Monday, March 17, 2014

Review: Fallen Beauty by Erika Robuck

Title: Fallen Beauty
Author: Erika Robuck
Source: Amazon Vine
Genre: Historical Fiction
Release Date: March 4, 2014
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

“Without sin, can we know beauty? Can we fully appreciate the summer without the winter? No, I am glad to suffer so I can feel the fullness of our time in the light.”

Upstate New York, 1928. Laura Kelley and the man she loves sneak away from their judgmental town to attend a performance of the scandalous Ziegfeld Follies. But the dark consequences of their night of daring and delight reach far into the future.…

That same evening, Bohemian poet Edna St. Vincent Millay and her indulgent husband hold a wild party in their remote mountain estate, hoping to inspire her muse. Millay declares her wish for a new lover who will take her to unparalleled heights of passion and poetry, but for the first time, the man who responds will not bend completely to her will.…

Two years later, Laura, an unwed seamstress struggling to support her daughter, and Millay, a woman fighting the passage of time, work together secretly to create costumes for Millay’s next grand tour. As their complex, often uneasy friendship develops amid growing local condemnation, each woman is forced to confront what it means to be a fallen woman…and to decide for herself what price she is willing to pay to live a full life.

“Lovers of the Jazz Age, literary enthusiasts, and general historic fiction readers will find much to love about Call Me Zelda. Highly recommended.” –Historical Novel Society, Editors’ Choice



When I first started Fallen Beauty I thought the story was going to be about heart break, but I was so wrong.  Taking me back in time to the late twenties, where times were changing quickly (but not quick enough for some), I was captivated by everything and everyone.  Laura is a character that we can all latch on to for different reasons, and as she grows into a such a wonderful person I was constantly amazed, but at the same time she remains incredible, beautifully flawed.

Vincent Millay is her perfect foil.  Living life hard, fast, and rough, she is addicted to the rush of something new.  Laura is at first just a pretty new shiny toy for the famous poet, but something about her changes even the most wild thoughs in Vincent's head.  They become friends of a sort and I never would have imagined the life lessons they manage to learn from each other.

Fallen Beauty was not about a broken heart.  It was about the power to mend hearts and minds and learn to live with others (no matter how different they may be).

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*


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