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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
If I had a guilty pleasure book, this would be it.
Seriously, it has everything I adore: 20s glamour and flappers, jazz music, ridiculous YA drama, a pretty cover and a fast moving plot.
I ended up picking this book on clearance years ago. Like most books I own, it got lost somewhere in my house and I forgot it existed. Then, one day during my epic cleaning sprees to deal with my epic boredom, I found it! Since I'm trying to give myself a well rounded read shelf for 2020, I decided to pick it up. Plus, who doesn't want some goofy, YA, flapper fun?
This story follows 3 girls:
1. Gloria - engaged to some hot, not super nice, rich guy but wants to let herself fall in love with a jazz musician.
2. Clara - Gloria's cousin who is super goody goody, but clearly has a bad past she is trying to hide.
3. Lorraine - the not so nice girl who is friends with Gloria but wants to be the center of attention SO bad and can't get the guy so she's clearly gonna be a jerk. You know, the mean girl.
This book is super strange for me. It's packed full of YA drama and gossip, so this really shouldn't be my thing but I was SO DIGGING IT. It's like my lack of human interaction has made this kind of gossip gold for me. Either way, I totally loved it and needed this sort of fun in my life. It's like Gossip Girl or 90210 or other super dramatic stories.
I can easily say this book won't be for everyone. These girls in the 20s are definitely like girls from the 2010s/2020s. They have feminist life goals and want to be strong women. They don't fit into the 20s society, but totally fit into today. I didn't mind, because I just wanted a fun read and let myself sink into the drama. Buuuut, if you're looking for historical accuracy then this book is not for you. Enjoy the book for what it is!
The book is easy to read and the drama moves fast. There's constantly something going on, and since the book changes perspectives between the three girls we always see something different. There isn't as much romance as there is drama in this book. I expected some awesome love and romance plots, but love is kind of the back burner thing. There are dates and some kisses and sometimes some love confessions, but this is by no means a romance - it's a drama.
Overall, this book is fluffy and glamorous. I want to continue reading this series, mostly because it is totally a guilty pleasure. I love it for what it is - good job Jillian Larkin!
Four out of five stars!
Seriously, it has everything I adore: 20s glamour and flappers, jazz music, ridiculous YA drama, a pretty cover and a fast moving plot.
I ended up picking this book on clearance years ago. Like most books I own, it got lost somewhere in my house and I forgot it existed. Then, one day during my epic cleaning sprees to deal with my epic boredom, I found it! Since I'm trying to give myself a well rounded read shelf for 2020, I decided to pick it up. Plus, who doesn't want some goofy, YA, flapper fun?
This story follows 3 girls:
1. Gloria - engaged to some hot, not super nice, rich guy but wants to let herself fall in love with a jazz musician.
2. Clara - Gloria's cousin who is super goody goody, but clearly has a bad past she is trying to hide.
3. Lorraine - the not so nice girl who is friends with Gloria but wants to be the center of attention SO bad and can't get the guy so she's clearly gonna be a jerk. You know, the mean girl.
This book is super strange for me. It's packed full of YA drama and gossip, so this really shouldn't be my thing but I was SO DIGGING IT. It's like my lack of human interaction has made this kind of gossip gold for me. Either way, I totally loved it and needed this sort of fun in my life. It's like Gossip Girl or 90210 or other super dramatic stories.
I can easily say this book won't be for everyone. These girls in the 20s are definitely like girls from the 2010s/2020s. They have feminist life goals and want to be strong women. They don't fit into the 20s society, but totally fit into today. I didn't mind, because I just wanted a fun read and let myself sink into the drama. Buuuut, if you're looking for historical accuracy then this book is not for you. Enjoy the book for what it is!
The book is easy to read and the drama moves fast. There's constantly something going on, and since the book changes perspectives between the three girls we always see something different. There isn't as much romance as there is drama in this book. I expected some awesome love and romance plots, but love is kind of the back burner thing. There are dates and some kisses and sometimes some love confessions, but this is by no means a romance - it's a drama.
Overall, this book is fluffy and glamorous. I want to continue reading this series, mostly because it is totally a guilty pleasure. I love it for what it is - good job Jillian Larkin!
Four out of five stars!
This review was written for The Review Diaries: http://reviewdiaries.blogspot.co.uk
It’s official, there are not enough books about flappers. Although ‘Vixen’ is such an awesome one, I may just keep re-reading it in the absence of any other fab 1920s books. Ever since watching the ‘Vampire Diaries’ episode where there are flashbacks to Chicago in the 1920s I’ve been desperate to read some good books set there, and Random House must have heard my wishes, because what did they send my way last weekend, but the fabulous début by Jillian Larkin and the first book in a brilliant new trilogy.
It was a fantastic book, with a style that reminded me strongly of Gossip Girl (which is no bad thing) and three fresh and distinctive heroines to guide us through the roaring twenties – jazz, booze, boys and speakeasies.
Having three narrators gives a brilliant scope to really explore the different aspects of the elite of Chicago. We have Gloria, straight A student and model ‘good girl’ as she discovers there’s more to life and a whole world out there beyond the four walls of her families mansion and the diamond rock on her engagement finger. I loved watching her try to balance the new dark and rebellious side with the life she already had, and for the most part succeeding – and the thrills and people that came along with it.
Then we have Clara, the bad girl turned good. I absolutely adored Clara she was funny, sassy and had a better idea of the world outside compared to the other two. I loved watching her grow into herself and discover a balance between her wild side and the good girl she was trying to crush down. In fact her story was perhaps the most intriguing as we discovered her past and watched her battle her demons to carve out a new life for herself.
