Grandly harmonious with it’s content, Tiffany Blues would speak to any artist’s heart.
Content Warning: Death, Manslaughter, Rape, Drug use & Addiction, Illegal Drinking, Adult Content
“We're all broken in one way or another, but it's through the cracks in our souls that the light comes through. And the light, Jenny, that's our art. Now, paint. Paint as if your life depends on it.”
This is the fourth book that I’ve read by this author. While I’ve always appreciated her ability to express artistic material so well, this is the first story that I’ve fallen in love with. Grandly harmonious with it’s content, Tiffany Blues would speak to any artist’s heart. The story is based on the Laurelton Hall, designed and owned by the famous Louis Comfort Tiffany (designer for the Tiffany’s empire which still reigns today. Click here to some more information about him and his amazing creations!)
This historical fiction heavily submerges itself into the romantic life of artists in the 1920s, and is dappled with mystery, suspense, and a smidgen of the paranormal. It is well-developed and very well-researched--the author herself notes on the accuracy of much of her tale being attributed to true events and people in the Author’s Note. Following a young woman named Jenny Bell, the story submerges the reader in a world of dark and light, while searching for the color in its midst. Jenny, having experienced a traumatic past, takes a while to get to know. As her journey as an artist grows, the secrets of her past begin to unravel--no only exposing her just to the scrutiny of her friends.
“We're all broken in one way or another, but it's through the cracks in our souls that the light comes through. And the light, Jenny, that's our art. Now, paint. Paint as if your life depends on it.”
Jenny definitely has a difficult life. I felt that she could be either quite relatable, or not at all for the reader, depending on their stance coming into the story. Being so closed off as the main character can be risky for the reader, however, I think as time goes on and more is discovered about her, that it’s understandable. I found, at times, that her character felt almost flat when it came to emotion. I think it was because she was so used to holding up a facade of “everything is fine” that it caused her to react by not reacting, or totally overreacting. Overall, I liked how the author depicted these characters. They felt real, raw, and all had a purpose. I’m not usually a big one on romance, but I really appreciated the ending of this book. Yes, it was somewhat predictable, but it wasn’t completely a bad thing.
The other, more obvious part of this book that I mostly enjoyed was the art. Boy, can one tell that Ms. Rose knows what she’s talking about when it comes to this subject! In all of her books (at least, that I’ve read) art plays a major role. Her understanding not only of its history, but how it impacts people, is simply so inciteful. I remember my reaction of horror when reading Caraval and the misunderstood use of color to haphazardly explain emotion totally turned me off from that entire series. This book, however, uses color as description for emotions so well.
Overall, this book was fantastic. There is some adult content to note, as this serves as a chunk of the plot’s premise. However, the focus on art and Laurelton Hall made this read totally worth it.
Vulgarity: Some.
Sexual content: There are some scenes of nudity, mildly explicit sex scenes, and a rape scene recollection.
Violence: Moderate, including death due to manslaughter.
My Rating: ★★★★
“We're all broken in one way or another, but it's through the cracks in our souls that the light comes through. And the light, Jenny, that's our art. Now, paint. Paint as if your life depends on it.”
This is the fourth book that I’ve read by this author. While I’ve always appreciated her ability to express artistic material so well, this is the first story that I’ve fallen in love with. Grandly harmonious with it’s content, Tiffany Blues would speak to any artist’s heart. The story is based on the Laurelton Hall, designed and owned by the famous Louis Comfort Tiffany (designer for the Tiffany’s empire which still reigns today. Click here to some more information about him and his amazing creations!)
This historical fiction heavily submerges itself into the romantic life of artists in the 1920s, and is dappled with mystery, suspense, and a smidgen of the paranormal. It is well-developed and very well-researched--the author herself notes on the accuracy of much of her tale being attributed to true events and people in the Author’s Note. Following a young woman named Jenny Bell, the story submerges the reader in a world of dark and light, while searching for the color in its midst. Jenny, having experienced a traumatic past, takes a while to get to know. As her journey as an artist grows, the secrets of her past begin to unravel--no only exposing her just to the scrutiny of her friends.
“We're all broken in one way or another, but it's through the cracks in our souls that the light comes through. And the light, Jenny, that's our art. Now, paint. Paint as if your life depends on it.”
Jenny definitely has a difficult life. I felt that she could be either quite relatable, or not at all for the reader, depending on their stance coming into the story. Being so closed off as the main character can be risky for the reader, however, I think as time goes on and more is discovered about her, that it’s understandable. I found, at times, that her character felt almost flat when it came to emotion. I think it was because she was so used to holding up a facade of “everything is fine” that it caused her to react by not reacting, or totally overreacting. Overall, I liked how the author depicted these characters. They felt real, raw, and all had a purpose. I’m not usually a big one on romance, but I really appreciated the ending of this book. Yes, it was somewhat predictable, but it wasn’t completely a bad thing.
The other, more obvious part of this book that I mostly enjoyed was the art. Boy, can one tell that Ms. Rose knows what she’s talking about when it comes to this subject! In all of her books (at least, that I’ve read) art plays a major role. Her understanding not only of its history, but how it impacts people, is simply so inciteful. I remember my reaction of horror when reading Caraval and the misunderstood use of color to haphazardly explain emotion totally turned me off from that entire series. This book, however, uses color as description for emotions so well.
Overall, this book was fantastic. There is some adult content to note, as this serves as a chunk of the plot’s premise. However, the focus on art and Laurelton Hall made this read totally worth it.
Vulgarity: Some.
Sexual content: There are some scenes of nudity, mildly explicit sex scenes, and a rape scene recollection.
Violence: Moderate, including death due to manslaughter.
My Rating: ★★★★