suspense from #1 New York Times bestselling author Catherine Coulter.Lindsay Foxe is a successful model in New York, a woman who hides behind a new name to protect herself from a past of betrayal and treachery and a present that becomes fraught with danger. The product of old San Francisco wealth, the daughter of a man who despises her, her life is forever changed when she is brutally assaulted by her sister’s husband, and then rejected by her family. Lindsay is finally forced to face up to her past when she meets S.C. Taylor, a tough ex-cop, turned private investigator and computer troubleshooter. He is hired to protect her; but can he both win her trust and discover who is trying to kill her and why?
452 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 1, 2000
978 people are currently reading
1709 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 229 reviews
October 6, 2020
“Words or fists, it didn't matter. The soul was still shattered.”
― Catherine Coulter, Beyond Eden
Warming..possible trigger..graphic Rape scene
Idid not love this. But I enjoyed this more then I had thought I would.
The story itself is written very well and is much, much darker than I ever expected it would be.
But the thing that stopped me from really loving it was how it got kind of crazy toward the end.
OK..Let me back up. The plot itself was interesting. I liked reading about the struggles this lady had and how she became strong and successful.She's a fighter and is an extremely compelling character to read about.
I COULD NOT BELIEVE the graphic rape scene and did not expect that. Tough to read. I was shocked and that is why I posted a trigger alert. This book really is dark and that scene is graphic. So one should know this.
But I took a point off for the end.
SPOILERS:
Ultimately though at the end it kind of..for me..went into cliche territory. It seemed everyone was trying to kill her and she fights off this person, that person, and then again more people.....AND MORE...IT BECAME A LITTLE ABSURD (OK..alot absurd). . This is one plot device I do not like and it really did take away from the believability of the book.
It was still well written and I'd recommend.
― Catherine Coulter, Beyond Eden
Warming..possible trigger..graphic Rape scene
Idid not love this. But I enjoyed this more then I had thought I would.
The story itself is written very well and is much, much darker than I ever expected it would be.
But the thing that stopped me from really loving it was how it got kind of crazy toward the end.
OK..Let me back up. The plot itself was interesting. I liked reading about the struggles this lady had and how she became strong and successful.She's a fighter and is an extremely compelling character to read about.
I COULD NOT BELIEVE the graphic rape scene and did not expect that. Tough to read. I was shocked and that is why I posted a trigger alert. This book really is dark and that scene is graphic. So one should know this.
But I took a point off for the end.
SPOILERS:
Ultimately though at the end it kind of..for me..went into cliche territory. It seemed everyone was trying to kill her and she fights off this person, that person, and then again more people.....AND MORE...IT BECAME A LITTLE ABSURD (OK..alot absurd). . This is one plot device I do not like and it really did take away from the believability of the book.
It was still well written and I'd recommend.
September 23, 2017
This was my second reading of this book. I liked it just as well the second time. In my opinion this is one of CC better books. The characterizations of both the hero and the heroine were well developed and in depth. You could really see where each of them was coming from.
The story starts in the present for just a quick glimpse then goes back and tells the whole 11 years story in order. It wasn't told in annoying flashbacks but straight forward hitting the high points mostly from her POV but enough from his to show them on parallel paths that would someday intersect. CC did a very good job with this especially showing how his brief brush with her at the start of the 11 year story would shape the next decade for him even though he didn't really know her or meet her.
Lindsay was a strong character even if she had issues. Taylor was a very decent understanding man. The suspense was well done but it didn't overwhelm the relationship between the hero and heroine which is where the book focused. The secondary characters were good. A couple were kind of one note but the sister and the Grandmother were multidimensional and different.
A very satisfying read.
The story starts in the present for just a quick glimpse then goes back and tells the whole 11 years story in order. It wasn't told in annoying flashbacks but straight forward hitting the high points mostly from her POV but enough from his to show them on parallel paths that would someday intersect. CC did a very good job with this especially showing how his brief brush with her at the start of the 11 year story would shape the next decade for him even though he didn't really know her or meet her.
Lindsay was a strong character even if she had issues. Taylor was a very decent understanding man. The suspense was well done but it didn't overwhelm the relationship between the hero and heroine which is where the book focused. The secondary characters were good. A couple were kind of one note but the sister and the Grandmother were multidimensional and different.
A very satisfying read.
March 10, 2017
The premise of an abused, unloved girl being raped and betrayed is certainly compelling, but the book devolved to such overblown silliness at the end that I couldn't maintain my suspension of disbelief to buy the story.
I dunno, maybe it's just me, but it was so over-the-top. It felt like the kind of story I wrote when I was 16, really silly and melodramatic and totally unbelievable. I probably would have liked it a lot more when I was younger, because it is angsty and quite passionate, but the silly aspects were too far-fetched for my old butt now.
