The Chelsea Girls spans from the 1940's to the 1960's. I'm not sure what I can say differently about this book from her others. They're all consistently wonderful and solid and it's safe to say that this author will never disappoint, ever! The ability to take me back to a place and time I've never lived in and allowing me to experience it so richly just amazes me. As with her other books I had to look up pictures and people and there's a lot of feelings that go with that as well. It's sad what some people went through.

Davis breathes life into yet another relic from New York's past. She unravels the world the way it was and shows us how it came to be what it is. This book highlights the struggles of the entertainment world as it reacted to the fear and terror associated with McCarthyism. Through the main characters Davis takes the reader on a journey of love and betrayal, expectations and disappointment, and ultimately, survival and forgiveness. The writing is so riveting that you will not want to put the book down. This is a fully immersive read and certainly not one that any historical fiction lover should miss.

An Iconic Hotel, Talented Women, and McCarthyism

Hazel Ripley was supposed to be an actress following in the footsteps of her famous family, but she’s never achieved better than understudy status. To try to improve her chance to shine, she joins a USO troop in Italy during WWII. There she meets Maxine Mead, a talented actress. Hazel also finds her calling, writing radio scripts for Maxine to read.

In the fifties, Hazel and Maxine come together again in the famous Chelsea Hotel. The gorgeous Victorian hotel has been famed for creative artists who lived there. Hazel has now written a play and Maxine is to star in it. Their hopes are high, but this is a volatile time in the entertainment industry. McCarthyism is sweeping the country and the girls are caught up in it.

For me, the best part of the book was the excellent descriptions of the Chelsea Hotel. I could see the art, the furnishings, and best of all the out of the way spaces and passages that are unique to the hotel. The author has done an excellent job of folding her substantial research into the story.

The history of the McCarthy era and the House Un-American Activities Committee was fascinating and gave a good background for the plot which centered around love, trust, freedom, and wartime memories affecting the main characters.

This is a good historical novel that well creates the era and showcases the famous Chelsea Hotel.

I received the book for this review from Net Galley.

What a fun, interesting place The Chelsea Hotel must have been.

Hazel was in a family of performers, but Hazel wasn’t a performer. Hazel was a playwrite.

We meet Hazel when she was on tour with the USO during the war. Hazel met many actors and became friends with them.

We follow Hazel as she moves out of her childhood home and into The Chelsea Hotel during the McCarthy Era. When her friend, Maxine, from the USO moves in too, their friendship is renewed.

The description of the hotel's decorations, the secret places and passages in it, and the furnishings was fascinating. The impeccable research Ms. Davis had to do definitely shows. I had do a bit of googling of the hotel myself. :)

History buffs and theater goers will again be treated to a very descriptive story line that has Ms. Davis taking you back in time.

I do have to say THE CHELSEA GIRLS was a bit tedious to read, but I loved the history of the hotel and its inhabitants. The characters in the book were believable and most were likable.

The ending was satisfying and nicely wrapped up the story line.. 4/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NETGALLEY in exchange for an honest review.

Wonderful historical fiction about friendship, trust and ultimate betrayal that spans from the end of WWII to the 1960's. A good look into the frightening time of the McCarthy era and life in the Chelsea Hotel. I was captivated from beginning to end. I love it when a book has me so interested in the historical setting that I spend time researching it myself. While reading this book, I had to look up The Chelsea Hotel. After viewing the many images of that grand hotel, I could picture in my mind these characters' comings and goings in this setting. Very enjoyable book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

Fiona Davis is the queen of historical fiction revolving around legendary NYC landmarks. She covered the Barbizon Hotel in "The Dollhouse," Grand Central Station in "The Masterpiece" and The Dakota in "The Address," and now she tackles The Chelsea Hotel in "The Chelsea Girls."

Hazel and Mazine meet while performing on a USO tour during WWII and reunite years later when they work together on a Broadway show. With the Red Scare taking hold, their friendship, artistic vision and livelihoods are tested by the government's crusade against Communism.

