This was a delightful novel. In addition to being a romance, I thought it was somewhat of a thriller too. I would definitely consider reading more by Caroline Lamond in the future too.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I was given a copy of The Socialites, written by Caroline Lamond, in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley and One More Chapter, Harper Collins.

Pretty good! I didn't know what to expect from Lamond's novel, featuring fictionalised accounts of Vivien Leigh, Margaret O'Sullivan and Sonia Brownell. Like many, I was most intrigued by how Vivien Leigh, a rather tragic but memorable figure of 20th Century life would be depicted.

The first section was easy to read as we covered a year-long chapter in the life of three girls at the Covent school. From there, it's their lives and their achievements to the very end.

I wasn't sure how the book would go from there, but the pieces came together little by little—following the format of focusing on Sullivan, who had the most successful early on, Leigh, and Brownell. I felt the author treated this project as a labour of love, trying as she covered the essential life details to indicate that they were trailblazers in their own ways. However, there was a degree of Catholic upbringing, which remained firmly rooted in their characters and linked them to the meeting point we had as readers.

Unlike, say, a bonkbuster like a Susann or a Krantz, this book looked to the minor victories these women had in life amidst turbulence. It was light and airy in parts, Maureen O'Sullivan's life being delivered in a biographical manner, Leigh's acting work referenced briefly to keep us abreast of her highs and lows and Brownell's career-meets-muse lifestyle but the second half of this book is when the pages really started to fly by. Lamond clearly cared for these characters and wanted to show their lives through the turning of the years. Short chapters and continual movement helped her case as well as a neat, comforting narrative style.

I was first hooked when the author was talking about their lives in the catholic school and how strict it was. But after that it just went downhill. Felt like the story dragged on.
I’m all about women power but there was just no flow to the story sorry.

Three girls brought up in catholic covent spend their lives with catholic guilt.

At first this book felt exciting but with each part the girls/women did more questionable actions. Bearing in mind it was the 1920-50s and I am sure if a man did it wouldn’t have matter to society. But there was a lot of cheating and affairs.

I stupidly hadn’t realised it was actually based on three real women. Which might have made me enjoy the book more if I had known.

As a huge Vivien Leigh fan & the biggest Gone With the Wind fan, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel!!!!!!!!!!! In my opinion the book could have done without Sonia's character but it was a very enjoyable read.

I really enjoyed this story and all it offered. I am not normally one for anything set in the past - the 80's is about my limit however this really caught my attention and was a great read bringing all sorts of emotions along the way.

This book was a bit of a mixed bag for me. Although I enjoyed the characters, I found the multiple POVs at times disjointed and it interrupted my ability to get immersed in the book

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Glamour. Tragedy. Triumph. Scandal. The headline from the book cover promises these to the readers, and it delivers. Three young women attend the same convent school in the 1920's. All three would lead celebrity lives that would deliver headlines in all the gossip magazines of the time. These three, Vivian Leigh, Maureen O'Sullivan and Sonia Orwell, lived their lives in public. Their names would become synonymous with the perceptions of those who loved them. THE SOCIALITES is a great book, it tells the story not only of these three women, but of the era in which they lived and the people who surrounded them. Easily a 5 star read and it would make a great group read.

3.5 Stars

Three young girls attend a boarding school in London. Two become friends, the third is a few years younger. They all have dreams and aspirations, much larger than the life the nuns are grooming them for. Margaret O’Sullivan (Actress, married to John Farrow, mother of Mia), Vivian Leigh (Actress, married to Sir Laurence Olivier) and Sonia Brownell (Writer, married to George Orwell). This historical fiction follows their life, loves and struggles.

Told from different points of view, which was sometimes hard to follow. I found the women’s choices frustrating, selling themselves short many times. Time seemed to jump in the book also. Even with all their triumphs and tragedies, I had a hard time connecting with these women, making one bad decision after another and expecting things to change. I did enjoy looking into the glamour of old Hollywood. Of course, I had to go down the rabbit hole and look more into each women.

