**Thank you to William Morrow for this free digital review copy.**

I came into this novel knowing very little about either woman but interested in the premise. The book delivered on story, if not on writing, in my opinion. There were rather awkward time cuts between chapters and even mid-chapter sometimes, and I found the writing to be somewhat stilted; not sure if it was the dual authorship that wasn't working for me or what. However, the story I found super engaging and at times heartbreaking. It's hard to see a friend struggle, whether it be due to their own actions or the actions of others, and I felt for Ella especially as she watched Marilyn sink to rock bottom. I really flew through this novel and I'm sure I will think of it in the future when I see or hear any of the many songs/movies these women created.

I love people stories, and this tale of the friendship between Marilyn Monroe and Ella Fitzgerald was a fun and interesting read.

Hollywood stars are masters at presenting different versions of themselves—it's their job, after all. They are one person on stage, in front of adoring fans, and another in the safety of close friends and family. They bounce between what the public craves, what their managers demand, and how they want to be.

Marilyn, the sultry bombshell of the fifties, and Ella, a jazz icon, seemed to have little in common. But their struggles, celebrity, and bond brought these two glamorous women together in a compelling way.

A huge thank you to William Morrow and Net Galley for the advance reader’s copy.

Going into this book, I had no idea Ella and Marilyn had been friends; this is a fictionalized account of what could have happened in their friendship, and it's clear a lot of research went into the timeline and events surrounding all of their interactions. Multiple times while reading I was tempted to look up different historical events, but I didn't want spoilers! I'm definitely interested in watching a few of the movies mentioned in the book and to listen to Ella beyond the handful of songs I'm familiar with.

As with any historical novel like this I came to a deeper understanding of what life must have been like for them, particularly the fame and rampant sexism of the age. The overt racism Ella faced continually was hard to read; yet another myth buster that mainstream acceptance and fame does not mean equality or even to be treated with human decency.

The ending - no spoilers - was handled with such care. I particularly liked the two authors' notes on how the research was handled and for Marilyn's end.

I'm sure many of us have heard of Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe. What many of may not know is that they were friends. We have a well written fictional account of their friendship. This was such a well written story. It's movie worthy and something I wouldn't mind watching on the screen. I enjoyed the different perspectives of each woman. They shared several childhood traumas, and both had different outcomes from them. And as someone who is absolutely in love with historical fiction, this book is in good company with the many I've read so far this year. It was absolutely captivating and enjoyable. The authors did such a great job honoring the friendship between these two remarkable women in history.

I was so excited to read this because while admittedly I don’t know much about Ella Fitzgerald, I adore Marilyn Monroe. I’ve loved her since the nineties when I first heard Candle in the Wind and started reading whatever I could about her. My love for her hasn’t waned over the years and I still get excited when I see a book written about her. Anyway, I digress; this isn’t meant to be a thesis on my love for this wonderful and misunderstood woman but rather a review of this book.
Denny S. Bryce and Eliza Knight have written a very comprehensive book about the long and loving friendship of these two iconic women. While I love historical fiction, I always have such a hard time when the subject is a real person since clearly not everything written is fact. I love how the majority of this book is factual, but it makes the fictitious parts and speculations of the authors a little hard to stomach.
I really wanted to like this book but the overall writing of this was so dull and slow that I found myself bored to tears while reading the majority of it and it truly dampened the joy I felt when I first picked it up. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Publishing for an advanced copy of this. Can’t We Be Friends hit the shelves on March 5th.

What an amazing story! Although I knew some about Marilyn Monroe. I knew little about Ella and had no idea that they were friends. The story was told from dual viewpoints. In the story their friendship grew slowly through letters and phone calls. Initially I thought they could not be more different. One known for her sexy voice and appearance in movies and the other one of the greatest voices of her time. What the story brought to the surface was the shared struggles and ambition the two had in common. Both were trail blazers in their own way. Marilyn fighting to be taken seriously as an actress and for just pay and treatment in a male dominated industry. Ella, fighting against racial injustice and the limits put on her by men in her life. It broke my heart how they both wanted to find true love and went through a lot of heartbreak searching for it. They trusted and depended on each other professionally and personally. This story also presented a more intimate picture of how Marilyn was haunted by her past and her dependency on drugs and alcohol. I received a free copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for this digital advance copy in exchange for my honest review. This book was published on March 5, 2024.