The story of how the theater community was impacted by the Black List and McCarthy's witch hunt is one I hadn't read about before and the plot kept me guessing. Having been fascinated by The Chelsea Hotel myself, I would have liked to learn more about it and its colorful inhabitants but the main characters help bring it and the era to life.

I really looked forward to this book and truly enjoyed it. I'm excited to see which iconic NYC spot Davis will write about next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for providing me with an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Hazel Ripley, shaken from her brother, Ben's death in the war, tired of always being a Broadway understudy, and wanting to do something to help the war efforts, joins the USO efforts as an actress touring Italy to entertain and distract the troops. Thrown into the fire on her first day, she meets harsh and rude Maxine Mead as she is about to perform in her first play. Throughout their time during the war, they develop an unlikely friendship that lasts a lifetime. When the war ends, Hazel returns to New York and furiously begins writing a play inspired by Maxine and their experiences. Maxine heads to Hollywood to become a big screen star. After falling from grace several years later in Hollywood, Maxine returns to her roots in New York and convinces Hazel to give her the lead in her new play opening on Broadway. The country is on a witch hunt to find communists within the entertainment community and both Hazel and Maxine, along with a few of their friends are sucked into the controversy and blacklisted. When Hazel's play fails and her career ends, how does Maxine heads back to Hollywood still the star?

The Chelsea Girls is a moving story of friendship, forgiveness, and consequences. Hazel and Maxine have a deep friendship, but Maxine has been hiding secrets from Hazel their entire relationship. A shocking and unpredictable twist at the end that reveals these secrets. The beautiful, flowing writing, keeps the reader turning pages late into the night. If you enjoyed The Masterpiece or The Way of Beauty, this is a must read!

|Thank you to @NetGalley @duttonbooks #partner|
.
The Chelsea Girls opens during WWII. The two main characters, Hazel and Maxine, meet on a USO tour in Italy and their friendship is born out of shared trials and circumstances. After the war they return to the states. Hazel returns to New York and her life in the theater world. Maxine goes to Hollywood to try and make it on the silver screen. The rest of the book follows the next 20 years as they endure separation, develop their own lives, and reunite on the stage in New York.
.
The bulk of this story takes place during the McCarthy era which I found especially interesting as I haven't come across much historical fiction set during those years. I leaned a lot about a very tumultuous time for those caught up in the Red Scare accusations and blacklisting, especially when so many of the allegations were false. The fear that gripped a few powerful people and then engulfed the country is disturbing. I appreciate novels like The Chelsea Girls to help those of us who didn't live through that time experience the events and feelings of such a chilling period of history.
.
I loved the portrayal of female friendship in this book. I also appreciate how The Hotel Chelsea was a character of its own. I was unfamiliar with this landmark and enjoyed looking up photographs of the building and reading additional stories about this incredible place.
.
I found the development of this novel to be a bit slow for my personal taste but I'm glad I stayed with the book. The themes of friendship, standing up for what's right, and the depiction of a chilling time of American history are not to be missed.

I have loved all of Fiona’s books and this was no exception!! I highly recommend this wonderful story!! Amazing characters too!

DNF at 20%
I’m sorry to say that I really struggled to connect with The Chelsea Girls. I could see the set up for an interesting female friendship but the portion I read consisted entirely of a “tell not show” storytelling that is one of my major pet peeves in novels. I think maybe once the story reached “present day” at the Chelsea Hotel, the narrative style might have changed, but I was uninterested in going further with these characters.

Fiona Davis never disappoints! I love that each of her books includes a New York landmark as a backdrop.

The Chelsea Girls was my first foray into the worlds created by Fiona Davis and I must just say… ”where the hell have I been??” I was immediately taken in by the story and simply didn’t stop reading until I was finished. Work and sleep and kids be damned.

