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Anne McFarland #2
The Silver Shoes
In her second novel, Jill G. Hall, author of The Black Velvet Coat , brings readers another dual tale of two dynamic women from two very different eras searching for fulfillment.
San Francisco artist Anne McFarland has been distracted by a cross-country romance with sexy Sergio and has veered from her creative path. While visiting him in New York, she buys a pair of rhinestone shoes in an antique shop that spark her imagination and lead her on a quest to learn more about the shoes’ original owner.
Almost ninety years earlier, Clair Deveraux, a sheltered 1929 New York debutante, tries to reside within the bounds of polite society and please her father. But when she meets Winnie, a carefree Macy’s shop girl, Clair is lured into the steamy side of Manhattan―a place filled with speakeasies, flappers, and the beat of “that devil music”―and her true desires explode wide open. Secrets and lies heap up until her father loses everything in the stock market crash and Clair becomes entangled in the burlesque world in an effort to save her family and herself.
Ultimately, both Anne and Clair―two very different women living in very different eras―attain true fulfillment . . . with some help from their silver shoes.
San Francisco artist Anne McFarland has been distracted by a cross-country romance with sexy Sergio and has veered from her creative path. While visiting him in New York, she buys a pair of rhinestone shoes in an antique shop that spark her imagination and lead her on a quest to learn more about the shoes’ original owner.
Almost ninety years earlier, Clair Deveraux, a sheltered 1929 New York debutante, tries to reside within the bounds of polite society and please her father. But when she meets Winnie, a carefree Macy’s shop girl, Clair is lured into the steamy side of Manhattan―a place filled with speakeasies, flappers, and the beat of “that devil music”―and her true desires explode wide open. Secrets and lies heap up until her father loses everything in the stock market crash and Clair becomes entangled in the burlesque world in an effort to save her family and herself.
Ultimately, both Anne and Clair―two very different women living in very different eras―attain true fulfillment . . . with some help from their silver shoes.
336 pages, Paperback
First published June 19, 2018
443 people are currently reading
2414 people want to read
About the author
Jill G. Hall
4 books158 followersJill G. Hall is author of On a Sundown Sea, a Novel of Madame Tingley and the Origins of Lomaland, and the award-winning “Anne McFarland Series.” The Black Velvet Coat, The Silver Shoes, and The Green Lace Corset. Hall’s poems and personal narratives have appeared in a variety of publications and on her blog Crealivity, the art of practicing a creative lifestyle. Her tenure as an educator spanned over twenty years, incorporating the arts along the way. She is an instructor and past board president at San Diego Writers, Ink. and holds a doctorate from Northern Arizona University. A native San Diegan, she resides in Point Loma.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
September 28, 2018
Favorite Quotes:
We were from the South, and Ma had been fickle. Had five husbands… We called her the black widow. She’d always say, ‘Honey, they just keep on dying.’ At least she married Daddy for love. The others she said she married out of habit.”
“Always smile like dis.” Varinska demonstrated a blasé expression with a small relaxed smile and cool eyes. “Face say: No care in vorld.” Varinska lit a cigarette, stuck it in her ivory holder, and took a drag. “Rough up! Find tender spot, they poke till you break. Show me zat smile until sinks in.”
My Review:
Back in the day of Bobby Riggs and Billy Jean King, I was an early card-carrying feminist, as such, I don’t often read historical fiction due to the poor manner in which women fared during history, and alas, such was the case with one of the timelines in this book. Yet Ms. Hall’s alluring style managed to quickly pull me into this tooth-gnashing tale of dual timelines and hold me captive, despite my irritation and annoyance with the restrictive patriarchal conditions of 1929. I was fully invested and curiously held in place by the writing quality and intriguing storylines even though I wanted to give the female characters in both timelines a sharp smack and a pinch or ten. I was fully exasperated with both for their dithering and weak spinal columns. Although, in her defense, 1929 was a desperately different age and Clair’s obnoxious father had been unforgivably conniving and controlling. I was intrigued by the premise and quite curious to learn Clair’s fate as well those of her friends, and in unraveling the near ninety-year path of the shoes. My favorite characters, by far, were the quirky and colorful burlesque players of Varinska and Winnie, as of course, I tend to favor the sassier broads. ;)
We were from the South, and Ma had been fickle. Had five husbands… We called her the black widow. She’d always say, ‘Honey, they just keep on dying.’ At least she married Daddy for love. The others she said she married out of habit.”
“Always smile like dis.” Varinska demonstrated a blasé expression with a small relaxed smile and cool eyes. “Face say: No care in vorld.” Varinska lit a cigarette, stuck it in her ivory holder, and took a drag. “Rough up! Find tender spot, they poke till you break. Show me zat smile until sinks in.”
My Review:
Back in the day of Bobby Riggs and Billy Jean King, I was an early card-carrying feminist, as such, I don’t often read historical fiction due to the poor manner in which women fared during history, and alas, such was the case with one of the timelines in this book. Yet Ms. Hall’s alluring style managed to quickly pull me into this tooth-gnashing tale of dual timelines and hold me captive, despite my irritation and annoyance with the restrictive patriarchal conditions of 1929. I was fully invested and curiously held in place by the writing quality and intriguing storylines even though I wanted to give the female characters in both timelines a sharp smack and a pinch or ten. I was fully exasperated with both for their dithering and weak spinal columns. Although, in her defense, 1929 was a desperately different age and Clair’s obnoxious father had been unforgivably conniving and controlling. I was intrigued by the premise and quite curious to learn Clair’s fate as well those of her friends, and in unraveling the near ninety-year path of the shoes. My favorite characters, by far, were the quirky and colorful burlesque players of Varinska and Winnie, as of course, I tend to favor the sassier broads. ;)
March 12, 2018
The Silver Shoes
The first thing I was attracted to was the cover of this book. The shoes on the cover are just beautiful!! This book is about a girl, Anne, who sees a pair of silver shoes in the window of an antique shop and when she gets them home, there is also a real strand pearls in the box with the shoes. The other story in the book revolves around Claire who owned the shoes in the 1920’s. It is a beautifully written story about these 2 women’s lives and how they connect to the silver shoes. I really really enjoyed this book!! I received a complimentary copy of this book from Independent Book Publishers (IBPA) through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The first thing I was attracted to was the cover of this book. The shoes on the cover are just beautiful!! This book is about a girl, Anne, who sees a pair of silver shoes in the window of an antique shop and when she gets them home, there is also a real strand pearls in the box with the shoes. The other story in the book revolves around Claire who owned the shoes in the 1920’s. It is a beautifully written story about these 2 women’s lives and how they connect to the silver shoes. I really really enjoyed this book!! I received a complimentary copy of this book from Independent Book Publishers (IBPA) through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
August 24, 2023
Excellent story. It’s told from the viewpoints of two women; however, I found it easy to understand which one’s time period was in each chapter. I found the story engrossing. To fully understand the plot, you might want to read book one first (The Black Velvet Coat).
