“I was William Randolph Hearst’s girlfriend, and I had everything a girl could ever dream of—except for an authentic life.”

✮✮✮✮

This is the story of Marion Davies, broadway dancer at 18, and her whirlwind romance with William Randolph Hearst (WR). She takes up a position as his mistress in private, staying loyal to him throughout everything, including a secret baby. They lead a complex life together through affairs, deaths, births, bankruptcy.

While based around the real lives of Marion Davies and William Randolph Hearst, the historical fiction novel was really well imagined, and a pure work of art. I truly felt like I was reading the life story of Marion Davies, and honestly I felt fully heartbroken for her at many moments throughout. The last few chapters had me absolutely balling with tears that I couldn’t control.

This novel was well researched and written, and felt like the pages were really coming to life in my mind. Some times the book was fast paced, while others it was slow, but overall a brilliant read!

I reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally wanted to like this. I eat up old Hollywood like its a decadent dessert. This title, however, left me wanting more. I wanted more industry buzz, more romance; it was nothing more than an uncomfortable scenario wrapped in a blanket of naivety. It might vibe for some, but didn't for me!

I thought this book was really good. The characters and plot was amazing. The story is set in New York 1915. The story is about Marion Davis who is 18 years old and a dancer on Broadway. She meets William Randolph Hearst and she likes him. Her life takes a fall back when he tries to leave his wife and now she is the other women. Finally she gets to be in movies. There was several twist and turns to the story and I don't want to give them all away but I hope you read it.

The Blue Butterfly takes famous characters form the past and intertwines into a romance with no happy ending.

This book was a fun treat! I loved it! It was a good reset after I read a heavier book. It kept me flipping pages well past my bedtime!!

I'm sure it's a wonderful book but I couldn't get past her personality. Had to put it on. I'm sure others will love it

Marion Davies was a chorus girl in New York City when she met the older, wealthy, and famous William Randolph Hearst. Hearst was already a newspaper media tycoon and a married father of five. He is struck by the teenage Davies and soon the two have started a relationship. Marion Davies hopes that it will lead to marriage, but she soon finds that she will always be the mistress while Hearst keeps his family life. With the help of Hearst, Davies embarks on a movie career and ends up in Hollywood. As Hearst works on his famous castle, Davies befriends Hollywood royalty and becomes one of the top stars of the 1920s. As times change, Davies and Hearst stick together through sickness and health, times of financial and social ruin.

I didn’t know much about Marion Davies going into this novel besides the fact that she was William Randolph Hearst’s mistress and the role that I thought was her in Citizen Kane, Susan Alexander Kane. I learned from this novel that Davies was actually a very talented actress that had to work through her childhood stutter to succeed. Her career was helped by Hearst’s publicity but was also hindered by him controlling her parts.
I am usually not a fan of books about cheating, but William Randolph Hearst’s affair with Marion Davies spanned most of her life until his death. When his business was about to be ruined, she pulled together her money to help him out. After he gave up on his political career, they lived openly together.

I loved the look into old Hollywood and Davies being friends with so many big names in the 1920’s and 1930’s. She also had a very passionate affair with Charlie Chaplin that I did not know about. I have never watched a Marion Davies movie before, but now I really want to find one, especially some of her silent movies.

Favorite Quotes:
“Being with WR was like being on a ship far from land on a voyage to some imagined exotic destination that was our perfect life together, and no matter how awful the journey got, there was no way to get off the ship. The ship was either in good weather or bad weather, it didn’t matter. I took comfort in that I would always be on the ship with him.”

“Don’t take too much of the insults once they come. Ignore them. You and I know the truth of our lives. Let’s embrace the truth and ignore the rest.”

Overall, The Blue Butterfly was a riveting historical fiction novel about Marion Davies.

Book Source: A Review Copy from Spark Point Studio and She Writes Press. Thank-you! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Biographical fiction is my favorite genre and I am always eager to read about Hollywood glamour and the lifestyles of the rich and famous..