I dunno, maybe it's just me, but it was so over-the-top. It felt like the kind of story I wrote when I was 16, really silly and melodramatic and totally unbelievable. I probably would have liked it a lot more when I was younger, because it is angsty and quite passionate, but the silly aspects were too far-fetched for my old butt now.
July 6, 2012
On a typical day, I'd have run screaming from this book, with it's ghastly cover and not-too-appealing blurb. I still don't know quite what made me pick it. Still, when it just started (up until Paris), I kept thinking to myself, though I knew from the blurb and reviews how it turned out, that this was almost frighteningly the premise of an old school HP. The heroine's family is savage to her, even the ones who love her most seem eager to send her away (there is, of course, no apparent reason for this), she is too tall, too odd looking, too far removed from her beautiful older sister. This same older sister is getting married to a handsome Italian prince who our heroine falls into a deep infatuation with (reference a 16 year old's desperate love of an older, handsome man who's barely even spoken to her).
On these points it is almost exactly a HP. If this stream had continued, the sister and her prince would have been unhappily married for a few years (enough to make Lindsay more age appropriate-depending on who was writing), until a divorce or the sister's death (much more likely, therefore let's run with that) had freed him of this shackle. Only, we, the audience, wouldn't have known he was anything less than the grieving widower. When he sweeps in and manufactures reasons for a second marriage with the older but still hopelessly in love (though grieving for her dead, undeserving sister) heroine, all the angsty goodness would kick in full-steam. For she would marry him, eager to have anything she could get of him even though he doesn't love her. And he would be cruel and taunting to cover up his insecurity that she doesn't love him.
She'd live with this for a few months; until she realizes the explosive sex between them isn't nearly enough (and he'll dole out some 'falsisms', comparing her to her perfect, perfectly dead sister until she'd finally snap, demanding a divorce which he'll refuse on the grounds of having loved her all this time (since she was sixteen) and being too desperate for her to ever let her go. Happily Ever After!
This is not Lindsay's story! And the story made me cry (in the beginning when she is gravely disillusioned, among other things. It reminded me a bit of that ghastly novel about a girl named Tess who God (through the pen of the author, of course) couldn't smite enough. It was over the top in the dysfunction of the family, in the mountain of bad luck that followed one innocent girl.
But heavens, it introduced us to Taylor... just the best of guys. He's patient with her, feels her pain, is determined to protect her and is just, happily, too good to be true. Guess that's why it's fiction. And also why it wasn't an HP.
On these points it is almost exactly a HP. If this stream had continued, the sister and her prince would have been unhappily married for a few years (enough to make Lindsay more age appropriate-depending on who was writing), until a divorce or the sister's death (much more likely, therefore let's run with that) had freed him of this shackle. Only, we, the audience, wouldn't have known he was anything less than the grieving widower. When he sweeps in and manufactures reasons for a second marriage with the older but still hopelessly in love (though grieving for her dead, undeserving sister) heroine, all the angsty goodness would kick in full-steam. For she would marry him, eager to have anything she could get of him even though he doesn't love her. And he would be cruel and taunting to cover up his insecurity that she doesn't love him.
She'd live with this for a few months; until she realizes the explosive sex between them isn't nearly enough (and he'll dole out some 'falsisms', comparing her to her perfect, perfectly dead sister until she'd finally snap, demanding a divorce which he'll refuse on the grounds of having loved her all this time (since she was sixteen) and being too desperate for her to ever let her go. Happily Ever After!
This is not Lindsay's story! And the story made me cry (in the beginning when she is gravely disillusioned, among other things. It reminded me a bit of that ghastly novel about a girl named Tess who God (through the pen of the author, of course) couldn't smite enough. It was over the top in the dysfunction of the family, in the mountain of bad luck that followed one innocent girl.
But heavens, it introduced us to Taylor... just the best of guys. He's patient with her, feels her pain, is determined to protect her and is just, happily, too good to be true. Guess that's why it's fiction. And also why it wasn't an HP.
November 21, 2012
I think Catherine Coulter is crude in her writing and she uses the words "damn" and "Jesus" a lot, such as "Jesus," Taylor said. He looked at Barry. He sighed. "He's telling the truth, damn him."
I wouldn't spend time with someone who spoke like that, why am I reading this book? On the other hand, you know those book review cliches like "compulsively readable" and "a page-turner"? Those actually apply here. Not only did I read it, I stayed up late to finish it.
I really don't want to discuss the story line but it is pretty average romantic suspense and a lot of people seemed to like it.
I wouldn't spend time with someone who spoke like that, why am I reading this book? On the other hand, you know those book review cliches like "compulsively readable" and "a page-turner"? Those actually apply here. Not only did I read it, I stayed up late to finish it.
I really don't want to discuss the story line but it is pretty average romantic suspense and a lot of people seemed to like it.
