I did enjoy this book but it took me a while to get through because I didn’t feel driven to pick it up each time. Great story though and glad I finished it!

An intriguing glimpse behind the curtain of Golden Age Hollywood, the dramas of a fake studio as seen by a gossip columnist who blends enough into the background to see all the juicy happenings, feels very relevant in the age of the popularity of Lady Whistle down and DeuxMoi. I did feel the pace was slack in places, potentially due to the need to describe so many films that don't exist and build so many characters as the revolving door to the stage sees many appear throughout the book. If this were on the screen, it would be a series, not a film as it feels quite long. Great premise, a promising debut.

🍸Hollywood in 1939, Edie O’Dare is a fading actress & with her studio contract coming to an end she decides to redesign herself as a gossip columnist…with life ruining results for more than one of her famous cast mates.

❤️I LOVED:

🎞️The old Hollywood glamour setting! If you’re looking for a book with Evelyn Hugo vibes then this is for you. However the plot and characters are not quite the same as TJR.
🎬This book has quite a few characters & I love any book that gives me a character guide to reference back to. (I usually make one in my notes app 😅)
🎞️Edie O’Dare was such a character, ruthless yet heartfelt.

💄Read if you like:

🎬1930’s hollywood
🤫other peoples secrets
📖long chapters (35 pages for the first chapter was a bit of a struggle for me!)

This historical novel, set in Hollywood, surrounded by the associated glamour, is one I had high hopes for. I did enjoy many parts of this, but I felt the chapter changes were too abrupt for me to get totally lost in the narrative, which is exactly what you hope for with such a novel.

The blurb makes it sound like an Interesting premise, but the plot is so deeply hidden under the scene setting that I found it a real drag to get through. The phrase "less is more" was running in my head for most of the time. Unfortunately I also didn't like the main character, so wasn't heavily invested in her success or failure. Not for me, I'm afraid.

Interesting but not as gripping as I had first anticipated. I enjoyed the storyline and the characters, I just don't think I meshed well with the pacing. I would still very much recommend it!

A gossipy novel set in the golden age of Hollywood filled with misbehaving movie stars and dramatic scandals. Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC.

I really wanted to like this - thought the setting sounded like something I would love, being set around an old Hollywood studio, but unfortunately I think the way in which all the characters were introduced started the story off on a bad foot where I continued to not fully be engaged because of this.

I want to thank the author, Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited to pick this one up, and requested an ARC because I have previously really enjoyed books set in old Hollywood before (Evelyn Hugo I see you). Unfortunately, it did not live up to its potential.

One of the main plot points in the synopsis speaks of a young actress handing the protagonist, Edie, a letter alleging a sexual assault from an A-list actor. Obviously this book is set decades before the #MeToo movement so I was intrigued as to how it would play out on the page. But it didn’t receive anywhere near the amount of attention as I thought it would. It seemed to be just another thing that happened and the story moved on without much exploration into it.

Even after being with her for over 300 pages, I still felt like I didn’t know who the main character was. Edie had no real discernible qualities and came across as completely flat. In general, the characterisation could have been better across the entire cast - which is also entirely too large to be as forgettable as they were. The only character I cared for even a tiny bit was Charles.

The book reads in a very disjointed way, flitting back and forwards in time as Edie outlines her history. At points this gets confusing as you cannot tell which moment in time she is referring to. Some aspects of the story get slightly repetitive as Edie constantly rehashes the same point over and over.

I struggle to see what this book was really trying to achieve. The author tried to get across some points about the power of gossip press in the world of celebrity, but didn’t do it in any real meaningful way. It was also just not the feminist story I was hoping for. It took me so much longer to read than usual because I just didn't want to pick it back up. I’ll have to find my old Hollywood fix elsewhere.

Edie O'Dare's contract with FWM Studios is almost up and she's at a bit of a loss what to do next. Throughout her career she has been supplying stories to Hollywood's biggest gossip columnist but when she is presented with a letter from a youngest actress saying she was assaulted by one of the biggest actors in the industry, Edie doesn't pass this letter on. Instead, she publishes it under a pseudonym, causing a massive scandal which results in the case going to trial. Edie continues to work as a columnist, under her own name, which makes her life complicated and lonely, something that gets even worse when she has to make a big decision regarding the trial.

The premise of the book is amazing, I loved the 1940s Hollywood setting, the glitz and glamour hiding some darker stories and characters. It's so easy to picture these beautiful women and handsome men, the fashions described are wonderful too.