The first thing that caught my eye about this was its beautiful cover; it felt like I was being pulled in by the magnetism of these two American icons. I discovered this book while hunting for a memoir or biography about Ella Fitzgerald, one of my favorite artists. I had no idea she and Marilyn Monroe were friends. I’ve always been fascinated by Monroe, as well, so it felt like a bonus that this was a fictional take on their real friendship.

One of the issues I had while reading was that I needed to continually remind myself that it is a work of historical fiction and that the authors took creative license when writing it. I love reading historical fiction, however, sometimes I don’t enjoy books that fictionalize actual historical figures because I like to separate fiction from real events. I felt I needed to constantly look up events that happened in the novel to see if they really occurred, and I think that detracted from my reading experience.

The disjointed structure of the book was another issue for me. Switching between Ella’s first person and Marilyn’s third person made the writing hard to follow at times. Additionally, there isn’t a cohesive plot; it’s mainly vignettes of fictionalized meetings between Ella and Marilyn, ending with Marilyn’s death. At worst, it felt a little forced, like shoving two different timelines together. There are certainly some similarities between Ella’s and Marilyn’s lives; they each endured some unspeakable hardships and it was nice to think their friendship helped them overcome some struggles. I appreciated that the authors took time in the end to acknowledge their research in addition to what they fictionalized.

Overall, I would recommend this to fans of Ella or Marilyn who want an escape into historical fiction. But if you’re on the hunt for strictly facts about these iconic women, I would be wary of this.

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

The special friendship between Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe is explored in this novel. Marilyn’s outgoing personality and Ella’s reserved one were a compliment to each other. These women shared a rough upbringing, bonded over social injustice and tried to help each other thru the issues of being in the public eye.

I totally fell down the rabbit hole reading more of this on my own. I knew nothing of this unique friendship and gained a whole new appreciation for these women and the hand they’ve been dealt. Ella, the quiet reserved one, kept things to herself, especially her private life, and tried to steer her friend away from her questionable life choices. Marilyn, the outgoing one, who loved life and hated what was happening to her friend and would use her celebrity to make it right, her dependency on painkillers, alcohol. They both craved love but finding it in the spotlight made it impossible. Loved how these two forged a friendship against all odds and tried to lift each other. I appreciated how the authors didn’t sugarcoat their shortcomings. For me, the story was slow moving in parts. Overall the writing was compelling, honest.

Thanks to William Morrow for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.

The authors spent time, not only on research, but on empathetically recreating two human beings whose friendship was uncommon in that era. This feels like you’ve crawled into the shoes of both and watched the evolution of them, and their friendship, over decades of random yet purposeful actions. It is so nice not to have the shrill voices of media hysterics speaking through the myopia of idolatry. Instead we see these women as three dimensional, flawed, striving human beings who did the best they could at what mattered to them. One exquisite duo rendered believably normal by another duo who took their time to get it right. Thank you.

This story begins in 1952, when Marilyn Monroe writes a letter to Ella Fitzgerald asking her to give her singing lessons. Ella declines, saying that she is no voice coach, but Marilyn is persistent. She continues to write Ella and they become pen pals. When Ella has to have surgery on her vocal cords and is forced to spend six weeks not making a sound, Marilyn makes a surprise visit and the two become friends for life. To outsiders, their friendship was a puzzlement, but to them it made perfect sense. They both had troubled childhoods, they were both being controlled and underestimated by the men in their lives - husbands, managers, hangers-on, they both desperately wanted to shine in the spotlight, and they both loved to eat. This novel reveals and celebrates their surprising bond over a decade and serves as a poignant reminder of how true friendship can cross differences to bolster and sustain us through haunting heartbreak and wild success.

