4⭐️

"It was her. Stella Lane. She was everything I wanted to be. Magnetic and stunning, with the kind of beauty that could strike you cold as a stone statue."


An enjoyable trip into the darker side of old Hollywood!

A lot of comparisons here to The Seven Husband's of Evelyn Hugo- both are stories of an Old Hollywood start finally sharing her secrets with the world, decades later. However that's really where the comparisons end. Lily Adams and Evelyn Hugo are very different women, with very different stories.

This is a historical with 'then' and 'now' timelines. The 'then' is Lily Adams starting out in Hollywood, and her relationship with fellow star Stella Lane. The 'now' is Carolyn, Lily's granddaughter, packing up her house after her death and slowly realizing she might not have known her grandmother as well as she thought she did.

I wish Carolyn did more to uncover her grandmother's secrets- Lily left her a letter saying she wanted her to know her true story, but most of the letter was illegible and couldn't be read. She then just sort of stumbles on these clues as she goes through the house? It never really felt like she was an active participant, or even cared that much

As usual with this type of dual timelines story, I really just wanted to stay i the past timeline. The modern story with Carolyn didn't interest me nearly as much as Lily living in 1950's Los Angeles

Thank you to Netgalley and publishing team for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this novel with dual timelines between the 1940s-1950s and present day. I found myself more interested in the present day storyline, rather than Lily's storyline, however. I also did not think that the secret twist at the end was completely necessary, and probably should have just been left alone. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an Old Hollywood historical fiction.

I really enjoyed this book a lot, and I’m grateful I got the opportunity to read it through an ARC via NetGalley! I wanted to read this book because I’m always intrigued by old Hollywood historical fiction, and this book has it in spades. I’m not normally a historical fiction gal but I make exceptions when I know the book has a great premise, and I was not disappointed. When I first read the synopsis, I thought it sounded a lot like the 7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and I enjoyed that book a lot, so of course I wanted to read something similar, but I was pleasantly surprised when the book was only slightly similar, and only in the premise being that of old stories of a famous Hollywood legend coming to light. Everything else about the book and the way the stories were told were their own, and I loved the story of Lily Adams and in turn the story of her granddaughter. The ending made me tear up a little and I’m always a sucker for a good epilogue, and this book certainly delivered. Honestly, there wasn’t much I didn’t like about it, only that while it was different from Evelyn Hugo in some ways, and also just different from other similar books in the genre, it still felt very much like a sibling of that book, and the whole time I was reading it, I had Evelyn Hugo in the back of my mind. I do understand that with the premise of this book, it’s hard to really have it stand out because the topic of 1950s starlets who fell out of the spotlight and are spilling their life stories later on is fairly limited. Otherwise, I really did enjoy it, and loved the characters and the plot twist at the end that I didn’t even predict until the page before the reveal.

I needed something to read that was enjoyable but not deep in detail. This did the job. Cleaning out her grandmother's house, a woman and her daughter discover secrets about her relative and the life that she lived as an actress in the 1950's. . An unsolved murder and the brutal conditions that women went through to achieve stardom are vividly portayed in this book . A quick but satisfying read.

Wow, this was such a good book! I loved the peek into old Hollywood and the tie between real life stars and the characters in the book. This book was truly well thought out and well written. I found myself googling several actors and movies from the 1950s. The twists were incredible and I was pretty hooked the whole time. Very much a historical fiction meets cozy crime meets slow burn thriller. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my ARC of this novel.

Dual timelines and dual narratives, we follow , Carolyn, granddaughter to wonderful actress Lily Adams, recently passed and retired too soon. She leaves one note more for her granddaughter; Stella Lane. An actress who was murdered. So the plot thickens.

I was drawn to this story for the historical references to golden age of Hollywood. And much like other stories of Lake Union Publishing, this was an easy and cozy read. There were moments that felt not as believable, like the slight naïveté of Stella. Once Carolyn’s cousin Kristy was introduced, I enjoyed the parallel relationship and similarities they shared with Carolyn’s grandmother and Stella Lane. I did prefer the timeline with Lily, a lot more storytelling there. Personally, I felt the story between Carolyn and her daughter Em wasn’t fully fleshed out so I would have cut it. But if you like the intrigue and glamour of Hollywood’s golden age, you may enjoy this one too. If I could give it 3.5,3.75 stars on here, I would

Thank you netgalley for allowing me to read and review this wonderful book! This book will not disappoint! The author takes you back to old Hollywood and keeps you on your toes with twists and turns you will never expect. I loved reading it and will be recommending it to everyone!

The Last Secret of Lily Adams by Sara Blaydes. When I read the description, it gave me The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibes, and after reading the book, I stand by that statement!! Lily Adams was much more than a movie star! She had a very full and exciting life, and this book follows her granddaughter searching for answers about why she left Hollywood in the first place. Such a great book! I was gifted this book by NetGalley, it comes out in June. So good. Highly recommend. #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booksbooksbooks #thelastsecretoflilyadams #sarablaydes #netgalley #kindle #pageturner #fivestars

