Vixen (The Flappers #1) - Review

flappers. girls in rebellious dresses. and boys with dangerous intentions.

gangsters. speakeasies. and forbidden love.

it's 1923. "and anything goes".

Vixen was a roller coaster of secrets, alcohol, and dangerously invigorating love triangles. The first Flapper book in a whirlwind series encased so much and covers the grounds of crazy ex-besties, picture perfect couples with cheating scandals behind closed doors, vengeful souls, and partying far past bedtime.

I really enjoyed the teenagers and young adults in the book, but I couldn't bring myself to pick up the second book in the trilogy. The sporadic drama and topsy-turvy plot twists made me invest too much into the characters (more than I was comfortable with because I grew attached). If you think about it, that's not such a bad complaint about the book. Maybe one day I'll finish the series, but as for now, I'm remaining a one-timer.

Overall, historical fiction is my #1 favorite genre of these past couple of years, besides the few other dystopia and fantasy hits!

x3.5!

Belle Epoque - Review

Would you want to be hired as the "ugly friend", an undercover role beside a French aristocrat for the sake of making her look more beautiful to possible suitors?

Maude Pichon, a runaway from Brittany avoiding a lurid arranged marriage, had no other choice but to fall prey to being the "average-looking friend" next to Isabelle, a girl desperately in need of a husband in order to soothe the fretting heart of her social climbing mother, the countess.

Things swirl into action as she meets the rest of the "Repoussoirs" in the agency, normal to ugly looking girls in need of jobs and willing to be drab for the sake of a decent income and attending social gatherings, balls, operas, and other highly exclusive festivities. Dukes with dreamy gazes, artists with scruffy composures, and elegant gatherings encompass Maude's world as she attempts to keep her identity a secret from Isabelle, who she was hired to be "ugly" next to. But at the turn of the century with advancing technologies, gorgeous fashion, and the construction of the Eiffel Tower in Belle Epoque Paris, secrets don't stay secrets for long. And everyone knows it.

I really enjoyed the simplicity of Belle Epoque! It was an easy read and truly captured the perfectionism of the beauty era in Paris, France. Historical fiction is sure to be a rising genre and Elizabeth Ross does not fall short of the intriguing stories intertwined with flowing dresses and forbidden glances! Ross made me ponder the value society puts on beauty and the inner-motives of friendships. She opened my eyes to the necessity of not only genuine feelings in relationships, but following one's own dreams as opposed to what others want you to do. I recommend this novel to anyone searching for a quick, Euro-historical read displaying strong, compelling, and developed characters with classic plot twists! 

x3.5!

The Luxe Series - Review

scandal. secrecy. daring gowns. mysterious kisses. dangerous boys. the wealthy aristocrats of Manhattan, 1899.

This is The Luxe series by Anna Godbersen, within the gloriously prestigious setting of large penthouse suites and unctuous gala events. I followed the daughters of dwindling wealth, Diana and Elizabeth Holland. Diana, a sixteen-year-old, raven-haired, sultry-eyed beauty is the adventurous, wild kind. Elizabeth Holland, the eldest of the Holland sister duo, is the obedient and compliant one with many forbidden secrets rummaging beneath the iron of her skirt. Henry Schoonmaker, the rebellious son of a multi-million dollar empire constructed by his lineage, is looking for a little more danger than society is willing to allow him to handle. Penelope Hayes is the overly extravagant eighteen-year-old immodestly searching for the love of Henry in which she had almost grasped. Carolina Broud, planning her exposure into legitimate upper class society and will do what ever it take to get her name in papers even though the only thing she has to her title is being a house girl with her sister, Claire, for the Holland family.

And then there's society: the most scrutinizing and all-ears form of gossip and midnight chatter. Throughout the adventurous course of the series, these characters of the Luxe series embrace the whispers, the getaways, the glamorous balls, and ever-watchful eyes of people hoping to catch the next big talk of the city. With crazy, unimaginable plot twists and on-your-feet wit of these sporadic characters, I was always entertained! Godbersen kept me compelled by the angelic atmospheres, the perfectionist smiles, and innocent public personas, in conjunction with the scandalous escapades and dramatics occurring behind closed doors.

Pick this series up before Josh Schwartz, creator of the wildly successful Gossip Girl TV show takes the Luxe and puts it on the screen!

x4!

