Vixen by Jillian Larkin

Vixen by Jillian Larkin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was such a fascinating read. No time in American history is as vivid and fresh as the Roaring Twenties, and the girls that made up this story seemed so real. Hard to pick my favorite character.

Gloria
An arranged marriage, a love for music, and a desire to taste the wild side: that's Gloria Rose Carmody. She's grown up in a rich Chicago family and has always fulfilled her societal and family duties. But when those duties will take her into a loveless marriage with a cold and controlling man, Gloria decides to have one last fling. She cuts her hair into a bob, sneaks out to Chicago's hottest speak easy, and finds herself auditioning for the jazz band's lead performer.

Clara
When the story started, Clara struck an odd cord with me. Her motivations and decisions didn't make much sense. A girl who ran away from home, who loved the night life, who nobody could control, decides to act like the good girl because her aunt threatens her with reform school? That didn't make sense to me.

But as the story unfolded and the character's secrets were revealed, I realized it wasn't the aunt's threats but rather old heartaches that motivated Clara's early decisions. Clara and Gloria start off as enemies, cousins who never understood each other, but I love how their relationship grows. Clara gains a depth that allows her to lovingly guide Gloria to her dreams.

Lorraine
Lorraine is Gloria's best friend. By far, Lorraine is the most tumultuous character in this story, and her decisions often lead her down the wrong path. So many times, I wanted to shake some sense into her, and other times, I was too busy cringing. Yet, I felt very sorry for Lorraine. Her insecurities control her, and she feels like everyone around her outshines her. Such a realistic character, and I hope that next book she finds herself.

What I loved
The 1920's have always fascinated me. I fell in love with Big Band music as a teenager, and so this story captured my imagination. I'm definitely going to be reading on to find out what happens to these characters in the next book.

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