Vixen Discussion: Part II through the end of the book

[ojinaga1]

Loved the book!  Can't wait to find out what happens next!

[cooteriam]

My sixteen year old is anxious to get her hands on this book. I've told her a little and she has read the cover and she is very interested to see how this story unfurls. I would definitely recommend this book for young readers as well as those of us not so young readers. A good book is a good book no matter it's category

[gabi823]

Loved the book, I finished it a few weeks ago but we have been moving and just got our internet back this week! This book ended with a lot of great suspense I can't wait to see where it is going to take all the characters. I think my favorite part is that even though it was a different time love never changes and neither do the complications that come with it. The fact that we still see prejudices and there are still men who cheat and treat women like a possession instead of equal partner really shows through and allows us to relate. It seems that even though the times change the issues remain the same.

[blue_sunshine]

I think Gloria will go with Jerome to New York. I feel the story just naturally progresses this way. Lorraine is probably in one of the worst situations, having her friend mad at her and I think that Carlito the gangster will just use Lorraine to get what he wants or black mail her to find Gloria and Jerome. Clara I think is on a good path with Marcus, but she is not without past drama with her ex. Who knows, her ex might show up again in the sequel to stir things up.

I loved Vixen. It was a pleasure to read. I'm glad I participated in First Look for the first time. It was a great experience for me. There are many differences between the 1920's and now, including the clothing, lifestyle, and the music that was most popular back then is not the front and center of today's music stage. I think back then things were more cautious and prohibive than now. Nowadays we are very liberal about things.

[14abetancourt]

This novel had an amazing and unlike many series that I read it leaves you in a place where you feel it should be continued!

My favorite couple would have to be Clara and Marcus <3 I am so glad it ended well for them! I am exited to see where Gloria and Jerome's relationship goes. With the revelations made at the end of the novel I can't help but feel the road ahead will be a bumpy one for them. Especially with the gangsters wanting Gloria for the murder she committed in order to protect Jerome.

As for Lorraine and Bastian...well Lorraine ended up exactly where we expected her to be acting the way she did! An enemy to her best friend! Mid-novel she struggled to gain Gloria back by faking and lying and look where it got her! Despite this, I can't help but worry that she will become like Maude, who we briefly heard about throughout the novel. Bastian was so slimey but Vera and him together is pure danger!

Today's society and life in the twenties is, no doubt, different. Inter-racial relationships are accepted, although in some parts of the world, many struggle to accept them. The prohibition does not exist and women are treated with loads more respect today. But, similarities are evident. The same fun spirit that existed in the twenties can be found all over the world. The situation with alcohol in those day is similar to the conflicts with more modern day drugs and the controversy on whether they should be legalized or not.

I was both surprised and pleased with the ending of the novel. Thank you so much to the moderator and everyone involved in the discussion! This was a great experience!

[DanaLou15]

I really enjoyed this book and am greatly looking forward to the next one.  I am very thankful to have been a part of this ARC first look.  Thank you!

No matter the decade, there will always be rebellious teenagers.  Teenagers will always feel like caged birds because their parents want them safe.  They think they know how to take care of themselves.  Parents are just "jailers" keeping them from having fun and exploring life. 

Now, women have more options.  We do not have to marry in our class or for our family's benefit.  All the things that were illegal in the Roaring Twenties are now legal.  For good or bad.....  It's not scandalous to have short hair or wear more revealing clothing (again, for good or bad).

[haysel13]

Can I get a “Let’s go VIXEN!”? I have to say it Jillian Larkin, you did a fine job in penning VIXEN and I cannot wait for INGENUE. And that is saying something because generally I stay away from era literature; it’s not really my interest. But I’m glad I was allowed to be a part of First Look: VIXEN.

I thought to mention how no matter what era we live in, doesn’t it same like we, as people and individuals, live the same problems continuously. For example, how many times have to felt suffocated by your circumstances and wanted to break away to become your own person – like Gloria? How many times have you tried to repent and redeem what goodness you had left to become a better person than you were, to start fresh – like Clara? Can you count the times that you whined then plotted because the grass looked greener on someone else lawn – like Lorraine?

