I really enjoyed this book about Lori Lovely, a movie star who left Hollywood behind and became a nun. At 18 she was a movie star, at 23 she takes vows as a Benedictine nun. What happened? Why the dramatic turn of events? The story is told in alternating time lines of present day 1990 and mid 1960s. In the present day, Lu, Lori's niece needs to finish her senior thesis in modern American history to graduate from college and she looks to her Aunt Lori for help. Will Aunt Lori finally tell her story? I liked how the story went back and forth between the 1960s and present day. Clearly, Lu is grabbling with things as well which are explored in the present day story line. This was a very engaging, propulsive book which had me invested from beginning to end. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and highly recommend it.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy.

I am a sucker for novels that bring in a bit of History and adored this book. You have dual timelines of past and present day that centers around Lori Lovely - as the book progresses we learn far more about her backstory and learn how she wound up where she is in the current day. This is also a book that is in the "fictionalized non-fiction" genre that seems to be ramping up - because of this I did go down a rabbit hole, learning about the woman the story is loosely based on, which heightened my enjoyment of the novel

Sarah McCoy's transports you to the glitz and glamour of old Hollywood as a young Carolina girl makes her path to quickly become Hollywood's brightest star; and then suddenly...at the age of 24, mysteriously escapes to live the life of a nun in a convent. With "Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" vibes, Lori Lovely has famously never given an interview about her past and why she chose to leave behind the stars of Hollywood; until her niece comes to visit her at the Abbey with a tape recorder in hand, writing her college thesis; and all of Lori Lovely's secrets come to light. The ending of this book absolutely wrecked me- I thought it was beautifully told.

A fascinating homage to the troubles hidden behind the lights of Hollywood, and the secrets that stars keep from the public eye, McCoy's novel is a page turning historical mystery with hints of romance that will keep you up late at night to find out just exactly WHATEVER HAPPENED TO LORI LOVELY....

I was really drawn in by the cover and the premise—it sounded like it might have the same kind of emotional pull as The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo or The Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry. But unfortunately, this one didn’t quite grab me. I kept waiting for that hook to pull me in, but it never came, and I found myself not feeling curious enough to come back to it.

When we think of the old Hollywood stars we think of those who are married multiple times or are so burnt out that they drop off the face of the earth. However in the case of What Happened to Lori Lovely one family member will put the pieces of the puzzle together to figure out the true story. I will also add that this is a dual timeline story with one timeline taking place in present day while the other takes place in the early days of Hollywood. I always enjoy stories when it is one character interviewing another because the interviewer always get excited when they are about to hear the next part of the story.
Our modern day timeline focuses on a college girl named Lucille who decides to interview her retired Aunt who was an actress and later decided to become a nun. Lu of course believes that this tale will be filles with glamor and excitement however along the way the discoveries she finds out about her aunts career was filled with stress and and heartbreak. I can understand that some people would make the investment to go into the church because it will be quiet and peaceful compared to the loud and chaotic Hollywood life.
Overall if you are someone who likes to read the history of old Hollywood this novel is definitely one you should check out. I for one was very impressed with the information that was displayed in the novel. When you think about it when you interview any kind of person in whatever field you learn a lot about what goes on behind closed doors.
I received an arc copy from Netgalley and all opinions are of my own.

If The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo had a slightly more Catholic, mystery-core cousin, this would be it.

It’s got that same old Hollywood glam and hidden past vibe, but instead of scandalous husbands, Lori Lovely ditches fame to become a nun. Her niece tries to figure out why, and the story that unfolds is way deeper and messier than expected.

It dragged a little in the middle (specifically the flash forwards) but overall I was super into it. Quietly dramatic, kinda sad, kinda hopeful.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it for a great beach read. The characters are well developed and the storyline keeps pulling the reader deeper into the lives of all the characters. Thanks for the ARC!

