Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

This was a very eye-opening read about the surprising friendship of Marilyn Monroe and Ella Fitzgerald. I do remember seeing a Facebook post about Marilyn standing up for Ella when someone was racist to her at a nightclub. So, when I heard about this book I had to read it.

I liked the banter and back-and-forth between the two women. I don't exactly know how true it is, but I want to believe they had a strong friendship as depicted in the book. If you love Hollywood and celebrities (and music), and you also enjoy historical fiction, I am sure you will love this book like I did. I am definitely going to consider reading more books by these two authors in the future!

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Two of the biggest stars of the past share their friendship in the book Can’t We Be Friends. Marilyn Monroe and Ella Fitzgerald have more in common then just being stars. I enjoyed hearing about their pasts while watching them become each other’s sounding boards as Hollywood’s pressures come knocking on their doors. They turn to each other in good times and bad times. It was interesting to see how different their experiences are while both growing up wanting to never be hungry again.

Imagine working alongside Frank Sinatra, being married to Joe DiMaggio, performing at all the iconic halls…I could picture it all as I read the book. I could see the crowds cheering as they performed, the paparazzi with their cameras at every turn forcing Marilyn and Ella to be “on” every time they stepped out of their own houses. The lives they lived were charmed but had many very rough times and these ladies were lucky to have each other.

I love historical fiction but a historical fiction book about characters that I did not know enough about is wonderful. I walked away with so much more knowledge and compassion for the life of a star.

Thank you William Morrow for a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

When Marilyn Monroe seeks singing help, she turns to the best: renowned jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald. The two quickly become close friends. Despite their apparent differences, both women defy male expectations. They fight for independence and agency in their careers and personal lives. This novel explores their friendship over a decade, showcasing the power of friendship to overcome obstacles and celebrate successes.

This is an intimate portrait of two twentieth-century icons, weaving their real-life friendship into a vibrant and compelling fictional narrative. While it’s historical fiction, the themes are very much relevant to contemporary culture.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

This was a quick and enjoyable read. I knew very little about Marilyn Monroe’s background and private life, and even less about Ella Fitzgerald. I was fascinated to read about their mutually supportive friendship. I would recommend this to fans of historical and biographical fiction, especially those with an interest in the entertainment industry.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

If I had to describe this book in one word it would be phenomenal. The story, the writing, the respect they showed Ella and Marilyn. Everything combined for a read I couldn't, and didn't want to, put down.

Since Marilyn lived and died before I was born I really didn't know much about her. Reading this book I felt like I actually got to know Marilyn Monroe as a person and not the way she was portrayed by the media as a blonde bombshell, actress, sex symbol, etc. I felt like I was getting to know Norma Jean, the person behind the persona known as Marilyn Monroe.

I also didn't know much about Ella Fitzgerald but while reading I found her to be someone who was a good friend even when the bonds of friendship were tested. She seemed to be just the type of person Marilyn needed in her life. She is just as interesting of a person as Marilyn Monroe and it was nice to see that the authors gave her equal time in the story.

I could go on and on about this book and these two women. I won't though. Instead I will suggest you read this book yourself. It is a quick read and interesting from beginning to end. This book is definitely going on my keeper shelf!

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion which I have given.

It was delightful to learn more about the relationship between Marilyn and Ella. It felt like I was dropped inside their lives, able to see what the world never did. Their true friendship made navigating life as superstars just a bit easier. In the end, Ella reminds us that true friendship never dies, and the private moments between women are sacred.

I loved this book and exploring life through their eyes.
Monica Wisdom,
Black Women Amplified Podcast

I never knew that Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe had been friends.. This novel puts both icons of show business in a similar light for different reasons - their looks have challenged their careers. Marilyn was treated like a sex symbol while wanting to be taken seriously as an actress. Ella wanted to play the Mocambo club but she felt her size, not her color was her handicap. These women empowered each other. This is a well written, if not well-known story. I feel any woman can relate to this story of friendship.

Thank you to NetGalley for an Advance Reader’s e-proof courtesy of HarperCollins Publishers of ‘Can’t We Be Friends’ a novel of Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe by Denny S. Bryce and Eliza Knight

The timeline culminates from 1952-1962. The memories they shared of lost mothers, evil stepfathers, orphanages, and early marriages gone bad. Meeting because of a song.

