Have you gotten to author Gill Paul's books yet. I came across this author a number of years back with a book she had written about Jackie Kennedy & Maria Callas. The Second Marriage is a superb read...
Gill writes fiction and creates stories about people we often see or hear about in the media, in real life. She has the most magnificent imagination and incorporates her own characters in to their story.
Finishing one of her novels was an experience for me as I finished with a feeling of wanting so much more from this author.
I now watch out for her books all the time.
Scandalous Women I knew was going to be quite the story.
Jackie Collins and Jacqueline Susann...
Two authors on the bestsellers list more often than they've had hot dinners with their novels..
These two women dared to write raunchy, racy books, they dared to write about the s word.....
We meet lovely Nancy in this story too...
I read somewhere recently that Nancy was totally ficticious in the story and she was a wonderful addition. The author created a character that completely gelled the story. She became a friend they needed all the while trying to progress her career to becoming an editor. I adored Nancy...
The story is told through the three characters Jackie, Jacqueline & Nancy and it gave us such a great insight into the struggles to become an author and editor in a day where sexism, chauvinism and a lack of respect for women is high on the list.
How everything was so much more difficult for women to progress.
I found this story so beautifully captivating and incredibly insightful.
Three strong women who fight for what they want and believe in.
Set in the 1960's with its glitz, glamour, parties, drugs and gossip...
This book has it all...
Loved this read, one to add to your list...

Fascinating and interesting book. Whilst I was aware of both authors and had read some of their books I really enjoyed this fictional account of their lives and connections.

I can never resist a Gill Paul book - she is the queen of combining fact and fiction to create hugely entertaining reads that tell the stories of some fascinating women - and her latest is no exception!

In Scandalous Women, she transports us to the world of publishing in the 1960s and 1970s as we are drawn into the world of two ground-breaking authors, Jacqueline Susann and Jackie Collins, who challenged the male-dominated industry to champion a new type of female fiction, and one which caused a fair amount of outrage, as well as new ways to promote it.

Paul cleverly weaves the story of the two authors with that of a fictional editorial assistant Nancy who introduces the pair, all the while fighting her own battles to be taken seriously in the industry. We follow the women as they achieve professional success whilst at the same time dealing with considerable personal struggles. It is entertaining and informative in equal measure and another triumph for Paul!

Scandalous Women is a captivating and insightful fictional story about three women in the book publishing world in the 60s and 70s.
We follow the POV of:
Jacqueline Suzanne who finds fame through her controversial book Valley Of the Dolls. Jackie Collins and her controversial books and a fictional character called Nancy White, who works hard, is good at what she does and is trying to gain a place in the male dominated career of publishing. We follow all three ladies and their paths cross throughout the story. Weaving fact with fiction, Gill Paul has created an outstanding story which opens your eyes and mind to books considered controversial, the sexism in the book publishing industry back in the 60s and 70s, the power divide between men and women and much more. The characters were so well fleshed out and, by the end of the book, felt like friends. The last few chapters had me crying my eyes out as I loved these characters and felt so many emotions through the book.
If you love strong female characters and wonder about the history of publishing and equality, you need to pick this book up.

Gill Paul has written a wonderfully captivating story of two beloved female authors who changed the face of publishing forever by their pushing of boundaries and not taking no for an answer. Jacqueline Susann is at the stage of her career where she has written a few novels but knows that 'Valley of the Dolls' could be a huge deal. Women are the main buyers and consumers of novels, she just needs to get her story into their hands.

The male-dominated publishing industry is very highbrow, extremely sexist, and brushes off Jacqueline's book as a bit of nonsense. They write her off as an old, has been author, decrying her personal appearance and lifestyle. Despite their efforts to dismiss it, Jacqueline and her husband Irving take the book out into the world and its a bigger success than they ever could have dared.

Part of the success is down to Nancy, a young graduate new to New York, who has dreamt of being an editor for as long as she can remember. She arrives in New York clutching three letters inviting her to interview- at the third interview, she is told that she won't get the job without sliding down a fireman's pole whilst all of the men in the company watch from below.

