Glamorous Notions is set in the 1950s and begins with a teaser, hinting at a terrible incident in Rome, which must be kept secret now that our heroine has returned to California. With a background of Macarthyism and censorship, Elsie re-invents herself and tries to forget her past. We find out the back story - though perhaps even Elsie isn't fully aware of the whole story - and learn more about her life before Rome too. Her life in Rome is beguiling and somewhat mysterious and she starts her re-invention right there. There are hints of things we don't quite understand, or perhaps, like her, choose not to. But when we feel we can read the situation better than she, we want to shout out to her not to be so naive, not to be hoodwinked. Elsie and her reinvented self's story is glamorous - a great title - but at what cost? Is this a cautionary tale? No not really. Despite its undercurrent of menace and fear of being found out, this is more of a romp - and perhaps a little too long and convoluted one at that. There are just a few too many coincidences and less than believable outcomes, but this book is a jolly good read and will sweep many readers along, wanting to know what happens in the end. And enjoying the glamorous details all the while.

This is not my usual choice of book, but I fell in love with this story.
The way the author wtites really brought alive the feeling of the glamorous 1950's Hollywood scene that Lena Taylor inhabits, but also manages to highlight the hidden dangers and propaganda that the Cold War brought to the everday person's life and the secrets people were forced to hide in order to be the "Perfect American" that House Un-American Activities Committee desired its citizens to be.

Thanks to Netgalley and Brilliance Audio for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

More Charlie and Harvey! They were so fun and so sweet, I wish they had been included more.
I didn't realize how much the red scare invaded Hollywood, so that was eye opening for me. I liked the rags-to-riches story of Lena and how she just got over her head when she was naive, that rang very true and plausible. A good story, great fiction woven throughout the history of the nation.


Thank you to NetGalley, the author Megan Chance, and Brilliance Audio for my advance copy of this audiobook.

Glamorous Notions by Megan Chance was a disappointment. Chance had a great idea for this novel but failed to write it in a way that’s captivating to the reader. It had the potential to rival the next Kate Quinn historical spy thriller.
Elsie Gruner has found herself in Los Angeles, a long way from the rural pig farm her quick marriage to Walter took her away from. She soon realizes that she’ll never achieve her own dreams of fashion design married to him. A series of good fortunes finds her in Rome where her mysterious new friend Julia helps her reinvent herself. However, naive Elsie, now Lena, doesn’t understand what she’s getting herself into. Although she gets out Rome, what happened there follows her back to LA and threatens to ruin everything she’s worked for as she reaches the height of her career.
The audiobook was a bit tedious. The narrator was completely adequate but the storyline drags. Glamorous Notions doesn’t have any of details that historical fiction readers love to imagine. There are so many missed opportunities as Luna attends big parties in Hollywood’s Golden Age. One of the most intriguing storylines isn’t revealed until the end with too little time to develop. I don’t think this story is worth the time commitment to read it. It’s completely forgettable.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I loved this audiobook. I adore anything old Hollywood and this one was amazing. I couldn't put it down.

Megan Chance’s ‘Glamorous Notions’ is an exhilarating, fast-paced ride that blends intrigue, fashion, and suspense with a touch of Cold War-era Hollywood flair. From the moment the heroine leaves behind a loveless marriage to pursue fashion school in Rome, the plot whirls into a captivating series of twists and turns that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

One of the book’s strengths is how it masterfully blends genres, offering a light yet exciting caper story that feels like a chic action movie in literary form. While some might have wished for more in-depth character development, I found the characters’ motivations and emotions to be sufficiently clear to drive the plot forward. This book isn't about deep psychological analysis; it's about the thrill of the ride, and it delivers just that.

Chance’s evocative descriptions — especially of Rome’s glamorous parties and stunning fashion — bring the story to life, making it an absolute treat for anyone who enjoys stories filled with high style and high stakes. The tension is palpable, but it’s never so overwhelming that it detracts from the fun. It’s the perfect read for a rainy afternoon or a sunny vacation, especially if you're looking for a book that moves as quickly as its characters.

The audiobook version was narrated well overall, and it was an enjoyable listening experience.

The only real downside is a missed opportunity to incorporate more period-specific language and slang. That would have added an extra layer of authenticity to the narrative, but it's a minor quibble in a novel that is both glamorous and thrilling in equal measure.

‘Glamorous Notions’ is a must-read for fans of escapist fiction, old Hollywood, and anyone looking for a story that’s equal parts stylish and suspenseful. Highly recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for the advanced listener copy.

My thanks to Net Galley and Brilliance for allowing me to listen to this audio copy to review.

I really enjoyed this audio! Highly recommend.

