Thursday, January 8, 2015

Prohibited! by Delancey Stewart

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Obtained from: Netgalley
Read: January 1, 2015

In 1920s New York, uptown debutante Evie McKenzie can see that the world is changing. And while her parents may think she’s destined for a life of quiet conversation and polite society, she is determined to roar with the twenties—whatever the cost! Evie knows she should really be getting her beauty sleep and dreaming of Roger White, the straight-laced Yale graduate her parents have chosen for her. Instead, she’s been heading out to the local speakeasy… and into the arms of dangerously charming Jack Taylor. But when Evie discovers an unexpectedly wild side to Roger, he’s suddenly competition for smooth-talking Jack—and she has a decision to make. Should she appease her parents… or commit the ultimate rebellion? One thing’s for certain: Evie is going to have a lot of fun making up her mind…

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My decision to pick up Delancey Stewart's Prohibited! was purely self-indulgent. The cover caught my eye, but I really like the 1920s and jacket description sounded light and fun. My track record with new adult lit is decidedly hit and miss, but weighed against the modest length of the book, I figured I'd little to lose. 

Historically speaking, there isn't an abundance of detail in this piece, but what's there speaks directly to the roar and buzz of New York City's jazz scene. Against all odds, Stewart creates a subtle ambiance, giving the book a distinct feel despite its brevity. Roger and Jack are fairly one dimensional, but I liked what Stewart did with Evie. Her sexual awakening paired with her growing independence and sense of self added a layer of depth where I'd not expected it.

Though only six chapters, Prohibited! proved a delightfully diverting piece and one I'd easily recommend to fans of Jax Garren. 

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She had said she was fine, but she worried that Jack had ignited something within her that might never stop burning. And at that moment, she had felt willing to do almost anything to feed that hungry fire simmering in her belly.
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