PREVIOUS TITLES IN SERIES: VIXEN
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.
INGENUE description and cover art courtesy of GOODREADS
I received an ARC of INGENUE from AROUND THE WORLD ARC TOURS
THE TWEETParties, Prohibition, Power. In INGENUE, the young women from VIXEN are back in this sequel where love may not be able to conquer all.
WHAT WORKED
INGENUE continues the story set out in VIXEN of three young women living, loving and partying during The Roaring Twenties. The setting has changed from Chicago to New York City and Vera, Jerome’s sister, who was briefly introduced in VIXEN, becomes a more developed character.
What I liked the best about INGENUE (and VIXEN as well) was the different characters and perspectives the author presents. Readers are able to experience historical New York City from the eyes of four very different girls. We get to see how Gloria and Jerome’s relationship has progressed now that they are dependent on each other for everything. We see the difficulties Clara has with fully renouncing her past ways and how this affects her relationship with Marcus. We see Vera finding friendship and possible love while looking desperately for her brother, Jerome. And finally Loraine, working for the very man Jerome and Gloria are running from, hoping to get revenge against Gloria. All these wonderfully developed characters and interwoven relationships made for a great story amid the backdrop of the Roaring Twenties.
WHAT DIDN’T WORKED
I would have liked to see the girls reunited earlier into the story. Each chapter, I kept thinking, this must be when Vera finds Jerome, or when Gloria sees Loraine, or even that one of the girls sees Clara’s picture in the paper, but no such luck. The girls’ reunion is kept until the very end of the book and while I understood the impact Larkin was going for with the scene, it just seemed a little too unrealistic that one of the girls wouldn’t run into another. I’ve traveled halfway across the country and run into someone who lives minutes away from me.
OVERALL
Author Jillian Larkin has written a good followup to VIXEN. She expands on her characters’ relationships, their ambitions, their feelings. Although fictional, Larkin has created an engaging and intriguing story about the era of Prohibition, the Roaring Twenties, and historical New York City.
MEMORABLE PASSAGES / QUOTES / SCENES:
When life gives you lemons, sometimes you need to stash them in the icebox and make a martini with olives instead. p. 286
“Well, between you and me, I’m not sure the cheese is still firmly on Spark’s cracker.” p. 308
“Come on Lorraine. I already told you – this is work for me. Besides, look at yourself. You’ve got no moral center, babe. You’re just a dizzy opportunist.” p. 322
MY RATING IS:
Find INGENUE at your local indie bookstore.
