Review: The Flappers: Ingenue by Jillian Larkin

Huge thanks to Harriet at Random House Children's Books for being awesome and sending me a copy to review.

Power... love... scandal...
There’s never enough to go around.
In the city that never sleeps, Lorraine Dyer is wide awake. Ever since she exposed Clara Knowles for the tramp she was—and lost her closest confidante in the process—Lorraine has spent every second scheming to make her selfish, lovesick ex–best friend pay for what she did. No one crosses Lorraine. Not even Gloria. 
True love conquers everything—or so Gloria Carmody crazily believed. She and Jerome Johnson can barely scrape together cash for their rent, let alone have a moment to whisper sweet nothings in the dark. And if they thought escaping Chicago meant they’d get away with murder . . . they were dead wrong.
Clara was sure that once handsome, charming Marcus Eastman discovered her shameful secret, he’d drop her like a bad habit. Instead, he swept her off her feet and whisked her away to New York. Being with Marcus is a breath of fresh air—and a chance for Clara to leave her wild flapper ways firmly in the past. Except the dazzling parties and bright lights won’t stop whispering her name…
INGENUE is the second novel in the sexy, dangerous, and ridiculously romantic Flappers series set in the Roaring Twenties… where revenge is a dish best served cold.

I absolutely adored the first book in this series ‘Vixen’ when it was released earlier this year. And now, six months later I’ve finally got to see what happens next.

However the second book, whilst still showing a solid base and instalment in the series, had lost a little of its shine in the move from Chicago to New York. Whilst all the characters were intertwined in their small circle in Chicago, no one really meets each other (despite being in the same city) until the last section of the book, which left the first part of the book a little choppy and disjointed as we skipped back and forth between the characters and their very different lives.

The plot continued to move logically and coherently, building on the foundations that had been set up in ‘Vixen’ but sadly the characters did not always follow the same logic. There were abrupt moments where behaviour felt contrived and forced, especially with Clara, who still remains my favourite character of the book, and yet she swung back and forth so abruptly and became so selfish with her writing that I found has actions and motives a little less cohesive than they were in the first book. I still loved her story, and I really liked seeing her development and I’m really excited to see where this set up takes her to in the final book in the trilogy ‘Diva’ but I wasn’t as enthralled on the ride as I thought I would be.

The most natural storyline really went to Gloria and Jerome. I was thrilled with their relationship and how Larkin had handled it, so it was great to see this natural progression between the two of them as they’re forced to face the consequences of their actions. Larkin really plays on and highlights how taboo their relationship was, detailing the extreme lengths they have to go to with the flat, the problems with a white singer and a black piano player trying to get work and the tension and strain this puts on their relationship.
It was devastating at times, and uplifting at others, but I really feel that their story is the most fascinating and well concocted of the series. I can’t wait to see where Larkin goes from here with them and what happens next.

It was great to see a new voice and plot interwoven into this book in the form of Jerome’s sister who comes to New York to try and help save Jerome. We were introduced to her very briefly in the first book so it was really good to see her try and atone for her actions in the first book and make things right from the events she helped to set in motion. It was also great to see her find her own love interest in Evan (who we again met in the first book briefly.)

Lorraine continues to be a bit of an enigma. She swings back and forth so rapidly between being incredibly childish and selfish, to actually being half decent. I can’t really seem to get a handle on her, and I’m not quite convinced by her yet. If there was some foundation to her character, other than the fact that she’s selfish I find her storyline a little more interesting, but as it is I still haven’t warmed to her in the slightest.

However, with the final events that unfolded in this book she’s in a solid place to really take off in the final book and I really hope that we get to see her grow and develop and mature into the woman that we keep seeing glimpses of.

Ingenue is still a very good book. It’s a good instalment in the series, progressing the story along and setting up a great foundation for the final book in the trilogy. Sadly it just didn’t quite sparkle for me in the same way as the first book, but I still highly recommend the series and cannot wait to see what happens next.

Books I'm Squeeing About in July

I don't quite know how we managed it, but somehow we've made it to just over halfway through the year... Crazy I know! But the first half has flown by in a haze of fantastic books and I'm intending to do more of the same for the second half. So without further ado, here are my top picks for July - we have some highly anticipated reads finally gracing our shelves this month, and my pre-order basket is already full to bursting!

