I love historical fiction & old Hollywood so I was looking forward to this read. The narrator Gail Shalan did such a good job in this book from all the character voices and the accents, it was very easy to follow along. The story takes place in the late 1950s & follows two actresses whose paths cross on a movie set. Vivienne is more seasoned in the acting game & Lottie is the younger new comer who Vivienne does not care for. Vivienne is livid when she finds out her role will be downgraded and so she goes to undo what’s been done but trouble follows. This is where the mystery begins because she sees something she’s not supposed to witness which results with her pairing up with Lottie as they run for their lives. The author really does a great job building up the tension from the two ladies in the beginning and showcasing how they both start building a relationship to get out of the mess they found themselves in as the story progress. These two starlets are racing around the countryside trying everything possible to escape the dangers they find themselves in while keeping humor and their confidence. I do wish there was a bit more character development & details/descriptions while they are racing around but overall it was a solid read of 3.5. Appreciative for my complimentary copy of this audiobook and all opinions are my own.

This book was a mixed bag. The glamorous settings and action-packed plot was a good hook, but the storytelling felt uneven and plot was almost predictable. I enjoyed the rivalry-turned-alliance dynamic, which would make it an entertaining read for those who love drama. A fun, light read, but personally for me, it is not one that I will read again.

The Starlets
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story was fun with the banter back & forth. The narrator was so good! I loved Lottie's story & how spunky & quick on her feet. I really enjoyed it & great after a serious heavy book.
Thank you NetGalley!

I loved The Starlets, perhaps in part because I had forgotten the description of the plot by the time I started listening to the audiobook. Sometimes, being surprised by a book is the best. Vivienne and Lottie are the stars of an epic film, just beginning production on a small Italian island in the late 1950s. Their past interactions—notably Vivienne’s distaste for Lottie, who stole her last boyfriend—get the book off to a tumultuous start! There is a lot of drama on the set, involving casting changes and personnel conflicts, and slowly other problems start to emerge as well. One night, these two women find themselves in danger, and need to band together to save their lives, and figure out what is going on. Their romp through Monaco, the French countryside, the Italian Alps, and Rome, is colorful and exciting. I found that the story never lagged, and while their journey may not have been entirely realistic, it was great fun. I loved the characters in this book and the wild adventures of Lottie and Vivienne were fantastic—every minute of this audiobook was enjoyable and I highly recommend it. Thanks to the authors, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to provide an honest review.

3.5✨

While I did enjoy this, it read like a movie script. Or at least what I imagine a script would read like.

That being said, I think it would make a great movie! Enemies to… besties?? We love to see it.

The characters are interesting, plot is fun and fast paced. I think my issue with this book is completely made up in my head….. I just KNEW it was going to go in a certain direction and when it was completely different, I felt a bit let down.

That being said, I would still absolutely recommend it if you enjoy a cute story with atmospheric 50s vibes.

Thank you to NetGalley, the authors, and the publisher for the ARC!

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.*

I honestly chose to listen to this one as a change from all of the thrillers I've been listening to. I love a good piece of historical fiction and this was a good mix of historical fiction and a mystery.

Two rival starlets meet on the set of a major fictional Hollywood Blockbuster being filmed on a small Italian Island. When they discover the prop hanger is being emptied and nefarious characters are abound they wind up on the run together trying to get evidence to Interpol.

It is a little wacky but cute and I enjoyed it.

*with thanks to NetGalley for the audio ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Vivienne Rhodes thinks she finally landed the role of her life, Helen of Troy. When she arrived on set, she is devastated to find out her nemesis, Lottie Lawrence has been cast instead as Helen. To add on to that, the set turns deadly when the two witness illegal activity on set and are now on run for their lives.

This is an audiobook that had the impact akin to watching an action movie with high tension and a fast pace. Gail Shalan, the narrator, was fantastic! The characters were well developed through and despite the action and grew throughout the book. The time period of old Hollywood shone through and truly transported you to Italy in the late 1950’s. This is a binge worthy audiobook, highly recommend.

