I am not usually a fan of mystery and suspense novels, but this one is something special. I was asked to review a first novel by a doctoral student and I am so happy I did. In this book nothing is what it seems and yet it is all so innocent. You have to check out

The Other Typist by Suzanne Rindell
Publisher: Berkley Trade; Reprint edition
Pub Date: April 1, 2014
ISBN-13: 978-0425268421

Summary: For fans of The Talented Mr. Ripley and The Great Gatsby comes one of the most memorable unreliable narrators in years.

Rose Baker seals men’s fates. With a few strokes of the keys that sit before her, she can send a person away for life in prison. A typist in a New York City Police Department precinct, Rose is like a high priestess. Confessions are her job. It is 1923, and while she may hear every detail about shootings, knifings, and murders, as soon as she leaves the interrogation room she is once again the weaker sex, best suited for filing and making coffee.

This is a new era for women, and New York is a confusing place for Rose. Gone are the Victorian standards of what is acceptable. All around her women bob their hair, they smoke, they go to speakeasies. Yet prudish Rose is stuck in the fading light of yesteryear, searching for the nurturing companionship that eluded her childhood. When glamorous Odalie, a new girl, joins the typing pool, despite her best intentions Rose falls under Odalie’s spell. As the two women navigate between the sparkling underworld of speakeasies by night and their work at the station by day, Rose is drawn fully into Odalie’s high-stakes world. And soon her fascination with Odalie turns into an obsession from which she may never recover.

My Thoughts: I did not know what to expect with this book. It started off innocently enough as the story of a typist at a police precinct in the age of change for women. Rose was different – raised by nuns, she was somewhat of a prude and did not allow herself to have fun or understand women that did. She had no friends and when the precinct hired another typist, her curiosity about the woman got the best of her. Odalie was different too and not what you expect. Throughout this book, there are twists and turns and what you think is happening is something different all together. You have to read the entire book to even find out what happens in the end.

The author did a fabulous job sucking me in to the era of the speakeasy and underground world of NYC in the 1920’s. Her details and characters were spot on and I could feel the uncomfortableness of Rose as she extended herself more and more. Her obsession with Odalie is strange and yet the storyline flows around it, dragging you in too. You watch as Rose grows bolder and let her deepest thoughts and feelings step up and you wait for the crash. The foreshadowing in this book is awesome. You know something is going to happen that is bad but you really have no clue of who, what or when it will occur.

For a first novel, this author did a great job and I found myself turning the pages as fast as possible. I even had the urge to read ahead a few chapters to find out what was going to happen; it was making me crazy! But I resisted and I am glad I did. I Love unexpected endings and this book certainly has that.

Disclaimer: Chris has received no compensation for this post but did receive free product for purpose of review. These are her thoughts and views; your may vary. All Content on this site is Copyright of the Two Classy Chics All Rights Reserved.

There comes a time is a reader’s life where you start moving into books that are not your typical story. By expanding my reading pleasure into more of the women’s fiction and historical fiction arena, I have been discovering loads of amazing writers that create stories that almost defy descriptive words. Today I want to share with you a book that caught me off guard but I am so pleased I was able to review it.

FALLEN BEAUTY by Erika Robuck
Publisher: NAL Trade (March 4, 2014)
ISBN-13: 978-0451418906

Synopsis: “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 is 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.

My Thoughts: When I first started reading this book, I have to admit I was a little lost. You have 2 story lines that do not seem to make any sense and with the author referring to Edna St. Vincent Millay as Vincent, I honestly thought that those sections were about a guy. That made me wonder a lot as Ms. Millay what quite the bohemian free spirit for the times. Once I re-read several sections, I realized the Vincent is indeed Ms. Millay but her nickname was Vincent for many of her friends. Thankfully, that made more sense to the story as she was quite the wild child with her anything goes lifestyle.

While the author depicted the lifestyle of the often misunderstood poet, this story couples the outrageous and very quirky poet with a simple seamstress who has been shunned within her own town. While their stories are very different, the treatment they receive from others is a catalyst to a precarious yet eventual comforting partnership.

The writing, simply put, is amazing. The author has such a way with words that you feel like you are in Ms. Millay’s head and feeling her huge mood swings – despair and then happiness. Laura, the seamstress, is a huge part of this book along with her trials and tribulations and the two balance out this memorable story.

I began this book slowly, but the further I got into the story the more absorbed I became. I really enjoyed reading this book and the author does a fabulous job depicting the time and crafting a great story that weaves a bit of history in with a bit of fiction.

Disclaimer: Chris has received no compensation for this post but did receive free product for purpose of review. These are her thoughts and views; your may vary. Please read our Official Rules before entering this giveaway.  Two Classy Chics is not responsible for prize fulfillment. All Content on this site is Copyright of the Two Classy Chics All Rights Reserved.