The Jewel Box

by Anna Davis

From the author of The Shoe Queen comes a jazz-age tale of love set in the world of London’s high society.

London, 1927. Diamond Sharp writes a racy newspaper column, using a fake name to conceal her identity. When she meets two charismatic American men who are bitter enemies, her life is turned upside down. She is drawn to both of them but isn’t sure whom she can trust. As she becomes increasingly involved with both, Diamond begins to uncover a nest of secrets that puts both her heart and her reputation at risk.

Blending the rich historical detail of Philippa Gregory’s novels with the sophisticated glamour of Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic books, The Jewel Box is romantic historical fiction at its finest.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Historical, British Literature, Chick Lit, Historical Romance

384 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2009

About the author

Anna Davis is the author of five novels: The Jewel Box, The Shoe Queen, Cheet, Melting and The Dinner, as well as short stories and journalism. She lives in London with her partner and two children.

Anna is also the founder and Managing Director of Curtis Brown Creative, the only creative writing school run by literary agents.
http://www.curtisbrowncreative.co.uk/

Reviews

[Courtney Bowman · Rating 1 out of 5]

I will be honest, I could not finish this book. I felt no connection the characters and they seemed flat, at least they did to me. I really did want to enjoy this book, but each word I read I wanted to hit my head against something. I loved the setting and the time period and that was about it.

For some reason they main character kept getting under my skin and I am not even sure why. I don't even get why I didn't enjoy this book, because I enjoyed The Shoe Queen, but not this book. Maybe it is the way too similar story lines. All I am going to say is I am happy I got this book at the library and didn't pay the 15 dollars they wanted at the bookstore.

[Samantha Trillium (Just Reading in the Rain)☂ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was entertaining. It was one of those books where at one point I could care less if I continued on with it, and the next minute I'm suddenly 200 pages in and wide awake.

This story is about Grace, an advertising copy writer by day, mysterious socialite by the name of Diamond Sharp at night. During the day she works hard to prove herself capable as a woman in the work force, and at night working hard to be the first to report on the goings on in London in the 1920's. It is here she meets a mysterious American fellow who seems to be popping up everywhere she goes.

There are many elements of this story that I enjoy: a very dramatic back story with her sister, London in the 1920's and lots and lots of glamour and gossip. What I didn't particularly enjoy was the characters themselves. I never warmed to Grace - I felt she jumped from one feeling to the next too quickly, I could barely catch up with her train of thoughts, and I was very confused by her rational most times.

I think the author missed a big opportunity here with woman's rights in the 20's. Graces' mother was a suffragette and still encouraged Grace to get a good education and to use her Diamond Sharpe column for greater things, rather than always filling it with material topics. But the thing is, what Grace was doing back then was a bit of a trailblazer in itself: working two jobs, standing up to her sexist advertising boss, writing a popular column in a newspaper -but she brushes her mother off and denies all her efforts. It would have been nice to see a bit more spirit on the woman's rights front.

[Dawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd seen a few reviews on this one floating around so I grabbed it, despite it's place on the romance shelf, because I wanted something lighter to read after the recent rash of histories. And while it is light, and it is a romance, it's not really a puff piece either.

Anna Davis takes us to London in the flapper era to meet Grace Rutherford, junior copywriter by day, and Diamond Sharp, acidic social columnist by night. And that's probably the least complicated thing about Grace's life. Through her eyes we look at how easy it really can be to fool one's self, about who you are, what you want, and where your obligations to others begin and end.

The characters are sparsely drawn, but the interest lies less in the characters themselves or even the plot, but in the complex interweaving relationships between them. "The Jewel Box" is a spider's web of love, loss, and indecision that highlights our often illogical reactions to others in our relationships. The somewhat dry writing style is relived by the insertion of the "Diamond Sharp columns" that are witty and almost catty voice of our heroine's alter ego, and together the leave us with a nicely balanced whole.

Overall it's a fair attempt, and while not on my must-read list it's a fairly good littl enovel worth the read if there's nothing more pressing in the stack.

[Kiri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh this is a delight. A solid 3.8 stars. A snappy historical fiction novel set in London in the late 1920's. It has parts that hark back into the mid 19-teens and WWI to illustrate plot points and character background / motivation but it is well done. There are elements of romance but they are set well within the plot/storyline and enmeshed in the ongoing relationships of the characters. The period is fairly well drawn and you get a sense of the dichotomy between the racy well to do set and the dreary work a day world of those trying to make ends meet after the war. The author does this with an adept hand through various means.