May 20, 2018
“The Silver Shoes” by Jill G. Hall is an entertaining and enjoyable novel. The Genres for this novel are Fiction , Women’s Fiction and Historical Fiction. The author describes two characters in different timelines, 1929, and the present. The author describes her characters as complex and complicated .
The two women in the novel are both searching for a sense of purpose, and something that will make them happy. These women come from different eras, and yet there are similarities and differences between them.
Clair Deveraux, lives in a New York Hotel with her wealthy father. In 1929, Clair is a debutante, and is sheltered from many things. Clair becomes friendly with Winnie, a free- loving spirited young lady that works in Macy’s and goes to Speakeasies for dance and drink. Clair now sees a different side of life than she is used to and seems to be attracted by it. When the Stockmarket crashes in 1929, Clair tries to find a way and a path to help support her family. Clair loves the silver shoes that she dances in.
Ninety years later we meet Anne McFarland, an enterprising artist . Anne likes to dress differently, and seeks out clothing in second hand shoppes. She discovers a quaint store that has a gorgeous pair of silver shoes. The owner sells her the shoes, and tells her it is important to keep the box. Anne discovers other items in the box, which lead her to look into the mystery. Anne has a cross-country romance with Sergio, her handsome boyfriend. Anne wants a commitment from Sergio.
Both characters meet with betrayals, secrets and search for their way. How do the silver shoes connect these two women? Do these women find the fulfillment and sense of purpose that they need and want?
I would recommend this novel to readers who enjoy Historical Fiction and Women’s Fiction. I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.
The two women in the novel are both searching for a sense of purpose, and something that will make them happy. These women come from different eras, and yet there are similarities and differences between them.
Clair Deveraux, lives in a New York Hotel with her wealthy father. In 1929, Clair is a debutante, and is sheltered from many things. Clair becomes friendly with Winnie, a free- loving spirited young lady that works in Macy’s and goes to Speakeasies for dance and drink. Clair now sees a different side of life than she is used to and seems to be attracted by it. When the Stockmarket crashes in 1929, Clair tries to find a way and a path to help support her family. Clair loves the silver shoes that she dances in.
Ninety years later we meet Anne McFarland, an enterprising artist . Anne likes to dress differently, and seeks out clothing in second hand shoppes. She discovers a quaint store that has a gorgeous pair of silver shoes. The owner sells her the shoes, and tells her it is important to keep the box. Anne discovers other items in the box, which lead her to look into the mystery. Anne has a cross-country romance with Sergio, her handsome boyfriend. Anne wants a commitment from Sergio.
Both characters meet with betrayals, secrets and search for their way. How do the silver shoes connect these two women? Do these women find the fulfillment and sense of purpose that they need and want?
I would recommend this novel to readers who enjoy Historical Fiction and Women’s Fiction. I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.
October 4, 2018
Anne lives in San Francisco and her boyfriend Sergio lives in New York. They have been maintaining a long distance relationship for quite some time and neither one of them is quite happy with the arrangement but his job is in his city and her life is in hers. She is willing to relocate but not without a commitment from him that they will get married. On her most recent trip Anne wanders in to a vintage shop and falls in love with a pair of rhinestone covered silver shoes. They fit her perfectly and she buys them on impulse. When she gets home and looks in the box she finds some other items including a photo of two young dancers.
Clair is debutante in 1929 living with her father. Her mother is dead and her father rules her life. One day while out shopping she meets a shopgirl who is so full of life and so confident that Clair wants to spend more time with her. They soon make a plan to go out and Clair finds herself at a speakeasy! She tastes alcohol for the first time and finds herself dancing. This is a side of life she had never seen before and she wants more.
As 1929 inches towards that fateful date in October Clair’s father tells her she is to be married – but Clair does not like the man he has chosen – at all. She fights her father as much as she can but soon finds herself on the way to the altar. What will her fate be?
The books shares the stories of these two women by alternating back and forth as Anne tries to figure her life out with or without Sergio as he meets her family and she meets his. Clair finds herself as she navigates life after the crash.
This was a quick and easy read. Nothing complicated, nothing deep. I enjoyed both stories but as per usual for me I found the historical half more interesting than the modern day tale. The synopsis was a bit misleading as Anne really does not go on any kind of quest to learn anything about the owner of the shoes. What she knows she learns from the back of the photo and she really goes no further so I felt a little disappointed by that.
It was a good book to sit and read on a cold and rainy afternoon under a blanket. As I noted, it didn’t require a lot of thought but it was a nice diversion.
Clair is debutante in 1929 living with her father. Her mother is dead and her father rules her life. One day while out shopping she meets a shopgirl who is so full of life and so confident that Clair wants to spend more time with her. They soon make a plan to go out and Clair finds herself at a speakeasy! She tastes alcohol for the first time and finds herself dancing. This is a side of life she had never seen before and she wants more.
As 1929 inches towards that fateful date in October Clair’s father tells her she is to be married – but Clair does not like the man he has chosen – at all. She fights her father as much as she can but soon finds herself on the way to the altar. What will her fate be?
The books shares the stories of these two women by alternating back and forth as Anne tries to figure her life out with or without Sergio as he meets her family and she meets his. Clair finds herself as she navigates life after the crash.
This was a quick and easy read. Nothing complicated, nothing deep. I enjoyed both stories but as per usual for me I found the historical half more interesting than the modern day tale. The synopsis was a bit misleading as Anne really does not go on any kind of quest to learn anything about the owner of the shoes. What she knows she learns from the back of the photo and she really goes no further so I felt a little disappointed by that.
It was a good book to sit and read on a cold and rainy afternoon under a blanket. As I noted, it didn’t require a lot of thought but it was a nice diversion.
May 31, 2018
I am very much in the minority here when I say that I did not enjoy this book.
**Spoilers ahead**
What was the point of the dual stories? Did I miss a connection somewhere? Yes, Anne bought the shoes that Clair had worn in 1929. I kept waiting for the big 'reveal'; the one huge part of the story that connected the two women. Was she Anne's long lost great-grandmother? Aunt? Third-cousin twice removed?
This just did not work for me. I lacked any kind of connection to either woman. Both were weak characters. Anne with her Italian boyfriend saying 'pick me, choose me, love me" (plagiarism, I know), in essence begging Sergio for an engagement ring. Then Clair, defying her father (it was 1929 after all) and then after the stock market crash, discovering that her mother was alive and living on a farm all these years and not dead (really? Sisters named April and June?).
For me, there was not a single redeeming storyline in this book. Especially the ending. Another 'oops, reached word count so let's end this book... the end!"-type ending.
Thank you Negalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my (perhaps too) honest review.
**Spoilers ahead**
What was the point of the dual stories? Did I miss a connection somewhere? Yes, Anne bought the shoes that Clair had worn in 1929. I kept waiting for the big 'reveal'; the one huge part of the story that connected the two women. Was she Anne's long lost great-grandmother? Aunt? Third-cousin twice removed?
