Hardcover, 388 pages
English language
Published March 15, 2017 by Atria Books.
Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?
Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.
Summoned to Evelyn's luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the '80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins …
Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?
Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.
Summoned to Evelyn's luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the '80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn's story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique's own in tragic and irreversible ways.
Written with Reid's signature talent for creating "complex, likable characters" (Real Simple), this is a mesmerizing journey through the splendor of old Hollywood into the harsh realities of the present day as two women struggle with what it means—and what it costs—to face the truth
The book is about someone telling their life story, and that's exactly how it feels to read it. And it's an interesting one. Well done.
I'm glad it was recommended to me since I might not have been caught by the synopsis.
The book is about someone telling their life story, and that's exactly how it feels to read it. And it's an interesting one. Well done.
I'm glad it was recommended to me since I might not have been caught by the synopsis.
Content warning involves character interactions
I wasn't sure how much I was going to enjoy this book. Hollywood, scandals, celebrity marriages...I just have zero interest in those topics.
This book took me by surprise. Reid did a very good job with portraying Evelyn throughout the book. There were chapters I loved her pushiness and scheming. There were others where I despised how cold she could be. And others where you wanted to try to shake some sense into her for chosing her career over being able to openly love the woman she wanted to be with.
I was worried this book was very hyped up and would not be a good read. However this one deserves the recognition it's been receiving.
Good story and pleasant read, but I wasn't really taken by the writing.
Good story and pleasant read, but I wasn't really taken by the writing.
4¾⭐️/5
I enjoyed:
Not my jam:
Tags: #BIPOC #Celebrity #ConfrontingHomophobia #FakeRelationship #FamilyIssues #FirstPersonPOV #FirstQueerRelationship #HalfUnavailable #LabelsAreNotForMe #PlaceInTheWorld #Trauma
Reid performs a fun balancing act of switching viewpoint characters, as well as sprinkling in ephemera from the history of the fictional protagonist. It's a very smooth and easy read, a real page-turner. While there are surprises and twists, they all feel very well-earned. It's a story of love, a story of devotion, a story of ruthlessness and of generosity.
By the end of the book, I really wished that Evelyn Hugo had been a real person, such is Reid's ability to create real characters. Monique and Harry and Celia all feel fully-realized as well, and even the characters who barely get any "screen time" act like people. The dialog is snappy and I'd love to have a snarky conversation with Evelyn.
Recommended to anyone who likes books about people and social norms.
Reid performs a fun balancing act of switching viewpoint characters, as well as sprinkling in ephemera from the history of the fictional protagonist. It's a very smooth and easy read, a real page-turner. While there are surprises and twists, they all feel very well-earned. It's a story of love, a story of devotion, a story of ruthlessness and of generosity.
By the end of the book, I really wished that Evelyn Hugo had been a real person, such is Reid's ability to create real characters. Monique and Harry and Celia all feel fully-realized as well, and even the characters who barely get any "screen time" act like people. The dialog is snappy and I'd love to have a snarky conversation with Evelyn.
Recommended to anyone who likes books about people and social norms.
oh lawd the bisexual-splaining
My Dearest CeCe,
Please never forget that the sun rises and sets with your smile. At least to me it does. You're the only thing on this planet worth worshipping.
This damn book. Holy moly. I stayed up until 5am reading this just so I could do it in one sitting because I simply could not put it down. It's not touted or marketed as either queer fiction or strictly latinx fiction, even though the protagonist is both of these things, so it actually took me a while to find this book. That could have alienated some readers, but I love that this is a women's fiction novel because that's what Evelyn is; a woman. She's not constrained by the fact that she's Cuban-American or that she's bisexual. She's complex and hard to handle at times and not simply reduced to character traits.
Whilst this book definitely explores it's title …
My Dearest CeCe,
Please never forget that the sun rises and sets with your smile. At least to me it does. You're the only thing on this planet worth worshipping.
This damn book. Holy moly. I stayed up until 5am reading this just so I could do it in one sitting because I simply could not put it down. It's not touted or marketed as either queer fiction or strictly latinx fiction, even though the protagonist is both of these things, so it actually took me a while to find this book. That could have alienated some readers, but I love that this is a women's fiction novel because that's what Evelyn is; a woman. She's not constrained by the fact that she's Cuban-American or that she's bisexual. She's complex and hard to handle at times and not simply reduced to character traits.
Whilst this book definitely explores it's title premise, it's so much more than looking at the husbands of this woman, and the intrigue surrounding her completely drew me in. Every character was unique and interesting, and even though Evelyn had done some horrible things, I was fully invested in her story.
first thoughts:
if evelyn hugo and celia st james were real i’d never shut up about them ever
