Vixen

17-year-old Gloria has it all: she's a wealthy Chicago socialite engaged to Harvard-graduate and most-eligible-bachelor Sebastian, despite their impending marriage being one of political and social convenience. Chicago's hottest speakeasy and its live jazz call to her--or at least the piano player does. But for Gloria to follow her heart, she'll have to be prepared to sacrifice everything. Her cousin Clara has just arrived in Chicago, playing the part of the innocent country girl despite running from her own tawdry flapper past. And Gloria's best friend Lorraine wants nothing more than to win their mutual friend Marcus's affections, but he only has eyes for another--despite Lorraine's increasingly-desperate attempts to catch his eye.

The ideas are solid and the prohibition setting is unusual, but those things aren't enough to overlook the dull characters and "tell, don't show"-ness of the writing. The cover will almost certainly suck in fans of The Luxe, with its sultry flapper striking a pose.

Can't speak to historical accuracy, though, as everything I know about the 1920s I gleaned from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. ( )

This book is definitely worth checking out if your interests are: historical fiction, 1920's culture, and scandal! ( )

Vixen in one word: mediocre. Character-wise, everyone felt one-dimensional and superficial. I had little empathy for or connection to any of them. Gloria was confused and unsure of what she wanted; Clara's true identity and past felt underdeveloped; Lorraine was unintelligent and needlessly jealous of her best friend. It seemed like people weren't making smart choices or thinking things through, which at times made the plot incohesive and fragmented. The author had some great ideas for the story, but her writing just didn't back them up. The romance(s) also bugged me; attraction and love were always stated, but they never felt truly developed. Additionally, the characters often seemed very naive, even whilst their actions made me forget that they're not any older than teenagers. And with 420 pages, the plot was slow and plodding. The only thing that really encouraged me to read the sequel was the dramatic ending. ( )

Gloria Carmody has it all: looks, money, and a big shiny diamond engagement ring from Sebastian Grey, the most eligible bachelor in 1920′s Chicago. But Gloria wants more from life than being a Chicago socialite; she longs for the exciting life of the flappers, those girls with the short bobbed hair (and even shorter skirts) who live it up at the notorious speak-easies scattered throughout the city.

Her best friend Lorraine has money and social standing, too, but more than anything she wants Gloria’s friend Marcus all to herself. She also wants to regain her place as the most daring girl in their set; after all, she was the first one to bob her hair in their class. Now that Gloria is starting to shine, Lorraine finds herself falling into the shadows.

Gloria’s cousin Clara has arrived from rural Pennsylvania to help with arrangements for the big wedding, but Clara has a few secrets of her own she’d like to conceal about her life in New York City.

When Gloria and her friends visit The Green Mill, the hottest speak-easy in Chicago, they are exposed to an underground world of hot jazz, cold gin and even colder gangsters. Can Gloria escape her engagement and live the flapper life she longs for? Will Lorraine ever get out of Gloria’s shadow and get what she wants for once? Will Clara’s deep dark secret be revealed to the world?

From the outside, Chicago and it’s debutantes look prim and proper, but on the inside, it’s a world of secrets and sin “where the gin is cold and the piano’s hot / It’s just a noisy hall where there’s a nightly brawl / And all that jazz!” ( )

Gloria Carmody has it all: looks, money, and a big shiny diamond engagement ring from Sebastian Grey, the most eligible bachelor in 1920′s Chicago. But Gloria wants more from life than being a Chicago socialite; she longs for the exciting life of the flappers, those girls with the short bobbed hair (and even shorter skirts) who live it up at the notorious speak-easies scattered throughout the city.

Her best friend Lorraine has money and social standing, too, but more than anything she wants Gloria’s friend Marcus all to herself. She also wants to regain her place as the most daring girl in their set; after all, she was the first one to bob her hair in their class. Now that Gloria is starting to shine, Lorraine finds herself falling into the shadows.

Gloria’s cousin Clara has arrived from rural Pennsylvania to help with arrangements for the big wedding, but Clara has a few secrets of her own she’d like to conceal about her life in New York City.

When Gloria and her friends visit The Green Mill, the hottest speak-easy in Chicago, they are exposed to an underground world of hot jazz, cold gin and even colder gangsters. Can Gloria escape her engagement and live the flapper life she longs for? Will Lorraine ever get out of Gloria’s shadow and get what she wants for once? Will Clara’s deep dark secret be revealed to the world?

From the outside, Chicago and it’s debutantes look prim and proper, but on the inside, it’s a world of secrets and sin “where the gin is cold and the piano’s hot / It’s just a noisy hall where there’s a nightly brawl / And all that jazz!” (“All That Jazz” from the musical Chicago)
Review by Ms. DuVall