The Chelsea Girls takes place in the McCarthy era. During and Post WWII, the theater community was thriving. Until it was under attack. It was the dawn of the Red Scare and entertainers of all kinds were forced to name names, reveal Communists, whether they truly were one or not. People were blacklisted, lives were ruined. In an era full of fear mongering and misogyny, Hazel and Maxine fought their way through.

Centered around the haven that was the Chelsea, Davis winds an amazing tale of perseverance and determination. I simply could not stop reading until I finished. Clearly, I will be picking up her other books as well. Do yourself a favor and add this to your list. You most certainly will not be disappointed.

I received an advance copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

I read lots of historical fiction books but this is a time period that I haven't read much about in the past -- the early 50s when the government and McCarthy were trying to find and punish alleged communists in the entertainment business. I have read about what went on during this time period but this book makes it more personal and is about how it affected so many people in the entertainment business who were never able to find work again.

The three main characters of the book are:
-Hazel Riley who was a playwright. After acting as an understudy on Broadway and spending time in the USO in Europe during WWII, she finds that her true talent is in writing plays and gets a chance to open her play on Broadway.
-Maxine Mead is an actress. She met Hazel in Europe and they became close friends. She is going to star in Hazel's new play but will her secret life cause problems?
-The Chelsea Hotel is the third main character - it was New York City's creative oasis for the many artists, writers, musicians, actors, filmmakers, and poets who have called it home. As the witch hunt for communists in the entertainment industry gets more frenzied, it becomes apparent that it will affect the lives of Hazel, Maxine and the clientele at the Chelsea. Will any of them be able to survive?

I found reading about this time period to be very interesting and enlightening. This book shows not only the glamour of life on Broadway during this time but also the pain and degradation brought about McCarthyism and how it affected so many people. I enjoyed the two main characters and the friendship between them and was hoping for the best for both of them.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

I did not enjoy this book. It seemed t me it took too long to develop the story. I have loved other Fiona Davis novels, but this one did not grab me like The Masterpiece.

Thank you, Netgalley, for this arc.

Fiona Davis never disappoints. She has a way of bringing history out and making it so vivid. The Chelsea Girls is no exception. It's like you're "right there" in 1960s New York. It's a sad, but important novel that turned out to actually be a quick read for me. I'm glad I read this one.

I loved this book! Strong female friendships, history, intrigue, romance, conflicting loyalties – Davis covers it all. And if you have problem following the dual timelines, this book does not do that. While presented with the alternating perspectives of Hazel and Maxine, the superb character development makes all the characters very real to the reader.


Hazel and Maxine meet in 1945 while they are both on a USO tour and quickly become fast friends. When the war is over hazel and Maxine go their separate ways. But then in 1950 they reunite when Maxine, now a Hollywood starlet, moves to NYC and joins playwright Hazel at the Chelsea Hotel. Both seem destined for success until McCarthyism and accusations of being a Communist shake up the entertainment industry. Davis perfectly captures the sense of fear and intimidation that existed at that time.


I highly recommend this excellent book. This book was given to me by the publisher but all opinions are my own.

What a treat for fans of historical fiction the The Chelsea Girls is! Step into the glamorous 1950's after the second world war and look a little deeper into some unfortunate events at the hands of McCarthyism that targeted innocent members of the Broadway scene. A young playwright, Hazel, has written a script that quickly sets the Broadway scene by storm. Never did Hazel imagine that just hours after finishing the final version of her script, her dreams would come true. When Hazel finds herself at the eclectic and lively Chelsea Hotel and meets one of it's most influential residents she is quickly tasked with delivering her play to this woman by the end of the night. From there things move quickly as her play is called brilliant and set to open on Broadway just a few short months later. She hits a temporary snag when her old friend Maxine, now a young Hollywood actress, drops in and somehow scores the leading part- much to Hazel's hesitation. Maxine is a wonderful actress, but is far from being right for the roll. Hazel has no idea that this is the beginning of a series of mistakes that will decide her future. What secrets and lies are being told that mark the undoing of not only the play, but Hazel's career? Will Hazel have the last word?

