I’m delighted today to be joining the blog tour and sharing my review of The Lavender Bride by Alexandra Weston: published by Boldwood Books on 28th March, it’s now available as an ebook (free via Kindle Unlimited), in paperback, and as an audiobook. My thanks, as always, to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation and support, and to the publishers for my advance reading copy (provided via netgalley).
A new-to-me author today – and I’m really not sure what I was up to that made me miss her first book with Boldwood, The Hollywood Governess, published in June last year (and such excellent reviews – it’s free via Kindle Unlimited if you’d like to catch up with it too!). But I found the look of her latest book quite irresistible – that beautiful cover, 1950s America (plus a bit of Yorkshire), the promise of Hollywood glamour and high-stakes secrets, along with a gripping story…
An English rose with American dreams
Audrey Wade longs to escape her domineering father and the bleak streets of post-war Yorkshire. Hollywood glitters with glamour, freedom, and the promise of a life with her best friend Freddie. But when Freddie abandons her, Audrey is left to chase her dreams alone.
A Heartthrob with secrets
Rex Trent is more than Hollywood’s leading man. Charismatic and dangerously handsome, he’s adored by millions and watched by powerful enemies in a paranoid 1950s America. One wrong move could destroy him.
A romance born of ambition and betrayal
When Rex proposes, Audrey is swept into Hollywood’s glamour and high-stakes secrets. But she soon discovers Rex’s dark side and faces a choice: cling to a man who may never love her, or risk everything to forge her own path?
A gripping new historical novel from a wonderful new voice. Perfect for fans of Taylor Jenkins-Reid, Wendy Holden and Allison Pataki.
In 1950s Sheffield, Audrey’s small life is controlled by her strict clergyman father. Her escape – as well as the photography she loves – is her forbidden outings to the cinema with Freddie, where they make their plans for a new and different life together in Hollywood. But when she finds the courage to follow her dream, she does so alone – the full story of Freddie’s betrayal slowly emerges throughout the story – securing a green card and working as a secretary for a rather seedy Hollywood agent.
Her life changes dramatically when the biggest star on their books, Rex Trent, begins to show an interest in her – he buys her an expensive camera, takes her to places she’s only read about, introduces her to his glamorous lifestyle, but his interest waxes and wanes. So she’s surprised when their on-off relationship leads to a marriage proposal – it secures her the right to stay in the US, but their life together proves to be a long way from her Hollywood dreams.
The world building in this well-told and tremendously engaging story is simply stunning. This was the age of McCarthyism, the rabid search for any signs of communist sympathies – but any hint of immorality in private lives could equally end careers. And we’re introduced to the whole idea of the lavender marriage, enabling actors to conceal their true sexual preferences and lifestyle choices – the author’s fascinating postscript tells us more about the very real examples that provided her inspiration – but also to the darker underbelly of the film industry, manipulating people’s lives with little concern for the consequences.
Audrey herself draws the eye at all times – naive and innocent at first, she grows in strength to the point that she’s able to make a stand, to attempt to escape from a situation far worse and considerably more complex than she could ever have expected. And I very much enjoyed the way the story was told, the most perfect storytelling – sometimes dipping back to Freddie’s original betrayal, with similar issues to her current experience now thrown into sharp relief. The influence of gossip columns and emerging no-holds-barred journalism was particularly fascinating – increasing the need to keep potentially damaging secrets deeply hidden. And I also liked the interspersed snippets of an interview with Rex in later life – honest reflections on the misdeeds of his past, and an acknowledgement of the impact his actions had on others.
This was an entirely immersive story I thoroughly enjoyed, the whole era perfectly recreated with insights into a glamorous and unfamiliar world, the most wonderful story-telling with the perfect emotional touch throughout – and with a heroine I entirely took to my heart as she sought to overcome the malign influences on her life. Very much recommended – a book I really loved.
About the author
Alexandra Weston writes historical fiction. She has a MA in Creative Writing from York St John University. She has a lifelong passion for history and loves visiting stately homes, museums and old churches. She also writes fantasy as Alys West. She lives with her partner and a ginger cat called Wilf in East Yorkshire. She sings with her local community choir and loves live music, hanging out in bookshops and eating cake.
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Lovely review and a book I’d love to read.
Refreshingly different – I look forward to reading this. Thank you for highlighting it.
Mary Georgina