GLAMOROUS NOTIONS by Megan Chance

Lena Taylor (aka Elsie Gruner), a Hollywood costume designer, has a secret past. This story had *so* much going on right from the start! There’s an estranged husband, fashion and costume design, smoky jazz clubs, Hollywood elite, film studios, Russian spies and espionage!

I liked the behind the scenes look into 1950s old-Hollywood and appreciate the call outs of iconic LA locales. However, name dropping every notable celebrity from the era was kind of heavy handed.

While I did enjoy Lena’s story and found it engaging, it felt entirely too drawn out. I wish the author focused more on her relationship with Julia rather than the romance with Paul.

If you’re looking for an easy read between heavier novels, this would be a good choice.

Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️

Pub Date: 02.01.25
**ARC courtesy of Netgalley & Lake Union

Elsie is a simple girl who lives on a farm in a small town and she dreams of leaving her hometown as she feels uncomprehended by her family. She grabs the first chance she has and marries Walter, a pool player that uses her beauty to distract his opponents. She is young and naive and that naiveté will get her in all kinds of trouble, she'll mingle with the leftists and anarchists, she'll become a courrier in Italy, she'll do a lot of transgressions even in her new job as a Lux Costume Design Head. There's a lot of mystery, spy games, CIA and FBI disputes, prejudice against women who want to have a career instead of being only mothers/housewives. Although this is a work of fiction it's based on true facts after WWII when the US Government trying to disseminate America's values and way of life did exactly the same as many other dictators had done in Europe, and continue to do throughout the world nowadays, using the movies industry to share false views.
I thank the author, her publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

𝗚𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 ᴡᴀs sᴜᴄʜ ᴀɴ ᴇɴɢᴀɢɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏᴀʙʟᴇ ʜɪsᴛᴏʀᴄᴀʟ ғɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴ. Sᴇᴛ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ 1950s ᴏʟᴅ ʜᴏʟʟʏᴡᴏᴏᴅ ᴅᴜʀɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ Rᴇᴅ Sᴄᴀʀᴇ, ᴡᴇ ɢᴇᴛ ᴀ ʟᴏᴏᴋ ᴀᴛ ᴄɪᴠɪʟ ʀɪɢʜᴛs , ᴛʜᴇ sᴜᴘʀᴇssɪᴏɴ ᴏғ ᴡᴏᴍᴇɴ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʜʀᴇᴀᴛ ᴏғ ɴᴜᴄʟᴇᴀʀ ᴡᴇᴀᴘᴏɴs ғᴀʟʟɪɴɢ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡʀᴏɴɢ ʜᴀɴᴅs, ᴘᴏᴛᴇɴᴛɪᴀʟ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴜɴɪsᴍ ᴀɴᴅ sᴘɪᴇs.

I ᴀʙsᴏʟᴜᴛᴇʟʏ ʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏʟᴅ ʜᴏʟʟʏᴡᴏᴏᴅ / ʟᴀ/ ʀᴏᴍᴇ sᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏsᴛᴜᴍᴇ ᴅᴇsɪɢɴɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴀʀs.
Tʜᴇ ɢʟᴀᴍᴏʀᴏᴜs ᴄʟᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴀʀᴛɪᴇs ᴡɪᴛʜ ɢᴏssɪᴘ ᴄᴏʟᴜᴍɴɪsᴛs ᴡɪʟʟɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴏ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ғᴏʀ ᴀ sᴛᴏʀʏ.

Iᴛ ᴡᴀs ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴇsᴛɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ʟᴇᴀʀɴ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ʜᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴏᴠᴇʀɴᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴄᴇɴᴄᴏʀᴇᴅ ғʀᴇᴇ ᴛʜɪɴᴋᴇʀs ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴏᴡ ʙɪɢ ᴏғ ᴀɴ ɪɴғʟᴜᴇɴᴄᴇ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ғɪʟᴍ ɪɴᴅᴜsᴛʀʏ ᴅᴜʀɪɴɢ ᴛʜɪs ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ ɪɴ ᴛɪᴍᴇ.

