Susan GlossBesprekingen

This is a sweet little book about the women who frequent/own a vintage clothing shop.

I found it a bit too on the nose with the plot and lots of the dialogue was stilted but it was precisely the kind of book I needed to be reading right now.

If you have it, go ahead and read it, but I wouldn't go out of my way to get it.

Very wholesome. A fascinating art commune aspect, and the idea that not everyone wants children while for some people it's worth the world. A relationship that is harmed, but heals. Someone who learns to trust.

Also, I'm not normally one to gush over covers, but this one is truly gorgeous. And the title is so very clever!

The beautiful cover of this new novel by Susan Gloss is what attracted me to it initially (covers matter!), and the storyline was also intriguing. A woman who is mourning the loss of the life she hoped to have finds an unexpected new purpose as the director of an artists' colony. When Nell Parker finally accepts that her infertility treatments are not going to work, and recognizes that the debt she has accrued on those treatments (which she has hidden from her husband) needs to be paid off, she takes a job as the director of Mansion Hills Artists' Colony. The job distracts her from her sorrow and also introduces her to a variety of interesting artists who have come to stay at the colony. The well-developed and quirky characters and the satisfying resolution of the story are what pleased me as a reader.

Thank you to the author and publisher for an opportunity to review a digital galley of this heart-warming novel.

I won this book in a giveaway and was nervous to read it. I typically don't enjoy contemporaries very much. However, this book turned out to be really good! I definitely recommend reading it! Especially if you like anything to do with art!

Nell looks for a job after all their efforts with fertility treatments fail (and after she has wracked up huge debt without telling her husband). In a remarkably easy job hunt that happens only in fiction(!) she lands a job as the first director of a new nonprofit artist's colony. I love Nell, as she struggles to learn how to lead a non-profit, come to terms with the loss of her infant child, save her marriage, and bring an old mansion up to 21st century standards. The artists who live in the colony all present their own special challenges--culminating in a tragic incident that brings the police to the colony/mansion. Characters are well drawn, and once again the Madison setting is a bonus.

Another quick read--which is what I'm needing during this pandemic. Violet runs a vintage clothing store, and becomes friends with a pregnant teenager, a disenchanted Indian housewife, and a would-be actress turned mom. They are all running from different things, are all broken in some way(s), but all have gifts and insights to offer each other. Bonus: it takes place in Madison.

I loved "Vintage" and gave it fours stars when I read it back in 2014 and kept my eye out to see when Susan Gloss would publish another book. Unfortunately, I found this follow-up to "Vintage" to be disappointing. This book doesn't do a good job of linking all of the stories to each other. Artists living together in a "colony" didn't help link things since they were all going through so many things and felt like roommates that passed in the night. It didn't help that one of the POVs we get is from a character who has passed away. I just felt jumbled the entire time I read this and ended up disliking most of the characters too.

"The Curiosities" follows Nell Parker who after dealing with losing her baby in the second trimester, throws herself into fertility treatments leaving her and her husband (without his knowledge) deeply in debt. Nell finds a job hoping that she can start chipping away at their debt. She ends up getting a job as a director of a new artist's retreat. For readers who read "Vintage" we know that the character that did this was Betsy. Nell ends up focusing on her new artists that are staying at the mansion turned colony. The other characters are Paige (young and self absorbed), Annie (older and self absorbed) and Odin (harboring romantic feelings towards Nell).

Nell suffered a devastating loss and I thought the one scene we get to show her and her husband holding their daughter as she dies was heartbreaking. If we had gotten more of that maybe I would have liked Nell more. She lies to her husband and seems to be entertaining thoughts about Odin (that name you guys). Her husband Josh felt more present to me as a character and I wish we had gotten some POVs with him as well.

Annie was a jerk. I hated her whole story-line. Her studying addiction series sounded pretentious as hell. The fallout from it seemed like an after thought to other characters though. How no one went off on her is baffling.

Paige was boring. She meets a guy she likes him and then runs away from it. Ho-hum.

Odin was just there. I found myself skimming his chapters.

The writing wasn't as engaging as it was in Vintage. Gloss does the same thing here she did with calling out who is "speaking" by chapter and including some information on art while doing that. In "Vintage" she included description of clothes, hats, etc. and when they were first bought and sold. The flow was awful in this one. Probably because I found myself only really caring about Betsy's POV chapters. I wish that Gloss had included more from the characters she introduced us to in Vintage. We only see a brief scene that includes Violet.

The setting of Madison doesn't get a lot of play in this one unfortunately. We have Paige going to college and there's a little bit here and there. However, most of the book takes place in Betsy's old mansion now turned colony. We hear a lot about how beautiful it is and the art work, but I couldn't picture it very well which was a shame.