I just finished a good book that is available later this summer, Whatever Happened to Lori Lovely by Sarah McCoy is one to pick up on pub day.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. This book focuses on a young woman named Lu ( short for Lucille ) who is writing her college thesis which is required for graduation, the topic of her thesis is her Aunt Lori who is a nun living in a cloistered abbey who left Hollywood as a rising young star in her prime, Lu visits her Aunt in order to write her life story and explain why she became a nun. This was a quick easy read, mostly focusing on Lori’s background and how she was “ discovered “, her rise to stardom with much excitement and some heartbreak along the way. The story touches on Lu’s relationship with her “ Aunt Lori” throughout the years and their closeness. I will not divulge too much of this story, but I figured out where it was headed and it had a predictable ending.

I was excited to read "Whatever Happened to Lori Lovely?" as the premise of the story is highly unique and the cover is beautiful. This book tells the story of a young movie star named who is a part of Old Hollywood's golden age but who for some reason gives up her acting career and decides to become a Benedictine nun. Although this book is not the life story of the actress Dolores Hart who did end up giving up her Hollywood career to be a nun in the 1960s, you can tell her story influenced this book a lot and the author does tell us that she personally communicated with Dolores Hart through letters. I liked th e beginning of this story and liked how it was told by Lori Lovely herself as well as her neice who is writing her senior thesis on her aunt Lori. However, the story itself is very slow and I feel like not much really happened. I was expecting more of an exciting story with plot twists and more references to the Golden Age of Hollywood but the story felt a bit lackluster in my opinion. I did like Lori's character as she seemed very relatable but this book just did not captivate me in the way that I expected it to. I wished I enjoyed this story more than I did because I usually love stories that take place during the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

I am old enough to remember Where the Boys Are and I remember Dolores Hart as an earnest beautiful leading lady. Although this book is not her story, the author does not hesitate to say she was an influence for the book. She used an interesting way of telling the story--from the POV of Mother Lori's niece, but then the reader would hear the Lori's voice in the telling of the story. The contrast between Lori Lovely's life and Mother Lori's life is at the forefront of this book, but the character goes back and forth between her two persona's effortlessly. I could kind of see how Lu fit into the book ahead, but that did not diminish the story in any way. I think the story moves a long at a good pace, but then the end just happened--boom! I would have liked to know more of how Lu accepted Lori and Marie's secret and how here thesis came out. Ms. McCoy included a list of further reading and I immediately put a couple of them at hold at my library--that's the highest form of acclamation from me for a book.

It started interestingly but started to lag about halfway. Seemed too long and the ending was not a surprise, so it lost its grip.
The story was fine.

A tragic yet surprisingly gentle story of Lori Lovely, a rising Hollywood starlet in the late 1960s who makes the startling decision to abandon her acting career and join a convent. Her story is told through the lens of Lu Tibbett, a graduate student whose research thesis unexpectedly uncovers far more than she anticipated.

Lu thinks she’s piecing together a glamorous, forgotten slice of entertainment history—but what she finds is a complex woman whose life was marked not by fame and sparkle, but by pain, pressure, and longing for something real. What begins as a thesis becomes a quiet obsession.

Based on a true story, the novel is cleanly written with a tone that feels almost cozy, despite the underlying sadness. It’s not a scandalous tell-all, but a reflective look at fame, faith, and female autonomy in an era that rarely offered room for all three.
#williammorrow #whateverhappenedtolorilovely #sarahmccoy

DNF

I did not finish this, though it was fine. Just...fine.

Gorgeous cover and I enjoyed the vintage vibes. But nothing much really happened. I kept waiting for the tumultuous and shocking things promised in the description and I eventually gave up waiting.

It's a nice and wholesome fictional biography and Lori really was Lovely and that was about it.

May revisit in the future, but it's not for my present mood.

*ARC via Publisher

A beautifully tragic story that completely pulled me in—I ate this book up. Whatever Happened to Lori Lovely? gave me loose Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo vibes, with its emotional depth, layered storytelling, and a touch of old Hollywood glamor-meets-tragedy.

