Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl by Renee Rosen was a super interesting and engaging historical fiction read.

This is a story about the fictional Gloria Downing and her friendship with Estée Lauder. This book is told from Gloria’s perspective and references and embellishes actual events in Estee’s life.

Overall, this was a highly enjoyable read. While tumultuous at times, I did appreciate Gloria and Estee’s friendship. I also admired Gloria’s personal growth throughout the novel as she navigated going from mega rich to a working woman who struggled at first but eventually found herself an admirable career. I also really liked the author’s note and learning about the real events and facts from Estee’s life that inspired this historical fiction novel.

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This latest historical fiction novel tells the story of make-up and skin care icon, Estée Lauder. It is told through the point of view of one of Estée’s closest, fictional, friends, Gloria. We actually get more of Gloria’s story as a young woman, raised in privilege, who is left penniless when her family lost everything. She is befriended by an ambitious young Estée who is trying to sell her face creams in the corner of a beauty shop.
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The depression era New York City time period of this book was what held my attention every bit as much as what Estée and Gloria were doing. It was hard enough for men to find a job during this time, women had to work twice as hard. Luckily both of these women were hard workers and strived to make lives for themselves.
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Estée was relentless and we see today where that drive for success has put her company. Estée Lauder Company owns many cosmetic companies that laughed at her as she was coming up. They went from Estée and a part time sales girl hawking her creams in beauty parlors to being found in make up departments everywhere, sales over $14 billion yearly and employing over 48,000. Her family still holds the majority of the company, her sons and grandchildren leading the company.
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You can see this book inspired me to dig. I loved this story of perseverance and pride in a job well done.
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What a beautiful cover! That alone would make me read this book!

It’s 1938, and young Estee Lauder makes face creams in her New York City apartment. She sells them at a beauty parlor and pushes her products on any woman who will listen.

Readers will cheer for this underdog who—through tenacity, determination, and grit—became the queen of the cosmetic industry. Despite the twists and turns in her professional and personal life, Estee is a textbook example of how hard work pays off.

I’m a huge fan of Renee Rosen’s novels, and historical fiction enthusiasts may want to check out Social Graces and Park Avenue Summer, as well.

This is a solid new novel, fans of Park Avenue Summer will like it a lot. This is a solid new novel, fans of Park Avenue Summer will like it a lot.

I loved this historical fiction about Estee Lauder. It was so interesting reading how she started her business. The book centers around the friendship between Estee and Gloria, a woman who is working to rebuild her life. Books that highlight women in history are some of my favorite and this one did not disappoint!

Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl provided me with a fun glimpse into 1930s New York and the growing cosmetic market. I enjoyed this fictional portrayal of how Estee Lauder got her start and the tenacity she showed in developing her brand. I didn't realize how complex and layered her personal story was and this novel was an interesting way to learn more about her.

I did struggle at times with feeling that parts of the novel were a bit drawn out or repetitive. The main character Gloria seems to continually live out the same storyline and while it does seem that she overcomes adversity, the path sometimes felt lengthy. That being said, I did enjoy the book as a whole and believe that readers having an interest in that time period will enjoy this unique story.

As a side note, the cover is absolute perfection! I would pick this book up just based on that alone.

​I received this book courtesy of the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Quick and Dirty⁣
-a friendship story⁣
-women in the workforce⁣
-female titans of industry⁣
-will make you want to shop⁣
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Thoughts⁣
I adored Rosen's novel, Park Avenue Summer, so I suspected I would enjoy this book, too. Unsurprisingly, it was a smash hit with me. I love books set in this era (WWII-adjacent) and location (New York), especially when they deal with women in the workforce. Women working outside the home was such a novel concept prior to WWII, so reading about a woman taking the initiative to start her own business during this period was especially fun! The two main characters were both flawed, which I especially enjoyed. They knew what they wanted even if they didn't know who they were. In the end, they learn to trust each other and themselves. Rosen does an excellent job of creating believable character arcs and compelling storylines. While this one is more character-driven, there were enough highs/lows to drive the story forward. I think true fans of historical fiction will appreciate this new novel! And if you haven't read Park Avenue Summer, here is your sign. 😉

The description on this sounded great and let's face it, I am a sucker for anything New York.

This book never got going for me. The writing was too slow and I ended up not caring about the story at all.

I am very picky about the books I read. I need them to go at a quick pace and don't care much for a ton of details and this book just bogged down.

