The first one was so good I just had to delve into the second. While I appreciate the story continuing, I did find this one a little harder to get through (at least compared to the first.) That being said, I have read a number of reviews that say the second is the slowest - and it wasn't bad by an means, just slow - of all three so I am definitely still looking forward to reading the third, Diva.About the Novel:
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.
About the Author:
Jillian Larkin’s fascination with flappers and the 1920s began during her childhood, which included frequent home screenings of the classic Julie Andrews/Carol Channing film Thoroughly Modern Millie. She lives in New York.
My Thoughts:
Let me first say that this cover is the most appealing to me out of all three. I just love how sleek and sophisticated it looks, very much a representation of exactly what comes to mind when I think about the 1920s.
This novel was a slight bit slower of a read than the first one but it was still a great novel and I was still enveloped right into the 1920s. This novel was set in New York after Gloria and Jerome move away together. An interesting twist was the heavy focus on Lorraine in this novel. She was the center focal point and the entire storyline was told through her viewpoint which I liked. Lorraine is an interesting character and very representative of girls out there who have not yet found their niche and sometimes find themselves sucked into the latest and greatest, even when it isn't good for them.
Another interesting part of this novel is the appearance of Gloria's father - he comes in a big way although his role in the second really is just setting it up for his even larger role in the third (the final book opens with a scene involving him and Jerome.)
The only part of this novel that I found somewhat hard to wrap my mind around is how Lorraine managed to find graces with the biggest mobster and then be hired to run one of his clubs. I realize she was the bait but it still seemed a little farfetched and her naivety really does shine through as she finds herself in way over her head.
The setting is amazing, the fashions fun to imagine and the characters fun to follow, I look forward to seeing what the third and final novel in this series has to offer.
