This was such a great debut, and I loved the glamour and glitz of Hollywood during the Golden Age.

WHAT TO EXPECT
-1940/50s timeline
-realistic struggles of young Hollywood starlets during that time, including sexual abuse, domestic abuse, and drugs

*many thanks to Lake Union and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really liked it, stuck with me & would recommend
This dual timeline, historical fiction, suspenseful family drama hit the spot for me. It did a lot and did it so well. The golden era Hollywood scenes were so well described, I felt immersed in the era, and the contemporary parts were relatable and real. Both main characters take back their agency in ways appropriate to their eras from the hands of men who are out to and have taken advantage of them. That undercurrent and how it relates to this story has kept me thinking about it, even after finishing.

The narrators, Erin Bennett and Soneela Nankani, did a good job, I had no trouble understanding who was saying what, where, when, with what expression/intension, and the appropriate accent. It was a pleasure to listen to.

Thank you to Brilliance Publishing, NetGalley, and author Sara Blaydes for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. The Last Secret of Lily Adams is out June 4, 2024.

4.5 Stars

I loved it!! I was so entertained by this book. This is a dual timeline book that is super easy to follow. It had everything I love in a book. I loved the characters, the mystery, the plot! So good and I ate it up!

Thank you to NetGally and Brilliance publishing for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

I loved this book so much. The dual storyline was really well done, weaving back and forth between the present and the past. The characters were so real, Lily and Stella's frenemy relationship was spot on perfect. The golden age of hollywood really came to life for me. In the present day storyline, Lily's granddaughter's recent divorce and managing her teenage daughter was also well crafted. Blaydes is an excellent writer and I can't wait to see what she writes next. I'd recommend this book to anyone who love old Hollywood, mysteries, murder, romance and glamor.

A moving, multi-generational, dual timeline historical fiction novel set in the glamorous world of early Hollywood and follows the journey of a rising star. In the present, Lily Adams's granddaughter and great-granddaughter are helping sort through her things for a museum exhibit after she's passed and discover a number of dark secrets she's been keeping for years. I loved the Hollywood setting, the Harvey Weinstein esque storyline and the strong friendship bonds in this book. Good on audio and perfect for fans of books like The seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Many thanks to NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for an ALC in exchange for my honest review!

CW: domestic abuse, drug addiction

The Last Secret of Lily Adams by Sara Blaydes and narrated by Erin Bennett & Soneela Nankani is a luscious historical fiction centred on the Golden Age of Hollywood, the social climate of the time, secrets, rivaly and the ultimate betrayal. Two actresses; the demure Lily Adams, the girl next door, and the glamorous Stella Lane are as different as they come

However, when Stella is brutally murdered, Lily disappears from the public, settling down back at home until her passing 7 decades later. Her granddaughter Carolyn and her daughter, travel to Lily's home, Carolyn fighting with the decision whether to move there permanently or sell up, when her daughter accidently unearths a mysterious photo in a book of Lily and a mysterious blonde (who they later discover is Stella)

One of my favourite scenes has ot be when mother and daughter sit down to stream old movies, Lily's being the stuff of nostalgia, while Stella's evoked all the pain and heartache of Carolyns divorce

The audiobook was outstanding, succinct and colourful. A real pleasure to listen to

Sara Blaydes creates a vision of old Hollywood and its dark underbelly while immersing the story in hometown warmth. A triumph

Thank you to Netgalley, Brilliance Publishing, the author Sara Blaydes and the narrators for a very enjoyable ALC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

The Last Secret of Lily Adams
by Sara Blaydes
4/5 ⭐

The Last Secret of Lily Adams is a historical fiction, mystery set in Hollywood's golden era. The story is told between two timelines: Lily Adams, a promising movie star, who dazzles the big screen with her dancing and Carolyn, her granddaughter, in the present day. Lily has recently passed away and left Carolyn to handle her estate. As Carolyn sorts through the costumes, fan mail and jewelry Lily left behind, she discovers some hidden truths. Lily might not be the woman Carolyn remembers so fondly growing up.

This book was the full package! It had multiple POVs, dual timelines, suspense, romance, fame and drama. I was quickly whisked away into my favorite decade and lost in Hollywood’s golden era. Lily’s story as a woman trying to make it in a male-dominated industry was intriguing. Although I did not figure out the major twist, I predicted one of the smaller twists. I recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction mixed with a captivating mystery.

Thank you to @brilliancepublishing and @netgalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review. All my opinions are my own.
Publication Date: June 4, 2024 (TODAY)

ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 𝔽𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕥: 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨: 𝐈 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐒 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐎𝐍𝐄!! 𝐔𝐠𝐡. 𝐈 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐈’𝐦 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞. 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐇𝐮𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲𝐧 𝐇𝐮𝐠𝐨 (𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐭) 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐞𝐬, 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐄𝐇 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐬. 𝐈𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐎𝐕𝐬, 𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬, 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐲𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦 (𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐚), 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞. 𝐀𝐧 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐛𝐮𝐭—𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬!

𝐻𝓊𝑔𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝒮𝒶𝓇𝒶 𝐵𝓁𝒶𝓎𝒹𝑒𝓈, 𝐵𝓇𝒾𝓁𝓁𝒾𝒶𝓃𝒸𝑒 𝒫𝓊𝒷𝓁𝒾𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔, & 𝒩𝑒𝓉𝒢𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝑅𝒞! 𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝓅𝒾𝓃𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝑜𝓌𝓃.

Reminiscent of “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo,” this book brings the horrors of the 1940s Hollywood studio system to life. The dual timeline worked okay, although the modern-day storyline lacked excitement compared to the 1940s storyline. Also, most of the book is focused on women as victims of men, and even when they do claim their agency, they have to give up everything. The audiobook narration was well done.

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

This book!! Love, love, love!! This was so well written. There were two main storylines going on and both of them had me invested. The present day storyline of Caroline trying to find out the secrets of her grandmother and the story from the past told from Lily Adams POV. The ending got me!! I was shocked!