Little slow but a good read. Expected more history but loved the mystery. Will read this author in the future.

I've been dying to read this book since I first read the summary and seen the cover. I also got really excited when I started seeing the reviews come out for this one.


Jenny has her past and secrets. She is just trying to move forward and do what she loves. She meets Minx and Oliver. Things seem find, but like we all know...secrets have a way of coming back to bite us in the romps.


I enjoyed the mystery. I was worried and had no idea what was going on or who was causing it. I had my suspicions and I was right, but I was never 100% sure. I especially did NOT see the twist coming at the end there. That was a shocker BUT it did make sense honestly.


The beginning was rough for me to really get into. It took a while and I was worried, but after a certain event, I was hooked. I had to see what would happen next especially to Jenny. I rooted for her even though I was unsure of her myself. I did not like Minx a bit, but you do grow worried for her at one point. She is like that family member you really don't like, but you still care for them. I adored Oliver, but he made me mad there.


This was a pretty good read. I enjoyed the mystery and the characters. It took a LONG time for me to really settle into the story, but after a certain event I could not put this down.


AND LOOK AT THAT COVER! Beautiful!!!


What else to say?


Well - the ending I had a love-hate with. The twist and big reveal was crazy good! I was upset by what happened and I was annoyed, BUT it honestly made the most sense and it was the best course of action. Life is not fair. However, I did think the solution was too easy after the reveal. However, it was justified and it made sense...see? I'm torn.


In the end, I enjoyed this story. It was written well. The mystery was intriguing. The characters interesting. I recommend it for mystery and historical lovers. The romance is there, but doesn't overtake the story. I'll give this 4 stars overall. A good one for sure.

This novel is set in 1924, about a young artist named Jenny with a difficult past, who wins a fellowship to an artist colony on Louis Comfort Tiffany's Long Island estate. I have always loved Tiffany stained glass so I really enjoyed that aspect of the book, and it was an enjoyable and quick read with a little mystery (most of which I figured out ahead of the reveals). I'd give this 3.75 stars, so I'm rounding up to 4 stars.

Oh, how I wanted to love this book. It's cover is gorgeous, the topic is something I know nothing about, and a comparison to Gatsby? Sounds like a perfect match for me; however, it lacked the substance needed to stand up against other historical fiction in this category.

The setting is upstate New York in the early 1900's at the artist colony started by Louis Comfort Tiffany at his estate, Laurelton Hall. It is based on facts; the author did her homework. All of the pages of prose dedicated to the art, the artists, and New York in the 20's was gorgeous. I especially loved the parts on Tiffany stained glass. I admit that this part of the book is fantastic, but the story itself was just ok. I did not care for Jenny, the main character. The main plot throughout was about her tumultuous past and how she found healing through studying art. I wasn't able to connect with her, and when Tiffany's grandson entered the story as a love interest I just found it to be forced and unbelievable. The title, Tiffany Blues, was drawn from a necklace that Tiffany created from a beautiful blue stone. This necklace plays a part in the story that I will keep to myself in order not to spoil anything! Kudos to MJ Rose for her extensive research on this fairly unknown part of history, and for opening my eyes to the estate that many believe was used as inspiration for Jay Gatsby's magnificent mansion in The Great Gatsby! Love that!

" There is beauty even in broken things. "

Tiffany Blues by M.J. Rose is a full length, standalone novel, set in historial fiction and art world.
1924, Jenny Bell ,a artist and painter studied at the renowned Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation.
There she meets Oliver, Tiffany's grandson and they spend one summer together. But fate and karma has other plans and they have to separate. Fast forward, both live their lives, but never forgot about each other. In the end they come full circle.

Tiffany Blues has all the feels. There's drama, danger mixed with thriller elements; but also romance and a beautiful lovestory. Tiffany Blues paints a picture of space and time, mixes history with fiction and is a important lesson in history and art.
The story is beautifully thought out, beautifully written and beautifully told.