I do appreciate how hard it is to write,

Rosen’s novel gives us a reasonably accurate account of Estee Lauder through the eyes of the fictional Gloria Dowaziac. I was drawn in from the beginning and really enjoyed the entire story. A must read.
4.5 Stars

Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl tells the story of Estee Lauder’s start in New York City in the late 1930s and early 1940s. An ambitious young Lauder is determined to make her mark in thecosmetics business. When she meets Gloria Downing, another young woman trying to recreate her life in New York, the two quickly become friends. Gloria’s connections at her Saks Fifth Avenue job will help her new friend achieve her goals. The two will discover how to find their voices in the male dominated business world.

The perfect recommendation for fans of Fiona Davis. The descriptions of New York City and the department store world transport the reader back in time. The character of Estee Lauder was extremely ambitious but also selfish, making it hard to route for her success. Overall, an interesting and fun read.

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this title.

An interesting story about an icon of the beauty industry told from the point of view of a fictional friend. This reimagining of the life of Estée Lauder takes place primarily in glamorous New York City in the '30s and '40s with a couple of chapters in the mid '80s when Lee Israel was writing an authorized exposé about Lauder. It's a story about how Lauder's perseverence and hard work paid off but it's also a story of friendship between two strong women and also of Gloria's journey to believing in herself. The author does a great job highlighting the difficulties faced by women who wanted a career at the time and how determined Estée was to suceed despite all of the roadblocks she faced. Well-researched and well-written - this is a good choice for anyone who enjoys reading about trailblazing women - and the cover is stunning!!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl is great historical fiction about Estée Lauder from her humble beginnings in New York City to her successful business in the beauty realm. This is a friendship story between two women managing careers, relationships, and family life. I have enjoyed Renee Rosen books over the past several years, and love how she pulls you into the story right away. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley publishing for an advance ebook. Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl is available now.

4 Insightful Stars
* * * * Spoiler Free-A Quick Review
Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl by Renee Rosen has much going for it. It is a tale that many could identify with...the challenges, the reasons for hiding parts of ourselves, and the wish to belong and become successful are universal desires in my opinion.

I had a deep connection with this story due to a number of factors; I lived in NYC, had worked retail, and had personal observations of those environments and customs.

This also had the draw of a real person wrapped in a fictional novel of her life. It was laced with real facts and insights along with a story of friendship, the yin and yang of that relationship, and then the understanding of what true trust means.

Review will be posted on 5/12/23

It's the 1930s in New York City and Gloria is escaping her family's scandal and starting over. A former socialite, she really has no work experience, so takes a job as a shampoo girl at a local salon. While there, she meets Estee Lauder, a young woman selling her own beauty products out of local salons, but hopes to make a name for herself. Estee is constantly handing out samples, giving beauty advice, and hawking her products with the hopes they will end up in stores like Saks. Both women form an unlikely friendship and throughout the years keep many secrets about each other and from each other. After a lot of struggles, things start to go their way with Gloria as a shop girl at Saks and Estee is starting to revolutionize the beauty world. Renee Rosen's Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl is an interesting glimpse into Estee's beginnings and how both Gloria and Estee, two very different women, have a lot in common when it comes to reinventing themselves.

I really enjoyed both the characters of Gloria and Estee even though they did not always make the best decisions in Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl. It was also interesting to get the backstory on Estee's beginnings and how she climbed and clawed her way to the top. It most definitely wasn't instant success and there were a lot of obstacles in her way. I appreciated her determination and grit. Also, I liked her friendship with Gloria, even if it was tumultuous at times, and the secrets they both harbored I knew would eventually come out! If you enjoy smart historical fiction about real-life women, give Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl a try this summer.

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it

This is the story of Estée Lauder and how she got started in the beauty and skin care industry. It is told from the perspective of a friend of hers, Gloria Downing. They both have secrets to keep, and yet they stay friends throughout it all. Gloria is running from a white collar crime scandal her father committed, while Estée is hiding her true family background. Estée claims to be from European aristocracy, yet we come to find out that she is actually the daughter of Hungarian Jewish immigrants to New York.

The drive shown by Estée throughout the book, as well as the support of her friend and husband, shows that you truly can become something from nothing with enough effort and help.

I really enjoyed this book. I've read others by this author and will continue to follow her.