This novel was fascinating. I was familiar with much of Marilyn Monroe's story, but I didn't know anything about Ella Fitzgerald's including the fact that the two of them were close friends. At a time when segregati9n was still an issue, I love that they were able to rise above all of that, and become friends and confidantes. Their stories were almost mirror opposites of each other. Marilyn's was a history of physical and emotional abuse from men who promised to love & cherish her, drug and alcohol abuse, a straight downward spiral. Ella's story was one of a star rising...she had some pitfalls, but she overcame them, and came back stronger than ever. As much as I pitied Marilyn, I admired Ella. If you are a fan of historical fiction, you are definitely going to want to put this on the top of your TBR pile. I highly recommend it!

I received a copy of the book, "Can't We Be Friends?"from NetGalley. It was wrtten by two authors Eliza Knight and Denny S. Bryce. It focuses on the friendship that develops between Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe. They started their friendship when Marilyn Monroe kept trying to contact her asking if she could give her singing lessons. For awhile the letters were ignored until Ella responded by saying she would not be able to teach her how to sing Marilyn showed up to visit her. She was a big fan of the talented singer. they slowly became friends during the 1950s and up until Marilyn's untimely death. The book follows the careers and the challenges each woman faced. Ella was concerned for her friend who could be emotionally fragile and Marilyn's addiction to pills and alcohol. She was devastated when the young actress died. Marilyn adored Ella and was huge fan of the wonderful singer. Ella Fitzgerald had her own challenges being show business and being a black woman. The book goes back and forth in chapters focusing on each perforner. a good read.

What happens when the Queen of Jazz and a Blonde Bombshell meet? An unlikely friendship forms that will see them through some tough times and soaring success.

Based on the extraordinary friendship between Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe, Can’t We Be Friends takes you back in time when Ella and Marilyn meet and form a friendship of honesty and courage. With the backdrops of movie sets, jazz clubs and quiet corner tables in restaurants, the two have few things in common but they share the difficulties of dealing with fame and trying to control their careers. They share secrets and a deep mutual respect for one another. But…it’s Marilyn’s downfall into a world of alcohol and drugs that seems to drive a wedge between them. Their friendship is cut short when Marilyn tragically passes away.

Can’t We Be Friends is a great story for fans of old Hollywood and the glory days of jazz. As a fan of Ella, I highly recommend reading this book with her music playing in the background. And I think it reminds us that there was so much more to Marilyn than meets the eye. They were both smart, insanely talented women who managed to form a bond at a time when the world was changing. I loved every page of this book!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, William Morrow, Eliza Knight and Denny Bryce for allowing me to to read this story before it hits the shelves!

Book: Can’t We Be Friends?
Authors: Denny S. Bryce and Eliza Knight
Release Date: March 5, 2024
Publisher : William Morrow Paperbacks
Length: 396 Pages
Overall Rating: 5/5 Stars
Blog Rating: 5/5 Saltire Flags

To think he’s going to fill up his greedy accounts when all I ever got was $50. Who am I kidding? He probably stuffs it under his dirty mattress. Hugh Hefner, who’s ever heard of him and his dumb magazine, Playboy?…book quote by Marilyn Monroe in “Can’t We Be Friends” by Denny S Bryce and Eliza Knight

This is a historical fiction book about the rare close friendship between the Queen of jazz, singer Ella Fitzgerald and bombshell beauty, Queen of the screen Marilyn Monroe. You would never guess how much this plus sized, black singer and the white, platinum blonde, iconic actress who became the world’s pop-culture-icon had in common. It was about wanting help to make Monroe a better singer as Marilyn was a perfectionist and wanted to be taken seriously in her profession as an actress. To her there was no one better than her singing idol Ella Fitzgerald. Except Ella turned her down in a very eloquent sweet way explaining she was never trained professionally that the music was just inside her. Marilyn understood perfectly it was Ella’s god given gift. Marilyn’s letters still continued as what Marilyn really needed was a friend and Ella seemed to need that too besides her assistant Georgina Henry and her adopted son Ray Jr..Plus both being in this insane entertainment industry they understood things that people outside the business would not. They really ended up trusting each other and confided in each other with secrets they did not share with anyone else. On top of that they both had similar palettes especially for pastrami sandwiches!

