I really enjoyed this book, and it put me in such a creative mood every time I put it down. I'm not much of an artistic person, but I was quickly invested in the stories of each of the characters and rooted for their successes along the way. This book is rich in details, and it moved the plot along in such a pleasant, smooth pace.

I asked and received a copy of this book from the author/Inkslinger PR in exchange for my honest review. Thank you, Inkslinger PR, for providing the ARC.


If you have the slightest creative bone in you, you are going to enjoy this book. This book is a historical fiction about Jenny Bell who is one of the twelve artists invited to a prestigious artists' colony in the 1920s. Laurelton Hall was a real-life home that Louis Comfort Tiffany, a design director at his family's Tiffany & Co., donated to his foundation for art students. The author has weaved on this fact a truly intriguing story. The characters are very well fleshed out, and the complexities of Jenny lends considerable interest to the plot.
If you are not one who cares too much about details, you might find that the story drags a bit, but if you enjoy the beauty of detailed description like me, you might not even notice.

This is the second book that I have read by the author, and I have enjoyed both very much. I found myself caring for the main character and what happens to her.
It’s an easy read and would definitely recommend if you are looking for a well written historical fiction with characters that connect.
Four Bookish Stars

When I start a book that everyone is talking about I am always worried that it won’t live up to the hype, that I won’t like it as much as everyone else, and that it just won’t be all that for me. I was pulled into a world that I didn’t know much about. The world of art is a virtual unknown to me; I go to museums but have never studied art. Yet, I was invested in Jenny, Oliver, and Minx. I wanted them to figure out their lives and find their happy ending.

Tiffany Blues is a light romance book with some mystery and history. The story was not a quick read and usually I struggle to finish slower books. With Tiffany Blues, I didn’t feel the must-read feeling that I have with other books but I knew that I had to read until the very end. I anticipated that there would be twists, turns, and so many other unknowns to be discovered before the book came to an end.

M.J. Rose is an author that I look to for a gothic and historical feel and I’m not sure this had as much of a gothic feeling as her other books have. With all that being said this is a book that I do recommend reading.

This is the story of a young artist, Jenny Bell. Jenny is living in New York with her new friend Minx Deering. Minx is wealthy and has no problems living in the style she has become accustomed to. Jenny, on the other hand, needs to work to stay at school. She has secrets in her past stemming from an abusive relationship her mother has with her second husband. When she is hired by the paper to do sketches during trials, she suddenly has more money than she is used to. She also meets a reporter, who she becomes friends with. The main plotline of the story is about a group of artists vying for a chance to exhibit a piece of art in the Tiffany Store and well as to study further with Louis Comfort Tiffany. He has opened up his home, Laurelton Hall as a retreat or summer colony for a group of artists that had to apply and be selected for a spot in this program. Jenny was selected, even though she did not apply, Minx applied on her behalf. Once they arrive, things begin to change for both Jenny and Minx.

The writing and descriptions in this book are beautiful and detailed. I enjoyed reading about the colours and how an artist sees the world. The story itself, was okay for me. I didn't love this story, I really wanted to, but I enjoyed it. There was romance, some mystery, drug addiction, betrayal, friendship, self-reflection, secrets and murder. I wanted to like Jenny, she was a character who had dealt with so much in her life that was not her fault, but she seemed a bit two-dimensional to me. I did like both of her romantic interests though. They were honest with her and genuinely wanted to help her and care for her. Minx fit her name well. She wanted to party and have a good time, unfortunately that put her in a precarious position. There is a bit of occult (ouija board) but that was just an interesting trick for one of the characters to get what he wanted. Overall, this was a beautifully written book that I did enjoy, just not as much as I had hoped.

I am a HUGE fan of M.J. Rose and have been ever since I read her first book. I was so thrilled to see she had another book on the docket. Jenny Bell is a young artist from Canada who has come to New York City to pursue her passion in art. Haunted by her familial past, she paints in hues of black and white, reliving aspects of images from her past. When given a chance to compete for a prize offered by Louis Comfort Tiffany, reluctantly, Jenny goes to his artist's retreat on his estate and finds herself falling for his nephew but also fighting against her past that can't seem to leave her be. A lot of Rose's strengths came through in this story. There are always things about her stories that you expect to be done very well. Jenny was a phenomenally well rounded character that we as readers felt we understood her motivations and how she was feeling every step of the way. But we also had different characters that were fleshed out I think just as much as they needed. Some of them may have been a little stereotypical, but that happens. The other part of this story that I found myself just loving and honestly, it needed to be well done was the use of color and how that accentuated so much of the story. It was in the scenery, in clothing, in how Jenny saw people (very artsy to see them as a color, but I seriously dug it); it was everywhere. It made so much sense though because this is a story told from an artist's perspective and they see things in a certain way. There were times where I felt Jenny was seeing shadows when she didn't need to and I think that was the only weakness of this story. There was just this hyper paranoia she had that I guess as someone who hadn't been through what she had, I had trouble believing? And even considering the juvenile prison, I guess because the conditions of that were so sparsely detailed, I had trouble understanding the depth of that paranoia. I almost felt like we needed a little bit more about her trauma to equate the depth of paranoia. Otherwise, I firmly enjoyed this book. 3.5 stars.

