I’m pleased to be a blog tour stop today for Monique Domovitch’s debut novel, Scorpio Rising.

Set in the 1950’s, Scorpio Rising tells the story of two ambitious people: Brooklyn born Alexander Ivanov and the French Brigitte Dartois. Desperate to escape his impoverished upbringing, Alex sets out to take the New York architecture world by storm. Equally desperate to escape abuse, Brigitte discovers her artistic talents and becomes the talk of Paris.  Their paths cross unexpectedly, and under unlikely circumstances, love begins to bloom.

I was drawn to this blog tour because of the book title. I am a true Scorpio, so once I saw the title, how could I resist?

I wasn’t expecting the retro aspect of Scorpio Rising, and it was a nice surprise.  It is easy to tell a tale of reckless ambition in our present day. But to do it well in a pre-Mad Men era takes some skill. The devices we have at the ready today to make it oh-so-easy weren’t available in the 1950’s, after all.

Alex and Brigitte are, as I mentioned earlier, desperate to escape the trappings of their youth.  Neither has a good support system and must rely on themselves. Each handles it differently, Alex with a single-minded intent and determination and Brigitte with an earnest effort to grow from naive schoolgirl to an independent woman.

Monique weaves their independent stories into a plausible encounter, setting our heroine and hero up for their inevitable meeting and the ensuing drama. I will say that the cynical part of me felt that Alex and Brigitte falling in love happened too quickly, but the romantic part of me shouted back, quite loudly, “why not?!” The book ends with a bit of a cliffhanger, the perfect set up to the next installment.

Scorpio Rising wasn’t what I expected when I started reading it, but in a good way, and I want to know what happens to Brigitte and Alex next. If you’re a fan of chick lit, this is one you won’t want to miss.

This is also a giveaway tour so you’ll want to check out a few other sites:

You’ll want to comment here for a chance to win a $10 gift card from amazon.com

Happy Reading!