The 1930’s in Hollywood. I loved the history of the story. The characters are well written and the story well researched. A wonderful story.

Five stars for this historical fiction novella about the voyage of Olivia from Liverpool to New York in the 1930’s. In the six days that the trip took to arrive at its destination, Olivia encounters Frank, an aspiring architect who is heading to Los Angeles. Olivia’s cabin-mate, Nora completes the trio of friends that became intimate, telling stories about their past and how they end up on the SS Ocean Empress.
The author through her narrative fulfills the characters intentions to become someone else in the new world.
Love it! I will definitely check the author’s other books.

“The Hollywood Runaway” is a historical fiction novella by Alexandra Weston. Continuing her “golden age of Hollywood” theme, Ms. Weston once again revisits those days - this time with a singer (Olivia) escaping her fiancé and sailing from the UK to America to make a new life. On the boat, Olivia meets Frank and Nora and, over the course of four days, her story is told to them via flashbacks - but not a dual-timeline. I was impressed that so much information can be conveyed in such few pages. I felt that this book could’ve been longer, but in its bite-sized chunk, Ms. Weston did a very good job. There’s not a lot about Hollywood in this story - other than the beginning and the ending, but it does provide good background in case Ms. Weston wishes to revisit Olivia’s story one day.

Alexandra Weston’s historical romance debut, The Hollywood Governess, was one of my favourite reads of 2024 – so I was incredibly excited to be picked to receive an Advanced Reader Copy of her new standalone novella.

Though it’s a shorter read, The Hollywood Runaway packs a lot into just over 100 pages. Thematically, it covers some of the same ground as The Hollywood Governess. Classism is a consistent running theme – as a former club singer who ends up on the SS Ocean Empress in a spur-of-the-moment decision, Olivia feels out of place even being near the first class passengers. “A pretty face only gets you so far,” she laments. “I’ve seen enough of this country to know that no matter what I do, I’ll always be a miner’s daughter.”

Her one goal in boarding the ship – in her almost-wedding dress – is to get away from her fiancé.

Jimmy Johnson, a possessive, hard-drinking gambler, never appears in the present timeline, but Weston skillfully uses flashbacks to unravel the toxicity of their relationship. I liked how this showed that though Olivia has escaped her past physically, she keeps getting pulled back into it mentally.

Weston doesn’t say outright that Jimmy abused Olivia. In fact, when they first meet, Olivia falls for him instantly, recounting how “…even though I’d been singing in clubs since I was fourteen, I blushed like a schoolgirl.” But the heady rush soon gives way to Jimmy’s true nature – bribing police, insisting Olivia give up work when they marry, and never letting her visit her former band leader, who’s in prison for tax offences. Needing his money to help her ailing mother, Olivia attempts to look the other way, focusing on how “Jimmy, for all his faults, was a generous man.” She clearly wants to do the right thing – calling out Jimmy for fixing a match – but is rebuffed, with him saying, “What’s right is looking nice for your man.” Olivia is caught in a moral bind until a shocking revelation gives her clarity, but the psychological damage reverberates throughout.

Despite Swift wanting to keep her head down and get to New York without any fuss, a misunderstanding from the ship staff leads to a chance meeting with aspiring architect Francis “Frank” McManaman. Instead of judging her, this Scot simply listens as she tells her story. The pair bond over their similar upbringings, but Olivia is reluctant to take things further despite the mutual attraction. “I’m sworn off men,” she states, “Especially decent ones like Frank. He deserves so much better than a girl like me.” In the face of this, Frank doesn’t try to rescue Olivia from her trauma or push her beyond what she’s ready for. Instead, he respects the journey she’s on, and offers her the support she needs – as a friend. It’s incredibly refreshing to see in a romantic hero, and makes the pair’s happy ending even more satisfying.

Fittingly, it’s Frank – and her energetic cabin mate, Nora Corrigan – who slowly help Olivia rebuild her self-belief. Though the trio have various adventures together (and could’ve had many more!), Frank and Nora don’t exist to ‘fix’ Olivia. Instead, they help her see that she still has self-worth, as a singer and a human being. “I took the gamble of my life when I got on this ship,” Olivia muses, “throwing everything I knew away in a bid for freedom. Not just from Jimmy but from the person I’d become when I was with him. Meeting these wonderful, kind people has given me back to myself.”

The Hollywood Runaway is another sumptuous portrait of the 1930s – but like The Hollywood Governess, it’s also much more. Even with its low page count, this novella is a poignant story of resilience, and how healing can begin in the most unexpected places.

Interesting and easy to read story set on a New York bound ship. Sympathetic and likeable characters.
Ideal holiday read.

Olivia, a twenty-one-year-old miners daughter living in Liverpool boards a one-way ferry to New York to get away from Jimmy. She dreams of beginning a new life as a jazz singer. On board she meets Frank, who’s heading to LA to pursue his dreams of being an architect and Nora, who’s heading to America to conquer the fashion world. Between looking over her shoulder everywhere she goes to the nightmares that torment her, Olivia longs to escape the notorious Jimmy and his criminal dealings.
You feel sympathy for Olivia’s character instantly. From leaving her childhood home in Ashington in search of better things to settling for Jimmy’s charms, you just want to give her a hug. Frank, the gentleman with a big heart is just what she needed. It was comforting to know she had friends by her side when they hit America.
This book was a short, well-written story set in the 1930’s. It was an easy read focusing on the importance of true friendship and the bravery required to start fresh. The ending rounded off the book perfectly. I think this book could have been a full-length novel, there was more that could have been added. I’d be very interested in reading more from this author.

I had adored Alexandra Weston ever since I read the Hollywood Governess so I was very excited to see another of her books pop up.

