The Debutante : A Novel

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Perfume Collector comes this charming, witty novel about a “professional” flirt.“Unique situation for an attractive, well-mannered, morally flexible young man. Hours irregular. Pay generous. Discretion a must...”When struggling, out-of-work actor, Hughie Venables-Smythe sees the mysterious job description in the classifieds, he’s convinced he’s found his destiny. For, though he’s become accustomed to running out of credit on his cell phone, sleeping on his sister’s sofa, and begging the waitress at the local café to let him slide yet again on his bill, he longs to treat his lover—the sexy, sophisticated, and amorously ruthless lingerie designer, Leticia Vane, to the finer things in life. But how is he to win her heart if he can’t even pay for dinner? When he learns that his lucrative new position means flirting with married women who have been neglected by their spouses, he can’t believe his luck. Soon initiated into the extraordinary secret fraternity of the Professional Flirt, Hughie promises to have an exceptional career ahead of him. However, the life of a Flirt is a curiously lonely calling and there’s one absolute rule his new employer has: he must remain single. Only—how can he live without the delicious Leticia Vane?Surely, there’s nothing wrong with using a few of his newly polished romantic skills on the side to quietly seduce the woman he loves . . . is there?As clueless as he is handsome, Hughie gamely decides to throw his already complicated life into utter chaos . . . and discovers exactly why a Flirt’s professional and personal life should never mix.

tantalizing Words Written On An Ivory Card. It Is The First Clue That Will Lead An Intrigued And Intriguing London Lady On An Odyssey Of Sensual Experience Designed To Awaken Her Romantic Nature.

out-of-work Actor Hughie Venables-smythe Has Found A Profitable New Outlet For His Talents. He Is Hired, Often By Distraught Husbands, To Flirt With Wives Who Are Feeling Neglected In Their Relationships. His Current Seductive Campaign Is Focused On Olivia, The Spouse Of A Narcissistic Billionaire, And The Lady Is Responding Quite Nicely To The Cream-colored Missives He Secretly Leaves For Her. So Nicely, In Fact, That Hughie Decides To Employ A Similar Technique—and Shockingly Similar Messages—in His Pursuit Of His Own Heart’s Desire: The Aloof And Charming Lingerie Designer, Leticia. But The Canny, Professional Flirt’s Brazen Anonymous Intrusions Into The Lives Of Two Women Are About To Set In Motion A Series Of Remarkable Events That No One Could Have Anticipated—setting The Stage For Shocking Revelations About Love, Friendship, And Domestic Bliss.

publishers Weekly

when Charming, Penniless Would-be Actor Hughie Armstrong Venables-smythe Answers A Mysterious London Ad For An Attractive, Well-mannered, Mentally Flexible Young Man, He Learns That He's To Become A Professional Flirt, Hired Not To Make Conquests But To Bring A Touch Of Romance Into The Lives Of Unappreciated Women. The Catch: Being A Hopeless Romantic, Hughie Takes His Job A Bit Too Seriously. Deftly Combining A Sweetly Improbable Premise With Witty, Sometimes Luminous Writing, Tessaro (elegance) Tells The Stories Of Hughie's Numerous Clients, Whose Lives Intersect In Unexpected Ways. They Include Leticia, An Emotionally Repressed But Sexually Adventurous Lingerie Designer; Rose, A Clueless Waitress Who Accidentally Becomes The Darling Of The London Art Scene; And Olivia, An Emotionally Abused Socialite Overdue For A Transformation. Along With Humor And A High London Hipness Quotient, Tessaro Scores With Keen Insights Into Romance's Perceptual And Emotional Hall Of Mirrors. (july)

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Can the secrets of one woman's past change another woman's future?

A gifted artist, Cate has come to London from New York to escape her recent past. Working for her aunt's auction house, she is sent down to Devon to value the contents of Endsleigh House, the once gracious but now crumbling estate of a former socialite. There, hidden in the back of a dusty bookshelf, Cate discovers an old shoebox. Inside is a strange assortment of objects: an exquisite pair of dancing shoes circa 1930; a diamond brooch; a photograph of a young sailor; a dance card; and a pearl and emerald Tiffanys bracelet.

Intrigued by her find, Cate sets out to solve the mystery of the box, becoming immersed in the story of its owner, Baby Blythe. Bright, beautiful, and reckless, Baby was the most famous debutante of her generation . . . and the most dangerous. As the clues begin to reveal a shocking tale of destructive, addictive love, Cate finds herself being drawn deeper into Baby's tragic life story—a story that will force Cate to face some dark truths about her own.