April 25, 2014
This book moved me. I myself has trust issues when it comes to relationship. I must say I have come to a point of building myself a wall from the opposite sex. The hard thing is, even people you already new for a long time, especially men, will just slip off your well-trusted circle because of an "event" you never expected and you never wanted to happen. I wasn't raped like the case of "Eden" but we all have this "event" in our lives wherein we tend to withdraw from our daily activities and give opportunities build ourselves a "world" wherein only we can understand.
But same as "Eden" time will come that there will be something or someone which/who would help us break down our own barrier to see that past may be part of us but it can never affect our future if we won't let it. I hope I'll find my own L.S. Taylor soon!
Hope you'll read this too. I've learned a lot. <3 I'll read this over and over again.
But same as "Eden" time will come that there will be something or someone which/who would help us break down our own barrier to see that past may be part of us but it can never affect our future if we won't let it. I hope I'll find my own L.S. Taylor soon!
Hope you'll read this too. I've learned a lot. <3 I'll read this over and over again.
July 12, 2017
This was a story about ugly duckling turning into a beautiful swan. It had some promise but sadly this story had one of those heroines I really hate -- pathetic, no backbone and suffers through abuse without fighting back for far too long. The nastiness Lindsay's "perfect" half-sister and her father showed turned me off pretty quick. It was irritating how long it took for Lindsay/Eden to fight back and show some backbone.
Even though Lindsay was raped by her brother-in-law and her father solely blamed her for the attack, I could not truly sympathize with her for her ordeals.
Not one of those stories that make you feel happy and smile after finishing, no, it made me feel frustrated and annoyed by too many things.
Even though Lindsay was raped by her brother-in-law and her father solely blamed her for the attack, I could not truly sympathize with her for her ordeals.
Not one of those stories that make you feel happy and smile after finishing, no, it made me feel frustrated and annoyed by too many things.
June 21, 2015
I wish I would have kept tally marks for all of the times I rolled my eyes while reading Beyond Eden. Sometimes I think that surely I'm just in a foul mood when I have this sort of reaction to a book that is supposedly an author's best, but since I have specific reasons for disliking it, I'm going to stand my ground.
Beyond Eden is about a girl named Lindsey Foxe who comes from a wealthy, powerful family of egotistical jerks. When she's 18 she's brutally raped by her brother-in-law and her family paints her as a slutty "Lolita" type who deserved the attack. Eventually, she changes her first name to Eden, drops her last name, and becomes a model. Several years after her attack, threats start being made against her and she has to hire a bodyguard. Much of the book is about the psychological damage that resulted from her rape and the rest is a sort of who-dunnit regarding the identity of the person threatening the life Lindsey lives as Eden.
The main thing that annoyed the ever-loving crap out of me was the characters... Seriously every single one of them! It's like Catherine Coulter has absolutely no clue how people interact, talk, act, etc. For example, there's a part of the book where a 14, almost 15-year-old girl is sexually abused and she seriously talked like she was three. It was completely unrealistic and a wee bit ridiculous. Plus, I get that Lindsey/Eden's father and half-sister were meant to be really hateful characters, but I felt like their dialogue was completely forced and crammed down the reader's throat. What adults really say things like "I hate you, you have bird legs and you're ugly!"? That's not a direct quote and I admit it's a little exaggerated, but that explains them and their reactions with Lindsey very well. Even the "hero" of the story, S.C. Taylor, the ex-cop bodyguard/hacker/PI was really pushy, arrogant, and unlikable. I also wanted to like the main character of the book so badly, but Lindsey/Eden was like a 20-something-year-old adolescent. I get that she was supposed to be "damaged", but she was just a really poorly developed character instead.
As far as the general storyline, I'm less negative. It did hold my interest and was never what I'd consider boring, even if I found it ridiculous at times. This isn't my favorite type of book/genre, but I typically still enjoy these types of books if they are well-written and the characters are interesting and well-developed.
Beyond Eden just didn't do it for me.
☆☆
Beyond Eden is about a girl named Lindsey Foxe who comes from a wealthy, powerful family of egotistical jerks. When she's 18 she's brutally raped by her brother-in-law and her family paints her as a slutty "Lolita" type who deserved the attack. Eventually, she changes her first name to Eden, drops her last name, and becomes a model. Several years after her attack, threats start being made against her and she has to hire a bodyguard. Much of the book is about the psychological damage that resulted from her rape and the rest is a sort of who-dunnit regarding the identity of the person threatening the life Lindsey lives as Eden.
The main thing that annoyed the ever-loving crap out of me was the characters... Seriously every single one of them! It's like Catherine Coulter has absolutely no clue how people interact, talk, act, etc. For example, there's a part of the book where a 14, almost 15-year-old girl is sexually abused and she seriously talked like she was three. It was completely unrealistic and a wee bit ridiculous. Plus, I get that Lindsey/Eden's father and half-sister were meant to be really hateful characters, but I felt like their dialogue was completely forced and crammed down the reader's throat. What adults really say things like "I hate you, you have bird legs and you're ugly!"? That's not a direct quote and I admit it's a little exaggerated, but that explains them and their reactions with Lindsey very well. Even the "hero" of the story, S.C. Taylor, the ex-cop bodyguard/hacker/PI was really pushy, arrogant, and unlikable. I also wanted to like the main character of the book so badly, but Lindsey/Eden was like a 20-something-year-old adolescent. I get that she was supposed to be "damaged", but she was just a really poorly developed character instead.
