Glamorous Notions

A Novel

De: Megan Chance

Narrado por: Karen Peakes

A costume designer’s past casts a long shadow over her well-constructed lies in this intriguing story about stolen identities, friendship, and betrayal from the author of A Splendid Ruin and A Dangerous Education.

Hollywood, 1955. As head costume designer for Lux Pictures, Lena Taylor hears startling confessions from the biggest movie stars. She knows how to keep their secrets—after all, none of their scandals can match her own.

Lena was once Elsie Gruner, the daughter of an Ohio dressmaker. Her gift for fashion design helped her win a coveted spot at an art academy in Rome. While in Italy, she became enthralled by the charismatic Julia, who drew her into a shadowy world of jazz clubs, code words, and mysterious deliveries. When one of Julia’s intrigues ended in murder, Elsie found herself in the middle of a bewildering sinister international plot. So she ran.

After fleeing to LA, Elsie became Lena—but she’s never stopped looking over her shoulder. Now, as her engagement to a screenwriter throws her into the spotlight, she’s terrified her façade won’t hold up. Will she figure out the truth about her past before everything falls apart?

©2025 by Megan Chance. (P)2024 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Reseñas de la Crítica

“The plot is intense and dramatic, and it is always edifying to experience Chance’s scene-setting where she revels in minute detail to embed her characters firmly in time and place. The author writes superbly and never fails to weave a powerful story.”—Historical Novels Review (Editors’ Choice)

Not really as advertised, but a good book anyway

This book was not what I was expecting at all based on the description. Based on the following sentence I figured it would be all Hollywood gossip, affairs, terminated or hidden pregnancies, drug use, etc... "As head costume designer for Lux Pictures, Lena Taylor hears startling confessions from the biggest movie stars. She knows how to keep their secrets—" Or was not.
What it was was a well told tale of a young woman who unwittingly gets herself entangled with all the wrong people - first a hustler husband who was beholden to the mob for his debts, then with an enigmatic woman in Rome for whom she runs odd errands. When our heroine nearly loses her life and is sure her friend is dead, she returns to the US determined to put her past behind her. Using an assumed name and some false papers she becomes a top costume designer.
But it's the 1950s, US propaganda is strong and HUAC is alive and well and perhaps no one is who they seem to be. That's when our heroine's past comes back to haunt her.
Spy thriller set against the backdrop of 1950s Hollywood it is. Gossipy fashion and insider tell all our is not, not even in fiction form.

52BookClub 2025 Reading Challenge
Prompt 51: a book 300-400 pages long

She had a lot going on

this was good book. alot of twist and turns. long winded at times but it still was a good book

Story is interesting but too drawn out.

I liked the basic storyline and the Hollywood example of McCarthyism, however the book was shallow. It seemed to repeat stories within stories so for me it was slow and sometimes boring. Too many repeated details like the smoking and the drinking.The subject and story was impressive but overall the book is forgettable.

Interesting

Good narration, interesting story but the lead character seemed weak and overly emotional. I have to consider the times i guess but she would have been more believable if she was bit stronger.

McCarthy and the Movies

Excellent narrator! Good depiction of McCarthy Era and its impact on society, especially on the movie industry. Interesting story arc.

Elsie's naivete was hard to believe

I enjoyed it overall, but it would have made a huge difference if the reader hadn't had such a little-girl-voice, which flattened any complexity right out of the characters and the plot.

Communism made OK?!

So sorry I listened to this. Hollywood blacklist was scary and probably not right. But this story went too far in glorifying communism.

The characters

Love the story! It was very well written and enjoyed the story very much. Hope you will enjoy it too

I would recommend this book

Overall it kept me intrigued. I usually like to listen to fiction books to help me fall asleep, however, this kept me up for a few evenings trying to figure out where the story was going. It was very suspenseful and different parts. I really enjoyed.

Never trust the Government People are so easily and willingly manipulated

the stupidity of the Lena including being totally ignorant and void of normal curiosity. it was infuriating and unrealistic.