Stars Over Sunset Boulevard

Title: Stars Over Sunset Boulevard
Author: Susan Meissner
Published: January 5, 2016 by NAL
Pages: 400
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Rating: 4/5
Goodreads

Los Angeles, Present Day. When an iconic hat worn by Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With the Wind  ends up in Christine McAllister’s vintage clothing boutique by mistake, her efforts to return it to its owner take her on a journey more enchanting than any classic movie… 

Los Angeles, 1938.  Violet Mayfield sets out to reinvent herself in Hollywood after her  dream of becoming a wife and mother falls apart, and lands a job on the film-set of Gone With the Wind. There, she meets enigmatic Audrey Duvall, a once-rising film star who is now a fellow secretary. Audrey’s zest for life and their adventures together among Hollywood’s glitterati enthrall Violet…until each woman’s deepest desires collide.  What Audrey and Violet are willing to risk, for themselves and for each other, to ensure their own happy endings will shape their friendship, and their lives, far into the future. 

My review:

This book had two things going for it before I even cracked the cover (a figure of speech, I have an obsession with not breaking any spines on books 🙂 ). It has a gorgeous cover, and it is about old world Hollywood. I am happy to report that I was not disappointed in my choice, and I can't believe that this is my first book by Meissner! The story mostly occurs starting from the late 30's, with small snippets from present day. Eventually both stories come together as time progresses for Violet, Audrey, and Bert. I loved the descriptions of that time period in Hollywood, and the movie scenes from Gone with the Wind (you do not have to have read the book or seen the movie to enjoy this, but I think it does add to the charm if you have). I thought the characters stories were well written, and very interesting to follow. While some of their decisions were not always agreeable to me, I think they fit with their personalities. There is a bit of a mystery with the present day story, which is laid out fairly early, but it's still intriguing to figure out its progression. A great character novel, we get to see them grow and develop over the years.

A book that had me enthralled with the old world charm of a Hollywood movie, and the lives of those working in the studio during it's filming. This book has me going back through the previous titles by Ms. Meissner to see what else I've missed.