Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

I am not sure why but this book did not work for me. However, as I always say when I don't like a book, just because I did not like the book, it doesn't mean that someone else won't like it. It also doesn't necessarily mean that I may not like another book by the same author. Or even that I may not like the book if I try it again in the future...

I’m so torn about this book! The first half really grabbed me, learning the story of three women, all who want more than the male dominate world says they should have. Each woman has a story of making their way and what they had to do to get there. At about half way though I started having trouble following all the names and lost interest in the sorry until the very end.
Overall I loved reading about Beanie but just not enough to give this book more than 3 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

First thank you to st martins press and NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.5 stars

Synopsis: three women in 1980s Los Angeles trying to break through the glass ceiling in the entertainment business. Beanie is the California girl that might not look like all the other woman but is smarter and sharper than most everyone. Ella a debutant from the south who moves to California and definitely makes an impression and finally Mercedes who grew up wealthy and leverage that to get what she wanted.

What I liked: this book is great. I love Hollywood back story books and this book delivered. Beanie was my favorite because she is so likable. She works so hard too and if she was a guy she would have been an agent so fast. I loved how she could solve almost any problem and worked so well with others. Ella i liked as well but she could hold a grudge. Mercedes used my least favorite tactic to success by leveraging her looks and female wilds. I did love how the author show you all of the different ways the woman survive, move up and bond together in the boys club. The gossip was great and had enough real life and made up to make you wonder what was real or not. This is a debut and can’t wait to read more.

Climbing in Heels is a smart, fierce, and empowering read that offers an inside look into the world of Hollywood through the lens of strong, ambitious women. From the very first chapter, I was hooked by the sharp writing, witty dialogue, and unapologetic portrayal of female strength in a notoriously tough industry.

What stood out most to me was the cast of complex, driven women navigating fame, friendship, and power in a male-dominated world. The characters are refreshingly real—flawed, funny, bold—and they never shrink themselves to make others comfortable. It’s a celebration of women who know their worth and aren’t afraid to demand space.

Beyond the glitz and glam, Climbing in Heels delivers insightful commentary on what it means to rise, to fail, and to persist. It’s not just about climbing the ladder—it’s about doing it in heels, with style and substance.

If you’re looking for a story that’s both entertaining and empowering, this one is absolutely worth the read.

This might be most appreciated by those who would like a peek behind the curtain of Hollywood deal making. At the start, it feels very much like a Rona Jaffe novel-three women whose very different backgrounds are detailed become room mates when they find themselves working together at a talent agency. Turns out that Beanie, Ella, and Mercedes have different goals and that Mercedes is a rat. Most of the novel follows Beanie as she winds her way through different departments, always finding a way to advance others and, in some ways, herself. Ella is very much in the background until late and her character feels very different in the midsection from where she started. There's a lot of bad behavior, some spice, and much, perhaps too much maneuvering. You might root for Beanie at the start but eventually like me wondering why no one fired her. This bogs down terribly in the middle unless you care about all the back and forth of the politics of the agency, even after a new female character is introduced. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. An interesting read.

I wanted to love this book. Women in Hollywood in the 1980's is definitely a fun topic... but I did not find that I loved it. There were too many characters, which made it hard to connect to any of the characters and even their stories. I did not find that there was a ton of character growth or even that I truly got to connect and know the characters. I think fewer characters would have allowed there to be more of an emotional connection. I also found that the book overall did not portray women during that time well - there was too much sex and drugs and not enough of the positive, in my opinion. The book dragged on in the middle because of these things. I wish that there was more of the humanness to the book, since I think this is a great period to discuss women, especially working women. 
Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader copy

This book was very slow in the beginning but I think was a necessary evil because you needed the backstories but it took me a long time to get thru it. I loved the look at how women make it in a “man’s world” and everything they have todo to make it.

