Beautifully written story of the Golden Age of Hollywood. A historical fiction story with romance, grief, fame, and secrets. Couldn't put it down!

I love the Golden Age of Hollywood so this was my kind of book.

Hester arrives in Hollywood to be the new governess for the daughter of one of cinema’s biggest stars.

Aidan Neil is a huge star but struggling after the death of his beautiful wife, film star Dinah Doyle.

This is a bit of a grumpy sunshine romance. Aidan is brooding and initially unfriendly. Hester is hesitant at first, but determined to help Erin. As she gets to know Aidan, she soon realises there is more to the man she works for than the movie magazines and the closely guarded film studio lets on.

As a reader, I didn’t find the revelations about Aidan and Dinah’s marriage particularly shocking. I’ve read three books recently where similar secrets were revealed – it seems to be a bit of a trend this year.

That being said, Aidan and Hester are sympathetic characters who deserve their inevitable happy ending and the journey there is a pleasant and atmospheric read.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for gifting me the digital copy of The Hollywood Governess.

I read this as a readalong on Instagram for the publisher. This was such an entertaining read, I was so happy to be swept along to 1930s Hollywood along with Hester. She finds herself leaving Yorkshire and taking a job in LA to support her ailing father and her family back home. The life she is dropped into could not be more of a contracts as she finds herself as the English Nanny to Erin daughter of Hollywood a-lister Aidan Neil. What follows is an exploration of the ways of Hollywood through Hesters eyes with prejudice, forbidden love, strait forward talking and self discovery. I really loved this book, it was such an entertaining read

This was an entertaining read and a great debut novel. Hester was easy to love from the very beginning. The writing was engaging and it was exciting to take a peek behind the scenes in the film industry of Hollywood. Even though there were no big surprises, it held my attention until the last pages.

Following her mother’s death and with a father injured in WWI, Hester Carlyle’s work as governess is the only way to keep her family afloat, even if this work means she’s had to alter her own dreams.

It’s 1937 when Hester receives a lucrative governess position. She is hesitant to take the position, since it will take her far from her family in Britain to live in California, to work for a Hollywood celebrity. Hester will have the difficult task of caring for young Erin, soon after her mother’s tragic death, and dealing with the grieving husband, Hollywood celebrity Aidan. A secondary story follows a disgruntled, recently fired screenwriter.

I enjoyed many aspects of the story, and especially the glimpses into the early days of Hollywood and the pressure to maintain a perfect façade for fans. It was especially interesting to observe this world through the eyes of a British nanny who has no interest in the movie industry, and whose own insecurities cause her discomfort in a world based on physical beauty.

Less interesting were elements of the story line that pulled me out of 1937 and felt much more contemporary. Proclaiming ”Love is love” or railing against the bigotry of 1930s Hollywood moguls who didn’t willingly accept their actors to live an openly gay lifestyle felt out of place, and dragged me out of an otherwise well-constructed period story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy - all thoughts are my own.

The book was based in Hollywood in 1930’s about a forbidden love. The book goes into challenging loss and crushing secrets. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will recommend to other. If you want a book that will stick with you, you found it

Hester, a Padgett governess, takes a job in Los Angeles to save her family home. Will the scars of her past, both physical and emotional, change the course of her life, and the Hollywood movie star widower and his daughter?

The Hollywood Governess is a fantastic romantic historical fiction; if I could rate it more highly I would! I absolutely fell in love with the characters, especially the daughter of the male main character.

Storyline wise, I found it superb. As a fan of historical fiction, I felt as though I was transported to the glitz and (not so!) glamour of early Hollywood with every page.

I really hope more historical romance books are written by this author as I would read them in a heartbeat!

The golden age of Hollywood is perfectly presented in this lovely story which takes us right into the heart of the movie industry. In the 1930s, Hollywood was a place of secrets and with the heads of studios calling all the shots every actor was under a strict contractual obligation. Into this glittering world comes Hester Carlyle, a sensible Yorkshire governess, who has been employed by the handsome actor Aidan Neil to look after his 7 year old daughter, Erin. Erin's actress mother has died in tragic circumstances and Hester is employed to bring some stability into the child's life. What then follows is a lovely story which looks in detail into the life of the charismatic but troubled Aidan Neil and as the secrets surrounding his marriage to the beautiful Dinah Doyle are revealed, so we discover more about the man behind the celluloid image.

