The Chelsea Girls – Paperback Release

Celebrating the paperback release of The Chelsea Girls by Fiona Davis (on sale December 8, 2020)!!!

First, what a gorgeous cover for the paperback release of this book – I’m crushing on that outfit!

If you have read any of Fiona Davis’ books, you will know that she picks a major landmark in New York City and writes a historical fiction novel with that landmark becoming a major character in the story.  If you are not familiar with her work, this is your lucky day because you have a whole backlist of her books to discover. 

I have read all of Fiona’s books and I have to say that this is one of my top favorites.  This story centers around The Chelsea Hotel which has a long history of people involved in the arts making their home there.  Playwright Hazel Ripley and actress Maxine Mead live at the hotel and are determined to create a hit show on Broadway.  Unfortunately for Hazel and Maxine, Senator Joseph McCarthy is determined to root out communists in the United States and he is convinced that the entertainment industry is full of them.  Good luck to Hazel and Maxine getting their play to Broadway!  I knew a bit about the McCarthyism years prior to picking up this book but this storyline really fleshed out what happened during that piece of history and I found it very interesting.

There were so many things I loved about this book, in particular the friendship between Hazel and Maxine even as their friendship becomes strained to the point of breaking but I also loved the many descriptions of the hotel and the menagerie of people who lived there.

There is something about winter that makes me want to get cozy with a cup of tea, a blanket and a good historical fiction book and I highly recommend picking up The Chelsea Girls!  Paperback now available.

Also, while I am on the topic of Fiona Davis’ writings, her newest book is The Lions of Fifth Avenue (hardcover released August 4, 2020) and the background of this story is set at the iconic New York Public Library and is also a great read to curl up with.  If you are still looking for Christmas gift ideas and need something for a reader in your life, the backlist of this author’s work would be a welcome gift for any reader.  Thank you to Netgalley, Publicist Dutton & Plume and Penguin Random House for allowing me to be part of the paperback release celebrations for The Chelsea Girls.