I’ve been reading Gill Paul’s books for a while and so enjoy the stories of the women she focuses on. Having recently watched the first episode of Capote vs. The Swans I was craving a book set during that timeframe of 1960s/1979s. And what a tale Scandalous Women was.

I’ve never read Valley of the Dolls or any of Jackie Collins books but they’ve always interested me. Jacqueline Susann and Jackie were pioneers of their genre which makes for an interesting tale in of itself. Scandalous Women provides a fictional account of these. authors lives as well as their overlap as best selling authors.

I loved every minute of this story. From toggling between each author’s life to the fictional woman who worked for both and provided an inside peek to the publishing world of that time. Side note - it was not pretty nor comfortable and extremely sexist.

If your looking for a slice of historical fictional featuring two real life talented women than this may be the book for you. It certainly was for me! Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow Books for my DRC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was an unexpected delight. Gill has combined, and fictionalized, the lives of 2 great female authors, Jackie Collins and Jacqueline Susann. They were pioneers who opened up the publishing industry to a genre of novel, touting sexuality as opposed to romance.

Though they were never close friends, the novel brings them together with Nancy White, the young, naive editor who works with both. I remember the sensation the books caused and the fun of reading these sensational novels.

I especially enjoyed the social history depicting women in the workplace. Of course, I recall the unfair treatment I received in the workplace or in trying to rent my first apartment. I enjoyed the interplay of the women and I liked the skill Gill used in creating a strong focus on the main characters. I often find novels overcrowded and blurry with too many names.

I highly recommend this novel as a delightful foray into a historical era and tge women who swam upstream and changed the publishing industry. Thank you Netgalley for this great piece of modern historical fiction.

Fabulous! Gill Paul writing about "Scandalous Women" authors Jacqueline Susann and Jackie Collins is an evocative delight. It's a novel based in the 60's but very relevant today. Two bold literary women who broke the glass ceiling of their time and were bold to write about sex in their novels. Fame didn't come without personal sacrifices and brutal public backlash.
Nancy White is a young college graduate who finds herself dealing with the political storm and industry sexism as she navigates her career at a Manhattan publishing house.
This historical fiction novel is based in the New York and London during the 1960's and is a blast to read. The money, glamour, and shifting feminist opinions are thought provoking.
I loved Gill Paul's books because she writes historical fiction about fierce, brilliant women who have changed the landscape of their chosen industries, If you loved Beautiful Rivals by Gill Paul, you'll love this novel too. If you haven't read Gill Paul, NOW is the time.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary copy of the novel. I plan to purchase a copy for my home library as well.

This was a pretty good historical fiction novel. However, at times it failed to keep my interest. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I've enjoyed several Gill Paul books to date, and this was another solid choice. I was not familiar with any details about the two authors featured, only having known Jackie Collins by name and Susann not at all.

The book immediately hooked me and moved quickly to keep my interest. It was not hard to differentiate between the authors even though they had similar names.

I appreciated that real life happened as part of the story, not all happy endings and wild successes - although the ending with Jacqueline's illness was depressing (can't get around that, it's part of life) and Nancy's personal relationship's ending popped out of nowhere.

It gave a bit of a Mad Men feel, being absorbed in the publishing world in NYC and the treatment of women in the 60s and 70s.

In the captivating novel "Scandalous Women" by Gill Paul, we are transported back to 1960s New York and London, where two bold authors, Jacqueline Susann and Jackie Collins, challenge societal norms with their daring and sexually explicit novels, "Valley of the Dolls" and "The World Is Full of Married Men." Both women face a barrage of criticism and condemnation from the literary establishment, feminists, and even hate mail. Despite the public outcry, they remain steadfast in their pursuit of success and recognition in a male-dominated industry. Behind the scenes, however, they grapple with personal struggles and secrets that threaten to unravel their carefully constructed lives. Nancy White, a young college graduate, finds herself in the midst of this literary storm as she joins a Manhattan publishing house. She becomes an ally to both authors, navigating the rampant sexism within the industry while striving to achieve her own ambitions in a world determined to keep her down. As the two Jackies race to the top of the bestseller charts, they face personal and professional challenges that test their resilience and determination. The story delves into the sacrifices they make, the relationships they form, and the lengths they go to protect those they love. "Scandalous Women" is a powerful and thought-provoking novel that sheds light on the struggles faced by women in the literary world and beyond. It celebrates the tenacity and courage of those who dared to break barriers and pave the way for future generations. Gill Paul's vivid storytelling and attention to historical detail bring this era to life, immersing readers in the glamour, excess, and shifting social mores of the 1960s.

The second I saw this, I knew I wanted to read it - growing up Jackie Collins were my Gen X, way-too-young-to-actually-read-them intro to spicy novels and I read them for years - this was basically the most sex education I received. Jacqueline Susann, of course, brought us Valley of the Dolls, which was also a very enjoyable and precautionary book that I enjoyed in my late teens

William Morrow was kind enough to send me an advance copy and I started reading the second I downloaded it.

Told in three voices - Jackie Collins, Jacqueline Susann, and Nancy - publisher’s assistant. I was equally interested in all three voices and their stories, and read this one voraciously. My one complaint about this would be that Nancy’s cousin seemed less a full character than a tool to advance the main story and word count.

This was my second novel by the author and I look forward to reading more of her work.

Recommended.



Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the DRC

This was a fun read about the imagined friendship between Jacqueline Susann and Jackie Collins. The book goes back and forth between the two women, showing how alike and different they were. Tying the two women together is an editor named Nancy, frustrated with the Mad Men attitudes at various jobs. Add a handsome documentarian, a strung-out singer, and the sixties; you pretty much have the plot of a Susann novel.

One nitpick: Jacqueline Susann goes on tour and details a visit she made to Johnny Carson's show taping in Burbank. This would've been impossible since Carson was still doing the Tonight Show in New York City and didn't move the show to Burbank until the 1970s. Is it possible for this to be revised before the pub date?