A heartfelt novel of love, loss and finding peace. Beautifully written, A Storm of Infinite Beauty is set primarily in Alaska with a dual timeline of 1964 and 2017. Julianne MacLean seamlessly switches timeliness and draws you into the location . This is my second novel by Julianne MacLean, I loved, loved These Tangled Vines and look forward to future titles. I highly recommend A Storm of Infinite Beauty to anyone who enjoys being transported to beautiful places with characters you will miss when you are done reading.

(This review is based on an uncorrected e-ARC from NetGalley)

A Storm of Infinite Beauty reminded me of both Kristin Hannah's The Great Alone and Taylor Jenkins Reid's The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

This novel focuses on the life of Scarlett Fontaine, a Hollywood actress and songwriter, when she was sent to Alaska to have a child. Scarlett kept this time secret from the rest of the world until a writer by the name of Peter happens to recognize her in the background of a photo. This novel also focuses on one of Scarlett's cousins and said writer as they work to figure out what happened to Scarlett, and more importantly, what happened to the baby.

I enjoyed this novel far more than I thought I would. It was a fairly quick read, especially compared to Kristin Hannah's The Great Alone. It took a little while to get into the story, but I couldn't put it down after I hit the halfway point. I had to know what happened!

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an e-ARC of this novel. I can't wait for it to hit the shelves in September! Review will be posted on Instagram by or before the publication date (@ellie.reads.a.lot)

While the history of the Alaskan earthquake was fascinating, and getting to see it through the eyes of characters living through it, the search for the true history of Scarlett was a bit dry. There were some parts where I almost checked out just due to the dryness of the plot progression. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This starts out as the story about a famous star and her star studded life...but it is so much more. This story
is about love, loss and the ability to keep going against all odds. I never heard about the great earthquake in
Valdez Alaska but I learned much about it in this book. It was eye=opening. The story revolved around a young woman (related to the movie star) who runs a small museum dedicated to Valerie (the move star). When a journalist finds her and has some photos that could lead to a secret part of Valerie's life the book takes off. It is an easy read and while entertaining the reader it also brings to light many facts about Alaska that are interesting and I found very intriguing. Be sure to read the acknowledgments at the end of the book to lend some insights to the story of this earthquake. At the end of this book I can say that I was thoroughly intrigued with the lives of these characters and the story they had to tell.

Gwen Hollingsworth runs the Scarlett Fontaine Museum. Scarlett is a Hollywood legend and a relative of the icon. She discovers that Scarlett had a hidden past that even she didn’t know about. She sets out on a journey to discover what happened to Scarlett during that missing year. The journey will take her to Alaska and back to Nova Scotia again.
There are some historical references in the book that I enjoyed learning about and I found the story very compelling. An enjoyable read. I would read another book by this author. Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Gwen is the curator of a museum dedicated to Scarlett Fontaine, a Hollywood legend who died too young, and who was Gwen's distant cousin. Gwen is leery when a biographer reaches out to gather more information about Scarlett, but Gwen is quickly intrigued when they discover that a year of Scarlett's life is essentially missing from any records or documentation. While working together, Gwen and Peter travel to Alaska where Scarlett was essentially exiled to in order to give birth to a baby that no one knew about. They learned about about her struggles, her love, and her experience in the massive Alaskan earthquake. The writing in this book will sweep you away to the beauty of Alaska.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is the best book yet Julianne MacLean. She knows how to tug on the heartstrings. Gwen learns that her famous cousin had a whole other life she never about. It sets Gwen on a journey to find answers and quickly finds herself questioning her own decisions in life. Outstanding and Unputdownable!

Beautiful work

This book is rooted in an historical event that happened in Alaska, but the main characters are fictional. Nonetheless, it brought me to the realization that while we always see celebrities as perfect, especially in these social media days when everyone posts their best lives, they are flawed and scarred individuals too.

When Valerie is sent away to have her out of wedlock baby, as was the norm those days, it changed her life. She felt alone, discarded but made good friends and loved the baby she was meant to give away. In her spare time, she wrote songs, which eventually led to her recreation as Scarlett Fontaine, world famous for her music and fashion. Her only surviving relative Gwen, runs her foundation and a museum dedicated to her life, at least the part of her life that was known. Until the day Peter shows up, attempting to write Scarlett’s story.

Well-written and researched as all Ms. McLean’s books are, this was a lovely book. I enjoyed it and am looking forward to her next book.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

I really believe everything this author writes is gold. I was so excited to read an early copy of her latest. Like many before, her descriptions of everything make you feel as if you are right there experiencing it yourself. What a great story mostly set in Alaska. There is history and a little romance and some life trauma that sets our main character on a course to explore not only her relatives past but what she wants for her future. I highly recommend this beautiful story.