That said, I didn't really connect with any of the characters. Edie is the central character but I feel like we never get to know her properly. This could be on purpose, as she is a bit of an outsider despite having been an actress, she was always on the peripheral. And as a result, the delivery of the novel felt more 'telling' instead of 'showing'. I think this would possibly be a good TV show

Set in the golden age of Hollywood, Do Tell is a story about Edie O'Dare, an actress just finishing her contract with FWM Studios who has also been earning through the gossips she slips to a reigning columnist. But when an A-list actor is accused of sexual assault by an up and coming actress, Edie helps get the story to print that sets off a chain of events.

Edie decides to become a gossip columnist herself after the contract but she realises that some of her contacts have now become cold towards her and publishing the secrets of the people she considers friends can back fire.

The character development is one of the book's strong suits. Each individual is fleshed out with distinct personalities, motivations, and flaws. Their interactions and complex relationships give the narrative depth and authenticity, making them feel like real people grappling with real emotions.

The storytelling of this book was pretty interesting as I have not read a recent book that was told in scenes. I quite enjoyed it at times but it also took me away from what was going on in that particular moment because of the abrupt way a scene ended.

I really enjoyed the setting of 1940s Hollywood in this book. I enjoyed how it showed that while everything looks gold and glamorous, you can see the truth if you just look closer.

I love books about hollywood and glitz and glamour, so when I saw Do Tell i immediately requested it and started it as soon as I was approved, but this ended up being a 3 star read for me. The writing is very visual, but at times there's a bit too much of it. I understand that its a way to talk about the superficiality of hollywood, but by the time i reached the 23% mark i was just so bored. Halfway through the book does get a bit more interesting, but I was still quite disappointed,

An excellent historical fiction set in historical Hollywood. Loved it, loved the descriptions of the settings and how the characters are dressed.
A well researched and vivid story that I recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

THERE'S NOTHING STRONGER THAN A GOOD STORY.
THE QUESTION IS: WHO GETS TO TELL IT?


The clock is ticking on Hollywood actress Edie O'Dare's contract with FWM Studios. Her acting career is going nowhere, and she's running out of time to find a new role in the industry - other than providing salacious details of the latest party or premiere to the press.

So when an up-and-coming starlet hands her an explosive letter - alleging an assault by an A-list actor - Edie helps get the story into print, and buys herself a new career as Tinseltown's new reigning gossip columnist.

Edie has more power on the page than she ever commanded in front of the camera. But dealing in your former friends' secrets comes at a price - and when her scoop turns into the trial of the decade, Edie's decisions have the potential to ruin more than one life . . .

This debut novel comes glitteringly reviewed and has a host of 'names' recommending it. This has flummoxed me. I'm sorry to say I read this only through a sense of obligation. It was a set of sentences strung together with no coherence whatsoever. I know it covered important issues ( me too, sexuality) but the background in which it was set was very very dull. And I adore old Hollywood movies. I'm so sorry to give a negative review.

Do Tell is glamorous, and gossipy story, and you're all going to love it!

Do Tell, is the story of Edie O'Dare - a never really made-it actress who finds she has a knack for getting the goods on the studios and popular casts and crew behaviours and mishaps, sharing them with the gossip columnist of the day. When her acting career fizzles out she turns from a provider of gossip to becoming a formidable syndicated columnist herself - think Lady Whistledown in Bridgerton.

Told from the POV of Edie as she looks back on her career in Hollywood while holding herself accountable for things shared she regrets, she also acknowledges it was a part of her career. Men don't apologise for their careers and neither does Edie.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Really struggled to get into this, it just didnt work for me. Nothing to hold my attention. Ended up giving up about 1/3 in.

This was such an interesting read! I found myself so engrossed in the story, the characters had such incredible arcs, and I can't wait to follow this author's journey!

I have mixed feelings about this one. On the one hand, I loved how much research was put into the historical context of the story, and I think the Old Hollywood Glamour aspect is definitely the plot's main strength. However, there was a ton of characters to keep track of (most of them I didn't really like) and the pacing felt a little too disjointed for my taste. It's not bad, but it's more a vibes kind of book, if I may subjectively say so.

I really wanted to love this book, as the cover and descriptions really caught my eye. Unfortunately, though, I just disliked the characters and couldn't get into the plot.

DNF. I abandoned the book due to its lackluster writing quality, which failed to captivate my interest. It seemed to be trying to accomplish too many things at once, resulting in an unfocused narrative that left me feeling disconnected. Furthermore, the protagonist's character traits proved to be rather unappealing, further diminishing my desire to continue reading.