Light reading, but interesting topic. Easy to recommend. Book group looking for something breezy will enjoy.

M.J. Rose is truly one of the best historical fiction authors around, and she proves it once again with Tiffany Blues. A gripping and well-researched story about a girl who after losing her mother in a tragic event, manages to land a spot at the prestigious summer artists' colony run by Louis Comfort Tiffany of Tiffany & Co. The year is 1924, and Tiffany is one of the biggest names in jewelry and stained glass, and Jenny knows that this is her chance. But her plans begin to falter when she starts falling for Oliver, Tiffany's grandson, and her life is further uppended when she realizes that someone at the colony knows the secret she's worked so hard to hide..
Reading this novel is the next best thing to having a time machine and traveling to the Gilded Age and the glamour of Tiffany's world.

Fascinating historical work about Louis Comfort Tiffany and the summer camp type workshops he held for artists every summer. Interesting perspective on women in the arts during the early years of the 20th century.

A novel of ambition, betrayal, and passion about a young painter whose traumatic past threatens to derail her career at a prestigious summer artists’ colony run by Louis Comfort Tiffany of Tiffany & Co. fame.
This was a well-written visual beautiful romantic story in a time period I don’t get to read very often. I’m also positive I’ve never written a story containing the founder of Tiffanie’s. It’s not the normal story I read or prefer but it definitely had my attention. It’s definitely a slow-burn, but well worth the read. I recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

If you could live during any time period, where would you choose? I definitely would choose the 1920s. The main character of Tiffany Blues, Jenny Bell, lives in New York in 1924.

She is studying to be an artist. She’s poor but she has a very wealthy roommate, Minx. If only we could all be so lucky to live with someone that supports our art and lets us borrow dresses to wear to dinner parties and speakeasies.

Unbeknownst to Jenny, Minx applies for both of them to attend an exclusive artist workshop at Laurelton Hall, which was owned by Louis Comfort Tiffany. It would have been a dream come true to be accepted and attend. I know it’s a fictional story but I felt really happy for Jenny. Things in her life were turning around for the better. She has some secrets from her past that she was about to put behind her. Jenny falls in love with Oliver, the grandson of Mr. Tiffany.

Then an event changes all of that. I won’t tell you what it is but you probably won’t see it coming. Jenny and Minx are sent away to Paris almost in disgrace. I’m not sure if that’s really a punishment. If I do something disgraceful, will somebody please send me to Paris?

Tiffany Blues does remain true to the story of Laurelton Hall and Louis Comfort Tiffany. The book also has enough mystery to keep the reader intrigued. If you like books with a bit of mystery and a few historical facts, then you will probably enjoy this book.

I received this ebook from NetGalley in exchange for doing a review. All opinions are my own. Obviously.

This was an average historical fiction/women's fiction novel. I finished it, but didn't find the characters or the story line all that compelling.

I really enjoyed this historical fiction novel by MJ Rose. The setting descriptions were truly spectacular with so much rich fullness. Jenny is a great protagonist, a lovely artist thrown into one of the worst case scenarios at a very young age. Her journey as an individual is intriguing throughout the story and the relationships she develops with others have depth and purpose. Jenny's past is woven into the story very well; there is no sense of just reading backstory when we learn about how she got to where she is.

My only qualm was that it was very predictable when it came to the supernatural mystery subplot. I enjoyed Jenny, her relationships, her art, Laurelton, even the ending was great. But, it is painfully easy for the reader to 'solve' the mystery surrounding the signs Jenny is given so that reveal fell very flat for me so it could have benefitted from a little more subtlety, unless that was how it was intended of course.

Despite that though, I really liked this novel. It's a gift to the senses, luxurious and beautiful with each description-soaked page. I loved the feeling of being there, it's one of the most immersive historical fictions I think I've read.

Note: I received a free Kindle edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher Atria Books, and the author MJ Rose for the opportunity to do so.

This book took me a long time to get into. However, once I did, the plot tended to pick up along with character and world building. Unfortunately, this was not for me but is in no way a disrespect to the author.

This was a fun story. I loved the idea behind it however I had such a hard time getting into the book! It was a little bit slow and I didn't really love the main character. I like to read through my books quickly and it was hard for me to do that with this title.

If you have a love of art, I’ll preface this by saying odds are, you’ll adore this book. It is vibrant and lush. It takes great skill to make your words feel like a priceless masterpiece but M.J. Rose has done precisely that.

If stories featuring drama, love, loss, and everything in between with beautiful scenery and characters who feel real enough to jump off the pages are your thing, this is your book. I really loved Jenny, the main character. She has an air of determination in her and you find yourself rooting for her right away. Life hasn’t always been kind to her and yet, she endures, giving inspiration to those who read about her.

