Hazel and Maxine are two actresses sent overseas to entertain soldiers in World War 2. Their bond grows past the stage as the two get to know the chaotic and unjust world around them. Once the war ends, the two go in different directions, but are destined to meet up again at the Chelsea Hotel in New York City. Hazel proceeds to write a play based on her life overseas and Maxine helps it come to life.

It isn't long before you are knee deep in the world that is the Chelsea Hotel. However, it isn't a world untouched by current events. Hazel finds herself in the middle of the McCarthy Red Scare drama. As it swallows those around her, she fights for herself and her show. With Maxine as her best friend, Hazel survives. But she doesn't know things aren't what they appear to be with some of the people around her.

Based on real events and some real people, you'll read a story of friendship and integrity. You'll see the consequences of decisions made out of love- no matter how much they hurt the ones we love and protect. I couldn't put this book down. I was immediately engrossed and felt like I was a resident of the Chelsea Hotel. I loved and hated characters. I felt my heart break with the betrayal I didn't want to happen. I was taken aback by twists in the story I didn't see coming. This was my first Fiona Davis book, but it will not be my last. She crafted an engrossing story and proceeded to unfold it all around me.

The Chelsea Girls tells the story of two women who meet on a USO tour at the tail end of World War II, and then move to New York City to work on Broadway, while living in the famed Chelsea Hotel. But despite their success and the thrill of working and living in such a creative circle, there is an undercurrent of unease. McCarthyism is taking hold in the country, and suddenly, it seems as though everyone—and particularly those in the entertainment industry—are under suspicion. And in danger. The book is a fun, engaging, and surprising romp through the theater world of 1940s and 50s New York, as well as a more serious reminder about a very tense time in history when you never knew who you could—or couldn’t trust. The fear of Russian spies lurking around every corner felt very real—as did the mounting pressure of the FBI. It reminded me very much of City of Girls in a lot of ways, and is a book you’ll read quickly and hungrily.

Fiona Davis is absolutely one of my favorite voices in historical fiction and her latest, The Chelsea Girls, proves why. This time around, Davis takes on post WWII communism and does so within the world of theater and performing arts in NYC. Deviating from the dual timelines of her past work, The Chelsea Girls begins in Italy where Hazel & Maxine meet on a USO tour and then a few years later, they are reunited in NYC at the Chelsea Hotel to work in theater together. Underneath all the friendship and artistic expression, the art world has come under siege due to rising fears of communism (the red scare).

Davis has quite the knack for discussing important parts of history while also lending her unique voice to the story and creating three dimensional characters that truly leap off the page. I learned a ton about a time period I knew little and also appreciated the fictional component of the friendship immensely.

Thank you to Dutton for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

New York’s infamous Chelsea Hotel has been the scene of a lot of scandals, triumphs, joys and heartbreak over the years.  Hazel Ripley and Maxine Mead are just two of the women who’ve passed through its iconic red brick façade, and they have problems bigger than the ghosts haunting the hotel’s walls to contend with.

They met in Italy as USO performers during World War II – Hazel an eternal understudy an aspiring playwright, Maxine a starlet wannabe who left her traditional family behind for dreams of a stage life. They develop a deep and true friendship as the tour goes on, bonded over saving a young German who has been named a conspirator by the Italians - and his eventual murder.

After the War, Hazel’s lucky break blooms thanks to a connection made while staying at the Chelsea.  Doors fly open for her thanks to the magic of the hotel’s social atmosphere; her first play Wartime Sonata, becomes a huge hit, with Maxine transformed into an overnight sensation as the play’s lead.  Both women fall into relationships  – Maxine with the married, abusive Arthur, Hazel with Charlie, a handsome boy from their wartime past.

But at the height of McCarthyism, it’s hard to put forth anything that might translate to seeming commie-sympathetic – which is an easy way to end up on the blacklist.   Maxine and Arthur have ties to the Party – ties that helped pluck Maxine from obscurity, and ties that might run even deeper than that.  Hazel meets with harsh scrutiny as they are soon as the play goes into production, and, as their burgeoning careers balloon, their worlds – as well as their lives – may be in danger.

Lisa Fernandes and Shanon Dyer  read The Chelsea Girls and are here to share their thoughts on the novel.

Lisa: Well, I loved this one!

Shannon: Me too! It's definitely one of my top reads of 2019!

Lisa:  I’m glad to hear it! Did you have any familiarity with the Red Scare and McCarthyism before reading the book?  I had some knowledge of the era due to researching Lucille Ball’s life.

Shannon: I read a bit about it in college history classes, but I didn't know much beyond the basics.