A really delicious read.A book that swept me out of my life took me back in time in Hollywood.Three competitive women secretaries in a Hollywood agency trying to break into the boys club as agents.Fun perfect vacation read.sit back relax and enjoy.#NetGalley #stmartins

1⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of Climbing In Heels.

This story follows three women in the 1980s who are secretaries for the hottest Hollywood agency. It follows the three women and how they vow to make it in a man’s world.

This book was way too long and the stories just got very boring and drug on. I feel like this book had potential but the execution failed.

This one definitely was a different vibe for me. It's full on glam with a backdrop of 1980s Hollywood. I think I didn't connect with the 1980s Hollywood vibe. This one follows the story of three young secretaries working their way to becoming talent agents. The story itself was very unique and the book was well-written. I just couldn't connect with it. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced copy and St. Martins Press for the ecopy.

What a debut! What it must have been like to be a talent agent in the 80's!

I enjoyed the strong female characters, the setting of LA and the timeframe of the 80's... What a fun read. It started just a bit slow for me but the building of the backstories were definitely necessary. This has such a feeling of authenticity.

Three unlikely women are brought together and they couldn't be more different from one another. But also, similar in some ways.

Beanie Rosen grew up with an overbearing mother who always wanted and expected more - and valued image over actual contentment. Raised in the Valley, she is naturally determined, stubborn, and persuasive, and sometimes very naïve.

Mercedes Baxter had a very complicated youth and family life, leading her to cross the pond, leaving that trauma behind and reinvent herself in LA.

And then there's Ella Gaddy: a knock out raised in a good ole southern family with debutante expectations. But she is anything but... though she does know how to use her charms to get her way.

Each of these young women find themselves with big aspirations in a "boys club" environment. They do what they must to achieve their goals, and there is no lack of cut-throat betrayal.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas for the eARC.
Pub Date Apr 29 2025

CLIMBING IN HEELS is a look at the competition and struggle for women in the entertainment industry to succeed. Try as I might, I could not stay interested enough in this book to stick with the story. I had to start over a few times and each time I wondered why the (many) characters couldn’t stay clear in my mind. I somehow thought this would have a lighter, more humorous tone to it, but it did not. Despite enjoying the tales of the entertainment industry, this book didn’t tap into that vein for me. I am not the right audience for the book. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Need a guilty pleasure? A deep dive into the salacious, juicy, gossipy world known as Hollywood? CLIMBING IN HEELS is all that and more. You will find yourself immersed in a place where names are dropped and clout is wielded like a sword. Welcome to the cut throat land where stars are made and the people who make them.

The story focuses on three women of vastly different backgrounds trying to make it in 1980s Hollywood. They face a mountain of obstacles including an archaic hierarchy in a male dominated industry where misogyny rules and sex is power. It’s a tale of friendship, loyalty, ambition, betrayal, and desire. I couldn’t look away.

Highly entertaining and entirely riveting, I was fascinated by the three main characters—Beanie, Ella, and Mercedes—as they schemed, plotted, and strategized their way to positions of power. Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas‘s novel reads like an exposé of an industry that glitters on the surface belying the grit and dirt beneath the shiny veneer. It’s addictive and a whole lot of fun.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin’s Press for the advance copies. All opinions are my own.

Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas has a bestseller in her hands, in this readers opinion!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I loved this book!!!!!!!!!! It has woman power, drama, sex, corporate drama, and everything you could want in this one book. You need to read this one if you haven't.

Climbing in heels is the fictional tale of three women’s, Beanie Rosen, Mercedes Baxter, and Ella Gaddy, rise within the hottest Hollywood talent agency in the 1980’s.

