As someone who recently fell in love with historical fiction again, i really liked this. The characters were so well written and I loved the time period!!!

The story begins with a small mystery about a label on a dress and then goes on to explore what is behind the mystery label. It is not long before we are following the story of Zora Lily and in my case totally falling for her.

She comes from a very poor part of town, a large family where they all have to pull their weight and also deal with the hard challenges life throws at them. They might be poor but the family love for each other and the way they pull together tugged at this reader's heart strings.

We are privy to the early working life of Zora Lily - no doubt in her twenties. She gets along well with others, does whatever is assigned to her really well. She falls in love and he is very worthy of her, however all is not to be plain sailing. We see those who would do her harm do their best to get in her way, but she rarely retaliates. We see her time in Hollywood and how that all comes to pass.

She is talented and gifted, a person with dreams if only she can stand for herself and follow those dreams. It was with regret towards the end I found we are pulled out of Zora Lily's time and back into the costume conservator's life. However all my questions here are answered so that was satisfying.

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA for access to this arc.

I perked up when I saw the blurb for this book – women’s historical fiction 1920s fashion designer/modern clothing conservator plus a bit of a mystery. Now I’ve mentioned in other reviews that I’m getting tired of the dual-timeline plot but as this book progressed, I found to my astonishment that I actually would have enjoyed getting more of that instead of what was there.

I’d thought that the book would flip between the two timelines but actually the 2023 era only bookends the majority of the story. I started out enthused and soaking up the story of hardscrabble Zora as she is forced to take a job away from her family in order to earn more money. In the evenings and weekends, Zora enjoys herself at speakeasies downtown where she meets handsome (all the girls want him) Englishman Harley (who sadly is more like a wish fulfillment boyfriend than a real character) who immediately falls head over heels for her. Zora’s job as a daytime nanny is demanding but most of the rest of the staff love her and her charges adore her. The parents don’t seem to have any qualms about their nanny dancing away each night nor later with her dating one of their friends and the only sand in Zora’s Vaseline is a bitchy maid who has it out for Zora.

Then of course something that was telegraphed for ages happens and Zora finds herself leaving Seattle for the glitz of Hollywood where her dreams come crashing down. Back home she can’t bring herself to explain to anyone why she came home – including the man who loves her but was forced to leave the country. No, Zora ignores his letters for about six months then cries a little tear when she thinks he’s moved on. Shrugging that off, she finally (!) begins to fight for her dream after continually putting that off. Finally (!) I thought.

Of course Zora works hard – she’s nothing if not a very hard worker. The family pitches in, a local businesswoman helps a bit and the dream comes true. But what about Harley whom Zora ignored and didn’t contact for months? Yeah, that works out, too. But I found myself flipping pages and not really being engaged with the story anymore. The brief bit about one of her friends being an immigrant went nowhere. The interracial relationship another friend had was given one dramatic turn before also being abandoned. Frankly the middle third of the book felt more like it would be a “montage” scene if this was a movie. Instead of quick images though, it was described in entirely too much detail for what it was. Even the wrap-it-up end piece dragged. I found myself plodding through Ho-hum Days and Months rather than much Roaring.

Definitely in my top ten of 2023!! I absolutely loved everything about this book. Prohibition is one of my favorite eras to read about and I’m just obsessed with the fashion as well. The main character, Zora loves fashion and sewing so there’s lots of references to the clothes and style of the times.

Zora is working 24/7 to help care for her poverty stricken family. But she is offered a job as a nanny for a rich family and it brings in much more money. She also has her nights free and her bff Rose convinces her to come out with her to a speakeasy where Rose dances. Zora has an encounter with a handsome man and she later finds out he’s one of the most eligible bachelors in Seattle.

She runs into Harley a few more times and they begin to form a relationship. But one of the maids at her job is jealous and begins to sabotage Zora’s reputation at their place of work. Zora and Harley are infatuated with each other and he can provide a life for Zora she’s only dreamed of.

I absolutely loved this book. It was fascinating to see Zora blossom when she left her parents house. She was so shy when she first went out with Rose and she became her own person when she met Harley. The time period is just perfect. I would have loved to see this era in person.

Thank you @_mira_book @htpbooks and @noelle__salazar for my advanced reader copy. Zora is out today! This is a must read for historical fiction lovers.