Marilyn Monroe grew up in the foster care system and as an adult actress, cynics and people judged her and categorized her. She must match the image that everyone wants. A sex goddess, desired by many. She holds onto a wealth of sadness (All About Eve). Marilyn wanted to be taken seriously and admired for her talent as an actress. No recent actress has had this much power over her career, owning and operating a production company, a pioneer for women in Hollywood. Inspired by her friend Ella who had control and say so over her career.

Ella was filled with guilt of a failing marriage, the time she doesn’t spend with her little boy, and her hectic recording and performance schedule, in which she forged her own path as a jazz artist, that swings, be-bops, and scats, Her voice becomes an instrument, and she rules the stage. Selling out every venue she appears in.

I love how the authors interjected quips in Marilyn’s thoughts, and responses, such as “Oh, boy, does that ever boil her goose,” or “…How about we quit moping and rattle on the dance floor.” Their mutual love of tasty food, bonding their friendship is endearing.

Is the real reason they hadn’t hired Ella to perform at a nightclub on Sunset Boulevard could have been because she had no sex appeal? They were fine with Lena Horne, Dorothy Dandridge, and Eartha Kitt singing and dancing at the Mocambo Sunset Strip stage, wearing sleek, figure-hugging rhinestone-covered dresses with plunging necklines and breath-stealing cinched waists.

Both Ella and Marilyn had big dreams, and that’s what saved them. Ella, fighting bigotry, and racism. Marilyn, a one-woman strike with Fox and her own demands for higher pay and better scripts. They both had lost lovers, marriages and had pains that neither wanted to rehash. Marilyn struggled with addiction and mood disorders. A contrast between her stardom and troubled private life

Georgiana was my favorite character. I liked her frankness, stern demeanor, and loyalty. The author’s descriptions and mannerisms of Marilyn seem convincing, right down to her lipstick brands and color choices. This novel left me with a deep sense of sadness for both ladies, but more so for Marilyn Monroe (Norma Jean). It hurt to read how Ella tried to resuscitate the friendship between her and Marilyn on many occasions, and under many circumstances, but was constantly pushed back.

Grammar or sentence structure was at times a distraction, and some of the scenes were contradictory (People Will Say Were in Love). At times the dialogue became confusing, and I didn’t know who was saying what. Understandably this is an ARC and there was a likely possibility. The epistolary aspect of the novel is ideal, but overall I respectfully appreciate the research of this novel since 2019 between Knight and Bruce, and discovering the connection between Ella and Marilyn. The authors note at the end of the novel explains many of the creative license they chose to incorporate facts and speculation. Such as speculation about Marilyn Monroe’s final moments before she died. I in fact, watched the movie The Misfits while reading this novel and could candidly see the framing of the cruel exposure of Arthur Millers’ view of Marilyn and their marriage. This novel made me more curious and interested in further exploration into both of these legendary and iconic woman’s life stories.

#NetGalley #Can’tWeBeFriends #Onnaday

I started ‘Can’t we be Friends’ with hopes that I would enjoy it and learn more about these two amazing women, unfortunately I didn’t finish the book. The story follows the friend ship of Marilyn and Ella Fitzgerald from it’s unsteady beginning of letters from Marilyn to Ella.
I am sure patrons who are fans of both stars will enjoy it, so I will be buying a copy for the library and recommending it as I am sure many people will enjoy it.

This book is about the wonderful and unexpected friendship of two Hollywood icons, Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe.

Until I came across this book I did not know that Marilyn and Ella were friends. I love the way these two authors imagined their friendship. I was drawn in because of Ella but when I finished I felt like a fan of both. Though in any work of fiction it is hard to imagine personal feelings I felt as if I was on the same emotional rollercoaster has the characters. I shared in their happiness and their saddest moments.

Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow for this ARC. I am already recommending this one to all my friends.

The cover sucked me in, but the story kept me around. I’m a huge Marilyn fan, so I knew she was friends with Ella and loved how the friendship was imagined here. Before reading this, I knew almost nothing about Ella, other than her music, so I very much enjoyed reading about her too.

Marilyn and Ella take their problems to each other and support each other while their relationships with men go up and down and men fly in and out.


Am recommending this book to my book club because it is perfect!

Can’t We Be Friends chronicles the friendship of Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe. Both women worked hard to become successful stars, and they leaned on one another for strength when situations became difficult for them! This was an interesting glimpse into their lives and their struggles.