I was very much looking forward to reading A Storm of Infinite Beauty as I love stories about Alaska. This book is about a deceased Hollywood Icon who has 1 year missing out of her life and the family member and journalist who are determined to find out what happened to her during that.lost year. Although I finished this book I never really connected which the characters. I kept wanting them to have more depth. I also felt the story and ending was predictable. It’s a quick read and nice story for those who enjoy women’s fiction.

I have spent many days researching my genealogy, so reading a book revolved around genealogy made sense. And I am glad I did. It is a good book. The descriptions of Alaska made me want to go. The storyline was well developed and the characters were realistic. I did not know that there was such a bad earthquake in Alaska in 1964. This is a good book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book for my honest review.

Julianne never disappoints. I have read most of her books and they are all great reading. I like her writing style. I liked the way she was able to switch from one time period to another without confusion. Loved the description of Alaska having been there once, I found myself unable to put this book down. Couldn’t wait to see how it all came out. I highly recommend this book and encourage you to read it. You won’t be disappointed. I thank NetGalley for an advance copy but this is my own opinion. Again, read it

Julianne MacLean’s book A Storm of Infinite Beauty was definitely a Beauty, what a great story! The prologue captivated me, I was on the edge of my seat as the story unfolded and could not put the book down from that point forward. I really appreciated all the research Ms. MacLean did on Alaska and its breath taking landscape. I could see its infinite beauty by her descriptives. I had no idea about the 1964 earth quake there and again Ms. MacLean wrote such a gut wrenching horror that my mind was swimming as I continued to read.
The story seamlessly flips back and forth in a 50 year timeline with very interesting characters, secrets and mysteries; that keep you wondering how each of the characters both past and present will handle the shocking discoveries. The old saying goes “timing is everything” and unquestionably true in this tale. As the reader you will note that the ending is extremely satisfying. I thank Ms. MacLean for her imagination and dedication, I cannot wait for her next book!

I’m Happy to Recommend!
This is a quick and easy read about a character by the name of Scarlett Fontaine, an icon in the past. The story itself is brought into a more current time by a writer and the curator of a museum which was created around her life.
I was impressed by the amount of research which clearly must have been done to get information about the main area the story is written in because the descriptions are so very detailed and brought to life clear images while I was reading. So that is a big plus from my point of view.
Then we have the characters of Gwen and Peter and I kept wanting them to fall in love and have a great partnership or marriage – they seemed so perfect for each other.
I really enjoyed this book and its characters who told a tale that I kept hoping would have a happy ending – and it did!
I read an ARC (Advance Reader Copy) and above is my voluntary review of it.

I was so excited for a new Julianne MacLean book.
This book was so different from what I expected, but such an interesting story. Gwen Hollingsworth is the curator of the museum dedicated to Scarlett Fontaine, who was a distant family member, in Alaska of all places. When a reporter who is writing a book about Scarlet Fontaine shows up, she goes on a bit of a wild ride to help uncover some secrets, she didn’t even know existed. It was a fun journey to ride along on , while having the gorgeous locations brought to life by Ms. McLean. We travel from Alaska to Nova Scotia with a love story or two or three thrown in for good measure. This book does not disappoint.
Enjoy the journey!

I did not remember much about the Valdez earthquake in Alaska and this book did an excellent job of describing that event. That said, I wasn't totally enthralled with the book. The main character, suffering from personal tragedy, becomes involved with an author who is doing a story on her deceased relative, (a once famous movie star and song writer). Their travels take them to Alaska where they piece together her relativie's unknown misssing years in that area. A quick read for those who enjoy historical/women"s fiction.

A Storm of Infinite Beauty by Julianne MacLean was a beautifully written look back at a beloved, fictional icon’s secret life. Set largely in Alaska and during the great Valdez earthquake, the horrors and sensations of that day were so vividly captured. The various characters were so exceptionally portrayed, they came to life so realistically on the pages of this tender love story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC.

The author knocked it out of the park with this book! She has such a way with words that the reader can picture herself sitting in the Wilderness Lodge with Blaine and Maud.



I'm not usually a fan of dual timeline stories but this one worked so well and flowed so effortlessly.



The book left me thinking about each of the characters and the strength and resilience of their story.



Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.

I have read several works by this author and this one did not disappoint. It was an engaging story, told in 2 timelines, that was easy to follow. The descriptions of the Alaskan settings are beautifully written and make me want to travel there to see for myself. The twist at the end was heartwarming and provided perfect closure to the storyline.

Julianne MacLean's "A Storm of Infinite Beauty" combines Hollywood glamour and the quest for truth in a captivating tale. Curator Gwen Hollingsworth's life is turned upside down when a shocking revelation surfaces, hinting at Scarlett Fontaine's secret life in Alaska. Together with photojournalist Peter Miller, Gwen embarks on an enthralling journey, from Nova Scotia's vineyards to Alaska's rustic landscapes. MacLean's masterful storytelling and resonating characters evoke resilience and the power of hidden truths. This compelling tribute to the human spirit will leave readers captivated and yearning for more.