"The Last Secret of Lily Adams is an absolute gem of a novel! With its mesmerizing blend of Hollywood glamour, mystery, and family drama, it kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The author skillfully navigates through decades of secrets and scandals, weaving a gripping tale of betrayal and redemption. Each page is filled with twists and turns that will leave you breathless, and the characters are so vividly drawn that they leap off the page. A must-read for anyone who loves a riveting story with heart and depth. 5 stars without a doubt!"

An intriguing story following the mysterious relationship of two Hollywood stars. The Last Secret of Lily Adams got off to a slow start. There was a point that I almost put the book down and did not finish. But after the initial few chapters, the plot draws you in, as you explore the relationship between Lily and Stella. The plot between Carolyn and Em wasn't the most intriguing to me, but overall the book was an enjoyable read.

“𝐈 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥 𝐮𝐬.”

"The Last Secret of Lily Adams" tells the intertwined stories of Carolyn, a woman grappling with her life challenges in the present day, and Lily, an ambitious actress from the 1940s Hollywood golden age. The novel skillfully navigates through themes of family, secrets, and the pursuit of one's true self across different generations. The uncovering of Lily Adams' secret, connecting both storylines, reveals the complexities of legacy and the impact of the past on the present.

This is a fascinating and captivating story. Did I need any details? Maybe. But it is an attractive and incredible story about how destiny can change in seconds and how your dreams can be reframed and continue to be remarkable.

🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

"El último secreto de Lily Adams" cuenta las historias entrelazadas de Carolyn, una mujer que lucha con los desafíos de su propia vida en la actualidad, y Lily, una ambiciosa actriz de la edad de oro de Hollywood de la década de 1940. La novela navega hábilmente a través de temas de la familia, los secretos y la búsqueda del verdadero yo a través de diferentes generaciones. El descubrimiento del secreto de Lily Adams, que conecta ambas historias, revela las complejidades del legado y el impacto del pasado en el presente.

Una historia fascinante y cautivadora. ¿Me hizo falta algunos detalles? Tal vez. Pero realmente es una historia atractiva e increíble sobre cómo el destino puede cambiar en cuestión de segundos. Como tus sueños pueden replantearse y seguir siendo maravillosos.

SO SO SO FUN!!!!! The Last Secret of Lily Adams throws you into old Hollywood and all of the scandal, glamor, and drama that comes with it. Intertwined with a reflective and emotional mother/daughter relationship, this one was a home run for me.

This is a beautiful novel that showcases the realities of old Hollywood as well as the glamour. The author doesn't shy away from the difficulties women faced in that time while also showing their strength! Lily Adams was your typical aspiring actress who would do anything to have her chance at fame.

The dual timelines in this novel blended seamlessly, really adding to the story. I loved getting to know Lily Adams alongside her granddaughter. Carolyn is also a complex woman who has spent her life pleasing others and is now trying to find herself while sorting through her grandmother's life. It was lovely to see her life come together for the better in the end.

Set in Hollywood during the late 40s, chronicling Lily Adams' rise towards stardom as she works her way up and seeks out her dream role. While alternate chapters are set in present day as Lily's Granddaughter discovers the truth about Lily's past.
Full of complex characters, a compelling mystery and a focus on family and friendships, set to a backdrop of Hollywood's Golden Age; I really enjoyed both the story and the writing in this book, and look forward to reading more by Sara Blaydes in the future.

Thank you to @netgalley and @LakeUnionPublishing for this ARC. Lily has passed away and her granddaughter has come to clean out her house. Lily, one of the great actresses of the 50's, abrubtly left her career when her co-star was found murdered. While sorting through her things, Carolyn is hoping to get to the bottom of the mystery. Did Lily have anything to do with the murder or was it just timing? I really enjoyed this book! The thrill of a 50's actress as well as a mystery thrown into one. #TheLastSecretofLilyAdams #SaraBlaydes #June2024 #LakeUnionPublishing

I enjoyed the was the story was told (Dual- Timeline).
It was a great story about Old Hollywood, Friendship, Motherhood and more.
The story content itself was extremely well woven together, and contained mystery, family drama and much much more!
Highly recommend!

A story of early Hollywood drama, strong female leads, found family and a little mystery on the side.

