To my agent, Tara—you are a dream come true and worth every minute of those four months I waited for you to open to queries. Thank you to Margo, who scooped this up mere days into NYC’s 2020 shutdown, and Tricja, with her keen eye for those entertaining but perhaps unnecessary moments I hadn’t quite excised, who carried this book through to completion. Aja, my eagle-eyed copy editor, thanks for catching my bad math and keeping Ms. Bennet from blushing too often. No one should have to highlight the word “back” so many times in one paragraph.

And Derek. My boo. Thank you for the time and the space I needed to make this happen. I love you. Let’s snuggle.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. In A Certain Appeal, Bennet and Darcy have an intense first meeting. What did they think of each other? What were your first impressions of these two characters?

2. The novel is set in the glamorous and lively New York City burlesque world. Did you know anything about burlesque before reading? How did your perceptions change?

3. What relationship do the various characters have to burlesque? How do they use it to enhance their self-confidence?

4. In A Certain Appeal, the author, Vanessa King, transplants the characters of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice to the modern day. How does that classic help ground the story? In what ways does it feel different from the original?

5. Aside from the two main leads, the book is full of many lovable secondary characters. Who were some of your favorites? How did they bring the burlesque world to life?

6. Discuss the experience that leads Bennet to New York City and her administrative job. How does Bennet grow in her design journey throughout the book?

7. How do Bennet’s connections to certain buildings line up with specific life choices and important stages of her life? How do these places impact her creative visions?

8. Before he gets to know Bennet more, Darcy has a skeptical view of burlesque. How do his reservations affect their relationship, and why does that change?

9. What do you think is in store for Bennet, Darcy, and the other characters?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

© Emerald Boes Photography

VANESSA KING spent two years in the New York City burlesque scene and has the glitter in her pumps to prove it. A Certain Appeal is her debut novel and love letter to the dynamic, sexy world of twirling tassels and eyelash glue. When not writing, King enjoys reading, wielding a glue gun, and the contrast of red nails against a chrome barbell. She lives in Colorado with her husband and daughter.

Visit Vanessa King online

VanessaLKing.com

 VuhVuhDanessa

 VanessaLeighKing

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