This just did not work for me. I lacked any kind of connection to either woman. Both were weak characters. Anne with her Italian boyfriend saying 'pick me, choose me, love me" (plagiarism, I know), in essence begging Sergio for an engagement ring. Then Clair, defying her father (it was 1929 after all) and then after the stock market crash, discovering that her mother was alive and living on a farm all these years and not dead (really? Sisters named April and June?).
For me, there was not a single redeeming storyline in this book. Especially the ending. Another 'oops, reached word count so let's end this book... the end!"-type ending.
Thank you Negalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my (perhaps too) honest review.
June 7, 2018
3 stars.
**I received this e-arc from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks Net Galley!**
Writing Style
Hall's writing style for The Silver Shoes took a lot of getting used to for me. The best way I can describe it is quick. It was very fast paced, almost to the point where I felt like I was missing details on the plot, the characters, even the dialogue.
Plot
I really enjoyed the plot. Having the connection between the two different generations be the shoes was a clever idea. I will say I enjoyed Clair's storyline a little better than Anne's. I liked Clair's setting of New York City in 1929. I think it was done better than present day San Francisco.
Recommendation
I think this book will be great for readers who want to read more historical fiction but feel intimidated by the genre. This book is approachable, understandable, quick and cute. It doesn't get bogged down in historical details that aren't relevant to the storyline. It's also got a good mix of history and present day, so it's great for readers who appreciate historical fiction but may not want a full book that's all historical.
Overall, it was cute story with a good setting unfortunately it just didn't resonate with me as it has for other readers. I wanted more details about everything, but mainly about the main characters. I felt like after reading, I still don't have a connection to either of them, and I won't remember them in a week or two.
**I received this e-arc from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks Net Galley!**
Writing Style
Hall's writing style for The Silver Shoes took a lot of getting used to for me. The best way I can describe it is quick. It was very fast paced, almost to the point where I felt like I was missing details on the plot, the characters, even the dialogue.
Plot
I really enjoyed the plot. Having the connection between the two different generations be the shoes was a clever idea. I will say I enjoyed Clair's storyline a little better than Anne's. I liked Clair's setting of New York City in 1929. I think it was done better than present day San Francisco.
Recommendation
I think this book will be great for readers who want to read more historical fiction but feel intimidated by the genre. This book is approachable, understandable, quick and cute. It doesn't get bogged down in historical details that aren't relevant to the storyline. It's also got a good mix of history and present day, so it's great for readers who appreciate historical fiction but may not want a full book that's all historical.
Overall, it was cute story with a good setting unfortunately it just didn't resonate with me as it has for other readers. I wanted more details about everything, but mainly about the main characters. I felt like after reading, I still don't have a connection to either of them, and I won't remember them in a week or two.
October 18, 2018
Jill G. Hall's novel, The Silver Shoes, tells the tale of two women connected to the titular shoes. Anne is an artist who lives in San Francisco but her boyfriend Sergio lives in New York City. On one of her visits to Sergio she visits a thrift store where she finds an amazing pair of silver shoes. They even fit her feet, which are on the large side. (Sergio affectionately calls her "Bigfoot".)
Anne wants Sergio to ask her to move in with him, or even better, to marry him. She would like to know that their relationship is moving forward, but Sergio never seems to want to have that discussion.
Anne works as a valet in San Francisco to make ends meet while she pursues her passion, her art creations. She has been getting a foothold in the art world in San Francisco having sold some of her pieces at a gallery, but she would like not to struggle so much financially.
In 1929, Clair lives with her long-widowed father at the Waldorf Hotel in New York City. Her mother died when Clair was just six, and her mother's sister June, a teacher and suffragette, has helped to raise her. (I loved Aunt June.)
At Clair's coming out debutante party, her father has declared that she will marry Farley, a man over ten years her senior whom she had not yet met. She disliked him immediately; he was a boring braggart who seemed to only care about money.
Clair meets the vivacious Winnie, a clerk at Macy's, and hiding it from her father, she accompanies Winnie to a speakeasy. At first frightened, Clair loosens up and begins to enjoy the music and dancing. Soon she is sneaking out more and more with Winnie, praying not to get caught by her father or the doorman at the Waldorf.
Everyday Clair passes a store window where she sighs over a pair of silver shoes, studded with rhinestones. How she would love those shoes- but her father would say that only floozies wear shoes like that.
Hall does a wonderful job telling both women's stories. Anne and Sergio's relationship seems very realistic, and she doesn't make Sergio the bad guy here, a guy who is afraid of commitment. I think many women will relate to Anne's situation.
Clair's story was a little more enlightening to me. You don't often think of women in the 1920's America being forced into an arranged marriage. And again, Clair's father could have been a one-dimensional character, but Hall gives him more shades than that.
I also enjoyed being immersed in 1920's New York City- the Waldorf, Macy's, the entertainment venues. I got a real feel for what it was like living at that time in the city where I now live.
Eventually, Clair and Annie are connected by the shoes, and I found that very satisfying. The ending to Clair and Annie's individual stories was more surprising to me, but they were both women who came into their own strength when they needed it most. I recommend The Silver Shoes, especially for those who enjoy books set in two different timelines.
Anne wants Sergio to ask her to move in with him, or even better, to marry him. She would like to know that their relationship is moving forward, but Sergio never seems to want to have that discussion.
Anne works as a valet in San Francisco to make ends meet while she pursues her passion, her art creations. She has been getting a foothold in the art world in San Francisco having sold some of her pieces at a gallery, but she would like not to struggle so much financially.
In 1929, Clair lives with her long-widowed father at the Waldorf Hotel in New York City. Her mother died when Clair was just six, and her mother's sister June, a teacher and suffragette, has helped to raise her. (I loved Aunt June.)
At Clair's coming out debutante party, her father has declared that she will marry Farley, a man over ten years her senior whom she had not yet met. She disliked him immediately; he was a boring braggart who seemed to only care about money.
Clair meets the vivacious Winnie, a clerk at Macy's, and hiding it from her father, she accompanies Winnie to a speakeasy. At first frightened, Clair loosens up and begins to enjoy the music and dancing. Soon she is sneaking out more and more with Winnie, praying not to get caught by her father or the doorman at the Waldorf.
Everyday Clair passes a store window where she sighs over a pair of silver shoes, studded with rhinestones. How she would love those shoes- but her father would say that only floozies wear shoes like that.
Hall does a wonderful job telling both women's stories. Anne and Sergio's relationship seems very realistic, and she doesn't make Sergio the bad guy here, a guy who is afraid of commitment. I think many women will relate to Anne's situation.
Clair's story was a little more enlightening to me. You don't often think of women in the 1920's America being forced into an arranged marriage. And again, Clair's father could have been a one-dimensional character, but Hall gives him more shades than that.
I also enjoyed being immersed in 1920's New York City- the Waldorf, Macy's, the entertainment venues. I got a real feel for what it was like living at that time in the city where I now live.
Eventually, Clair and Annie are connected by the shoes, and I found that very satisfying. The ending to Clair and Annie's individual stories was more surprising to me, but they were both women who came into their own strength when they needed it most. I recommend The Silver Shoes, especially for those who enjoy books set in two different timelines.
