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    Vixen: The Flappers, Book 1
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    Vixen: The Flappers, Book 1
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    Vixen: The Flappers, Book 1
    Audiobook12 hours

    Vixen: The Flappers, Book 1

    Written by Jillian Larkin

    Narrated by Abby Craden

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    If you love The Great Gatsby, you'll want to read the Flappers series.

    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. . . .

    From author Jillian Larkin, Vixen is the first novel in the sexy, dangerous, and ridiculously romantic series set in the Roaring Twenties . . . when anything goes.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateDec 14, 2010
    ISBN9780307746924
    Unavailable
    Vixen: The Flappers, Book 1

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    Reviews for Vixen

    3.5/5

    212 ratings48 reviews

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    • 3/5
      This was an ok read. I don't know if I will continue reading the series.
      The characters were interesting, i love the setting but he writing was a little "off" for me.
    • 4/5
      Vixen, by Jillian Larkin. A terrific debut novel! This is a sexy, romantic book about the Roaring Twenties, for teens! It is highly appropriate for teens. Sexy, without any obligatory sex scenes. Romantic without being gushy. I enjoyed it very much, and once I started reading could not put it down! Thanks! I received this book free through Barnes & Noble's First Look program, but I am under no obligation to give a favorable review.
    • 3/5
      A young adult novel set in the roaring 20's, smack dab in the thick of it all in downtown Chicago. Gloria Carmody is a straight A student, socialite debutante who is engaged to Sebastian Grey. Her troubled cousin, Clara Knowles, comes to help with the wedding and get away from her secret past. Lorraine Dyer is Gloria's best friend, who happens to be a flapper, has some important choices to make regarding their friendship. Marcus Eastman is like a brother to Gloria, the object of Lorraine's unrequited love and a definite playboy. Together the four take the reader through the seedy, underground world of gangsters and flappers during the Prohibition Era in a quest to find themselves, and love.

