Review: A Touch of Stardust

A Touch of Stardust by Kate Alcott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I simply LOVED this book. No ands, ifs or buts about it. It is a fictional story set in the time of 1938 during the filming of Gone With The Wind. The main character works for Carole Lombard, girlfriend and then wife of the famed Clark Gable, AKA Rhett Butler. The characters are perfectly suited to the real-life Carole, Clark, and Selznick. Any GWTW fan should like this as well as fans of film fiction. A wonderful time was had by all.

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Review: Mademoiselle Chanel

Mademoiselle Chanel by C.W. Gortner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have never been a fan of Coco, just of her designs. I thought I would give this a try because it is set in the period that I like to read about. Even though it did not change my mind about Chanel the person, it was a very enjoyable read. It read like a bio even though it was fiction. It did not portray Andre as Coco's child, as I have often read, but as her nephew; which was how he was presented to the world. Only Coco would know the real story there.

If you like the 20's-40's and fashion, you would like this book. If you are reading because you think you like Chanel....well, maybe you should rethink that and read it for some other reason. She is not an easy person to like because of her beliefs and this book does not change them to make her more likeable, and I liked that it stayed true to how CC was.

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Review: The Dressmaker

The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was worried that this fictional work might be portrayed as real Titanic history. I'm glad the author explained that at the end. While, I wished there was more time spent on the ship and less on that dreadful trials, this was a fine read. It might get folks interested in the real Titanic. The Duff Gordons did indeed sail on that ship, and the controversy of lifeboat #1 has always intrigued me, so of course I found the authors take interesting. I am interested to know what happens to Tess. Also, Ms.Alcott's writing is making me happy. This is the second book I have read of hers in a couple of months and I am ready for another.

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Review: The Forgotten Flapper: A Novel of Olive Thomas

The Forgotten Flapper: A Novel of Olive Thomas by Laini Giles
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh my word! I have waited forever to read a book on Olive Thomas. I have been intrigued by her since childhood. This was written as if Olive was telling us the story. Fiction that reads like nonfiction. Written in a style most celeb auto bios are written in...."I make good choices but those around me don't." It was a perfect way to tell a story about a big celebrity that no one now knows because she died in 1920. She was big Before talkies and married a Pickford. A Ziegfeld girl, the most beautifil woman....Olive had it all. She was royalty.

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Review: Mrs. Hemingway

Mrs. Hemingway by Naomi Wood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Each of Hemingway's four wives get to narrate a section of the book. I LOVED this! Hadley was my favorite wife, but I think it is because of the time period in which she belonged to Ernest. He was a budding writer and spent lots of time with F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda, while they all lived in Paris.

I have read about Hadley before, but this story also gave a voice to Pauline (Pief), Martha and Mary. I enjoyed getting to know them and seeing through a fictional work, what life might have been like for them all.

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Review: The Trouble with Scarlett

The Trouble with Scarlett by Martin Turnbull
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Gone with the Wind is going to be the biggest movie ever...if they can get it cast.

This book revolves around friends, Gwendolyn, the actress of the friends is doing whatever she can to get cast as Scarlett O'Hara in GWTW. While Marcus, a screenwriter, hangs out with the likes of F. Scott Fitzgerald while he is working on GWTW script and Kathryn, a reporter, is on the verge of breaking the biggest gossip secret in Hollywood.

The first book was good, but this one is much better. The characters are developed and there is a bond with you and them. You really hope they all succeed.

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Review: I'll Be Seeing You

I'll Be Seeing You by Suzanne Hayes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My first great read of 2016! This book is really a collection of letters told by WWII wives/mothers/friends, though the letters tell some great stories. Stories of friendship, love, marriage, death and regrets. This was a beautiful book and it is very easy to place yourself in 1944, in the lives of these women and feel what they feel.

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