The bestselling author of A Hundred Summers brings the Roaring Twenties brilliantly to life in this enchanting and compulsively readable tale of intrigue, romance, and scandal in New York Society, brimming with lush atmosphere, striking characters, and irresistible charm.
As the freedom of the Jazz Age transforms New York City, the iridescent Mrs. Theresa Marshall of Fifth Avenue and … Avenue and Southampton, Long Island, has done the unthinkable: she’s fallen in love with her young paramour, Captain Octavian Rofrano, a handsome aviator and hero of the Great War. An intense and deeply honorable man, Octavian is devoted to the beautiful socialite of a certain age and wants to marry her. While times are changing and she does adore the Boy, divorce for a woman of Theresa’s wealth and social standing is out of the question, and there is no need; she has an understanding with Sylvo, her generous and well-respected philanderer husband.
But their relationship subtly shifts when her bachelor brother, Ox, decides to tie the knot with the sweet younger daughter of a newly wealthy inventor. Engaging a longstanding family tradition, Theresa enlists the Boy to act as her brother’s cavalier, presenting the family’s diamond rose ring to Ox’s intended, Miss Sophie Fortescue—and to check into the background of the little-known Fortescue family. When Octavian meets Sophie, he falls under the spell of the pretty ingénue, even as he uncovers a shocking family secret. As the love triangle of Theresa, Octavian, and Sophie progresses, it transforms into a saga of divided loyalties, dangerous revelations, and surprising twists that will lead to a shocking transgression . . . and eventually force Theresa to make a bittersweet choice.
Full of the glamour, wit and delicious twists that are the hallmarks of Beatriz Williams’ fiction and alternating between Sophie’s spirited voice and Theresa’s vibrant timbre, A Certain Age is a beguiling reinterpretation of Richard Strauss’s comic opera Der Rosenkavalier, set against the sweeping decadence of Gatsby’s New York.
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I love this author! Her writing is beautiful and immerses me in the time period. The characters are very real with both good qualities and bad qualities, and so well motivated in their actions that even the less savory ones are sympathetic and believable. Well done!
I started reading this in on my nook, for free, one chapter at a time per day. The first few chapters were a bit hard to follow due to the writing style, but once you got in the groove, holy moly! I couldn’t wait to the read the next chapter. I got so impatient I had to buy the book. Read it in one night. It is full of lies, deceit, passion, love, suspense, twists, turns, everything! The author’s writing technique immerses you into the story, by using verbiage related to the books period of time and making it seem like the characters are telling you the story directly.
Just a very good read…with an interesting cast of multi-dimensional characters in a realistic setting, written in an entertaining style that intelligently reflects both the dignity of each individual and the complexities of life.
This was a fun read and transported me back to the Jazz Age. Told from several points of view, it was never dull and I cared about all the characters. No super bad guy to root against – just very human, believable people.
I’ve read a handful of books by Beatriz Williams now and she is rapidly cementing herself in my “seriously inventive writer” category. A CERTAIN AGE is full of plot twists and turns that will keep you eagerly turning pages to the very end.
In 1920s New York City, middle aged Teresa Marshall is happily enjoying both her wealthy, socially prominent husband and her youthful Wall Street lover. That is until Teresa’s brother needs a messenger to deliver a marriage proposal to young, beautiful, and nouveau-riche Sophie Fortescue.
That’s all I’ll give away — because the novel quickly devolves into a complex series of developing romances that pit modern ideas about womanhood against traditional ones and the morals of high society against those of average mortals. Add to that a few juicy hidden family secrets and nothing less than an unsolved murder mystery — and you get the foundation for this delightful and suspenseful read.
Based loosely on Der Rosenkavalier by Richard Strauss, Williams had added just enough special sauce to turn the opera’s plot into something that will keep you entertained on a summer beach or during a long airplane flight.
I love this author and this book didn’t disappoint. READ IT
Enjoyed it, the same format as her other books – going between different time frames
Great book,. It was a real page turner toward the end. Love Beatriz Williams.
This book was interesting- showed the NY society set of the 1920’s, but I didn’t think it was a spectacular read.
This book takes place in the 1920’s. There are four main characters. Mrs. Theresa Marshall has fallen in love with her young paramour, Captain Octavian Rofrano, a handsome aviator and hero of the Great War. An intense and deeply honorable man, Octavian is devoted to the beautiful socialite of a certain age and wants to marry her
Then, Theresa’s bachelor brother, Ox, decides to tie the knot with the sweet younger daughter of a newly wealthy inventor. When Octavian meets Sophie, he falls under the spell of the pretty ingénue, even as he uncovers a shocking family secret.
This was an excellent book, and I couldn’t put it down. I fell asleep reading it!
I’m really into Roaring Twenties books. This is a good one.
Wordy and deep, this book goes to the apogee and perigee of relationships. Love the era, although I wished the pace was as snappy as the era.
What a cast of characters: the beautiful Mrs. Teresa Marshall who loves a man twenty years younger, Teresa’s brother, Ox, a man in desperate need of financial rescue, war hero Octavian Rofrano who falls in love with the girl Ox plans to marry. The plot is intricate, the love scenes sensuous, the characters so true you want to invite them to dinner, just to see them interact.
A Certain Age is a rollicking ride of the glitz and glamour of the roaring ’20’s! It has scandal, high society, a love triangle and a murder mystery. I loved the nod to Beatriz Williams writing partners(Karen White and Lauren Willig)…one of the characters is employed at the firm of Willig and White. I am so in love with Ms. Williams writing! Well done, Ms. Williams, well done!!
Just ok. Kept waiting for something to happen….Somewhat predictable.
Well written, a joy to read and a good story to boot!
Turned me on to this author and has me wanting to read more
Just couldn’t get into this one.
I am a bit of a sucker for the Gatsby era, so the lead into the next book seems obvious to me. Nevertheless, I did stay up late to finish the book so I could find out what happens at the end. The characters are realistic and sympathetic. The depiction of New York is clear and brings pictures into my head.