The ending leaves things on a slightly hopeful note for Nell. I just didn't much care by the time the end came about what becomes of the other characters.

I tend to only talk about price when I am disappointed in a book and this costing $14.99 was too much. Especially for a follow-up. The last book was $11.99 and I recall thinking that was too high. Considering how lackluster this was I am going to just pass on any more books from Gloss unless I can borrow from the library.

I am starting to really like the "vintage" genre romance and chick-lit novels that are coming out lately. I think it's because most of the clothes, appliances, dishes, harkens back to an earlier time and people like imaging themselves as debutantes at a ball.

This novel focuses on three women who come into contact due to a vintage store, Hourglass Vintage, that is located in Madison, Wisconsin. These women are Violet, April, and Amithi.

Violet owns Hourglass Vintage, but due to an unexpected development by the owner of her building may found herself without a home or store in a few short months. April is 18 years old, pregnant, and alone. Dealing with the death of her mother a few months earlier and her fiancee breaking off her wedding, she interns at Violet's store. Amithi comes into Violet's store trying her best to give away clothes that she feels are tainted by her husband's betrayal.

I loved all three of these women as characters. However, Amithi's storyline really did not flow with the rest of the story lines in this novel. I think her storyline would have made a great standalone novel or a sequel to Vintage: A Novel. April and Violet's story lines are more closely entwined since they both are working at the store and becoming closer to each other. Amithi would drop in here and there but was not really involved with them at all. A side character, in this novel, Lane, was more interesting to me and actually would have fit in nicely with Violet and April's storyline. I found myself more interested in Lane since she seemed to have such a surreal life as an actress that had her giving that up to be a wife and mother.

I can't wait to see what Susan Gloss writes next.

4.5 Stars for this ARC!

This book has so many layers to it! I thought I knew where it was going at the beginning, but I got so much more! Everyone has a story, and these characters told theirs beautifully, and were so real and raw.

Nell, for me is the most relatable. Anyone who has dealt with or is dealing with infertility and loss can relate to the monthly roller coaster of hope, mood swings, and feelings of defeat and failure. Although my outcome was much happier and no where near as intense as Nell’s, I so could relate. Brought back many memories and long talks. Very real portrayal.

Besty, maybe on the other end of the spectrum, is ahead of her time. She makes no apologies for it. I loved her! Her love of all things art leads her to set up a residency for three artist to work on their craft. The first year artists are hand picked by Betsy. Nell takes the job as the Director of this non profit art program. She takes the job as the way to get out of a sticky situation. We meet Paige, Annie and Odin, all talented artists running from life.

All these characters tell their stories with no urgency, slowly unfolding each, till the author finally shares with us in her time, how they intersect. The ending....for me was perfect! Make sure you take time to look up the art described at the beginning of each chapter.

Thanks to Edelweiss, Ms Gloss and #tallpoppywriters for this ARC. All opinions are my own!

The Curiosities by Susan Gloss is an engrossing, character driven novel.

Nell Parker and her husband, Josh, have been struggling with infertility since the loss of their baby. Following another failed IVF, Nell accepts a position as the director of a newly formed artist colony. Art collector Betsy Barrett created an artist in residence program shortly before passing away and then donated her estate to house the artists and provided the money to finance the program. She selected the inaugural artists whom Nell is in now in charge of helping encourage and nurture. A bit out of her depth, Nell nonetheless enthusiastically undertakes the challenge while hoping to keep Josh from uncovering the truth about their finances.

When Nell and Josh first moved to Madison for his job, she was pregnant so she put off finding a job. Following their heartrending loss, a career is out of the question during the rounds of IVF she is undergoing. After their last attempt fails, Josh refuses to agree to continuing treatment. Nell has kept vital information about how she has been paying for the expensive treatment, so she hopes to pay down the debt before he discovers her deception. Jobs are scarce so she eagerly but nervously accepts the position at the artist colony.

Before long, the program's artists arrive and begin work. Paige Jewell is the youngest member of the program and although enormously talented, she lacks focus as she flits from one medium to another. Photographer Annie Beck is the oldest member of the group and she is hoping to jumpstart her once lucrative career with her latest ambitious project. Metal Sculptor Odin Sorensen is hoping to expand his career as he shifts from creating small, top pieces to much larger works of art.

Interspersed with Nell and the artists' stories in the present, Betsy's life is revealed through a series of flashbacks. Married to a much older man who encouraged her love of art, Betsy carefully curated an enviable collection through the years. Two of the artists in the program have unexpected ties to their generous benefactress although how their lives intersect is not made clear until close to the novel's end.

The Curiosities is an engaging novel with underlying themes of grief and moving forward after tragedy. The characters are well-developed and multi-dimensional with interesting backstories and artistic talents. Although a bit slow-moving initially, the story gradually picks up steam and Susan Gloss brings this creative novel to a satisfying conclusion.

