The Girl Who Reads

Thank you to NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book! I’m glad I was able to finish the ARC just in time for its release.

Review:

The Girl Made of Stars tells the haunting story of Hollywood siren Lola Grayson, a star who shined brightly but was consumed by the industry that created her. Dubbed “The Siren,” Lola was MGM’s biggest name before the rise of Carole Lombard and Jean Harlow. But beneath the glitz and glamour, the novel exposes the dark underbelly of the Golden Age of Hollywood—its rampant exploitation, control over its stars, and the deep scars left behind.

Told in a dual timeline, the novel follows present-day novelist Joey Cabot, who, purchase and moves into the secret love nest once shared by Lola and fellow star Robert Taggart. As Joey digs deeper into Lola’s past, aided by the son of one of Lola’s maids, Dr Jackson, who met and loved Lola when he was a child, she uncovers shocking secrets. The novel doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of the industry, tackling themes of sexual violence, power dynamics, and complicity in abuse. In doing so, it draws unsettling parallels to real-life stars like Marilyn Monroe, making Lola’s story feel all too believable.

Le Veque does a great job evoking Old Hollywood, weaving in well-known figures like Clark Gable, Joan Crawford, and Mayer (the one and only), adding a layer of authenticity to the narrative. Honestly, thats one of my favourite aspects of the book.

However, there are a few elements that feel underdeveloped. Things are mentioned like her past controversy involving a Nazi-sympathizer protagonist are mentioned but never fully explored. Likewise, her friend Diesal’s disregard for a woman’s privacy in the name of historical preservation becomes a pattern later in the book, but it feels like it could have been better examined. Her unresolved issues with her mother also get brushed aside by the end of it.

The novel raises many questions about morality, agency, and justice. Joey’s pursuit of the truth is compelling, but at times, it feels like a therapist might have been a simpler route to closure. Additionally, Diana Kuhn’s identity felt fairly predictable. Every so often, I felt like some of the language could have been cleaned up just a bit more; like this book would have benefitted from being untouched for a month or two and then re-read and edited.

That said, the book excels in its ability to immerse readers in the tragedy of Lola’s life. It’s a gripping read that highlights both the allure and cruelty of classic Hollywood.

Blurb:

Lola Grayson had it all.

In 1934, Lola was on top of the world. Dubbed “The Siren” by MGM, she was a protégé of Louis B. Mayer, the original talkie sex symbol before the rise of stars like Carole Lombard and Jean Harlow. But like Harlow, Lola Grayson had a dominant stage mother and bad health that struggled to meet the demand of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Exploited, pushed, primped, and promoted as MGM’s biggest star, Lola Grayson made one fatal mistake – falling in love with fellow MGM star Robert Taggart. Together, they were the golden couple that audiences demanded to see. But Lola wanted what every young woman at the time wanted – a husband and a family. For a major star, that was a death sentence.

Lola Grayson’s death rocked the world.

In the present day, Joey Cabot is a novelist with a struggling career. In a stroke of fate, she purchases Lola Grayson and Robert Taggart’s former home in Los Angeles. It was a secret love nest they kept hidden from the world, but what comes out of the old walls is a secret no one wanted to see the light of day. Something so explosive that it could lay Hollywood history wide-open. In discovering that secret, Joey sees the salvation of her career, but it soon becomes apparent that Joey isn’t working for her salvation, but for Lola’s.

Old Hollywood glamour and tragedy brings together two lost souls in this masterpiece fictional tale of one woman’s death… and one woman’s life. 

Available on Kindle Unlimited!