Beautifully recreating old Hollywood with all its glitz and glamour this is a story to treasure. I enjoyed getting to know all the characters, especially Hester, who has insecurities of her own but who is determined to do the best she can for Erin and Aidan. The Hollywood backdrop during the golden age of movies is inspired and whilst this is a fictional recreation of Tinseltown it emphasises the power and control of the movie companies. There's a lovely warmth to the story and I think the author has captured the essence of the era well, even to dropping in the names of a few famous actors.

With a hint of forbidden secrets and with a heartwarming love story at its core, The Hollywood Governess is a commendable debut novel from an exciting new historical fiction writer.

This is a perfect historical romance! I love the characters and the complex relationships. I love Erin’s attitude to life!
The plot is brilliant. It’s easy to read as it moves along smoothly and it contains enough surprises to stay interesting.
I love the atmosphere of the 30s Hollywood and I especially love the romance that feels real and original enough to not get boring or unbelievable.
All in all, a brilliant romantic story with serious bits mixed in! I loved every word!

*Copy received from publisher via NetGalley

was really looking forward to this. I’m fascinated by Hollywood. I was also looking forward to the experience of a character with scarring. I enjoyed the first few chapters and then just felt lost. The book is very highly detailed. The writing style is too wordy and I couldn’t keep track of what was happening.

I took part in the readalong for the book on August 31 2024.

I sadly just felt pulled out of the story. I couldn’t concentrate on it and the book wasn’t for me. DNF.

Thanks to Alexandra Weston and Boldwood Books for my eARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

Overall 4,5*

As a debut novelist in this genre, Alexandra Weston has written a beautiful story about Hollywood and all of its glamour and the pit falls too. I enjoyed the romance and loved being transported back to an era where there were basically no phones and very few planes and where everything took so much longer to happen. It flows easily and reminded me in parts of Jane Eyre which was no bad thing for me as it is my favourite book!! There were sections that I worked out early on however that didn't detract from the story. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood books for the e-copy to review.

This was the perfect combination of family life, romance, and Hollywood intrigue in the late 1930s. I loved Hester and her approach to life and how she helps Erin cope with grief. While the romance sneaks up on Hester and Aidan, it was still well developed and heartwarming. I also enjoyed the look at the movie industry at that time and the various intricacies that went into the making of movies considering social mores. The mystery of what happened to Dinah was fascinating. I enjoyed everything about this book and look forward to more by this author.

Like the "wizard of Oz", this book pulls back the curtains on how movie studios are the puppeteers and controllers of their big screen names and how little glamour it really is. The Hollywood Governess is a historical fiction novel that uses the glam of Hollywood to create a story about grief and love and life from the eyes of an English Governess who takes a job in California as the woman who will help raise little Erin after her mother dies.

But Hester doesn't just come to give structure to Erin's day, she finds herself taking on the emotional inner torment that the famous Aidan Neil holds deep inside of him. Somehow she finds herself pulled into not just being a balm in little Erin's life but also her new boss.

Told with Hollywood as it's backdrop, there are secrets from all of the characters that unfold. Grief and self pain also find a spot in the way the characters are created.

It was a historical fiction "lite" where the reader won't have to dig into a 700 page wordy HF novel. Totally enjoyable and so grateful to Boldwood books for letting me join this read along!

This was a vivid story of emotions and longing in the Golden Age of Hollywood. Weston did a great job of blending just enough mystery to keep me turning pages while trying to figure out what really happened before the novel's story began that haunts the characters. Add to this tension of a forbidden romance and the insecurities of feeling Othered in the hyper created world of Hollywood and you have a great weekend read.

I read “The Hollywood Governess” by Alexandra Weston. I enjoyed the book. There were unexpected twists & turns along with personal issues, romance, and a peek into the world of Hollywood in the 1930’s! The characters and setting were well developed and made for a very good book.

This was my first book by Alexandra Weston, but I will look for other books by her.

I rated THE HOLLYWOOD GOVERNESS 4/5 stars.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Set in 1930’s Hollywood, Alexandra Weston paints a vivid picture of the glamour and complicated dynamics. The brilliant writing creates the sense of time and place beautifully, it captivates and dazzles on every page!

I was rooting for the completely endearing Hester the whole way! We see her struggles with her scars, both on the inside and out, as she tries to reconcile her traumatic past. Her family depend on her financially and her latest posting catapults her into the wealthy world of Hollywood working for a family dealing with grief. She soon realises the golden facade hides much beneath its shiny surface.

