The reclusive Hollywood movie star Evelyn Hugo has been out of the public eye for decades, when suddenly her team reaches out for an exclusive interview with Vivant magazine. They have one condition, though– that Monique Grant, a young, unknown journalist who writes small puff pieces or whatever she’s told, be the one to conduct the interview. Unsure why she was chosen, Monique does her research on Evelyn, finding out that she’s had plenty of mystique surrounding the happenings of her life, especially regarding her seven salacious marriages during her film career. Yet, when she goes out to the New York penthouse to begin the interview, Evelyn actually discloses that she has no interest in a piece with Vivant and instead wants Monique to write the tell-all biography of her life. Confused and shocked, Monique wants to know why her? This book deal would easily be worth millions and there are plenty of far more qualified writers! And past that, she wants the thing everyone wants to know: which of her seven husbands did she love the most? Throughout the story, Evelyn goes through how she went from being a poor, Cuban girl in New York to Hollywood’s most iconic star, and by the end, we learn the dark reasons she reached out to Monique and the tragic secrets of her actual love.

Saying this book had me hooked is an understatement. While I can hear various critiques and see where they’re coming from, most aspects of this piece were executed so well that those small “could’ve/should’ve/would’ve’s” get thrown out the window for me. The pacing, descriptions, story, plot twists, diversity, and character depth were perfectly planned and balanced. That being said, the two main plot twists the book is known for were semi-unexpected but certainly plausible. I didn’t feel particularly shocked from them, but the ending of the story, which I shall not spoil, left me mouth-agape and in tears. That was the real plot twist for me!

I particularly liked how despite the many serious subjects the story has, they never felt gory. I’ve had issues with books in the last few years that clearly want to disturb you with the over-the-top descriptions of dark topics, rather than just exploring them and their effects. Thankfully, this book had the perfect balance and didn’t diminish them, either. The things that did need good description, like the way feelings developed or Evelyn’s most poignant movie scenes, were given a lot more time and were shown rather than told. Taylor Jenkins Reid had me feeling like I could actually search the movies on Netflix and start watching. And beyond that, I honestly felt like I was reading about a real person shortly after starting the book.

I’ve seen other reviews say that there wasn’t enough about Monique in the book. And to this, I say that was the point. Evelyn was the star of the show and meant to have the main spotlight. Monique, in the book as well as literally to the reader, was the voice telling Evelyn’s story. Even with only minor details on Monique, I still felt so much for her come the final pages.

I don’t think I would change anything in this story. I was captivated by Evelyn’s charm and grit, and this book is honestly a new favourite of mine.

Happy reading,
-Beppa