Lisa: The book definitely does an extremely good job in humanizing the nightmare – sort of like a feminist Trumbo. Have you read any of Ms. Davis’ other books?  I admit this one is my first.

Shannon: I've read and adored all three of her previous books. The Dollhouse is my personal favorite, but this one is a close second. I hope you plan to check out her other books. I think you'd enjoy them.

Lisa: Someday I will!  Hazel was my favorite character in this one, without a doubt – she reminded me of Judy Garland on several levels.

Shannon: You know, I didn't get a Garland vibe from Hazel, but I loved her as a heroine. She had some insecurities, mostly due to her mother's inability to say anything the least bit kind to her, but she didn't let them hold her back. She discovered her calling and went after it!

Lisa: I think it might’ve been her determination – and the abusive stage mom that evoked those similarities.  Maxine seems to be a more feisty go-get-‘em type at first, but at core she’s weaker, softer, and much more self-sacrificing.

Shannon: Maxine was harder for me to embrace than Hazel was. Her exterior was tougher for sure, but I agree she was a much weaker person on the whole. I didn't find her self-sacrificing as much as I found her selfish. Still, she was the perfect foil for Hazel.

Lisa: I think the book was kind of shooting for a self-sacrificing feeling with Maxine, especially when it came to her final choice at the end of the book, but yep – she was a walking example that getting and having it all is a hollow thing when you lose your dignity.  It helped to explain the strength of their bond and the pyrrhic sacrifice that Maxine makes for Hazel.  A little communication would’ve helped everyone, but alas!  On another topic - oof, the men these girls get tangled up with!  I adored Charlie though.

Shannon: Charlie was fantastic! At first, I wondered if he was going to be super weak-willed, but he didn't turn out to be that way at all.

Shannon: Speaking of the men, I was completely flabbergasted to discover what drew Maxine and Arthur together. I just wasn't expecting that at all.

Lisa: That was an unexpected twist.  I knew there had to be a deeper reason and a deeper purpose that bound them together, because Arthur was simply awful to Maxine; and even though Maxine was a fairly guilty, weak person I knew intimidation couldn’t have been the only reason why they became involved.  Davis had a way of making The Chelsea feel very modern and exciting, and then very run-down and dissolute – a good way of making the hotel feel real and like a breathing character all its own.  It reminded me of the Eloise books, and her point of view on the Plaza.

Shannon: I'm not all that familiar with The Plaza, but this way of breathing life into a historic building is one of Ms. Davis' trademarks. I come away from her writing with a much deeper knowledge about the locations she writes about, and the Chelsea Hotel is no exception.

Lisa: The book includes short, act-prefacing chapters featuring the ghosts of the Chelsea.  Did you know where these chapters were leading before they revealed their reasoning?  I loved the spooky atmosphere they left behind.

Shannon: I had a glimmer of an idea where those chapters were leading, but I ended up being wrong about most of it. I fell in love with those chapters though. I think they added an extra layer of mystery to the story, and mystery is something I'm almost always in favor of.

Lisa: What’s your final grade?  I’m going with an A  - a gorgeous novel, written perfectly, a tragedy with purpose that entertains while educating about the pain of the blacklist.

Shannon: It gets a solid A from me, too. The writing is phenomenal, and I was completely sucked into the plot. There were so many plot lines at work here, and Ms. Davis managed to weave them into a stunning tale of love, intrigue, and friendship.

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The book The Chelsea Girls tells the story of two women working on Broadway in the midst of the Red Square. It is an interesting story that tells the story of their friendship, beginning with how they met in the USO and how their friendship develops. I appreciated that this book easily passed the Bechdel test and was an accurate depiction of female friendship and the highs and lows that go with it. I also appreciated that it was set against the context of the Red Scare, which is a less popular context in current historical fiction. It also dealt with the Red Scare with appropriate historical complexity. However, I felt that some of the plot developments were a bit contrived and unbelievable, especially in act 2. I also felt that some of the winks at the audience when real historical figures entered the story were a bit distracting. However, it was an enjoyable book, and the depiction of friendship was particularly compelling.

thanks to Netgalley, publisher and Fiona David for this ARC. I loved this book. Interesting was the Chelsea hotel and the characters who lived there. A bit of history from the McCarthy years took me by surprise, so I learned some things with this one. A definite 4 star summer read.

