Yet another book I could not put down! The glitz and glamour of Hollywood that was tarnished by the Studio System. The Last Secret of Lily Adams is full of family secrets, the dirty business of how movies were made in the Golden Age of Hollywood. The fact the timeline/storyline flips back and forth may bother some reads but the shifts are clearly noted in each chapter. It serves to tell the story. The characters are strong - whether they are good or evil (and they certainly are!) In the middle of it all are actresses Stella Lane and Lily Adams, who are rivals who become best friends but are struggling with real life. in the 40’s. Present day mom Caroline and her daughter Em are in a miasma caused by their husband/father deserting them for his pregnant mistress as well as clearing out the home of Caroline’s beloved grandmother Lily Adams. The clearing of the home also serves as a clearing of the emotional cobwebs of the impending divorce. A museum would like to have an exhibition of Lily Adams’ career and have asked Caroline for mementos that Lily might have from her career. The mystery of the brutal death of Stella Lane comes to light. “It begins and ends with Stella Lane.” Is a line from one of Lily’s diaries early in the story. It’s no lie but there’s a wild story in between as well. If I could give ten stars, I would! Well done Sara Blaydes!

The golden age of Hollywood and modern day California collide in this pacey tale of family secrets and unbreakable bonds.

Carolyn and her estranged 14 year old are on a roadtrip to clear out the home of Hollywood legend Lily Adams, who is the grandmother who raised Lily. Smarting from a contentious divorce with a daughter who sees her as an enemy, Carolyn must face some home truths while mourning the only family she's ever known.

Lily a seamstress on the lot of Apex Studio dream's of stardom, she knows she has what it takes to be the next Stella Lane even if Stella Lane herself stands in her way.

Smart, tight and pacey.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. This book was WONDERFUL! I loved the ENTIRE thing, beginning to end! I could read it over and over and I hope they make into a movie! Its fabulous! I normally dont like the past to present back and forth but in this case, i was riveted the whole time. If you love black and white movies, this book is for you!

This book was a complete delight! I loved the characters and the dual perspective. I didn’t see the ending coming too far in advance. It had interesting insight into a time period of Hollywood and the experience of women then. I will recommend to friends!

I couldn't put The Last Secret of Lily Adams down. I loved the story and couldn't wait until the somewhat predictable ending was revealed. It reminded me of Evelyn Hugo in that it involved a Hollywood starlet with a secret - the secret was way different though. I was engaged in the story of these women: Stella, Lily, Carolyn, and Emily. The details of their problems, both common to each other and unique to each woman, kept me reading. If you want a satisfying novel that makes you feel and think, The Last Secret of Lily Adams is it.

The story flowed well and the characters were well developed. I recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.


****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****

New author for me. Good mystery with old Hollywood glamour. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

I found great pleasure in reading this book as I was completely engrossed in it.
The story reminded me of the captivating essence of "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo," with its themes of Old Hollywood, scandals, and hidden truths.
The narrative follows three women from a single family across different time periods, and it is skillfully crafted with unexpected turns. I look forward to exploring more works by this author in the future.

I would like to express my gratitude to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this advance reader copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley. Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Wow! What an amazing adventure!! I absolutely loved the story and enjoyed the characters, finding them to be believable. There were twists that I enjoyed, and one that I had started to feel was coming. Despite my earlier suspicions, all of the reveals were wonderful! This was a beautiful story and I honestly would not change a thing about it. Bravo!!

Lily Adams is a legend, a wonderful actress, America's favourite, and yet she stopped everything at the peak of her career in mysterious circumstances that nobody could ever understand. When seventy years later, her granddaughter, Carolyn, returns to her home to fulfil her death wish of revealing the truth about her life. Carolyn, while dealing with issues of her own, at moments incredibly similar to those of her grandmother will have an uneasy task in front of herself, with shocking revelations at every corner and the ultimate question - is it worth sharing this truth?

I thought this book was incredibly enjoyable. Intertwining two narrations and viewpoints in different timelines - one of Lily, and the other one of Carolyn, the story is very compelling. Initially, I had enjoyed Lily's part way more, but as the book picked up, so did, to an extent, Carolyn's part.

I enjoyed the clever story, filled with interesting plot twists, many of them impossible to predict. I enjoyed the descriptions of the Hollywood life of Lily, and it was very easy to visualise them in my head and feel a part of her story. The characters there were so interesting, and they felt alive with their descriptions.

The issues, I have mostly found in Carolyn's timeline - many characters fell a bit short, and felt shallow, until the very ending of the book, but it still did not make up for the previous part. They had their own lives and motivations, but, although constantly recounted, they still only hit the surface level. Each character had their own issues, but they seemed to only be told for the sort of adding something special, not developing the characters themselves, which could be seen with the cousin.

However, overall, I really enjoyed the book, and I thought it was clever, fun, and engaging, although initially a bit slow on Carolyn's part.

3/5 stars.

THANK YOU LAKE UNION PUBLISHING AND NETGALLEY FOR PROVIDING ME WITH A DIGITAL COPY OF THIS BOOK.

This is one of the best books I have read so far this year.
I'm a sucker for a Hollywood novel and this one just blew me away. The split narration was done so well, the twists and turns of every chapter were so carefully articulated. I was obsessed. The end was so well written and I did not see it coming at all.
If you enjoyed the seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo, I can guarantee you will love this. I feel privileged to have been given the opportunity to read this book before its release.

The Last Secret of Lily Adams was reminiscent of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and I jumped at the opportunity to read it. It did not disappoint.

