Climbing in Heels is a delicious box of chocolates. It’s the story of three womens’ struggles to break the very low glass ceilings of the film industry in the 1980s. Beanie, Mercedes and Ella have very different beginnings but all come to the prestigious Sylvan Light Agency in Los Angeles. Their attempts to succeed are punctuated with ambition, betrayal, drugs and difficult relationships. Add designer clothes, celebrity style haircuts, fancy cars and glamorous parties to the mix and you have Climbing in Heels, a drama you’ll want to finish in one sitting.

In a style reminiscent of Jackie Collins, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas delivers a compulsively readable story of the prejudice against women in management and the sexual harassment and abuse in the workplace that makes you wish for the MeToo movement. Beanie Rosen and her dreams drive the plot. You’ll want her to win and you’ll celebrate each triumph, no matter how small. This is a beach read, a curl up on Sunday afternoon book and one to read at night. Wherever you are you’ll enjoy it…just like a box of chocolates. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas for this ARC.

I really enjoyed this book. Easy reading and interesting. I think this would be a great vacation read. I could easily see enjoying this on a beach with an umbrellad drink!

Initially I was very engaged with this novel but as it went on it dragged quite a bit for me. There also were too many ancillary characters and less in depth about the main 3 women. I am glad I got to read it thru NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

This book sounded interesting, but I had trouble getting into this book. I just couldn't get into it. Maybe this book just wasn't for me, but others may enjoy it. I might try to read it again on another day.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.
At the start of the book, I was quite interested, but as it went on it felt awfully long. I think it could have easily been shorter and still still make its points.
I found it difficult to like any of the characters and the shenanigans that went on between the men and women was a bit shocking. I wouldn't have lasted in that business for more than a day, way too ruthless and clawing your way to the top would be be an understatement.

This was a very interesting book about three women in the 80's trying to make their way up the corporate ladder. It reads almost like a memoir instead of a novel. The beginning and end of this book were absolutely great! I loved learning the backstory of the 3 main characters - Beanie, Ella, and Mercedes. I thought the end of the book wrapped everything up really nicely. However, the middle of the book dragged a bit for me and was pretty long. I also had a hard time keeping track of all of the characters. Overall, a solid book and I would recommend it to others!

Three women rise through the ranks at Hollywood's hottest agency in the 1980s, despite the boys' club dominating the industry. These women are determined to succeed, no matter the pressure to keep them down. The story highlights the friendships, betrayals, survival, and defiance needed to rise above.

Beanie Rosen, Mercedes Baxter, and Ella Gaddy seemingly have nothing in common except their determination to stand on their own and control their lives. The story pulls back the covers on the sex, drugs, and what it took to get ahead during this time. With cunning strategy and perseverance, these women find their way.

The narrative is led by Beanie, who introduces us to the culture of the Sylvan Light Agency. The author effectively depicts the toxic environment many women endured during this period. Their perseverance and cunning made me cheer for each win they achieved. The characters are deftly created, each woman distinct in her approach to overcoming the culture they were fighting against. This is the author's debut novel and clearly has a bright future.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

Wow - this book was such an interesting story!

It follows a 1980's Hollywood agency as they manage the movie stars and is set around the three upcoming secretaries that dream for more and won't settle for less. It's a fascinating storyline - the characters are incredibly detailed and interesting - the whole concept is entertaining. I enjoyed following the three ladies in their climbs to the top and all the adventures that got them there.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this glimpse into the entertainment industry. It reminded me a little bit of Olivia Goldsmith’s books from the 90s. Recommended for readers of women’s fiction.

This book is the epitome of sexism in the 80's movie industry where when were categorized not for their intelligence but for their looks such as how short their skirt could be. Deemed sexetaries, they were simply not encouraged to embrace rising in any capacity with respect to their "career". They were meant to be seen not heard. Then enters Beanie. See it, believe it, be it, Beanie saw that she would be an agent and went through any channel she could find to be it. She created her own roles where she migrated amongst departments as a trainee. She read everything she could find and was set on promoting those with talent and found roles that were therefore a perfect fit. She was a loyal friend to Ella and a staunch supporter of Hawkeye. She believed in women and their talent. She refused to fall into a role such as Mercedes who sought those that would provide for her. Due to her ruthless quest for success, Beanie experienced a meteoric rise to fame. People both wanted to be her as well as affiliated with her. She was the powerhouse. Even her own mother was proud. Beanie was not about appearance but rather about ability. She certainly went in a way of which she continued to soar. This is an inspiring book for those who want to penetrate a career path most catered towards men.

