Blog Tour: A Novel of Clara Bow by Laini Giles {Book Review & Giveaway}

The It Girl and Me: A Novel of Clara Bow by Laini Giles

Publication Date: March 25, 2017

Sepia Stories Publishing

eBook & Paperback; 341 Pages

Series: Forgotten Actresses, Book #2

Gere: Historical Fiction/Biographical

Daisy DeVoe has left her abusive husband, her father has been pinched for bootlegging, and she’s embarrassed by her rural Kentucky roots. But on the plus side, she’s climbing the ladder in the salon of Paramount Pictures, styling hair for actress Clara Bow. Clara is a handful. The “It” Girl of the Jazz Age personifies the new woman of the 1920s onscreen, smoking, drinking bootleg hooch, and bursting with sex appeal. But her conduct off the set is even more scandalous. Hoping to impose a little order on Clara’s chaotic life, Paramount persuades Daisy to sign on as Clara’s personal secretary. Thanks to Daisy, Clara's bank account is soon flush with cash. And thanks to Clara, Daisy can finally shake off her embarrassing past and achieve respectability for herself and her family. The trouble begins when Clara’s newest fiancé, cowboy star Rex Bell, wants to take over, and he and Daisy battle for control. Torn between her loyalty to Clara and her love for her family, Daisy has to make a difficult choice when she ends up in the county jail. Here, Daisy sets the record straight, from her poverty-stricken childhood to her failed marriage; from a father in San Quentin to her rollercoaster time with Clara, leaving out none of the juicy details.

Daisy DeBoe grew up in Kentucky dirt poor with a jailbird father and then ends up leaving her abusive husband Ray after getting punched in the face. She's had far from an easy life, but she's determined to make something of herself. She starts to work at a beauty salon in Hollywood and learn the ropes from her friend Vi.

Daisy hears about a job from a customer at Paramount Studios doing hair for the stars and can't pass up the opportunity to try. She ends up really hitting it off with their biggest star Clara Bow.
The two quickly form a friendship and the head of Paramount asks Daisy to be Clara Bow's personal secretary. The studio head believes Miss DeBoe will really keep Clara in line as everyone knows she needs looking after. She's a bit rough around the edges.

Thanks to Daisy ,Clara's accounts are soon high in cash and she can finally shake the bad members of her family who only use her for money. Daisy and Clara become inseparable and go everywhere together. Clara let's Daisy write checks and buy nice things for Clara's many boyfriends and even gifts for herself at times. They had complete trust in each other until the inevitable happens. Clara meets a new man. That's when the two women reach an impasse bigger than either of them could have ever imagined.

If I could give this story more than five stars I would. It deserves all the stars! I was completely enthralled with the storyline and the characters from beginning to end. The author does an amazing job of having the language depict the era, The vivid detail she uses to describe all the places Clara and Daisy travel to how frightening it must have been for actors to jump from silent filming to having to speak to the camera is completely mesmerizing. There were so many different characters that came in and out of Clara's life, from her many boyfriends, to reporters and fans she meets along the way, the story did such a great job presenting them and explaining how they ended up in Clara's life.

Although I've always been a lover of historical fiction, I don't recall ever hearing about books on the silent actors and actresses that worked during that time. I can't wait to read more from this author and more regarding the subject. This book deserves all the praise. I would highly suggest picking it up as soon as you can.

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About the Author

Originally from the counterculture mecca of Austin, Texas, Laini discovered a love of reading early on, and when she was eight, decided to be Nancy Drew. This dream was dashed when she realized she was actually a big chicken, and that there were no guarantees of rescue from tarantulas, bad guys with guns, and other fiendish plot twists. She finished her first "mystery novel" (with custom illustrations) when she was nine. She set the writing aside for a while when life got in the way, but was led back to it through her interest in genealogy and 18 months of enforced unemployment due to moving north for maple-flavored goodies and real beer. Reading old microfilm stirred new life into her interest in writing, and watching early silent films struck the match. Like most other writers, most of her monthly budget is spent on coffee and books. She lives with her husband and their two gray cats in Edmonton, Alberta. For more information, please visit Laini Giles' website. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads.

Blog Tour Schedule

Wednesday, November 1 Kick Off at Passages to the Past Thursday, November 2 Feature at What Is That Book About Friday, November 3 Feature at So Many Books, So Little Time Monday, November 6 Review at Bookish Tuesday, November 7 Feauture at WS Momma Readers Nook Thursday, November 9 Review at Beth's Book Nook Blog Friday, November 10 Review at A Bookaholic Swede Monday, November 13 Review at Creating Herstory Excerpt at Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots Wednesday, November 15 Review at A Chick Who Reads Friday, November 17 Excerpt at A Literary Vacation Monday, November 20 Feature at Let Them Read Books Wednesday, November 22 Feature at The Lit Bitch Thursday, November 23 Review at Locks, Hooks and Books Friday, November 24 Feature at CelticLady's Reviews Saturday, November 25 Excerpt at T's Stuff Tuesday, November 28 Review at View from the Birdhouse Wednesday, November 29 Review at A Book Drunkard

During the Blog Tour we will be giving away 5 paperback copies of The It Girl and Me! To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below. Giveaway Rules – Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on November 29th. You must be 18 or older to enter. – Giveaway is open to US & Canada only. – Only one entry per household. – All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion. – Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen. The It Girl and Me