This was a very enjoyable read! Full of rich detail from the time period, Park Avenue Summer by Renee Rosen takes us into 1965 as Helen Gurley Brown launches a revamped Cosmopolitan magazine. At the time, she was extremely edgy and her ideas didn’t go over so well by the publishing world.

Alice Weiss is new to New York City. She takes a job as Helen’s secretary though she has dreams of becoming a professional photographer someday. Through Alice’s eyes, the reader sees how Helen’s vision of Cosmo is met with disapproval and she fights to see her vision through. A modern girl can be sexy and independent, a revolutionary idea for 1965.

New York City is filled with opportunities for single girls like Alice Weiss, who leaves her small midwestern town to chase her big-city dreams and unexpectedly lands the job of a lifetime working for the first female editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine, Helen Gurley Brown.

Nothing could have prepared Alice for the world she enters as editors and writers resign on the spot, refusing to work for the woman who wrote the scandalous bestseller Sex and the Single Girl, and confidential memos, article ideas, and cover designs keep finding their way into the wrong hands. When someone tries to pull Alice into a scheme to sabotage her boss, she is more determined than ever to help Helen succeed. While pressure mounts at the magazine and Alice struggles to make her way in New York, she quickly learns that in Helen Gurley Brown’s world, a woman can demand to have it all.

The author did such a fabulous job putting you right in the middle of NYC in the 60s when things were really changing for women. I always enjoy Renee Rosen’s books and this one might be my favorite!

April, 2019

This book is more than meets the eye. At the beginning, I was disappointed in the simple writing style. However, I noticed the style becomes more complex as our heroine develops from a small town girl to a city woman. Enjoyable story and peek into the background of the early days of Cosmo and the women's movement. I enjoyed the contrast between Helen Gurly Brown and Betty Friedan.

Alice Weiss has moved to New York city to pursue her dream of becoming a professional photographer. Knowing no one, she looks up a friend of her mother's, Elaine, who is influential in getting her a job as secretary to Helen Gurley Brown. Alice meets many important people including photographers, who help further her ambition. A delightful story about the rise of the Cosmopolitan Magazine under the editorship of Helen Gurley Brown, the cut-throat business of publishing, and the love interests of Alice.

Such an enjoyable book!

Small town girl moves to NYC in 1965. She dreams of being a photographer but ends up being the personal secretary to Helen Gurley Brown. We see the fictionalized version of the start of HGB's start at Cosmo.....very exciting time, for women & for magazines!

I loved Alice, the main character. She enjoyed the start of freedom women were gaining!

I will always and forever be a sucker for any book that features a young woman working at a magazine, so I had a feeling that I would enjoy Park Avenue Summer. But I especially loved its 1960's setting, and its focus on Helen Gurley Brown, one of the most famous and controversial figures in the industry. I loved the way the author melded together real facts about Cosmo and Brown at the time (references to writers like Nora Ephron and figures like Friedan and Steinem are a great touch) while fully embracing the fictional drama in Alice's family, romantic and work life. I will say that I felt like the book could have covered a more expansive period of time -- I couldn't fathom that all of this happened in just a four month period! But it was a captivating read, I loved the characters, and it continued my solid love for the women in media trope I have so come to depend on.

Well written book about young, single Alice and the amazing Helen Gurley Brown. I typically enjoy reading books about true life people. This book did not disappoint. I found myself rooting for Alice as she found her way in New York and for Helen as she struggled to show the magazine world who she as an editor. I am a fan of Renee Rosen and recommend her books to my customers. in will definitely be doing the same with this book.

Well written historical fiction based on real life characters. If you are a fan of historical fiction, especially this time period you'll definitely want to pick this up! The cover is what initially drew me in, and the contents didn't let me down. I'm a fan of this author's other work, and all of the customers we recommend her to have enjoyed them as well. I have no doubt this will be another winner for them!

1960's NYC, what's not to love? Ms. Rosen has created a real and likeable protagonist in Alice Weiss. Alice is a simple, straightforward Midwestern girl from Youngstown, OH, but she's got smarts and savvy in spades - enough to help her conquer gritty NYC. She lands a job at Cosmopolitan with the help of her deceased mother's friend. Alice finds herself working as the personal assistant/secretary to Helen Gurley Brown, of Sex and the Single Girl fame who has just landed at the helm of Cosmo.. Almost immediately Alice's integrity is put to the challenge by "Don Juan" of the office, Erik. I like that Alice does not let herself get intimidated. She's got spunk! The story offered excellent insight into the life of a working girl in 1960's New York, the man's world of a mega-publisher such as Hearst and magazine such as Cosmo with a woman at the lead. As I read I could imagine all the drama, photo shoots, article & cover ideas and scandal, I certainly remember reading those covers as a teen and imagining what adult life was like The complete cast of characters Ms. Rosen has created just completed the story. Thank you for the ARC. .All opinions are my own.

This book has a relatable protagonist in Alice. She was from Youngstown, OH and trying to find her way in New York City as a young, single woman on her own for the first time. She also was trying to do justice to her mother’s memory with help from her mother’s friend, Elaine. She unknowingly finds a boss and mentor in Helen Gurley Brown who champions for her girls and allows them to find themselves and teaches them how to follow their dreams. Including the real history of Cosmopolitan magazine and the real Helen Gurley Brown along with the fiction brought this book to life. How women view themselves and how men view women for many years has been shaped by Cosmopolitan and other similar magazines but without Mrs. Brown that would not be the case.

Alice Weiss has dreamed of New York City for years and now she is taking a chance and leaving Ohio behind. With the help of her mother's friend she land a job as secretary to Helen Gurley Brown as she takes over Cosmopolitan. As a single girl it seems like the perfect fit as Alice embraces New York City and the single life but who can she trust? Will Alice have the courage to pursue her dream?

This was a great read about the women’s movement in the 1960’s. The story about Helen Gurley Brown was told through Alice Weiss, a young woman just starting out and was given the opportunity to learn the magazine business through the struggles of her employer. Renée Rosen excellent job capturing the time period with all her subtle details that really made it come alive. We also witnessed Alice struggle to find herself in the big city. Her career and over were all on display and you couldn’t help rooting for both Helen and Alice. #netgalley #parkavenuesummer

A fantastic story about a young lady coming of age with a dream in her eye and just enough fire to make it happen. This book was very interesting and i highly recommend it to fans of historical fiction.

i received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.