September 22, 2018
I was totally taken in by the blurb for this book, because I love Beatriz Williams and this looked like it could be a similar style of book, and in a way it was.
Jill G. Hall writes a very fast paced novel from both sides of the story, both the present and the past. I just wish she would have done a little more research in some of the little details. The Big Bang Theory was referenced and Sheldon became Sherman...and Claire's father in 1929 bought A T & T stock. There was no A T & T until Ma Bell was split up in the 1980's. For me these were some big errors and it was hard to get past them.
Like most of the stories that are written in dueling time periods, I found myself more drawn to the past. Clair was definitely the more likable of the two heroines. She was also easier to relate to, even though I'm hardly a wealthy deb.
She was very spunky and really managed to break away from her controlling father. He was more than a bit much, and it was hard to believe that she didn't try to run away from him to start her own life.
Claire had the more interesting story, especially as the reader is allowed to see what happened to her mother and later with the despicable Farley.
I also loved Winnie and the other girls/women Clair met at the speakeasy and later burlesque house. They really made the story. The early scenes with Winnie were really great. She was really a fun good time girl. I also got a hankering for nonpareil candies back when Clair visited her at Macy's
Anne is a woman of thirty, but her actions put me in mind of a much younger and definitely less mature woman and from the very minute we were introduced to her boyfriend Sergio, I didn't like him. He was too snotty for me. No matter what he did, even though he wasn't a bad guy, I just couldn't like him.
Its a pair of silver shoes that tie both of the stories together and the contents of the box they came in.
This was an enjoyable read and I definitely will read more by Jill Hall.
Jill G. Hall writes a very fast paced novel from both sides of the story, both the present and the past. I just wish she would have done a little more research in some of the little details. The Big Bang Theory was referenced and Sheldon became Sherman...and Claire's father in 1929 bought A T & T stock. There was no A T & T until Ma Bell was split up in the 1980's. For me these were some big errors and it was hard to get past them.
Like most of the stories that are written in dueling time periods, I found myself more drawn to the past. Clair was definitely the more likable of the two heroines. She was also easier to relate to, even though I'm hardly a wealthy deb.
She was very spunky and really managed to break away from her controlling father. He was more than a bit much, and it was hard to believe that she didn't try to run away from him to start her own life.
Claire had the more interesting story, especially as the reader is allowed to see what happened to her mother and later with the despicable Farley.
I also loved Winnie and the other girls/women Clair met at the speakeasy and later burlesque house. They really made the story. The early scenes with Winnie were really great. She was really a fun good time girl. I also got a hankering for nonpareil candies back when Clair visited her at Macy's
Anne is a woman of thirty, but her actions put me in mind of a much younger and definitely less mature woman and from the very minute we were introduced to her boyfriend Sergio, I didn't like him. He was too snotty for me. No matter what he did, even though he wasn't a bad guy, I just couldn't like him.
Its a pair of silver shoes that tie both of the stories together and the contents of the box they came in.
This was an enjoyable read and I definitely will read more by Jill Hall.
July 27, 2019
The Silver Shoes is about a pair of silver shoes discovered in an antique shop by an artist in present day. She's mesmerized by the shoes and buys them only to wonder what their history is and who their original owner was. As she struggles with her art, she also struggles with her relationship and where it's all going. At the same time the book goes into the history of the shoes and who owned them originally. Clair the original owner was brought up in the late 1920's in an affluent home by her father, her mother had died when she was a small child. Then the stock market crashes and her and her father are left destitute and Clair finds a way to bring money into the house. The story was good, the characters were likable, but I just didn't ever feel this book, as I do some. It never peaked for me and I was somewhat disappointed in the ending. There was a twist towards the end I never saw coming, which was a surprise, but even with that I can only give this book 3 stars. I know this author has another book out called The Black Velvet Coat, which sounds very similar to this one. I most likely won't be reading that one, however I am curious. I think more could have been done with this story, the parts were there they just needed to be put together. I did enjoy the parts dealing with the 1920's though. The parts about the flapper era and speakeasy's really entertained me and it did have many good historical facts that I found interesting. I wouldn't say I was sorry I read this, I wasn't, it just didn't live up to what it could have, for me.
June 21, 2018
The Silver Shoes by Jill G Hall is a really fun and light hearted feel good historical and contemporary read. With a dual timeline of 1929 and present day, the reader is in for a real treat.
Subtle overlaps of the stories entice the reader to believe that the past is not dead but alive and breaking through every now and again.
Both time periods have strong female characters that get caught up in the conventions of the day. A woman's role in 1929 was subservient to her father or husband. "I'll take care of you until you get married then it will be your husband's responsibility." Trying to break out of the traditional roles required guts and determination.
Present day sees marriage as the fulfilment but what will you do if convention silences your muse?
Both heroines have different artistic flares. They are gifts that cannot be constrained.
1929 naturally sees the Wall Street crash that affects all of society.
There was a wonderful warm atmosphere pervading the novel. Camaraderie comes from unlikely places as huge hearts come together and a generosity of spirit prevails.
The Silver Shoes is a marvellous read that enables the reader to glimpse a bygone age of speakeasies and flappers. In contrast the modern female is a breath of fresh air with her outlook on life and a love of outdoors. Both characters are very likable.
I cannot wait to read more from Jill Hall. I love it when I 'discover' a new author.
I received this book for free from net Galley. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
Subtle overlaps of the stories entice the reader to believe that the past is not dead but alive and breaking through every now and again.
Both time periods have strong female characters that get caught up in the conventions of the day. A woman's role in 1929 was subservient to her father or husband. "I'll take care of you until you get married then it will be your husband's responsibility." Trying to break out of the traditional roles required guts and determination.
Present day sees marriage as the fulfilment but what will you do if convention silences your muse?
Both heroines have different artistic flares. They are gifts that cannot be constrained.
1929 naturally sees the Wall Street crash that affects all of society.
There was a wonderful warm atmosphere pervading the novel. Camaraderie comes from unlikely places as huge hearts come together and a generosity of spirit prevails.
The Silver Shoes is a marvellous read that enables the reader to glimpse a bygone age of speakeasies and flappers. In contrast the modern female is a breath of fresh air with her outlook on life and a love of outdoors. Both characters are very likable.
I cannot wait to read more from Jill Hall. I love it when I 'discover' a new author.
I received this book for free from net Galley. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
May 30, 2022
This joyful book is about two young women in different eras (1929 and the 2020s), connected by a gorgeous pair of rhinestone dance shoes. Each is struggling to carve a path to creative expression and personal autonomy. The intertwining stories are poignant and fun, offering flawless, lighthearted entertainment with a serious message beneath the surface.
Whether the action takes place in a 1920s speakeasy or a 2020 touristy tiki bar, the author skillfully weaves in just the right amount of detail. Each era, every setting, and all the characters come to life as the chapters move effortlessly between storylines. As an added bonus, the author has a real knack for engrossing the reader in the characters’ artistic pursuits. Obviously, she’s an artist herself because these descriptions cut so close to the heart.