VIXEN closed on a high note – which I am happy to say. So I think that its sequel will be juicy to say the least. There are so many possibilities that I cannot wait to see unfold as I become consumed in the pages. Will Lorraine give in to the toxic Carlito? Or will she evolve into an entirely new character that will shock us all? What about Clara and her uncovered secrets? Where will they lead her and Marcus? Is Harris gone for good or is he willing to do anything to resurrect Flapper Clara? Will Bastian be able to slither his way out of a murder verdict? What’ll happen to Vera; how is her character going to be portrayed in INGUE? Will she -- a black woman -- be able to convince the racist "justice" system to convict a privileged white man of high society of murder even with the smoking gun as evidence? Last but not least, what is going to amount of the taboo interracial couple, musician Jerome and starlit Gloria? Will their love survive the turmoil; outlast social snubbing, or just the plain ol’ everyday hardship of living – in NYC to boot?

INGUE has an insurmountable number of possibilities for the road around in The Flappers series. Heartbreak, betrayal, coming into adulthood, treachery, murder, redemption. All the world of possibilities. What will happen next?

Memorable Quotes:

Marcus and Clara:

He smiled in a maddening way and took her wrist again in his hand. “I want you. Clara, will you” – he paused, his finger poised on the clasp of the bracelet. “Will you move to New York with me next summer? After I graduate.”

“What?” Clara sprang up from the bed. She wished more than anything that she weren’t dressed in a towel. “Is this some kind of joke?”

“Clara,” Marcus said, exasperated, “if I don’t act now I may never see you again.”

“Did you not hear what Lorraine said last night? Don’t you know what this means for my reputation in Chicago? New York? And, frankly, everywhere?”

“I don’t care what you did or didn’t do before me. I just care about you, now. I love you. I’m in love with you, Clara,” Marcus said, pulling her back down to the bed so that she was practically sitting on his lap. “I had some time to think about everything. And the thing is, when I imagined what my life would be like without you, well ... I didn’t see anything at all.”

– Page 390 - 391

Vera and Bastian:

“I don’t give a damn about Gloria,” Bastian said. “It’s her money I want to marry.”

Vera couldn’t stay in this apartment for another second, for fear of doing something she might regret. “You won’t get her or her money. I’ll make sure of that.”

Bastian smiled wickedly. “And how are you going to do that?”

Vera opened the door, looked back at Bastian, and smiled, because she knew what he did not: that she had his smoking gun tucked away in her purse, linking him to the murder outside her brother’s apartment.

“Just you wait and see,” Vera said.

– Page 421

PLEASE BECOME A FOLLOWER OF MY BLOG [The Tattered Page] & SPREAD THE WORD:

http://the-tatteredpage.blogspot.com/

Always,

Haysel

[TudorRose]

Hello everyone,  sorry I am late with the post for the end of the book, but with Thanksgiving and getting ready for the holidays, I have been swamped!  Now I am back in town and trying to get caught up with everything!

Jillian Larkin's Vixen ends on several cliffhangers: Will Gloria give up her society life in Chicago to follow Jerome into the jazz world of New York? Will Lorraine get the love and attention she desires without finding herself trapped in a dark bargain with one of Chicago’s ruthless gangsters? Can Clara find the courage to face her past and make a new life with the man she loves? Vixen ends with murder, romance, and intrigue, revealing the identity of the gun-toting vixen in the prologue and Vera's role in the events of the book. 

What a great final section to the book.  As much as I enjoyed the first 3/4 of the book, I loved the last section.  I broke my 20 page limit and finished it in a day.  I just couldn't put it down!

I think that we will see Gloria go to New York with Jerome in Ingénue.  She really loves him and is willing to give up everything that she has known for love.  I just hope that she understands how different her life will be.  She and Jerome will constantly be looking over their shoulders and Gloria has to get used to life without having all the financial advantages that she grew up with.