3^rd– Team Human by Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan
Just because Mel lives in New Whitby, a city founded by vampires, doesn't mean she knows any of the blood-drinking undead personally. They stay in their part of town; she says in hers. Until the day a vampire shows up at her high school. Worse yet, her best friend, Cathy, seems to be falling in love with him. It's up to Mel to save Cathy from a mistake she might regret for all eternity
On top of trying to help Cathy (whether she wants it or not), Mel is investigating a mysterious disappearance for another friend and discovering the attractions of a certain vampire wannabe. Combine all this with a cranky vampire cop, a number of unlikely romantic entanglements, and the occasional zombie, and soon Mel is hip-deep in an adventure that is equal parts hilarious and touching.
Acclaimed authors Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan team up to create a witty and poignant story of cool vampires, warm friendships, and the changes that test the bonds of love.


Yes guys, it is that time of year at last! Team Human is so close you can almost lick it. The dynamic duo of Labalestier and Rees Brennan have got comedy and poignant heart break down to a fine art with this fantastic new young adult book. If you love vampires you'll love it, and if you hate vampires you'll love it too! Everyone should buy a copy now!
And if you're as over excited about this book as I am, check back on July 2nd when I will be posting an awesome interview with the lovely Sarah Rees Brennan herself! *swoons*


You can read my non-spoiler review here!

5^th- Stolen Night by Rebecca Maizel

Lenah Beaudonte should be dead. But having sacrificed herself to save another, she finds herself awakening with strange powers that are neither vampire nor human - and a new enemy on her trail. In her vampire life, Lenah had thought that being human was all she ever wanted; but the human heart suffers pain, heartbreak and loss. With her new powers growing and the dark force of the Nex after her soul, Lenah faces a choice: between the mortal love of gorgeous Justin, whose passion fed her human soul, and taking a different path to become the mistress of her own destiny, wherever that may lead...


This book has been teasing me since the start of 2011 with the release date being pushed further and further back. But now at last, fingers crossed, I'm finally going to get my hands on it and see what happens next! 'Infinite Days' was such a fantastically fresh spin on the vampire tale that it shot straight into my favourite book pile, and I'm really hoping the sequel is going to live up to my high expectations.

5^th- Frostfire by Zoe Marriott
Frost is cursed - possessed by a wolf demon that brings death everywhere she goes. Desperate to find a cure, she flees her home, only to be captured by the Ruan Hill Guard. Trapped until she can prove she is not an enemy, Frost grows increasingly close to the Guard’s charismatic leader Luca and his second in command, the tortured Arian. Torn between two very different men, Frost fears that she may not be able to protect either of them ... from herself.


I adore Zoe Marriott's writing, so ever since this first was put on my radar at the end of last year by Walker Books, I have been desperate to see what she has in store for us next. Her writing improves with each book released, and her prose is utterly fantastic. A mistress of plot and characters that you want to pull out of the page, I am unbelievably excited for this next offering from her.

5^th- Witchstruck by Victoria Lamb

Meg Lytton has always known of her dark and powerful gift. Raised a student of the old magick by her Aunt Jane, casting the circle to see visions of the future and concocting spells from herbs and bones has always been as natural to Meg as breathing. But there has never been a more dangerous time to practise the craft, for it is 1554, and the sentence for any woman branded a witch is hanging, or burning at the stake.
Sent to the ruined, isolated palace of Woodstock to serve the disgraced Elizabeth, daughter of Henry VIII and half-sister of Queen Mary, Meg discovers her skills are of interest to the outcast princess, who is desperate to know if she will ever claim the throne. But Meg's existence becomes more dangerous every day, with the constant threat of exposure by the ruthless witchfinder Marcus Dent, and the arrival of a young Spanish priest, Alejandro de Castillo, to whom Meg is irresistibly drawn - despite their very different attitudes to her secret.


Witchcraft in Tudor times with Elizabeth as a young girl thrown in? Yes please! Random House Children's Books have done another sterling job of getting me hooked on a book months before I'm allowed to read it. This one looks to have loads of elements that I love, and I cannot wait to throw myself into the story.

5^th- The Flappers: Ingenue by Jillian Larkin
Power . . . love . . . scandal . . .
There’s never enough to go around.
In the city that never sleeps, Lorraine Dyer is wide awake. Ever since she exposed Clara Knowles for the tramp she was—and lost her closest confidante in the process—Lorraine has spent every second scheming to make her selfish, lovesick ex–best friend pay for what she did. No one crosses Lorraine. Not even Gloria. 
True love conquers everything—or so Gloria Carmody crazily believed. She and Jerome Johnson can barely scrape together cash for their rent, let alone have a moment to whisper sweet nothings in the dark. And if they thought escaping Chicago meant they’d get away with murder . . . they were dead wrong.
Clara was sure that once handsome, charming Marcus Eastman discovered her shameful secret, he’d drop her like a bad habit. Instead, he swept her off her feet and whisked her away to New York. Being with Marcus is a breath of fresh air—and a chance for Clara to leave her wild flapper ways firmly in the past. Except the dazzling parties and bright lights won’t stop whispering her name. . . . 