Iᴛ's ᴀʟsᴏ ᴀ sᴛᴏʀʏ ᴏғ ʟᴏᴠᴇ, ᴏғ ʀᴇɪɴᴠᴇɴᴛɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜʀsᴇʟғ, ғʀɪᴇɴᴅsʜɪᴘ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴇᴛʀᴀʏᴀʟ.

Tʜɪs ᴡᴀs ᴀ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ sᴛᴏʀʏ, ʙᴜᴛ I ғᴇʟᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ғʟᴇsʜᴇᴅ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴀʙʟᴇ. Iᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴅɪғғɪᴄᴜʟᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴏɴɴᴇᴄᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍᴏsᴛ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇᴍ,
Bᴜᴛ I ᴅɪᴅ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ʜᴀʀᴠᴇʏ ᴀɴᴅ Cʜᴀʀʟɪᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇᴍ.

Oᴠᴇʀᴀʟʟ I ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴅ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴀs ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴡᴇʟʟ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴇsᴇᴀʀᴄʜᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ғᴀᴄɪɴᴀᴛɪɴɢ sᴘʏ sᴛᴏʀʏ ʙᴀsᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ғᴀᴄᴛᴜᴀʟ ʜɪᴅᴛᴏʀʏ.

Thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for my gifted copy. My review was voluntary.

From small town Ohio, to the communist underbelly of Rome, to the glittering lights of Hollywood - Elsie’s story is action-packed and full of drama!

Some details were hard to believe - how could Lena not realise what she was asked to courier in Rome, and how could she rise to such fame without being recognised? However, overall the story was fascinating and kept me on my toes until the very end.

3.5 stars out of 5 ⭐️

Thank you Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for this arc.

The gorgeous cover for this book enticed me into trying it. After (more than) a bit of frustration with the FMC, I found the ending satisfying if maybe a touch too easy given the stakes.

Elsie/Lena frustrated me a bit. When the reality of having hooked herself to a loser hits her, she makes a bold snap decision and sticks to it. Then little Elsie from Zanesville is reinvented and she embraces her new self. Blonde bombshell Lena enjoys the nightclubs, jazz, smoking (not just tobacco), and what she’s learning about fashion. She also seems to willfully turn a blind eye to what she’s doing for her friend but then Julia is very good at manipulating people to do just what she wants.

Reality smacks Lena around a little before she washes up back in LA with two dear friends who know how to get her a fake birth certificate with which she can invent her new self. More chutzpah carries the day and Lena is on her way again to a new identity. But then her past comes calling again. If the truth comes out, her past lies will explode in her face and she’ll lose everything and then some.

Okay, so frustration explanation time. Lena keeps getting worried about all of the above paragraph issues but will then think, “Oh, it won’t be uncovered – maybe. Everything will be fine – probably.” I can certainly understand how Lena could be enticed into doing what she did in Rome – small town pig-farm girl in a glamorous city gets entangled with someone who knows how to play on Lena’s imposter syndrome until Lena is willing to do things she deep down realizes are fishy. Okay, fine Lena can be gullible once.

But then Lena deliberately buries her head in the sand when reality comes calling years later. Yes, the average person with no experience in this would probably also “hope on, hope ever” that her problems won’t rear up in her face again but Lena has experience and as her life spiraled down the plug hole, I couldn’t help but want to shake her a bit.

What the book does supremely well is show the nightmare that Hollywood was in the 1950s. Not only are there gossip columnists ready to leap on anything (true or not) in your life that they can spin into an attention grabbing headline. On top of all that though, in the early 50s there was the Red Scare, HUAC, and MPA working along with the CIA and FBI to craft a vision of American wholesomeness and out anyone suspected of not seeing life that way (fairies, as homosexuals are referred to in the book and working women). Heck when Lena’s varied issues are about to come crashing down on her, I wanted to curl up and bury my head for her as well as urge her to wake up and smell the coffee.