One of the best enemies to friends books I have read! Viv & Lottie have the ultimate miscommunicated enemies in cinema/Hollywood. Viv feels scorned by her ex who is a handsome wholesome actor himself, because he left her for Lottie. Lottie just wants to get along but can only take the cold shoulder for so long.
Things get twisted when both Viv & Lottie find themselves in different places of the same crime. They run into each other trying to escape their horrible situations just find out they are both running from the same thing. They keep trying to go to the police for help but they can’t trust them because they keep seeing the men chasing them there when they arrive. Running out of options their only hope is another cinema company coming a movie nearby in Rome. Here is where they are caught & brought back under house arrest until further notice.
Such a good mystery!! I could not put it down! I highly recommend!

This read turned out to be more exciting than I expected. Vivienne and Lottie were the typical conceited stars. Both want to be the big star, not only will one be second fiddle but they both find themselves wrapped up in a crime drama. They are going to have to work together to stop the mobsters and get out alive.

I did the audio after the print version and I really enjoyed the audio.

Vivienne Rhodes is excited to star in a big-budget Troy epic, but her nemesis Lottie Lawrence steals her role. As tensions rise on set, they discover illegal activities happening behind the scenes. The two women must work together to gather evidence and escape dangerous situations. Their journey takes them across Europe, leading to a final showdown on an Italian island. In the end, they have the chance to be heroes if they can learn to work together.

This story was both fun and intriguing! It follows the journey of two women who, despite their differences, come together and learn more about each other. Their newfound friendship blossoms as they navigate through various situations. In a world where self-interest often prevails, these characters demonstrate the power of teamwork and building lasting bonds.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this audiobook, especially with one of my favorite narrators involved. The upbeat and mesmerizing narration truly brought the story to life.

The vivid descriptions of the environment made me feel like I was right there with the characters, fighting alongside them. The unraveling of events, the well-developed characters, and the satisfying outcome made this historical fiction a standout read.

If you enjoy historical fiction with a touch of mystery, fun, and entertainment, this book is perfect for you. I highly recommend the audiobook version, as the narration truly enhances the overall experience.

Thank you, HarperCollins Focus | Harper Muse for the audio ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I had a hard time with this one--I really wanted to like it and there were parts that I did, but I just wasn't drawn in enough to really enjoy it.

It's an intriguing plot: while filming a movie in Italy, two starlets from old Hollywood stumble across a mystery, get some enemies, and take off for an unexpected adventure around Europe while trying to find the culprits and save the movie.

It's a promising plot, but in reality: the story was all over the place, I did not believe in the relationship between Vivienne and Lottie, and the chase around Europe was hard to follow (though that could be because I was sometimes distracted while listening to the audiobook).

Book: The Starlets
Author: Lee Kelly and Jennifer Thorne
Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance
Places Featured: Italy, Monaco, Europe
Review Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (it was fine)

This is a fun, quick read about two Hollywood actresses who are rivals and stuck working on the same movie set on a small Italian island. The fun really starts when they get thrown together after seeing illegal activity go down and they have to run for their lives. Their banter is just as entertaining as the plot, and there were twists that I didn’t see coming. The audiobook narrator was wonderful kept the pacing quick and enjoyable. Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Focus for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Although I enjoyed this audiobook, I think it could no with a good bit of editing or a thesaurus, as some of the dialogue was repetitive. Otherwise, an enjoyable book.

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

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Oh my goodness, this is such a fun, different novel. The story is about two enemy starlets with a man in between them. But they find themselves working on the same movie in co-starring roles. That alone could have made for an interesting book but this goes in a completely different direction. They find out that their set is a front for some really bad people and criminal activity. One of the starlets finds an actual body. The women find themselves stuck together on the run from these bad people who know that the actresses have found them out. Thus begins the real bulk of the book which follows them on the run across Italy and the Alps and through the set of the Ben Hur movie. There is danger constantly following them. I will leave the details to the readers to find for themselves because this book is a delight and I encourage everyone to give it a try. This was my first book by these authors but I will gladly look for their other works.

I would describe 'The Starlets' by Lee Kelly and Jennifer Thorne as 'The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo' meets 'To Catch a Thief.' Two actresses are placed in opposition of one another in 1950's Hollywood, but a thrown together on a madcap adventure on a remote Italian island when all hell breaks loose on the set of their latest film.