The Hollywood Runaway was another delightful historical fiction - brave female main character, a daring adventure and lot's of lovely moments and historical details along the way. I love Alexandra's writing style and her descriptions of the fashion. The ending was a nice touch and wrapped everything up wonderfully, just what I needed.

I would have loved this to be a full novel, rather than a novella but it was a great read all the same. Perfectly paced and easy to read in one sitting.

Title: The Hollywood Runaway
Author: Alexandra Weston
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Olivia Swift makes a rash decision to leave England on the first liner she can get a ticket on. Why? She found out her “fiancé” not only bends the law, but he’s also married with two sons. While sailing to America, she meets Frank and Nora and slowly reveals her story to them.

Takeaways:
1. Olivia is a character in The Hollywood Governess (which I haven’t read yet) and earned her own novella. What started as a dream to sing on stage eventually turns into a golden opportunity in Hollywood. You can see the metamorphosis of her character as the story progresses.
2. It’s nice to read a historical fiction book that isn’t a dual timeline! There are flashbacks as Olivia tells her story, but only back short periods of time.
3. There is a lot of story in the novella and Weston does a fantastic pacing job. There isn’t unnecessary fluff to fill the pages.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the advanced copy. Opinions expressed are my own. This book will be republished on August 29, 2025.

#netgalley #arc #bookstagram @boldbookclub @alex_l_weston #thehollywoodrunaway

Thank you NetGalley, Alexandra Weston, and Boldwood Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this one - especially considering it’s only a little over 100 pages. The author packs a lot into these pages and creates a heartwarming and entertaining story.

This one follows Olivia Swift as she leaves Liverpool in the 1930’s to go to America. She’s had a hard time in England and is worried her past will follow her across the ocean. While on the ship, she meets some people who quickly become friends, with one possibly becoming more… Weston is a talented writer and truly made me feel as if I were on the ship with them. I rooted for Olivia and **spoilers* I’m so glad she got her happy ending.

Overall, I loved this one, and highly recommend it for historical fiction fans. I can’t wait to see what Weston comes out with next!

The novella starts with a lot of energy as a young nightclub singer from 1930s depression-era Liverpool, rushes to escape a dodgy fiancé-from-hell by buying a last-minute steamship ticket to New York. It's told in the first person, and the narrator is likeably sparky & sardonic. Once on board ship, she makes friends and has an exciting new life ahead - if she can find a way to let go of past baggage and regain her self-respect. After the high-octane start, it wraps up as a sweet, escapist historical romance.

I liked the main character and would have been happy to follow her in a longer story for her adventures in the U.S. Because of the title I was expecting more of the story to be set in golden-era Hollywood. If I have a minor quibble it's that I felt as if the dodgy ex- fiancé dominated the storyline a bit too much. At the end of the day, Jimmy was in the past - and her future sounded really exciting. I'd like to have had more of that.

*warning - spoiler alert*

I really liked the epilogue & HEA - the devoted architect husband building her perfect house in the San Fernando Valley was dream man stuff and had The Notebook vibes in the best way.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.

The Hollywood Runaway is an impressively delivered and fully formed story packed into such a small space of 90 pages. I have read a few complete novels by Alexandra Weston and enjoyed them but this novella manages to impress even more with its limited space to tell a comprehensive, moving story. Due to its length, it is a quick read but I was deeply engrossed in the plot and character development of Olivia Swift, a miner’s daughter, who is an exceptional singer. She has dreams of having a better life that has been promised to her by a businessman who swept her off her feet. But this man isn’t what he seems and when certain news is delivered to her that sends her into shock, she must make a quick and painful decision that will affect her future. The title gives away her next step, but her escape on a ship to America from England, brings her so much more than she can imagine. The story focuses heavily on her journey over with lots of thoughts and flashbacks of what led her to this predicament. So we get a meaty version of her life as it was, as it is and even a glimpse of her future at the end.

I really enjoyed meeting Olivia and imagining her singing as there are some wonderful performances well described in the novel of her stage appearances. A man she meets on the ship and other people who become friends with her, offer the encouragement she needs. They provide positive reinforcement that fuel her courage towards a new and better life where she learns to forgive herself and be free to love again. When truth and honesty are released in her heart, she becomes a triumphant woman fulfilling her purpose and dreams. There are very real moments of fear, though, but through kindness and encouragement from friends who truly love her, she is on the road to healing: giving her strength to climb above the trials along the way. This is an uplifting story set in the 1930s of second chances that I certainly recommend for lovers of fine historical fiction with emotional depth. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. This short book/ long story was an enjoyable, easy, breezy read, perfect for a summer day. The story of Olivia Swift, a young aspiring singer living in Liverpool in the 1930’s, who hits a crisis and abruptly leaves on a ship to sail to New York was a quick paced story that shows the goodness of people helping each other in times of need and a heartwarming outcome that made this story have a resounding happy ending. I have read two previous books by this author and Ms Weston s quickly becoming one of my new favorite authors to read. I would recommend this story to anyone looking for a quick read that has enjoyable characters, and is well written.

It amazes me how Great a story you can.tell in only 131 åages. It was full of love, intrigues and new beginnings. It rekindled my love for novellas and short stories. Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest opinion

If you are looking for a quick and easy read then the Hollywood Runaway by Alexandra Weston is the book for you! I will say is that I was quite impressed with the plot and the characters in general. I will say that I will need to invest more time in this authors books.
This charming novella takes place in Liverpool in the 1930's and focuses on a young lady named Olivia. Now Olivia believes she has everything a girl could hope for but shortly before her wedding she discovers a shocking secret that ruins her plans. Needing an escape she goes on the trip of a lifetime to America. Will she accomplish what she is looking for.
I received an arc copy from Netgalley and all opinions are of my own.