This story is a rebirth of pig farmer's daughter, Elsie Gruner Maynard into Lena Taylor, head costume designer of Lux Studios. However, thru that journey Elsie/Lena had a marriage to a hustler, got kicked out of Rome, was questioned in a murder, got involved with an attache , did illegal courier activities she was not aware, followed by the CIA, suspected of Communist activities, and questioned in a second murder. When people of her past appear, she fears this will effect her current relationship with screen writer Paul.

My only complaint is the content could have been shorter.

This book was fun, twisty and I basically ripped through it in a single sitting. Felt shorter than it was because it went so quickly. Recommended for anyone looking for a light but exciting caper story set in cold war era Hollywood. I've seen some reviews say that the characters seemed underdeveloped, but that wasn't my experience--I felt that we understood the general motivations and feelings of the characters and this book had enough happening that we didn't need to dive into a deep character study. It's like a very chic action movie in a book.

The book starts when our heroine meets her husband and moves to Hollywood with him. He's a loser who wants to be an actor. She leaves him to go to fashion school in Rome, gets pulled into some stuff, and there's nothing else I can really say without giving a lot of the twists and turns away.

Chance's descriptions are evocative, especially of Rome and fabulous parties and clothing. The story is exciting but not bloody or stressful. Overall it was just what I was looking for to read for an afternoon in Hawaii!

Note about the audiobook--overall the narration was great, but I was somewhat annoyed by the narrator's confident mispronunciation of simple Italian words during the part of the book that takes place in Rome.

Thank you to Brilliance Audio for the Advance Listening Copy.

Glamorous Notions by Megan Chance was a bit underwhelming for me. While it had its moments of intrigue, they were few and far between. The early chapters felt almost AI-generated, with an overuse of adjectives and adverbs. The characters lacked depth, and I found myself growing increasingly frustrated with Lina’s naïveté. There were times when I wanted to shake her and put the book down, but I persevered, hoping for a more satisfying payoff. Ultimately, the book was decent but forgettable. By the end of this year, I’ll likely have forgotten I even read it. However, if you're a fan of the Red Scare era, you might still find something to enjoy here.

This premise had great promise. I love books set anywhere in the 40's-80's and the synopsis of Glamorous Notions sounded like it was right up my alley.

However, I have decided to not finish this book quickly after starting it, at just 4%.

I am not a fan of the constant talk about race and ethnicities and it comes off unsavory to me. I understand it was a different time back then, but when they'd mentioned that the Disney guys wanted equal rights and the main character said that she didn't want to mess around with anything like that, or however she put it, it kind of put the nail in the coffin for me.

Thank you for the opportunity to listen to this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This historical fiction mystery has a lot going on. There are several themes to the book: starting from scratch and working your way up in the world with perseverance. There’s also the glitz and glamour of old Hollywood, with fancy clothes and all that jazz. Lena has a dark past that she tries to hide, all while listening to the secrets of Hollywood stars while fitting their clothes.

Problems arise when Lena starts getting press in the gossip columns, both for her work as a costumer and her relationship with a Hollywood screenwriter. That’s something she’s not too crazy about because she’s trying to fly under the radar.

I have to admit that this audiobook passed the time, but I really didn’t connect with it the way I thought I would. You’d think with the protagonist trying to outrun her past, the book would be more compelling, but it was very low stakes and not a suspenseful mystery at all. Narrated by Karen Peakes, who did a great job with the material she was given, I just didn’t feel the high stakes drama came through in this book. I would read something by Megan Chance again, as I did enjoy her previous work, A Dangerous Education.

Three stars–worth a listen or read, but not something I’ll revisit in the future.

I am very much split down the middle about Glamorous Notions. I didn't find it thrilling or even that captivating in terms of what it sought to accomplish with the plot, but I loved the writing style and the pacing of the novel overall—at least until the end, which felt somewhat rushed and wrapped up very neatly. I felt like the characters were criminally underdeveloped, especially for creative, interesting people that the narrative purports them to be. The love story was the most well-developed part of this book in my opinion, which wasn't at all unfavorable, but just not what the book is centered around. Since it was the most compelling part for me at times, I wished there had been more of it.

For a book where the main character was constantly outrunning the feds it felt surprisingly low-stakes and not at all suspenseful. I did enjoy the backdrop of Old Hollywood, and the industry insiders/media coverage that came alongside it, but I just didn't buy Lena and her complexities as a character, or her willingness to constantly place herself around people she should stay the furthest away from.

While this didn't completely work for me, I will definitely try something else by Megan Chance, who seems to have a very eye-catching backlist. Since this one also caught my eye, I hope I do a lot better with one of those!

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing, Brilliance Publishing, Brilliance Audio, and NetGalley for the ARC and ALC!

3⭐