Once in her low paid publishing job, Nancy volunteers to go between the publishing house and Jacqueline to help her edit 'Valley of the Dolls' in a more nuanced way than the publishing house may have wanted. Jacqueline sees a lost soul in Nancy and takes her under her wing, buying her clothes, taking interest in her personal life and helping her in her career as much as possible.

Watching Jacqueline's success from the other side of the world is wannabe writer Jackie Collins. Married with a young daughter, Jackie desperately wants to write something contemporary and for women but can't quite find the right voice. When she reads 'Valley of the Dolls', Jackie realises there is a market for modern female fiction and writes her first successful novel.

Over the years, the two Jackies forge a firm friendship, both aware of their unique position in the literary world. They keep Nancy as a solid part of their support trio, she has been there from the beginning and knows them both so well.

I loved and was horrified by the insights into the seedy world of publishing, and generally how tough life was for women in the 1960s, such a world away from now, although there's still a long way to go. The three women in this book came to life so strongly for me, Gill Paul has done a fantastic job in giving them all powerful voices that won't back down.

Sadly, I have to admit to never having read any of Jacqueline Susann’s novels, perhaps a little before my time, however, in the nineteen eighties I did devour the later novels of Jackie Collins by which time she was firmly established in the publishing world. To have this novel centred around two of the most groundbreaking female novelists of the twentieth century is a real insight in the perils and pitfalls of the then largely dominated male publishing world.

This is such an insightful fictional glimpse into the lives of two fascinating women who took on the male establishment and who fought to get their work published even though they were ridiculed and criticised for writing rather risqué stories which women absolutely adored. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the two Jackies, both women had their individual challenges, made all the more complex by their desire to write the stories they wanted to write, whilst at the same time being ostracised for the gritty content of their books, even though women were buying them in their thousands.

The author has captured this time to perfection, the daring fashion, the hedonistic lifestyle, the danger of recreational drugs and the excitement of noisy nightclubs, all combine to bring the swinging sixties to life in a unique way and paring these two feisty women together in a story is a real treat. I devoured the book in a couple of afternoons, beguiled not just by the authors but also by Nancy’s story who holds everything together so beautifully.

Beautifully written and impeccably researched as all this author’s stories undoubtedly are Scandalous Women is a real page turner, highlighting the misogyny they all encountered and their sheer grit and determination in trail blazing their way through the difficult early days of women’s publishing and marketing.

This is the first novel I've read by Gill Paul and I raced through it over the course of a day.
It begins in 1966 and focuses on two novelists about to publish their debuts- Jackie Collins and Jacqueline Susann. I've never read novels by either of these authors but of course I'm aware of their lives and the scandal their novels created in the 1960s. Gill Paul brings the lives of these women together using fictional characters and creating a fictional relationship between Susann and Collins.
Wow what an amazing read! I loved Nancy and how the author uses her fictional character to illustrate how women were treated in the 1960s, particularly in the world of publishing. It's a fast paced, gossipy novel that really brings Susann and Collins to life but is also emotional and full of admiration for these women.
I loved it! Highly recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

A real page turner. Set in New York and London in the 1960's.
The story of Jacqueline Susann and Jackie Collins - two ground breaking female authors, and their struggle to get their novels accepted by the publishing houses mainly run by men at the time.
I was fascinated to get a glimpse into the private lives of the two women and how they both had their fair share of tragedy.
The author cleverly weaves in some likeable fictional characters. I particularly warmed to Nancy, whom Jacqueline befriends and who eventually ends up setting up her own publishing company.
This is a fantastic historical novel and it is obvious that the author has done her research...
Highly recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books for this eCopy to review

I recently finished reading “Scandalous Women” by Gill Paul, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! The book offers a captivating look into the lives of some of history’s most intriguing and notorious women. Gill Paul’s writing is both engaging and insightful, making each story come alive with vivid detail and rich context.