This is a wonderful story and is filled with gems from the past and I loved seeing what the life of an artist was like. To live and work with Louis Tiffany at his artist’s compound? This is an era where I would have loved being alive. I’d love a time machine to go back and see it all in person. Fortunately, having read this? I feel as if I did.

I felt a bit punch drunk after my arrival back to the present. Once you read this, you’ll understand.

I noticed other reviews also had this quote but it is so poignant and beautiful that I will share it here too.

“I made it so I would never forget there is beauty even in broken things. That through the cracks, light still shines.”

Here is everything I LOVED about this book -- the title, the cover, the beginning, the end, the story and all the characters!! That sums up how perfect this book really is!! The main character Jenny is fascinating and fun to watch grow during this book. I think the research MJ did for this book was absolutely superb!!

A tragic heroine with a dark secret paired with mysterious, sometimes villanous men, and a fascinating look into the art world - all things we’ve come to expect from M.J. Rose and all things that play a part in this lovely new story. Rose has a skillful ability to blend mystery, romance, and history into readable, indeed, un-put-downable stories and she has succeeded admirably here.

The peek into the world of Louis Comfort Tiffany is an extra treat here, and Rose captures the heady atmosphere of creating art in New York City in the early decades of the 2oth century with color and panache. The characters are appealing and repulsive, the action suspenseful, and the outcome deliciously romantic. And has ther ebeen a better named character than Minx Deering? I don’t think so! Recommended.

I've heard wonderful things about M.J. Rose's books and although her other books did not appeal to me this one did. The setting and the topic of art drew me in immediately. As did that stunning cover. This historical fiction contains mystery, art, historical facts and romance, the perfect blend for a great read. The author weaves a fine story about a young woman who needs to heal from her past.

Jenny Bell grew up in Hamilton Canada. She had a wonderful relationship with her mother who taught her to love painting. Their happy life changes when her mother marries a man who turns out to be abusive and a violent act changes everything for them. Jenny's past is revealed in layers and in flashbacks. She is now a grown, independent woman making her way in the art world, but she is still broken inside. When she and best friend Minx are accepted to Louis Comfort Tiffany’s prestigious retreat for artists, Jenny find a mentor who becomes a pivotal force in her life.

In the lush, gorgeous setting of Laurelton Hall, Jenny falls in love with Oliver, but someone knows about Jenny's past and wants to use this against her. The ending was bittersweet for me, but ultimately satisfying. I liked Jenny as a character. She was loyal, self-sacrificing, resilient and fiercely independent. The author brought to life the stunning gardens and grounds of Laurelton Hall as well as Tiffany's glass artistry. It was obvious the author researched this topic well and her love of art shines in this novel.

If you love 20th-century historical fiction, the art world, the jazz era and a well-written story with beautiful descriptions and strong female characters, then you will enjoy Tiffany Blues.

Another gorgeous(!), sensuous novel by one of my favorite authors, M.J. Rose. I turn to her novels when I need a dose of beautifully written, smart escapism. This one tells the story of several artist friends at Laurelton Hall, Louis Comfort Tiffany's summer resident program for highly talented artists in 1924. I found myself truly absorbed in the story and the plight of the narrator, Jenny Bell. As often is the case with Ms. Rose's novels, I find myself surprised by how closely I "bond" with characters whose lives, talents, and motivations are so incredibly different from mine. I also loved reading about the intricacies of Jenny's chosen artforms (painting and sketching), as is also the case with M.J. Rose's novels. Well worth a read!

First of all, I think we need to discuss something that is glaringly obvious. The cover. Like, oh. my. stars. Seriously?? The colors, the scenery…I would have read the book based on the cover alone. #justsayin’

Now, on to the above-mentioned glorious book.

I am not one for glitz and glamour. Jewelry is fun, but I am not drawn to big, sparkly things. My wedding ring is dainty, my go-to earrings are small posts, I rarely wear necklaces for long and wear bracelets even less. However, I would be lying my brown eyes off if I didn’t admit that I would love to be surprised someday with a blue box from Tiffany & Co. I mean, come on. Which is why I was so interested in reading Tiffany Blues. I know absolutely nothing about the founder or his family, and found this to be an historical fiction unlike any other I’ve read before. (Considering I am usually drawn to Tudors and Vikings.)

Wow. Does this book pack a wallop.

This is my first time reading work by M.J. Rose. What a beautifully gifted author. I was transported to the time period, the setting, the circumstances and events with absolute ease. The characters were fleshed out wonderfully; complex, developed and growing with the plot. The heroine of the story (for that is what she is…Jenny is much more than just a main character) was impossibly lovable and courageous. While some scenes were heart-wrenching to be privy to, Jenny’s past gave the reader a glimpse into her pain, as well as her moxie. I found myself inspired by Jenny’s harrowing past; not the abuse that she suffered, but the woman she became as a result of it. Watching her pursue her dream as an artist, as well as learning more about Louis Comfort Tiffany was merely the icing on the awesome-novel-cake.

Tiffany Blues is a definite recommend, for lovers of all genres. And this bookworm is now a fan of all things M.J. Rose.