Fiona Davis is one of my must-buy authors. I adore her writing. I adore her characters. I adore her take on historical fiction. She knocked it out of the park with this one. I am obsessed with art, art history, and architecture. This is why I am so drawn to her books. The Chelsea House is one that I enjoy reading stories about and hearing its history. Being drawn into it with these characters, Hazel and Maxine, who are just amazing, was such a fun ride. Hazel is another character from 2019 that I just adored. This book is set during the 1940 and 1960s. There’s lots of talk about Communism within the entertainment industry. I cannot lie; I was slightly less interested because of the political aspect of this book. But it works so well! This will be one I will want to read again in the future.

The Chelsea Girls
A historical fiction novel that is a fascinating plot and keeps you reading until the very last page, written by Fiona Davis.

This is another fascinating historical novel taking the reader through history with a clever, fast paced plot. This novel illustrates what happened in America after the war. About how McCarthyism became acceptable and believable in this country.

Introducing readers to a group of young single girls who had performed for the troops in Europe, Davis sets the stage for three strong women who defied their parents and the conventions of that time. They loved the theatre and movies and craved fame. They travel to entertain the troops and all become friends. They even try to go against the army officers to save two young men who they believe are resistance fighters.

After the war they meet up again at the Chelsea Hotel in Manhattan and are pursuing careers in theatre.
You are drawn into the world of the Chelsea Hotel and the women who lived there. It is fascinating to think that at that time, women really did not leave home for a career and live alone. The hotel management was protective of their privacy. They had sort of a quiet sorority of a kind there. Then each women makes some choices that will change the course of history and their lives. McCarthyism had really taken hold in the US and people did not know how to stand up to the accusations against them. People were living in fear especially those who were in the media and show business. This book tries to show how you could get caught up in the mania and also how your could be ruined by the hysteria.

Each one has some secrets they are reluctant to share. As they negotiate life and love interests, their secrets will affect their lives and the lives of the others.

I haven’t read many books set in the 50s, so this was a welcome addition to my repertoire! A good book with historical additions. Not the best book I’ve ever read, but it was good. I wish the Chelsea had played a bigger role in the overall plot.

Interesting historical fiction takes the reader to place the reader may not have explored. In this case, two USO entertainers strike up a friendship while in Naples after World War II. Returning to the US, Maxine roars off to Hollywood to fine fame, while Hazel remains in New York living in the Chelsea Hotel, a haven for the creative. Mix together Hazel’s play which is expected to open to good reviews, the Communist hunters of Senator McCarthy and his House of Unamerican Affairs committee, and the threat those in acting careers faced from this, Russian spies who show up in unexpected friends, and the story line is set for a look at the theater in the 1950’s. Although the characters at times seem a little shallow, the book is still worth reading.

The story is set in the Chelsea Hotel, a NYC historic landmark and chronicles the relationship of Hazel, an actress turned play write and Maxine, friend and leading lady. Beginning with their time in the USO at the end of WWII through the 1950s and the era of McCarthyism. As a fan of Fiona Davis and her historical fiction, this book doesn't disappoint.

I love historical fiction and The Chelsea Girls did not disappoint.

The story takes place in The Chelsea Hotel, which before reading this book, all I knew about it was all the movie stars and musicians who had stayed there or died there.

The main characters of the story are Maxine Mead and Hazel Riley. Hazel is a playwright and Maxine is an actress. They are planning to do a broadway show, however they run into problems.

The story spans from the 1940’s to the 1960’s and covers everything from the war to McCarthyism. A lot of the story revolves around McCarthyism and the effects on the theatre. I really didn’t know that much about it before reading this, so I found it all quite interesting.

A good historical fiction. I learned about something I really didn’t know that much about. I would have liked to have had the history of the Chelsea Hotel play into it a bit more, but since the novel only covered 20 years, it couldn’t really go into all the history of the hotel.

I received an ARC of this book.

I liked the historical context, the little touches here and there (The Kooning painting in the Chelsea) that set the scenes, the world that Hazel and Maxine lived in. Especially the New York in the 1950s. Two very compelling and interesting characters. The balance between showing, the Chelsea hotel is a character by itself, and the telling, the journal entries is well done. What bothered me was the whole ghosts thing. That threw me out of the narrative big time.

Another great story by Fiona Davis. Loved the historical references and characters along with the hotel location. The characters were well developed and the story flowed.

The Chelsea Girls is a historical novel about two friends spanning from the 1940's to the 1960's. It begins during World War II when Hazel and Maxine are in the USO together. Later they end up in New York at the Chelsea Hotel, Hazel a playwright and Maxine an actress. The Red Scare by the HUAC hunting Communists in the entertainment industry changes their lives forever.

I was curious about this book from first mention because of the Chelsea Hotel reference. I love fiction about Mid-Century NYC. I also was interested in the theater references in this novel.

