Vixen by Jillian Larkin

Gloria loves jazz music and longs to be an independent woman. This should be easy, except she is set to marry one of Chicago's most eligible bachelors soon, a sure sign of the end of her freedom. Her cousin Clara has come in from Pennsylvania to help plan the wedding, but Gloria can't stand her. However, Clara is arriving with a few secrets of her own, secrets that could bring her down from her new place in society, if revealed. And Lorraine has been Gloria's closest and best friend since forever. But with Gloria marrying Bastian and garnering more attention than she can handle, Lorraine starts to feel the green bug of jealousy creep in. Tired of never being in the spotlight, she begins to plot a way to push past the bright glow of her best friend, even if it means lying to her. Gloria, Clara and Lorraine are all very similar girls, despite their obvious differences. The three of them are caught up in the lifestyle of the roaring 1920's, and are about to clash at The Green Mill, Chicago's most famous speakeasy.

You know how sometimes you are unsure if you will like a book but it ends up grabbing your attention and holding on tightly? This was one of those times for me. I was not too anxious to pick up this book, as reading about socialite girls doesn't often appeal to me. However, I was pleased to find that I really, REALLY enjoyed this one. Vixen is a very atmospheric book, from the settings to the politics to the language. The chapters alternate between the three girls, and I found each one equally enjoyable. That is hard to do, no? More often than not there will be one character that stands out above the others, but I found I was excited to keep reading from each of the girls' perspectives. One of the most impressive parts about this book was by far the language. Jillian Larkin captures the slang of the 1920's underground and spreads it throughout without sounding forced and unnatural. I felt Gloria's suffocation and hope, worried with Clara about her past, and believed the confusion Lorraine was going through. A most excellent debut. I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel, Ingenue, due out in August 2011!

Overall Rating: 5 Stars