What I loved most about this book is how it humanizes these historical figures. Paul goes beyond the scandals to explore the complexities of their lives, providing a nuanced and empathetic portrayal of each woman. This approach not only makes the stories more relatable but also highlights the resilience and strength of these remarkable individuals.

Each chapter is a gem, filled with fascinating anecdotes and well-researched facts. While some stories naturally stood out more to me, I found the entire book to be a compelling read from start to finish. The pacing is well-balanced, and the narrative flows smoothly, keeping me hooked throughout.

Overall, “Scandalous Women” is a fantastic read for anyone interested in history and biographies. Gill Paul has done an excellent job of bringing these extraordinary women to life, and I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an engaging and enlightening read.

Jacqueline Susann was one of the most successful writers of the mid twentieth century with her novel Valley of the Dolls. Her road to publication and success was a rocky one thanks to misogyny and judgemental attitudes. She was ridiculed and scorned as being low brow and trashy. Over in the UK, Jackie Collins was struggling with a difficult marriage and trying to find the confidence to write.
Both women changed the face of fiction forever.

This is a fascinating story that's meticulously researched and beautifully written. It's atmospheric and evokes a Madmen type era full of glamour, alcohol and, of course, pills (or dolls). Where the book really works well is in showing the two women writers as empathetic and humane characters. This contrasts with how they're usually seen, as objects of ridicule and purveyors of trashy books. It's a pacy book and the two stories are interwoven and compelling to read. I devoured this in a day and a half.

Fascinating and inspired choice of subject. Gill Paul is an exceptional storyteller. who chooses to write about some of the most fascinating women who are overlooked by history. She's a joy to read.

Really loved this fictionalized look into the lives and relationship between Jacqueline Susann and Jackie Collins. Would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a novel about writers/the publishing industry, as I thought their link through a young and hungry publishing worker was one of the highlights of the novel. This is packed with 1960s glam. Felt a little melodramatic at times, but I chalked that up to following in the tradition of the novels this book was inspired by.

I liked this cocktail of celebrity and fiction set in the 1960s and 1970s, featuring two women who pushed the literary boundaries. The intricately woven mix of fact and fiction makes the storytelling flawless. It revolves around publishing Jacqueline Susann's novel The Valley Of The Dolls, and Jackie Collins' novel The World Is Full Of Married Men. Despite the success these novels enjoyed, the fallout the authors experienced from misogynist publishers, media, and critics was personal and shaming. The book highlights this and shows how groundbreaking these authors were. Nancy, a fictional character, draws the two women together and has a compelling story in which I invested. I enjoyed the storytelling, the vibrant characters and the evocative mid-to-late twentieth-century setting.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Back in the sixties, although only a rather naive teenager, I can vividly remember devouring and being really excited about Jacqueline Susann’s Valley of the Dolls – in fact, my copy with that iconic cover can still be found in a treasured slot on my bookshelves. My reading tastes were always a bit precocious, I’d already read some Harold Robbins, but this book was so very different – it was, rather shockingly, written by a woman, and that was something so very new and different. Jackie Collins’ overtly racy books certainly accompanied me on every holiday in my later teens and twenties – along with the proliferation of female authors who were able to follow, women like Judith Krantz and Shirley Conran. But in those days, I knew nothing about the prevailing literary landscape – the stuffiness of the male establishment, the battles against prejudice that these two women had to fight – and I’d never really thought about the shockwaves their books caused and the massive change to the whole world of books and publishing that they were so very instrumental in bringing about.

Jacqueline Susann’s Valley of the Dolls was a no holds barred exposé of life in Hollywood, the rampant sexism and the drug culture – and she then had to fight tooth and nail to make it the most unexpected of bestsellers, first fighting to get it published, then conducting an extraordinarily intensive publicity campaign (TV, radio, visiting book stores, talking to her fans and remembering their personal stories) and defying the most vehement and prominent (mainly, but not exclusively, male) critics. In the UK, Jackie Collins was divorced and a former b-list actress – with more than a few experiences to draw on – who finally completed her first book, The World Is Full of Married Men, with the support and encouragement of her new husband Oscar Lerman. And she experienced the same storm of opposition – the same ridicule and appalling reception, even including some very real threats to her personal safety.

