This is a truly captivating tale between dual timelines in the 1920s and current day, Sydney. It follows the lives of two very strong women and how eventually in the most unexpected of ways their pasts merge with the present. Loved the glitz and glamour and a little bit of mystery in the 1920s. I loved just as equally the contemporary storyline. Unpredictable twists and surprises make for a really entertaining read

I thoroughly enjoyed this duel timeline story set here in Sydney, one hundred years apart we get to know Emma and Rose as Emma uncovers Rose’s story through letters that she discovers in a trunk at The Carrington Hotel in The Blue Mountains, an interesting tale of love, secrets and mystery.

Emma Quinn is a videographer, her wife Lauren and her are going through IVF to start a family and the stress is growing within their marriage and while filming a documentary she uncovers a trunk in the historic Carrington Hotel, when she discovers it is being sent to landfill Emma takes it home and her she discovers the past of Australian silent movie star Rose Carey and she is pulled into discovering everything she can about her.

1923 and Rose and her partner Walter Ryan have just finished filming in New Zealand and have arrived back in Australia, Rose has big plans for an extravaganza when Walter tells her their money has gone but Rose is not going to give up and starts planning a the extravaganza she orders the water tank for her diving and swimming but when her best friend is killed in a terrible accident, Rose and Walter are now very worried about the accidents that have been happening, is Rose safe?

Emma becomes more obsessed with uncovering all that happened to Rose, she feels somehow that there is a link between her and Rose and the pressure is building on her marriage, will she uncover the truth, will her and Lauren get through their problems and Rose, will she be safe, who can she trust after everything that has happened, I loved the twist at the end.

This is a story that will pull you in with twists and turns and it is so well written, the characters are wonderful and very easy to like and the settings are so good, I loved the 1923 setting in Sydney. I do highly recommend this one it is sure to keep you turning the pages.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my digital copy to read and review.

If you spend the whole book wondering what the connection between Rose and Emma is, as I did, don’t worry, it will all fall into place perfectly at the end. A delightful story set in 2 different timelines - the 1920’s when silent films were around and now. Emma finds some old film and has an instant connection to it and the letters and photos that were in the same box. I really enjoyed this book and will look out for more books by the same author. Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I knew a little bit about the famous Australian film and swimming star Annette Kellerman, but I am much more interested in her after reading this novel! Julie Bennett really makes her story come to life, although this fictional one is rather more dramatic. A time-slip novel, it involves two stories. Emma, while struggling with her relationship with her wife finds old film and old film equipment during the course of her career. They concern Rose Carey, whose story intrigues Emma. Rose, brave and innovative, is getting older and worried about her film career. After a series of accidents, one of which kills a good friend, she starts to wonder what is going on….

I preferred the Edwardian story to the modern one. The atmosphere of Edwardian Sydney and the Blue Mountains is well-drawn and evocative and Rose’s story is an exciting and dramatic one. I will look for Julie Bennett’s other novel now.

I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

‘Marry me,’ I blurt, which was not at all how I had rehearsed it.’

This novel, inspired by the life of 1920s Australian film icon Annette Kellerman, held my attention from beginning to end. The dual storyline shifts between Emma Quinn in 2024 and Rose Carey in 1923.

In 2024, Emma is working on a documentary at the Carrington Hotel in Australia’s Blue Mountains. Emm and her partner Lauren are trying to conceive through IVF, and Emma is preoccupied awaiting the outcome of their latest (and last) attempt. Emma discovers a box of vintage film reels, some handwritten letters that seem to belong to Rose Carey, a silent era film star from the 1920s, and an old camera which she takes with her when she leaves as she learns they are destined for landfill.

In 1923, Rose Carey is in Sydney. Rose is facing both bankruptcy and the end of her Hollywood career. She plans a spectacular production … which sends in tragedy. Who is trying to destroy Rose, and why? Who can Rose trust?

Both stories held my attention. Emma has issues of her own in 2024, and her marriage to Lauren is under strain. Emma is interested in learning more about the film reels she has rescued, and reading the handwritten letters provides her with an opportunity to escape (albeit momentarily) from present day concerns.

And Rose, trying to make sense of what is happening around her, becomes caught up in intrigue and suspense.
There’s a twist at the end which, while not essential to the story, provides a very satisfying conclusion. And now I am off to learn more about Annette Kellerman.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Present time, 2023. Emma Quinn is videographer, she’s working on a documentary at the historic Carrington Hotel, and just as she’s leaving she saves a box of vintage items from being thrown in a skip bin. Later going through the box, Emma finds old letters, photographs and canisters of film and she thinks they belonged to Australian silent film star Rose Carey. Emma wants to solve the mystery of why they were hidden away in a box in the Blue Mountains, and she starts by googling her name and asking her friend Simon. Emma and her wife Lauren have been trying to have a baby, the unsuccessful IVF attempts have really taken a physical and emotional toll on them both and she’s not sure if they can keep trying, financially if they can afford it and she’s dreading sharing her thoughts with Lauren?