      This book was very hard for me to put down. In fact this is the first week for discussion on it for the Barnes and Noble First Look and I couldn't stop reading at each designated sections. I just was not able to! I had to know more, I had to know what Gloria, Clara, and Lorraine were going to do next. I loved reading a timed piece like this, from the 1920's. This is part of a series by Jillian Larkin, so it ends with a bang and leaves you wanting for more. Of course we'll be waiting until next year to get our hands on Ingenue.
    • 3/5
      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.
    • 3/5
      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.
    • 4/5
      My Thoughts: It was just fabulous! Vixen is set in the 1920s, which is my favorite time-period to read about. This is why I can easily say that I LOVED this book! I have said this a million times before and I'll say it a million times more, I was born in the wrong era!The story moves incredibly fast and is really well written. I never got bored, not once. It was a great change from all the paranormals and dystopias that are so huge in YA books. I have always had a fascination with this time-period, as I mentioned before, but I don't have much luck in finding good books set in it. Larkin made me forget about our modern world for the day that it took me to read this novel and it felt like I was transported back in time to the world of Gloria, Lorraine and Clara. The story changed from the point of view of each girl every chapter, but once again I was impressed with how flawlessly the author pulled this off. I was never confused as to what was happening, as it was all chronological. The characterization in this book was phenomenal. Each girl had their own lives, their own struggles, their own flaws. Each of them have very different lives that show us unique aspects of the decade. I loved that Larkin was able to show Lorraine in a way that, although her actions should make the reader despise her, she was really just a damaged and jealous girl in need of a hug. Now, onto the romance side of things. Of course! This was a part of Vixen that both bugged me and intrigued me. The fact that Marcus and Gloria are just friends was delightful. No love-triangle there, with the forbidden love and the best friend. It was obvious that there was no way that could happen, which made me extremely pleased. That type of triangle gets a bit old after a while, don't you think? So I suppose I should actually specify the 'forbidden love' as Jerome Johnson, the African-American piano player. It was sort of an almost love at first sight situation with Gloria and Jerome, but of course it blossomed into something more. I felt as if their relationship took of very quickly and there wasn't a lot of time in between when they were singing in the basement and when they were sipping hot chocolate at the ice rink. It was sweet, but a little fast in my opinion. I don't even know why I think that, but I do. Then there's Sebastian, Gloria's fiance. No doubt about it, I didn't feel any sympathy for him at all. He was just a lying, cheating pig in my eyes. GO JEROME!The end of this novel was crazy. I was kind of expecting it, but not so much that I didn't enjoy it. The shock of it all was a huge twist from the romantic scene right before. It left me craving more of this incredible world that Larkin wrote about and I really wanted to go talk to my great-grandmother to see if she could tell me any stories of her mother in the twenties. Vixen is the perfect novel for anyone who takes interest in the Roaring Twenties and I'd recommend it to anyone who is getting tired of the same old YA material, (that I enjoy, of course) and are needing a break. Larkin has written a novel that is intricate and detailed, suspenseful and amusing. I loved every minute of it and I can't wait to get my hands on Ingenue, once it is restocked in the bookstore.
    • 5/5
      So, this book TRULY surprised me! I did not think that it would be as good as it turned out to be. I figured it would be a let down, because how could it match up to the description that it was given? This book had a very surprising cliffhanger ending that I will not spoil. I ended up loving all of the girls, but I think my favorite was Clara. She is trying so hard to figure out who she is after a major disappointment in life. I loved Marcus, who is best friends with Gloria. He was the most wonderful guy in the book other than Jerome Johnson. Speaking of Jerome, I DEFINITELY did not expect this book to explore interracial relationships and prejudices in the 1920s! The way Jillian Larkin did this was relatable and realistic. This entire book has absolutely beautiful descriptions and emotional insights. It was in triple third-person omniscient point of view, so each chapter alteranated between the girls (Gloria, then Clara, then Lorraine) and while it didn't use the word 'I' it got inside of their thoughts in a very personal way. Bastian Grey is a very odd character, because at first you think that you know who he is; then he turns into someone completely different. It was very shocking the way his character changed, but he was so deliciously villainous!
    • 4/5
      This reminds me of the BYT series by Godbersen - in a nice way. I enjoyed having the story told from three different perspectives as I think the book would have been boring if it were up to one girl to pull the storyline along.I've been watching "Boardwalk Empire" lately, so this book really came alive for me with the atmosphere and music from that series. Gangsters, pearls, smoking guns, and innocence. Now all I need is to get my flask engraved and a garter to hold it up.
    • 3/5
