First published 2016
Joan Fortier commands every room she enters in 1950s Houston. Tall, blonde, and magnetic, she draws men like moths to flame while women envy her effortless dominance of the social scene. The oil money flows freely through garden clubs and debutante balls, but real power remains firmly in male hands. Joan wants more than the prescribed role of beautiful ornament, and her hunger grows dangerous. Cece Buchanan has orbited Joan since childhood, serving as loyal friend, watchful chaperone, and occasional accomplice. She knows Joan's secrets and shields her from scandal. But as Joan's behavior becomes increasingly reckless, pushing against the rigid boundaries of their gilded world, Cece faces an impossible decision. Her devotion to Joan collides with the suffocating expectations of their society, forcing her toward a choice that will shatter everything she thought she understood about friendship, loyalty, and survival.
Genres: american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, female-friendship, social-climbing
Setting: Houston
Period: 1950s
384 pages · Hardcover · Riverhead Books
Content warnings: sexism