Publishers Weekly

A melancholic, multigenerational romance makes the most of a very tangled web. Cate, an artist who abandoned her talent, heart, and self-respect in New York, washes up in London an emotional wreck in desperate need of work. A temporary gig as an antiques appraiser draws her into the mystery of the beautiful Blythe sisters, recently deceased aristocrat Irene and long-missing Diana, both of whom shocked and fascinated London in the 1930s. And while solving the lives and loves of these dazzling debutantes--their beguiling life and times are recounted in a decade's worth of letters from Diana to her adored sister--Cate and handsome widower Jack pick through their own tortured pasts and discarded loves. Secrets are revealed, wounds are salved, and fears are confronted as Tessaro (The Flirt) nudges this colorful story of scandal, heartbreak, and second chances toward an appropriately sweet conclusion. (Oct.)

"When struggling, out-of-work actor, Hughie Venables-Smythe sees the mysterious job description in the classifieds, he's convinced he's found his destiny. For, though he's become accustomed to running out of credit on his cell phone, sleeping on his sister's sofa, and begging the waitress at the local café to let him slide yet again on his bill, he longs to treat his lover--the sexy, sophisticated, and amorously ruthless lingerie designer, Leticia Vane, to the finer things in life. But how is he to win her heart if he can't even pay for dinner? When he learns that his lucrative new position means flirting with married women who have been neglected by their spouses, he can't believe his luck.Soon initiated into the extraordinary secret fraternity of the Professional Flirt, Hughie promises to have an exceptional career ahead of him. However, the life of a Flirt is a curiously lonely calling and there's one absolute rule his new employer has: he must remain single. Only--how can he live without the delicious Leticia Vane? Surely, there's nothing wrong with using a few of his newly polished romantic skills on the side to quietly seduce the woman he loves . . . is there? As clueless as he is handsome, Hughie gamely decides to throw his already complicated life into utter chaos . . . and discovers exactly why a Flirt's professional and personal life should never mix."-- provided by publisher A Brilliant, Unforgettable Novel By The New York Times Bestselling Author Of The Perfume Collector. Can The Secrets Of One Woman's Past Change Another Woman's Future? Cate Albion Is A Gifted Young Artist At A Crossroads In Her Life. Looking To Escape New York For The Summer, She Takes A Job In Her Aunt's London Auction House And Is Soon Sent On Assignment To The English Countryside To Value The Contents Of Endsleigh House, The Once Gracious But Now Crumbling Estate Of A Former Jazz Age Socialite. There, Hidden In The Back Of A Dusty Bookshelf, Cate Discovers An Old Shoebox, And Inside, A Peculiar Assortment Of Objects, Including An Exquisite Pair Of 1930s Dancing Shoes; A Faded Photograph Of A Handsome Young Sailor, And A Rare Tiffany Pearl And Emerald Bracelet. Intrigued, Cate Sets Out To Learn More About The Box And Its Contents, And Becomes Immersed In The Mystery Of Its Owner, Diana “baby” Blythe, The Younger Of The Infamous, Glamorous Blythe Sisters. Bright, Beautiful, And Reckless, Baby Was The Most Famous Debutante Of Her Generation . . . Until She Suddenly Disappeared Entirely From View. As A Shocking Tale Of Love And Betrayal Begins To Unravel, Cate Finds Herself Being Drawn Deeper Into Baby's Tragic Life Story—one That Will Force Cate To Confront Some Dark Truths About Her Own Choices. An enchanting novel brimming with poignancy, humour, enchantment and insight, this is a stunning debut. Imagine an Audrey Hepburn film in the present day...It was a slim, grey volume entitled Elegance...Louise Canova is at a crossroads in her life. Her marriage is faltering and the insecurities of adolescence have returned to haunt her. Browsing in a second-hand bookshop, she stumbles across a faded grey volume. Written by the formidable French fashion expert, Madame Genevieve Antoine Dariaux, Elegance is an encyclopedia of style. It promises to transform plain women into creatures of poise at all times. And from Accessories to Zippers, there is nothing that Madame Dariaux can't advise upon – including inattentive husbands, false friends, and the powerful bond between mothers and daughters.When Louise vows to follow Madame's advice, her life is transformed in ways she never imagined. Within the book's pages lie clues to her own past. And as she begins to unravel them, she discovers a courage she never dreamt possible.However, everything, even elegance, has its price.Starting with A and finishing with Z, Elegance is a unique journey of timeless fashion, true friendship, and the rare, unexpected gift of love.

Louise C. wants what Jackie O had ...

Unhappy with her looks, her life, and her empty marriage, Louise Canova needs help — and she finds it in a secondhand bookstore. A forty-year-old encyclopedia of style titled Elegance, this slim volume by formidable French fashion expert Madame Dariaux promises to transform even the plainest of women into creatures of poise and grace. It is a fairy godmother in print, an A-to-Z manual with essential advice that Louise vows to take to heart. But within its pages lie not only clues from her past, but also powerful lessons for the future. And as the old Louise gives way to the stunning new, she's about to find out that there's more to every life than what appears on the surface ... and that everything, even elegance, has its price.