Oh I got so unbelievably excited about the first book in this series 'Vixen' that I have barely stopped chattering about it to anyone who'll stand still long enough. And now we finally get the second book in the series and I cannot wait. A deliciously guilty pleasure, the roaring twenties have taken on a new glitz and glamour for a fresh young adult trilogy.

6th - Before I Wake by Rachel Vincent
I died on a Thursday-killed by a monster intent on stealing my soul. The good news? He didn't get it. The bad news? Turns out not even death will get you out of high school...  Covering up her own murder was one thing, but faking life is much harder than Kaylee Cavanaugh expected. After weeks spent "recovering," she's back in school, fighting to stay visible to the human world, struggling to fit in with her friends and planning time alone with her new reaper boyfriend. But to earn her keep in the human world, Kaylee must reclaim stolen souls, and when her first assignment brings her face-to-face with an old foe, she knows the game has changed. Her immortal status won't keep her safe. And this time Kaylee isn't just gambling with her own life...


After the events of the last book I have been pining for more Tod, and now my wish is finally within reach. Vincent's soul screamers series is a fantastic urban fantasy with a fresh spin on the monsters lurking out there, and after the shocking events of the last book I can't wait to see where she's taking me next.

9^th- Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.
Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.
In her exquisitely written fantasy debut, Rachel Hartman creates a rich, complex, and utterly original world. Seraphina's tortuous journey to self-acceptance is one readers will remember long after they've turned the final page.


I'm in the middle of reading this one at the moment and it is utterly fantastic. Completely engrossing, a new world full of intrigue and politics where Dragons can take the shape of humans and live among us. It has an otherworld feeling to it and has completely swept me away.


You can enter to win an ARC copy of Seraphina here!


And read my review here!


So that's what I can't wait for this month, but what about you, are there are any excitements that you can't wait to get hold of?

Author Q & A with Jillian Larkin

One of my favourite new series out in the UK this year is The Flappers by Jillian Larkin. Ooozing sex appeal, fabulous jazz, and girls breaking free from tradition it's Gossip Girl set in the twenties, and absolutely fabulous. The first book in the series 'Vixen' is available now. And to celebrate, Jillian was kind enough to answer some questions about her writing and books.

"Your new book Vixen, the first in your debut trilogy, is out now in the UK, can you tell us a little bit about it?"

Vixen is the story of three girls—Gloria, Clara, and Lorraine—who come of age in the early 1920’s in Chicago. Gloria is engaged to her fiancé, Bastian, only she’s not entirely sure she wants to marry him … especially when a hunky musician named Jerome enters her life. Clara has a torrid past, but comes back to Chicago for a fresh start. But will her secrets be revealed? And Lorraine is a schemer who is in love with Marcus, Gloria's best friend, who doesn’t love her back. To what end will Lorraine go to capture his love?

To me, Vixen is about doing what you love to do (even when others don’t want you to—especially your parents). It’s about the thrill of falling in love, and the sadness of realizing that certain friendships and relationships you have won’t last your entire lifetime. It’s also about going out and partying and having a grand old time with dazzling music, gorgeous dresses, and sexy boys.

"What's been the most exciting part of the writing and publishing process for you?"

I have always loved reading, and having the chance to actually write and publish a novel—let alone three!—has been an incredible honor and joy. I am so excited for readers to meet the girls of The Flappers and fall in love with them as much as I have. It's the oldest cliché in the book when a writers says that the characters on the page seemed to come to life for her, but it's true: Sometimes even I was surprised by what Lorraine or Gloria got up to! I hope readers find them as strong-willed and fun to read about as I have.

 

"And what has been the most challenging?"

The fear of disappointing readers. The first book, Vixen, was so well received here in the States that I worried whether readers would embrace Ingenue with as much love and fervor. I really mixed it up in the second novel—I'd added a new viewpoint character! I'd moved the action to Manhattan! I'd split up a key romance!—but it was a great relief to discover that my readers came with me and responded to the new viewpoint character and the events in the second novel with real glee. Now I've got my fingers crossed that they are as happy with how things wrap up in Diva.

