Thank you HTP Books / Netgalley, #partner, for the advanced e-copy of The Beautiful People in exchange for my honest review. I borrowed the audiobook from the library.
Publisher: Graydon House / Harlequin Audio
Published: April 16, 2024
Summary:
Set against the glamorous 1960s Jet Set, a novel about a failed debutante whose new job as assistant to society photographer Slim Aarons takes her into Palm Beach’s inner circle, and into a beguiling friendship with the star at its center, fashion designer Lilly Pulitzer
It’s 1961, and for Margo Hightower, everything is about to change. True, her engagement is off, her family has fallen in scandal, and she’s completely broke. But she’s just been hired as assistant to photographer Slim Aarons—famous for his vibrant pictures of high society, royalty, and Hollywood stars—and she knows this opportunity is her ticket to something better.
From the bright beaches of Acapulco to glitzy parties in New York, Margo is thrown headfirst into the glamorous jet-set world she so covets, observing its ways from behind the camera as Slim’s sidekick. There’s Jackie Kennedy, Truman Capote and his Swans, a host of Vanderbilts. Beautiful people in beautiful places.
But when they land in Palm Beach, a scene with few rules and many riches, the lines between work and play begin to blur. As Margo becomes swept up in the city’s social circle—and into a friendship with heiress and rising fashion designer Lilly Pulitzer—the golden life seems increasingly in reach. Until she finds herself entangled in a complicated web of loyalties and secrets that could bring it all crashing down…
My thoughts:
This is the fourth book I’ve read by Michelle Gable and I just love her writing style. She does historical fiction in such an engaging way – you are immediately transported to the setting of her books and I love it! This time we head to Palm Beach and I not only enjoyed the story but learned so much!
This is the type of book that will have you soaking up all the drama that ensues as much as googling all the people mentioned…it was such a fun book and the perfect palate cleanser after some of the heavy thrillers and crime fiction I had been reading. I am ashamed to admit I had never heard of photographer Slim Aarons before reading this but I loved exploring his photos online. And I loved learning about Lilly Pulitzer – I had heard of the brand but not the woman behind the brand and that was quite neat getting her story! This is why I love reading historical fiction…I always learn something and then end up doing my own digging!
This story was so good and I cannot wait to see what Michelle Gable brings us next! This is definitely a fun one to throw in your beach bag this summer if you haven’t already picked it up!
Audio thoughts:
This was a good one on audio as the narrator, Eleanor Caudill, was engaging as a narrator. She infused just the right tone and emotion in her voice.
Purchasing from the link below supports independent bookstores and my blog!
