ARC Review: Vixen by Jillian Larkin

Title: Vixen
Series: The Flappers #1
Author: Jillian Larkin
Available: Today!
Reading Level: Young Adult


4 out of 5 Stars












Description from Goodreads:


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. . . . 


My thoughts:


Happy Book Birthday to Vixen! The first in author Jillian Larkin’s The Flappers series. 


Vixen follows three young women during the roaring twenties. Gloria is engaged to a man any woman would consider a catch, but the chemistry is lacking. When she visits an illegal speakeasy with friends, she finds herself smitten with a man she shouldn’t be. It also awakens a desire to perform on stage she didn’t even know she had. Lorraine is Gloria’s best friend, but in all honesty not a good friend at all. She is jealous, and willing to do just about anything to be the center of attention. Even if it means hurting the people she claims to care for. Clara is Gloria’s cousin believed to have moved in with Gloria’s family to help plan the up and coming nuptials. Believed by all to be a well behaved farm girl, but in actuality Clara has lived a life both Gloria and Lorraine just might envy. She is hoping to escape her past scandals, and start new in Chicago. 


This book was so much fun. I’ve always found flappers fascinating. From the clothes, to the hair, and of course the dancing. I’d love to think I would have been dancing the Charleston at an underground speakeasy had I been alive in the 20’s. I’ll skip the mob interactions though. Those guys were a little scary.


Vixen contains a nice mix of characters. Readers are sure to identify with at least one of the main characters. Lots of drama, secrets, romance, and even a little mystery to keep you glued to the pages. I love that the author touched on the difficulties of an interracial relationship during the era. Gloria really surprised me. She had a rebellious nature I never anticipated. Lorraine was always around to wreak havoc. As much dislike as I have for her meddling character, she was without a doubt a necessary evil for the plot. Clara was sweet and paying the price for her past mistakes. I enjoyed watching her relationship with Gloria progress, while she tried to hang on to her secrets. The plot flows nicely, and the characters also develop well as it progresses. The ending leaves you with questions without being a dreaded cliffhanger. All in all a solid series debut, and one I look forward to continuing.

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Source: Around the World Tours