The Chelsea Girls offers a fascinating and unique look at the Red Scare in the theater world. I have never read a historical novel that dealt with this subject matter. Although I knew the basics, this book offered a much more in-depth look at the time.

This is my first (but not last!) read by Fiona Davis. I loved the Mid-Century details and the way she captured the time and place. I became curious about the Chelsea Hotel and found the Bowery Boys have a terrific podcast episode about it (also recommended).

The book is told from the alternating viewpoints of Hazel and Maxine, and it was well done. I found Hazel much more sympathetic than Maxine, but the characters were well delineated.

I recommend this novel for fans of historical fiction, and especially for anyone interested in New York theater or historic NYC.

Fiona Davis is fast becoming one of my favorite historical fiction authors. I have long heard about the Chelsea Hotel in NYC. I think I recently saw it featured in several documentaries I watched on Netflex and it was certainly a happening place for the creative community of NYC. It was nice to see a book highlighting an era that does tend to be overshadowed by WWII genre historical fiction. I enjoyed the relationship between Hazel and Maxine who met as stage performers with the USO during the war. As always with Ms. Davis' books, I really find myself almost a voyeur as I read. Her descriptive writing can really take you to a time and place. I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about McCarthyism, the Red Scare, and the New York theater world. .

The Chelsea Girls by Fiona Davis is about New York City's theater district and the Chelsea Hotel in the 1940-1960s during the McCarthy era. Hazel Riley is an unsuccessful actress in New York who decides to join the USO Tour during WWII to try her luck there. She meets Maxine Mead who shows her the ropes, and they form a strong friendship that gets reestablished when Maxine visits in New York after the war.

Hazel finally geta catches a break as a playwright and Maxine is cast as the lead. As the entertainment industry is starting to get blacklisted for being a communist, their lives become very complicated and their lives become more challenging. The Chelsea Hotel was a gathering place for artists to be themselves and I loved to hear about the history throughout this novel.

I found it fascinating how Fiona Davis used the development of Maxine and Hazel's characters with other relationships to explain how the few powerful people manipulated and scarred the actors and sometimes even caused some to be out of a job. This wasn't something I have read much about. Well done!

I really enjoyed this historical fiction focused on what the McCarthy era did to the entertainment (specifically theater) industry. I liked both Maxine and Hazel, and the story was done really well. It did lose me a little in the middle (it got a bit boring for a bit), but it picked up, and overall, I liked it.

Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to read/review this book due to other commitments. I will certainly update this review if/when I have the chance to read the book. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

I was provided with an ARC of this title from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Red Scare perpetuated by Sen. Joe McCarthy in the 1950s is a sordid reminder of political hysteria and manipulation. The lives of hundreds of artists and free-thinkers were completely ruined - their assets seized and their chances destroyed.

This book paints a vivid picture of that destructive period in history. It frames an examination of the political turmoil against the backdrop of the historic Chelsea Hotel and the unwavering friendship of Hazel and Maxine.

For decades, the Chelsea has been a haven for the artistic spirit. As the political climate intrudes upon its comforts, loyalties become strained and trust is a luxury very few can afford.

A fascinating snapshot of American history.

As a fan of historical fiction and a lover of all things New York City, I have had Fiona Davis’ novels on my must-read list for a while now. I had a feeling she would be a great fit for me, and I’m happy to say that my instinct was correct. Her latest novel, The Chelsea Girls, was everything I hoped it would be and more. The story begins in Naples Italy during WWII and follows two young women, Hazel Ripley and Maxine Mead, who meet and become fast friends while serving on a USO tour together. Once the war is over, Hazel and Maxine return to the states, specifically to New York City and the iconic Chelsea Hotel, where they are each looking to jumpstart their careers, Maxine as an actress and Hazel as a playwright. The Chelsea Girls follows both Hazel and Maxine and focuses on how their lives and their friendship are impacted by the 1950s and specifically the McCarthy Era and the threat of Communism.

The historical aspect of The Chelsea Girls was a huge draw for me. The 1950s is a period I’ve not encountered in many historical novels so, in many ways, it was a unique and refreshing read. Davis also does an incredible job of portraying just how destructive this period in history was for the entertainment industry. Joseph McCarthy, the House Unamerican Activities Committee, and everyone else who bought into the hysteria and fear that Communists were infiltrating the U.S. were just relentless and ruthless in their pursuit and takedown of anyone they suspected of having Communist ties. I was riveted by Davis’ exploration of the way they targeted the entertainment industry, and especially the way they got so many in the theater world blacklisted, destroying careers and lives, often without a shred of real evidence against their targets.