The resolution isn’t quite what I expected but Lena redeems herself a bit in how she handles two people in her life. She pays off one debt and finally comes clean to someone who deserves the truth. Then she makes a momentous choice to be herself from then on. Brava, Lena. B-

Elise Gruner marries Walter to escape Zanesville, Ohio, he wants to be an actor and earns money as a pool hustler and she's his good luck charm. The daughter of a dressmaker Elsie loves to draw and design clothes and she leaves Walter and Los Angeles behind and goes to Rome to study at the American Art Academy.

Here a naïve Elsie meets Julia, she takes her under her wing, introduces her to Jaz and clubs, funny cigarettes and interesting people and asks her to drop off packages. Elsie thinks nothing of it and until it gets dangerous and she has to leave Rome in a hurry and is told to not mention what happened to anyone.

Elsie changes her name and persona to Lena Taylor and works as an assistant costume designer for Lux Pictures and she falls in love with Paul Carbone a screenwriter and she’s still married to Walter and worries about her past catching up with her and sometimes feels like someone is following her.

I received a copy of Glamorous Notions by Megan Chance from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Set in post-World War Two and during the 1950's and Red Scare. The author's new book looks at Civil Rights and the threat of communism, spies and were sympathizers living in America and Hollywood, nuclear weapons falling into the wrong hands and possibility of another war? Full of dark secrets, danger and espionage and Lena’s friends Charlie and Harvey had different political views and are a couple and it wasn’t the time to be different or take risks!

For me I found the story lacked depth, a bit like Elise/Lena’s herself, I found parts of the narrative unbelievable and slow and despite it being based around real facts and of course there was lots of name dropping of famous stars of the era. A quick read and three stars from me and I liked Charlie and Harvey's characters.

Secrets and lies in 1950s Hollywood. Elisa, a costumer has transformed herself twice and now she's Lena. She's good at her job she's in love, and she's got a nagging problem of a husband she left in Ohio among other things. She's both naive and disingenuous and you might not like her. Thanks to netgalley for the ARc. A good read.

Set in 1950s Hollywood, 'Glamorous Notions' is a confidently written story with a good flow and an interesting plot. The heroine, Lena Taylor, starts life as Elsie Gruner, a pig farmer's daughter who marries a pool hustler in order to escape life in small town Ohio. Once transported to LA, through a combination of hard work and talent Elsie wins a place at an Italian fashion school, and with the help of her glamorous new friend Julia, reinvents herself as Lena. Unfortunately, her Roman holiday comes to an abrupt end when Julia involves her in some type of very shady business that results in a shooting and Lena being banned from returning to the country. Back in LA, she works her way up to being the head of costuming at a movie studio, but with her success comes a degree of the last thing she wants - fame. As her whole identity has been built on lies, the attention of gossip columnists threatens to not only ruin her carefully built life, but could even get her killed.

Censorship and the fear of Soviet Russia are central themes in the novel. I'd been vaguely aware that there were sometimes witch-hunts for people suspected of sympathising with communism at that time in America, but I hadn't appreciated the extent of it. People lived in fear of denouncement just as their Soviet counterparts did, and films weren't just censored but actively used as propaganda for the American way of life. It seemed very ironic that the very freedom they were promoting was exactly what was being denied in the process. It also interested me how some of the characters expanded their definitions of what might constitute Communist leanings, with anything else they didn't like the sound of - like women in the workplace or homosexuality.

Lena is a sympathetic character - although she has built her life on lies, she didn't really do so in a malicious way, nor did she have a lot of choice. She wins her way through hard work and ability, and it's hard not to respect her, even if she did make some daft choices (choices I suspect most of us would also make when young and dazzled by a charismatic new friend). There are also a number of really likeable supporting characters. The plot was interesting in that I really didn't know how it would turn out, and I was very invested in wanting it to end well for Lena. The ending was a bit rushed and perhaps a bit too simple, but that didn't spoil the many pages of reading pleasure I got from the book up to then.