"Was there anything specific that drew you to writing a trilogy set in the 20s?" 

I have always loved the 20’s, ever since watching Thoroughly Modern Millie as a kid. I love the music of this time period, the clothes and hats and style, and mostly I love that the fact that girls were truly starting to become independent and rebel against the image society had projected onto them. When I sat down to write my first book, Vixen, I knew the setting had to be the Jazz Age.

"A huge amount of research must have gone into these novels, was there anything you found most helpful to create the world?"

I went through lots of pictures and watched lots of movies from that era. I read The Great Gatsby and other wonderful novels. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York had an exhibit on clothing from the 20’s that I attended, which was incredibly helpful.

"Does anything in particular stimulate your writing, for example listening to a specific type of music?"

While I wrote The Flappers I had a constant stream of Bessie Smith, Scott Joplin, Robert Johnson, Duke Ellington—basically all the artists you can find on the Pennies From Heaven soundtrack and the Cotton Club soundtrack. So … yes, music! 

  

"What are your favourite books and authors to read for pleasure?"

I love reading books about the performing arts. I also love science fiction and fantasy. In the teen world, I love Lauren Kate’s Fallen series, and there are two exciting new books coming out in 2012 that I adore: Theo Lawrence’s MYSTIC CITY and Yelena Black’s THE DANCE DIABOLICAL. Readers, look out for these gems!

"Will you be doing any signings or tours in the UK?"

It’s harder for me to get out and meet fans like I did here in the US, which was fun and helpful to hear about what readers responded to. But I am thrilled that UK readers will get to meet these girls!

"What are you working on at the moment? And do you have any plans for books following this series?"

Even though I don’t think the girls’ stories are done yet, I have been working on something wildly different—set in the future! But like The Flappers, really lives in the heart of teen girls discovering who they are, what they want to be when they grow up … and who they want to date!

If you haven't yet discovered 'The Flappers' book one, Vixen is out in the US and the UK. Book two Ingenue is out in the US already and will be out in the UK later this year.

Release Day Extravaganza!

So normally I do a post to celebrate the release day for each book I'm squeeing about, but today marks the release of several awesome books, so get your party hats on, and ready to buy books!

First up we have 'Timeless' by Gail Carriger
Alexia Tarabotti, Lady Maccon, has settled into domestic bliss. Of course, being Alexia, such bliss involves integrating werewolves into London High society, living in a vampire's second best closet, and coping with a precocious toddler who is prone to turning supernatural willy-nilly. Even Ivy Tunstell's acting troupe's latest play, disastrous to say the least, cannot put a damper on Alexia's enjoyment of her new London lifestyle. 
Until, that is, she receives a summons from Alexandria that cannot be ignored. With husband, child, and Tunstells in tow, Alexia boards a steamer to cross the Mediterranean. But Egypt may hold more mysteries than even the indomitable Lady Maccon can handle. What does the vampire Queen of the Alexandria Hive really want from her? Why is the God-Breaker Plague suddenly expanding? And how has Ivy Tunstell suddenly become the most popular actress in all the British Empire?


This series has been one of the very best random finds in a a bookstore EVER. Gail is a fantastic writer, with an incredibly witty sense of humour. This series has been an absolute ball to read, and I'm so sad that this is the final book in the series. But on the plus side it is guaranteed to be awesome, and now we can look forward to new projects from Gail in the future!

'The Flappers Book One: Vixen' by Jillian Larkin
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. 


This book is fantastic, a fresh début author with a fantastic new trilogy set in the roaring twenties - I cannot recommend this book enough!

Itch by Simon Mayo
Meet Itch - an accidental, accident-prone hero. Science is his weapon. Elements are his gadgets. This is Alex Rider with Geek-Power! Itchingham Lofte - known as Itch - is fourteen, and loves science - especially chemistry. He's also an element-hunter: he's decided to collect all the elements in the periodic table. Which has some interesting and rather destructive results in his bedroom . . .Then, Itch makes a discovery. A new element, never seen before. At first no one believes him - but soon, someone hears about the strange new rock and wants it for himself. And Itch is in serious danger . . .


Another awesome début! We're being spoiled! Simon Mayo has created a fantastic character in Itch, a true science geek who gets embroiled in a fantastic adventure. Not just a book for boys, I absolutely loved this book, and my review will be up soon! In the mean time, go and check it out for yourself!

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare, 
pushing aside thoughts of Alex, 
pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school, 
push, 
push, 
push, 
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.