Born Wicked - Review

Perfect, corset-wearing, pretty witches disguised as innocent, perpetual girls. Boys who manipulate society to bend in their will. And a plethora of spells to cast down New England's petty streets in the year 1900.

Cate Cahill and her sisters have a secret. And it involves little murmurs that magically repair ripped dresses, turning things into new objects, and controlling the environment around them. Witches are a taboo in a life where the Brotherhood, a band of conservative, women-demoralizing men, keep girls silent and stuck on traditionally feminine tasks. 

Can Cate Cahill keep her "brewing" secret forever? Or will a spell slip out before she can retract it? Also, she needs to remain flawless in the eyes of her primary suitor, long-time friend Paul.

Jessica Spotswood evidently dotted her I's and crossed her T's. I enjoyed the witchery, the lingering glances of handsome Paul, and the paranoia within the mysteries of a secret letter Cate receives. I recommend this book to devout witch-book fans, someone looking for a little historical fiction fantasy, or someone like myself, a rookie to all things spell-casted! 

x4!

January Book Haul

Venom - Review

It's the dazzling days of Renaissance in Venice, Italy. Gowns, heels, embroidered handkerchiefs, and a few wealth-wielders all grace the island of San Domenico in which the confined beauty and orphaned Cassandra Caravello is privileged enough to have a taste of. In the midst of peace, Cass finds herself drawn to jotting down her caged feelings in the darkness of cemeteries where the dead don't judge. But things begin to get complicated...and deadly. Especially when she discovers her dead friend's grave contains the wrong body!

Suddenly, dead bodies of young girls are missing all over town and with some snarky persuasion from "bad boy" Falco, she'll embark on a murderous mystery that could both reveal heart-jerking revelations and the reality of a man stalking her every whereabouts. The mystic nights soon become crowded with the brooding, blue-eyed artist Falco, dangerous Italian locations, and stolen gondolas across skinny waterways. Solving the murders and discovering who the grave-robber is as well as other deepening puzzles becomes a hassle for Cass who constantly worries about strict Aunt Agnese discovering her late-night adventures.

Did I mention she's engaged to a man of perfection in which she hasn't seen in three years? In "Venom", Fiona Paul raises the stakes with each chapter and forces your emotions to hop onto the roller coaster of secrets, lies, strangers, drunken kisses, and page-gripping chases. Cass gradually develops into a much stronger, much more confident female lead. Her easily admirable authenticity is what adds depth and reason to this action-packed, story-twisting debut. Just when you think you know who the culprit is, you've been outwitted by the warped minds of the numerous in-and-out characters. You've never been this paranoid about the true intentions of each person in this chilling first installment in the brand new historical trilogy. I could literally go on and on, but I'd spoil half the exhilarating story! I strongly recommend this to readers who've had a taste of "The Luxe" series by Anna Godberson, "Gilt" by Katherine Longshore, and anyone who has a knack for flowing gowns, sultry boys in masks, and a deathly villain with blood on their hands...

I give this novel five out of five beans!! It's a MUST!

x5!

Gilt = Impeccable

Gilt, gilt, and more gilt. I couldn't get enough of the rawness of this novel. It is literally one of the best written young adult novels based on history that I have ever read!

Cat and Kitty are sisters from another mister for life and plan on keeping it that way, regardless of their pipe dreams to be in the court of King Henry XIII. Yet one day, Cat is presented with the opportunity of a lifetime, in which she gladly excepts. Being shipped off to live in his gorgeous palaces, travel the country, and experience life as a privileged woman becomes a reality, and she eventually becomes Queen of England. Little did she know, as she drags Kitty into the world she's grown to become infatuated with, secrets and twists and lies and love etch its way underneath the bedsheets of these gossiping and frolicking youngsters. It becomes a power struggle, filled with roaring fights all the way to the very last pages--the edge--of what it means when you've gotten something you've always wanted, and can't let it go.

I give this novel five out of five beans, people! Stock this up on your book shelves this summer because it's going to suck you in to the world of aristocracy, ruthlessness, pain, sworn secrecy, and a dirtiness I've never felt or known until I picked this book up. The psychological attachments are mind-blowing and I can only imagine what experiencing life in the 1500s while being courted by one of the most infamous kings on the planet was like for a young, naive girl like Catherine Howard...

x5!