Lorraine is definitely heading for trouble with Carlito in the next book.  Hopefully she will come to her senses and grow up a little bit, well OK, a LOT, before she gets into serious trouble with Carlito.  He is bad news and I am thinking she will become involved with him and he will use her to try and get information about Gloria and Jerome.  I worry that she will find it necessary to sacrifice herself to prove her love and friendship to Gloria.  I still think it would be interesting to see what would happen if Lorraine and Sebastian got together, but I don't even think she deserves that two faced piece of slime.

I think that Clara and Marcus's romance will continue to blossom in Ingénue.  I'm sure they will find themselves newly in love, enjoying New York together.  Clara will be enjoying the city in a whole new way.  She will be able to work through the pain of her past, but I doubt the road will be smooth!

Can't wait to read more about Vera.  I wasn't surprised that she was the one that ratted out Gloria to Sebastian.  It will be interesting to see how her relationship with Gloria and Jerome changes.  If Jerome finds out what she did, it will create tension in their relationship, however, I think that Vera and Gloria can now forge a close friendship.

Wish we didn't have to wait until August to find out what is coming next!

[Sarah-W]

Thanks for joining in on the discussion. There are definitely people still on the boards adding to the discussion!

[Sarah-W]

Thanks for joining us!

[Sarah-W]

Thank you for your thoughts and joining us here at First Look!

---

gabi823 wrote:

Loved the book, I finished it a few weeks ago but we have been moving and just got our internet back this week! This book ended with a lot of great suspense I can't wait to see where it is going to take all the characters. I think my favorite part is that even though it was a different time love never changes and neither do the complications that come with it. The fact that we still see prejudices and there are still men who cheat and treat women like a possession instead of equal partner really shows through and allows us to relate. It seems that even though the times change the issues remain the same.

---

[Sarah-W]

Let us know if your daughter enjoys it!

[Sarah-W]

Some very provocative questions! 

---

haysel13 wrote:

Can I get a “Let’s go VIXEN!”? I have to say it Jillian Larkin, you did a fine job in penning VIXEN and I cannot wait for INGENUE. And that is saying something because generally I stay away from era literature; it’s not really my interest. But I’m glad I was allowed to be a part of First Look: VIXEN.

I thought to mention how no matter what era we live in, doesn’t it same like we, as people and individuals, live the same problems continuously. For example, how many times have to felt suffocated by your circumstances and wanted to break away to become your own person – like Gloria? How many times have you tried to repent and redeem what goodness you had left to become a better person than you were, to start fresh – like Clara? Can you count the times that you whined then plotted because the grass looked greener on someone else lawn – like Lorraine?

VIXEN closed on a high note – which I am happy to say. So I think that its sequel will be juicy to say the least. There are so many possibilities that I cannot wait to see unfold as I become consumed in the pages. Will Lorraine give in to the toxic Carlito? Or will she evolve into an entirely new character that will shock us all? What about Clara and her uncovered secrets? Where will they lead her and Marcus? Is Harris gone for good or is he willing to do anything to resurrect Flapper Clara? Will Bastian be able to slither his way out of a murder verdict? What’ll happen to Vera; how is her character going to be portrayed in INGUE? Will she -- a black woman -- be able to convince the racist "justice" system to convict a privileged white man of high society of murder even with the smoking gun as evidence? Last but not least, what is going to amount of the taboo interracial couple, musician Jerome and starlit Gloria? Will their love survive the turmoil; outlast social snubbing, or just the plain ol’ everyday hardship of living – in NYC to boot?

INGUE has an insurmountable number of possibilities for the road around in The Flappers series. Heartbreak, betrayal, coming into adulthood, treachery, murder, redemption. All the world of possibilities. What will happen next?

Memorable Quotes:

Marcus and Clara:

He smiled in a maddening way and took her wrist again in his hand. “I want you. Clara, will you” – he paused, his finger poised on the clasp of the bracelet. “Will you move to New York with me next summer? After I graduate.”

“What?” Clara sprang up from the bed. She wished more than anything that she weren’t dressed in a towel. “Is this some kind of joke?”

“Clara,” Marcus said, exasperated, “if I don’t act now I may never see you again.”