Until I’d finished reading, I didn’t realize The Silver Shoes was Book Two in a series. It stands alone perfectly, but now I’m motivated to read the others, which based on reviews are equally delightful. Enjoy!
Whether the action takes place in a 1920s speakeasy or a 2020 touristy tiki bar, the author skillfully weaves in just the right amount of detail. Each era, every setting, and all the characters come to life as the chapters move effortlessly between storylines. As an added bonus, the author has a real knack for engrossing the reader in the characters’ artistic pursuits. Obviously, she’s an artist herself because these descriptions cut so close to the heart.
Until I’d finished reading, I didn’t realize The Silver Shoes was Book Two in a series. It stands alone perfectly, but now I’m motivated to read the others, which based on reviews are equally delightful. Enjoy!
June 19, 2018
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and all opinions are my own. I loved, loved, loved this book and so will you. From the moment I started reading I couldn't put it down so pick this up today and prepare to be enchanted by this well told story. Happy reading! #TheSilverShoes #NetGalley
October 25, 2020
The premise was interesting but the characters were not realistic. The first half of the book was better than the 2nd and I just found myself saying..."really?".
January 20, 2020
The Ann McFarland, struggling San Francisco artist saga continues in another novel that I did not want to put down! Ann's career has taken off after her rabbit hole adventure of Syliva Van Dam and the story of who she was and what happened to her. Her name is out there, her pieces are selling and she is finally becoming a "true" paid artist. Her new beau Sergio lives in New York and her next adventure is from an item she finds in a thrift shop mean while visiting him.
Ann stumbles across a pair of glittering silver shoes, but she really shouldn't buy them. Yes, she can maybe afford them but does she really need them? What is drawing her to them? They are perfect though, and her size. With her large feet, hardly does she ever find beautiful shoes made in her size. The shop owner works down the price of the shoes, and Ann once again walks out of a thrift shop with her next inspiration.
As she is digging the shoes out of the box, she realizes the owner must have made a mistake, there is a string of pearls within the box as well. Those pearls were laid next to the shoes in the shop, so this isn't an accident. But there is no way she can keep them, she only paid for the shoes, and these are the real thing. She leaves them behind for Sergio to return and heads back home.
Once home, she also finds a photo in the bottom of the box. Two women, and one of them appears to maybe be the owner of said shoes. There are two names on the back and a place listed. Winnie and Claire, Rudy's 1929. What a find! After some internet sleuthing she finds out that Rudy's was a speakeasy back in the 20's.
Just as before, Ann must find out more. Who wore these? What was life like back then? What would it have been like to be part of a speakeasy? How did these shoes end up at a thrift shop? As Ann comes up with creativity and inspiration, she also is struggling with the next stop in her life with Sergio. Does she want the same as him? What does he think? What is his long term goals for life? Could she just pick up and move to New York to be with him, is that what he wants?
As Ann is struggling within her own relationship, Claire from decades earlier may have been struggling with a similar life of feeling trapped and making the right decisions. This story is once again told from Ann, current day and then Claire - owner of the silver shoes. Again, very well written story and I loved the dual storylines!
Ann stumbles across a pair of glittering silver shoes, but she really shouldn't buy them. Yes, she can maybe afford them but does she really need them? What is drawing her to them? They are perfect though, and her size. With her large feet, hardly does she ever find beautiful shoes made in her size. The shop owner works down the price of the shoes, and Ann once again walks out of a thrift shop with her next inspiration.
As she is digging the shoes out of the box, she realizes the owner must have made a mistake, there is a string of pearls within the box as well. Those pearls were laid next to the shoes in the shop, so this isn't an accident. But there is no way she can keep them, she only paid for the shoes, and these are the real thing. She leaves them behind for Sergio to return and heads back home.
Once home, she also finds a photo in the bottom of the box. Two women, and one of them appears to maybe be the owner of said shoes. There are two names on the back and a place listed. Winnie and Claire, Rudy's 1929. What a find! After some internet sleuthing she finds out that Rudy's was a speakeasy back in the 20's.
Just as before, Ann must find out more. Who wore these? What was life like back then? What would it have been like to be part of a speakeasy? How did these shoes end up at a thrift shop? As Ann comes up with creativity and inspiration, she also is struggling with the next stop in her life with Sergio. Does she want the same as him? What does he think? What is his long term goals for life? Could she just pick up and move to New York to be with him, is that what he wants?
As Ann is struggling within her own relationship, Claire from decades earlier may have been struggling with a similar life of feeling trapped and making the right decisions. This story is once again told from Ann, current day and then Claire - owner of the silver shoes. Again, very well written story and I loved the dual storylines!
May 28, 2018
Anne is a thirty-something artist who has made a bit of a name for herself in San Francisco. She travels to New York as often as she can in an attempt to make her long distance relationship with her Italian-American boyfriend, Sergio, work. The two of them come from vastly different backgrounds and are polar opposites. Yet, after being together for over two years, they seem to have fallen into a comfortable pattern.
During one of her visits to New York, Anne stumbles upon a secondhand shop and discovers silver rhinestone shoes that she is drawn to. It turns out these shoes belonged to a woman, Clair, in the late 1920s. Clair’s past and Anne’s present stories alternate for the rest of the book.
I liked the idea of this book more than the actual execution. The main characters seemed flat and I just didn’t connect with them. Surprisingly, the secondary characters were much more interesting than the main characters. I loved Winnie and Rudy in particular. The setting for Clair’s story is one of my favorites. I love reading about New York in the 1920s. I also appreciated the contrast between Sergio’s life in New York with Anne’s life in San Francisco, as well as their visit to Michigan to meet Anne’s family with their visit to Italy.
I also appreciated how both of the protagonists, Clair and Anne respectively, had a deep compulsion to engage in a creative act. Clair was destined to dance and Anne to create art.
All in all this was a sweet book, but just wasn’t intriguing or vivid enough to hook me. I gave this 2.5 stars.
During one of her visits to New York, Anne stumbles upon a secondhand shop and discovers silver rhinestone shoes that she is drawn to. It turns out these shoes belonged to a woman, Clair, in the late 1920s. Clair’s past and Anne’s present stories alternate for the rest of the book.
I liked the idea of this book more than the actual execution. The main characters seemed flat and I just didn’t connect with them. Surprisingly, the secondary characters were much more interesting than the main characters. I loved Winnie and Rudy in particular. The setting for Clair’s story is one of my favorites. I love reading about New York in the 1920s. I also appreciated the contrast between Sergio’s life in New York with Anne’s life in San Francisco, as well as their visit to Michigan to meet Anne’s family with their visit to Italy.
I also appreciated how both of the protagonists, Clair and Anne respectively, had a deep compulsion to engage in a creative act. Clair was destined to dance and Anne to create art.
All in all this was a sweet book, but just wasn’t intriguing or vivid enough to hook me. I gave this 2.5 stars.