In the beginning it was Georgina who answered the letters except soon it was Ella. Ella felt flattered that America’s current favorite sweetheart on film loved her music. Soon Ella looked forward to Marilyn’s letters as Ella was going through a difficult divorce so listening to Marilyn speak to her about funny things happening in her life brought humor into Ella’s life. Soon both women realized they needed to meet in person realizing they both had bad abusive childhoods, grew up during the Great Depression and also dealt with some of the same prejudices in their lives with so much prejudice in entertainment that women still fight for today in 2024.

Yet Marilyn was a passionate supporter of the civil rights movement and did fight for Ella when she was being banned by a certain nightclub to perform. Monroe used her celebrity status to appear so Ella could perform. She made sure her friend could play where people snubbed her for her size or skin color. Unfortunately the civil rights movement and segregation was at the center in the 1950’s sadly. In the beginning Marilyn had to deal with a different kind of prejudice where directors and producers grabbed her inappropriately and asked for personal favors if she wanted a specific part. This was called the casting couch and also threatened her never to work again if she does not submit. They were the Harvey Weinstein’s of the 1950’s sadly.

I loved this book so much my heart definitely went out to both Ella and Marilyn and all they had to deal with. I found myself very emotional wiping my tears as I read this brilliant read that definitely touched my heart! I personally still feel there was foul play in Marilyn’s death by the Kennedy brothers after all this family is not unfamiliar with mystery and death. Well both did not live into the next decade. So I do not know if I will ever get the answer to that. I personally do not think it was suicide if anything it was an accidental overdose. Again this is my personal opinion as I have always been a fan of her work. You can hear Ella Fitgerald’s hit song “A Tisket A Tasket” even in an episode of The Gilmore Girls in 2002. As for Ella my heart went out to her too from her personal hardships and later in life in her seventies where she had both of her legs amputated below her knees from her diabetes and was also partially blind. So she also had different kinds of demons, honestly I believe both of these women just wanted to be loved like everyone else in the world!

Both of these multi talented women had many demons yet they did not let the racial prejudices of the world affect their friendship. Godbless them both in eternal peace! It is a book I couldn't put down even though I knew it would be filled with a lot of hardships, plus I knew a lot of Marilyn’s history. I was surprised that Ella also had some demons of her own in a completely different way. I found myself listening to Ella’s music online and watching clips from all of Marilyn’s former films and listening to some of her interviews. I will end this book review with a Marilyn Monroe quote from her last interview days before her death. “Fame is fickle and I know it. It has its compensations but it also has its drawbacks, and I have experienced both.”

This historical fiction novel about the friendship between the iconic Marilyn Monroe and Queen of Jazz, Ella Fitzgerald is absolutely so cleverly done. I loved this book so much my heart definitely went out to both Ella and Marilyn and all they had to deal with. Both Bryce and Knight were a perfect collaboration in this magnificent historical fiction masterpiece. As Bryce and Knight wrote a phenomenal book from start to finish! It is one of those rare books that is also very hard to come by and stays with you long after you have read it. It is absolutely awe inspiring! A novel I absolutely loved and can not recommend enough! Bravo to both Denny S. Bryce and Eliza Knight on penning such a dazzling, bright, luminescent book where each page absolutely shined with true brilliance!

Disclaimer: I received an advance reader's copy from the William Morrow Paperbacks. I voluntarily agreed to do an honest, fair, review and blog through netgalley. All words, ideas and thoughts are my own.

Buy Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Cant-We-Be-Friends-Fitzgerald-ebook/dp/B0C782GT4P


https://books.apple.com/us/book/cant-we-be-friends/id6449970053


https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cant-we-be-friends-eliza-knight/1143924322?ean=9780063282902

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/can-t-we-be-friends-2

Friendships should not be hard, yet they were for Marilyn and Ella. Each of them had a rough childhood that effected their ability to open themselves up to others. We see the success they had, but don't stop to think of all the hard work it took for them to get there. It's a fascinating read about strong women who broke barriers, but still struggled to find true happiness. There are numerous revelations that were very thought provoking, some of which I looked up to find more about. Reading this was definitely an emotional roller coaster as the authors do an amazing job of pulling you into the highs and lows of their lives. Their friendship despite everything should be a lesson to us all on being and appreciating our friends.

