Book Review: Vixen by Jillian Larkin

Chicago in the 1920s. Two teen girls desperately want to be the flappers they see in the silent films and read about in their gossip rags. And, one who wants nothing more than to escape the seedy underworld of speakeasies and underworld excess.

Gloria and Lorraine have always had it good. They attend private school, have their every need and want taken care of by their rich parents. They have maids, chauffeurs, and clothes. But, they don't have want they want most--The glam look sported by the local flappers. They want to bob their hair and wear daring clothes, ones that will get them in the illegal restaurants and bars that play jazz music and serve alcohol.

When Gloria's cousin Clara moves to Chicago from her family farm in Pennsylvania, her wants and desires have nothing to do with dancing, fashion, and booze. Unbeknown to Gloria, Clara wants to recover from her year in Mew York City, where she ran to from the farm and is now trying to escape. Exactly what happened in NYC is not clear until late in the book, but we know it's bad. Bad enough for her to want to hang up her dancing shoes and put away her flask forever.

And there are boys and men. Lots of them. It seems that they are all dashing and handsome and want something from these girls. Of course, their motives can't be trusted. But, in this time where everything's illegal (or at least frowned upon), these three girls quickly find themselves going to places they've never been and won't soon forget. Once they enter this dangerous and magical world, their lives will change forever.

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What a fast, fun read that was! This novel is the first in a new series about the 1920s. It seems like the series will follow the three girls I spoke about in my summary. Which is awesome. Because I want answers! This book has it all--Romance, action, time-period lingo, warring generations, illegal everything. I loved it and could not put it down. 

I don't know how necessaryily accurate every little detail of this book was, but I didn't care. It made me long to find a jazz bar and dance the night away. I felt entriely swept away by this story and could not put it down. Even though it was a little over 400 pages, I read it in the space of a few hours. It is light and fun and flirty. I can't wait for the second book, Ingenue, which is set to be released this fall.