3.94 AVERAGE


Beautiful done. Some gay Hollywood. And I thought telling the story of Salome alongside making the movie of her story was well done.
emotional medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes

pretty good.. pace was a little slow but the end was really good. pretty simple story and likable characters but nothing sensational 

This is more than just a love story.

With several women competing for the leading role of a Hollywood movie in the 1950s, one has to expect some hard feelings going down. Nancy Hartley, an attractive 26-year-old model, thought she was best for the part. But the director was looking for someone that had more of an exotic look. And there she was: Veras Larios. She didn’t have the experience but she was a very beautiful 21-year-old Mexican actress. With hard work, she could learn the lines and become a star.

It was all about the production of the Biblical story of Salome, a beautiful princess, who was in love with a preacher. The book had multiple POVs that told the story of the challenging relationships of these three women. There were a lot of layers and prejudice with this plot that could be split into several pieces. When one woman gets the leading role and takes the boyfriend, there has to be emotional backfire.

It was years ago when I saw the opera: Salome. It wasn’t my favorite then and this part of the story was slow even though I enjoyed an original storyline. I was most impressed with how the author used her knowledge of Hollywood stars and music from the past and incorporated it into a chain-of-events with three women that were trying to find their true love. It concludes like the end of a fireworks show.

My thanks to Del Rey and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of August 6, 2024.
dark medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
emotional sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
emotional mysterious sad fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

not a horror book 

I had never heard of the historical figure Salome. The weaving of history/myth with Hollywood was very well done. I really enjoyed this book.