This is my first read from either of these authors and I truly enjoyed it! What a great team they made to create this very interesting and heartfelt historical fiction novel. Not knowing very much about either Ella Fitzgerald or Marilyn Monroe, this book about their friendship intrigued me as I knew both women must had led fascinating lives. It begins in 1952 when Marilyn first started writing letters to Ella and continues through their formulation of a sister-like friendship over the years until Marilyn’s untimely death in 1962. Although it is a historical fiction novel because there are different theories and points of view of things that happened over the years in the lives of both women, especially Marilyn, the book seems to be well researched by the authors. The tumultuous life of Marilyn Monroe is so sad to read about, though her friendship with truly seems to have been able to carry her through some hard times. I love that the authors tell the story from both Ella and Marilyn’s points of view to give a perspective on everything. Both heartwarming and heartbreaking, this was a fascinating book and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in either of these women or in reading a great story.
Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

This is a wonderful story. It’s about Ella and Marilyn and how they became good friends. It lets you inside their careers, loves and hardships. So entertaining you can’t hardly put the book down. Loved it! A must read.

A beautiful book about the friendship between two uniquely talented women. I never read anything before about the friendship between Marilyn Monroe and Ella Fitzgerald. They both had been used by the men in their lives and they really connected on a level I have never experienced. The 1950's were hard for both of them, especially Ella, because of racism, sexism and because she was not a size six like other female black entertainers during that time.

I highly recommend this book. Eliza Knight is one of my favorite authors. Her book on Adele Astaire is one of my all-time favorite books. I received an ARC from Netgalley. This review is voluntary and honest.

A beautifully written book about a fictional tale of friendships. The friendships between Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe were seen in this book. The authors did a pretty good job telling a story of friendships between two famous icons.

Thanks to the publishers at William Morrow Paperbacks and NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to read this book and do a review.

I really enjoyed reading Can’t We Be Friends, a retrospective on the friendship between Marilyn Monroe and Ella Fitzgerald – a novel based on real life. I knew that Marilyn and Ella were friends and contemporaries, but I didn’t know how deep the friendship went until I read this book. I also didn’t know the extent of the addiction issues that Marilyn had, nor the emotional and mental abuse she suffered during her marriage to Arthur Miller.

Back the day I was never a huge fan of Marilyn Monroe, and I’m not sure why, but I’ve always been a big fan of Ella Fitzgerald, and through her eyes I gained an appreciation for Marilyn. As an actress, she was a very hard worker and dedicated to her craft, something that a lot of people didn’t appreciate at the time, labeling her as just a difficult actress to work with.

In "the note from the author" Denny Bryce wrote, "We are aware that there is much we couldn't cover, and that we may have missed something, which is usually the case when taking on such a massive project. All of that aside, with the utmost respect, we put together a story we hope will honor the life and legacy of two women who changed the face of entertainment and remain icons to this day."
The authors did accomplish that with a well written book. That was such a pleasure to read.

My take-away from Can’t We Be Friends is the importance of having a strong friendship that can sustain us through anything, as well as the importance of having friends who lift us up as opposed to tearing us apart.

4.5 stars
HIGHLY recommend

I received a complimentary Kindle e-book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to Denny S. Bryce and Eliza Knight, William Morrow Paperbacks, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

When I heard about the premise of this book, I knew that I just HAD to read it. Marilyn Monroe was such a sad loss and many other great actors in the 1960s that I remembered hearing about as a kid. Marilyn was always fascinating as I thought that she had great comedic time and could sing well. Now, I have recently been listening to Ella Fitzgerald due to her Christmas album. Now, I need to listen to a lot more of her catalog.

Now if only half of the fictionalized relationship between Marilyn and Ella was accurate, they were real friends and not just Hollywood friends. I knew that Marilyn had a difficult childhood, but had no idea that Ella did too. They also had difficulty with family and husbands/lovers. But, they were also both very strong and their friendship made them stronger. I only wish that Marilyn hadn't found her way to illegal and prescription drugs and alcohol - so many lives devasted by these substances.

As someone who was born, raised, and still lives near Hollywood, it is a very dark and insidious place and always has been. That both Marilyn and Ella wanted to make their own marks there is so sad to me.

This was a touching account of the friendship between two remarkable women. By turns, it made me laugh and cry. I thought the ending was tastefully done, and I appreciated the authors' notes at the end about that and other decisions made. Though there were two authors, this had the feel of one fluid story, and both women came to life on the pages.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the early read.

The friendship between Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe is the stuff of legend. Eliza Knight and Denny S Bryce have taken this years long friendship and turned it into a beautiful historical fiction both that celebrates both women while still recognizing the challenges that they faced.

Overall, this is a book about friendship and support.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.