As the Cold War loomed, Hollywood’s golden age—full of glitz and glamour—became the target of McCarthy’s anticommunist blacklists.  Thus sets the stage for Meissner’s latest venture into historical fiction. 

I can always count on her books to immerse me into a timeframe that isn’t oft written.  And with the current political scene, I was very curious about the Red Scare era.  The rush to judgment.  Neighbor telling on neighbor.  The lists.  The bribery.  And here, Meissner painted a picture of that scene that kept me interested and made me want to know more.  

The first two-thirds of the novel unfolded slowly and methodically as each character was introduced and backstories were revealed.  Secrets abounded and each woman longed for connection and acceptance.  

The pace picked up for the last third of the novel, and I enjoyed watching these three women—so different from one another—forge a bond and find comradery.  

While I appreciated the look into a period in history that’s not often depicted in HF, I found it to be less emotionally resonant and engaging that Meissner’s previous titles.  Still, I enjoyed this novel and will continue to eagerly read each book Meissner releases.   

🎧 Award winning narrator, Lisa Flanagan, readily immersed me into this time period and breathed life into each of the characters.  With distinct accents and tone, Flanagan’s portrayal of each woman was individualized and well executed.   

Many thanks to my friends at @berkleypub @prhaudio and @uplitreads for the free #gifted copies of this book.  #partner #berkleypartner