If you are looking for a book that is intriguing, with good characters, and a lovely flowing style, this is a great choice.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of the book drew me in but once I started reading it, I just couldn’t get into it at all.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

The blurb for this book reads so well, and the plot is packed with potential but for me the delivery fell completely flat. The story is set in the mid-1950's and the main character, Elsie Gruner escapes Ohio by marrying a pool hustler named Walter Maynard who moves them to LA where he believes his future will be as a famous actor.
The story drops a lot of famous names of the era, and also incorporates Russian spies, the CIA and the FBI - it should make for a fabulous read, but somehow the detail is focused in all of the wrong places, the characters are quite wooden and Elsie (who becomes Lena) is frustratingly naive as to what is going on around her, but somehow manages to become the head costumer for a large Hollywood studio where she lives a complete lie.
I may be alone with my opinion on this book, as many people seem to love it, but I honestly couldn't wait for it to end so I could move onto a different book.
Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this digital ARC.

This book had such an interesting premise! It had everything I love: old Hollywood glamour, mystery, strong female character, history. It was a page turner that kept me hooked from mid-way through to the end.

It's been a long time since I read a Megan Chance novel and I'd forgotten just how much I enjoy her stories. Glamorous Notions follows the life of Elise Gruner, a small-town girl longing for escape and a chance to follow her dreams a costume designer. Elise later takes on the persona of Lena as she seeks to build her career in fashion in Rome and later Hollywood. At the same time, the novel explores the Red Scare and impact it has on Hollywood during the 1950s. A recommended read.

Glamorous Notions is a book set in Hollywood during the Cold War, when America, and it's entertainment industry were terrorized by the threat of communism and Soviet military aggression.

There are real Soviet spies at work in the novel, and very real threats and secrets to fear. Lena and Paul have secrets from each other that threaten to upend their relationship. When characters from their pasts return, I honestly didn't see how the many plot threads could be resolved.

Megan Chance has clearly done her research, and the historical setting was fascinating. All of the details about fashion design in Hollywood were interesting and convincing.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

1/5 stars: This is Chance's Historical stand-alone set in Hollywood, 1955 featuring the story a woman who goes from the daughter of an Ohio dressmaker to the head costume designer for a major film studio and the secrets, deadly intrigues, betrayals and romance she encounters on her journey. Chance's writing and character work are nicely done; the characters are well-rounded, complex and yet remain likable. Chance does takes on some very serious subjects; so take care and check the CWs. Unfortunately, I simply lost interest in this story; leading me to DNF it at 64%.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

I loved this story of old Hollywood and its glamorous clothing, movie stars, parties and gossip columnists who will do anything to get a story. It is also an unputdownable story of reinvention, friendship, betrayal and stolen identity with twists I didn’t see coming.

In 1955, Elsie Gruner is desperate to escape Ohio and her father’s pig farm. When she meets a man who says that he will take her to Hollywood because he is going to be a star, she marries him only to find out when they reach Hollywood that he is a loser and will never be a star. Elsie’s mother is a dressmaker and Elsie is a talented dress designer and she wants to design dresses for the movies. When she wins a prestigious scholarship to an art academy in Rome, she dumps her husband and doesn’t look back.

When she arrives in Rome she meets the enigmatic Julia who introduces her to smoky jazz clubs and people completely different from anyone she has ever met. Julia convinces Elsie to reinvent herself by updating her style and changing her name to Lena Taylor. When Julia asks Lena to pick up packages from around Rome and deliver them, naive Lena doesn’t stop to ask why. When things go wrong in Rome, Lena ends up back in Hollywood where she talks her way into a seamstress job for Lux Movie Studio. Soon she becomes the seanstree to the stars and the lead designer for Lux. But things are changing in the world and in the film industry. The House Un-American Activities Committee is on the search for communist sympathizers, homosexuals and anything unamerican in movies. A censor is on the lot during filming to make sure that the costumes are appropriate and that there are no communist influences on the movies. Scripts are constantly having to be re-written and finished costumes re-done. Tensions are high and gossip is rampant. Lena has her own secrets that she must keep hidden but it is getting harder to do that when her past comes crashing back on her.