As far as the general storyline, I'm less negative. It did hold my interest and was never what I'd consider boring, even if I found it ridiculous at times. This isn't my favorite type of book/genre, but I typically still enjoy these types of books if they are well-written and the characters are interesting and well-developed.
Beyond Eden just didn't do it for me.
☆☆
May 29, 2012
If your looking for angsty and dark with a super sweet ending this book might be for you. It is not a mystery. It is, a book about a tortured heroine dealing with hateful family members and finding an awesome hero that helps her heal slowly and become the women she was meant to be. Love this hero, love the way he sweetly heals this beautiful woman. Awesome read. One of my favorites! (Warning: it is angsty and it does involve the rape of the heroine NOT by the hero)
August 9, 2016
A much needed nice light read. Liked the romance. Definitely liked the main character - Eden. She is very kickass - literally. I enjoyed the mystery much, but was slightly disappointed when the killer was revealed.
October 5, 2021
Reread 2021
December 6, 2021
literalmente no tiene sentido
June 10, 2013
REVIEW OF AUDIOBOOK, JUNE 2013: 2 STARS
This didn't hold my interest enough to finish it. My audiobook version was from my library and an old one, narrated by a single female narrator, Deborah Hazlett, not the Audible version which is narrated by Renee Raudman, Paul Costanzo.
I recall liking all of Coulter's contemporary romantic suspense except her FBI ones, of which I only read one or two, didn't like and never read another. I'd read BE when it was first published and certainly do not have any lingering negative memories of it, as I do some books I read over a decade ago.
However, Beyond Eden turned out surprisingly bad and I'm not sure whether whatever I didn't like was exacerbated by listening to the audio. I've concluded that the books I enjoyed reading are even more enjoyable in audio though there have been exceptions like Howard's Mr Perfect.
I normally already hate too many flashbacks but BE started with the present, took me back 11 years ago then in that time frame between 11 years ago and the present, it would forward a few years in the heroine's life and then a few more years before throwing me back into the present. Without any datelines to break the sections! And then, it would switch to Taylor-the-cop's POV and he would go back in time to six years ago or something (when he saw Lindsay in the Paris hospital after she was raped).
It got really tiresome, this jumping back and forth and especially without the datelines to indicate the date change. If it was annoying enough in print, imagine that in audio!
It also took a very long time before Lindsay and Taylor, the NYPD cop, meet in the story and by then I'd lost interest and given up. Some books are 2 or 3 stars to start with and this may have ended up a 4-star read if I'd stuck to the end but, unfortunately, it lost me with the flashbacks and Lindsay's family members were too detestable for me to wait that long to get to a good part, assuming there were any.
This didn't hold my interest enough to finish it. My audiobook version was from my library and an old one, narrated by a single female narrator, Deborah Hazlett, not the Audible version which is narrated by Renee Raudman, Paul Costanzo.
I recall liking all of Coulter's contemporary romantic suspense except her FBI ones, of which I only read one or two, didn't like and never read another. I'd read BE when it was first published and certainly do not have any lingering negative memories of it, as I do some books I read over a decade ago.
However, Beyond Eden turned out surprisingly bad and I'm not sure whether whatever I didn't like was exacerbated by listening to the audio. I've concluded that the books I enjoyed reading are even more enjoyable in audio though there have been exceptions like Howard's Mr Perfect.
I normally already hate too many flashbacks but BE started with the present, took me back 11 years ago then in that time frame between 11 years ago and the present, it would forward a few years in the heroine's life and then a few more years before throwing me back into the present. Without any datelines to break the sections! And then, it would switch to Taylor-the-cop's POV and he would go back in time to six years ago or something (when he saw Lindsay in the Paris hospital after she was raped).
It got really tiresome, this jumping back and forth and especially without the datelines to indicate the date change. If it was annoying enough in print, imagine that in audio!
It also took a very long time before Lindsay and Taylor, the NYPD cop, meet in the story and by then I'd lost interest and given up. Some books are 2 or 3 stars to start with and this may have ended up a 4-star read if I'd stuck to the end but, unfortunately, it lost me with the flashbacks and Lindsay's family members were too detestable for me to wait that long to get to a good part, assuming there were any.
November 5, 2010
Free Kindle download. I expected to hate this book as I've read Catherine Coulter once before and didn't like her work, but I was actually surprised to find myself liking the story toward the end. It didn't begin well for me, though. The heroine's family seemed over-the-top mean and abusive, and the heroine herself as a teen was portrayed in such a stereotypically awkward way that makes her unattractive even to the reader, which just makes no sense to me. Also, the head hopping — the forever and frequently shifting points of view — annoyed me to no end, and the rape...
