It's 1938 and Frances Healey has landed a new job as the secretary to movie producer Lawrence Merrill at VistaGlen Studios in Hollywood. Frances quickly proves to be an immediate asset to Lawrence by not only assisting with his daily work needs but also by helping the young widower with his difficult 13-year-old daughter Sally and his actress girlfriend Belinda Vail, who is eager to move from her current ingenue roles to more substantial parts. The perfect opportunity arises with an exciting movie based on the life of Kitty Ridley, a colorful performer who started out during the Gold Rush years, became a celebrated stage actress and then disappeared. However, plans for the movie are disrupted when Kitty, now 90 years old, contacts Lawrence declaring that the book they based their movie on was a pack of lies and their plans for the film must be cancelled. Lawrence and Frances travel to Napa Valley to meet with Kitty, who has no desire to see them.

If you are a fan of books about the Golden Age of Hollywood, you're sure to enjoy A Golden Life by Ginny Kubitz Moyer. Not only is it a well-done story about movie making, it's also a tale of smart, ambitious women striving to succeed during this era. Frances, who harbors her own secrets, joins the other memorable characters in a compelling historical novel rich in vividly detailed settings that make the period come to life. 

4.5 stars.

This book is historical fiction, but of a time period I don't see often...the late 1930s as Hollywood and the film industry was taking off. I felt like the reader had a bit of a peek into the industry, but without focusing completing on that.

There were subplots that were just as interesting, and I loved them. The characters were well done, and I liked them without feeling they were saccharine or fake.

The ending was good...but the author took a different approach than most, trusting her reader to read into the ending. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to She Writes Press and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

#NetGalley #SheWritesPress #GinnyKubitzMoyer #AGoldenLife #OldHollywood #EarlyFilmIndustry

So I’m still new to the genre, but I thought the story was interesting! The FMC felt dry and I didn’t connect with her well. Overall plot pace felt a tad slow.

Not a horrible read, but I wasn’t finding reasons to read this story like I have some other recent reads.

I really liked "A Golden Life'. I love historical fiction. This book does not delve too deeply into history, but it definitely sets the stage for this tale. I love the descriptions of all the places 'Hollywood' related. This was a golden age in film making. The book really shows the ups and downs that so many people go to break into and succeed in show business. I also liked the relationship, although I kept anticipating something more for two of the key characters. While the story may not have flowed in the exact direction I thought it would, it definitely explained the relationships and history of the characters and wrapped it all up nicely at the end. I would recommend this for anyone who like general fiction, and especially those who like to look back in time a bit.

A Golden Life, by Ginny Kubitz Moyer is a wonderful old Hollywood story. I found myself fully immersed and invested in the well developed characters and the great storyline. This is a great book!

Fun fast easy read about Hollywood in the 1930’s. At its core it’s a story of falling in love but the plot around it is very compelling. I’d like how they incorporated a key characters past by having her tell her own story rather than turning this into a two time zone tale. Definitely recommend this one and I look forward to future books from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an early release in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Set in the late 1930's, this book was a great look at the pre-war Hollywood film industry, yet was fleshed out enough with characters and story lines that even if you're not really a fan of that era of movies, you'll still love this book.

The main character, Frances, is just enough to not be one of those overly perfect main characters that drives me up the wall, yet is good enough of a person that the reader wants her to get what she wants in life.

Without spoiling the ending, I am so, so thankful for this author to have the ending as she did and not the typical ending so many historical fiction books share.

This novel was an unexpected treasure by an author I did not know. Such a lovely story of Hollywood and the politics of running/working for a studio. It is the story of Frances whose life was derailed by an unexpected event. Ultimately, she gains a job at a Hollywood studio where she becomes a trusted confidante of her boss. Lawrence Merrill begins a stereotypical studio boss, but the author draws his character as the book continues. The two become close as Merrill tries to produce a film about Kitty Ridley, a fabled star of the post-gold rush era. This turns out to be a complicated task, when Miss Ridley, still alive and lucid, refuses to consent.

Frances becomes involved in the process as well as the care of Merrill’s daughter Sally. There are stories within the novel that are shared among the women. It creates a strong social document about the lives of women in America.

This is a rich book, full of well-drawn characters. I enjoyed soaking in the the extraordinary tale. I highly recommend this to my reading groups. I also hope this will be shared with younger women to remind them of the delicacy of lives that were pulled apart by the social norms and laws of pre-Roe America.

Thank you Netgalley for this absolutely wonderful novel.

Thanks NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. I really enjoyed the old Hollywood feel. The characters were well developed. An enjoyable book all the way through.

The year is 1938 and we are allowed into the past of Hollywood's "Golden Years." We step behind the curtains and read a story about the studio systems, its actors, screenwriters, and top executives. Frances Healy is our protagonist, as she becomes the secretary to a top producer, Lawrence Merritt t VistaGlen Studios The biggest project at the studio is the making of a film of a legendary stage actress who disappeared from the public eye in 1895. Not as easy to do with the legendary star rejecting the making of the film. There are many emotions involved, including loyalties, bonds and ambitions, all of which Frances is witness to. A novel that is hard to put down, this is highly recommended. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A beautiful Old Hollywood-esque tale spanning many different generations. I absolutely adored it. It would make such a great movie. I flew through this book and loved the characters and storyline. Highly recommend especially if you have an interest in the Golden Age of Hollywood.