by Anna Godbersen
279 pages (ebook edition w/ bonus material)
Short Version: Cordelia and Letty escape small town life and head to the big city of New York during the Prohibition days. Cordelia is on a mission to find her father she never knew, while Letty hopes to become a star.
Why I Read It: I noticed this ebook on Nook's Facebook page when it was featured as a free ebook for a day. The time period drew me in so I had to try it especially since it cost me nothing!
The Book: From Goodreads
The year is 1929. New York is ruled by the Bright Young Things: flappers and socialites seeking thrills and chasing dreams in the anything-goes era of the Roaring Twenties.
Letty Larkspur and Cordelia Grey escaped their small Midwestern town for New York's glittering metropolis. All Letty wants is to see her name in lights, but she quickly discovers Manhattan is filled with pretty girls who will do "anything" to be a star. . . .
Cordelia is searching for the father she's never known, a man as infamous for his wild parties as he is for his shadowy schemes. Overnight, she enters a world more thrilling and glamorous than she ever could have imagined--and more dangerous. It's a life anyone would kill for . . . and someone will.
The only person Cordelia can trust is -Astrid Donal, a flapper who seems to have it all: money, looks, and the love of Cordelia's brother, Charlie. But Astrid's perfect veneer hides a score of family secrets.
Across the vast lawns of Long Island, in the -illicit speakeasies of Manhattan, and on the blindingly lit stages of Broadway, the three girls' fortunes will rise and fall--together and apart. From the "New York Times" bestselling author of "The Luxe" comes an epic new series set in the dizzying last summer of the Jazz Age.
My Thoughts: Although this book took me 3 weeks to read (WAAAAY longer than it should have taken me...it's all work's fault) it was the easy read I was looking for. I was immediately drawn to Cordelia for being brave enough to escape her life in Ohio for something more. She left all she knew behind to find a father she never met. Letty was not as strong of a character to me but I started liking her more as she found her voice and was no longer Cordelia's shadow. I was worried how they would keep Letty involved in the story once her and Cordelia had a falling out and went separate ways. Cordelia makes a new best friend and they remain prominent throughout the story but Letty's story gets put to the back burner a bit. In the end it was all connected and worked out but I had my doubts as I was reading.
I love the time period the book takes place it. It really involved Prohibition and the speakeasies and gangsters of New York. Cordelia's father is a big gangster and of course the boy she falls for is his enemy's son. That created a good amount of drama. I was a bit surprised how things turned out. I won't spoil it but I will say I thought it was going to be the opposite of what happened.
I did not realize this book was part of a series until I finished it and got to the Bonus Material, which was an excerpt from the next book. Because of this the ending is a little open. There is enough closure to finish the book and not be upset but I was wondering what the future for Cordelia, Letty and their new friends and family would be like. Well lucky for me I am now reading the next book...Beautiful Days, so I will be finding out soon!
4/5 Stars
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I also picked this up as a free download. I read her Luxe series and really enjoyed it. Glad to see your positive review. Thanks! I can't wait to read it.
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