Although it’s hard to understand how a young lady can choose to remain a mistress for so long, I guess the love story of Marion Davies, actress and William Randolph Hearst, publishing tycoon proved to be authentic and lasting.

It’s the first time ever I thought about how the acting community had to adapt to first speaking movies!

I found the story to be a bit repetitive, it’s mostly about making movies, spending money ans escaping public scandal.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me a complimentary e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

The Blue Butterfly by Leslie Johansen Nack was the fictionalized autobiography of Marion Davis, best known as a silent film star and lifelong "mistress" of William Randolph Hearst. It offered, not only a look into her life, but a look at life at the time and the early film industry. Hearst was beyond rich and Marion joined him in a decadent lifestyle that most of us can just imagine. It was insightful, entertaining, and informative.

It was mostly the story of a sad woman who was always second best. She tried to run, but it never took. When he died, his children removed his body and his personal belongings as she slept, never being allowed to say good-bye. Above all else, it is a cautionary tale of living such a life, spending holidays away from the one you love the most, and having to give the child of your love to another. Hopefully the world has changed. It was a fabulous book.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of The Blue Butterfly by She Writes Press, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #shewritespress #lesliejohansenhack #thebluebutterfly

Thank you to Leslie Johansen Nack, She Writes Press and Netgalley for the chance to read this advanced copy in return for an honest review. This book was released on May 3, 2022.

Marion Davies was eighteen when she first met William Randolph Hearst Jr and her life was never the same. After living a hard life where her mother groomed her to find someone who could take care of her financially, Marion finds just that but she also finds her ultimate support and her best friend. Despite being married WR, as he prefers to be called fully promotes and backs Marion as an actress and supports everything she does. As they deal with all life throws at them, she realizes that she is deeply in love with him and could not do this life without him.

In her own right, Marion Davies is a star. She was a star of over 40 dozen movies, both silent and talkies. She was also a movie producer, a career not many women held at the time. She became good friends with Charlie Chaplin, Clark Gable, and other stars of the era. As Hearst's health declined, Marion retired from the Hollywood lights in order to care for her long-time love. Davies spent her last years performing many acts of charity and she was known as a caring and compassionate person.

I had only heard of Marion Davies in passing before reading this book. I loved learning about her humble beginnings, her love affair with William Randolph Hearts Jr, and the ways in which she broke barriers. This was a well-done book that detailed the life Marion led in front of and behind the screen.

Fictionalized account of the long relationship of Marion Davies and William Randolph Hearst. Marion Davies was still a teenager when she began an affair with the wildly rich and very married (and much older) Hearst. She soon falls genuinely in love with him and with her parents’ blessing, continues the relationship for the rest of Hearst’s life.

This book gives a fascinating look at early twentieth-century New York and mid-century Hollywood. Marion Davies is a very sympathetic, though flawed, character. Hearst remains largely inscrutable, particularly his refusal to divorce when he lived openly with Marion for most of his later life. Other than suffering through and immediately forgetting Citizen Kane when I was in high school, I knew little about Hearst and less about Davies, so I found the book fascinating. #TheBlueButterfly #NetGalley

Just finished this interesting book. A fascinating look for into the heyday of old Hollywood. Marion Davis set out to meet a rich man and boy did she. William Randolph Hearst. Set right before the depression their lives were lived in excess and glamor. It was very interesting to see the people that moved in and out of their lives like Mary Pickford and Charlie Chaplin. But these people lived in the dream world of Hollywood and had no clue what was happening in the real world. The book was just OK for me. Interesting. I did feel like the end was rushed and hurried.

I love old Hollywood and the transition from “silent” to “talkies” so I was so excited to read this book. Unfortunately it was disappointing. The writing and characters fell flat. Marion was one dimensional and sounded like a whiny 13 year old. I wanted to learn more about her and the time period but this didn’t motivate me to learn about her life at all.

