First published 2008
In the glittering ballrooms of 1899 Manhattan, rebellious young women dance through the night in exquisite gowns while charming men with devilish grins harbor questionable motives. The social season brings together daughters of New York's elite families, but beneath the surface of elegant parties and proper courtship rituals, deception runs deep. These spirited girls refuse to follow the rules their mothers set for them. They sneak out to forbidden gatherings and pursue romances that could destroy their reputations. Meanwhile, the young men who court them smile sweetly while plotting schemes that could ruin lives. Lies accumulate like layers of silk and lace. Family secrets threaten to surface at the worst possible moments. Scandals brew behind closed doors of Fifth Avenue mansions. As the season progresses, each character must choose between following society's expectations and pursuing their true desires, knowing that one wrong step could mean social exile in a world where reputation means everything.
Genres: romance, american-fiction, historical-fiction, 19th-century
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: deception, forbidden-romance, social-expectations
Setting: Manhattan, Fifth Avenue
Period: 1899
453 pages · Broché · Albin Michel