The dual timeline—bouncing between past and present—was handled so well. It never felt confusing or forced, and it added to the suspense in the best way. I will say, I wasn’t a fan of how the “tape recording” sections were styled; they pulled me out of the story just a bit. But honestly, it didn’t take away from how much I loved the book overall.

I suspected the ending early on but kept second-guessing myself the entire time, which made the payoff even more satisfying. The story explores so many rich themes: love, loss, identity, and understanding. I do wish the whole “T” situation had a more solid resolution instead of just fading out, but that’s really my only critique.

I’d recommend this book to anyone who’s looking for a heartfelt and thought-provoking read. It’s one of those stories that lingers with you after you turn the last page.

3 stars

In 1969, 23 year old starlet Lori Lovely (what a terrible stage name. I winced when she and whomever came up with it.) gave Hollywood a big shock when she swore off its glitz and glamour to take her vows as a Benedictine nun. Why would an up and coming actress who had already had one role for the ages do such a thing? Was she in the run? Unlucky in love?

In 1990, Lu Tibbott is being forced to complete her college senior thesis in modern American history and decides to write about her Aunt Lori, now the Mother Abbess at a cloistered convert in rural Connecticut. Lori has always refused interviews but she can’t say no to her niece and she’s finally ready to reveal all.

Obviously this book is heavily based on the life of Delores Hart, to whom it is dedicated and in reading the afterward the reader learns that the author had a lengthy, multi-year correspondence with Hart and became very close to her, so my guess is that if you want the story in a fictionalized form, this is the book to read (however, I THINK Hart either wrote or collaborated on a non-fiction book, so, you know, if you want truth…). In addition, parts of this book also draw from the real life experiences of actress Olivia Hussey, who starred in “Romeo and Juliet.”

Also, if this book interests you, let me toot the horn of….myself and suggest that you not read any other synopsis of this book, maybe including the one here in GR and possibly on the back of the book, because the one that accompanied the ARC gave away a major spoiler that I would just as soon not have known, and there was absolutely no reason to disclose it. So, you are to read nothing about this book in advance other than my non-spoilering review! Just like your mama told you, keep yourself pure!

The book itself was fine. Someone in the middle of it called it something like “wholesome” and that’s a pretty good description. This description pre-dates me, but it is what I image the Mickey Rooney/Judy Garland movies were like. Good ol’ family entertainment, then no one ever has sex! Yay! No, really, I liked it fine.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC.

First and foremost, that cover!!! That cover just makes you want to take it off that shelf so bravo to whoever chose it.

I am now fascinated in Dolores Rio who was the real life inspiration for Lori Lovely. This reminded me a bit of the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo as this had another star waiting to divulge her secrets to a younger generation who somehow intersects with their life. no spoilers here! But this one did not live up the absolute drama and heights of that one.

This was a wonderful story with two different women searching for answers and acceptance in a chaotic world.

One does that by turning to God and vows. The other through questions and interviews.

I do wish there had been more of Wesley's backstory and emotions - not just that he was an actor and good Southern Boy, but what made him really in love with Lori.

But even with that little quip, I have to say all the characters were rich in feeling. Even with some plot holes left hanging (such is life) -- the characters brought this story home.

At the ending I was satisfied and felt like I had read a good thesis and knew what had happened to Lori Lovely, and that is what truly matters.

Catholicism meets Hollywood in this novel bursting with discussion topics. In 1963, eighteen-year-old Lucy Hickey leaves her parents in small-town North Carolina to spend the summer with her married sister who lives in New York City. Lucy auditions for a dance role in an upcoming movie and is soon reinvented as Lori Lovely, to star in a remake of Romeo and Juliet. For readers who have seen Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 Romeo and Juliet, the story echoes Olivia Hussey's role. The plot twist is that after six years of fame, Lori joins a Benedictine convent. Years later, Mother Lori's niece arrives at the convent to interview Lori for her thesis, the layers of the story unfold. Recommended for readers who enjoy 1960s historical fiction and movie star tales.

This read was all encompassing. I felt immersed in the world, and all the characters were so dimensional.