USA Today

Through vivid descriptions, lively mishaps and devastating details, Tessaro serves up a witty, original, fast-moving debut. Louise's story lightheartedly reveals the frailties and the possibilities in all of us. She takes a clever, sometimes funny, sometimes mortifying look at familial relationships, the bonds of friendship, sexuality and self-identity. — Kelly DiNardo

Can the secrets of one woman's past change another woman's future' A gifted artist, Cate has come to London from New York to escape her recent past. Working for her aunt's auction house, she is sent down to Devon to value the contents of Endsleigh House, the once gracious but now crumbling estate of a former socialite. There, hidden in the back of a dusty bookshelf, Cate discovers an old shoebox. Inside is a strange assortment of objects: an exquisite pair of dancing shoes circa 1930; a diamond brooch; a photograph of a young sailor; a dance card; and a pearl and emerald Tiffanys bracelet. Intrigued by her find, Cate sets out to solve the mystery of the box, becoming immersed in the story of its owner, Baby Blythe. Bright, beautiful, and reckless, Baby was the most famous debutante of her generation ... and the most dangerous. As the clues begin to reveal a shocking tale of destructive, addictive love, Cate finds herself being drawn deeper into Baby's tragic life story'a story that will force Cate to face some dark truths about her own. Includes an excerpt from The Perfume Collector

Some dreams never die.

It's 1986 and eighteen-year-old Evie dreams of being an actress. Leaving her hometown of Eden, Ohio, for the first time, she's heading to London to study drama. Together with fellow students Imogene (a born-again Laura Ashley poster child and frustrated virgin) and Robbie (a native New Yorker, budding bohemian, and very much not a virgin), Evie's flung into a thrilling new world—a world illuminated by the glamorous, outrageous Robbie. Together, anything's possible.

But then life, and love, intervene. And everything changes.

Fifteen years later, Evie's a single mother teaching drama to night students and living with the eccentric Bunny in her house of artistic renters. Robbie's gone now, killed in a car accident. And Evie's doing her best to forget the past, as well as the dreams they once both shared.

Then an old friendship comes back to haunt Evie. Literally. And suddenly everything is about to change again.

Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel

“Clever…Elegance makes the journey in style.”

Some dreams never die. It's 1986 and eighteen-year-old Evie dreams of being an actress. Leaving her hometown of Eden, Ohio, for the first time, she's heading to London to study drama. Together with fellow students Imogene (a born-again Laura Ashley poster child and frustrated virgin) and Robbie (a native New Yorker, budding bohemian, and very much not a virgin), Evie's flung into a thrilling new world: a world illuminated by the glamorous, outrageous Robbie. Together, anything's possible. But then life, and love, intervene. And everything changes. Fifteen years later, Evie's a single mother teaching drama to night students and living with the eccentric Bunny in her house of artistic renters. Robbie's gone now, killed in a car accident. And Evie's doing her best to forget the past, as well as the dreams they once both shared. Then an old friendship comes back to haunt Evie. Literally. And suddenly everything is about to change again. Unhappy with her looks, her life, and her empty marriage, Louise Canova needs helpand she finds it in a secondhand bookstore. A forty-year-old encyclopedia of style titled Elegance, the slim volume by formidable French fashion expert Madame Dariaux promises to transform even the plainest of women into creatures of poise and grace. It is a fairy godmother in print, an A-to-Z manual with essential advice that Louise vows to take to heart. But within its pages lie not only clues from her past, but also powerful lessons for the future. And as the old Louise gives way to the stunning new, she's about to find out that there's more to every life than what appears on the surface ... and that everything, even elegance, has its price. Cate, an artist who abandoned her talent, heart, and self-respect in New York, takes a temporary gig as an antiques appraiser in London, and is soon drawn into the mystery of the beautiful Blythe sisters, recently deceased aristocrat Irene and long-missing Diana, both of whom shocked and fascinated London in the 1930s. Working for her aunt's auction house, artist Cate is sent to Devon to appraise the contents of Endsleigh, the grand Georgian home of a former socialite. Cate quickly becomes immersed in solving the mystery of Baby Blythe, the most famous debutante of her generation In the dimness of a second-hand bookshop, Louise discovers a faded old A-Z of how to be elegant. As she starts reading, the book's pages whisper something elusive - can she regain her self-esteem and pluck up the courage to act upon the real-life lessons within? An out-of-work actor is hired to flirt with wives who are feeling neglected in their relationships. His techniques are so successful that he decides to use them in pursuit of his own heart's desire: an aloof and charming lingerie designer. Fraught with insecurity about her husband's increasingly distant behavior, Louise Canova obtains a faded fashion guide from a second-hand bookshop and discovers that its lessons have unexpected results The enchanting new novel from the international bestselling author of "Elegance" finds new hope for a drama instructor when she encounters a friendship from the past It's a freezing cold night in February and my husband and I are standing outside of the National Portrait Gallery in Trafalgar Square.