Maggie

A few good hints but a lot is outdated and a lot is fairly obvious stuff.

3.5 stars rounded up to 5. I was a bit let down by this book - it's certainly well-researched but I felt it dwelled excessively on Arthur Laurent and the ins and outs of his life and career more than it focused on the movie and its challenges. I enjoyed learning about how both Streisand and Redford approached the narrative, how Pollack struggled to keep all the pieces moving in the right direction, and how Ray Stark fit into the picture but sometimes the data Hofler had gathered about Laurent felt forced into the novel rather than flowing organically. This is one of my favorite romance stories and it was fascinating to hear the behind-the-scenes machinations that went into crucial scenes, lines that were dropped, sub-plots that got left on the cutting room floor. The insight into how a film gets edited and changed during production and even afterwards, makes this an interesting read for cinema buffs but again, I wished more time had been spent on the actual movie than Laurent who lived a fascinating life but ultimately came off as an egotist who harmed more than helped the making of this classic film.

Many thanks to Net Galley for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy

A perfect little gem of a book - a writer who revealed his small hometown's secrets in his debut novel comes back to town 18 years later when his father falls ill. The story follows his coming to terms with the fallout of his revelations, reconnecting with his family, his HS friends, and his true love and maybe, along the way, discovering the true path to happiness. And bravo to Tropper for a perfect ending.

Very relatable characters and a solid plot. I'll be reading more of Chamberlain's novels - she hits the sweet spot between literary and women's fiction that I enjoy the most

Some of the actions the wife/mother takes during the novel seemed over the top to me and a few too many coincidences (i.e. subbing for the writing teacher in the prison and encountering someone involved in the attack on her husband) but all in all I enjoyed the story. The inciting incident was very unusual and the weapon of choice will stick with me for a long time. Fast-paced mystery/psychological suspense from a great author who's at the top of her game.