Selina Lennox's life is a whirl of parties and drinking, pursued by the press and staying on just the right side of scandal. Lawrence Weston is a penniless painter who stumbles into Selina's orbit one night and can never let her go. Selina falls hard for Lawrence, envisioning a life of true happiness. But when tragedy strikes, Selina finds herself choosing what's safe over what's right.
... an exceptional novel about choosing how to live amid powerful grief and true love. Iona Grey has written a moving story that makes readers feel bereft to leave Selena and Lawrence behind at the book’s end in the way that only the best novels can do. Grey’s eye for descriptive detail gives a sumptuousness to almost every scene, and the delicious recklessness of 1920s London comes alive on the page. She is also masterful at using flashbacks and letters to slowly tease out the influences and motivations of her characters—and those of an entire postwar generation ... For readers looking for a tremendously entertaining, emotionally charged story, look no further. The Glittering Hour is just the ticket.
... a deceptively bittersweet tale, a story of loss and discovery covered in flashes of riches and freedom that obscure its melancholy core ... As Alice pieces together what happened to her mother, so does the reader, and hints of the mystery are well balanced to add intrigue but not reveal the truth until it is time. The pacing works to craft a heartbreaking but ultimately positive tone that will hit many emotions. And while it is a love story in Selina’s past that we follow and mourn, it’s the relationship between Alice and her parents that takes center stage at the end. Recommended.
Grey’s novel hits familiar beats --- a penniless but handsome hero; a rich but dull suitor who is the more socially acceptable choice of a husband; an upper-crust English family slipping into insolvency ... But while the tear-jerking story is a touch predictable, The Glittering Hour excels at bringing the world of 1920s London to life.
