Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this historical, dual timeline saga. The story begins with Margot, a young woman who has discovered some cassette tapes left by her late grandmother. She has to go through the house and prepare it for sale, but she's very curious what the tapes contain. She brings them to an old boyfriend named Leo to see if he can repair them so she can listen. They quickly realize that the voice on the tapes is Vivian Stone, at one time an actress in old Hollywood.

The historical timeline features a young adult who is rooming with Ruth, another waitress at a diner in Hollywood. She has tried many ties to breakout as an actress and has a wall of rejection letters. She is introduced to an actor named Hugh by Ruth and her boyfriend. They have an immediate connection, but Hugh has been partnered with another actress to fan the flames of public affection for these Hollywood stars. We watch their relationship develop as she enters into the complicated Hollywood scene. There are strict rules, enticing offers and sometimes not so great choices. And Vivan holds some embarrassing secrets and carries around some baggage as a result.

This novel goes back and forth between these two timelines with several main characters. The idea of trying to break into Hollywood has been featured in a number of books, but this one probably stood out for me because I did like these characters...for awhile. For the most part, they are well developed. The dialogue between each "couple", past and present, was sometimes a bit sophomoric. And the resulting outcomes in this plot were rather predictable for me. However, for a debut, I think this was a solid novel. I would read another novel by this author. I gave it 3.5 stars.

The One and Only Vivian Stone is a wonderful debut book. Vivian is a struggling actress trying to get a role in drama but finds herself in comedy films. This is told in dual timelines which flow together perfectly. Margot is the present day character who finds tapes recorded by Vivian when clearing out her grandmother’s home. The story ended so well and is wonderful read if you enjoy the Hollywood kind. I really enjoyed it!

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery books for providing me an arc in exchange of my honest opinion.

I enjoyed the dual timeline format but sadly, I lacked the connection to the characters and lost interest in the Hollywood setting. The story is well written and engaging and would be enjoyed by a reader who likes reading about a young actress' journey.
Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read it in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

I didn't love it and I didn't hate it. It was not and fantastic read, but it wasn't horrible. It was just okay in my book.

Not something I would rant and rave about.

For me it was just okay.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
4.25 stars!
I loved the glamour, the drama, the mystery, and the romance of this one! The dual timelines had me super invested. I wanted to know more after each chapter.

OBSESSED. Honestly this book was everything. I loved the plot and pacing. The dialogue timeline was excellent and the way it was done was imaginative and perfect. There was romance but it wasn’t the focal point. It was part of the story and really added the story.

I couldn’t get enough of this book and look forward to reading more from this author.

Advanced reader copy provided by Gallery Books and NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

The One and Only Vivian Stone is a strong debut by Melissa O'Connor. I was intrigued by the often seen premise- an ordinary young woman discovers she is somehow connected to a Hollywood starlet. Have I read this kind of story before? Yes, several times. And yet, this one kept me reading. I liked that Vivian Stone's story is found on old audiotapes and that Margot has to rekindle a lost friendship to get help with the old cassettes.

Vivian Stone's character and backstory are so richly developed. I felt so much for her and all the ways she was pulled around by Old Hollywood and by the men in her life. I'm not a fan of love triangles, but the one around Vivian felt so realistic and intensely emotional. However, I could have used a little bit more of the romance side plot for Margot.

Overall, this was a well written debut and I look forward to more from O'Connor in the future.

DNF at 26%…I couldn’t get myself invested in their subplot. I found the characters to be dull and the pacing was too slow for me to continue on

4.25 out of 5 This book is very much in the vein of Evelyn Hugo and Great Big Beautiful Life, where you go back and forth in time through someone in entertainment who is looking back at life. This one is highly entertaining and engaging. I also love that it was tape players and not letters. As with some of the old books I do question if we need the current relationship and stories when the history is so good.

The One and Only Vivian Stone will dazzle you in the best of ways. Melissa’s debut is such a great mix of Old Hollywood, drama, and humor. Vivian Stone is such a dynamic heroine and you’re sure to love her just as much as I did! Grab your tissues and red lipstick and get ready to fall in love.

Read for:
📽️ Lucille Ball vibes
📽️ Dual timeline
📽️ Emotional journey
📽️ Hollywood
📽️ Strong female character

Thank you to Gallery Books for the eARC.

In The One and Only Vivian Stone by Melissa O’Connor, we get two stories and both are delightful. First, we meet Margot returning home to sell her grandmother’s house. The discovery in the attic of some tapes leads her to again connect with her old high school sweetheart. Together they listen to the tapes and start on a journey of discovery of her grandmother’s past. Along the way, Meg renews her desire to be a writer, and both Margot and Leo begin to appreciate their new relationship. Vivian’s story is also one of discovery. She finds her true talent and eventually her true love. There are some surprises in the novel, but all and all it is a kind book telling the story of two women who struggle but eventually find their way to happiness.

The One and Only Vivian Stone was an outstanding debut from Melissa O'Conner. The story centers on Vivian and her career during the "Golden Age" of Hollywood, as well as a young woman trying to reconcile the grandmother she knew with a mysterious past.

