Tiffany Blues

Tiffany & Co. has been an obsession of mine since I first laid eyes on their iconic charm bracelet when I was in high school.  I always imagined what it would feel like to hold that Tiffany blue box in my hands and place that gorgeous bracelet on my wrist.  I could spend hours walking through the store or perusing their expansive catalog.  Tiffany & Co. is, and always has been, perfection to me.

Sadly, I do not know much about the company itself or the founder, Charles Lewis Tiffany, which is why Tiffany Blues by M.J. Rose intrigued me.

What Was Historical

Though it is a fiction, there are several historical accuracies, which I found utterly fascinating.  Tiffany & Co. was founded in 1837 by Charles Lewis Tiffany.  His son, Louis Comfort Tiffany, was an artist that created the gorgeous stained glass that Tiffany & Co. was so well known for in their early days.  Louis also created a colony for budding artists in the early 1920's called Laurelton Hall in Long Island, New York.  This breathtaking mansion and landscape was to serve as a muse for young artists and to help them focus and allow their most creative side to emerge.

What Was Fictional

Jenny Bell is a 24-year-old struggling artist in New York.  In the summer of 1924, Jenny is living with fellow artist, Minx Deering in New York, working several jobs and barely making ends meet.  Jenny is incredibly talented but is trapped in the past, the horrible events that transpired between her mother and step-father constantly on her mind; a past that she keeps all to herself for fear of people knowing that she is flawed.  This entrapment shows in her work, with the artist painting the same mausoleum over and over in dark tones.  Minx sees the talent in her roommate and secretly enters one of her paintings to be reviewed by Tiffany,  in hopes to be chosen for the next Laurelton Hall season.

Both Jenny and Minx are accepted and end up being the only two girls at Laurelton Hall that summer.  Louis Comfort Tiffany quickly befriends Jenny and takes a personal interest in helping the young artist unleash whatever it is that is blocking her.  Jenny vows to focus only on her art but Tiffany's grandson Oliver soon becomes a distraction.  Being a virgin, Oliver unleashes a passion within Jenny that she thought would never exist.  She gives over to him body, mind, and soul.  This newfound desire, mixed with a strained relationship between her and Mix, the constant struggle with her past, and a robbery of the most sought-after jewels in the world, turns Jenny's world upside down and makes for one unforgettable summer.

My Thoughts

All in all I liked Tiffany Blues.  The sexual parts were done in good taste but Jenny and Oliver's relationship, and Jenny herself, got annoying after awhile.  The abuses, though incredibly hard to read, were well thought out and hard to forget due to the incredible writing by M.J. Rose.  The author did an wonderful job of being descriptive of the landscape of Laurelton Hall.  The imagery converted me back to the roarings '20's and all the glitz and jazz of that era, and just how amazing that estate must've been like.

The fictional part of the narrative was okay but I enjoyed the historical aspects the most and wish they were more in depth.  It has definitely piqued my curiosity about Louis Comfort Tiffany and what Laurelton Hall really was like back then.  I really enjoyed Minx's character and storyline, and though much of the drama was predictable, I thought the story as a whole was decent enough, and the ending sweet.  This is my first book by M.J. Rose but it will not be my last!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Atria Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.  All opinions are my own.