The Smithsonian museum is working on an exhibit featuring movie costumes from the 1920s to present day. As one of the curators is preparing one of the costumes worn by Greta Garbo, she makes an unusual discovery. The tag in the costume is fake. When the tag accidentally falls off the costume, it reveals the name, Zora Lilly. No one at the museum has ever heard of this costume designer.

To say I loved this novel us an understatement! I loved everything and everyone in it, especially Zora. She is struggling to keep her family together after her father’s accident and her brother’s death. She is giving up her life to make sure everyone is taken care of. Until…her best friend makes her go out on the town to a speakeasy. This opens more than one world for her.

This story captivated me from start to finish. Zora, Harley, the speakeasies, old Hollywood create a tale you do not want to miss!

AND ISN’T THIS COVER GORGEOUS!!!

Need a story that will transport you to the jazz age…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest opinion.

One of the best books I’ve read all year! Noelle Salazar wastes no time in drawing you into the roaring twenties with her descriptions of the music, the underground clubs and the fashion that can only be found during this era.

Zora Lily has a dream of opening her own little fashion boutique but times were tough and she put her dreams aside to support her family. When her friend Rose takes her out to an underground club, everything changes for her. The excitement of the times and the ever changing fashion scene set her on a course that will eventually land her creations in the Smithsonian….but not without a few hiccups along the way.

This book hooked with me the title and then I read the first page and knew I was in for an absolutely amazing story. It got better and better with each page I turned. The way Noelle tells this story, you can truly envision the smoke filled clubs and the trumpet playing on the stage, the sequins catching the light and the forbidden drinks being passed around. Zora is an amazing character who grows in talent and confidence as the story progresses. I’m so grateful to have had a chance to read this before it hits the shelves.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and the amazing Noelle Salazar for this opportunity. I can’t wait for the world to meet Zora Lily!!

I received this advanced reader copy and exchange for a fair review, from NetGalley. This novel was not immediately engaging to me as a reader, although I was fascinated by the descriptions of fashion and haute couture in 1924, plus the historical fashion described in the Smithsonian collection. Overall, it was an interesting read, but not something that I normally would enjoy due to the lack of an engaging protagonist. Hopefully this novel will be of great interest to those who are reading historical fiction or interested in the fashion described in the storyline.

Taking place in Seattle during the 1920s during Prohibition, Zora Hough seems to be doomed to a life of poverty. Zora helps her mother bring in extra money as a seamstress. But Zora has incredible sewing skills and a mind full of clothing designs. She can envision how a simple fabric and needle and thread can create an outfit that looks beautiful on each person. Tragedy strikes the family, a tragedy that forces Zora out into the world, away from her family. However, this opens Zora’s eyes to the possibilities available to her both in career and in love.

Salazar’s writing paints a picture of life in Seattle in the 1920’s. It is so easy to imagine Zora’s life throughout the various stages as she leaves her family and gains independence and empowerment. Salazar does a wonderful job of describing scenes without making it dull. The reader can imagine sitting in mansions and speakeasies, scenes filled with music and fashion. Salazar does a great job focusing on Zora’s growth and independence, rather than the setbacks. For each setback Zora faces, she seems to come through the other side stronger for it.

While this book was fun to read, I would have liked it if Salazar spent more time on the conflicts that arose between various characters. It might have been nice if Salazar explored the supporting characters a little bit more. However, I recommend this book to historical fiction readers, especially those who enjoy reading about the Prohibition era.

Thanks to Net Galley, Noelle Salazar, and MIRA for providing a complimentary copy of this book in hopes that I will leave my unbiased review. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and the above review is simply my opinion of the book.

One of my favorite books this year - it's so well written, the characters are incredible and the storylines are so interesting!

In current day - we have a costume conservator who is putting together a display for a museum, and discovers an odd designer dress in the midst of it all. That leads her to explore who was Zora Lily and learn more about her story.

In the past setting we have Zora Lily - she's living in poverty with her family, including lots of siblings and a drunken father that doesn't support the family. Zora and her mother take in sewing to keep the family together. Zora and her friend, a dancer in a club, have big dreams they head to Hollywood to persue. There is a depth of storylines in their part that are awesome. Harley is amazing and their romance is lovely. It's a wonderful story!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

I am always excited to read anything Noelle Salazar puts out and a book set in the roaring 20s immediately grabbed my attention. I haven’t read a lot of books set in that era so I loved that this was a unique read for me.