I would be a big fan of Lily Adams if I was watching her career grow in real life. Stella Lane maybe not so much, but therein is the real story that you never know what struggles and choices someone is truly going through.

A very enjoyable quick read that takes you through Lily Adams young Hollywood journey - fans of Evelyn Hugo will find a lot to enjoy here too. Definitely recommend adding it to your June / summer TBRs

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review.

The blurb sounded exciting. And I always love reading about old Hollywood and some unresolved murder mystery. But the pace was too slow to keep me interested.

“The Last Secret of Lily Adams” by Sara Blades was simply a Wonderful book! This story was about everything I adore, old Hollywood, glamour, intrigue, betrayal, and the resilience of families. It tells the story of two rival actresses who become best friends through their real life crises while trying to make it through the dirty business of becoming movie stars during the 40s and early 50s. After the death of Lily Adams (one of the above mentioned actresses) her granddaughter discovers a letter revealing her secret life and her involvement in the murder of her close friend and rival. The quest to uncover the truth begins, and the masterful and exciting storytelling grips you and keeps you turning every page. I highly recommend this book to everyone who loves a gripping tale of Hollywood’s darkest secrets and beloved characters.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Loved every moment of this novel! Stunning novel that I literally could not put down. Historical fiction, mystery, interplay with modern times, love stories and scandals all woven into one well written novel. I highly recommend!

A story told in a dual timeline, the description really interested me, the characters in both timelines were written well, but I found myself enjoying Lily’s story more.

Some issues I had - stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age were absolutely more than capable of purchasing very large / grand homes. Even stars from the Silent Age were able to - so I didn’t understand why in the first chapter Lily’s granddaughter explains that her grandmother, “one of Hollywood’s brightest stars” and “a legendary actress” as described in the synopsis, couldn’t. While the granddaughter is correct that stars didn’t make the same money they do now, they were still compensated far better than most workers.

Another, this regarding the writing for the 1940’s timeline - it wasn’t accurate, time-period wise, and that kept pulling me out of the story.



Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC

Thrilled to have an advance copy of The Last Secret of Lily Adams, a romp through Old Hollywood with themes of motherhood, friendship and leaving behind your past. Also a fan of multi-POV, especially the former "It Girl" grandma! Wonderfully written!

Hollywood starlets, secrets, lovers and drama. This book has it all! For fans of Evelyn Hugo this book just hits home. I was enamored from beginning to end reading all about Lily and Stella and discovering the secrets as they were uncovered. A definite recommend

This book had a back and forth between present day and the past, but I found myself caring way more about the Lily Adams storyline than the present day mother/daughter relationship. I liked the drama of the golden age of Hollywood, but I think the relationship between Stella and Lily should have been more developed given how the story ended for the two of them. Overall a good read.

I went into this book knowing very little about it with no expectations. I was quite pleasantly surprised. The book is a real page turner and both the historical and modern day plot lines are well done and interesting. The plot twists of Lily's secret are surprising but yet plausible. There is no heavy handedness or forcing of the plot. All the plot reveals feel natural. In all, I found this book very enjoyable and would recommend to anyone who enjoys fiction or old Hollywood.

Any book that gives me a taste of the Golden age of Hollywood will always be instant favorite. I couldn't put this book down and was so invested in what happened next that I stayed up to 5 in the morning to finish it. This book was my favorite March read and may even be in my top reads of the year!

No, this my friends was a fantastic book. The old Hollywood scene, the dual storyline past and present, the mystery, the relationships between people both good and bad-it had everything.
Many books, these days have the dual timeline, sometimes it works, and sometimes it just boggles my mind. This book nailed it when a granddaughter of a former Hollywood star is left to unravel the mystery of her grandmother, all while trying to maintain a sense of normalcy while she goes through a divorce, and has a sullen teenager and more
I will definitely recommend this to any historical fiction fans. Thank you to Nelly and the publisher for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Loved this. Not my typical go-to, but such a good book. I really liked the Hollywood golden age feel and it gave me strong Evelyn Hugo vibes (one of my favourite books). Definitely recommend reading this. The start is a little slow but it quickly picks up. The strong female relationships are amazing and it is a story of true friendship.