Captivating and full of joy. Also mystery, intrigue, and of course, romance—though the romance doesn’t take center stage exactly. I’d say this is Beach Read meets 7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (minus the gay angle sadly). I thoroughly enjoyed unraveling the story of Margaret Ives, as we learned about Alice and Hayden. I was as enchanted by the small coastal town as the references to old Hollywood, though the paparazzi was tough. This book was a little more sentimental, a little less rom-commy than her others, plus the memoir angle was new but it was a beautiful read and I loved Alice, plus the end made me cry so that’s always going to be 5 stars. Queer rep: none explicitly.

Short summary: Two writers compete for the memoir of a lifetime, only to discover a more interesting story between each other.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