#Review: A Beautiful Rival by Gill Paul @GillPaulAUTHOR @AvonBooksUK @RandomTTours #blogtour #HistoricalFiction #HelenaRubinstein #ElizabethArden #ABeautifulRival

I’m so delighted today to be joining the blog tour and sharing my review of A Beautiful Rival by Gill Paul: published by Avon Books on 31st August, it’s now available as an ebook, in paperback, and as an audiobook. My thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for the invitation and support, and to the publishers for my advance reading e-copy (provided via netgalley).

Around this time each year, I always get rather excited by the promise of a new book from Gill – she’s been a particular favourite of mine for some years now. Her books always seem to focus on individuals with whom I’ve long had a personal fascination, and her wonderful writing and impeccable research unfailingly brings them to life on the page. I could never get enough of the Romanovs – and entirely loved both The Secret Wife (review here) and The Lost Daughter (you’ll find that review here). And who could possibly fail to be fascinated by Wallis Simpson? Another Woman’s Husband was everything I wanted it to be (you’ll find my review here). Onassis, the Kennedys, Maria Callas – The Second Marriage was simply wonderful (you’ll find that review here). And although I knew little about Lady Evelyn Herbert other than her name, The Collector’s Daughter (you’ll find my review here) came out hot on the heels of a visit to the touring Tutankhamun exhibition in London – perfect! And then there was The Manhattan Girls  – I was whisked away to Jazz Age New York with Dorothy Parker and her friendship circle, and what an experience it was, such a compelling read with its blending of historical fact and the author’s extraordinary imagination (you can read my full review again here).

And now, Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubenstein – two very familiar names, but I knew shamefully little about their lives or how they built their cosmetic empires. And I couldn’t wait to find out…

The world is at war, but on the gilded streets of Fifth Avenue, New York, a battle of a different kind is brewing…

 

New York, 1915.

 

Elizabeth Arden has been New York’s golden girl since her beauty salon opened its famous red door five years prior. Against all odds, she’s built an empire.

 

Enter Helena Rubinstein: ruthless, revolutionary – and the rival Elizabeth didn’t bargain for.

 

With both women determined to succeed – no matter the personal cost – a battle of beauty is born. And as the stakes increase, so do the methods: poaching employees, planting spies, copying products, hiring ex-husbands.

 

But as each woman climbs higher, so too does what she stands to lose. Because the greater the height, the harder the fall…

Two very familiar names – and with a few memories, as I vividly remember my mother’s devotion to Elizabeth Arden’s legendary eight hour cream. Helena Rubinstein? Yes, I remember seeing her products on mum’s dressing table too. But I knew absolutely nothing about the lives of the women behind those iconic products – in fact, to my shame, I’ll even admit I didn’t even know they were real people, or about the fierce competition between them. But, as she always does so wonderfully, Gill Paul has taken the known facts about their lives (her research is as meticulous as ever), added a dash of her extraordinary imagination, and woven a wonderful story – breathing life into her characters, transporting the reader into their fascinating world.

We join their stories in 1915, as they both seek to open salons in prime locations on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue, the fierce competition between them immediately clear. Elizabeth Arden came from a life of poverty with a farming family in Canada, moving to Manhattan and clawing her way in the world of beauty before opening her first Red Door salon in 1910. Overseas expansion followed, made considerably more challenging by the war in Europe – followed by the opening of her day spa in Maine and her involvement in the world of horse racing. Helena Rubinstein came from a humble background too, a Polish Jew from a large family, banished by her father over her romantic involvement with a gentile, first establishing her beauty credentials in Australia – based on her “scientific” approach, and her use of secret herbs from the Carpathians – then expanding into Europe and the US in direct competition with her powerful rival.

The insights into their business worlds make entirely compelling reading – the insights into product development, the marketing and packaging decisions, the practical and financial impacts of a world in turmoil, the dirty tricks, the espionage and poaching of key staff (even a former husband). But their personal lives are every bit as fascinating.

Elizabeth cuts a sometimes sad and solitary figure, a little cold and self-contained, sometimes remarkably naive in her personal life decisions when so astute in the business world, but always – perhaps because of her humble beginnings – desperately trying to increase her foothold in society. Helena is a wife and largely absent mother, her own acceptance in society hampered by rampant anti-semitism, but gaining a reputation as a particularly astute art collector. And as we share their lives and separate journeys, there’s the constant competition between them for their share of the lucrative cosmetics market – bitter rivals, often ruthless – alongside the challenges of continuing to build their separate empires through two world wars and the Great Depression.

Their stories are told in alternating chapters – a structure that, in less skilled hands, could easily have become repetitive, but that worked extremely well to emphasise the tos and fros of their separate lives and fortunes. And as we follow their lives – their triumphs and setbacks, their fears and uncertainties, their private moments – it also, and really effectively, draws out their many similarities and the common ground between them. It’s not really known whether they hated each other to the extent the story explores – but that’s what makes this a novel rather than a perhaps drier historical record.

The story-telling is quite superb, and both women really are wonderfully drawn – both formidable women but surprisingly sympathetic, their different passions and life experiences so well explored, and all with the most perfect emotional touch. And the book’s sense of both time and place is remarkable – this is a totally immersive read, making you feel entirely part of their lives.

I loved every moment – a wonderful blend of history and fiction, emotionally engaging, an engrossing story beautifully told. Just perfect, a five star read in every possible way, and I’d recommend it really highly.

About the author

Gill Paul is an author of historical fiction, specialising in the twentieth century and often writing about the lives of real women. Her novels have topped bestseller lists in the US and Canada as well as the UK and have been translated into twenty languages. The Secret Wife has sold over half a million copies and is a book-club favourite worldwide. She is also the author of several non-fiction books on historical subjects. She lives in London and swims year-round in a wild pond.

Gill has an excellent website, and can also be found on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. And you might also like to sign up for her newsletter…