If you enjoy a novel that drops you into the 1920's, gives you a taste of the nightlife of London, some snappy dialogue, and shows you life of women of the period - pick this up toot suite!

[Selin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked how this book played out. It gave me such comfort and relief after the multiple books I have read before turning out to be not my liking, this book has said otherwise. (Clear how much of a reading slump I was in by looking at the start and end date)

As I enjoy reading books about the 1920s (thanks to my first discovery back in high school reading The Great Gatsby), this book has given me the true essence of what I want to see in a book set in the 20s, the glamour, jazz, twisted and confusing love triangles, it was all in there, you just had to be there reading it.

My only reason for giving this book a 4 star instead of a 5 is mainly how rushed the ending felt. The ending could have gone on about the aftermath of O'Neill's life, John, and Grace. Otherwise, this book had me at the edge of my seat waiting to see how it all turns out. And yes, once I finished the book Grace has certainly given me a lot of facepalm moments, not to mention selfish vibes. However, that was just part of her character I suppose.

In conclusion, I am glad Grace got her happy ending, and things turned out how they should have. The writing was unique I will say. Finally finishing my June reading, I shall finally continue my reading endeavours in Anna Karenina.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished this one and really enjoyed it! I'm not a big fan of basic chick lit, I like it to have a little something different that gives it an edge, and this really delivered for me!

It's not life changing reading, but it was a fun, enjoyable read that kept me turning pages! I loved the setting of 20's London, and really liked Grace and enjoyed reading of her escapades!

[Hilary · Rating 1 out of 5]

I stopped reading this book when the main character started sleeping with her sister's husband. Please, show a little self-respect and self-restraint!

[Vaneza Vasquez · Rating 3 out of 5]

i like the way it was written and the era it was written in the 1920's was an intresting time and it is acurate about the things going on at the time.

[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, but it broke everything my grandma led me to believe about people in the 1920s, people cheat.

[Everyle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Uwielbiam wprost lata 20-te, więc gdy tylko widzę książkę, której akcja toczy się w tych latach, to biorę ją niemalże w ciemno. Tymczasem jak się okazało, „W blasku diamentów” niestety nie jest żadnym książkowym diamentem, a zwykłym przeciętnym czytadłem. Na dodatek z niesamowicie irytującą główną bohaterką. Grace Rutherford, samotna kobieta przed trzydziestką, pracuje jako copywriter, a także pod pseudonimem pisze felietony o nocnym życiu Londynu. Niemalże w tym samym czasie poznaje dwóch tajemniczych Amerykanów; pisarza i dziennikarza, których na dodatek łączy wspólna przeszłość. Jak łatwo się domyślić, Grace podoba się jeden i drugi, przez co mota się przez prawie całą książkę, nie mogąc się zdecydować. Akcja toczy się również w czasach I wojny światowej i jak się okazuje, Grace wcześniej miała taki sam problem, nie mogąc się zdecydować pomiędzy dwójką mężczyzn, którzy jej się podobali. I odniosłam wrażenie, że nie wyciągnęła z tego żadnych wniosków, bo później zachowywała się równie głupkowato. To chyba w założeniu miała być książka o młodej, nowoczesnej kobiecie, która nie stoi w cieniu mężczyzn, tylko obcięta na pazia, w krótkiej sukience, podbija londyńskie parkiety. Szkoda tylko, że szybko to schodzi na drugi plan na rzecz miłosnego trójkącika, który nie wzbudza żadnych emocji ( poza irytacją oczywiście), a to co mnie najbardziej interesowało w tej książce, ogranicza się do krótkich felietonów, które Grace pisze pod pseudonimem.

Po więcej zapraszam na mojego instagrama: https://www.instagram.com/katkabooks/

[Kari · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one considering I bought it mainly for its cover at a second hand shop. Set in 1920s London it’s the story of a young woman attempting to overcome her past and present demons. While it was pretty good it was a little on the nose at times and if you are familiar with the lives of the Fitzgeralds you could see their influence throughout. Writing was choppy at times and the style of the book with the articles mixed with current and past events could be a little jarring for some. Overall worth the read and I kept looking forward to picking it up.