I received an ARC for this book. This is my honest opinion.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for this eCopy to review

In The Socialites, I found myself transported to the 1920s, where three young girls—Maureen, Sonia, and Vivian—enter a strict convent school in a quiet London suburb. Their journey from this cheerless environment to becoming influential figures in the world is both captivating and inspiring. Maureen becomes a movie star, famously known for her role as Tarzan’s Jane, which helped rewrite cinema censorship rules. Sonia, an aspiring writer, eventually marries George Orwell and becomes the guardian of his literary legacy. Vivian, on the other hand, becomes an iconic actress, known for her roles as Scarlett O’Hara and Cleopatra.

The novel spans four decades, taking us from Bloomsbury to Hollywood, and from the cafés of Paris to the theatres of New York. It beautifully captures the glamour, tragedy, triumph, and scandal that marked their lives.

While I appreciated the historical context and the vivid portrayal of these extraordinary women, I felt that the pacing was uneven at times. Some parts of the story seemed to drag, while others felt rushed. Additionally, I would have liked to see more depth in the character development, and their friendships explored in more detail.

Overall, It's a good read for fans of historical fiction and those interested in the Golden Age of Hollywood,

I wanted to like this book and I did to a certain level but I just felt compelled too many times to skip parts because I got bored, sometimes got a bit lost and I really couldn't connect with the characters often times.

This was a really interesting story imagining the lives of three women who meet at a London convent school, and later go on to become actresses Maureen O'Sullivan and Vivien Leigh, and wife of legendary novelist George Orwell and herself a writer, Sonia Orwell.

Although this is fiction set in a historical timeframe, it does deal with real people - and the writer does a good job in conveying the achievements, frustrations and aspirations of this trio of women. Worth a read. It gets 3.5 stars.

An intriguing histfic tale focused on three girls who attended the same London convent and grow up to be famous: Actresses Maureen O'Sullivan and Vivien Leigh, and writer Sonia Orwell, who later married George Orwell. I was captivated by their lives, but found the different POVs had to keep clear at times. Book clubs who enjoy historical novels about exceptional women will want to add this to their 2025 reading lists.

This was crazy fun and interesting! It took me a few chapters before I realized these were real people. I loved all of the women featured. In my opinion this could have been a longer book and really been fleshed out. Sophia's experiences during the war for instance was glossed over more than I liked. But all in all, I read this pretty fast because I did not know anything about any of the actresses,or Sophia.

There were some parts of this book that I thoroughly enjoyed, while others proved more challenging. The POVs & dual timelines occasionally felt disjointed & at times the pace seemed rushed, making it difficult to follow. However, I found the journeys of all three women to be fascinating. Caroline Lamond’s writing style was a standout for me; her ability to craft an engaging narrative is what kept me reading.

love a multiple pov and timeline book, it was interesting to follow all the main characters thru their lives separately however r i do think it was the type of book that you can easily get lost if your not paying a lot of attention on the pov or timeline, and as a consequence of this, it felt like as a reader i skimmed through many plot points that i would’ve love to see develop more

This is a fiction based on the lives of three women who, from humble beginnings, became very important in their respective fields.
I must admit that this book wasn't for me, it's more of a saga which I don't normally enjoy. The opening scenes in the content school were heartbreaking on how girls were treated there, but then it skips forward as they begin to make names for themselves. These jumps from one time and person to the next was a bit confusing, but was the only way that the story could be told. It was interesting to see how their stories did develop as you become to realise who each of the girls turned out to become over the years. As I said a story for those who enjoy sagas, and I've rated it accordingly, so if you enjoy these and are fascinated with Hollywood in the early years you will enjoy this one.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

It is a story based on three real twentieth-century women who meet as young girls at a strict convent boarding school and make their mark on society as women. Maureen O'Sullivan and Vivien Leigh were famous actors. Sonia Orwell was a writer who married literary activist George Orwell. The detailed research is evident, but I didn't engage with the characters as expected. Their legacy is apparent in this story, but the fictional aspects didn't meld with the facts in an engaging way for me. I like the historical detail of the trailblazer aspect of these women in twentieth-century society.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

I loved it. And in my opinion, it’s the perfect book club pick, there’s so much to discuss, especially around the roles these women played not only in their own lives but in the larger cultural narrative of the 20th century. It’s one of those reads that will stay with you long after you’re done reading it.

For me the book started out slow and tedious, it did start to grab more of my attention midway through.

While this is a fictionalized story about three real women, the absolute heartbreak they all experienced in their lives was told in a way where you really felt their pain.

Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.