      Gloria is 17 and engaged to be married. Prohibition is in effect and her fiance is dull, convservative and boring, and she wants to have some fun before the wedding. Her farm-girl cousin, Clara, has come to help with the wedding, but may not be exactly what she seems. Gloria, her friend Marcus, her best-friend Lorraine and Clara get involved in Chicago's underground speak-easy scene.
    • 3/5
      Fun and flirty, this YA historical fiction is more entertaining than it should be, while still providing a historically accurate backdrop. A great read for anyone just wanting some "mind candy"!
    • 4/5
      A totally fun book that was way more sophisticated than most teen books I've read. It's good and complete on it's own, but the characters are interesting enough to make me want to read the next one. Great debut book.
    • 5/5
      Awesome read! Oh, I actually listened to it :) It has a great storyline and keeps you guessing. Also, Vixen brings up some controversial issues during that time. It's a story that makes you think and I like that.
    • 5/5
      Nobody ever writes YA books taking place in the '20s. Jillian Larkin did. And she pulled it OFF. I loved the rich description of the flapper lifestyle and the upper class and segregation and drama and wow-factor. LOVED IT! I recommend this to anybody who loves romance, historical fiction, and/or drama.
    • 3/5
      This was an entertaining read. I have to say that I don't know how truly realistic it was. Were the flappers really that young? I don't know, but I may have to look into more of the history of this era. I will check out the sequel so that must mean I enjoyed it.
    • 3/5
      I absolutely love books that take place in the Roarin' 20's. I love the glitz, the glamor, the jazz and smoky lounges... and Ms. Larkin definitely captures it all in Vixen. Through Gloria, Clara and Lorraine we see how these girls come of age in a time of prohibition, speak-easys, and the flapper era. It was entertaining to read - the storyline was driven and scandalous and full of juicy tidbits that, although I did see some coming, some took me by surprise. Told in alternating chapters through each of the girls perspectives you get to know each girl individually. And that was my main complaint - the characters themselves. I never really liked any of the girls. They were spoiled, deceitful, snotty, selfish and each was on their very own self-destructive path. Of the three, I liked Clara the most. She showed some depth that I wasn't expecting. Her secrets were really the most intriguing aspect of the story and what kept the pages turning for me. Also make note that this may be inappropriate for younger readers. There is a whole lot of booze, smoking and I thought it was pretty sexy - more so, than your normal YA lit - albeit rendered tastefully.Although the story does have a steady plot line and is fast-paced, it did not hold my attention long enough for me to continue with the series. All in all, I think fans of YA and/or historical fiction will like this, it just sadly didn't connect with me.
    • 5/5
      Picked this book up by mistake, very good mistake. Enjoyed the trial and tribulations of these young "flappers." I did notice a few errors in Ms. Larkins writing of her characters. She mis-used names, when talking about Lorrian she used Clara's name instead, twice she used Clara inlieu of the character she was telling about. No problem, I knew who she meant and never lost beat in the story.
    • 5/5
      This books was a completely surprise to me. When I received this one for review, I hadn't given it much thought, and it definitely wasn't one that I was really excited about. Despite my love of the flapper era, the cover and the synopsis didn't grab me. With that said, I couldn't be more grateful that this one was sent to me out of the blue---or I would have missed out!Jillian Larkin's writing draws you so completely into both the glamorous and the gritty side of the twenties. You can practically smell the booze and smoke and feel the sway of the room of an underground speakeasy. You squirm in your seat at the snobbery and lofty expectation of the rich high society set. It was all there---the romance, the glittering gowns, the scandal, and the danger of living in a time that was also known for it's gangsters and prohibition.Vixen follows the stories of three girls: Gloria, her best friend Lorraine, and her cousin Clara. All very different, but all struggling to figure out their lives. Each wants something more than the hand they've been dealt, whether that be a suffocating, loveless marriage, or constantly living in the shadow of someone else, or carrying around a big scandalous secret and a broken heart. The way each story unfolds and intertwines had me glued to the page.The story touches on some pretty serious themes and I think that is what surprised me the most. It's not all cattiness and dresses and dancing. It's about loyalty, friendship, living in fear, living up to expectations, and trying to turn your life around. One of the most interesting things about this story was the love story between Gloria, a white, rich girl, and Jerome, a black jazz pianist. This whole thing was beautifully, beautifully written. Because while in this day and age, people normally don't bat at eye about interracial couples(thank goodness), back in the twenties this would have been a very BIG deal.You have to read this book to find out how it all plays out, but be prepared for a very steep cliffhanger!! I loved it and will be anxiously awaiting the next installment, Ingenue, due out in August 2011.
    • 5/5