Enter Aiden who is charm personified. He’s charismatic, kind but often brooding and Hester senses a sadness in him. He is very protective of the sweet and adorable Erin who is a ray of sunshine bursting off the pages. I really enjoyed spending time with these characters.

Historical romance fans rejoice as you are in for a treat with this stunning read filled with heartbreak, forbidden love, angst and ultimately love. I adored their interactions as they really get to know each other and support one another. They can be their true selves and open up to each other which was great to see.

The Hollywood Governess is an absorbing and entertaining story where feelings are hidden, mystery and surprises pervade, and twists are guaranteed. Such an enjoyable read!

With thanks to @NetGalley for the review copy.

The Hollywood Governess really does take you back to Hollywood in the 1930’s. It’s a compelling and star studded debut. Hester is a character that is quite intense and takes a while to warm up to. But when you do you really begin to understand her and why she is like she is as the story unfolds.
This book makes us very keen to read more from Alexandra Weston.

A bit predictable at the end but otherwise a really good read. Interesting, fully formed characters that gave an insight into life in Hollywood at that time.

After reading too many heavy books, I picked up The Hollywood Governess for a more lighthearted story and it fit the bill perfectly.

Hester Carlyle was forced to grown up too soon when she lost her mother at fourteen. With two younger sisters and a father lost in his grief her natural nurturing instincts take over. After finishing school at Oxford, Miss Carlyle works as a governess backed by a prestigious agency. When she is offered a chance to serve a Hollywood family, she is anxious to learn the child, Erin, has recently lost her own mother. Miss Carlyle has never taken directions from a male before, and widower Aidan Neal is not only a male, but Hollywood royalty.

America brings back terrible memories from her previous time in New York, but a leaking roof over her family home forces her to take the job in California. Quickly Miss Carlyle ingratiates herself with Erin and though there is a bit a rough start, Mr. Neil finds he doesn’t know how they functioned without her. Miss Carlyle’s backstory about her time in New York and Mr. Neil’s deceased wife’s death are slowly revealed as the two discover their relationship is more than that of an employer and employee.

Though somewhat predictable, Hester and Aidan’s story is a sweet one that inspires hope. And sometimes a comeback story is exactly what we need.

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and the author Alexandra Weston for the advanced copy of the book. The Hollywood Governess is out now! All opinions are my own.

If there's one thing that I like doing, it's discovering new authors for me. Alexandra Weston is certainly a new author for me. I read the synopsis of 'The Hollywood Governess' and it certainly intrigued me. I love historical fiction and anything to do with the era of Classic Hollywood. I couldn't wait to dive in and so without further ado, I grabbed a cup of tea, grabbed my Kindle and settled down for what proved to be an interesting few hours of reading. I really enjoyed reading 'The Hollywood Governess' but more about that in a bit.

I have to say that I was drawn into this story from the very start. I hadn't realised that at the beginning of the book, North Yorkshire featured quite a bit but it was a nice surprise to read about certain places with which I was familiar - e.g. Northallerton. I warmed to the main character, Hester Carlyle, from the start and found that I ended up feeling as though she had become a friend of mine rather than a character of the book. To say that reading 'The Hollywood Governess' became addictive is like saying that I like cake- in other words a massive understatement. I would pick the book up only intending to read a chapter or two but I would end up becoming so wrapped up in the story and in the lives of the different characters that I would still be sat there reading several chapters and an hour or so later. I had to keep reading to find out if the story turned out as I suspected it would and as a result find out how that affected Hester. The more of the book that I read, the more I wanted to read and the quicker the pages seemed to turn. All too quickly I reached the end of 'The Hollywood Governess'. I found 'The Hollywood Governess' to be an interesting and absorbing story which certainly kept me guessing.

'The Hollywood Governess' is really well written. The author has an easy going writing style that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with whilst at the same time makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story and at the heart of the action. That's how I felt anyway. Alexandra clearly cares about her characters and this shines through in the very vivid and realistic way in which she describes them. She makes her characters seem just as real as you and I. Alexandra describes the Hollywood Golden era so vividly and realistically that I got a real impression of what it must have been like to have been in Hollywood and beyond at that time.

In short, I really enjoyed reading 'The Hollywood Governess' and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Alexandra's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.