May 5, 2018
Lucky me, got an advance copy of Jill's new novel, The Silver Shoes! It was a real page turner and keep me captured in the lives of the key characters. When I like a book, I read the whole thing in a couple of days, as was the case with this novel. It left me wanting more...I'd like it to continue on in a third novel. I want to know what happens next!
April 29, 2018
Although I mostly read non-fiction, I do enjoy a certain kind of novel. After trying out The Black Velvet Coat, I found that Jill's books are just my type--sweet and easy to read! Jill is a natural storyteller, creating compelling characters and dual plot lines with ease and flow. I appreciate and am drawn to the premise too--oh the stories our "things" can tell! This book is a "draw a luxurious bath, light a few candles and plunge in"--that's what I did. And I finished up the next night with the same. I would read anything Jill writes!
October 12, 2025
The Silver Shoes is as entertaining as it is pleasing to read.
The cover alone was distinct in that it took me immediately to the sights and sounds of the Flapper and/or Vaudeville Age before I even started to read.
The dual timeline meshes well between 1929 and the present in a way that the reader doesn't feel lost.
Clair and Anne are well rounded characters who share a commonality and a yearning for purpose that only time stands between, 90 years to be exact.
This is a lively, fast paced read that will keep you wanting more from its storyline and characters, and Jill G. Hall does not disappoint.
Thank you to Jill G. Hall and NetGalley for this wonderful story that thoroughly entertained and charmed me.
4.5 Stars
Wild Sage Book Blog
The cover alone was distinct in that it took me immediately to the sights and sounds of the Flapper and/or Vaudeville Age before I even started to read.
The dual timeline meshes well between 1929 and the present in a way that the reader doesn't feel lost.
Clair and Anne are well rounded characters who share a commonality and a yearning for purpose that only time stands between, 90 years to be exact.
This is a lively, fast paced read that will keep you wanting more from its storyline and characters, and Jill G. Hall does not disappoint.
Thank you to Jill G. Hall and NetGalley for this wonderful story that thoroughly entertained and charmed me.
4.5 Stars
Wild Sage Book Blog
March 31, 2018
The Silver Shoes is an entertaining and upbeat read and Jill Hall is back with a story that is as good if not better than The Black Velvet Coat. Readers really get to know the main characters easily. The author emphasizes the themes of freedom, women’s agency, and demonstrates how much has changed over the last century for women, in particular the institution of marriage in the United States. Through its colorful characters and engaging storyline we read about the timeless desire in all humans to do work that is meaningful to them, to enjoy meaningful relationships, and to live free and sensuous lives. The pursuit of these desires makes this an exciting page turner.
April 5, 2018
Loved this book , The description of the shoes alone had me , and the characters come alive as they each tell their story , Clair in the 20's having learned a secret about her past while she's trying to figure out who she is , in those times her father picked the man she was to marry but she wanted more out of life and finding life and fun at the speakeasies, then Ann who lives in the present with her Art and , wanting to marry , she finds her voice as well, when she happens to buy the Silver shoes owned by Clair , the Author really draws you in , great read and one I will remember for a long time .
March 24, 2018
This book is totally charming, capturing the essence of the creative spirit. Hall describes artistic process, human nature, time periods, and landscapes and cityscapes with equal deftness. It's easy to get caught up in the story, cheering for our heroines to find their own ways, as they battle the tug of war between self-expression and outside influences. Delightful to sink into a world of collage and jazz, painting and dancing, human achievement and foible, in environments as different as New York City, San Francisco, and Upper Midwest lake country.
April 6, 2018
I fell in love with the cover of this book instantly and I knew I had to read this book. This book takes you on a journey for two separate woman and connects them to the amazing pair of shoes. Both stories are beautiful and I loved how they entertwined. I enjoyed this authors writing style and she did an incredible job telling the story in such a unique way. I look forward to reading more from her in the future.
April 8, 2018
What an engaging, readable second book from Jill Hall! The Silver Shoes takes us to New York during two eras- the present day with artist Anne McFarland, and the 20's and 30's with young debutante Clair Deveraux. Their stories run in parallel and then, as we have come to expect from Hall, intertwine and come together thanks to a pair of silver shoes! Bravo! Pick up a copy as soon as you can- you won't be able to put it down.
April 7, 2018
I loved this book. Very interesting book about the speakeasies and the music of the era. Loved the magic of the silver shoes. All mixed in with family secrets and the desires of some very strong characters. I could not put this book down. I highly recommend reading it.
June 26, 2020
I loved these shoes the minute they were introduced! The parallel timeline of the women who owned them was well done. I cared about both the modern woman and the flapper. Both stories had compelling plot lines.
October 14, 2018
Originally published at Reading Reality
I want to call this one a timeslip book, but it really isn’t. The only thing that exists in both 1929 and today are those titular silver shoes. But the action does alternate between those two eras, with Clair back in the age of Prohibition, flappers, speakeasies and the Great Depression, and Anne today.
Their lives should seem far apart. And they kind of are – but they mostly aren’t.
Besides the shoes, they are linked by two things. They are both constrained by the familial and societal expectations placed on them because they are women. And in the end, they both break free in order to pursue their own needs for self-fulfillment – and live their own dreams.
Neither story ends up being a romance. This is not a book about finding your happy ever after in the traditional romantic sense. As much of both of these women eventually manage to break tradition, it shouldn’t be. In the end, it’s about reaching deep and finding the courage to make your own happiness your own way, whether romantic love comes with it or not.
Escape Rating B-: It is really difficult to talk about this book without giving some of the game away, so the rating comes a bit early in this one.
I loved the way that the theme finally comes out, that both of these women find self-fulfillment through their art rather than love and marriage. Not that I don’t love a good romance, but I also don’t believe that every story with female central characters needs to be a romance. This one is better for not reaching that traditional ending.
On that other hand, a big part of both women’s stories is just how much they knuckle under to the pressures and expectations that constrain women’s lives.
Clair in 1929 is a poor little rich girl. Her businessman father tries to arrange her life so that she will be “taken care of” instead of asking her what she wants. She wants to go to Juilliard to study music, she’s been accepted, but he wants to marry her off. That he chooses badly is icing on a pretty ugly cake in that he never takes her own wants and needs into consideration and doesn’t see why he should until it is almost too late.
Clair takes her freedom at first in teeny, tiny and very secret doses, because she knows he won’t approve and can make her life miserable – as very nearly happens. In the end, it is only when his own pretty awful secrets are exposed AND when the true depth of wrongness of his choices for her is revealed that she is finally able to completely break free.
Reading about how completely circumscribed Clair’s life is may be accurate, but it doesn’t make for easy reading – particularly when it is held up to Anne’s life in comparison. Because Anne’s life doesn’t feel all that much better.
I know that objectively it is, but it didn’t feel that way. I just didn’t buy into her romance with Sergio. That’s possibly because by the time the story begins the romance is in the middle, but they didn’t work for me.
