Friday, June 17, 2016

Review Tour- THE GIRL FROM THE SAVOY by Hazel Gaynor


About the Book
Presenting a dazzling new historical novel … The Girl From The Savoy is as sparkling as champagne and as thrilling as the era itself.

‘Sometimes life gives you cotton stockings. Sometimes it gives you a Chanel gown …’

Dolly Lane is a dreamer; a downtrodden maid who longs to dance on the London stage, but her life has been fractured by the Great War. Memories of the soldier she loved, of secret shame and profound loss, by turns pull her back and spur her on to make a better life.

When she finds employment as a chambermaid at London’s grandest hotel, The Savoy, Dolly takes a step closer to the glittering lives of the Bright Young Things who thrive on champagne, jazz and rebellion. Right now, she must exist on the fringes of power, wealth and glamor—she must remain invisible and unimportant.

But her fortunes take an unexpected turn when she responds to a struggling songwriter’s advertisement for a ‘muse’ and finds herself thrust into London’s exhilarating theatre scene and into the lives of celebrated actress, Loretta May, and her brother, Perry. Loretta and Perry may have the life Dolly aspires to, but they too are searching for something.

Now, at the precipice of the life she has and the one she longs for, the girl from The Savoy must make difficult choices: between two men; between two classes, between everything she knows and everything she dreams of. A brighter future is tantalizingly close—but can a girl like Dolly ever truly leave her past behind?

Review- 
In the last year or so, I've gotten into historical fiction like nobody's business. So it was no surprise when I jumped at the chance to read 'The Girl from The Savoy'. A richly written novel about two girls who couldn't be anymore the same as they are different. Dolly wants to make it in the bright lights as a singer, while Loretta has already made it. Both are searching for something the other one has. 

While enjoyed reading about an era that I desperately wished came back, there were times when I felt the story fell just a bit flat. There were times when I just wanted to put the book down because I was bored to tears. But I trudged on...and I'm glad I did. By the end, I ended up enjoying the characters much more than I initially thought. Especially Dolly. 

I liked her story the best because I like the 'rags to riches' storyline and I feel it never gets old. Dolly starts off the book by tragically saying goodbye to her boyfriend as he goes off to war. Meanwhile, she goes to find work as a chambermaid at The Savoy Hotel. By doing this, it brings her that much closer to fulfilling her dreams. 

Overall, I think that the story was one that had heart and soul. Sure, there were some minor hiccups but for the most part it truly was able to catch the charm of the 20s. I look forward to reading more from the author seeing as how she truly has a gift of bringing characters to life.

*Thank you the publisher for providing a finished copy for a honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Purchase Here:


About the Author:
Hazel Gaynor is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of A MEMORY OF VIOLETS and THE GIRL WHO CAME HOME, for which she received the 2015 RNA Historical Novel of the Year award. She was selected by US Library Journal as one of ‘Ten Big Breakout Authors’ for 2015 and her work has been translated into several languages. Hazel is a contributing author to WWI anthology FALL OF POPPIES: Stories of Love and the Great War. As features writer for national Irish writing website writing.ie Hazel has interviewed Philippa Gregory, Sebastian Faulks, Kate MosseJojo Moyes and Cheryl Strayed, among others.

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