Glamourous Notions will be published on February 1st. Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced reading copy.

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One woman...two lives.

Elsie is a young woman in Ohio eager to leave her sleepy town and her life on a pig farm. When Walter decides to take a chance at acting, he paints an irresistible picture of married life in LA that Elsie can't resist. Once in LA, life does not mirror that image, but Elsie discovers a talent of her own...costume design. With the help and persuasion of new friends, she takes steps to pursue her own dreams.

Lena is a young woman who finds herself in Rome, after receiving the opportunity to study fashion abroad. Wrapped up in the excitement of a new place, a new image and a new friendship, she quickly finds herself knee deep in questionable activities. Before she knows it, she is forced to return to her home country. While Lena's success as a costume designer in Hollywood continues to climb, she can never fully embrace it. She is forced to keep secrets about her past from everyone around her, and she can never stop looking over her shoulder. The question is, can she keep this up?

Overall, I have mixed feelings about this book. With my critical hat on, I found Elsie's/Lena's character naive and repetitively making the same mistakes. It was hard to rally behind this main character at times. However, on the positive side, I am a big fan of historical fiction and the chance to learn about various time periods. This story is set in the 1950s, post World War II during the Red Scare. It was a time when people were worried about nuclear weapons, Communism sympathizers, spies and more. Admittedly, I knew very little about this time frame. I appreciated gaining knowledge about the controversies, speculations and government influences on Hollywood and the film industry, as well as the Soviet/USSR's bans on jazz clubs. It felt very well researched.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read an advanced copy via NetGalley. I know these books are a work of love! All opinions are entirely my own.

I love this book? Give me any book about Hollywood golden age- it's a mystery it's amazing and read it now

In 1955 Hollywood, costume designer Lena Taylor hides a dangerous past. Her carefully constructed identity is threatened as secrets from her time in Italy resurface, forcing her to confront a deadly conspiracy before it destroys her present.

This immersive novel, with its complex plot, spans a period of years. The plot never drags, yet it takes time to set up. My patience was rewarded by a wonderful, unique, and suspenseful story. I liked the diverse cast and the glamorous Hollywood setting.

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

I would rate this just under a four.

Synopsis:
Elsie Gruner finally escapes her family's Ohio pig farm with her new husband who she hardly knows. After getting to LA, she is working while he struggles to make it as an actor. They break up and Elsie finds herself chasing her fashion dreams and ends up in Rome at an internship for fashion design. She changes her name and almost everything about herself through her mysterious friend's influence. After a tragic end she runs back to the US and decides to never go back to Elsie Gruner and is now known as Lena Taylor. Lena works her way up to lead costumer at Lux films and finds herself in the same web of lies she ran away from in Rome.

Positives:
Overall it was a well researched story and I did enjoy the ride it took me on.

Negatives:
I don't think I had any clue what the story was about until almost the end. It felt like it jumped about and it was unclear how everything was going to tie together. When it did tie together it felt more like an afterthought.

This is my first time reading this author. Lena comes from nothing and achieves success in Hollywood. Along the way are some unsavory happenings. This takes place during the Red Scare and Cold War. Honestly, this just did not grab me. I expected more intrigue and on the seat of your pants action which felt exaggerated its importance. I didn't feel like what happened during Lena's time in Rome was well developed enough to create the supposed chaos that followed. I never really connected with the MC and many of the other characters were not developed enough either. They were essentially cameos. Overall it was an accceptable book, I just kept expecting something more exciting.