This didn't seem to be the right book for me. I picked it up because I liked the synopsis but the ending was frustrating. It's a dual perspective historical fiction novel about two women living in New York City at the Chelsea Hotel. I struggled with this book because I disliked one of the main characters and reading their perspective frustrated me. That being said the writing was well done and the historical accuracy was well done. I appreciated that this is a topic that's being discussed in literature now because many authors have avoided talking about the McCarthy Era. But in my opinion, we need to talk about it if we want to learn from it. I felt like one of the main characters was manipulative and the book was supposed to be about an amazing friendship but the women were constantly comparing themselves or being manipulative of their friend. The relationship was really unhealthy and neither owned up to it. Also the ending was disappointing. I think Floyd as a character deserved a better ending and Maxine was so selfish that I felt absolutely nothing at the end of the book.

This is a marvelous story that takes the reader from the war zones of Naples during WWII to Broadway, during the McCarthy era. We meet Maxine Mead, an up and coming actress, and Hazel Ripley, also an aspiring actress who has foundered in the role of understudies. They are part of an USO troop in Naples Italy, as the war is winding down.
Returning to New York, Hazel starts writing, working meaningless radio spots and Maxine is off to Hollywood And stardom. They reunite in NY at the iconic
Chelsea Hotel, and Maxine’s determination to star in Hazel’s debut play
This is a journey of best friends that embraces deep friendship, secrets, and betrayals that tear many lives apart. It was a dark and cruel time in our history and Fiona Davis managed to weave a wonderful story into those turbulent times. She has developed strong, likable and interesting characters, while introducing us to the historic Chelsea, and the glittering world of the Broadway era, post WWII.
I loved this book and am grateful to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC, for my honest review. It’s a 5 star effort!
#TheChelseaGirls #PenquinRandomHouse

In The Chelsea Girls, Fiona Davis continues her innovative take on historical fiction by weaving a famous New York City building into her plot. In this case, it’s the story of two women in the entertainment industry who lived in the Chelsea Hotel during the Communist witch hunts of the 1950s. Told through the alternating points of view of Hazel and Maxine, the story follows their lives from the 1940s through the 1960s and shows the effect McCarthyism had on them. It’s an engaging read that had me looking forward to the next book by Fiona Davis.

*I received this book from NetGalley and in no way shape or form does that affect my opinions.

*CW: Suicide, Abuse

As with Fiona Davis' previous novels, The Chelsea Girls blends two different storylines together seamlessly. This is a story of friendship, heartbreak, betrayal, and art in Post World War II America. We have the stories of Hazel Ripley and Maxine Mead, how they are separate but come together so well. I loved both stories equally, I especially loved how Hazel wanted to create her own name for herself and step out of the shadows of her family's name. With Maxine's story, some of it is told in diary entries which are distinguishable and then we get her actual story. Both Hazel's and Maxine's stories are heartbreaking. However, I do feel [that both stories do come full circle. This is the fourth Fiona Davis book that I have read, and it definitely will not be my last.

Life at the Chelsea Hotel is dominated by artists and actors with all the glamour and drama accompanying life in the arts. This book provides insight into the struggles of artists in the McCarthy era. Hazel is young, idealistic, and naïve as she joins the USO troupe to entertain soldiers. Maxine is older and worldly but the two women become close friends and their lives are entwined in amazing ways.

This is an interesting read about an era that is not often written about in historical fiction.

I received an advance copy of The Chelsea Girls by Fiona Davis through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. I have read all of the books written by Fiona Davis. I love how she tells the story. In this particular book she uses the accusations and investigations of Senator McCarthy and others. In my opinion this was the best of all she has written. That is saying something because I have really enjoyed every one of them. I can’t wait for her next book. Thanks to Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to preview The Chelsea Girls.

Wonderful mix of perspectives of the residents of the famed Chelsea Hotel from World War II to the Red Scare and the House Committee on UnAmerican Activities hearings. Once again Fiona Davis has carried us back in time to a New York that was and characters that are hard to forget. Poignant and lyrical, this book follows two actresses as they went from being in USO shows to Hollywood and Broadway to the triumphs and tragedies of the effects of the Cold War and Communism Red Scare of the 1950s after winning WWII. Real events woven into this narrative make it hard to put down.

Hazel and Maxine meet during the USO tours in WW2. Once the war is over the girls go back to their lives. They meet again at The Chelsea Hotel in New York. The girls meet again at the hotel with other artists when McCarthyism rears its ugly head. It is a scary time in American history. This is a story of friendship and loyalty. I really enjoyed it. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

The Chelsea Girls has all the normal goodies - family drama, friendships and relationships but it also offers something very different. Telling the story of Hazel and Maxine in the McCarthy era makes this a must read. I haven’t read anything like it and really enjoyed reading about that time!

Spanning decades, The Chelsea Girls tells the story of Maxine and Hazel, two talented artists in New York City. Hazel and Maxine meet on a USO Tour during WWII and form a strong bond. Hazel finds herself back in New York after the war, hoping to make it as more than a serial understudy on Broadway. Maxine's star is rising and she follows it to New York, where she is ultimately cast as the lead in Hazel's debut play.

