I'm a fan of historical fiction in the right context and when done correctly; unfortunately this one was a big miss. The plot sounded interesting but it truly fell flat. This book could have been so much and yet I was left piping pages to get to the end. This one just wasn't for me.

I received an advanced copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to NetGalley, She Writes Press, and Leslie Johansen Nack. ❤️

Thank you to She Writes Press and to Net Galley for an ARC of this book.

I love historical fiction, and I knew a bit about Marion Davies, so when I saw this book on Net Galley, I knew that I needed to request it.

I had no idea that Marion Davies had a relationship with William Randolph Hurst. This book was very interesting, and I had to get more information about them after reading this book. It was really fascinating.

The author did great for her debut novel, and I hope she continues to write more books like this.

Marion Davies is the long time mistress of William Randolph Hearst. She was 19 when they met and he was more than 30 years older than her. I had a problem with the mistress thing. I hated that he was married with five children and promised to marry her and that she believed him and thought it was fine to break up a family. She also had a long running affair with Charlie Chaplin. The story was pretty slow. She would get mad at WR, have a tantrum, throw things and get drunk and refuse to see him. He would send masses of flowers and expensive gifts and then she would realize how much she loved him. Over and over again. The writing felt kind of lackluster and I never felt a connection to her or anyone else. So all in all the book was fine and I finished it.

Thank you to Netgalley and She Writes Press for providing me with a digital copy.

A fun sweet read! Highly recommend.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my ARC.

Adored it the history and a story that had me turning the pages like i don’t know how they come up with this Tory I stay up all night with this

Prior to reading this captivating story I was only familiar with Marion Davies name and was completely unaware of her talent, upbringing and life. I was also unfamiliar with her romantic relationship with William Randolph Hearst. Although, I knew about his industry of success and of course the Hearst Castle. The author Leslie Johansen Nack wrote a lovely novel that reads like a biography due to the amount of details. She takes the reader on a journey during the glamorous times of Hollywood. A tremendous amount of research was done in order to write this book in a style that is intriguing and informational. I’m so glad I was given the opportunity to read The Blue Butterfly and highly recommend it.

This book made me go down a Marion Davies and WR Hearst rabbit hole. Their history is fascinating, and for that, I am grateful I read THE BLUE BUTTERFLY. This is the first time I was really aware of depth of their relationship. and it is wild!

While I loved the historical facts the book provided, the fictional aspects didn't engage me as much. As another reader mentioned, the writing felt a little stilted. So sometimes the dialogue felt off. But, I think since there is no real record of actual conversations the author did a nice job filling in the gaps.

Overall, it was interesting enough to keep me reading. If you like the Golden Age of Hollywood and Great Gatsby type wealth. This is an interesting read.

Thank you NetGalley for the Arc in exchange for an honest review.

A fictionalized look at the lives of William Randall Hearst and Marion Davies in the early years of Hollywood. A story of the life and love shared by this early power couple, the heartaches and triumphs. Enjoyable read and captivating look at how fame and fortune can change your life.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you NetGalley, Leslie Johansen Nack and She Writes Press for hearing my honest review. Looking forward to reading more with you
#partner

One bonus star for telling me about someone that I had no idea that existed and another bonus star for being a debut novel!

So I must be the only person who's never watched Citizen Kane, or knew about Marion Davies. (I thought the female version of that name was Marian.) She was a silent film star that made the leap to talkies in the golden age of Hollywood despite having a stutter and was the richest woman in Hollywood at her death in 1961. More importantly she was the longtime--decades!--companion of William Randolph Hearst.

<img src="https://obscurehollywood.net/art/Marion-Davies-1.jpg" width="400" height="300" alt="MarionDavies"/>

Yes, of course, Hearst was already married (and almost 30 years older than Marion) and had five sons. Millicent sure wasn't going to divorce the richest and most influential man in the world over a silly showgirl!

<img src="https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/2/millicent-hearst-posing-with-her-sons-bettmann.jpg" width="400" height="300" alt="MillicentHearst"/>

Always frustrated with being the "other woman" Davies went on to have other affairs--including a long-time relationship with Charlie Chaplin--as did Hearst. After making dozens of movies she retired at 40 when she considered herself too old. When Hearst was facing bankruptcy she raised over a million dollars to help him. He was always concerned about her drinking and even limited guests to all their properties to one cocktail a night to keep Marion in check. It didn't work.