*3.5 stars rounded up.

Jennifer Bell comes to New York City in the midst of the Roaring 20s hoping for a fresh start, to pursue her dream of becoming an artist and leave the secrets of her past behind. While taking classes at the Art Students League of New York, she meets Millicent Deering, aka 'Minx,' a wealthy, flirtatious socialite who takes her under her wing.

Through Minx's machinations, both young artists are offered the opportunity to spend eight weeks at Louis Comfort Tiffany's artists colony on Long Island, in his fabulous mansion and grounds filled with color and light. Fourteen artists will be vying with each other for the grand prize at the end of their stay.

Tiffany is intrigued by Jennifer's fixation on light and shadow. But why does she always work in graphite, in shades of black, white and grey, when the world around her is bursting with color? Is some trauma from her past haunting her? What will bring her out of her funk? Will it be falling in love?

M.J. Rose is a master of lush, beautiful descriptions that bring the art of Tiffany to life in these pages. The setting was fabulous! I loved being immersed in all that beauty, imagining being there. Her characters are quite interesting too, although I didn't always accept their reasons for certain actions--and that knocked the star-rating down a bit.

I received an arc of this lovely work of historical fiction from the publisher vis NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thanks to them for the opportunity.

This novel had everything I wanted in a book mystery, romance, and suspense! The novel is elegantly written and is very fast-paced! I have been a fan of Mrs. Rose’s Daughters of La Lune trilogy, and this standalone novel does not disappoint! The characters are very realistic and likable! I will post a more detailed review on the date of my blog tour!

I write this while a little over halfway finished; I have not been this attached to a character in a long time. Jenny has been through so much and I’m hoping she finds the peace and happiness she deserves. I related to Jenny in a way that I have never related to a character before.

I loved everything about this book; the character development, the storyline, the historical fiction mixed with imaginative fiction and the art!

I highly recommend this story to fans of Beatriz Williams and Lauren Willig.

Mr. Tiffany to Jenny…“Open the door, and get out of that mausoleum,” he said. “There are other kinds of light. Don’t be afraid of them.”

“Why are you being so kind to me?”
He was silent for a moment, then answered even more kindly, “Because I know that others haven’t been.”

“We’re all broken in one way or another, but it’s through the cracks in our souls that the light comes through.”

“There is beauty even in broken things”, sums up this story of Jenny, an artist with secrets in her past preventing her from seeing the colors of life. Earning a place in an artist competition on Laurelton Hill, Louis Tiffany’s estate, Jenny feels a sense of foreboding. I liked it but was not blown away

This book had so many elements that I adore in a book, which is why I jumped at the chance to read it and review it. The 1920s, the art world, the forbidden romance, and murder mystery….these are all genres that I gravitate towards. While I really loved the aesthetic and the atmosphere of this book, there were elements of the writing and plot that just didn’t work for me. I definitely enjoyed parts of it, but the mystery element just never seemed to deliver. Below were some high points and low points for me:

High Points

-Detailed descriptions of Mr. Tiffany’s Laurelton Hall- as a giant history nerd, I really loved the long lovely, detailed descriptions of the Hall and the art within it. This also made the connection to the real life Tiffany and his history, even stronger. I am sure that some people may find these sections a little long, but I just ate them up.

-Likewise, the description of the setting was fascinating. The combination of the Jazz Age and New York City, made for a stunning backdrop to this story.

-I really loved Jenny as a heroine- she has a dark and interesting past that makes her very intriguing. Every new piece of her past that came to light made me want to get to know her more and more. I became very attached to Jenny and wanted her to overcome her trauma.

-Description of the artistic process- I am not an artists, but I am fascinated by the artistic process, so getting these detailed descriptions that really showed Jenny’s passion was a huge bonus for me.

Low Points

-At the times the writing was just confusing. I wasn’t sure if sometime was happening in the present or if it was a flashback in Jenny’s memory. This became very distracting.