Told in dual timelines, we meet struggling actress Vivan who is determined to find her calling as a dramatic actress but is thrust into comedy roles. To her surprise, this is where Vivian thrives as a comedic actress and script writer. In the present timeline, we meet Margot Dubois. Raised by a single mother and her grandmother, Margot is tasked with cleaning her grandmother's home after her passing. It is there where she finds a box of old cassette tapes narrated by Vivian herself.

I was thoroughly invested in Vivian's story, but a bit less engaged with Margot and Leo's story, which seemed a bit more predictable. I loved sharing Vivian's success as comedy actress who finds success and freedom. Her move to television was reminiscent of popular shows like I Love Lucy or Laverne and Shirley. It also touched on the misogyny of the past - relevant today in the form of the Epstein file drama.

The conclusion to Vivian's story was both heartbreaking and heartwarming and almost a complete surprise. And even Margot's story ends on an uplifting note.

LOVED IT!!!!
What a great book for the authors debut.
Loved the story and couldn’t out it down.
Can’t wautbdor further Novels

When Margot DuBois returns to her hometown to clean out her beloved grandmother’s home, she stumbles upon a vintage designer shoebox filled with unlabeled cassette tapes. Her tape player is broken, so she heads to the local music shop, run by her first love, Leo. He agrees to fix the player and restore the tapes on one condition: he gets to listen with her. The tapes turn out to be the personal recordings of legendary comedic actress Vivian Stone. With no letters or clues as to why her grandmother had them, Margot dives in, hoping for answers.

Told in dual timelines (present-day Margot and Leo, and 1950s Hollywood through Vivian’s own voice) the story blends second-chance romance with a glittery glimpse into old Hollywood. The pacing was spot-on, weaving in real historical nods without bogging down the narrative. While I was invested in Vivian’s journey, I found myself even more drawn to Margot and Leo’s story, from their teenage romance to their grown-up reconnection. The twist was intriguing, though I wished for a bit more payoff. Melissa O’Connor’s writing style hooked me, and I’ll definitely be picking up whatever she writes next.

started strong but lost interest about 30% in, not sure if I want to read anymore Hollywood stories it's been so much at this point

Wow this book exceeding my expectations for a debut novel. I really enjoyed this book and it gave similar vibes to Evelyn Hugo and Great Big Beautiful Life.

Even though it reminded me of those other big name books, I thought the plot was clever and unique. It was a bit of a slow start for me to get into but I ending up devouring the second half as I needed to know what happened to Vivian Stone! I wasn’t always invested in the present day chapters and just wanted to hear about Vivian but they were important and necessary too!

Thank you netgalley for the ARC!

I really kinda fell for this historical literary romance. Vivian Stone is a nobody and a dreamer, wishing and hoping to make it big, which eventually happens, but we the reader get to watch her journey. Full of struggles, hope, dreams, rejections, parties, love, and more, this story was a fun one to follow her through.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the gifted e-copy of this book.

Loved this dual timeline story that intertwined old Hollywood and the current struggles of Margot, an unpublished writer afraid of pursuing all of her passions, including love again. The mystery of Margot’s grandmother and her relationship to the famous comedic actress Vivian Stone propels the story from the 1950s to present day California. Vivian is a flawed but brave character that the reader will root for as she finds her way in the old boys club era of Hollywood decades before the MeToo movement. A great read! Highly recommend.

Melissa O’Connor weaves together a striking tale of old Hollywood secrets with a young woman’s search for identity & purpose in this witty dual-timeline novel. In a perfect juxtaposition of young adult and aging star, we see how choices affect the future and how perseverance brings results. As we began to know Vivian Stone through Margot’s eyes, their similarities and differences fill the pages. This is a great look at the film industry’s past and the story of two strong women finding their place in the world. A star-studded 4.5 Stars!

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted eARC. My opinions are my own.

Synopsis: Margot has to get her gran’s house ready to sell when she stumbles upon cassette tapes of the legendary Vivian Stone. Now she’s listening to the tapes and piecing together the mystery of why her gran had these.

Read this for:
- dual timelines (1950’s and modern)
- dual perspectives
- old school Hollywood glam
- second chance love story
- slow burn romance
- comedy

My thoughts: so I was a fan of some of the smarter black and white comedies that aired on the Nick at Night time slots, I watched a lot of I Love Lucy and this is the vibes that I got from Vivian Stone. Vivian is a vivacious character who wants so badly to be a serious actor and time and time again gets rejected when she really shines as a comic. Margot is coming out of a relationship where she let a part of herself wither (she wants to be an author), so the parallels between the two women are very noticeable. I loved the main male side characters, Leo and TDH, and also Ruth - Vivian’s best friend. This has been compared to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and I get the comparison, but I appreciated the nuanced differences between them. The tapes are a little more personal and driven tying to explain things and not a memoir tell all that you get with Evelyn Hugo.

Recommend for those wanting an old Hollywood glam story with elements of comedic gold.