Reviews

This book had very flat and superficial characters, and the writing was really boring. The main characters alternated narrating each chapter, and they did a lot of telling but no showing… and a quarter of the way through the book, they still hadn’t interacted. They had no redeeming qualities, just disdain for others, and pettiness and hatred for each other. They didn’t even like their families or employees. It was all selfishness and greed on both sides.

shellc86's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

evie_susanek's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.5

bigcitydreamer's review against another edition

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informative lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A riveting historical fiction overview of a previously unknown-to-me rivalry between Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubenstein. The author does a great job fleshing out the protagonists, though I wonder if Ms. Arden really was as unpleasant as she appears in the book? (Perhaps!). A fairly easy but still educational read, perfect for the darker days of winter or something easy on the beach in summer.

shesbecomingbookish's review against another edition

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3.0

Quick and Dirty⁣
-dual POV historical fiction⁣
-female titans of business⁣
-spans multiple decades⁣
-highly character-driven⁣
⁣
Thoughts⁣
I'm a sucker for historical fiction with a feminist lens, so A Beautiful Rival certainly caught my attention when I read the synopsis. The appeal of following these two pioneering businesswomen, Helena Rubenstein and Elizabeth Arden, on their journey to power, fame, and fortune was too strong to resist. It reminded me of the recently published Renee Rosen novel, Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl which focuses on a later titan of business, Estee Lauder. While I thoroughly enjoyed many aspects of this book (keep reading), I will say that it is a slow read without much in the way of "action," so people who struggle with character-driven novels should keep that in mind. The characters were, though, well-developed and three-dimensional. Although it's written from a third-person POV the reader still gets the benefit of the inner dialogue/thought processes of the two MCs which helps flesh out the characters. You get to know their strengths and weaknesses, warts and all as some might say. That, to me, made this book special. They are both completely different and very much alike, which kept the tit-for-tat aspects of the book entertaining. The constant conniving and undermining were fun and kept the book moving along at a good pace (as did the relatively short chapters). My favorite part of this book was that we follow both women over many decades, seeing the world through their eyes as major events (Great Depression, WWII, etc.) happen around them. Overall, this was a solid HistFic that I think many readers will enjoy if they love character-driven novels about pioneering women!

betsyutk's review against another edition

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3.0

I did not enjoy this book as much I have her other books. It wasn't her writing, I think it was the characters. I don't wear Elizabeth Arden products, but if I did I think I would stop. Just about every character is just not a nice person.

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