Diva by Jillian Larkin

Diva (Flappers, #3)

by Jillian Larkin

If you love The Great Gatsby, you'll want to read the Flappers series.

Joy and tragedy collide in DIVA, the riveting conclusion to the Flappers series, set in the dazzling Roaring Twenties. 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 . . .

Reviewed by Angie on

3 of 5 stars

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I received a free digital copy through Net Galley.

I'm sad to see this series end. I'll miss the glitz and the glamor, and of course, the drama!

Gloria has had the best plot so far: interracial romance, starring in shows at speakeasies, being hunted by the mob, and getting arrested! But in Diva her story seems to have flat-lined. She's released from prison on the condition that she helps bring in Forrest Hamilton, a probable con-man. Part One of this plot wasn't that interesting, but then Jerome is back! We actually get the addition of his POV this time around, which I really enjoyed. It's far more interesting than his cousin, Vera's, was in Ingenue. It was about time that we see how Jerome feels about everything that has been happening. Too bad he only gets three chapters. I think the author could have strengthened this book with a bit more of Jerome, since he's been such a driving force in the series.

Clara, the flapper queen and gossip columnist, has seemed to have lost her way. I found her a little bland in the previous book after loving her in the first book, but now her attitude is back and in full swing as she attempts to fend off her boss' unwanted advances and works on a scheme with...Lorraine! Clara's story seemed to fade into the background at times, and was overshadowed by Lorraine's, since they're very closely related.

Did Lorraine lose some brain cells between the end of Ingenue and now? Or is sobriety just getting to her. I've loved Lorraine's over-the-top dramatics in the previous two books, but now she's truly just dumb and annoying. She's stalking Marcus again, but she's managing to get perfect grades due to being blacklisted from all of the swanky clubs. She still holds a bit of a grudge against Gloria, even though everything that has happened is her own fault! I was still interested in her story though, since this girl is truly a train wreck, and I simply cannot look away!

With Diva, the Flappers series has ended with a bang. Literally. While, I didn't enjoy this one as much as the previous two, it's still a worthy addition to the series. It also wraps up everyone's stories quite nicely.

"The characters in books shouldn't have all the fun, right?" (95% eARC)

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 14 August, 2012: Finished reading
  • 14 August, 2012: Reviewed