Both authors’ stories are drawn together by a third – Nancy White, newly arrived in Manhattan, desperate to carve a career in publishing but despairing of ever being allowed to become an editor in an industry where overt sexism is the norm. Championing Jacqueline’s work, Nancy becomes her friend and protégée – and she’s gradually able to help her make her mark through astute advice and introductions. And when Nancy also becomes Jackie’s editor – and friend – their lives and stories begin to converge.

The author so skilfully combines fact and fiction, real people and events, imagined individuals and interactions, to build a fascinating and immersive story of both the lives of these two literary titans and the publishing world that – initially at least – treated them both so very badly. And she recreates, in particular detail and with absolute authenticity, the celebrity-filled world around them – while telling the smaller story of the complexities of their personal lives, their setbacks, challenges and tragedies, building real sympathy and affection for them both and bringing them to life on the page. In her afterword, she makes it clear which parts of the story were real or the product of her imagination – but I must say that the joins were entirely invisible, and I found the story she wove entirely real, very emotional at times and particularly compelling. She really is the most amazing storyteller – I read the whole book in one delicious uninterrupted sitting, feeling entirely part of the world and era she created.

Two extraordinarily strong women, whose lives had a lasting impact they could never have imagined or hoped for – and a fabulous book by one of the finest of today’s storytellers that I couldn’t recommend more highly.

(Review also copied to Amazon UK, but link not yet available)

‘SCANDALOUS WOMEN’ BY GILL PAUL

First and foremost I’d like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for handing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review, so without further ado...

SCANDALOUS WOMEN is my introduction to Gill Paul’s work even though I already own many novels by her (yes, you can say that I’m a bookaholic). The reason I chose this one is quite simple. It’s all about my two favorite Js: Jacqueline and Jackie. Jacqueline Susann and Jackie Collins, that is. Yes, both women are featured in this historical fiction novel that begins when VALLEY OF THE DOLLS is about to get published. From then on the reader meets budding novelist Jackie Collins married to her first but troubled husband and fictitious Nancy White who ends up working for Jacqueline Susann’s publisher Bernard Geis. Like in Valley, each chapter is focused separately on a main character.

The trio eventually meet but the story really centers around the relationship between Susann and White (while struggling Collins tries to finish her first novel in the UK), which is fine in itself as it keeps reality (Susann and VALLEY OF THE DOLLS) and fiction (White’s advocating the novel) bound together. As soon as the story takes a turn to focus on Nancy’s unlucky love life, however, SCANDALOUS WOMEN somehow falters. Not as exciting, alas, and this reviewer ends up craving even more for the two Js and their eventual fictitious meeting.

When it does happen, what’s thought to become addictive ends up being only so-so. What the book may lack is a sooner approach to their get-together. It takes pages and pages of biographical events before the ultimate crossing of each other’s lives, and, in the long run, this overshadows any form of excitement when we do get there.

Still, the author sure knows her subjects and the narrative is solid enough (minus some anachronisms like one character punching the air in happiness, an untypical move for the ‘60s era). I would say go for it, if you have yet seen Collins excellent documentary LADY BOSS or read Barbara Seaman’s 1987 bio about Jacqueline Susann called LOVELY ME. Other than that if your main goal is to focus more on the fictitious character Nancy White then you will be served, since her story does to a degree read like a Collins or Susann novel.

*Scandalous Women* by Gill Paul is a riveting blend of speculative historical fiction and biography. The novel cleverly imagines a contentious relationship between Jackie Collins and Jacqueline Susann, using the inventive character of Nancy White, a fictional ingenue-editrix, to bridge the two literary worlds. The alternating perspectives of the US and UK authors add depth and intrigue to the story.

Paul masterfully weaves together humor, fashion, and the gritty realities of the publishing industry from 1965 to 1975. Nancy's journey, navigating a sexist industry and forming pivotal friendships, is both engaging and enlightening.

The book is a captivating 4-star read, combining historical detail with imaginative storytelling. I couldn't put it down!