“Did you not hear what Lorraine said last night? Don’t you know what this means for my reputation in Chicago? New York? And, frankly, everywhere?”

“I don’t care what you did or didn’t do before me. I just care about you, now. I love you. I’m in love with you, Clara,” Marcus said, pulling her back down to the bed so that she was practically sitting on his lap. “I had some time to think about everything. And the thing is, when I imagined what my life would be like without you, well ... I didn’t see anything at all.”

– Page 390 - 391

Vera and Bastian:

“I don’t give a damn about Gloria,” Bastian said. “It’s her money I want to marry.”

Vera couldn’t stay in this apartment for another second, for fear of doing something she might regret. “You won’t get her or her money. I’ll make sure of that.”

Bastian smiled wickedly. “And how are you going to do that?”

Vera opened the door, looked back at Bastian, and smiled, because she knew what he did not: that she had his smoking gun tucked away in her purse, linking him to the murder outside her brother’s apartment.

“Just you wait and see,” Vera said.

– Page 421

PLEASE BECOME A FOLLOWER OF MY BLOG [The Tattered Page] & SPREAD THE WORD:

http://the-tatteredpage.blogspot.com/

Always,

Haysel

---

Thanks for joining us here at First Look.

[haysel13]

Thanks for reading my post Sarah! ... I know I brought forth like fifty questions about what INGENUE may have in store for The Flappers series fan but I couldn't refrain myself.

PLEASE BECOME A FOLLOWER OF MY BLOG [The Tattered Page] & SPREAD THE WORD:

http://the-tatteredpage.blogspot.com/

Always,

Haysel

P.S. Can't wait for INGENUE. Keep up the good work J. Larkin!

[DSlaughter]

Late to the game I am! I finished Vixen shortly after my last post and I must say I loved it! Been so busy this is the first chance I've had to sit down and type about it. Looking forward to the next installment.  To bad it's so far away  I'm sure Jerome will have some company in NY.  Seems the logical progress of the series.  Lorraine is one of those characters I just disliked and could never make myself feel sorry for.  I'll say it again I can't wait to see what happens with these characters! Great job Ms. Larkin!

[nicole21WA]

I really enjoyed Vixen, although Lorraine did detract a little from my enjoyment.  It was interesting that just when I'd started to think that I might have been all wrong about Vera, she went and revealed that I'd been right about her scheming all along.

I didn't see a section for posting links to our reviews, so here's mine: B&N site and my blog.

[sarah_in_ca]

In the Roaring Twenties, young people went out dancing and drinking to speak-easies, for liquor was prohibited.  Today we have drinking-age laws to prohibit drinking.  Today we have street drugs as well. Our story characters grabbed the family car to drive downtown without having licenses--just jump in and go!  Today we have laws governing the age for new drivers.  Gangs controlled the alcohol distribution in the 20's, while today, gangs control the drug distribution.  In the 20's there wasn't enough information available, while today there's too much information available and we are assulted 24/7.

What happened to make things change?  laws abolishing prohibition, civil rights, the internet, women going on to higher education degrees, birth control, equal rights......

[goingeast]

I read this book in less than two days.  It was very, very good and well written. I was caught up in the characters and the story.  I would definitely read another book by this author.

[hawkdancer]

This book got progressively better and better!

Gloria turns out to be such a strong character, and I think she really began to figure out who she really is as a person. I think she will go to Jerome with New York, since he's the person she's not only in love with, but the most comfortable and free with.

I love Clara's development. Her relationship with Marcus was probably my favorite part of the book.

[Lizardbits01]

Overall, I really liked the book and have found myself thinking about it frequently.  I am anxiously awaiting it's sequel this summer to find out what happens next!

In relation to your question, I'm not sure if its because the book was written in our time, or because the 2000s are similar to the 1920's, but I found some of the decadence--cars, clothes, appearances, the "see and be seen" attitudes--very similar to the current obsession with celebrities and the spectacle of reality TV.  While we still have a tremendous amount of male white privilege in our society, there have been numerous movements and laws enacted to be more inclusive to people of other races and genders.