      Let's go back to the 1920's, to the days of flappers and prohibition, and young lady's trying to make their mark on the world. Gloria Carmody seems to have everything...the money, the boy, the lifestyle, and friends. But she's just not quite happy with any of it. One night she sneaks out with her best friends, Lorraine and Marcus, into the biggest speak easy in town. She falls in love with the music, the atmosphere, and the people.Lorraine has always been jealous of Gloria. She had everything, the perfect life, but at least she could tag along and absorb part of the glory as her best friends. Then one day she finds out that Gloria is hiding a secret from her, a big secret. She holds Gloria's future in her hands - what will she do with it?Gloria's cousin, Clara, has come to town to help Gloria plan for her upcoming wedding. She also comes to escape a wild lifestyle back home and get back on track the way a proper society girl should. Little does she know that all her secrets are at risk of spilling out and ruining her new life.This book in one of the memorable reads for 2010. The characters were developed perfectly and the story was captivating. I don't think I've ever read a novel about the 20's and it was fascinating to read about the time period. Jillina Larken is going on my watch list for authors, I can't wait until she releases the next in the series.5/5
    • 4/5
      First of all, Bravo! to Jillian Larkin for exploring a time period that should be explored in Young Adult fiction. The Roaring Twenties are so much fun to learn about, not just for the mobsters and speakeasy's, but also the fashion is bright and fun, the hairstyles are, frankly, gorgeous and cities were filled with wonder and life.When I was in college, pursuing a degree in Piano Performance, I got a job playing in the backroom of a 50's diner. Every Friday and Saturday night I dressed up in fancy dresses, wore sparkling earrings and necklaces and sat down to play Gershwin and Joplin at a piano in a room dimly lit. The dance floor in front of my piano would hold various couples doing the Charleston, who were admitted through a door up a hall, in the back of the building - the entrance in the alleyway. When they'd call to make a reservation they'd be given a password - which they had to use or they wouldn't be admitted. I played for hours on those nights, watching the tips fall into the large martini glass set on top of the piano for that purpose. And thus, my real life experience in a Speakeasy was given.So I hold a love for the 20's. I remember those weekends with a lot of fondness and when I saw this book I knew I had to read it. Jillian Larkin did a beautiful job portraying the times, describing the dresses, detailing the class differences and parties held. There were some aspects of the book that I have a slight issue with (mainly the overuse of certain terms - you can have too much of a good thing), but overall the book was interesting, had an eventful plot, a lot of history and enough romance to satisfy the romantic in me.I think these books are bound to be a hit. There's no magic, no paranormal aspect, and it's nice to see a book that has a solid story without needing any of that. Just plain drama - fun-filled 20's drama. In other words, this book was the bee's knees.
    • 4/5
      These kids are trying to sort out their place in our world-- to figure out their role. And they are trying to play "grown up", and sometimes get themselves into things that they aren't ready for.Lorraine is just dying to be the center of attention and wants to be Gloria. Clara convincingly plays the role of the "country cad". Gloria finds herself on a path to adulthood that she may not want to be on, and Marcus is living the life of the ladies man.The 20s were so restrictive, and the Flappers were struggling against those bonds. Women had no freedom. They were ruled by their fathers and their uncles, and husbands and bosses-- heck, even their mothers. The speakeasy gave the girls a sense of freedom. They could shed the restrictive trappings of society and "be free". Even the character Jerome doesn't really seem free. A young black musician of the time, he is ruled by the gangsters and by his skin. Marcus is probably the freest character portrayed in the book. He's a blond, blue-eyed white male. Who could have been "freer" in the 20s?I found this to be a really enjoyable read. It actually kept me guessing, which doesn't happen very often. It gave me a taste of what it was like to live in the "Roaring Twenties". A time with some kids choosing to grow up quite quickly and opting to live life in the fast lane (not so different from today).All in all a very good debut novel!
    • 5/5
      When will people see that whats in front of them is good? From the very beginning of this book the young ladies wanted nothing but change. They are tired of living the life they have, so they change it by changing themselves. Now, by all means, if you don't like something, then change it. But don't bring down other people.Gloria, Clara, and Lorraine all long for a change. They have to live a certain way, dress a certain way, eat a certain way, etc. Each of them having a different desire, changes their appearance looking more like Flappers. Flappers are floozies who drink each night going with a different man.Take me back to the roaring twenties BABY! I had so much fun reading this book. As a matter of fact, I kept reading this book through out a meeting I had with my boss. He spoke, but I paid no attention to a word he was saying. LOL. This book was filled with drama, lots of backstabbing, and fighting.I totally understand where the girls were coming from. They all wanted something that they could not have, so they use each other. They back stab, told each others own secrets to gain where they needed to go. In the end, it left nothing but hurt people and lots of hatred.The one girl I felt sorry for is Lorraine. Although