Apparently there’s not much known about Davies so the author could’ve done so much with her story to substitute for the historic gaps. The plot and story had so much potential but the execution was insufferable. I enjoy complex and unlikeable characters as long as I know their motivations, their feelings and thoughts, or have even one thing to “redeem them” which Marion possessed none of these. What was she feeling about her mother’s teachings? What were her own motivations for making certain choices? Other characters are one dimensional as well and should’ve been more developed.

It reads like a long diary entry with more telling and no showing, severely lacking in tension. I couldn’t get more than 30% through before finally giving up after the story dragging. I really wanted to love the book due to my passion for the time period and topics but sadly the book isn’t my cup of tea.

As a lover of biography and historical fiction I was very excited to read about the life of Marion Davies. Leslie Johansen Nack’s ‘The Blue Butterfly’ did not disappoint.
Marion’s professional life as an actress and her personal life as the mistress of William Randolph Hearst was so much more than portrayed in ‘Citizen Kane’.
Beautifully told in Marion’s voice and thought, we enter a world of money, glamour, luxury and vulnerability.
The beautiful, young, accomplished actress falls in the love with the very wealthy newspaper tycoon. Hearst is in his 50’s and a father to five sons. His wife will never agree to granting him a divorce. Regardless, Marion loves Hearst fiercely and devotes herself to him knowing she will never her more than his mistress. Theirs is a passionate affair. Spanning over three decades, amidst the golden years of Hollywood, the films, the stars, the parties, the opulence, Marion lives within the confines set by Hearst and learns to survive.
The love, the life, the limitations are told in gripping detail. The colors, sounds and styles of that period vibrates on the page.
This is a highly recommended, delicious read.
Thank you NetGalley, the author and She Writes Press for an ARC in exchange for a book review.

This is a beautifully written novel of Marion Davies and her rise to stardom while being William Randolph Hearst’s Mistress. Marion deeply loved Hearst but divorce from his wife was never in the cards. The storyline follows Marion Davies through the ups and downs and rise to fame in the early 1910’s. Davies had to overcome a stutter she had whenever she was nervous.

Leslie Johansen Nack does a wonderful job of transporting you to the fame and fortunes of an era that was both exciting and terrifying.

Thank you to #netgalley and #shewritespress for allowing me to read the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed above are my own.

I am on the fence about this one. I knew who Marion Davies was, I knew she was a silent screen star and that her career somewhat dead ended when the talkies began. I did not know anything of her life behind the silver screen. When I read the description for this book I was excited to read it, the golden age of Hollywood the early days with the truly remarkable stars of the screen like Charlie Chaplin, Greta Garbo, Jean Harlow and Clark Gable is one of my favorite eras to read about. I expected a lot more descriptive passages that would set time and place and transport us back to that glamorous era. I was disappointed what references there are to Marion's acting career are very brief and over-shadowed by her seeking a drink, drinking, or being drunk to the point of blacking out or of her being angry because Hearst was not going to up-end his multi-million dollar empire by divorcing the mother of his 5 sons for what he could get for the price of a few baubles and avoid any of the scandal divorce would cause.
With that being said, though the characters were very one dimensional and not at all likeable the story was interesting, but I feel they needed to delve into the characters more, what they were feeling and thinking, how they reacted to each other and situations. There simply was no depth to the story.
Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review in return.

The Blue Butterfly: A Novel of Marion Davies by Leslie Johansen Nack is a great historical fiction that takes us into the fascinating and colorful life of Marion Davies.

This is the first book I have read by this author, and I for sure it won’t be the last.

I am going to admit I knew nothing about Marion Davies before this book. What attracted me to this book was the beautiful cover. Learning about her professional and personal lives and her complicated relationship with William Randolph Hearst was definitely enlightening and interesting. The author did a great job at creating an engaging narrative while adding the appropriate historical detail.

I very much si enjoyed this book and recommend it to everyone.