This one did not really hook me, unfortunately. I was intrigued by the premise, but did not enjoy it altogether.

(I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)

This book was someone between a 3 and 4 star rating for me. I liked the storyline and the string of engaging characters. My issue was it was too long. I think 50-75 pages could be cut from the middle with no impact to the story. I did enjoy the writing and I would definitely read another book by this author.

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

This is a story about three women trying to make their way in the 80s, each hiding secrets but also so many hopes for the future. The women's stories revolve around Beanie. Think Peggy from Mad Men but it’s the 80s and she has to climb from limb to limb in a forest of trees, and she almost falls off many times. And each time she does the reader is so invested their heart aches for Beanie and wants to see her succeed. When I finished and read the author’s bio I understood immediately how the layers were so perfectly explored. Everyone will be talking about this book in Spring,2025!
Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the advance copy of this book I’ll be thinking about for a long time.

good story of what 3 women do to compete in Hollywood. There is Ella, beanie, and Mercedes. We see their journeys through the different time periods and some finding love or not. Interesting business of being an agent in Hollywood.

I definitely enjoyed this page-turner from a true industry insider! Goldsmith-Thomas knows this world so well, and she has crafted a compelling story that is imbued with her firsthand experiences. I absolutely love "Climbing in Heels" and I hope Goldsmith-Thomas will continue to write because she's an outstanding storyteller.

What a story, it was long but I enjoyed the book. Beanie was a go getter, she did not take no for an answer. I would have thought Mercedes would have been a little smarter with her upbringing. I guess in the end she knew what to do and who to do. Ella was the one who I think was the smartest of the three of them. Once she got away from her family and her nasty sister she really bloomed. I can’t say I knew a lot of the people that were name dropped as clients so I’m not sure which ones were made up and which one was really a star.

Climbing in Heels by Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas had the premise that was so great in theory: pre- Weinstein, where men could slap a woman in the behind at work and it would be acceptable. Women in Hollywood would be taken advantage of (still happens!) thinking that they would be promoted in the rankings at their jobs, often didn’t happen and sometimes they were fired after they made accusations. This reminded me of one of my favorite 80s movies Working Girl with Melanie Griffith. I am an 80s girl through and through so when the initial premise of this book came out, I was excited to hear all of the names and faces, of this semi-autobiographical book by Goldsmith-Thomas, who is a seasoned Hollywood producer herself.

While I loved Beanie - the main character , she worked hard, found holes where she could snake her way in to specific positions, I felt the characters and plotting was rushed. It was as if it lacked heart, and instead things just “happened”, because we need to see how the next scenes were going to play out. No true character development, no day to day job descriptions, no real connection with the audience and these people we are all supposed to root for.

The beginning starts out with three different characters, all whom have grown up in different lifestyles who want to work for a talent agency. I found there was no rhyme or reason for any of them, that there was so much going on, I ended up being bored. I didn’t care about any of their characters or their reasonings as to why they want to work in this difficult industry. Things just happened, well just because!

By midway through, I slogged through it to get to the end.

I'll be very honest: I don't think I am the right audience for this book. I thought the synopisis was fun and it got me intrigued. But the book turned out to be something different from what I expected, and that's alright. I'm sure this book will please other readers.
Fun note: I think this story could be more fun as a movie. :)

A very entertaining story about women in Hollywood in the 1980s! An exciting setting and interesting characters we get to know so well through the author's well-written novel. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a great read of three women wanting to be more than secretaries in the 1980s. I liked all three Beanie, Mercedes, and Ella. They were not always the nicest but they wanted power and they got what they wanted. I liked the 1980s too.