she did mess up, she was blame for things that she did not do, making her the bitter one. In the end, she wanted nothing but revenge. I felt for her and how her best friend would turn her back on her like that. I was angry that she would not at least hear Lorraine out. I hope in future books Lorraine gets redeemed. I hate to see her that way.The love interest in the book were good. There were love triangles and unforbidden love. The unforbidden love is one that I would love to see. I hope it comes out all right for them. They have a tough road a head of them.If you like drama, with lots of love, fights, and roaring twenties, then you should definitely read this book. I was amazed on how well Ms. Larkin was able to grasp the twenties with perfect detailing. Even the way that they talked was awesome. I find myself, repeating some of the words whenever I get chance. This is an awesome book. It does, have lots of sexual references, drinking and drugs. I would recommend for older teens.
    • 4/5
      When I had the opportunity to read VIXEN by Jillian Larkin, I jumped at the chance. How could I resist a story that had elements of The Great Gatsby and Gossip Girl combined? None, as you can see, and I was quickly swept into it's pages of intrigue, secrets and romance.It was the Roaring Twenties, a time of excessive luxury, prohibition and flapper girls. This sumptuous era served as the perfect backdrop for a story involving three very memorable teens; Gloria, Clara and Lorraine, whose lives intersect but veer off onto different paths. Each character has their own storyline that is filled with mysterious secrets and hidden truths. Gloria wants to embody the flapper lifestyle and follow her passion more than marrying her handsome and overbearing fiance. Lorraine is Gloria's best friend but she envies everything Gloria has and wishes to always eclipse her while Clara comes to help her cousin Gloria with her wedding plans while turning over a new leaf and trying to forget what happened when she ran away to New York. All scandalous and together they forge an unforgettable story that will have your complete attention as you travel through high society parties and lunches to the the smoke-filled jazzy speakeasy's and everything in between.With VIXEN, debut author Jillian Larkin, has done an noteworthy job of creating a story set during a time in history when the United States was breaking out of it's previously oppressive Victorian way of life and while I found it to be fun and fascinating I wish it had been a bit more detailed and descriptive. The noteable slang of it's heyday, while pertinent to the storyline, also proved to be vexing because I had to look up certain words to fully register their meaning. It is distracting but I can think it can be remedied by having a glossary in the back of the book to make the story flow better for the reader. I did appreciate the many social issues that were covered in VIXEN for it gave the story a gritter edge that complemented it's sumptuous surroundings.I did get pulled into the story fairly quickly and once I started I could not put it down. It was a pleasant way to spend my time filled with wicked fun and some very unforgettable moments and characters. INGENUE, the next book in the series that will come out next year.
    • 4/5
      This book takes place between the time of World War I and the Great Depression. It is about a group of teenagers, some of whom were very well heeled, from influential families, who stretched the envelope of acceptable behavior trying to gain independence and freedom while pretending to be far more sophisticated than their years. While I really found their behavior too extreme, at times, for typical teens, even in the days of the flappers, the book held my interest enough to keep me reading long into the night. I would not recommend it to anyone below the age of 14. Although, I was not happy with the message of the book which seemed to be follow your heart no matter whom you hurt, no matter what the consequences, for the only thing that matters is pleasing yourself and getting what you want, I still found it to be a very interesting read. All of the characters were selfish to some extent and some were manipulative and cruel, as well. The majority were arrogant and uppity, pompous and condescending. However anyone looking for a book that is romantic and exciting, will surely enjoy this. There is some violence, some sexual innuendo, some wanton and drunken behavior and a great deal of foolish misguided choices and decisions to entice the reader who enjoys that kind of subject matter. There are gangsters and socialites. The book covers many controversial topics, prohibition, adultery and infidelity, interracial relationships and injustice, lying, pregnancy before marriage, politicians and the mob and its influence with its concomitant corruption. There is also a thread of innocence and gullibility which often guides the characters and leads them to make uninformed and dangerous decisions. It is the first in a series and so there are many questions left unanswered at the end. The loose ends will make you want to rush out and buy the next one as soon as it is published.
    • 4/5