[Jennifer Wiens · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent little read. I loved the setting and the 1920's theme. I love to see women breaking molds and advocating for fair treatment, so I enjoyed that aspect of the book. I had a hard time connecting with the characters and believing the many coincidences that resulted in the multiple love triangles. The love story between Grace and John seemed very shallow and predictable which made the ending a bit disappointing.

[annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

i bought it for cheap at a book sale once and i have finally read it.

i actually enjoyed the first couple chapters, although grace could be annoying at times. but what completely threw me off was her affair with george. it made me hate her.

the ending was quite alright i guess? not a big fan of the ending.

[Elaine Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book kept calling me to read it every time I passed the shelf in the kitchen. So I finally gave in and read it. It wasn't too bad - a piece of not so light hearted chick lit. It was one of those books that once started you don't want to put it down. The rich "Flapper" scene is something else!!

[Sadie Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a book I would usually read, but for easy light reading ok. Made me think about the emotional side of relationships that have secrets and wrong doings. It shows how wrong it is to cross boundaries, but how easy it can happen when love is bought into it. Chaos breeds chaos.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cocktails, Charleston und Zigarettenrauch. Das Ganze in einem Nachtclub im London der 20er Jahre. Eine musikalische Kulisse und eine Frau mit zwei Gesichtern. Willkommen in der Welt von Grace Rutherford, besser bekannt als die Kolumnistin Diamond Sharp – eine Protagonistin mit Pfiff in einer Geschichte, die so einige Längen aufweist. „Das Funkeln zwischen den Zeilen“ ist ein Roman mit viel Potenzial, dieses aber einfach nicht ausschöpft.

Inhalt
Grace Rutherford hat zwei Identitäten. Am Tag arbeitet sie als Texterin in einer Werbeagentur, in der Nacht zieht sie als berühmt-berüchtigte Kolumnistin durch die Clubs des schicken Londons und seiner High Society. Sie ist talentiert, keine Frage. Doch als Frau hat man es in diesen Zeiten nicht einfach. Als Alleinverdienerin muss sie ihre Familie, sprich ihre Schwester mit den Kindern und ihre eigene Mutter, durchbringen und auch mit den Männern läuft es nicht, wie sie es gern hätte. Bis der mysteriöse Autor O‘Connel auftaucht. Doch er ist ein Playboy – also perfekt für Diamond Sharp … und somit auch für Grace Rutherford, oder nicht? Intrigen, Partys und das reale Leben treffen in einer spritzigen Geschichte aufeinander. Kann neben Diamond auch Grace ihr Glück finden?