I strongly dislike rape in romance novels, even if it's being committed by a villainous character, and I especially dislike it when it happens to the heroine — mostly because the act is so traumatic for the victim that I just don't see it being resolved in the span of a novel. It makes the consequent sex scenes not so sexy, and if the author does somehow portray them as sexy, they seem unrealistic.
So this book had some very huge obstacles for me.
But Coulter managed to gain my respect in how she made all those obstacles a little easier to get through. The aftermath of the rape, in all its various states, was plausible enough to me to accept the story point, and the discovery in the end of why the heroine's father treated her the way he did, seemed explanation enough for her family's abuse — though I still think they were over the top.
Plus, the way Coulter handled all the red herrings in the mystery made me smile. She planted enough suspects to keep me guessing, and no character or scene seemed wasted as a result, though the coincidences seemed a little too convenient at times.
So I ended up liking the book after all. Not too shabby!
Downloaded October 20, 2010. Finished reading October 22, 2010.
I strongly dislike rape in romance novels, even if it's being committed by a villainous character, and I especially dislike it when it happens to the heroine — mostly because the act is so traumatic for the victim that I just don't see it being resolved in the span of a novel. It makes the consequent sex scenes not so sexy, and if the author does somehow portray them as sexy, they seem unrealistic.
So this book had some very huge obstacles for me.
But Coulter managed to gain my respect in how she made all those obstacles a little easier to get through. The aftermath of the rape, in all its various states, was plausible enough to me to accept the story point, and the discovery in the end of why the heroine's father treated her the way he did, seemed explanation enough for her family's abuse — though I still think they were over the top.
Plus, the way Coulter handled all the red herrings in the mystery made me smile. She planted enough suspects to keep me guessing, and no character or scene seemed wasted as a result, though the coincidences seemed a little too convenient at times.
So I ended up liking the book after all. Not too shabby!
Downloaded October 20, 2010. Finished reading October 22, 2010.
February 28, 2018
I first read this in 2018 and I was appalled and deeply disturbed by the dialogue about the rapes. I enjoy this author, but I couldn't even finish the book due to the disgusting attitudes at the time of writing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 22, 2018
I consider this book more of a 3.5.
It's one of those reads where the MC is so fundamentally different from you but somehow you still connect on all kinds of levels. Lindsey is an extreme introvert, not to be confused with a lack of backbone. I loved seeing where she starts and how she ends -in that, it's a great "coming of age" story. Taylor was sexy af and their chemistry worked well despite any reluctance involved. The mystery was well placed and the ending wrapped up nicely.
I personally enjoy novels that eschew a chronological timeline and bounce between the past and present intermittently and this read was no different. It constantly jumps between times and character POVS in a manner that gave the story a natural flow.
Even though I enjoyed the story, the writing wasn't anything spectacular and, IMO, didn't take it up to a 4.
It's one of those reads where the MC is so fundamentally different from you but somehow you still connect on all kinds of levels. Lindsey is an extreme introvert, not to be confused with a lack of backbone. I loved seeing where she starts and how she ends -in that, it's a great "coming of age" story. Taylor was sexy af and their chemistry worked well despite any reluctance involved. The mystery was well placed and the ending wrapped up nicely.
I personally enjoy novels that eschew a chronological timeline and bounce between the past and present intermittently and this read was no different. It constantly jumps between times and character POVS in a manner that gave the story a natural flow.
Even though I enjoyed the story, the writing wasn't anything spectacular and, IMO, didn't take it up to a 4.
June 25, 2023
Me recuerda a las novela mexicanas que tienen un buen de escenas bien dramáticas jsjs, desde escenas de que la quieren matar hasta donde casi le desfiguran la cara :(
A la chica le pasa de todo, sueltenla ya porfa, solo quiere ser feliz 😿
A la chica le pasa de todo, sueltenla ya porfa, solo quiere ser feliz 😿
August 11, 2016
To see full review click here
I was shocked at how decent I found this one to be, despite the fact that it has probably one of the most graphic rapes I’ve read. If your trigger sensitive, you’d most likely want to skip this one but I did think that despite the graphic, horrific nature of this book the fallout and handling of the situation was decently done by Coulter.
That being said, there are some problems mostly with the characterization of the main character’s family which appear to lack form of decency-though Sydney did suit her rapist husband so I have to give that. Then, she turns any sort of points she might’ve gotten from doing by staying with the bastard, victim bashing her sister, and then getting herself knocked up by said sister’s rapist, before proceeding to try to ruin whatever life Lindsey built for herself.
She sounds horrible, doesn’t she?
She is, but she’s not the worst character in this book which goes to the prince hands down.