I was so delighted because in the 1970s I toured the grounds of the grandeur of the Hearst Castle built by William Randolph Hearst. During the tour, the name of Marion Davies was mentioned and a suggestion of a scandal. Thanks to NetGalley and She Writes Press Publisher I received an ARC of this book and, while this is a historical fiction book, the author has fully researched the life of both Miss Davies and Mr, Hearst. This is a fascinating read both from the historical aspect of the time period of the Golden Age of Hollywood and the opulent lifestyle of these vibrant individuals both in their professional and personal lives. the storyline follows the family of Mr. Hearst including his wife and five children as well as Miss Davies and her parents and her sisters who were well provided for as part of Marian becoming his mistress. Learn the inside story of production story, the elaborate parties, the dedication of Marion to her career and how she made it possible for Citizen Kane to being developed into the movie, This is my honest review,

I have always loved the old Hollywood movies thanks to my mother - my youth was all about Saturday nights and Bill Collins, Golden Years of Hollywood. The Blue Butterfly tells the story of Marion Davies, an actress from both the silent and talking films and long time mistress of publishing magnate, William Randolph Hearst. It makes for compelling reading if stories of this era interest you.

“Remember this day. Your life is about to change.” I whirled around as she studied me for a few minutes. “You’re like a blue butterfly with dew on its wings.”

Growing up I knew the names of Greta Garbo, Ingrid Bergman, Joan Crawford, and many others but I had never heard of Marion Davies. I knew of the film Citizen Kane, yet still nothing associated with her. This book shed amazing light on all these connections (I have to watch Mank now which I believe is on Netflix). The Blue Butterfly has taught me so much about Marion and more. The author does an incredible job of weaving fact and fiction in telling Marion’s amazing story, so much so that I felt like a guest at one of her lavish parties.

“I’ve never heard so much fuss about a twenty-five-year-old who’s never made a movie,” WR said. “Why is it called Citizen Kane?”

This really is engaging historical fiction. The amount of research the author has done is impressive (although at times a little too much with the info dump and thus missing half a star for me). There are so many characters to appreciate eg. Charlie Chaplin, along with information about Hollywood, movie making and lifestyles of the then rich and famous. It is also about relationships - family, friends and partners. This book will have you racing to Google to see and learn more which, to my mind, is always a good sign.

“Please drop the quest for a Best Actress award for me. It isn’t possible with the caliber of films I’m offered.”

If you love stories of the original golden years of Hollywood, look no further. I feel embarrassed not to know of Marion and her incredible life. Thankfully this book rectifies all that and takes you on an incredible journey from Marion’s early days through to her sad end. It leaves you wondering what her life and career may have been if not for her involvement with Hearst. If you love this era then I definitely recommend reading this book.

‘I was William Randolph Hearst’s girlfriend, and I had everything a girl could ever dream of - except for an authentic life.’






This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Thank you, thank you Leslie Johansen Nack for sharing this amazing story of screen star Marion Davies and William Randolph Hearst. Not knowing much about either, I was enthralled to read of the lives they led together. Marion’s career was championed by WR, as she called him, in spite of the fact he was much older and married with five sons. Their true love story certainly stood the test of time.
The opulent life style they led was truly incredible, especially given the depression and war. Getting a glimpse of the care he took in designing and furnishing the many homes, including a yacht, that he built was fascinating. Having visited the Newport mansions I can only imagine how massive many of his estates were. It was eye opening and heartening to read that he truly loved his job, and was an incredibly hard working man, working into his 80’s.
I also enjoyed having a birds eye glimpse into the trials and tribulations of Marion’s life as an actress, so subject to the whims of both WR and the myriad studio heads she worked for. Her connection to Charlie Chaplin was interesting as well.
Leslie Johansen Nack, you truly made me fall in love with both Marion and WR. I cried with them, laughed with them, cheered for them, and admired their true love for each other, in spite of all the obstacles in their path. I loved the notes at the end of the book sharing parts of your research.
Many many thanks for sharing this amazing story. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an arc of this historical fiction gem. I highly recommend this amazing read.