Instead it felt like she was caught up in the romance of a romance with a well-off sexy Italian who lived in New York. They didn’t seem to have enough in common, and she spent way too much time placating him or pretending to be different than she was in order to make things easier for him.
It also felt like she was giving in to pressure much more subtle than the pressure on Clair, but still present, to be involved with a man and get married (and give up her art) because she was 30 and it was time to stop being “foolish” or “childish” or “self-indulgent” or whatever. That she seemed to have no ability to manage her own finances just added to that picture as well as making it seem like she needed Sergio more than she loved him.
Both relationships fall into crises. In Clair’s case part of the crisis was very real and beyond everyone’s control – the Great Depression was called “Great” for a reason. Her father, though misguided, was attempting to do right by her by the lights of their time – admittedly badly.
I liked that she finally rescued herself, even if it took a bit too long and a bit too much melodrama. And Anne, in the end, finally figured out her best course – but in her case only after ignoring a whole bunch of signs that she was heading down the wrong path. And in Anne’s case, the only thing making her ignore that still small voice was herself.
Although I was glad she finally listened to it.
I want to call this one a timeslip book, but it really isn’t. The only thing that exists in both 1929 and today are those titular silver shoes. But the action does alternate between those two eras, with Clair back in the age of Prohibition, flappers, speakeasies and the Great Depression, and Anne today.
Their lives should seem far apart. And they kind of are – but they mostly aren’t.
Besides the shoes, they are linked by two things. They are both constrained by the familial and societal expectations placed on them because they are women. And in the end, they both break free in order to pursue their own needs for self-fulfillment – and live their own dreams.
Neither story ends up being a romance. This is not a book about finding your happy ever after in the traditional romantic sense. As much of both of these women eventually manage to break tradition, it shouldn’t be. In the end, it’s about reaching deep and finding the courage to make your own happiness your own way, whether romantic love comes with it or not.
Escape Rating B-: It is really difficult to talk about this book without giving some of the game away, so the rating comes a bit early in this one.
I loved the way that the theme finally comes out, that both of these women find self-fulfillment through their art rather than love and marriage. Not that I don’t love a good romance, but I also don’t believe that every story with female central characters needs to be a romance. This one is better for not reaching that traditional ending.
On that other hand, a big part of both women’s stories is just how much they knuckle under to the pressures and expectations that constrain women’s lives.
Clair in 1929 is a poor little rich girl. Her businessman father tries to arrange her life so that she will be “taken care of” instead of asking her what she wants. She wants to go to Juilliard to study music, she’s been accepted, but he wants to marry her off. That he chooses badly is icing on a pretty ugly cake in that he never takes her own wants and needs into consideration and doesn’t see why he should until it is almost too late.
Clair takes her freedom at first in teeny, tiny and very secret doses, because she knows he won’t approve and can make her life miserable – as very nearly happens. In the end, it is only when his own pretty awful secrets are exposed AND when the true depth of wrongness of his choices for her is revealed that she is finally able to completely break free.
Reading about how completely circumscribed Clair’s life is may be accurate, but it doesn’t make for easy reading – particularly when it is held up to Anne’s life in comparison. Because Anne’s life doesn’t feel all that much better.
I know that objectively it is, but it didn’t feel that way. I just didn’t buy into her romance with Sergio. That’s possibly because by the time the story begins the romance is in the middle, but they didn’t work for me.
Instead it felt like she was caught up in the romance of a romance with a well-off sexy Italian who lived in New York. They didn’t seem to have enough in common, and she spent way too much time placating him or pretending to be different than she was in order to make things easier for him.
It also felt like she was giving in to pressure much more subtle than the pressure on Clair, but still present, to be involved with a man and get married (and give up her art) because she was 30 and it was time to stop being “foolish” or “childish” or “self-indulgent” or whatever. That she seemed to have no ability to manage her own finances just added to that picture as well as making it seem like she needed Sergio more than she loved him.
Both relationships fall into crises. In Clair’s case part of the crisis was very real and beyond everyone’s control – the Great Depression was called “Great” for a reason. Her father, though misguided, was attempting to do right by her by the lights of their time – admittedly badly.
I liked that she finally rescued herself, even if it took a bit too long and a bit too much melodrama. And Anne, in the end, finally figured out her best course – but in her case only after ignoring a whole bunch of signs that she was heading down the wrong path. And in Anne’s case, the only thing making her ignore that still small voice was herself.
Although I was glad she finally listened to it.
June 28, 2020
I’ve got to confess, it takes a lot for me to give a one-star rating, and if I were to be honest this is probably more like 1 1/2. For me, it hit the trifecta: writing style I wasn’t fond of, a character who made me gnash my teeth, and historical inaccuracies that an editor should have never let slip through.
The first - writing style - is the most forgivable for me. The whole book felt rushed. Characters flitted from laughing excitement to dabbing the miserable tears out of their eyes in a matter of seconds. Scenes whooshed by - which was amazing since half the book was waiting for things: waiting for Sergio to propose, waiting to see if Anne would agree to go to Italy, waiting to see if Clair could convince her father that Farley wasn’t right for her. (Speaking of writing and Farley... it would’ve been nice to have more hints that he was horrible and tied to the mob, rather than Clair not wanting him because he was presumptuous and physically repulsive. There’s a wide gulf between repulsive and corpse-in-the-back-of-the-car.)
Anne had a lot of traits that I wouldn’t mind in a character. I like how very San Francisco she is, even while dreaming of being a New Yorker. What I didn’t like was her single-minded focus on getting that proposal. (First of all, cohabitation IS commitment. Her inability to see this as a promise moving their relationship forward was frustrating.) for her to deliver an ultimatum, then text Sergio for two weeks and send him a photo of her romantic-inspired art was infuriating. Then to surprise him with a visit he had just rejected because she might try to seduce him, only for her to seduce him?! Reprehensible. When he proposed I was yelling “run away, Sergio!” at my book.
But the historical inaccuracies - that were identified with simple google searches - made my history-loving heart hurt. Did the author not know that the Waldorf was razed in autumn and early winter of 1929 for the foundation of the new Empire State Building? There could’ve been another throw away line from Aunt June about moving into a home, noting “since you’ll have to wait for the new Waldorf-Astoria to be built”. Singing Jeepers Creepers in a 1929-30 burlesque show? Unlikely, as the song was written in 1938. There were little wobbles like this that pulled me away from Clair’s story and frustrated me to no end.
I think the story could’ve been compelling, if the pace had been slowed and the moral of Clair’s “follow your heart” had tied more into her mother’s story earlier. (I loved the summer house memories, for example - they did more to describe April’s history than the fast-paced sudden explanation at the end.)
This book is clearly what some people are looking for, but it’s not for me.
The first - writing style - is the most forgivable for me. The whole book felt rushed. Characters flitted from laughing excitement to dabbing the miserable tears out of their eyes in a matter of seconds. Scenes whooshed by - which was amazing since half the book was waiting for things: waiting for Sergio to propose, waiting to see if Anne would agree to go to Italy, waiting to see if Clair could convince her father that Farley wasn’t right for her. (Speaking of writing and Farley... it would’ve been nice to have more hints that he was horrible and tied to the mob, rather than Clair not wanting him because he was presumptuous and physically repulsive. There’s a wide gulf between repulsive and corpse-in-the-back-of-the-car.)