I loved the dual storyline and perspectives. It was a quick read that I found myself thinking about when I wasn’t reading it and it had me wanting to read more. I highly recommend this book and am excited to share with others!

This is not my usual genre of books and I hate comparing books with other books, but I requested to read this one because I loved The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo so much. From the first page I couldn’t put this book down. Something about old Hollywood is just exciting and so very interesting and this author totally captured the essence of it. This was brilliantly written and has woven a great book of mystery and drama. I did find myself enjoying the past more than the present but only because reading about historic Hollywood and how women were really treated in the industry was quite fascinating to me.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for this amazing book!

"The Last Secret of Lily Adams" was a quick read. Overall, I liked the plot and characters, but the twists were somewhat obvious.

A novel that was reminiscent of the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I enjoyed the dual timelines but I more enjoyed the one set in old Hollywood, as it was interesting to take a peek behind the curtain of that time period. I wish more detail was put into Carolyn’s dance backstory. There were definitely some grammatical errors that could be spotted before publication. 3/5 stars.

*finishes book* *stares at ceiling with tears in eyes processing what just happened* *immediately texts sister to tell her I just read the best book of 2024 so far* *pre-orders paperback* || I devoured this book in 24 hours, I'm officially a fangirl for it.

The Last Secret of Lily Adams is a masterfully executed dual point of view novel that focuses on the misogyny and abuse of old Hollywood, seamlessly intertwining the lives of three women and those around them, both past and present. This narrative is nothing short of a whirlwind, boasting a fast-paced plot filled with unexpected twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat. There's no unnecessary fluff (my ick)– just pure storytelling brilliance. And let's not forget the added charm of a second-chance romance and a delightful cinnamon roll of a love interest. The Last Secret of Lily Adams transcends genres, making it a must-read recommendation that I'm sharing with everyone I know

However, it's important to note that this book does touch upon sensitive topics such as sexual assault, domestic violence, divorce, emotional abuse, murder, and drugs. Despite these heavy themes, the author handles them with tact and sensitivity. I would add a TW or content warning, but wouldn't change anything else about this book.

5+++++ stars! Thank you Sara Blaydes, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6327168714

Sara Blaydes has woven together this incredible tale that's part mystery, part family drama, and all-around amazing book! If you're into mysteries, historical fiction, and a sprinkle of old Hollywood glamour, this book is an absolute must-read!

Lily Adams, a shining star of Hollywood's golden age, mysteriously vanished from the spotlight, leaving behind unanswered questions. Seventy years later, her granddaughter Carolyn Prior discovers a letter revealing Lily's secret life intertwined with the murder of her rival, Stella Lane. As Carolyn delves deeper into her grandmother's past, her own life becomes entangled in shocking ways, forcing her to confront the truth at any cost.

I love books with dual timeline and it was managed perfectly in this book, One minute, you're chilling with Lily Adams, the Hollywood starlet from the 1940s, and the next, you're hanging out with her granddaughter, Carolyn, in present-day. And let me tell you, it's like getting sucked into this whirlwind of intrigue and secrets!

And speaking of secrets, I have to mention how this book tackles some serious issue. It shines a light on how women have been undervalued in, like, every industry, and it's impossible not to draw parallels to the whole Weinstein scandal. But through it all, you see these strong, resilient female characters who are just slaying!

I mean, Carolyn? She's this total boss babe who's trying to piece together her grandma's past while dealing with her own struggles. And then there's Lily, leaving clues behind like some kind of mystery-solving queen! It's like a treasure hunt mixed with a Hollywood blockbuster, and I am here for it!

The Last Secret of Lily Adams is the page-turner. It's got murder, mystery, old Hollywood glamour, family secrets, and just a touch of romance to keep things spicy. If you're looking for a book that'll make you think, feel, and maybe even gasp out loud a few times, then seriously, do yourself a favor and grab a copy ASAP!

🌟🌟🌟✨- 3.5 stars
This book was a whirlwind from start to finish! I found it was a slow start but it picked up pretty quickly. I admired Lily’s spirit and found her story more enjoyable than Caroline’s, though both were good. I would highly recommend for fans of Daisy Jones and Evelyn Hugo as it gives similar vibes of both. The mystery aspect had me hooked and the plot twist at the end was fun! Moreover, I enjoyed seeing both Carolyn and Lily's character development throughout the story.

thank you to NetGalley for giving me this novel in exchange for an honest review

I was captivated from the first chapter. This novel follows the lives of Lily Adams, her granddaughter Carolyn, and Stella Lane. Told from the point of view of the main characters in different time periods, I rushed to finish this book to discover how the story came together. Why did Lily Adams give up her career? How was she connected to one of the most famous names in show business? Old Hollywood meets today- it was a page turner.

Thanks to NetgalleyUK for this SP. The synopsis immediately reminded me of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by TJR. I fell in love with this book.

It's a story with two timelines, centred on 3 women from the same family. On the one hand, we follow Lily Adams in the 1940s. Born into a poor family in Minnesota, her dream was to become an actress in Hollywood. She succeeds thanks to her talent as a dancer and her perseverance. But she soon discovered what went on behind the scenes.

On the other hand, we follow Carolyn and her daughter Em, in the present day. Carolyn is Lily's granddaughter. Following her death, Carolyn has to sort through her grandmother's belongings. She discovers parts of her life that have been buried for years. All Carolyn knows is that it's all linked to Stella Lane, the leading actress of Hollywood's golden age.

I really liked this dual timeline, which gives the story a good twist. It keeps things a little suspenseful.

I also really liked the female characters. They are so well described by the author that they seem so real. They are strong and resilient.

The author's writing is fluid. I couldn't stop reading because I loved this book so much.