I love the premise of this - loved both perspectives and just found the story really interesting. I do wish there was a slightly longer portion of the ending and post death.

CAN'T WE BE FRIENDS
BY: DENNY S. BRYCE AND ELIZA KNIGHT

About 4,5 Stars!

"Can't We Be Friends," is a poignant and at times heartbreaking story of a decade of the friendship between Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe. It begins with Marilyn Monroe writing to Jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald asking her for singing lessons. Ella declined and said something like 'I'm not a music teacher' to her cousin Georgiana who thinks that etiquette would require a response. Marilyn persists in writing and somehow they became friends. These two iconic women met often in restaurants where they could get an out of the way table that shielded them from the press. They were extremely supportive of one another for most of the period between 1952-1962. The two authors that collaborated together each have an Author's Note at the end of this historical work. One of the things that they both state in their individual Author's Note is that there is much less known about Ella Fitzgerald, as she was a private person, but they have included a bibliography, and they both maintain that this was a massive project to undertake. The scope of which they haven't included everything, as well as everybody that was involved. They have tried to stay as true factually to the historic records they've researched and their idea for this project was gleaned in 2019.

I couldn't help but be emotionally affected by this historical fiction that is beautifully written about these two talented women. They both were drawn together in friendship by showing a genuine interest in how things were progressing for one another both professionally and personally. Ella had a son named Ray, Jr. whom she often felt guilty for spending so much time traveling and performing and not devoting more time to her young son. Marilyn wanted children on a deep level but kept suffering with multiple miscarriages. The mother in me felt sad for both of them knowing how fast children grow up and I understand the inner turmoil and regrets of not spending as much time with my children. I empathized with Ella being torn towards the need to pursue her passion and the innate guilt that we mothers feel for time spent away from our children. Now that mine are out of the house and young adults are doing normal things for their age. It's sad that Marilyn never knew the powerful and all consuming love that a mother feels for her children. Now the tables have turned and I have more time for my children I wish I could go back in time knowing what I know now.

Marilyn was lonely and even though she had three husbands she felt unloved. Both Ella and Marilyn were driven to reach the very top of their professions. Both women had been hurt romantically, but in this narrative Ella Fitzgerald seemed to have an easier time. Marilyn was addicted to prescription medication and often mixed it with alcohol. Ella could see how Marilyn was abusing different prescription pills often mixing them with alcohol, and tried to persuade Marilyn to stop out of a genuine concern for her friend's health. Marilyn couldn't seem to understand the harmful effects and the toll that they were taking on her. It's really sad how little was known during that era about addiction compared to what's known today.

Both Marilyn Monroe and Ella Fitzgerald shared bad early marriages. They both had lost their mothers and had evil stepfathers. They had orphanages in common. They both tried to leave their pain in the past. Marilyn was the Queen of the Silver Screen and Ella was the Queen of Jazz. They were both able to know and enjoy each other's company in a great friendship with mutual respect to celebrate their many commonalities, as well as each other's challenges. Ella always would stick to drinking Shirley Temples while Marilyn would likely be drinking an alcoholic beverage while sharing a hearty meal.

I could go on more about how these women had common obstacles and at the same time they had different challenges. It was written powerfully in a way that felt intimate which I appreciated. However, it was painful at times feeling too closely connected to their hardships. It has made me want to explore each of these two women more using the sources provided in this book. My heart needs to recover first with something lighter. The message is the triumphant bonds and powerful support women can gain from close friendships. I enjoyed that aspect more at least for the time being. One thing is for sure, is that these two authors did a great job researching, writing and have crafted a moving and haunting tribute to two unforgettable women.