And then we have Lorraine, who I will say I wasn’t all that fussed on. She was incredibly well written, and I found her utterly fascinating, but completely broken. She is the bad girl who has completely fallen onto the wrong side of the tracks – needy, petty and jealous I still felt for her, and she is still redeemable, but she left an unpleasant taste in my mouth every time she fell a little further.
The book explores the constraints of the time, the social dos and don’ts and was utterly fascinating. A brilliant blend of humour, heart wrenching emotion and fabulous characters, I loved it.
The research that must have gone into the book to produce such a vivid and detailed world is utterly mind boggling, but it’s so completely worth it as you are pulled straight into the world and experience every little detail.
I cannot wait to get my hands on the second book of the series and find out what happens next. I fell in love with the characters (yes even Lorraine) and their stories were taken on such complex journeys with such surprising and fantastic conclusions in this book that I’m so excited to find out where Larkin takes us next.
Its’ an exceptionally strong debut from an author to watch out for, and a stunning new series for the rebel flapper girl in all of us.
It’s official, there are not enough books about flappers. Although ‘Vixen’ is such an awesome one, I may just keep re-reading it in the absence of any other fab 1920s books. Ever since watching the ‘Vampire Diaries’ episode where there are flashbacks to Chicago in the 1920s I’ve been desperate to read some good books set there, and Random House must have heard my wishes, because what did they send my way last weekend, but the fabulous début by Jillian Larkin and the first book in a brilliant new trilogy.
It was a fantastic book, with a style that reminded me strongly of Gossip Girl (which is no bad thing) and three fresh and distinctive heroines to guide us through the roaring twenties – jazz, booze, boys and speakeasies.
Having three narrators gives a brilliant scope to really explore the different aspects of the elite of Chicago. We have Gloria, straight A student and model ‘good girl’ as she discovers there’s more to life and a whole world out there beyond the four walls of her families mansion and the diamond rock on her engagement finger. I loved watching her try to balance the new dark and rebellious side with the life she already had, and for the most part succeeding – and the thrills and people that came along with it.
Then we have Clara, the bad girl turned good. I absolutely adored Clara she was funny, sassy and had a better idea of the world outside compared to the other two. I loved watching her grow into herself and discover a balance between her wild side and the good girl she was trying to crush down. In fact her story was perhaps the most intriguing as we discovered her past and watched her battle her demons to carve out a new life for herself.
And then we have Lorraine, who I will say I wasn’t all that fussed on. She was incredibly well written, and I found her utterly fascinating, but completely broken. She is the bad girl who has completely fallen onto the wrong side of the tracks – needy, petty and jealous I still felt for her, and she is still redeemable, but she left an unpleasant taste in my mouth every time she fell a little further.
The book explores the constraints of the time, the social dos and don’ts and was utterly fascinating. A brilliant blend of humour, heart wrenching emotion and fabulous characters, I loved it.
The research that must have gone into the book to produce such a vivid and detailed world is utterly mind boggling, but it’s so completely worth it as you are pulled straight into the world and experience every little detail.
I cannot wait to get my hands on the second book of the series and find out what happens next. I fell in love with the characters (yes even Lorraine) and their stories were taken on such complex journeys with such surprising and fantastic conclusions in this book that I’m so excited to find out where Larkin takes us next.
Its’ an exceptionally strong debut from an author to watch out for, and a stunning new series for the rebel flapper girl in all of us.
Great job putting us in the 1920s, good choice if you're looking for imperfect characters in a page-turner.
Good book, glad that most people got a happy ending, or the possibility of a happy ending in future books!
Just finished this a few hours ago. I'm really loving the new trend of YA books placed in the roaring 20's. There's something about flappers and Prohibition that make for a great coming of age story. I thought Larkin did a good job of setting the atmosphere of Chicago in the 1920's. The reason the book only gets 3 stars is that I really had a hard time connecting with the main characters with the exception of Clara. Gloria seems selfish and astonishingly naive at times, although I really liked that her romance wasn't the usual dangerous/broody/poor boy from the wrong side of the track but rather with a talented piano player, who happens to be black in an era where relationships between black men and white women are still very taboo. Lorraine was the worst character for me- shallow, childish, impulsive and self-centered. There's just not much to like about her, although it's hard not to feel a little bad for her- Marcus, the boy she has carried a torch for, is bff's with Gloria, and is now suddenly enamored of "country Clara". Clara and Marcus are by far the best part of this book, I liked uncovering Clara's secrets and it was interesting to see if Marcus was playing a game or truly falling for her. I might not have loved Vixen, but I'm invested enough to read the sequel.
I really enjoyed this book! Definitely looking forward to Ingenue!
Really loved this book , iv always been interested in the 20's and all its glory , gangsters, flappers and speakeasy's! and this book had it all for me it kept me wanting more even when the book was over . Gloria wants the flapper lifestyle but shes not prepared for how much she actually gets , she's engaged to a very well up in society man but soon realizes there someone else around to take her heart!! her cousin Clara the ex flapper comes to stay and acts like a shy quite farm girl and plays the part very well till an old boyfriend comes to town to let loose all Clara's secrets from her flapper days and Lorraine well all i can say for Lorraine is shes one jealous and bitter person she wants Gloria life and if it means ruining it so her friend well depend on her so be it !
I'm pretty sure I was meant to be born in the 20s after this