Great background info on many other movie and political stars that attended parties at Hearst's properties. What did Marion say to Einstein? "Why don't you get a haircut?"

Welles spent time at the end of his life trying to correct the misperception of Davies he created in Citizen Kane. He defended Davies's record as a gifted actress and comedienne to whom Hearst's patronage did more harm than good. But the real meaning of "Rosebud"? <spoiler>On the web it's hinted that rosebud was Hearst's name for Marion's "secret garden." In this book it's used as a nickname for Marion.</spoiler>

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was a fascinating take on the story of a fascinating woman. I loved reading about Marian Davies and her side of the story that is often told from Hearst's point of view. This story read quickly and had a clear voice of the characters.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. A great novel. Beautiful cover. Highly recommend

I did not have much knowledge about Marion Davies when I started this book, but I found her so fascinating, that I had a hard time putting it down. Following on her journey for love, and through events with famous people from the 20th century, was an absolute joy. It also made you feel like you were being given a backstage pass to what life was like behind the golden screen of Hollywood. Definitely worth a read, even if you don't know much about Marion.

This biographical fiction story of Marion Davies, a silent film actress and producer and long-term mistress of William Randolph Hearst, could have been interesting if we had been given more about her career and less of the repetitive (and appalling) extravagances of Hollywood, along with the name dropping of all the other equally unpleasant stars of those times. Every character in the book was unlikeable, self-serving and apparently concerned only about showing off their wealth and connections. Surely Marion Davies had some deeper concerns and emotions? Even her love for her 'secret' daughter and her 'care' for her parents and siblings was described (told rather than shown) in ways that gave no clues to real emotions and feelings and torment. Her story and that of her family and 'friends' as told here had no depth. But clearly Davies did achieve a great deal in her career, in a time when women were treated as chattels and in Hollywood, as trophies. This is the story I would have liked to have read, with the glittering lifestyle and parties and private zoos and mansions etc as a background that she rose above, at least in the sense that she did have a career even if it was, at least in the beginning, bank-rolled by her main (but not only!) lover. Sadly, it seems likely that the US film industry still attracts and supports appalling excesses, and little has changed, at least in 'Hollywood' . 2.5 to a generous 3 stars; the author did have to read through the biographical histories in order to roll it all out in this novel, and perhaps the result is accurate after all: the story of a woman who got what she thought she wanted in a world that she had been told was the pinnacle of success!

I considered this to be a fairly nuanced, charitable (but not unjustifiably so) depiction of the "infamous" Marion Davies. What's fortunate and, in my opinion, long overdue, is that the story creates a whole person, moving Marion beyond the oft-trod realm of mistress/sex symbol/vapid yet untalented artist attempting to social climb on the arm of a wealthy, older man. (It's almost like those depictions are based more in misogony or class prejudices than any actual fact!) I'm curious to know just HOW much of the details included of Marion's pre-Hearst life are accurate, yet I appreciate the way Nack has given her a whole life of her own.

In Gilded Age New York City, Marion Davies entertains the wealthy on Broadway, catching the eye of renowned businessman William Randolph Hearst. This book chronicles the whirlwind romance between the two and their subsequent lifelong affair, the birth of their secret daughter, and Marion’s burgeoning film career. Pulling from historical sources including Marion’s posthumously published autobiography, this historically accurate novel brings a forgotten story to life.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one. I knew very little about both Marion Davies and William Randolph Hearst and was interested to see how their story would unfold. Despite being shrouded in controversy, their love story was one of complexity, nuance, and determination and Nack did a wonderful job of bringing this true story back to life. There were so many layers to Marion that one would imagine how difficult it was for the author to fully articulate the depth of this woman, but I still felt that I gained a deep understanding of this enigma. Though judged by many and ridiculed on screen until her death, Marion Davies left a legacy in Hollywood and Nack did a brilliant job of illustrating her story.

Thank you to She Writes Press and NetGalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Nothing is better than a book based on interesting historical and real events. It makes the story so much more special and fascinating than if it was purely fiction. I wasn't familiar with Marion Davies story prior to reading this story but I'm so glad I picked up this book and now know more about her story. The book seemed well researched and written and I liked that the pace wasn't too slow but just right.