Before I start the book review I just want to note how much I love the cover – it’s really eye catching. Nell and Josh are living in Wisconsin and longing for a child; Nell far more so than Josh. She has been undergoing IVF treatments after a miscarriage and she is devastated when the last implant does not take. Josh says that’s it – he’s done and feels Nell needs to find a place to direct her energies. She looks for and actually finds a job in short order.

There is more between these two but all marriages are complicated. Nell is given the reigns of an artist’s colony through a trust of a wealthy woman who loved art. She dives into her new job with little experience and less supervision. As she makes the place into what she believes the former owner would want it to be she learns about that woman, about herself and how far love can stretch before it breaks.

This was a quiet read in many ways. It had a quirky cast in that it involved artists and creative types and they are often a little different from the rest of the world. At the heart of the book though is the relationship between Nell and Josh. These are two people who are deeply in love but one – Nell – wants a baby so badly and feels deeply inadequate for not being able to do this one seemingly simple thing. Josh is fine one way or the other and suffers for the hurt the struggle is causing Nell. He hopes that her new job will redirect her energies but he doesn’t know how bad things really are with Nell.

She does throw herself into the work but soon the distraction Josh was hoping for comes in the form of one of the artists in residence. Not exactly what either Nell or Josh was expecting. So will these two be able to work through these dark times in their lives and their marriage?

I was drawn to the book through the mention of art and art history and yet found very little of both. That does not mean I didn’t find a book well worth reading. It was just more of romantic drama than I was initially expecting. It was full of interesting characters with compelling stories. All of them, living and dead had much to say about life and yes art. The book ended in a way I never would have expected and yet in a way it really could not have ended any other way.

fullsizeoutput_3b95.jpegLinda’s Book Obsession Reviews “The Curiosities” by Susan Gloss, William Morrow, February 5, 2019

Susan Gloss, Author of “The Curiosities” has written an intriguing, and entertaining novel. The Genres for this novel are Fiction and Women’s Fiction. The timeline for this story is in the present and goes back to the past when it pertains to the characters or events in the story. The author describes her characters as complex and complicated.

Nell Parker has a PhD in Art History, and her husband Josh is an attorney. They had lost a daughter very early in Nell’s pregnancy, and after several rounds of fertility treatments that produced no results, Nell would like to try again, but Josh has had enough. There is tension and friction in their marriage. Nell looks for a job and finds one as a director in a not for profit Center for Artists. Nell is in charge of three artists that have gotten residencies.

The three artists live in the mansion, and have different interests in their creative process and art. Each of the artists has their own set of problems to work out, but each is extremely talented. Nell is there to over-see what goes on, and does go home at night. Nell also has some secrets she is keeping from her husband.

I appreciate that the author describes the importance of family, friendship, communication, honesty, emotional support, love and hope. This is also a story of artists, creativity, growth, and friendship. I would recommend this story for those readers who enjoy dramatic stories. I received an ARC from Edelweiss for my honest review.

A sweet book about 3 women who become friends thanks to the Vintage shop that Violet owns. They all have their problems in life and love.

I loved the chapter headings with vintage things that Violet had in her store and the stories behind them and how they related to the people she got them from and also how they related to the chapter.

I will definitely read her newest one coming out in 2019.

The story takes place at a time in the life of Violet when a lot of things are about to change. In a short amount of time, she finds out she may lose the building she lives in and runs her business from, and she meets April and Amithi. They are also at huge crossroads in their own lives.
The story alternates between the three characters' views.

I really enjoyed the friendships and I loved the stories about all the vintage clothes.

It's been way too long of a wait for a new book by Susan Gloss but I am happy to tell you that the wait is over and the new book is fantastic! It has everything needed to make a good novel - great characters, friendship, loss and love plus the added descriptions of paintings and sculptures.

Nell takes a job as the director of an artist's colony. Even though she has a PhD in art history, she hasn't worked in several years while she and her husband go through several rounds of fertility treatments. Betsy Barrett had set up the artists colony in her will and after he death, the first group of artists arrived for an in-residency program. Nell and Betsy are total opposites - Nell lives her entire life around the dream of being a mother, Betsy was childless by choice. Nell is not sure what she wants to do with her life while Betsy was a strong determined woman who lived her life on her own terms. The three artists who arrive for the first in-residency program give Nell a chance to learn her new role. Not only do the artists work in different mediums but they are totally different types of people, all with lots of personal baggage. Will helping these three artists realize their potentials help Nell to recover from her heartbreak and become more inspired with her life or will it make her even more fragile?

I enjoyed all the art references in this book and getting to know the various artists - they were a very eccentric group of people. I especially enjoyed Nell as she tried to turn her life around and discover the person that she really wants to be.