Thanks to the publisher and #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Based loosely on the lives of Jackie Collins and Jacqueline Susann, who broke the publishing mould writing racy books for women. Considering this was a time when sexism was commonplace and women were mere pawns in a man's world. This type of book didn't belong.

I absolutely loved getting to know the women and their friendships with others, good and bad. The characters were so well written that I'd become so invested in their story's. They paved the way for many writers. This was a very intriguing look at the world of publishing at this time.

🧁Powerful! Feminist! A boss book written by a boss author! I was truly entertained each chapter and each page! I grew up around women who paved the way in certain industries and I can feel each and every emotion the characters conveyed based off a real life heroes!


And due to my handicap this book was really easy to follow along! The way the author wrote this legendary legend bound truth had me wanting more!!


🍰 I felt this book was a mix of Mad Men with a big splash of Cherry Martinis and raw sparkle!

💗 whenever the characters in the book were presented with a challenge all I could see was how are these ladies going to punch through this wall?! LOL

Bravo!! 💋

I loved Gill Paul's Beautiful Rival, her take on a speculative historical-fictional relationship of contention between the heads of America's two cosmetic industry titans; and I think that formula works even better here, as applied to publishing's parallel Jackies! The invention of the highly intelligent ingenue-editrix character Nancy White, is brilliant as a means of connecting the US author with the one in the UK, and alternating the chapters from each of their points of view works masterfully, in moving the drama, intrigue and romance forward. The author took artistic liberties inventing such a thriving bond between these two pioneers in sexy women's fiction, (or "gritty books about romances that don't have happy endings"), but she did an admirable job illustrating the very interesting background and family life of both Jackie Collins and Jacqueline Susann, and how painfully paternalistic the publishing world they managed to break into was.

The humor never quit, even when bad things were happening; and I loved the gourmet, fashion and design details liberally sprinkled throughout this story spanning from 1965 to 1975, in New York, London and LA.

I could not put this book down!

A story of Jackie Collins and Jacqueline Susann and not only their rise to fame with their respective books, but the sexism and trials and tribulations they encountered along the way. Whilst the account is fictious it was so much fun to read, Gill really brought the two authors alive.

My favourite character was Nancy the fictious book intern and her navigation of New York in the 1960s. Even though the blatant sexism she encountered at work was hard to read I was routing for her throughout. From arriving to find she had no place to stay, to her friendship with Jacqueline Susann and later Jackie Collins, it was just a delight to read. The character was a brilliant bridge between the two author stories.

Gill wove factual detail into her story so well, that when I had finished reading I was grateful for her notes on what did and didn't actually happen. Also how she had entwined certain facts and fiction to make for a gripping read.

Scandalous Women
By Gill Paul

Gill Paul writes in a genre that usually doesn't appeal to me, but her blend of historically accurate fiction, wildly interesting female disruptors and a vividly imagined narrative, packed with juicy gossip gives me hours of rabbit-holing, and plenty of insights into women who's feats and achievements have been played down or appropriated by men over the years.

She is a brilliant storyteller. She's like the literary equivalent of those chefs on Ready, Steady, Cook, the show where they were provided with 5 ingredients with which they had to produce a dish, and the results were always unexpected and delicious.

I read all the Jackie Collins books as a teenager and young adult. They were extremely enlightening. I can remember the fuss over Jacqueline Susann and her iconic style. These ladies broke ground and I can see why Paul chose to write about them.

I enjoyed reading this, but not quite as much as her previous books. Something about the prominence of the fictional characters felt awkward and the imagined relationship between the two Jackies felt ham-handed. I love that the author included the tidbits of research that prompted that storyline, but it scuppered my usual extra curricular research and the joy of discovering what was actually real.

In the same way as I will never ignore an unattended copy of 'Hello', I feel certain that I will always read whatever Paul writes next, because spilling the tea is always a blend of fact and supposition, and a great storyteller is a great storyteller.

Publication date: 13th August 2024
Thanks to #NetGalley and #AvonBooksUK for the ARC