      *I received this book for a B&N First Look book club discussionConsidering I gasped at least twice during the second part of this book I didn't think it was fair to give it just three stars. Yet, I felt the ending was rushed, and in the cas ...more *I received this book for a B&N First Look book club discussionConsidering I gasped at least twice during the second part of this book I didn't think it was fair to give it just three stars. Yet, I felt the ending was rushed, and in the case of one character a bit out of the blue and it is not exempt of cliches that made me frown, so I couldn't honestly give it five stars. I really enjoy YA and historical fiction, so this one was a win-win for me.The flapper lingo is not distracting, it was kind of fun learning it actually, it is an easy read. However, there's too much booze, sex, cigarettes and illegal activities so I would suggest this for "older" teens. I'd recc' this one for people who enjoyed the Luxe series, though it's a different era it seems like this book would pick up where that series ended.It's a great debut novel, and I will definitely continue the series (since I'm dying to see what happens to Clara & Marcus).The cover is just lovely, lovely, lovely.
    • 4/5
      I received this book as an arc from barnes and noble, and feel completely in love with the "roaring 20's" backdrop. Although many of the fashion and music references were lost on me, it didn't take away anything from the story. I was so captivated by the need of all three girls, Gloria, Lorraine, and Clara to all reinvent themselves. All wanting the same thing however, to find their true selves and fall hopelessly in love. I can't wait for the next one to come out in 2011...I think this book was just the warming up to what Jillian Larkin has in store for us.
    • 4/5
      A young adult novel set in the roaring 20's, smack dab in the thick of it all in downtown Chicago. Gloria Carmody is a straight A student, socialite debutante who is engaged to Sebastian Grey. Her troubled cousin, Clara Knowles, comes to help with the wedding and get away from her secret past. Lorraine Dyer is Gloria's best friend, who happens to be a flapper, has some important choices to make regarding their friendship. Marcus Eastman is like a brother to Gloria, the object of Lorraine's unrequited love and a definite playboy. Together the four take the reader through the seedy, underground world of gangsters and flappers during the Prohibition Era in a quest to find themselves, and love.This book was very hard for me to put down. In fact this is the first week for discussion on it for the Barnes and Noble First Look and I couldn't stop reading at each designated sections. I just was not able to! I had to know more, I had to know what Gloria, Clara, and Lorraine were going to do next. I loved reading a timed piece like this, from the 1920's. This is part of a series by Jillian Larkin, so it ends with a bang and leaves you wanting for more. Of course we'll be waiting until next year to get our hands on Ingenue.
    • 2/5
      I received this book for a B&N First Look book club discussion... My feelings are mixed. I enjoyed Clara's story, but couldn't stand Lorraine or Gloria. Think I would have preferred one storyline, rather than three intertwined plots.
    • 3/5
      This book started off slow for me. I loved the whole flappers era aspect and how Gloria, Clara and Lorraine's forays into this underground environment varied so widely. The way it affects each of them is not exactly what you would expect given each girl's personality.The charactersGloria was your typical rich girl who was spoiled growing up and feels the need to rebel before she submits to a marriage of convenience. The main problem I had with her was that as the story progresses she decides she wants to become a jazz singer and is even willing to run away with a forbidden man and try to make it big in New York. This sudden desire seemed to come out of the blue and thrown in there simply to facilitate the forbidden romance. I would have liked to see some build up as to why she would want to become a singer in the first place.Clara was probably my favorite character. She has a somewhat sordid past that she is sent to Chicago to try and runaway from the results of her actions. She reinvents herself as "country Clara" in order to try and right her life and I loved seeing how parts of her act truly reflect her character and she must grapple with finding the happy medium between her rebellious side and her softer side.The romanceDespite the whole singing career aspirations coming out of nowhere I did like the build up of Gloria's fascination with Jerome, a colored piano player in a speak easy. You are kept guessing if she is really willing to give up everything and face a life of recrimination if she were to pursue a romance with Jerome. For Jerome, he would also face a tough future as white people would distrust his presence with a white girl and his own family and friends would judge him for dating a white girl. Seeing if the two were really willing to make that huge leap was one of the things that kept me reading.The story lineThe story started off slow but the ending is what grabbed me. When Gloria and Jerome's romance is betrayed you are kept guessing who was the one who turned them in. Was it Clara? Lorraine? Someone else? The ending will leave you hanging and wanting to know what happens to each of the characters in the next book.
    • 2/5
      I was going to give it a 3 stars but the way Gloria treated her best friend, I hated it. I didn't believe her love for Jerome either.
    • 3/5
      I picked this up just for the cover.
      It looked so apropos at the Jazz Age Lawn Party!
      Upon reading it, at first I was a little taken aback by the 'juvenile' feel to it - it's got a hefty dose of teen romance. At times I felt as if the author's ideas about teen relationships were not very firmly grounded in her time period, and were based instead on modern conventions.
      However, as the book went on, I got more into it, and fond myself caring what happened with the characters.
      It still suffers from stereotypes, and an oversimplified sense of bad/good.
      But if I come across the sequel (it's very much set up for a sequel) I just might pick it up...