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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
I love historical fiction when it imagines the life of those who have lived, and this was brilliant. Based on the lives of Jackie Collins and Jacqueline Susann (with some artistic license!) it looks at what it was to be a woman writing books that were somewhat racy. As a huge fan of Valley of the Dolls (a book I’m determined to re read this year as it’s been some time since I read it last) I devoured this book. Easy to read, it emulates the books it talks about in many ways. Drug addiction, sexism and misogyny are among the themes covered. Read for a book club and we all heartily enjoyed it!
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I really liked this book!! I liked the different character perspectives and how they were all intertwined. I liked the writing style and I felt like all the personalities of the characters were written well.
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love Gill Paul's historical fiction about real women so I was excited to get this ARC. It is about Jackie Collins and Jacqueline Susann in the 1960s when they were starting out as authors. They definitely paved the way for the sexy romances we now have. Back then they went through Hell because of their books having cuss words and sex. I have not read any of their books but apparently the sex is pretty tame considering what is out there now. We also get a story line of a woman who works in the publishing industry. She wants to be an editor but it is very much a man's world. I enjoyed learning about the two Jackies and I was proud of myself for not googling them before finishing the book.
-Surely the author's appearance wasn't relevant to the decision whether or not to publish a book? If that were the case, the majority of male authors would never have gotten into print.
-Jacqueline could just about deal with the men who attacked her because they were uncomfortable with women talking about sex, but when she was attacked by other women it cut to the bone.
-"Don't worry. I find there's nothing like a book ban to whip up demand."
-She was pleased her book had been published, of course she was. She just wished she hadn't been so naive as to think writing a sexy book would come without a price tag.
-She would put him in a novel one day, she decided, and she'd give him an abnormally small penis.
-Surely the author's appearance wasn't relevant to the decision whether or not to publish a book? If that were the case, the majority of male authors would never have gotten into print.
-Jacqueline could just about deal with the men who attacked her because they were uncomfortable with women talking about sex, but when she was attacked by other women it cut to the bone.
-"Don't worry. I find there's nothing like a book ban to whip up demand."
-She was pleased her book had been published, of course she was. She just wished she hadn't been so naive as to think writing a sexy book would come without a price tag.
-She would put him in a novel one day, she decided, and she'd give him an abnormally small penis.
Another great Gil Paul read. This hit the sweet spot for me; really interesting subjects that I knew little about. I've actually never read any books by either women featured in this book but that didn't interfere with my enjoyment.
slow-paced
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
I thought this was going to be a page turning can't get enough book, but I guess maybe being a Millennial this was not the book for me? Maybe not the target audience?
Overall it was alright.
Thank you NetGalley and publisher for my E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Overall it was alright.
Thank you NetGalley and publisher for my E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced