5/5 ⭐ | An Audacious Woman: A Novel (The Audacious Series Book 1) by Corinne Cavanaugh

Anyone that knows me knows that “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” is one of my favorite books.  So, it is unsurprising that I LOVED “An Audacious Woman.”  The wealthy, older woman, eccentric in her wishes, with an exciting and adventurous life, on the precipice of history, looking to get things off her chest in old age – makes for an incredible read!

Eleanor Beaufort is an audacious 85-year-old woman.  Tired of managing the large Beaufort estate, with no heirs to take it over, she decides to host a contest to give away her fortune.  With an open call for contestants, she chooses five candidates to move into the large 20,000 square foot home on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.  Dating back to 1901, and valued at over $70 Million, this is quite the bequest to give away to a contest winner. 

Each of the five contestants must move into the house for 30 days as they undergo a series of challenges to test their ability and business plans for the future of the estate.  The first of which is decided upon, on the fly, as the rooftop balcony crumbles while they are touring it.  As the contest wears on we are given glimpses of the extraordinary life Eleanor has lived, from her activist lifestyle to the arts, social scene, and relationships.  Readers easily fall into author Corinne Cavanaugh’s writing as she crafts a woman you can’t help but marvel at.  Not one to let the men off the hook so easily, Eleanor holds steady to her values and has the inner dialog of a true feminist queen. 

“An Audacious Woman” was quick and enjoyable.  Rightly rocketing to the top of my 2024 favorites list, there is much to love about the characters within.  Cavanaugh has created a remarkable women’s fiction read in this humorous, unconventional, and inspiring novel.  As a bonus, end capping this story are book club questions from the author, sparking thought and discussion that appropriately accompany the various themes and situations that arise in this book. 

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Chasing The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo “High”

Since reading The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid I find myself perpetually chasing after that “high” from this read.  It embodied everything I love in a book, from the powerful themes, to the tabloid-esque writing, this book was instantly one of my top five favorite reads.  So, as I forever chase after another read like this, I drifted towards The View Was Exhausting and The Siren.  Both reads have strong Hollywood female protagonists, both have tabloid-esque writing peppered throughout and both house the pitfalls of fame that was so prevalent in The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. 

And, while each was certainly a fantastic read, perhaps my comparison of them to The Seven Husbands was unfair, as I suspect nothing will ever topple its firm grasp within my favorite reads. 

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The View Was Exhausting by Mikaella Clements & Onjuli Datta

Publication Date: July 6^th, 2021

Rating: 4 ½ Stars

Each of these two reads takes snips, themes and intrigue found in The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and adds them to their own story.  Where The Siren lacked that fully engrossing, true romance story Evelyn Hugo had for me, The View Was Exhausting wholly captured and ran with it.

Whitman “Win” Tagore and Leo Milanowski are Hollywood’s favorite on-again, off-again couple.  But behind the tabloid perfect pictures, and persona, is the truth, that Leo is her hired arm candy when she finds herself in “trouble” with her image.  How long can their relationship, and the secrets they keep, hold up?  Can Win’s career survive if this “relationship” truly crumbles?  More importantly, can Win’s heart?

The View Was Exhausting is a curated, behind-the-scenes look at Hollywood and the lengths stars will go to please the press, the public and those that hire them.  Clements and Datta bring a magnifying glass to the differences between males and females in relationships and professional spheres, both within the public’s eye and within their own heads.  Readers will ignite as the sparks fly and the publicists supervise.

*Disclaimer: A review copy was provided; all opinions are my own.

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The Siren by Katherine St. John

Publication Date: May 4^th, 2021

Rating: 4 Stars

This book will sit well with lovers of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.  It brings it’s own triggering storyline events though, so readers beware.   Author Katherine St. John commands her history in acting, screenwriting, directing and producing to the pages of her newest, The Siren. 

The Siren follows three distinct women, Taylor a flailing producer fresh off a scandal on her last film, Stella a failing actress quickly running out of money, and Felicity, Stella’s mysterious assistant.  These three women find themselves thrown together as they jet off to a Caribbean island to film a new movie with Stella’s ex-husband.  But, as a hurricane comes barreling toward them, these women are forced to come together in ways unimaginable. 

St. John truly brings depth and detail into this read that few other authors would be able to achieve.  With her experience and behind the scenes knowledge of filmmaking, The Siren is perfectly detailed so you feel like one of the set members as you read along, but with the benefit of the internal dialog of each of our three leading ladies.  Taylor, Stella and Felicity combine to make great characters, each giving us a unique view on the underlying story housed within, one that will rip you apart in this slow burning thriller.

*Disclaimer: A review copy was provided; all opinions are my own.