Meinung
„Das Funkeln zwischen den Zeilen“ ist ein wirklich schöner Titel. Er verspricht eine Geschichte, die mit dem Schreiben zu tun hat und in der man viel Romantik finden kann. Beides beinhaltet dieses Buch tatsächlich. Dennoch bin ich ein wenig enttäuscht. Wirklich gut gefiel mir das Setting des Romans. London in den 20er Jahren, eine wilde Zeit, in der sich viel geändert hat. Wir befinden uns zeitlich also im Umbruch und man kommt nicht umhin zwischenzeitlich an den großen Gatsby zu denken. All das Flair weist auch das Buch von Anna Davies auf. Von der Kulisse war ich wirklich begeistert: All die Nachtclubs, die Cocktails, das Mysteriöse, die beginnende Emanzipation und die Überwindung des ersten großen Krieges. Geschichtlich hat mich das Buch wirklich fasziniert. Doch leider ist es mit einem Handlungsort allein nicht getan. Auch die Charaktere und die Handlung selbst spielen eine große Rolle – und beide muss ich leider zu Teilen kritisieren.
Grace ist eine interessante und vor allem moderne Frau. Es ist nicht so, als wenn sich ihre beiden Identitäten nicht vertragen würden. Sie ist einfach beides und das jeweils ein bisschen. Sie ist exzentrisch und selbstbewusst, begehrt und einsam. Sie hat einen schweren Charakter, musste jedoch auch Einiges im Leben mitmachen. Dennoch empfand ich ihre Vergangenheit oftmals nicht als Entschuldigung. Diese Frau hat eine Menge Fehler gemacht – doch sie ist nicht allein daran schuld gewesen. Es gibt viele Figuren in dieser Geschichte. Manchmal verliert man den Überblick. Doch viele der Figuren konnte ich einfach nicht leiden. Zum Teil lag das an ihrer Oberflächlichkeit, die für den Rahmen der Handlung aber selbstverständlich ist, zum anderen waren sie einfach unsympathisch. Der „Teufel“, O’Connel ist beispielsweise so ein Fall. Ich konnte ihn von Anfang an nicht leiden. Ebenso unsympathisch empfand ich Grace Schwester Nancy und ihren verstorbenen Ehemann George. Wenn ich so drüber nachdenke, gab es eigentlich wenige Figuren, die ich wirklich mochte. Da wären nur John, Dickie und Sheridan – drei Männer mit Charakter, wenn ihr mich fragt.
Allerdings ist es schwer in eine Handlung zu finden, wenn man keinen Liebling in ihr hat. Grace ist zwar eine starke Persönlichkeit, doch leider auch keine Sympathieträgerin.
Auch die Handlung selbst weist Schwächen auf. Es gibt viele Nebenhandlungen und manchmal erkennt man nicht, dass es nur um den Findungsprozess von Grace geht. Es ist das reinste Getrudel, die Geschichte dümpelt so vor sich hin. Ich will damit gar nicht sagen, dass es nicht auch spannende Stellen gibt. Mir gefiel das Leben, das Grace als Diamond Sharp führt und wirklich gut hat mir auch die Rivalität der Männer John und O’Connel gefallen, die das Geheimnis um die mysteriöse Eva lange hüten. Die Passagen aus der Vergangenheit haben ebenfalls Pep. Allerdings nicht alle.
mich hat einfach zu viel gestört. Die vorherrschende Arroganz, die vielen Längen in der Handlung und die fehlende Zielorientierung. Der Schreibstil ist soweit gut, aber nicht sonderlich anregend. Wirklich toll sind die Kolumnen von Diamond Sharp, die vor jedem Kapitel abgedruckt sind. Man könnte Grace als Vorgängerin von Gossip Girl betrachten. Der Ton der modernen Frau war toll.
Das Allerschlimmste an diesem Buch war allerdings seine Vorhersehbarkeit. Es ist ein nettes Buch in einer schönen Atmosphäre, aber schon sehr, sehr früh kann man voraussagen, wie es enden wird. Und leider kommt es auch ganz genauso.

Fazit
Jeder, der sich ein bisschen in den Twenties in London wiederfinden möchte, sollte zu diesem Buch greifen. Allerdings sollte man von der Geschichte nicht allzu viel erwarten und sich auf overflächliche Debatten vorbereiten. Dennoch kann man mit dem Buch Spaß haben, denn ein bisschen Funkeln zwischen den Zeilen ist durchaus zu finden. Ich vergebe 3 Sterne für den gut getanzten Charleston der Diamond Sharp.

[Claire Sayan · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 slooooowww stars

This took me ages to get into and even when I did I wasn't really bothered who she chose or why she chose them. Not brilliant for me this one.

[Alka Upadhyay · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars nice little light read

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 2 out of 5]

The description was much more intriguing than the final product though I will say that Diamond Sharp columns were the best part.

[Jacci · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just not for me.

[Cathleen Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

While there were certainly places where the plot or character(s) or dialogue struggled, overall it was an enjoyable read that transported me to another time and place. A good summer read.

[A]

DNF at page 148, I hated it.

[Sanovia · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️

[Teresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was nowhere near as good as Cheet.

[Wania Imtiaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I haven't read Anna Davis's other books, so perhaps it is premature for me to write her off as a romance author... but The Jewel Box is definitely a romance, as much as the author might have intended it to be an exploration of women in 1927 London, and as much as her publishers desperately wished it to be a substantial Book Club selection. (They even gave us helpful questions to analyze, like "What do you think the cover of the book within a book looked like?" Or, "What does bobbed hair symbolize?" Plus, they recommend putting on hats and wigs during your book club meeting. Ladies, ladies, this is trying too hard!)

