There’s no business like show business, right? But what are the limits? Helen Nichols is about to find out.

At age sixteen, Helen’s rising star cousin Ginger Rogers decides to pluck her from her small hometown in Oklahoma determined to turn her into a movie star. Helen quickly becomes Phyllis Fraser and before long she’s strolling around the RKO lot on a daily basis. Phyllis is cast in a small role here, a small role there but they often end up on the cutting room floor. She rubbed elbows with other contract girls and watch their stars rise while hers just never really did. She had front seats to all the drama, the love affairs (including a few of her own) and the glitz, glamour and tragedy that go hand in hand with show business.

A love for writing helped her through the lulls. It helped to pay the bills but ultimately, with a few twists and turns along the way…it led her down that path that eventually brought her success, both professionally and personally.

This is such a great book! I love old Hollywood and this definitely paints a very vivid picture. It’s easy to envision some of the movies and scenes mentioned, especially Cheek To Cheek. I can hear Katherine Hepburns voice as she offers advise to Phyllis. All of the characters are real. Their stories are as accurate as can be depicted and are well researched. I even jumped on the internet for more information on the starlets. For fans of old Hollywood…this is a definite must read!

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Gallica Press and Margaret Porter for early access to this great story!

This was a fascinating period in American history and the author has clearly done her homework, the book is packed with entertaining period detail. From train carriages to hair salons, the world described here is vivid and realistic. I would have liked to know a bit more about the characters inner worlds, but someone looking for a well researched tale of Hollywood's Golden Age will not be disappointed.

Oklahoma, 1932 Helen Nichols is waiting to meet her cousin at the train station. Her cousin, none other than Ginger Rogers, coming for an overnight stay along with a radio interview. With her is her mother Lela Rogers, they will be staying with family. While there, Ginger and her mother suggest they take Helen out to Hollywood where she too could get in the movies. Why not, she's cute, with a bit of resemblance to her movie star cousin! With the final approval of Helen's mother, 15 year old Helen goes out to California over summer vacation from school. On the train out to Hollywood, Ginger also suggests Helen change her name to Phyllis Fraser and so a potential new star is born and a new name.

Through the years Phyllis meets with the many glamorous stars of Hollywood's Golden Age. The book is packed with the names and studios when films were in their "heyday." However while Ginger Rogers was climbing the ladder of success, Phyllis found her small roles were mostly landing on the cutting room floor. Yet, she managed to maintain her wholesome attitude and even when faced with several tragedies, Phyllis had a great attitude. The book is filled with both legend, fiction and true accounts of the personalities and loves of a bevy of celebrities. In a way, it reminds me of those movies magazines I used to read years ago as a teenager (Photoplay, Modern Screen, etc.).

The novel is based on the lives of Phyllis Fraser, Ginger Rogers and her mother Lela Rogers. Ginger, of course, is quite well-known and especially for her films with Fred Astaire. Her mother, Lela was also well-known in Hollywood, not only as Ginger's manager, but as an American journalist, screenwriter, film producer and screenwriter. While Phyllis Fraser, never quite making it as an actress, was a newspaper and magazine columnist, as well as a writer of radio soap operas among other things.

The book is well researched, well written and if you are interested in reading about the stars of yesterday, this novel is for you. It is interesting to note that by the time this book ends, you feel a bit connected to the lives of the family, and their concerns as the characters are well developed. It is somewhat gossipy, but then what isn't in Hollywood?

My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

To be reviewed on https://bookreviewsbylulu.blogspot.com/, Goodreads and Amazon

This seems well researched and planned out, I have to praise the author for that! However, I struggled to connect with the characters. The pace felt a little off and the constant jumping between time and places was confusing to keep up with. The characters were fun and exciting and following their journey was entertaining, albeit a little confusing at times. Still, an interesting read!

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallica Press for a preview copy of this book for my honest opinion.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable story, focusing on the life and times of Ginger Rogers and her cousin Helen. Based on fact, and narrated mainly from the perspective of cousin Helen, it focuses on Ginger’s rise from a chorus ‘hoofer’ to Hollywood star and incredible dance partner of Fred Astaire. Ginger’s career success owes a lot to the tenacity of her Mother Lela, a very supportive and ambitious lady, who also tries to launch her niece Helen as a movie star with slightly less success. The story is full of ups and downs, some sadness, lots of Hollywood glitz and glamour from a bygone era. Highly recommend.

Book Review for The Limits of Limelight

Full feature for this title will be posted at: @cattleboobooks on Instagram!

Thank you to Net Galley and Gallica Press for an e-ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. I enjoyed this book so much. While this is a story about Ginger Rogers, I loved the manner in which the author blended together fact with fiction, and brought in Ginger's mother, Lela, and her cousin Phyllis. I especially loved the inclusion of Peg Entwhistle, the starlet who committed suicide by leaping from the Hollywood sign. This transports you back to the heyday of early Hollywood. The characters were well developed, and I would definitely recommend it.