That being said, I like this book because of the main character Lindsey. I felt this character’s pain, I felt she reacted in a way that many victims would’ve acted similar too. I liked the fact that Coulter dealt with the fact that victims who are in Lindsey situation are often demonized despite the fact they did nothing wrong. I like that this character was able to find happiness, though it wasn’t exactly tied with a perfect little bow.
That being said, if your trigger sensitive I highly advise staying the hell away from this book. The rape scene is truly traumatic. I didn’t like the fact that so many people treated the main character so horribly. And I didn’t like the fact that some characters seemed to imply that a good lay would diminish what happened to Lindsey-it wasn’t directly stated, but it was implied by Lindsey’s modeling agent(???) and it made me sick. Because those feelings aren’t going to go away, even if you are in a stable relationship like Lindsey was at the end of this book.
SC Taylor was a decent hero. I mean, sometimes I did think he was a little pushy with Lindsey but not too much. I wish there would’ve been some more moments between him and Lindsey. While I do think Coulter did a good initial set up with the couple, I felt once they became romantic it went into warp drive.
In the end, while flawed I did think that Beyond Eden had a few things to offer. Though this is not a book for the faint of heart or for anyone who has triggers.
I was shocked at how decent I found this one to be, despite the fact that it has probably one of the most graphic rapes I’ve read. If your trigger sensitive, you’d most likely want to skip this one but I did think that despite the graphic, horrific nature of this book the fallout and handling of the situation was decently done by Coulter.
That being said, there are some problems mostly with the characterization of the main character’s family which appear to lack form of decency-though Sydney did suit her rapist husband so I have to give that. Then, she turns any sort of points she might’ve gotten from doing by staying with the bastard, victim bashing her sister, and then getting herself knocked up by said sister’s rapist, before proceeding to try to ruin whatever life Lindsey built for herself.
She sounds horrible, doesn’t she?
She is, but she’s not the worst character in this book which goes to the prince hands down.
That being said, I like this book because of the main character Lindsey. I felt this character’s pain, I felt she reacted in a way that many victims would’ve acted similar too. I liked the fact that Coulter dealt with the fact that victims who are in Lindsey situation are often demonized despite the fact they did nothing wrong. I like that this character was able to find happiness, though it wasn’t exactly tied with a perfect little bow.
That being said, if your trigger sensitive I highly advise staying the hell away from this book. The rape scene is truly traumatic. I didn’t like the fact that so many people treated the main character so horribly. And I didn’t like the fact that some characters seemed to imply that a good lay would diminish what happened to Lindsey-it wasn’t directly stated, but it was implied by Lindsey’s modeling agent(???) and it made me sick. Because those feelings aren’t going to go away, even if you are in a stable relationship like Lindsey was at the end of this book.
SC Taylor was a decent hero. I mean, sometimes I did think he was a little pushy with Lindsey but not too much. I wish there would’ve been some more moments between him and Lindsey. While I do think Coulter did a good initial set up with the couple, I felt once they became romantic it went into warp drive.
In the end, while flawed I did think that Beyond Eden had a few things to offer. Though this is not a book for the faint of heart or for anyone who has triggers.
May 26, 2011
WOW, I loved this book. I hated to put it down, couldn't wait to finish it but didn't want it to end.lol
At first I thought that Catherine Coulter went to far with the evil family theme and how bad Lindsey's (h) family was to her. But then I remembered Dave Pelzer's story,A Child Called It: One Child's Courage to Survive by Dave Pelzer Summary & Study Guide and realized that yes a family can single out a child to torment. Lindsey doesn't suffer physical abuse from her family but the emotional abuse was pretty hard to read.
Lindsey is brutally raped by her brother-in-law when she was a teenager and then rejected by her family. She's a adult now and a successful model taking New York by a storm, however she is still serverly emotionally scared and fearfull of men. When the modeling agency she works for recieves some threats to her and the shoot she's supose to do, they hire a bodyguard/private investigator to keep her safe.
Taylor(H), takes the job to protect Eden (Lindsy) the up and coming model. The more time he spends with her the more he falls for her. Yet he can tell she has issues and is completely affraid of him. As he's keeping her safe he makes very small moves to get her used to him and to trust him. As time goes on it becomes clear that someone is out to kill her, now he just has to figure out who it is before it's too late...oh and win her over at the same time.
I LOVED reading this book, I loved how Taylor took his time with Lindsey. He was sooo understanding, sweet, but also honest with her. ****sigh**** I think he really earned the title of Hero. =)
At first I thought that Catherine Coulter went to far with the evil family theme and how bad Lindsey's (h) family was to her. But then I remembered Dave Pelzer's story,A Child Called It: One Child's Courage to Survive by Dave Pelzer Summary & Study Guide and realized that yes a family can single out a child to torment. Lindsey doesn't suffer physical abuse from her family but the emotional abuse was pretty hard to read.
Lindsey is brutally raped by her brother-in-law when she was a teenager and then rejected by her family. She's a adult now and a successful model taking New York by a storm, however she is still serverly emotionally scared and fearfull of men. When the modeling agency she works for recieves some threats to her and the shoot she's supose to do, they hire a bodyguard/private investigator to keep her safe.