The follow up to last years stunning Delirium, I cannot wait to get my mitts on this second book by Lauren Oliver. Her first one blew me away and I cannot wait to get swept up in her world of forbidden love again.


So there you have it! Happy release day to Gail Carriger, Jillian Larkin, Simon Mayo and Lauren Oliver! Some fantastic books to get the month off to a great start - they're certainly going to keep me busy at any rate!

Books I'm Squeeing About in March

A quick note - Timeless by Gail Carriger was included in my 'Books I'm Squeeing about in February' post, and the release date has since been pushed to March 1st, so as I've already talked about it in February it isn't included in this post, but is still very much a must buy!

February has been a crazy, crazy month with not all that much time for reading for me, which has been tragic. But I’ve still managed to cram in a few new fabulous books (as well as a couple of comfort re-reads) and I cannot wait to launch into the new books that are gracing our shelves in March, although most of them seem determined to do it on the first of the month… So without further ado, here are the books I’ll be squeeing about in March…

1st- Faery Tales and Nightmares by Melissa Marr

Faery Tales and Nightmares is a collection of short stories. 

Current Table of Contents: 
"Where Nightmares Walk" 
"Winter's Kiss" (Fairy Tales) 
"Transition" (Vampires) 
"Love Struck" (Selchies) 
"Stopping Time" (WL World) 
"Old Habits" (WL World) 
"The Art of Waiting" 
"Flesh for Comfort" 
"The Sleeping Girl and the Sumer King" (WL World-ish, the short story that started the series) 
"Cotton Candy Skies" (WL World) 
"Unexpected Family" (WL World) 
"Merely Mortal" (WL World)

A new anthology of short stories from one of my favourite fey authors is on the horizon, and I cannot wait. They will mostly be more excursions in the ‘Wicked, Lovely’ world, with a few new ones thrown into the mix. I’m overly excited about her latest novel, but for now, an anthology of dark and twisted short stories is just the Marr infusion I need.

1st– The Flappers Book 1: Vixen by Jillian Larkin

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. 

Do I even need to tell you again how excited I am for this book to be released? A fantastic new debut from an exceptionally promising author, Vixen is the gossip girl of the 1920s a scandalous mix of love, jazz, booze and speakeasies into one big fabulous book. I absolutely adored it.

You can read my review here.

1st– Itch by Simon Mayo

Meet Itch - an accidental, accident-prone hero. Science is his weapon. Elements are his gadgets. This is Alex Rider with Geek-Power! Itchingham Lofte - known as Itch - is fourteen, and loves science - especially chemistry. He's also an element-hunter: he's decided to collect all the elements in the periodic table. Which has some interesting and rather destructive results in his bedroom . . .Then, Itch makes a discovery. A new element, never seen before. At first no one believes him - but soon, someone hears about the strange new rock and wants it for himself. And Itch is in serious danger . . .

A book with a science geek as its hero? A fabulous funny debut from Simon Mayo is just that. A book that he originally wrote for his science obsessed son, Itch is a fantastic book full of thrills, laughs and exceptionally cool gadgets, complete with the science behind them. An unexpectedly fabulous new book.

1st– Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare, 
pushing aside thoughts of Alex, 
pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school, 
push, 
push, 
push, 
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.

The sequel to Delirium has been one of my most anticipated reads of this year. Ever since I first plunged into the new and frightening world that Lauren Oliver created, I couldn’t wait to go back, and with an ending like the one she left with, I’m desperate to find out what happens next…

15^th – Starters by Lissa Price

Callie lost her parents when the Spore Wars wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. She and her little brother, Tyler, go on the run, living as squatters with their friend Michael and fighting off renegades who would kill them for a cookie. Callie's only hope is Prime Destinations, a disturbing place in Beverly Hills run by a mysterious figure known as the Old Man. 
He hires teens to rent their bodies to Enders—seniors who want to be young again. Callie, desperate for the money that will keep her, Tyler, and Michael alive, agrees to be a donor. But the neurochip they place in Callie's head malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, and going out with a senator's grandson. It feels almost like a fairy tale, until Callie discovers that her renter intends to do more than party—and that Prime Destinations' plans are more evil than Callie could ever have imagined. . . 

This new debut dystopian novel from Lissa Price has one of the most terrifying concepts I’ve come across this year – renting out your body, your mind, to an Ender? It’s full of electrifying possibilities, horrifying situations and a world that has fallen apart at the seams.

Review: Flappers:Vixen by Jillian Larkin

Release Date: 1^st March 2012

A huge thank you to Random House Children’s Books for sending me an early copy to review.

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

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.