Thank You very much to the author for the review copy.
ISBN13: 978-1472288929
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Release date: 21 07 2021
Price*: Kindle £2.99 (GBP)/ Paperback £2.00 (GBP)
Kindle $4.99 (USD)/ Paperback $27.44 (USD)
Pages: ~ 480
My rating: Really liked it.
You can get this book here:
Amazon UK
Bookshop.org
What I learned from this book: The life of the famous is very destructive.
Description of the book: The Kings Road, Chelsea in 1970’s London is the epicentre for fashion, music and unlikely friendships – where it’s now cool for posh, privileged girls to mix outside their social circles. When two such teenagers meet and form a close and sisterly bond, their worlds are unexpectedly and suddenly torn apart as they each suffer personal traumas. Needing to escape London to hide their shameful secrets, they embark upon individual rollercoaster journeys of extreme highs and lows that take them to Paris, Los Angeles and the South of France, where men are rich, sex is a commodity, drugs are a way of life and glamorous celebrity lifestyle is optional.
How this book made me feel: The cover does not do justice to this book. The prologue of this book confused me as well, I thought it is going to be a mystery novel, but I was wrong again. This book has so much to offer to the reader…
The protagonists in this book are Phoebe and Paula but this book is told from multiple perspectives. These two characters are complete opposites, but their life stories are incredibly absorbing and glamorous. Phoebe is rich, and she has all the opportunities to do what she wants. Paula is poor, and she has to fight for survival in this cruel world. I think Phoebe is very naive, trusting and pretty spoilt. She makes many poor decisions due to trust, putting her in very nasty situations. I liked Paula because she is a warrior. Her life was a pile of absolute rubbish, but she managed to survive and rise, and I really respect her for that.
The narrative shows the lives of these two characters, from childhood to their adulthood. This book is full of glamorous lives, drug addiction, sex, rape, prostitution, controlling partners, loss, hopes and dreams. It was very intriguing to read about the LGBTQ+ community in the seventies, it sounds mesmerising. The plot is not very eventful and I did need a little push to read this book, but the story has intriguing nuances, especially from Paula’s life, I think she was more interesting than Phoebe. This book covers a huge amount of topics, and the ones named above are only the few that stuck with me.
The setting of this book constantly changes. The characters live in multiple locations, and it was very intriguing to read about different lifestyles. The writing style is entertaining, creative and easy to read. I really liked the easy flowing storytelling, it was very entertaining. The chapters are pretty short, so the pages just fly by. I really loved the ending of this book, it was very deserved and left me very satisfied.
So, to conclude, even though this book has a lot of triggers, I really enjoyed this story. The characters are unusual, layered, and the life stories are complex and intriguing. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a glamorous story, filled with poshness as well as poverty. The styling and fashion industry is full of sins, and the author shares them very freely. 😀 Do give this book a go, and I hope you will like it as much as I did.
Thank You for Your time! ❤
About the author: Ceril Campbell has always been passionate about fashion. For over thirty years she has worked as a celebrity stylist, fashion commentator and expert on TV and radio with her own magazine columns and features. Her debut novel, Secrets in the Dark, is not autobiographical in any way, but is inspired by her insider knowledge of the glamorous world of celebrity. Ceril is now a broadcaster and motivational speaker, helping clients with lifestyle, image, life change, self-esteem, positive body confidence and mental wellness. Ceril has also written self-help books, including Discover the New You: Celebrity Stylist Secrets to Transform Your Life and Style. She lives in London and has two adult children.
Website: http://www.cerilcampbell.com / Twitter: @CerilCampbell / Instagram: @cerilcampbell
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