Zora Hough is a magician with a needle and thread. Her family is dirt poor but she has dreams of entering the world of fashion. Zora is such a wonderful character. She is plucky, hardworking, ambitious, and dedicated to her family and pursuing her dreams. I was rooting for her to succeed and heartbroken over the tragedies and hardships in her life.

I loved getting to know the side characters as well: Rose, Ellis, Jessie, and the Harringtons. The author did a wonderful job bringing diverse and interesting characters to life and immersing the reader in the glitzy world of the 1920s. I loved this book, the era of the 1920s combined with the fashion, music, and difficulties of prohibition made for a fascinating and unique read. And the ending was the perfect way to bring Zora’s story to resolution.

This was such a beautiful story. I love historical fiction and the author did such a great job making me feel like I was in the 20's with Zora. Following her life and her progression with her career, friends, love life... I was rooting for her the whole time. The way it all ties up in the end, so beautiful.

The story opens in present day when a museum curator (creating a Greta Garbo costume show) finds a hidden designer’s label in all of Garbo’s costumes for a specific movie. The curator then realizes there is a story about this unknown designer that she needs to uncover – and that is when the reader is taken into the Jazz-age world of Zora Lily.

Zora is a young woman in Seattle in the 20s whose family is poor (her father can no longer work and has become an alcoholic) and she is trying to earn money for her family by helping her mother with sewing. It is clear to everyone that Zora has a unique gift for designing and creating beautiful clothing and her ultimate dream is to have her own boutique. The novel takes us through Zora’s young life: to her job as a nanny for a wealthy family, falling in love with a man outside of her socio-economic circle, leaving Seattle to become a sewing girl in Hollywood and all the time working towards her ultimate goal of being a clothing designer.

I enjoyed the description of Seattle during the Jazz age, the friendships (and friends) that Zora had, her love affair and Zora herself. There were a few predictable aspects of the novel which I found a bit frustrating (they were obviously there for moving the plot forward) but in general it was a completely enjoyable and fast read. If you like historical fiction, this should be on you to read list.

3.75 stars (rounded to 4)

Thank you to NetGalley Harlequin and MIRA for the ARC for review

i loved this book! When a conservator at the Smithsonian discovers the name Zora Lily under the label in a costume she is preparing for an exhibit she is determined to discover who Zora Lily was and why her name is in the costume. What she discover Zora and how with determination and talent she was able to create the life of her dreams.

The story opens up about a museum curator putting together an exhibit of costumes from a Greta Garbo movie, The Star. But when the tag of the dress falls off revealing another designer the story really begins. Zora Hough is the oldest daughter helping take care of her siblings while her father became a drunk after a work accident. They are living in poverty making their way through life. She gets a job as a nanny for an effluent family in Seattle downtown and her world starts to change. Earning enough money to provide for her family and save for herself, her dream of designing and making clothes starts to come true. She also meets the love of her life who does not hold her back, but encourages her dreams.

While maybe predictable, this book sucks you in. You're rooting for Zora and her family the entire time. Patiently waiting to see how her story will end and hoping for the fairy tale ending.

Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

This was a beautifully written book! The characters were all interesting and good. The story flows well and you won’t be able to put it down. I loved it!
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

I loved the Roaring Days of Zora Lily! A costume curator for the Smithsonian is curating an exhibition featuring movie costumes. As she is working with a costume worn by Greta Garbo, she discovers a clothing label hidden behind the designer label, this leaves her to research who was Zora Lily.

The book then sends us back to the 1920's where we meet Zora, a young woman living with her family and working as a seamstress with her mother and caring for her younger siblings. Zora's best friend gets a job working as a dancer in a club, Zora follows her to the underground speakeasies in the downtown, a world that Zora did not know existed.

I loved everything about this story. The characters were very well written, and you became invested in every outcome. The author did a fantastic job in her descriptive writing setting the scene, you felt as you were there yourself. I liked the structure of the story. It is told in a dual narrative, I liked how the scene was set in present day and then we were sent back to learn Zora's entire story, and then the present day ended to tie up the story. Sometimes with a dual narrative the back and forth gets distracting. I love how we learned Zora's story without the distracting back and forth.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this engaging novel.
4.5 stars

I loved this book about a woman coming into her own power in the roaring ‘20s. Zora is held down by society’s views of her lower class family, but she doesn’t let that stop her from reaching for her goal of becoming a clothing designer.