-Plot was very slow moving- Even though I loved all of the detailed description of the art, the artistic process, and the setting- I just kept waiting for the plot to really take off. I wanted to stay with the mystery and find out more about Jenny’s past. When I did finally get to the bottom of the mystery it felt rushed and slapped together kind of haphazardly. I really hate saying this, because I loved so much of the detail in this book, but I really wanted an engage plot, too. Unfortunately, there just wasn’t a balance between the two here.

Overall, I would still recommend this to someone who loves the 1920s art world, and is looking for a more atmospheric read with lots of detail, but maybe not necessarily something that is very fast paced and suspenseful. Thank you so much to the published and to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC.

Jenny is a talented artist with a huge secret. She moves to NYC to escape her past. But as you can imagine, her past comes back to haunt her in very unusual ways. Jenny is a complex character. She only paints in monochromatic. She refuses to paint in color. When she is chosen to be an studying artist at the Louis Comfort Tiffany’s artist colony, she opens her mind and her heart to color and to love.

I love everything about this story. The history surrounding Tiffany, his mansion and his glass company is captivating and unique. I love a book that has me googling! I also enjoy the way M.J. Rose always weaves mysticism in her stories. This time it is with Ouija boards and Thomas Edison’s spirit phone and yes…I googled that too and it did exist!

Toward the end of this book, I just kept reading faster and faster. Some jewelry came up missing. Well, of course they blamed Jenny, because of her past. She was in a reform school for a crime she did not commit. See! You have got to read this book to find out! So, I could not let her suffer again…I had to read faster to get her out of this mess. I so enjoy books that keep you moving and gasping for air.

M.J Rose has out done herself with this book. I never thought she would come close to The Book Of Lost Fragrances . She is very skillful in her storytelling. She weaves history, mystery, love and family into a tangled web of intrigue and complete enthrallment!

She is one author I would love to sit down and have a cup of coffee and pick her brain. No telling what stories she can tell.

I received this novel from Atria Books via Netgalley for a honest review.

From the lushly magnificent cover to the very last page, this is a book to savor and lose yourself in. M.J. Rose has oh-so-deftly managed to weave historical fact with fiction that captivates the reader. This novel's setting is at the Laurelton Hall mansion owned by Louis Comfort Tiffany. A retreat for artists for a few weeks during the summer, the 580 Long Island setting is host to Jenny and Minx, our main characters.
Jenny (an assumed name) comes from meager beginnings and a mystery surrounds her. She's an ambitious young lady who keeps to herself and prefers to keep her past well guarded.
Minx is from New York's high society. She's well connected to all of the 'best people', loves her nightlife parties almost as much as she loves her artistic talent. She, too, has a past as you'll discover.
This novel, set in the 20's, pays homage to the Jazz Age and all the debauchery that went with it.
Art lovers, mystery lovers and historical fiction devotees will adore this novel.
I received an Advance Review Copy. All opinions are my own.

Romance, Art, and Murder at a Jazz Age Estate

Jenny Bell, an aspiring artist, is studying art in New York City, but is saving to go to Paris. Her roommate, Minx Deering, a wealthy socialite sculpture, also wants to go to Paris. She pushes Jenny to come with her and let her parents provide the money.

Jenny is adamant. She wants to make her own way and keeps to the shadows to avoid her difficult past. When a chance to attend a summer workshop at Laurelton Hall, Louis Comfort Tiffany’s estate, arrives, Minx prevails on Jenny to take the opportunity of a lifetime. She finally agrees. In the luscious setting, Jenny starts to use color in her paintings. Before she stuck to a black, white and gray pallet. She is encouraged by Tiffany and by his grandson Oliver, who is also romantically interested in Jenny.

As the competition for a showing in the Tiffany gallery heats up, Jenny’s past haunts her. The summer that started so bright darkens, and Jenny is at the center of the mystery.