Thanks to Edelweiss for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

A very solid meh. I loved the location (natch!) and recognizing name places, but honestly I don't know why I read this otherwise. This is definitely not the type of book I enjoy anymore, and I wasn't very impressed with the writing. However, in the spirit of not being mean, this is definitely not the worst thing I have ever read and I'd say my low rating is more because the story didn't interest me rather than terrible writing. Again, not terrible, just...meh.

The main character is a small-town girl named Violet Turner with a flair for fashion. She opens a vintage used clothing store in Madison, WI. If you are familiar with that area, you will enjoy the different descriptions about the city. She develops friendships with two women who help her in her shop and also have problems with love. Old clothes are captured in loving detail as part of the story. Great easy read about friendship and finding renewal and hope in relationships.

Janice P. / Marathon County Public Library
Find this book in our library catalog.

This is the story of Violet, April, and Amithi, three women in various stages of life who form a friendship. Violet owns a store called Vintage, and she buys not just items - clothing, jewelry, dishes, etc. from people, but she also supplies the story of the item with potential buyers. April, young, pregnant, alone, becomes an intern at the store during her pregnancy. Amithi has been in Madison for 30 years, but is from India originally. Hers was an arranged marriage, but over the years she and her husband formed a bond of respect and comfort, until one day that bond is broken. All three women discover that family comes in a variety of packages, and does not necessarily have to include blood relationships.

I like the quirkiness of Violet, the sweet shyness of April, and I admired Amithi's strength and courage in attempting to change her life. The characters are well formed, and the story flows well. It was not a book I picked up and could not put down, but I still enjoyed reading it.

Interesting concept

This book could have been so much more. The concept of the vintage clothing shop was great, but there was just not the depth this book could have had.

A vintage clothing store and the friendship of the women involved.

If the cover of this book makes you think it falls in the category of "Chick Lit," you are probably right. But that does not mean it is shallow or all about s*x or romance.

This is a book about birth, love, loss, marriage, divorce, babies and the absence of them, parents & children, family, education, career, money and the lack of it, desires & hopes & dreams & passions, and death. In other words, it is about people living their messy, complex lives -- lives like we all have -- to the best of their human abilities. The main characters are all women (thus the "Chick Lit" categorization), who meet through various connections to a vintage clothing shop. I liked them all, and this book left me feeling warm and smiling.

*** I received my copy of this book for free through Goodreads First Reads (but I promise that did not influence my thoughts on this book).

Best read so far this year, lol.

Very good story. Great characters. Moving situations. Wonderful descriptions of vintage clothing. Hope to see more from this author.

Vintage, the debut novel by Susan Gloss, is a predictable, feel good story about women. Set in a vintage clothing store in Madison, Wisconsin, the book is about finding friendship and new beginnings. The theme of second chances repeats throughout the book in the resale of vintage clothing and in the stories of the women. The book proceeds predictably to a predictable ending. The book makes for an easy, light vacation read.

Read my complete review at: http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2014/11/vintage.html

Vintage is a pleasant and enjoyable read and follows a pattern of heartwarming tidiness that millions of readers love. For the review, visit The Book Wheel.

I've always loved books where people’s lives intersect and they all become happier as a result. This is one of those stories. At the beginning, I thought I might be getting tired of that story. I thought this particular story might feel clichéd and exactly like all the others. However, the more I read, the more I was convinced this was something special. The writing did remind me of The Wedding Bees or Lost Lake. Susan Glass does a wonderful job creating a vivid world with a cheerful atmosphere. Her writing is bright and colorful, making reading this book a delightful experience. Initially, I wasn’t sure I liked the fashion references, especially since I’m not fashionable enough to get all of them. I did, however, think the idea of focusing each chapter on one item from Violet’s store (described at the beginning of the chapter) gave this book a unique character. I eventually got used to the in-chapter fashion references too.

What really won me over though was the fantastic message of this book. The characters are incredibly diverse, including: Violet, the vintage store owner from a small midwestern town; Amithi, a traditional Indian wife; April, a teenage mother-to-be; Betsy, a wealthy philanthropist; and , a retired actress and mother of three. Throughout the story, all of these women come together and help one another in a beautiful example of female friendship. Their differences are sometimes challenging, but they also enable these women to support one another. Each woman has very different goals and dreams, both professionally and personally. And this book makes it very clear, that all of their goals are equally admirable. Whether a woman chooses to be mothers or have a career or both or wants to do stereotypically feminine things or not, it’s all ok. I think this is something that needs to be said more often. I am deeply grateful to the author for making this a book which not only gave me warm fuzzy feelings because of a happy story, but a book that could make a difference with it’s positive message for women at any stage of their lives.

This review first published on Doing Dewey.