The story has a dual timeline, it’s told from the two main characters points of view, Emma and Rose and is easy to follow and it really grabs your attention.

Sydney, 1923. Rose Carey knows at her age her Hollywood days are over, after an accident filming her latest movie in New Zealand and she and her manager Walter Ryan are in a pickle. Rose is working on a show stopping water act that could save her career and she’s committed to helping with the Olympic Ball. When another disaster strikes, Rose can’t ignore how many odd things have happened and someone's trying to kill her, she starts looking at her close-knit circle of acquaintances, everyone from her manager, costume designer, rivals from another Australian film company or in Hollywood, a Arial stunt pilot and her camera man?

I received a copy of The Lost Letters of Rose Carey by Julie Bennett, NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia in exchange for an unbiased review. Wow, what an amazing book, inspired by a real 1920’s Australian film icon Annette Kellerman, the first woman to swim in a one-piece bathing costume and it’s not predictable and the plots full of lots of twist and turns.

A story about being a female trail blazer, silent films, Hollywood, jealousy, betrayal, mystery and long kept secrets, and the two main characters are linked in a much unexpected way. The narrative highlights how hard infertility is, especially for same sex couples, ways they can become pregnant and how much stress it puts on their relationship. Five stars from me, the first novel I have read by Ms. Bennett, it won't be my last. I liked how she included the impact of throwing things away has on the environment, they end up in landfill and ways we can all reduce our carbon footprint.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for an eARC of Julie Bennett's The Lost Letters of Rose Kelly.
I usually really enjoy historical fiction and this did not disappoint.
Set with a dual timeline with Rose in Sydney in 1920s and Emma in 2024 the tale begins in an old hotel in the Blue Mountains.
The discovery of a mysterious box of film, a camera and some 'love letters' leads Emma on a trail to unravel what happened all those years ago.
With strong female lead characters and a supporting cast of believable men and women who could be baddies or goodies, it will keep you guessing to the end. Also lots of surprises to add some spice.
I liked this book very much and recommend to historical fiction fans.

I really enjoyed Julie’s debut novel The Understudy and was keen to try her second offering. Lost Letters moves away from the theatre to film and is based on Annette Kellerman, an Olympic swimmer who went from Australian Vaudeville to London theatre actress to Hollywood star. As with all good historical fiction it had me googling more, I’m so glad I got to learn about such an amazing woman.

Set between Sydney and Katoomba, the story unfolds over a dual timeline in 2024 and 1923, and through letters and newspaper articles. Emma is a videographer who is filming at the Carrington Hotel and stumbles across some letters, photos and film canisters belonging to Rose. I enjoyed both timelines and getting to know each of the women and see their connections. Emma is in a same-sex relationship, her partner undergoing IVF treatment and their relationship is under strain. Rose is trying to make a big movie which is plagued with issues. There was an intriguing mystery element that binds the two timelines together and made it hard to put down.

I did find I was more connected to Emma’s character as we get a lot more of her inner dialogue but then Rose was such an interesting woman, ahead of her time. Beautifully researched, I’m keen to visit the Blue Mountains now! Another fabulous historical mystery from Bennett.

If The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (TJR) and Force of Nature (Jane Harper) had a baby, this book would be it!

Although I am a bit biased because historical fiction is my favourite genre, it is a solid 4 stars.
This dual timeline and point of view story will keep you turning the page.

When the story started and until about half way through, I thought it was only a historical fiction dual timeline novel. At about the halfway point, it becomes part thriller and mystery which was an enjoyable surprise! There were some parts I felt could have been connected a bit more smoothly with more connection to the characters but overall, a great read.

Rose Carey was inspired by an Australian woman called Annette Kellerman, who is one of Australia's most fascinating women. After finishing The Lost Letters of Rose Carey, I went down the rabbit's hole trying to learn about Annette.

Thank you Simon & Schuster for allowing me the pleasure of reading about Rose Carey! #thelostlettersofrosecarey

A hotel, a box of items some old dim canisters and a link to a movie star. Emma takes this in gets deep into the life of Rose Carey but discovers plenty more than that.

Love, loss, murder and reunions all come together in this wonderful story set in Australia. Very well worth the read.

Two women, one a famous movie star of the 1920s Rose Carey and the other a videographer Emmy, who is married to Lauren and desperately trying to have a baby in 2024 . Emma finds a box of old film, letters and photos in the Carrington Hotel store room; in the Blue Mountains, when she is working on a documentary. The box is going to be discarded so Emma takes it home with her and through the letters of Rose Carey it leads her on a quest to discover who Rose was. The chapters are told alternatively through Emma and Rose’s story. It is part mystery, romance, family secrets and loss.
The book is inspired by the trail blazing Australian woman Annette Kellerman.
It is an enthralling book which I couldn’t put down.