A hallmark of M.J. Rose is her use of color and scents to bring her novels to life. This is particularly true in this book. You can almost breathe in the scents and see the vivid colors at the Tiffany estate. I think this is one of her best descriptions so far.

Jenny is a driven character with a past she tried hard to bury. I like her and hoped that she and Oliver would get together. He also has his demons. His grandfather wants him to manage the business, but Oliver prefers to design jewelry.

I loved the scenes from the Jazz Age in New York City. The clubs sparkled with detail. I did wonder how they got anything done after staying up half the night. Historically, this novel is quite accurate including the scenes at the Tiffany estate.

I highly recommend this book if you enjoy romance and suspense in a spectacular setting.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

Set in New York in 1924, you are introduced to 24year old Jenny Bell, who is struggling to make ends meet while studying art. Through the friendship and manipulations of her closest and - only friend - Minx Deering, Jenny is selected along with the other top students to study at the luxurious home of Louis Comfort Tiffany Laurelton Hall. Jenny has closed herself off to any romantic entanglements and for the most part trusting many people, knowing that she must rely only upon herself and is working hard towards that end.

Unfortunately, Jenny’s past seems to be following her to Long Island with images of her beloved mother, her hateful step-father, waterfalls, and murder from the dark hallways of the notorious girls reformatory Andrew Mercer Reformatory for Women. As she tries to bury those memories of her imprisonment, she must keep those secrets at bay while she is being sensually pulled towards Oliver, grandson of Mr. Tiffany.

Competition is fierce for the prize that is being offered for the artist who submits the best example of their art and win a spot at Tiffany’s New York Gallery. But then a series of incidents both suspicious and disturbing let Jenny know that someone is out there who knows of her past and is trying to scare her away before all is revealed.

Not only did I love this story and M.J.Rose’s beautifully detailed and expressive descriptions of the grandeur of Laurelton Hall, but she drew the characterizations of her subjects with emotions and motives that one could almost believe they were there experiencing the beauty that Tiffany had created and being able to understand Jenny’s innermost issues.

The romance that sprung between Jenny and Oliver was both breathtaking and a bit heartbreakingly enduring as well as very real. The suspense and nature of the villain was rather obvious but the TWIST at the end I hadn’t seen coming nor was I prepared for it. All in all - this is a book you must put on your list for a remarkable and entertaining read.

Marilyn Rondeau

Readers will step into the world of Tiffany through beautiful descriptions in this story. Jenny has arrived to attend an intensive art camp and is hopeful to win a showing at the Tiffany. She has secrets and a hidden past that she doesn't want exposed but others have their secrets too. This story has a little mystery, a little romance and a lot of beauty. To me, the story was slow at parts and a but to drawn out.

Art in novels subjugate me. Especially if the story is told in the beautifully elegant words of this author. The plots she crafts are always fascinating and captivating.

As it happens again in this atmospheric tale around a young painter who is pursuing both the meaning of light on canvas and her freedom.

New York in the 1920s comes alive through the colourful, eclectic and creative lens of artists. Still coping with the aftermath of war, young talents look for happiness and sanity in practicing art forms and painting life in their own ways. Jenny is resilient, cautious, and carrying a burden from her past that is revealed in stages that are so painfully sad, and keep the mystery in riveting alert.

I fell in love with the depictions of beauty in art and nature as the author presents the artists in their daily life, their zest for carpe diem, and the almost-mythical quality of the mansion founded by Tiffany as a retreat for creative minds to be ser free.

Suffused with gemstone colours and lust and craving and emotions, the colony of artists makes for a magical albeit tragic experience. I loved the scene on the boat where Jenny’s journey to find that spark within herself merges with a sensual taste of true passion. I was mesmerized with the plot twists that weave secrets and deceit from the past into the present. And I got heart-broken (and more than a little weepy) with that epic, dramatic, and utterly romantic ending

Amazing. Again from this author, and always.

