Scandalous Women | Gill Paul
REVIEWED BY LINDA HILL
It’s the 1960s, and two women on opposite sides of the Atlantic are trying to make a name for themselves in the male-dominated world of publishing. In Scandalous Women Gill Paul brings writers Jacqueline Susann and Jackie Collins together in a fabulous blend of real events and imaginative writing.
Scandalous Women: book review & synopsis
The story is completely absorbing. Firstly, it’s an absolute joy for anyone interested in the world of publishing and women’s fiction in particular, because the insights are magnificent. Paul’s powerful writing draws readers into the story, with a narrative that is familiar thanks to the books and authors depicted throughout.
Secondly, the story depicts the late 1960s and early 1970s with such wonderful clarity through the fashion, music, celebrities and societal attitudes. You’ll feel as though you’ve been transported back in time and plunged into Jacqueline and Jackie’s world. Descriptions are so vivid that the story has an almost photographic quality.
But most importantly of all, Scandalous Women is, quite simply, storytelling at its best. There’s fast-paced intrigue and riveting drama, with a pitch-perfect balance between theme and character. There’s an unputdownable blend of wit – particularly through the things Jacqueline says – romance, business, society and history. Jacqueline’s world in particular is one of glamour, the rich and the famous, which is exciting to read about. However, because other themes include physical and mental health, marriage, friendship, family and career, this is a story with something for everyone.
Glorious female characters
The characters are glorious and written with sensitivity and clarity. While Jacqueline, Jackie and several minor characters are real people, others, like the invented Nancy, are just as compelling and realistic. Strong feminism underpins the story, but at the same time it isn’t a blunt instrument. Nancy is naïve and far too trusting, and the difference between private life and public persona depicted by the two protagonists means that Scandalous Women feels authentic and relatable as well as sophisticated and varied.
Sharp, sassy and sensationally good, Scandalous Women is a book to keep you up all night and is Gill Paul at her very best.
Scandalous Women by Gill Paul is out now (Avon, PB, £9.99) and available from Amazon.
Read more fiction reviews by Linda Hill including Island In The Sun by Katie Fforde, The Trap by Ava Glass, Look In The Mirror by Catherine Steadman, I Died On a Tuesday by Jane Corry, Redemption by Jack Jordan and The Unforgettable Loretta, Darling by Katherine Blake.
