3.5 stars, rounded up to 4
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of Caroline Lamond’s The Socialites. The historical fiction novel follows three real life women (Maureen, Vivien, and Sonia) through the 20s in a strict, religious boarding school all the way through through the 60s, detailing their successful lives and careers as actresses, socialites and more. This book was pretty good, but outside of these women attending school together, I didn’t get a sense that they really all belonged in the same book - this single novel could have become almost a trilogy, with one book about each woman. I also felt like there were parts of the book that were very slow, while there were some parts that I wanted more detail and information on. The book was well written and easy to read though. Ultimately, if you’re into character driven, golden age of Hollywood type historical fiction, pick this one up!

This story follows three young women as they attend a Catholic school in Roehampton before graduating (or in one case, being expelled) and going on to forge their own destinies. These women were Maureen O'Sullivan, whose role in Tarzan strongly influenced the passing of the Hayes Code, Vivian Leigh (née Hartley), who became one of the most iconic actresses of her generation, and Sonia Brownell, who became George Orwell’s wife and the guardian of his literary legacy.

This historical fiction novel felt well researched and immersed us into the lives of these extraordinary women. I enjoyed learning more about their careers and personal lives and would have happily read a separate tome for each women!

A recommended read for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and the Golden Age of Cinema.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting read that managed to keep my attention. The pacing moved a good speed, however could have been a slightly less slow.

The characters and the world they lived in were interesting to read about. It’s always fun to look into the lives of characters in a Hollywood setting!

I would be interested in reading more from this author.

Maureen O'Sullivan - Tarzan's Jane - changed the way cinema censorship was handled.
Vivian Hartley - aka Vivian Leigh...played one of the most iconic characters in cinema history, Scarlett O'Hara, and a love with one of the greatest actors of all time.
Sonia Orwell, a young writer, had one of the greatest influences in modern literature.

The three women were all connected by one thing - a strict, joyless convent school outside of London.

The Socialites is the historical reimagining of the lives of 3 real lift women who had impacts on modern entertainment. Caroline Lamond has taken the lives added more details and brought together their lives to share in the glamour, scandal, and success.
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I understand what Lamond was doing, but I did find that the connection between the women was the thinnest of threads. Marueen and Vivan—Sonia, less so. Because of the timeline progression, I did feel that there was missing information. I wanted to know more about each woman and their backstories.

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

Maureen, Vivien, and Sonia attended the same convent boarding school in the 1920’s. The nuns were as cold as the ice water baths the girls took each evening at school, and the rules were strict. The world they graduated into wasn’t much warmer. It was a time when they were expected to find an appropriate husband, marry him, have children, and be a good wife and mother.

These women wanted more out of life and took unconventional steps to reach their goals. Maureen defied the expectation of wearing only the most modest clothing in her role as Jane in the movie Tarzan, earning her a spot in Hollywood history. Vivien left an unhappy marriage, followed her acting passion, and received multiple awards for her portrayal of Scarlet in Gone With the Wind. Sonia prioritized her career over finding a husband, imbuing herself with the artistic and literary scene, and became a trusted confidant (and platonic spouse) of George Orwell. After his death, Sonia made his books timeless and essential.

Maureen, Vivien, and Sonia all broke the mold and defied expectations to follow their dreams.

We live in a world replete with spoken and unspoken shoulds and musts. For some people, following society's ideals and standards works fine and brings them happiness. For others, following the acceptable and safe path means never pursuing their desired life.

Here are tips for breaking the mold and defying expectations to live as your true self.

Allow Yourself to Dream: Ask yourself: What are my aspirations? Where do I want to live or visit? What adventures do I want to try? What would I do if I didn’t care about other’s opinions?

Practice Bravery: Doing things differently can be scary. Try acting outside your comfort zone, first with small challenges and then in high-stakes situations.

Be Your Own Friend: Give yourself positive messages, reminding yourself to learn from mistakes, know your strengths and worth, use your voice, and love yourself unconditionally.

Plan, Prepare, and Execute: Research your dreams, strategize ways to make them a reality, and take consistent steps (even small ones at first) to bring you closer to your goals.

When I started reading this I had no idea that it was based on the lives of three famous women, this however becomes evident as you discover the rise to fame and the rocky path to get there for all of them.

Starting in a cold and loveless boarding school in England the three girls plan different futures and the book sees how Maureen, Vivian and Sonia make their way in a glamorous world and the price they all pay for this.

Well written and told from the point of view of of the characters this is an engaging story and gives the reader a glimpse of the heady world of theatre, film and society in the time of the star studded movie era. There are so many famous faces making an appearance, as well as the main characters there are plenty of chances to star spot as descriptions of fabulous parties and love affairs are revealed.

As a reader I found myself drawn to the character of Sonia, although she is by far the quietest of the three she has a huge impact on the lives of so many and a fierce influence, I enjoyed getting to know about her life.

Definitely would recommend this. Good and engaging writing style and enjoyable read.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to love this novel, but it unfortunately fell flat for me. I just wasn't interested in the stories and they didn't really resonate with me in any way. I am grateful for the opportunity to provide my feedback and want to thank the publisher, Caroline Lamond and Net Galley for the ARC.