I found this to be an entertaining read, with great sense of place. I enjoyed both of the main characters, I do wish there had been more thoughtful discussion of their relationship initially, rather than just pitting them against one another, fighting over a man (0r so it seems).

Thank you to Lee Kelly, Jennifer Thorne and Haper Collins Focus for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am grateful to have received this as an ALC! Old Hollywood stories are always a favorite for me. The narrator was great, with a certain accent that went perfectly with the way I pictured the two FMCs.

Similar tropes from The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo were used. Sadly, this book fell a little flat for me. Seeing the characters go around to all the different locations was fun; however, it seemed like NOTHING went their way. Eventually, this got exhausting.
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Thank you Harper Muse/Harper Collins, and Net Galley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

I enjoyed this historical fiction/ thriller. For me, I think it started a little slow... I didn't get caught up right away. BUT I'm glad I stuck with it.
Great read (listen). I am ready for the net from this author.

Thank you to the authors Lee Kelly and Jennifer Marie Thorne and publishers Harper Muse for a beautiful paperback copy, and to NetGalley for an advance audiobook copy of THE STARLETS. Read by Gail Shalan. All views are mine.

In this business, women had to help women or else nothing would ever change.

Three (or more) things I loved:

1. I have seen the affect where the author uses excerpts from "periodicals" help set the stage and act as transition into the next scene. I find that this affect creates varying results. But here, the language of the day is handled well, and the news of the day is included with the story details. Nice writing.

2. These characters are developing along such interesting lines! I honestly love Teddy, probably because he's the type I wouldn't normally enjoy this much!

3. The audiobook narrator, Gail Shalan, reads this rather large cast with wonderful variety. Her pitch is also just tense enough to aid in pulling me through the story.

4. The humor is smart, fun, and playful: Vivian Rhodes, calling her a dumb blonde. Again. "I'm not dumb!" Lottie tells herself, even her inner voice coming out petulant. "And I'm not even really blonde!"

Three (or less) things I didn't love:

This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.

1. The narrative turn revealed at the climax is compelling. It was both unexpected and it fits perfectly into the story Kelly and Thorne tell in this book. The ending and denouement were a little wiggly, though.

Rating: 🏆🏆🏆🏆 /5 dramatic awards
Recommend? Yes!
Finished: Nov 22 '24
Format: Paperback; Audiobook, NetGalley
Read this book if you like:
🎬 Hollywood stories
👭🏽 women's friendships
💇‍♀️ women's coming of age
🚙 road trip!
👩🏼‍🦰 women's fiction
🕰 historical fiction

Thank you to the author, narrator, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free e-audio version of this title in exchange for my review.

I was excited for this one, but it didn't' work for me. I felt like it needed more editing - both for word usage issues and for length. I didn't feel like the story really flowed, and parts seemed really repetative.

This was my first for this author. I might give her another try in the future, but this one was disappointing.

2 stars for 'it was ok' I probably won't recommend this one to anyone I know.

As someone who loves old Hollywood, I found it so easy to become absolutely absorbed into this novel which played like a movie in my mind. Its a mystery, a love triangle, and action-packed drama from start to finish. Between the book and the audiobook, I couldn't stop reading this one.  
Vivienne Rhodes senses she is on the cusp of reaching the pinnacle of her career by winning the lead part as Helen of Troy. But when she arrives on set in Italy to find out she's been cast as Cassandra, second fiddle to Helen, she is beyond furious to find out the role of Helen has been given to Lottie Lawrence, her nemesis who has stolen Teddy Walters, Vivienne's soulmate. Producer and president of the studio, soothes Vivienne's rile by promising her artistic freedom and dinner on his yacht. But a glamorous night of romance turns deadly and the ugly truth that the studio is a front for crime places Vivienne and Lottie in danger. What ensues is a chase across Europe that forces the two starlets to work together to survive, and it plays out better than any movie either could have hoped to star in. Lottie and Vivienne discover they have more in common than Teddy, and their friendship brings out the best in both of them. I enjoyed watching their friendship develop. I really loved this one! Besides the edge of your seat action, its funny, smart, heartwarming, and it reminds you what women can accomplish when they work together. Don't miss this one!