Actually, 2.5 stars
The Blue Butterfly tells the love story between actress Marion Davies and billionaire William Randolph Hearst. When Marion Davies first meets William Randolph Hearst, she is eighteen and has joined Ziegfeld Follies. The two decide to court. However, Marion cannot be William Randolph Hearst’s wife. Instead, she can only be his mistress. This is because his wife refuses to divorce. Marion agrees to this decision. The two have a relationship that lasted for three decades.

I have heard of the silent film star, Marion Davies, but I did not know much about her life. Thus, I was eager to read The Blue Butterfly that focuses on her romance with William Randolph Hearst. In The Blue Butterfly, I found Marion Davies to be a very unlikable person. This novel showed Marion to be very narcissistic. She seemed to be more interested in William Randolph Hearst’s money than the person himself. She loves the high life and does not care to hurt others as long as she gets what she wants in the end. She also committed many foolish actions. Thus, Marion seemed to be a very cold person that I could not sympathize her actions or relate to her. I felt indifferent to her internal struggles.

Overall, this novel is about passion, ambition, and change. The characters in the story were very unlikable and selfish. Some of the scenes in this novel were also repetitive. However, there were a few good points about the novel. I did like how Hollywood changed over a period of time. I did like the historical details in the novel, and it is clear the author did her research. I believe fans of Old Hollywood may want to give this novel a try. I recommend The Blue Butterfly for fans of Platinum Doll, Marlene, and Beautiful Invention!

The Blue Butterfly is what Charlie Chaplin called Marion Davies, of which they had a long affair, supposedly unbeknownst to William Randolph Hearst. This is a story about Marion Davies and her lifelong affair with Mr. Hearst until his death in 1951.

Marion started out in 1915 as a showgirl with the Ziegfield Follies. Marion meets William Randolph Hearst at one of the shows, the wealthy owner of numerous newspapers. They started a lifelong affair, he kept promising that he would divorce his wife Millicent, but she would not divorce him, thus the affair.

Hearst and Davies go through many tumultuous years together where he dotes on her and lavishes her with gifts, houses, etc. Marion's career takes off from doing silent pictures to talkies. She had a comedic flair which made her successful. Hearst was very controlling when it came to her career—only wanting her to do historical-type roles.

He also built numerous houses for her, including The Ocean House and The Hearst Castle in San Simeon California, a castle in Wales, and St.Donat's Castle. They also had Wyntoon which originally was his mother's estate. He also supported Marion's sisters and parents. Marion became pregnant with Hearst's child, Patricia, but had her raised by Marion's sister Rose. Rose was not able to care for her so she eventually ended up living with Marion. They eventually acknowledged that they were parents to Patricia.

Numerous scandals plagued the couple, including the death of Thomas Ince, plus her own pregnancy. The movie Citizen Kane by Orsen Welles portrayed Susan Alexander Kane, based on Marion as a lackluster actress. Orsen later apologized for the negativity but it ruined acting for her. At the age of 40, Marion unhappy with the roles she played, decided to retire from acting.

Hearst ended up in debt to the banks and he avoided bankruptcy with the help of Marion's gift of several million dollars but the company was still in a trust, the company flourished again during WWII. His health started to fail and he died in 1951. Marion ended up marrying again, unhappily and died in 1961 from cancer and alcoholism.

I really enjoyed the story immensely, the rich are not always happy as we think they are. I found Marion to be a woman who was dependent on Hearst, although she claimed that she wanted her independence, she still was dependent on Hearst. Despite their age difference they were devoted to each other but they both had dalliances with other people. I found the whole story fascinating, especially reading about Hearst's wealth and all the properties that they had.

Written with great knowledge and research, this is a story that will stay with me for a while.

A brilliant novel about Marion Davies and the golden age of the movies. Fine art is an exquisite background to the characters, all of whom are complex.
I loved this book.

thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. I really enjoyed this book! I have long been fascinated with Hollywood and that era in general so it was a treat to read this . I really knew nothing about the long affair between Marion Davies and WR Hearst and I found myself looking more into their families and lives when I was done. This is a book I definately will be thinking and talking about for a while! Highly recommend!