It's 1924. Jenny Bell is an aspiring artist who has made her way from a tragic childhood to living in New York, earning her way through art school and hanging out with her friend, Minx. Then, she finds out she and Minx have been accepted for a fellowship at the famous Tiffany & Co. estate, Laurelton. After arriving in her dream-come-true, Jenny meets the handsome Oliver Tiffany, but also dealing with the past she has tried so hard to hide.

"There is beauty even in broken things."

This was the first M.J. Rose book I have read and I really enjoyed it. Historical fiction is usually a hit or miss genre for me, but Tiffany Blues had a great mix of suspense, romance and 1920s goodness that kept me hooked. At times the storyline was a little predictable, but that wouldn't defer me from recommending this.

From start to finish, including the glorious cover, this book is smashing. I have long been a fan of M.J. Rose’s books and I haven’t been disappointed yet. She’s so gifted with words, especially when describing places and things. It’s easy to get engrossed in her work and, if this makes sense, it feels as though you’re reading a movie the way everything plays out in your mind’s eye.

If you’re a fan of anything Tiffany, you’ll love this book–even though he’s really just the backdrop for Jenny’s story. Her life is a twisty turny mystery set (mostly) during the 20’s. She’s an interesting character, well written with lots of depth. In fact, the entire cast of characters played off each other beautifully and all added to the plot. Laurelton Hall (See picture below) is a central part of the story and M.J. wrote it so wonderfully it’s as if it lived and breathed just like Louis Comfort Tiffany.

It’s so satisfying to know I can always pick up a book by M.J. Rose and know it’s going to be great. I’ve been fortunate to find a few authors who never disappoint. I look forward to her next book.

I received an e-copy of this book from Atria Books via Netgalley. All views are my own.

Bravo to M.J. Rose, Author of “Tiffany Blues” for the captivating, intriguing, mystical, mysterious, enthralling, artistic gem that she has written. The Genres for this novel are Historical Fiction, Fiction, Mystery and Suspense, and Romance. It is amazing how the author layers and combines History, Fiction, Art, Magic, and Music to illustrate truth and love. I love the author’s vivid description of the landscape, nature, and the colorful cast of characters. The timeline of the story is 1924 and 1957 in New York. The story goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or events in this story.

The author describes her characters as complex and complicated, perhaps due to the circumstances of the events or times in the story. The story revolves around historical characters, and those made up in her imagination to fit in. M.J. Rose writes about Louis Comfort Tiffany, the esteemed Artist know for his elaborate and elegant stained glass window, and owner of “Tiffany”, the store known for jewelry, silver and other prestigious gifts, Louis Comfort Tiffany was also known to sponsor an Artistic foundation for artists to come to his Long Island Paradise at Laurelton Hill, his mansion on the elite North Shore.

Twenty four year old artistic Jenny Bell arrives at Laurelton Hill, with her best friend Minx Deering, a socialite, sculptor and artist. Jenny Bell has deep dark dangerous secrets that she has buried. Jenny shows exemplary talent in her drawings using black and showing light, but avoids color. After meeting with Louis Comfort Tiffany and his grandson Oliver, Jenny is encouraged to paint in color. Jenny has a unique ability to see things by color.

There are twists and turns, betrayals, murder, and danger that seem to revolve around Jenny. There is theft and arson. This is in contrast to truth, art, natural beauty and love. I received a copy of this ARC from NetGalley for my honest review. I highly recommend this novel to readers who enjoy suspense, mystery, fiction and historical fiction. I loved everything about this story!.

I absolutely adore this book! The historical backdrop of the Tiffany legacy was intriguing without overshadowing the characters and the narrative. I appreciated the art detail and it makes me want to go on a hunt for Tiffany windows on my next visit to NYC. I appreciated the time period and it’s incorporation into the details of the story. Tiffany Blues will be one of my favorites of the summer. I highly recommend this book! I received an ARC, but all opinions are my own.