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.