Book Review: Diva (Flappers #3) by Jillian Larkin

**I received this ARC from NetGalley for review**

Synopsis (from Goodreads): Parties, bad boys, speakeasies—life in Manhattan has become a woozy blur for Clara Knowles. If Marcus Eastman truly loved her, how could he have fallen for another girl so quickly? Their romance mustn't have been as magical as Clara thought. And if she has to be unhappy, she's going to drag everyone else down to the depths of despair right along with her.

Being a Barnard girl is the stuff of Lorraine Dyer's dreams. Finding out that Marcus is marrying a gold digger who may or may not be named Anastasia? A nightmare. The old Lorraine would have sat by and let the chips fall where they may, but she's grown up a lot these past few months. She can't bear to see Marcus lose a chance for true love. But will anyone listen to her?

Now that the charges against her have been dropped, Gloria Carmody is spending the last dizzying days of summer on Long Island, yachting on the sound and palling around with socialites at Forrest Hamilton's swanky villa. Beneath her smile, though, Gloria's keeping a secret. One that could have deadly consequences . . .

My Thoughts: I know I have said this before but I love the 1920s! The flappers, the dangers of drinking and getting caught, the music and dancing...I love it all! So it was no surprise to me that I enjoyed this series. I was sad that this was the last book but it was a very enjoyable and quick read.

Gloria is out of jail but only on one condition. She needs to find how Forrest Hamilton has so much money. The FBI is sure that it is something illegal and they send Gloria in, undercover, to find out. Gloria, not knowing where Jerome is, agrees to do it in the hopes that she can keep herself and her fiance out of jail.

Once she meets Forrest, she realizes he is actually a good guy. She meets him, his shady man, Pembroke, and his other houseguests, Glamour and Glitz and Ruby and Marty. She quickly discovers that there is more between Forrest and Ruby than meets the eye. She must discover how Forrest is getting his money and get proof for the FBI, find Jerome and help Forrest and Ruby. Sounds easy right?

Meanwhile, Clara, Goria's cousin, is still heartbroken over her breakup with Marcus Eastman. This is made worse when she finds out that he has quickly found another woman and gotten engaged. She tries to put Marcus behind her and continue with her journalism career at The Manhattanite, the local rag magazine and even goes out with her boss, Parker, a few times. At a party put on by Forrest Hamilton, she is reunited (sort of) with Gloria and Lorraine Dyer. Lorraine tells Clara that the woman Marcus is marrying is a gold digging con artist and together they must expose her and stop Marcus from making the biggest mistake of his life.

Lorraine is a student at Barnard College. She is still disliked by everyone for her part in putting Gloria in jail. Her only friends are her roommate, Becky, and Melvin, the nerdy guy who has hung around her since school started. Lorraine thinks she is madly in love with Marcus Eastman and follows him through the campus of Columbia. When she discovers that he is engaged to a con artist, she seeks out Clara and together with Melvin, they attempt to expose the con. While working with Melvin, Lorraine finds out that maybe there is more to a guy than just his looks and his wallet.

I loved all the main characters in this book! They were strong, smart and funny! I liked how everything came around full circle and even though they all left each other in the first book, they all find each other again in this one. Lorraine grew up a lot in this book and I enjoyed seeing that.

The secondary characters were great too! Glamour and Glitz were flaky and all they cared about was drinking and dancing but they were fun to listen too. Pembroke was completely creepy and Forrest was very mysterious. Melvin was sweet and he put up with a lot from Lorraine but wasn't a total pushover.

I liked how this book ended the series. It was a complete happy ending, for the most part. I thought the wedding events were a little unrealistic. I mean, really? How much excitement can you have in one wedding? But it was still fun to read and it was definitely exciting!

This book comes out in July and if you have read the first two books, I highly recommend picking up this one. If you haven't read the first two books, what are you waiting for? Go read them so you can be ready when this one is released (July 10th)!

Book Review: Ingenue by Jillian Larkin

*Received from Around the World ARC Tours for review**

**Spoilers of the first book, Vixen**

Synopsis (from Goodreads):  Bobbed hair. Short skirts. Cool jazz. Dark speakeasy. Anything goes. Meet the flappers, Gloria, Clara, Lorraine . . . and the rich young boys who love and loathe them.

My Thoughts:  I really love the 1920s and the Flappers so this book was right up my alley.  Of course, I loved the first book, Vixen, so I wasn't too worried about this one.

Ingenue picks up where Vixen ended.  Jerome and Gloria are now in New York trying to survive.  Between running from the mob, trying to get gigs and trying to keep their relationship and living together a secret, that hasn't been easy.  They have had to resort to stealing food just to eat and they have to use false names at gigs so the mob won't find them.  This puts so much strain on their relationship, especially after Gloria finds a gig and is going to be supporting Jerome.  They are both wondering how their relationship can possibly stand up to all this.

Lorraine Dyer has graduated high school and is in New York, waiting to go to college.  Her parents think that she is taking early classes but she's really the manager at a new speakeasy that is run by the mobster that is after Jerome and Gloria.  Carlito has promised Lorraine revenge on Gloria if she can find the couple and bring them to his club.  He promises Lorraine he won't hurt them but what good is a mobster's promise?  Lorraine thinks she has a great relationship with her new neighbor and is trying to keep her mob boss happy. 

Clara is also in New York.  She has come to New York to be with Marcus.  When she meets up with some of her old friends and is recognized by the editor of an elite magazine she is surprised when he asks her to write some articles for him.  However, the articles require her to head back into the wild and crazy parties that she has sworn off.  So, which is more important...her promise to Marcus or her independence and becoming a journalist?

I love how this book is divided into chapters from different characters POVs.  It starts out with Vera, Jerome's sister and then goes between her, Clara, Gloria and Lorraine.  For me, this keeps the book interesting.  Gloria is so strong and independent yet she is still vulnerable and has her doubts over what she has done.  It makes her very real to me.  Jerome is madly in love with Gloria but he also has his insecurities.  How is a black man going to marry a white woman?  And how is he going to let her be the breadwinner?  With all this going on, you could still feel the passion between the two and the heartache that the insecurities and doubt cause.

Lorraine is as mean as ever...at least, at first.  She is set on revenge since she feels that Gloria ruined her life.  She comes across as very cold and unfeeling but then you get to see her doubts as well and her fear for her life.  After all, if she doesn't do everything to Carlito's liking, she's dead.  Toward the end, I almost liked her again. 

Clara is my favorite character.  She really wants to be a journalist but is held back at first by her promise to Marcus to end her partying ways. When she gets the chance to write about all the crazy antics of the party goers, she is hesitant but eventually gets back into it for the sake of her job...or is it?  Does Clara get pulled back in to the party all night, sleep all day ways of before or can she handle it?  Of course, she lies to Marcus and deceives him but you can feel her guilt in the book.

I love the descriptions of New York in the 1920s!  They are so real that you feel like you are watching it on TV.  The speakeasies were well-described and it is obvious that the author has done her research into this world and time. 

I really enjoyed this book.  I loved the history in it and the characters are very well developed and everyone is very different from the other.  I highly recommend that you pick up this series and give it a try!