Taylor(H), takes the job to protect Eden (Lindsy) the up and coming model. The more time he spends with her the more he falls for her. Yet he can tell she has issues and is completely affraid of him. As he's keeping her safe he makes very small moves to get her used to him and to trust him. As time goes on it becomes clear that someone is out to kill her, now he just has to figure out who it is before it's too late...oh and win her over at the same time.
I LOVED reading this book, I loved how Taylor took his time with Lindsey. He was sooo understanding, sweet, but also honest with her. ****sigh**** I think he really earned the title of Hero. =)
April 15, 2025
Now that is what we call a man. Damn, Taylor was perfect. This book was a roller coaster of emotions and so intense.
Fate connected them to each other. The fact that he was in the same ER and heard her screams of agony 11 years ago
❀ he was the ex-cop/bodyguard
❀ the case that made him quite the police force, love a man with honour and empathy
❀ he proposes to her so soon because he just knew and they hadn’t even done anything intimate. When she was hesitant, he said he’s not with her just because if the physical attraction and he will wait even if it takes her forever to reach that point !!!
❀ when she came back from the funeral and ran into his arms at the airport.
❀ him being so patient with her until she finally trusted him
❀ them getting married in the hospital after she just died
❀ “you’re gorgeous” after they took off her bandages
I cried while reading this book. It was so angsty.
The story was based in New York and I could literally imagine the streets.
I honestly was surprised to find out later that this book was published in 1992!
Fate connected them to each other. The fact that he was in the same ER and heard her screams of agony 11 years ago
“He heard her screams and reacted immediately because he was a cop. He tried to get up, tried his damnedest to go to her and help her, but he couldn’t. He staggered to his feet, then fell back against the examining table, clutching his broken left arm. He felt nauseous and dizzy from the concussion, and the pain in his arm was becoming more than he could handle.
He was in the emergency-room cubicle next to hers and he’d seen a policeman carry her in a few minutes before, a young girl wrapped in a blanket, her hair disheveled, her face terribly bruised, her eyes wild and vague. ”
❀ he was the ex-cop/bodyguard
❀ the case that made him quite the police force, love a man with honour and empathy
❀ he proposes to her so soon because he just knew and they hadn’t even done anything intimate. When she was hesitant, he said he’s not with her just because if the physical attraction and he will wait even if it takes her forever to reach that point !!!
❀ when she came back from the funeral and ran into his arms at the airport.
❀ him being so patient with her until she finally trusted him
❀ them getting married in the hospital after she just died
❀ “you’re gorgeous” after they took off her bandages
I cried while reading this book. It was so angsty.
The story was based in New York and I could literally imagine the streets.
I honestly was surprised to find out later that this book was published in 1992!
April 4, 2013
another re-read for me in my adult age. This was a non stop read. When I first went into my many treasure of books to find an oldie but goodie, I couldn't remember what this book was about. Even as I read it only bits and pieces came back to me. As I started reading, I remembered why Catherine Coulter is one of my favorite authors. Excellent storylines. In this book, the reader is captured on the first page. When I read a book, I want to be so in tune with the book its like I'm there with the characters, good or bad. I want to feel emotion from my characters when I read. This book delivered on all accounts. I felt pity, rage, anger, joy, and giddyness (and that was all in one hour) Lindsey Foxe is a woman who went through a horrific childhood, a brutal rape by someone she trusted, and a truimph comeback close to the end. This was about a woman gaining control of her life. The only person to ever love Lindsey was her grandmother and even her ways of showing love was questionaable at times. However, as one continues to read, you can understand that Lindssy's grandmother, the Great Gates Foxe, showed Lindsay love the only way she knew how to. The payback the grandmother helps Lindsay achieve is priceless (pun intended) It also doesn't hurt that Lindsay found a trustworthy man in her corner by the name of SC Taylor. Taylor is a ex-cop, turned PI due to the unjustices in the world of law enforcement. Even though this book was set in the 1980's, it could have been written for this era. (Another sign of a great book, it's timeless)
April 9, 2015
This is an old Coulter that I found in a used bookstore. I don't know how I missed it the first time since I love her books, especially her mysteries. Lindsey Foxe belongs to the family from hell. Her father despises her, her beautiful sister mocks her and her only ally is her grandmother. When her sister marries a prince, Lindsey gets a crush on him with disastrous results. I won't go into the complications, but she is basically traumatized and it changes her life. The time line of this book did irritate me since I like a book to go straight through, beginning to end. Instead we go back in time, to the present and then back again. Not my favorite device and it takes me out of the story. But I persisted and was rewarded with a good mystery, a love story and nice revenge for Lindsey. If you can still find this book from the nineties around, it's worth a read.
July 8, 2020
This was a reread of one of my favorite books from high school.
