Archives for December 10, 2023

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

Oscar-winning actress Ardith Law is a Hollywood icon. Radiant at sixty-two, she is the epitome of glamour and a highly respected artist. But her success has come at a price: She has a strained relationship with her daughter, Morgan, who at thirty-eight still blames Ardith for putting her career before being a mother. Morgan is a successful plastic surgeon in New York City—and the distance from Ardith’s Bel Air mansion is not lost on either of them.

Ardith became a single mother when Morgan was seven, after her unfaithful husband died in a helicopter accident. In recent years, she has found amiable companionship with fellow actor Bill West. But Ardith’s comfortable world is turned upside down when she hires a temporary personal assistant, Josh Gray, while Bill is away filming in London. Josh’s rough-around-the-edges persona is the opposite of what Ardith is used to, but an unexpected tragedy brings them closer, stirring up conflicting feelings in her for this younger man.

In New York, Morgan is swept off her feet by world-renowned TV anchorman Ben Ryan. Though more than two decades her senior, Ben is handsome, charismatic, and just as smitten as Morgan. But when a blackmail scheme puts his career—and their relationship—on the line, Morgan doesn’t know where to turn. Perhaps . . . to her mother? As each woman navigates an unconventional romance, they cautiously approach each other on new terms and attempt to put aside their past for a new future.

Another page turner that kept me captivated from start to finish! Steel brings a touch of Hollywood to life when detailing the down to earth nature of an aging Hollywood starlet and the pitfalls of getting older and being alone. I really enjoyed Ardith’s personality and outlook on life as she nurtured a relationship with a newfound friend. There are twists in the storyline that keep things exciting along the way. Another branch of the story revolves around the daughter that has never forgiven her for choosing work over motherhood and who still resents her regardless of the success she’s seen in her own life. I highly enjoyed getting to know both mother and daughter and seeing their stories play out.