Anne had a lot of traits that I wouldn’t mind in a character. I like how very San Francisco she is, even while dreaming of being a New Yorker. What I didn’t like was her single-minded focus on getting that proposal. (First of all, cohabitation IS commitment. Her inability to see this as a promise moving their relationship forward was frustrating.) for her to deliver an ultimatum, then text Sergio for two weeks and send him a photo of her romantic-inspired art was infuriating. Then to surprise him with a visit he had just rejected because she might try to seduce him, only for her to seduce him?! Reprehensible. When he proposed I was yelling “run away, Sergio!” at my book.
But the historical inaccuracies - that were identified with simple google searches - made my history-loving heart hurt. Did the author not know that the Waldorf was razed in autumn and early winter of 1929 for the foundation of the new Empire State Building? There could’ve been another throw away line from Aunt June about moving into a home, noting “since you’ll have to wait for the new Waldorf-Astoria to be built”. Singing Jeepers Creepers in a 1929-30 burlesque show? Unlikely, as the song was written in 1938. There were little wobbles like this that pulled me away from Clair’s story and frustrated me to no end.
I think the story could’ve been compelling, if the pace had been slowed and the moral of Clair’s “follow your heart” had tied more into her mother’s story earlier. (I loved the summer house memories, for example - they did more to describe April’s history than the fast-paced sudden explanation at the end.)
This book is clearly what some people are looking for, but it’s not for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 21, 2018
Anne has been struggling in a long-distance romance with long-time boyfriend, Sergio. Anne is an artist based in San Fransisco and Sergio a New York City designer. Anne wants Sergio to buckle down and commit to the relationship, but that may not be where either of their hearts lie. On a trip to New York, Anne picks up a pair of antique rhinestone shoes. With the shoes comes a strand of pearls and a hidden picture of two flappers wearing just those shoes. The shoes inspire Anne to create several art pieces as well as think about her situation with Sergio. In 1929, Clair, the original owner of the shoes, admires the footwear from the window. She knows her father would never let her own them. Although, Clair finds a friend in a performer, Winnie, who introduces Clair to speakeasies and uncovers Clair's hidden talents. When Clair's life seems to be controlled by everyone but her, Clair's father pushing her into an arranged marriage with an odious man named Farley and not allowing her to continue her college education, the stock market crashes. Clair decides to carry on and follow her heart becoming the provider of the family by secretly performing in a Broadway Review. When Anne learns of the woman behind the shoes, she takes a page from Clair's book and decides to follow her heart.
A beautifully written dual-timeline story of two women learning to follow their hearts. I enjoyed both Anne and Clair's characters and their willingness to strike out on their own, even if it took a lot of convincing. The quick flow of the chapters with switching points of view between Anne and Clair kept my reading at a good pace. Clair's story stole my attention as I was pulled in by her spirited nature and willingness to strive forward in life despite everything thrown in front of her. The ambiance of 1929-30 shown through with the extravagance of hotel living, debutante balls, speakeasies, FBI raids and the devastation felt after the crash. Anne's story was a slow journey to self realization that took more time to reel me in. Both women are wonderful examples of determination and perseverance in times of strife.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
A beautifully written dual-timeline story of two women learning to follow their hearts. I enjoyed both Anne and Clair's characters and their willingness to strike out on their own, even if it took a lot of convincing. The quick flow of the chapters with switching points of view between Anne and Clair kept my reading at a good pace. Clair's story stole my attention as I was pulled in by her spirited nature and willingness to strive forward in life despite everything thrown in front of her. The ambiance of 1929-30 shown through with the extravagance of hotel living, debutante balls, speakeasies, FBI raids and the devastation felt after the crash. Anne's story was a slow journey to self realization that took more time to reel me in. Both women are wonderful examples of determination and perseverance in times of strife.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
October 5, 2018
So much fun getting to know these women and watch them achieve fulfillment in their lives.
Anne McFarland is in the middle of a cross country romance. Her boyfriend Sergio lives in New York City and she loves visiting the him and the city too, but she is currently residing in San Francisco. While on a trip to visit Sergio, Anne stumbles into a vintage antique shop and finds a pair of old shoes that must have a story attached to them. As an artists, these shoes give her an inspiration and she buys them. She soon finds clues that leads Anne on a mission to uncover the shoes original owner.
In 1929, Clair Deveraux is a sheltered socialite that wants more out of life than to just be a pretty face for a future husband. She wants to go to university, but her father just wants to marry her off to someone who is twice her age. While looking for some items in Macy’s, she befriends a young store clerk named Winnie who leads Clair on an adventure to a speakeasy and to discovering a new era of music that can’t keep her body still. But when Clair’s father suddenly loses all their wealth in the stock market crash, she finds herself wrapped up in this new world in an effort to save her family.
This was a really fun story to relate to two different women in different eras. Both woman had different circumstances, yet were looking for fulfillment in life and each woman was able to find it. The past/present crossover storyline seems to be really picking up popularity with several readers. I have found that typically the reader relates to one character more than the other, which I think was more the case with Anne for me. There was more similarities that I could identify with based on her life, but I still enjoyed both stories. I enjoyed getting to know both woman as the author made it very easy to be able to do that. The writing was clean and the storyline was fantastic. I recommend this book to people who enjoy contemporary crossover romances and women’s fiction.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.
Anne McFarland is in the middle of a cross country romance. Her boyfriend Sergio lives in New York City and she loves visiting the him and the city too, but she is currently residing in San Francisco. While on a trip to visit Sergio, Anne stumbles into a vintage antique shop and finds a pair of old shoes that must have a story attached to them. As an artists, these shoes give her an inspiration and she buys them. She soon finds clues that leads Anne on a mission to uncover the shoes original owner.
In 1929, Clair Deveraux is a sheltered socialite that wants more out of life than to just be a pretty face for a future husband. She wants to go to university, but her father just wants to marry her off to someone who is twice her age. While looking for some items in Macy’s, she befriends a young store clerk named Winnie who leads Clair on an adventure to a speakeasy and to discovering a new era of music that can’t keep her body still. But when Clair’s father suddenly loses all their wealth in the stock market crash, she finds herself wrapped up in this new world in an effort to save her family.
This was a really fun story to relate to two different women in different eras. Both woman had different circumstances, yet were looking for fulfillment in life and each woman was able to find it. The past/present crossover storyline seems to be really picking up popularity with several readers. I have found that typically the reader relates to one character more than the other, which I think was more the case with Anne for me. There was more similarities that I could identify with based on her life, but I still enjoyed both stories. I enjoyed getting to know both woman as the author made it very easy to be able to do that. The writing was clean and the storyline was fantastic. I recommend this book to people who enjoy contemporary crossover romances and women’s fiction.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.
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