I listen to the audio on Audible Escape and it was just as amazing as ever. I loved both of the narrators and the story still stuns me.
There are Trigger warnings for Rape, assault, and parent abuse (verbal).
It was also strange to read it now when I am the same age as the main character. Its funny how things change in that amount of time.
I still love Taylor and I think he is an amazing man. I had such a crush on him as a teenager. Its still there now. How fierce, protective patient, and brave he is. Ugh, I just love him.
I really enjoyed this reread. It really did hold up pretty well. Seeing as this book is almost 30 years old now.
5/5 stars
I listen to the audio on Audible Escape and it was just as amazing as ever. I loved both of the narrators and the story still stuns me.
There are Trigger warnings for Rape, assault, and parent abuse (verbal).
It was also strange to read it now when I am the same age as the main character. Its funny how things change in that amount of time.
I still love Taylor and I think he is an amazing man. I had such a crush on him as a teenager. Its still there now. How fierce, protective patient, and brave he is. Ugh, I just love him.
I really enjoyed this reread. It really did hold up pretty well. Seeing as this book is almost 30 years old now.
5/5 stars
April 5, 2011
This potboiler from the prolific Coulter combines a brisk mystery with a spicy romance between a late-blooming beauty and a tough ex-cop." (Publishers Weekly)
I read this several years ago, and re-read it because a friend said the author had updated it. Other than a few pop culture references, the story is as I remember.
It's a tough read at first. The violence in the opening chapters ... whoa. And Eden/Lindsey's family is so vicious as to strain credulity. Still, it's a decent way to spend several hours while waiting for my husband to roll into town. Coulter makes you wait for the sex scenes until 2/3 through the novel, but hoo boy! Steamy!
I read this several years ago, and re-read it because a friend said the author had updated it. Other than a few pop culture references, the story is as I remember.
It's a tough read at first. The violence in the opening chapters ... whoa. And Eden/Lindsey's family is so vicious as to strain credulity. Still, it's a decent way to spend several hours while waiting for my husband to roll into town. Coulter makes you wait for the sex scenes until 2/3 through the novel, but hoo boy! Steamy!
August 1, 2019
I am glad I picked this book, this author is way out of my comforts zone, but I liked this book.
There are things I love like how Lindsay comes into her own and learns to trust herself.
I loved Taylor he is the star of the show for me. He is older than her but at that time it was so very normal.
I liked the twist the book had, I wasn’t expecting that at all, well both of them really.
What I wasn’t a fan of was how much bad or negativity happens to Lindsay it went with the story but there could have been one or 2 incidents left out or at least how severe they were and the story still would have flowed well.
I liked that narration I think they both did a great job.
There are things I love like how Lindsay comes into her own and learns to trust herself.
I loved Taylor he is the star of the show for me. He is older than her but at that time it was so very normal.
I liked the twist the book had, I wasn’t expecting that at all, well both of them really.
What I wasn’t a fan of was how much bad or negativity happens to Lindsay it went with the story but there could have been one or 2 incidents left out or at least how severe they were and the story still would have flowed well.
I liked that narration I think they both did a great job.
October 19, 2008
I think this was the first romance novel I ever read. I found it when I was staying at my grandma's house for the weekend. I was a teen and picked up every book I saw. I think it was my aunts.
Once again, more rape - what is it with the romance novels obsession with rape? (see: V.C. Andrews, Jennifer Blake) Or did the slight handful of romance novel authors I stumbled onto all have rape motifs in common and I shouldn't make such a generalization about the romance novel demographic?
Once again, more rape - what is it with the romance novels obsession with rape? (see: V.C. Andrews, Jennifer Blake) Or did the slight handful of romance novel authors I stumbled onto all have rape motifs in common and I shouldn't make such a generalization about the romance novel demographic?
December 14, 2024
I loved reading this book!! It was an absolute treat. 😆😆😆😆😆
Both characters, Lindsay and Taylor made me fall in love with them. Their character development was sooo good and throughout the book how Taylor showed immense patience, understanding and love and how Lindsay got stronger and stronger was just perfect. Wish I could experience all of it again.
The perfect way to get back into reading after a 4 month break!
Both characters, Lindsay and Taylor made me fall in love with them. Their character development was sooo good and throughout the book how Taylor showed immense patience, understanding and love and how Lindsay got stronger and stronger was just perfect. Wish I could experience all of it again.
The perfect way to get back into reading after a 4 month break!
April 13, 2011
Although I have enjoyed Catherine Coulter's FBI series, I do not read her romance novels. Because the synopsis presented this as a mystery, I thought it might be good. The rape scene in the beginning of the book was so graphic that I could go no further. Not a book I would recommend.
October 27, 2018
Wow! This is seriously messed up. It was an HaBO at SBTB so I thought I would read it as it was available at the library. I did some skimming to be sure. Bad stuff....I should of put it down immediately.
April 4, 2024
2.5-star read
Displaying 1 - 30 of 229 reviews