“The One and Only Vivian Stone” is by Melissa O’Connor. In this dual-timeline book, in present day Margot is cleaning out her grandmother’s house and comes across a box of letters and seven out of a series of eight cassette tapes. The tapes are recordings of the life of Vivian Stone - a famous TV show actress of the 1950s (thus the comparisons to “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo”). Margot wonders why her grandmother had these tapes, but as the story of Vivian unfolds, Margot finds herself being sucked into it more and more. I have to be honest, while I found the overall idea of this book interesting, because I know a lot about this time period in Hollywood, I couldn’t help making comparisons to real-life stars (Lucille Ball immediately came to mind, but so did Gloria Swanson). I never felt a lot of sympathy for Margot (other than dealing with the grief of losing her beloved grandmother and dealing with cleaning out a home and all that entails - it’s not easy) until the end when the connection is made (though the connection was one I saw coming pretty early on). I was invested in Vivian’s story - the burning desire to become famous, hanging out with famous people, dealing with casting couch stuff (and avoiding dealing with it), finding true friends, and reinventing yourself as many times as necessary. I found Vivian’s story more interesting until one part - it sounded way too modern a storyline for me to believe happening in the press back in the 1950s. I did find this book an easy read and it was enjoyable, but I wouldn’t need to read it again.

The One and Only Vivian Stone is a fabulous debut by Melissa O'Connor. Perfect for fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid and readers of romance, this book took me on an emotional journey. Told in two timelines, one in the era of Vivian Stone, an actress in the 50s, and one in present day in the POV of Margot, a failed writer who finds tapes recorded by Vivian when cleaning out her deceased grandmother's home, the tale weaves intrigue as you question exactly how Margot and Vivian are connected, and root for both Vivian and Margot's emotional journeys. 
All the characters are so well-developed and their emotional connections are intricately woven. From Vivian, her friend Ruth, and her connections with actors Hugo and Kit had me flipping the pages. Vivian starts off as an aspiring dramatic actress, only to go on to achieve greatness in a way she never imagined. I was utterly captivated by the highs and lows of her life and her journey as an actress. 
Margot has been dumped by her ex, who is also a writer, and has vowed off on pursuing her dreams of being a writer thanks to rejection. Now, back in her hometown, she bumps into her first love, Leo. Forced proximity throws them together as Leo is the only one who knows how to salvage the mysterious tapes Margot found in her grandmother's home. But as they learn more about Vivian and her story, Margot and Leo learn more about each other and the love that they lost, and maybe can find again. 
I highly recommend this book and can't wait to read what O'Connor gifts us with next. A new auto-buy author for me!
Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery for an ARC.

Perfect for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Melissa O'Connor's debut is well paced and emotional, with two timelines (and two couples) for readers to fall in love with.

Historical fiction lovers listen up! The One and Only Vivian Stone by Melissa O’Connor was an excellent read. Pick it up!

Margot must clean out her beloved grandma's house so it can be sold now that she's passed away. She finds old cassette tapes and her old boyfriend, Leo, gets them working again. The tapes are recorded by Vivian Stone, a famous actor from years ago. Margot doesn't know how her grandma got them.

This dual timeline novel goes back and forth present day with Margot and Leo reconnecting and the audio tapes of Vivian's life. I was invested in my stories and couldn't figure out how they connected. It was a captivating read!!