From the publisher:
An electrifying novel about the complicated friendship between two ambitious and talented women writers in 1960s Los Angeles and the ultimate artistic betrayal: one writes a book based upon the other’s life… from the author of Reese’s Book Club Pick Before We Were Innocent.
https://amzn.to/3DPGH9C
After a steady descent from literary stardom, Lane Warren is back. She’s secured a new book deal based off the life of her sometime friend and more often rival, notorious free spirit and muse Gala Margolis. Lane’s only problem is that Gala has been missing for months.
Ten years earlier, Gala was a charming socialite and Lane was a Hollywood outsider amidst the glittering 1960s L.A. party scene. Though they were never best friends, Lane found Gala sharp and compelling. Gala liked that Lane took her seriously. They were both writers. They were drawn to each other.
That was until Gala’s star began to rise, and Lane grew more envious. Then Lane decided to do something that she wouldn’t ever be able to take back…changing the trajectories of both their lives.
Berman (Before We Were Innocent) offers a fascinating look at two women, Lane and Gala, whose lives intersect and diverge throughout the 1960s and 1970s in Los Angeles, California. Lane, a writer with a troubled past, and Gala, the quintessential Hollywood party girl, form an intricate relationship. The story focuses on the nuanced dynamics of their friendship, which is underscored by their rivalry. As their paths diverge—Lane opts for a conventional lifestyle with marriage and children, while Gala becomes entangled with a substance-dependent rock star—their professional lives continue to intersect, but their successes strain the relationship. The tension ratchets up when Lane begins crafting a novel inspired by Gala’s life, but before she can finish it, Gala disappears, and Lane becomes obsessed with finding her. The narrative structure employs a non-linear approach, moving back and forth over a decade, which effectively illustrates the evolution of their relationship. The vivid depictions of the era’s social scene and their interpersonal drama make for compelling reading.
VERDICT This razor-sharp exploration of female friendship and rivalry is likely to resonate with readers who appreciate the works of Anna Quindlen, Elizabeth Berg, or Jodi Picoult.
©Library Journal, 2025
8/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
L. A. WOMEN by Ella Berman. Berkley (August 5, 2025). ISBN: 978-0593639153. 416p.
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