It wasn’t just the historical aspect of the novel that appealed to me though. I was also drawn to The Chelsea Girls because I knew a female friendship was at the heart of the story. And the friendship between Hazel and Maxine does not disappoint. Both characters are multi-layered and just oh so complex and their relationship follows suit. I became completely invested in their friendship as soon as they met on the USO tour in Naples during WWII and continued to care very deeply for them as they experienced the inevitable ups and downs that come with a 20+ year friendship. Their relationship is filled not only with love, friendship, support and successes, but also with failures, hurt, and betrayal. Davis does a beautiful job of weaving together all those elements in such an organic way that it felt like I knew these women and was there watching their relationship evolve over the years. I didn’t always love both characters, but I was still invested in them just the same.

A final element of Davis’ storytelling that I loved is that she makes the iconic Chelsea Hotel into a character of sorts. This fascinated me, especially given the host of illustrious artistic types the landmark hotel housed in its day. If the Chelsea were actually a person, he or she would certainly have seen a lot!

As a side note, I also loved that as we follow Hazel’s career as a playwright, we get to follow the steps involved in staging a play on Broadway. We see it from writing the actual script all the way through to opening night. I found it all so interesting and loved the extra layer that it added to an already multi-layered story.

The Chelsea Girls is an engaging and powerful historical read. In addition to shedding a light on what a witch hunt the McCarthy Era really was, it’s also a moving story about female friendship and all its highs and lows. These characters and their experiences are going to stick with me for a while and so I’d highly recommend it to any fan of historical fiction, theater, and female friendships.

Fiona Davis has me hooked now with her special brand of storytelling. The Chelsea Girls was my first read from her, but it definitely will not be my last!

This is the first time that Fiona Davis has broken away from her normal format of mixing the past and present in the same building. Instead, she’s following two women who’s lives have become intertwined with one another during the same time period. One of the main issues with the novel is that it took a longer time getting emotionally attached to her characters than it has with her past novels. It made the reader more dependent on the story line at the beginning, which was good. Unfortunately, by the time you became more invested in the characters, the storyline started to stretch out and start to wander. Overall, the novel was able to collect itself and be enjoyable, but not one of Davis's best.

Fantastic read covering a subject that doesn’t seem to appear in fiction very often — the McCarthy era. Loved that the story started in Naples during WWII and then spans two decades in the NYC theater district. As a former New Yorker and life-long theater performer, this was totally up my alley. The main friendship between two women is very well developed, with the book being told in alternating points of view between the two of them. And the depiction of McCarthyism with its fear mongering, spread of lies, and power to use conjecture to ruin people’s careers and lives was riveting, horrifying and heart breaking. Well done

The Chelsea Girls was an easy to read story about the McCarthy years and his hunt for Communists and/or Communist sympathizers. Although this time period is covered in high school history, it’s always easier and more fun to revisit when a story is wrapped around it.

The Chelsea Hotel, a place for entertainers and artists to stay, and often live, is its own character in the book. And boy does it have a history; if only walls could talk! Davis does a great job at integrating the history of this iconic hotel with the tense years after WW2.

McCarthyism put a strain on everyone, and especially took its toll on the art, music and film industry. One small joke, an introduction to someone who was on the suspect list or one’s sexual orientation could put you on the blacklist. The blacklist disallowed you from working and often put you in prison. False accusations were made all the time, just to destroy someone’s life. It was hard to know who you could trust, even amongst friends and family.

The two main protagonists, who met on a USO tour, became each other’s yin and yang. When one is accused of being a spy and the other is not, loads of drama is woven into the story. I’m stopping here, so I don’t spoil the story. This is an enjoyable read, as all of author’s books have been.

I love Fiona Davis and her previous books. This story was very good, but not quite what I was thinking. It certainly describes an interesting time in our history and the Chelsea hotel has had it share of famous people. I enjoyed learning about it’s story .

Fiona Davis is a new addition to my “favorite authors” list, thanks to my recent reading of The Chelsea Girls. Beginning in the mid-1940s, the book follows the stories of Hazel and Maxine, who meet in Europe while touring as USO actresses. After World War II ends, Hazel tries to get by in New York doing small acting gigs as she works on writing a manuscript, “Wartime Sonata.” Maxine, on the other hand, finds stardom in Los Angeles until an abusive relationship and Senator Joseph McCarthy’s Red Scare cause her to flee California for New York.

When she arrives back on the East Coast, Maxine looks up her old friend Hazel. The two reunite at the iconic Chelsea Hotel, which is frequented by many big actors and actresses of the era. Unfortunately, Senator McCarthy’s focus turns on New York around the time Hazel’s manuscript is being turned into a Broadway show, and Hazel must make hard decisions as she is put on the hot seat for questioning.

The Chelsea Girls is a well-researched glimpse of the glittering world of New York theater in the early 1950s and the frightening anti-communist scare that marred it, impacting countless lives, careers, and artistic endeavors. Reading this book has made me want to learn more about this fascinating but frightening era in both New York and Hollywood. I only wish there had been a bit more back story so that I could have connected more closely with the main characters.

I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley but was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are entirely my own.