I enjoyed this book. Light fun reading. The story moved at a great pace and even though a bit predictable, very enjoyable and I can't wait to read more from this author

Everyone knows I’m not a big historical fiction fan but I saw the cover & blurb and had to request this one on NetGalley. I was not disappointed. This book follows three women that all attended the same boarding school in the 1920s and through their lives, loves and careers after. I don’t want to give too away much about this book because I think it’s better as a blind read - I will however add my favourite part was the journey to fame and trying to make it and stay a star. I don’t know why I don’t pick up more books around this when I clearly love it lol. I’d actually recommend this book for those who are looking for something after Evelyn Hugo as it gave me that same glimpse into that world.

The book imo itself would have been stronger if it was a series split into the three womens separate stories as the POVs felt a bit disjointed. It didn’t take away from the read but I think Sonia’s path just didn’t connect with me compared to Viv and Maureens.

4 Old Hollywood Stars.

The Socialites, by Caroline Lamond, is a historical fiction story of three young girls who meet at a strict convent in the 1920s and go on to become two Hollywood icons and the wife of a Hollywood mastermind. This is the fictionalized history of Maureen O'Sullivan, Vivien Leigh and Sonia Orwell. Filled with glamour, high society, and strong female characters, these socialites leave no stone unturned, changing a nation in their wake. So much more than just three beautiful faces, these women leave indelible marks on the world. Although the book moves slowly at some parts, the drama unfolds beautifully and concisely, creating a fascinating story that is hard to put down.

I had really high hopes for this book, and I did feel endeared to the characters and the fictionalized lives of real celebrities, but it was just... SO slow. I had the hardest time getting into this, surprising as a lover of historical fiction, and felt like the story just didn't move nor did it go anywhere. It was difficult at times, especially at the beginning, to understand whose story I was reading and how the stories connected, as well as why these three women were chosen as the ones whose stories were to be told. I wanted to love it but I just didn't connect!

What an absolute pleasure to be brought back in time through the lives of Maureen, Vivian, and Sonia. Through so much tragedy, heartbreak, and war, all three women persevered with impressive tenacity. I finished this book feeling truly sad at how their lives unfolded. But the writing was exceptional.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a historical fiction novel with three POVs - that of Maureen O'Sullivan, Vivien Leigh, and Sonia Orwell. All three women attended the same strict convent school in London in the 1920s and all three experience brushes with great fame, love and tragedy. The three women's paths cross occasionally after they leave the school. Maureen and Vivien found success in the movies and Sonia is ultimately entrusted to keeping the legacy of her husband George Orwell alive.

I enjoyed learning about these women and found it interesting that they all knew each other at school as children. However, I expected more crossover and development of their relationships with each other. I believe each character could have stood on her own in her own novel.

Three stars.

A world full of parties and glamour, a world of big money, artists, but also of illusions, deceit, and manipulation. Welcome to The Socialites!

Three women connected by a shared history. Raised in a Catholic school, they each chose their own path. Each of them has a slightly different plan for their future; often side by side, yet vastly different.

This is a book about self-discovery. Big dreams. A beautiful life. Great loves, passions, but also about loneliness among close people. About what is important, and what is most important.

Thought-provoking. Captivating. A journey through the years, the twists and turns of life, full of wisdom, joy, and universal truths.

First of all thank you to NetGalley, One More Chapter and Caroline Lamond for the chance to read this ARC.

The words that comes to mind to describe these three women’s lives are devastating and tragic. Following their journeys from childhood at a convent boarding school to their careers in film, theater and the literary realm, we see the highs and lows of their lives.

I thought that Sonia’s story was disjointed from the other two, not having much in common other than spending their adolescence at the same convent. That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy her plot lines. Quite possibly they were my favorite out of the three. I believe that Lamond reflected the outcomes of their relationship to be as realistic as they truly were. All three found great loves but as readers we saw the cracks in the foundation. Three tragic love stories intertwined in fantastic lives and career.

This book was a really interesting read. How the three girls started in the same place and moved on so differently but also with so many similarities.

I did however think that the many time skips and different povs made it difficult to follow. Because there was so much to tell it sometimes felt like we skimmed through and didn’t get the chance to properly connect with the characters and events.

A solid read, I found it fantastic to peer into the lives and concerns of old Hollywood.

Some part definitely broke my heart, and I liked that the three women were linked. Being honest I felt Sonia's story, while interesting, was out of place in the book, and could have been its own focus. Two actresses and then an editor/writer didn't really track for me... plus she wasn't as good of friends in the beginning as Maureen and Viv were.

Lamond has beautiful writing that brings you to the time period sufficiently.

I enjoyed the Historical fiction aspect of this book and the fact that it was loosely based on real women. I also loved that it starts with three women at a boarding school in England and then transitions to their lives on Hollywood in the 1920's and their struggles of being women in a male dominated world. It was hard to stay fully engaged throughout the entirety of the book but I still found the characters captivating and would recommend it to lovers of historical fiction.

I like this one based on old Hollywood. It is loosely based on real starlets of the time . It was slow to get into but in the end loved it
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review the book

I enjoyed this look into the lives of old Hollywood starlets. I thought it started off a little slow, but it picked up. Recommended for readers of historical fiction.