Last year I was part of this cover reveal and since then I have been eagerly awaiting this book! Like many many many girls, the makeup brand Estee Lauder is considered the gold standard in skin care and cosmetics. Growing up, my mother and grandmother always wore Estee Lauder make up and perfume. It was expensive for a girl who was experimenting with makeup but as I grew up, and became an adult with more of a ‘style’, it was also my go to brand.

This was the book that I didn’t know I needed. I never once considered the person behind this famous cosmetics brand until this book came across my desk for review. As soon as I saw the book, I knew it was one that I needed to read because I love a good old fashion story of hard work and perseverance. The woman who became Estee Lauder sounded like she had this amazing tale of hard work and sacrifice that was just itching to be told!

Renee Rosen is also such a phenomenal story teller and I knew that this book would feature great research as well as a well crafted story. If you haven’t read anything by Rosen, this is an excellent opportunity to read about a truly remarkable women in history and see first hand how much research Rosen has done for a book like this. A couple of years ago, I read The Social Graces by Rosen and loved it, this book lived up to my expectations and I cannot recommend this book enough!

Summary

It’s 1938, and a young woman selling face cream out of a New York City beauty parlor is determined to prove she can have it all. Her name is Estée Lauder, and she’s about to take the world by storm, in this dazzling new novel from the USA Today bestselling author of The Social Graces and Park Avenue Summer.

In New York City, you can disappear into the crowd. At least that’s what Gloria Downing desperately hopes as she tries to reinvent herself after a devastating family scandal. She’s ready for a total life makeover and a friend she can lean on—and into her path walks a young, idealistic woman named Estée. Their chance encounter will change Gloria’s life forever.

Estée dreams of success and becoming a household name like Elizabeth Arden, Helena Rubinstein, and Revlon. Before Gloria knows it, she is swept up in her new friend’s mission and while Estée rolls up her sleeves, Gloria begins to discover her own talents. After landing a job at Saks Fifth Avenue, New York’s finest luxury department store, Gloria finds her voice, which proves instrumental in opening doors for Estée’s insatiable ambitions.

But in a world unaccustomed to women with power, they’ll each have to pay the price that comes with daring to live life on their own terms and refusing to back down. (summary from Goodreads)

Review

Sometimes when I get a book summary, I skim lightly and pull out things that attach my eye without understanding how they fit together. For example, in this one I pulled out “Estee Lauder” and “Estée dreams of success and becoming a household name like Elizabeth Arden, Helena Rubinstein, and Revlon” and I think that the book is basically going to just be about Estee Lauder and her rise to fame. So imagine my surprise when we meet this woman names Gloria. I was like who is she and how does this fit into the story? I loved finding out the answer to that question though. This book is about not just one woman, but two who work to take the cosmetic industry by storm. I really liked how their individual stories were told and ultimately how they came together, I thought it worked really well in this novel and I thought Rosen did a great job highlighting the struggles ‘working women’ faced during that time.

What ultimately shined in this one for me was the way that Gloria and Estee Lauder related to one another. The two women both came from money and now find themselves on the reverse side of things where they are both broke and needs jobs. Estee was a total drama queen where as Gloria was more even keel and I thought they really balanced each other out throughout the story. One can admire Estée Lauder’s ambition and drive, but sometimes ambition can be damning and that’s where Gloria came in to provide that balance and tether for Estee’s ambition. Rosen does a fantastic job with her research in this one as well. I have yet to be disappointed in Rosen’s historical research but in this one it was truly masterful. I loved learning about the cosmetics industry and a time period that wasn’t that long ago. Very well written and richly developed. If you love historical fiction you need this one on your radar.

I have to say, I think I loved this one more than The Social Graces, and that’s saying something considering I gave that one five stars! I thoughts this book gave us interesting characters that readers will connect with and cheer for. There are qualities to admire in each character and their journeys. Plus the historical detail and research is excellent and I cannot say enough good things about the writing quality! Do yourself a favor and be sure to pick up a copy of this one today! Such a treat to read and also a perfect gift for the mom in your life with Mother’s Day coming up!

Book Info and Rating

Format 432 pages, Paperback

Published April 25, 2023 by Berkley

ISBN 9780593335666 (ISBN10: 059333566X)

Free review copy provided by publisher, Berkley Books, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.

Rating: 5 stars

Genre: historical fiction

From the enchanting cover to the end, Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl is captivating! Estee Lauder is one of a handful of women who were titans in the cosmetics industry. Although Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl is fiction, it is clearly well researched and there’s an impressive amount of fact built into the story.

