Vixen by Jillian Larkin

Product Description: Jazz . . . Booze . . . Boys . . . It’s a dangerous combination. Every girl wants what she can’t have. Seventeen-year-old Gloria Carmody wants the flapper lifestyle—and the bobbed hair, cigarettes, and music-filled nights that go with it. Now that she’s engaged to Sebastian Grey, scion of one of Chicago’s most powerful families, Gloria’s party days are over before they’ve even begun . . . or are they?

Clara Knowles, Gloria’s goody-two-shoes cousin, has arrived to make sure the high-society wedding comes off without a hitch—but Clara isn’t as lily-white as she appears. Seems she has some dirty little secrets of her own that she’ll do anything to keep hidden. . . .

Lorraine Dyer, Gloria’s social-climbing best friend, is tired of living in Gloria’s shadow. When Lorraine’s envy spills over into desperate spite, no one is safe. And someone’s going to be very sorry. . . .

First line: She didn't feel like wearing a garter tonight. Her gold-beaded dress, cascading in waves of crystalline fringe, covered the intersection between her sheer stockings and bare thigh.

My thoughts:
This book is an ARC that I received from B&N as part of their First Look Book Club. I was initially attracted to it because of the time period in which it takes place, the 1920s. I loved the cover as well, it is beautiful. I am not much of a YA fan, or for that matter nor am I much of a romance fan, but wanted to give this one a try. The fact that the character's were 17 year olds jarred in my mind and clashed with their older adult actions. I've seen it written that this book is Flappers meet Gossip Girls. I loved the setting and the look into the world of flappers, speakeasys, gangsters and jazz.

The chapters of this book alternate between the stories of three teenaged girls: Gloria, a Chicago Socialite engaged to a man who loved only her money, Clara, Gloria's cousin, who is trying to escape her old life and reinvent herself, and Lorraine, Gloria's jealous best friend. The first part was a little hard for me to get into, but after that it it got better. My favorite character was Clara. It seemed to me that it was her story that held the book together. My least favorite was Bastian, the fiance.

If you are a YA fan you should love this one.

My Rating:
Quotes: Everything began to crystalize: She would help Marcus with his plan to break Clara's heart. Only, really, she would be working to make Marcus fall in love with her.



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Jillian Larkin
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