Two stars might seem a tad harsh for a romance novel that attempted to give the pair more problems than the usual, "I love sleeping with Mr. X, who has insisted he wants to marry me, but I refuse to accept his proposal until he signs ten affidavits that he is truly in love with me and not just being a gentleman/reformed rake/slick outlaw." In fact, if The Jewel Box had decided to stick to a simple romance, it might have had enough spirit in its protagonist's gossip columns that my irritation would have been kept to a minimum. Unfortunately the book valiantly struggles to interest us with different variations of the romantic formula, thrown together into a complicated mess of a family. Here, we start with the typical Girl meets Rake, Rake insults Girl, Girl is intrigued, Girl and Rake couple passionately, Girl meets Gentleman, Gentleman warns her of Rake, Girl has conflicting emotions, Girl grows to respect Gentleman. But this is no Typical Rake/Gentleman Plot! Girl has a Sister who recognizes the respectability of said Gentleman!--And both sisters shared two men 12 years earlier, even after marriage!--And the sisters' parents switched spouses with another family 30 years earlier!--And Gentleman and Rake shared a love for years too! That's right: 3 love "squares" and 1 love triangle, all in one book. There comes a point in the course of reading all these "surprising" (read: random) back stories that you just have to wonder if the author forgot that she had already pulled the same mixed up pairings thing 50 pages earlier. To have confused loves once may be regarded as clever, four times looks like carelessness.

Even the confusing love shapes might have been able to be forgiven by me if this book weren't speckled with attempts to elevate it into the general fiction genre that instead detracted from its value as a romance. Since the main character, Grace, had such a vibrant voice in her gossip columns, the author had to rely on other characters to remind everyone that life is not only finding the best band conductor for the Charleston and sharing men with your sister. Thus we had a protofeminist suffragette mother, a soldier suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, a literary circle of nudists, a recovering alcoholic, and a gay (or nerdy?) bar owner who suffers from unresolved issues with his judgmental father, and various spouses/lovers mourning their dead. Strangely the book club guide only identified feminism as a topic of discussion within these options, despite the more interesting ones of "What should we make of the nudity of the literati? Is PTSD a reasonable excuse to start a multi-year affair with your sister-in-law?" Going back to the serious topic of feminism, on the one hand characters mention unequal enfranchisement occasionally, and lament the double standard in the workplace. On the other hand, the issue is only really forced when suffragette mummy heartily scolds Grace for not paying attention to weightier issues, and despondent (due to her romantic turmoil) Grace submits a column that had me sincerely wondering if Grace could possibly care.

The other way to banish thoughts of the book being a mere romance was for there to be mystery. Again, the author tried to do some of this: Did the Rake kill his exlover? Is the Gentleman an evil liar? What is the jewel box? The only answer that would have made me like the book by the end would have been for the jewel box to have been the only evidence remaining from when the Rake killed the wife of the Gentleman after she was forcibly placed in an asylum where she formed a love pentagon with these guys and a dead sister who could be contacted only by a medium (and, yes, this actually would have worked as a plot revelation up until the last third of the book or so).

[Rachel Brand · Rating 4 out of 5]

From a glance at the cover this appears to be yet another chick-lit novel, so I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be much more than that. Set in London in the Roaring Twenties when women were just starting to gain independence and freedom, this is the story of Grace, a "modern woman". She's the daughter of a Suffragette, still unmarried at the age of 30 and one of the lucky few to have a professional job as a copywriter. Grace is also the secret author of a society column in a newspaper, and spends much of her time visiting nightclubs and restaurants and advising women on what to wear, how to do their hair, where to eat out and how to do the Charleston. Yet deep down, Grace yearns for more than this. Flashbacks reveal that she and her sister were once in love with two brothers who went to fight in the Great War, the war that changed everything. Grace has resigned herself to looking after Nancy, her widowed sister, and Nancy's children, but the appearance of two very different men makes her question the life she's living. Dexter O'Connell has a bad reputation with women, but Grace is convinced that a little romance won't cause any trouble. But her fling could risk her chances with John Cramer, a solid and responsible journalist whom she could actually spend her life with...