Estee Lauder’s story is at the center of the book, but feels tangential as the story is told from the perspective of a woman whom Estee befriends. Newly down on her luck, Gloria Downing is a character who is in the unique position to see the things that just don’t click about Estee’s backstory. Gloria is also in the position to ignore those embellishments as she too has a past she’d like to keep hidden. Although I didn’t care for Gloria or the heavy focus on her story, she also admirably pulled herself up by the bootstraps to achieve a level of success that she had not thought possible.

While I would have liked more focus on Estee, the story of two women forging their futures is captivating. Ms. Lauder, faults and all, is portrayed as having achieved the American Dream, and she knew that achieving it would require innovation, tenacity, and dogged perseverance….not just a handout. I enjoyed learning about how she pioneered changes in the industry that remain staples today. Author Renee Rosen’s portrayal of a flawed daughter, niece, friend and wife are probably realistic and definitely more interesting than a glossy fictional portrayal.

Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl combines well researched history with the sometimes glamorous and sometimes cutthroat cosmetics industry to create a compelling historical fiction.

Fascinating!

This story mostly follows Gloria, a fictional woman who ends up in New York City alone after her father is arrested for a Ponzi scheme that has bankrupted hundreds of people during the Great Depression. She heads to a hair salon after her fall from grace to disguise herself and runs into Estee who is selling her products at the beauty salon. The two become fast friends and the story follows mostly Gloria but also Estee as she pursues her beauty line.

What I love about Rosen’s novels is that I learn things about these historical figures that just stick in my head for years. Estee Lauder was one of the first premier skincare brands I used consistently. In college and up until I started to focus on using more cruelty free brands, I used their night serum, day cream, and one of their toners. I loved all of their products. I especially loved that every time I went, my Nordstrom girl would give free samples and they always had free gifts with purchase. Through this book, I learned that is trademark Estee and what helped her brand take off.

I will say, this story is Gloria heavy and Estee light. You still learn a lot about Estee and she’s central to the book, but there is a lot of the story that isn’t related. I think parts of it could’ve been shortened as the story did get a little long for me. Gloria spends a lot of time feeling self-righteous and sorry for herself because of the guilt of what her father did. Sometimes it got a bit pretentious for me and I didn’t understand why people wanted to be friends with her.

I do wish there was a little more interaction between Gloria and Estee. Sometimes their relationship came off more tumultuous than a true friendship that we were supposed to believe they had. I loved hearing about Estee’s love life as well. Gloria’s love life made me a little sad at times, but I liked the way it ended.

This book definitely piqued my interest to learn more about Lauder and maybe start buying some of her products again. It also made me dislike Elizabeth Arden a lot!

Rosen’s historical fictions are always hard for me to rate. I rate the about 3/3.5 stars and then I’m still thinking about them years later. If you are curious about Estee Lauder and her journey to success, I highly recommend this book. It’s very fun, albeit a little on the long side. I greatly enjoyed the story and can’t wait to see who Rosen writes about next!

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this enchanting book! Every book Renee Rosen has written has taught me something about a historical figure that has made an impact on our society today. This novel focuses on Estee Lauder, and how she became the queen of the makeup industry. I loved everything about this novel, and cannot wait to read her next novel about the founder of Barbie!

Estée Lauder has been responsible for many beauty products still on the market today. She started with face creams and sage advice. This story takes place in the ‘30s and ‘40s and is told from the perspective of her best friend Gloria. Gloria has recently changed her last name to Downing, because of a scandal that has landed her father in prison. As a former debutante whose family has lost everything because of her father, she must learn how to work and take care of herself. Gloria no doubt had no idea how much meeting Estée Lauder would change the course of her life.

Estée Lauder was truly a force to be reckoned with. Estée’s past had a lot of similarities with Gloria’s, but their focus was completely different. Nothing will stop her from achieving her goals, and these goals grow and change with time, but always with the intent of getting her products in as many hands as possible. Even though this story tells of Estée’s great successes, Gloria’s story was quite telling. Heartbreak and trials were par for the course over the years, and her friendship with Estée was tested more than once.

What an excellent story that I never would have learned if not for Renée Rosen. I loved reading of Gloria and Estée as well as the cameos of other famous personalities.

Many thanks to Berkley and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.