On paper, this book should have been a hit for me. In my opinion, the book started off strong, but in the middle seemed to be bogged down before it picked up again. I enjoyed the story of the three women, but they felt somewhat flat, more akin to a non fiction book rather than a fictional tale. I didn’t feel a strong connection with any of these women. With the strong non fiction feel of three very interesting women, I was shocked at the end (and I had to google to ensure I was right) that these are completely fictional characters. Which, I believe, is the reason my feelings of disappointment are probably more than the book deserves. Given the fictional nature, I feel like there was way more opportunity for female friendship, character depth and emotional pull since there was no need to keep “true to the facts.” But in reality, the book is written well, could have been slightly shorter, but provides an interesting look into women in the 1980’s fighting their way to the top.

I like how this book starts in the past and works its way forward. This brought nostalgia for the good things in the past, but I had frustration for the boys club antics (which is an underlying point of the book!). This book gets a bit spicy describing some of the things the women experienced to get ahead. The most important thing is though that the woman were doing their best to earn their spots and be taken seriously. I liked how Beanies' character was a role model for others, but there were lots of characters to keep track of. I will look for future books from this author, I think she is probably just finding her footing....in heels (ha!). but I will read future books too!

LOVED!! What great characters Beanie, Ella and even the ruthless Mercedes are! This is a story of how these three women begged, borrowed and stole their way to the top of the Hollywood's biggest agency at a time when it was unheard of. I cannot say enough of Goldsmith-Thomas's writing and how she developed these characters. This is going to be a BIG! Highly recommend!

Goldsmith-Thomas brings her own experience in Hollywood in this debut novel that has a bold premise as it explores complex friendships, rivalries and the discrepancy in how women and men were/are treated in 1980's Hollywood. The book initially focuses on a trio of new-to-Hollywood young women - Beanie, Mercedes and Ella, but soon the story centres mainly around Beanie.

If you know me, you know that a quarter of my brain is dedicated to random Hollywood facts. This book is FILLED with a Hollywood name dropping, from real-life actors/directors and Hollywood acronyms, there are a lot of Tinseltown's who's who mentioned in its pages.

If I step back from the story, I liked it - the coming-into-herself focus about women's experiences in Hollywood. But I wanted more - more growth and better connection between trio and a stronger plot that really pulled me in. What I wanted less of were the numerous tertiary characters who bogged down the pace of the story and were hard to keep track of.

In the end, I liked this book, and it will do well, but it wasn't a 'wow' read for me. It felt much longer than its 380 pages and unfortunately it struggled to hold my attention, taking me almost two weeks to finish it. I enjoyed the premise and Girl Power vibe but think this book would be better as a TV limited series.


Disclaimer: Thanks to St Martin's Press for the advanced digital and paperback copies of this book which were given in exchange for my honest review.

Climbing in Heels is a knockout from start to finish. Set against the glitzy, cutthroat backdrop of 1980s Hollywood, this novel delivers a potent mix of ambition, resilience, and dazzling drama. It’s Gossip Girl meets Entourage—with powerhouse women front and center.

At the heart of the story is Beanie Rosen, a force of nature who commands every scene she’s in. With razor-sharp dialogue, layered backstories, and fashion references so spot-on they feel lifted straight from a vintage Vogue editorial, the characters come alive with a kind of electric realism that makes the book nearly impossible to put down.

The author doesn’t just deliver a compelling narrative—she builds a world that is both indulgently glamorous and deeply human. The stakes are high, the drama is real, and the emotional depth is unexpected in all the right ways. Beneath the glitter lies a sharp commentary on the cost of success, the complexities of friendship, and the fierce fight for visibility in a male-dominated industry.

This book begs for a screen adaptation. Until then, grab a copy, pour yourself a glass of something bubbly, and settle in for one hell of a ride.

Rating: 5/5 – Fierce, fabulous, and utterly unforgettable.

First of all thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the chance to read this early in exchange of an honest review.

I love historical fiction and hadn't read anything from the 80's time period so I was intrigued by the premise of the story. However half way through I was bored and thought there were too many side characters. I sadly lost interest and didn't finish the book.

3/5 stars for the portion that I did read. I wish Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas good luck with her book and I hope it finds the right readers. This one just wasn't for me.