The streetcars of Seattle and the glamour of Hollywood comes to life as the author describes the sights and smells of such a pivotal time period. From the gin-soaked speakeasies to the folksy slang, I felt like I was backstage at one of my favorite musicals, Chicago. The author captured the essence of the time period so vividly!

I also especially loved the details about clothes and how Zora’s visions came to life. I could just picture the shimmering dresses and beaded costumes of the dancers and would love for the real Smithsonian to have a similar exhibit as mentioned in the book!

The book touches on family, love, and friendship in a way that’s believable and real, and I love that the author used her great-grandmother’s life as an inspiration for this book. This is my first book I’ve read by Noelle Salazar, and I am excited to read more in her backlist.

Ooooohh. I enjoy reading historical fiction because of books like this. The Roaring Days of Zora Lily gives the reader a glimpse of the 1920s through the eyes of an absolutely delightful and charming character trying to break her way into the fashion industry. I loved Zora's innocence, hard working mentality, resilience, awe at the outside world and ability to take it in. This book is about good people trying to succeed in a tough world. It's about knowing your worth especially when those around you make you feel small. It's about getting back up after the world knocks you down. And there's some romance included too. You don't need to know anything about fashion and clothes designing, but you might appreciate it even more if you do. I truly adored this book! 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the eARC.

I'm a huge fan of Noelle Salazar's World War II historical fiction so when I saw she was writing a book about a seamstress in the 1920s I was excited and The Roaring Days of Zora Lily was such a great book!

I loved that while it was a dual timeline, it didn't alternate back and forth. We get introduced to Zora when Syvlia, a costume conservator at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History is working on an exhibit about movie costumes when she discovers a dress worn by Greta Garbo has another name hidden beneath the designer's label. And then we get Zora's story until the last few chapters, where we see how Sylvia figured it out. While I love dual-timeline historical fiction, I really liked that the 2023 storyline was the bookend. I would love to see this approach in more historical fiction.

So I loved Zora! This book has such a fun setting with the prohibition-era clubs in Seattle in 1924 and then the Hollywood glitz and glamour. I felt like I was there in both settings and loved that Zora remained true to herself and her friends/family.

I can't recommend this book enough. I highly highly recommend reading The Roaring Days of Zora Lily!

The Roaring Days of Zora Lily by Noelle Salazar begins in the present day at The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. A costume conservator has discovered a mysterious label on a well-known dress worn by Greta Garbo. The costume conservator, Sylvia, wonders who is Zora Lily and why is her tag on this dress. She devotes all of her time and energy to trying to uncover the true story.

In 1924, Zora Lily was Zora Hough. She was a talented seamstress spending her time helping her mother take care of the many siblings and also doing some alterations to bring in money. The family was struggling to survive. After a tragedy, Zora takes a job as a live-in nanny for the Harringtons in order to support her family.

She also has more free time to watch her best friend, Rose, dance at a downtown Seattle club. While attending the shows, Zora helps the dancers fix their costumes. This leads to another side job as a seamstress for the club.

She also meets the love of her life, Harley Aldrige, at the club. He’s British as well as charming, handsome, and wealthy. This relationship angers one of her co-workers, Elsbeth, who is ruthless and vindictive.

The romance doesn’t go as expected but not totally because of Elsbeth’s actions. They are separated by extenuating circumstances for quite a while. Most people would have followed Harley but Zora decided not to go with him.

Zora has the opportunity to go to Hollywood to work for a movie studio as a seamstress. Rose and another friend are also going to be working for the studio as dancers. At first, the job does not involve designing as she was led to believe.

When the lead designer quits, Zora finally has a chance to design the movie wardrobe for Greta Garbo. The job should catapult her chances of becoming a famous designer but it doesn’t go as planned either.

Will Zora recover from her disappointments in love and career choices? Will her family always be struggling to put food on the table? What’s going to happen with the Smithsonian’s exhibit? All will be revealed after reading the book, which I recommend doing.

If you like historical fiction set in the Roaring 20s or fashion design, then you might love The Roaring Days of Zora Lily. Vindictive people with jealousy issues may not enjoy the book quite as much as they should.