This is a novel about betrayals, mistakes, putting others first, heartbreak, the Great War, women's rights, responsibilities, selfishness, hidden affairs, family secrets, risk-taking and so much more. Yes, Grace finds herself torn between two men, and she cares a lot about clothes and make up and, like any chick-lit heroine, jumps to all the wrong conclusions and tries to run away from her problems. If you're looking for something entirely original, then this may not be the book for you. But for me, the wonderful setting and the complex backgrounds of the characters in this novel made this into more than just chick-lit. There were some great twists and turns that I didn't see coming and I could really relate to Grace, a modern and independent woman who really does wish that she had a man by her side, but just keeps making all the wrong decisions. If you enjoy chick-lit with a difference or just a fun view of London in the 1920s then I'd definitely recommend this novel. 8/10

[Lindsay Heller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of those books that is very pleasant, entertaining and swift. I enjoyed reading it very much. But as I delayed in writing my reviews I found there were a great many things about this book I couldn't recall. So, there you have it. It's a good entertaining novel, but it's not very memorable.

In the late twenties Londoner Grace writes a society column under the name Diamond Sharp. She glamorously moves from one chic club to the next, attracting the attention of men left and right, including two Americans trapped in a Wickham/Darcy situation. Dexter O'Connor is a rakish novelist who has a thing for adventure and John Cramer is a steady journalist who may or may not be involved with Grace's sister Nancy. And this isn't the first time the two sisters shared a love. Before the war the two inseparable sisters gadded about with two boys, brothers, and when it came down to choosing who went with who a few hearts were silently broken. But with a new chance and a new love will Grace risk it all this time or are things finally falling into place?

This was like... one step from chick lit. There was a lot to recommend this novel; setting and time period definitely among them, but it did fall into many of the same traps chick lit is famous for. The author spends a significant amount of time on clothes and makeup, for example, but it's hard to mind the the outfits are built for flappers. The romance is, of course, overwrought and somewhat soppy at times. Grace makes a lot of terrible choices and her conclusions are often absurd given the evidence. Like all good female leads in chick lit, she doesn't really talk about what happened or is happening.

Perhaps this is terrible, but I could have done without Nancy and her children. They really didn't add much to the story for me and causes unnecessary drama that made the story a bit over the top. Plus I have learned that throwing children into the mix, unless they are necessary) does very little for stories in general. We could have just as easily learned the story from the past without Nancy being there.

If you want a light romp through Jazz Age London you can probably do better than this, but there is plenty to admire here. Particularly if you want to pick up something light just to be entertained.

[Hakan Kin · Rating 1 out of 5]

From my perspective there were two crucial mistakes in the story which led it to sewer, immediately. The very first one starts with the gender inequality issue. Even tough, the main character (Grace) defines herself as a feminist, if we had a magical stick that could change her gender to male, we would have rapist, insestic, unfaithful, pathological liar as a main character. However, all of these patterns can be understood and tolerated, since she is a "strong" and "independent" woman. Following problem is mainly about the prospects of the writer. She seems to like to define the people beforehand, which makes the story irreversibly unreliable. For instance, writer mentions that Grace is an efficient, hardworking and fine employee who has to face with gender discriminating views. Not much but only after 2 weeks later, she gets fired, because she has sex with another fellow in the office, sent some wrong proposals (fraud in documentation), did not show up for the work for a whole week. This kind of examples also applicable for the other characters (from Dickie to Catherine). In general it was dissappointing for me and also humiliating for the feminist community. Finally, I just can't stop but mention; every time we were able to see Grace's opinions, the song of "I am a feminist but you are still a whore" by Kate Nash just kept coming to my mind.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here is the brief summation. In the 1920's, Grace Rutherford is writing a gossip column for the paper under a pen name while maintaining a day job and protecting her family. She has her mother, her widowed sister and her two children to take care of.

Along comes two different men - Dex O'Connor and John Cramer. They have a history with each other and hate each other. Both are smitten with Grace and she in turn with both of them. Add in a couple of different ex-lovers, her sister having a relationship with one of the guys, and...of course, a complicated past.

Every character was extremely vapid and one-dimensional. If they were good, they were good. If they were shallow, they were shallow. I struggled to see why she liked one of the guys. And THEN if it wasn't weird, they throw in another love triangle with Grace, her sister, and her sister's husband. He's dead, so it doesn't come back up, but there's a lot of dwelling and mulling.

I didn't particularly enjoy this book, but it could definitely be a good read for other people. And don't worry. Grace does pick a guy and it all ends happily.