Yet another book I could not put down! The glitz and glamour of Hollywood that was tarnished by the Studio System. The Last Secret of Lily Adams is full of family secrets, the dirty business of how movies were made in the Golden Age of Hollywood. The fact the timeline/storyline flips back and forth may bother some reads but the shifts are clearly noted in each chapter. It serves to tell the story. The characters are strong - whether they are good or evil (and they certainly are!) In the middle of it all are actresses Stella Lane and Lily Adams, who are rivals who become best friends but are struggling with real life. in the 40’s. Present day mom Caroline and her daughter Em are in a miasma caused by their husband/father deserting them for his pregnant mistress as well as clearing out the home of Caroline’s beloved grandmother Lily Adams. The clearing of the home also serves as a clearing of the emotional cobwebs of the impending divorce. A museum would like to have an exhibition of Lily Adams’ career and have asked Caroline for mementos that Lily might have from her career. The mystery of the brutal death of Stella Lane comes to light. “It begins and ends with Stella Lane.” Is a line from one of Lily’s diaries early in the story. It’s no lie but there’s a wild story in between as well. If I could give ten stars, I would! Well done Sara Blaydes!

The golden age of Hollywood and modern day California collide in this pacey tale of family secrets and unbreakable bonds.

Carolyn and her estranged 14 year old are on a roadtrip to clear out the home of Hollywood legend Lily Adams, who is the grandmother who raised Lily. Smarting from a contentious divorce with a daughter who sees her as an enemy, Carolyn must face some home truths while mourning the only family she's ever known.

Lily a seamstress on the lot of Apex Studio dream's of stardom, she knows she has what it takes to be the next Stella Lane even if Stella Lane herself stands in her way.

Smart, tight and pacey.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. This book was WONDERFUL! I loved the ENTIRE thing, beginning to end! I could read it over and over and I hope they make into a movie! Its fabulous! I normally dont like the past to present back and forth but in this case, i was riveted the whole time. If you love black and white movies, this book is for you!

This book was a complete delight! I loved the characters and the dual perspective. I didn’t see the ending coming too far in advance. It had interesting insight into a time period of Hollywood and the experience of women then. I will recommend to friends!

I couldn't put The Last Secret of Lily Adams down. I loved the story and couldn't wait until the somewhat predictable ending was revealed. It reminded me of Evelyn Hugo in that it involved a Hollywood starlet with a secret - the secret was way different though. I was engaged in the story of these women: Stella, Lily, Carolyn, and Emily. The details of their problems, both common to each other and unique to each woman, kept me reading. If you want a satisfying novel that makes you feel and think, The Last Secret of Lily Adams is it.

The story flowed well and the characters were well developed. I recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.


****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****

New author for me. Good mystery with old Hollywood glamour. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

I found great pleasure in reading this book as I was completely engrossed in it.
The story reminded me of the captivating essence of "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo," with its themes of Old Hollywood, scandals, and hidden truths.
The narrative follows three women from a single family across different time periods, and it is skillfully crafted with unexpected turns. I look forward to exploring more works by this author in the future.

I would like to express my gratitude to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this advance reader copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley. Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Wow! What an amazing adventure!! I absolutely loved the story and enjoyed the characters, finding them to be believable. There were twists that I enjoyed, and one that I had started to feel was coming. Despite my earlier suspicions, all of the reveals were wonderful! This was a beautiful story and I honestly would not change a thing about it. Bravo!!

Lily Adams is a legend, a wonderful actress, America's favourite, and yet she stopped everything at the peak of her career in mysterious circumstances that nobody could ever understand. When seventy years later, her granddaughter, Carolyn, returns to her home to fulfil her death wish of revealing the truth about her life. Carolyn, while dealing with issues of her own, at moments incredibly similar to those of her grandmother will have an uneasy task in front of herself, with shocking revelations at every corner and the ultimate question - is it worth sharing this truth?

I thought this book was incredibly enjoyable. Intertwining two narrations and viewpoints in different timelines - one of Lily, and the other one of Carolyn, the story is very compelling. Initially, I had enjoyed Lily's part way more, but as the book picked up, so did, to an extent, Carolyn's part.

I enjoyed the clever story, filled with interesting plot twists, many of them impossible to predict. I enjoyed the descriptions of the Hollywood life of Lily, and it was very easy to visualise them in my head and feel a part of her story. The characters there were so interesting, and they felt alive with their descriptions.

The issues, I have mostly found in Carolyn's timeline - many characters fell a bit short, and felt shallow, until the very ending of the book, but it still did not make up for the previous part. They had their own lives and motivations, but, although constantly recounted, they still only hit the surface level. Each character had their own issues, but they seemed to only be told for the sort of adding something special, not developing the characters themselves, which could be seen with the cousin.

However, overall, I really enjoyed the book, and I thought it was clever, fun, and engaging, although initially a bit slow on Carolyn's part.

3/5 stars.

THANK YOU LAKE UNION PUBLISHING AND NETGALLEY FOR PROVIDING ME WITH A DIGITAL COPY OF THIS BOOK.

This is one of the best books I have read so far this year.
I'm a sucker for a Hollywood novel and this one just blew me away. The split narration was done so well, the twists and turns of every chapter were so carefully articulated. I was obsessed. The end was so well written and I did not see it coming at all.
If you enjoyed the seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo, I can guarantee you will love this. I feel privileged to have been given the opportunity to read this book before its release.

The Last Secret of Lily Adams was reminiscent of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and I jumped at the opportunity to read it. It did not disappoint.

I loved the dual storyline and perspectives. It was a quick read that I found myself thinking about when I wasn’t reading it and it had me wanting to read more. I highly recommend this book and am excited to share with others!