McCarthyism is running rampant in America, and Hazel comes under scrutiny. The Chelsea Girls is told from both Maxine and Hazel's perspective, over more than 20 years in show business.

The Chelsea Girls took me on a trip to 1950s NYC, and it was a thrilling ride! Theater, McCarythism, romance, Soviet spies, New York, this book had it all!
The Chelsea Girls tells the story of Hazel and Maxine who come to live in the Chelsea Hotel after WWII. They are working to put together the play that Hazel has written, but their production is soon plagued by threats from the FBI and other anti-communist groups on the hunt for Soviet spies. Hazel, like many others in the theater community, is blacklisted and her future as a playwright is put into jeopardy. This book was fascinating to read and kept me hooked until the end. Thanks so much to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book. It comes out in July and I definitely recommend checking it out!

Very interesting story of McCarthy blacklist. Fiona Davis has a great writing style, and the characters are fun. I'd recommend to anyone who likes historical fiction and New York.

Exceptional. No, better than exceptional.

I’m an OG fan of Fiona Davis, going all the way back to The Dollhouse, and have read and loved each of her novels. This meant I had very high standards for Chelsea Girls, and I’m pleased to say that Davis managed to exceed the high bar she set for herself with her previous work.

While I’ve always admired Davis’ sense of time and place, ability to create atmosphere, and deft hand at writing nuanced characters, she took all of those things to new heights in this book.

In Chelsea Girls, Davis took on what you might call a more serious and certainly more political issue than she has in her previous novels: McCarthyism and the Red Scare.

Set against the post-WWII backdrop of fearmongering and paranoia in the United States, Davis gives us a wrenching, terrifying account of how this scary brand of groupthink ruined the lives and livelihoods of countless innocents in the entertainment industry.

Hazel and Maxine, our two female leads, both present heartbreaking portraits of what happens to a country at war with itself. It’s frightening to think of how relevant that is in today’s America, and what that might mean for those who are often maligned by the current government.

Larger themes aside, the plot is a home run even in the smaller sense: As a portrait of the times in New York and on the Great White Way in the theater industry. It also has a fantastic, almost thriller-style twist (not usually Davis’ bailiwick) around the halfway point of the book that I didn’t see coming.

Additionally, it’s been interesting to ruminate on the fact that while Hazel is clearly the true protagonist of the story, it’s Maxine who we hear from in first person, while we get Hazel’s account in third person. It’s tough to comment further on why this might be without risking exposing something spoiler-y, but it’s some good food for thought after finishing the book.

In all, this wonderful, heartbreaking, and powerful story was everything I’ve come to expect from Davis, yet somehow even better than I would have anticipated.

You spoil us, Fiona. Keep ‘em coming.

Since I first discovered books by Fiona Davis during the summer of 2018, I have become one of her biggest fans. Not only are her storylines and characters compelling, I love the way she uses New York City’s historical landmarks/architecture as characters. It adds a layer of complexity that I adore.

Davis hits another one out of the ballpark with her fourth novel, “The Chelsea Girls.” Hazel and Maxine meet in 1945 while they are schlepping through Europe as part of a touring USO band of actresses, performing skits and plays for weary soldiers.

After the war, the girls go their separate ways: Hazel to New York and Maxine to Los Angeles. Hazel gets room at The Chelsea Hotel, a haven for budding actresses, musicians, poets, and other artists. She feels at home among the quirky residents. Hazel makes the rounds, desperate to land a role. She gets a few small gigs, but it’s the typewriter and the play she started during the war that are her siren. Five years after the war ended, “Wartime Sonata,” Hazel has finished her manuscript and is ready to take it to Broadway.

Meanwhile over in Los Angeles, Maxine has become a true movie star. Readers don’t see Maxine in California, but we get to hear about her life when she comes to New York, looking for her old friend. She is running from an abusive relationship and Senator Joseph McCarthy’s Red Scare. Although the two have drifted apart, they quickly pick up where they left off.

Against the mount of Hazel’s play and Maxine’s troubled relationship, there is The Chelsea Hotel. Fascinating characters inhabit this grand building, where anyone can follow their heart.

When McCarthy is finished with Hollywood, he turns his eye toward Broadway. He is determined to rid the U. C. of any communist activity. Called before his committee, will Hazel cave and name names? Will Maxine give in to the pressure?

What a ride! I think this is Davis’s work yet, and I’m eagerly awaiting her next novel. I hope she writes fast! I give “The Chelsea Girls” 6 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.