Publication Date: March 5th, 2024

Thank you to Net Galley, Denny S. Bryce, Eliza Knight and William Morrow for generously providing me with my eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#Can'tWeBeFriends #DennySBryce #ElizaKnight #WilliamMorrow #NetGalley

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

If my Grandma Dot (d.o.b. 7/21/1922) was still alive, she would have said this book was "The Cat's Meow."

I enjoyed reading about Marilyn Monroe singing happy birthday to President JFK in DIVA so this was a treat to read a historical fiction book about the Queen of Jazz and the Queen of the Silver Screen's personal friendship. It wasn't until this book that I was even aware of their friendship.

I enjoyed the unfolding of these stars relationship which started through letter writing. These two would have greatly enjoyed the immediacy of emailing each other back and forth!

It's interesting to recognize that throughout history, some things never change for females. "We want it all. Career. Family. Man." Politics is constantly being disputed. Women always need to think of their reputation.

As an aside, I couldn't help but notice many similarities between Marilyn Monroe and today's Queen of music, Taylor Swift. Both these iconic females are known for their classic red lips and have both been tied to fellow big name celebrities, including athletes Joe DiMaggio and Travis Kelce. Marilyn and Taylor both have an association with a cardigan!

I learned a lot and Goggled for additional information.

My biggest drawback was that Thor, Norman, Joe, and Arthur received more coverage than JFK. As I read, I kept wondering when Marilyn would meet JFK. The Kennedy's are not even mentioned until 68% through the book and Marilyn does not have an interaction with Jack or Bobby Kennedy until the last 10%. Yes, the focus is on Ella and Marilyn, but I would have liked the Kennedys to play a larger role.

I can see this being made into a movie.

I wish I could give this book 3.5 stars but since rating is based on full stars I will round up to 4 stars. It's very appropriate that this book is being released in March during Women's History Month and a few times before International Women's Day.

I never knew Ella and Marilyn were friends and I'm delighted to have discovered this unlikely friendship. It was heartwarming to read how their bond of heartaches brought them together, I actually enjoyed reading Ella's part more as we really got under her skin, but with Marilyn the voice was a tad impersonal. And sad.

Unveiling the Depth of Friendship: My Critical Review of "Can't We Be Friends" by Eliza Knight

Instead of falling prey to the gaudy allure of Hollywood biographies, Eliza Knight's "Can't We Be Friends" ventures beyond the surface, offering an Idiosyncratic and thought-provoking exploration of the surprising and profound camaraderie between Marilyn Monroe and Ella Fitzgerald.

Knight's consummate writing goes beyond simply recounting the well-known tales of these iconic figures. She delves into the complexities and contradictions that shaped their lives. Monroe, often placed on a pedestal for her beauty and charismatic presence, battles the stifling expectations of a society that seeks to control her image. Fitzgerald, meanwhile, navigates the frenetic world of entertainment while facing the harsh realities of racial prejudice and discrimination.

Within these struggles, however, is borne an extraordinary friendship. Knight paints an intricate picture of this unique bond, portraying it as a source of solace and strength for both women. Their connection transcends the superficial world they inhabit, offering a genuine sense of understanding and support. In doing so, Knight places a spotlight on the universal power of human connection, especially in the face of adversity.

"Can't We Be Friends" is more than just a historical fiction novel; it's a multifaceted exploration of themes like female empowerment, the resilience of the human spirit, and the transformative power of friendship. Knight's masterful prose not only allows readers to witness the triumphs and challenges faced by these iconic figures but also to experience a genuine emotional connection to their journeys. The novel serves as a refreshing reminder that even within the most glamorous and demanding environments, genuine connections can form in unexpected places, offering warmth and hope amidst the complexities of life.

This captivating read is a valuable addition to the bookshelf of anyone interested in delving into the lives of these legendary figures, understanding the intricacies of the entertainment industry, or simply seeking a story that celebrates the enduring power and beauty of human connection.

I was so excited to received an advance copy of this book! I had never hear the story of their friendship! I enjoyed this story very much! Great flow! Highly recommend