I’ll admit upfront that I’m a fan of Fiona Davis’ novels. She always weaves an incredible storyline with a remarkable cast of characters. I don’t just read her books; I feel like I fall into them.

Maxine Mead & Hazel Riley were destined to become either best friends or bitter enemies. They meet in Italy as WWII is ending. Their job at the USO was to entertain the solders with theatrical plays and numbers to help them forget for a while. However, the horrible events that Maxine & Hazel witness forever impact them. Both return to the US after the war. One becomes a huge starlit with an abundance of secrets to go along with her beauty and smiles. The other can’t stop thinking about what they witnessed during the war; she endeavors to write a play in remembrance and bare witness to the atrocities that come with war.

Both women come home to a different kind of fight, one that threatens to stifle creativity and creative freedom. When one whisper of Communism could alter a career, a life forever. The Chelsea Girls was a bit long, but I enjoyed it and I would recommend it.

I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This is the third book I've read by Fiona Davis and my least favorite of the three. There's a lot to like about it, I think it just struck me as less developed than her books about the Dakota and Grand Central terminal. Those books both had a dual timeline, whereas The Chelsea Girls does not, so perhaps that's where my interests are more drawn in. This novel took me a long time to finish. I don't know if that says more about the book or about my busy schedule - probably a bit of both. I do think that the dual timelines in her previous books built up more suspense as I was eager to see how the timelines would converge. For whatever reason, this one didn't draw me in like the others.

The novel begins during WWII and follows a friendship between two entertainers on a USO tour and follows their personal and professional lives through the McCarthy era "Red Scare" when many entertainers were blackballed from the entertainment industry. I appreciate this subject matter in historical fiction at a time when the U.S. is so politically divided that it seems that the public is very susceptible to political posturing and witch hunts. I enjoy Fiona Davis's writing talents and look forward to her next book.

Struggling actress, Hazel Ripley, tries to escape from her disappointed, tyrannical stage mother by joining the USO during the waning days of WWII. There she meets bombshell actress Maxine Mead and the two form a strong friendship. While in Italy Maxine urges Hazel to try her hand at play writing and directing, and Hazel finds her true calling. After the war, Maxine sets her sights on Hollywood, while Hazel returns to New York and Broadway. Finding herself once more under her mother’s control, Hazel escapes again, this time to the famed Chelsea Hotel, home to writers, actors, musicians and artists of all types. Everything begins to fall into place for Hazel when a play she has written is set to be produced in a New York theater and she is allowed to direct. In addition, Maxine has returned from Hollywood, and had agreed to star in the production. Unfortunately all does not go according to plan. Joseph McCarthy, who has decimated the movie industry with his accusations of communism against so many innocents, has now turned his attention to Broadway. Hazel’s name appears on a list of communist sympathizers and it appears her dreams of a career as a playwright may be over before it even begins. If this was not bad enough, Hazel soon discovers that her friendship with Maxine may not be all it seems to be.

Through her historical fiction, Fiona Davis, has become known for her portrayal of New York landmarks such as the Barbizon Hotel, the Dakota and Grand Central Terminal. This time she expertly brings the Chelsea Hotel to life. The famed building with its stairway of artwork, its architecture and décor, as well as the eccentric residents and staff give the reader a true sense of time and place. Her descriptions of the theater world and all that goes into casting, staging and costuming a production are wonderful. However, Davis’ true achievement this time around is her recounting of the McCarthy witch hunts into the entertainment industry. It is a black spot on our nation’s history that ruined the lives and livelihoods of many innocent people. Those accused of being communist sympathizers were given a choice of turning on their colleagues and friends or being found guilty themselves, even threatened with jail time.

The main and supporting characters, especially Hazel, are vibrant and engaging, while the sights and sounds of 1950's New York City come alive on the pages. A heartbreaking tale about the true meaning of friendship, set in an era that Americans should never forget. I highly recommend this book to fans of historical fiction and women’s fiction, those who like stories about the theater, and especially to those interested in reading about McCarthyism.