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John A. (Houston, TX)
"Friends"
L.A. Women
This book covers events predominantly 49 to 60 years ago with L.A. as the backdrop at a time when there existed a very different environment for gays and to a lesser extent women compared to today. What hasn't changed is the psychological burden of bad parenting on some offspring and the love-hate relationship between some sorts of "friends", one of whom may have an unhealthy competitive flaw that results in surreptitious malevolent behavior.
The book is focused on the flawed relationship of the one uptight accomplished friend and her more outgoing, naturally talented compatriot. The story sometimes
…more drags because of the featured role of the angst ridden former in the narration of the story. I had a hard time liking or often even caring about this woman, so I didn't particularly enjoy the book.
However, the book is well written and conveys some unpleasant truths about how we have behaved and alas still behave in some ways. Thank goodness we have improved in how our gay friends are treated today.
In short, this is a skillfully rendered portrayal of a certain time in the USA which is well done but unpleasant to look back on. It is also painful to recognize that insecurities still undo once healthy friendships. (less)This 3rd novel by Ella Berman sports the 'already done plot' of young woman goes to Hollywood only to try to survive the decadence of becoming rich and famous. Sadly the book lacks the nuances of Malibou Rising and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. While technically very well written, with a deft command of dialogue, L.A. Women has plot holes and parts that are never really explained.
Probably its biggest flaw is that none of the characters are likeable or people that most of us can relate to. They are drug addled, sex obsessed, self absorbed and frankly just plain mean to other humans. Then add to that a slow
…more moving plot that jumps back and forth over 10 years and you find yourself saying how many more pages?
Finally at the end, the characters see the light, but there's no real transition to make any metamorphosis believable. 3 stars. Thank you to Berkley Publishers and BookBrowse.com for this Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review. (less)
Vivian H. (Winchester, VA)
Uninspiring with Unlikable Characters
If you are a fan of books by Taylor Jenkins Reid, you will enjoy this book about Hollywood in the 1960s & 1970s. I have always thought TJR's books are overrated & boring. I struggled to finish L.A. Women. I did not like or feel empathy for any of the characters who seem reckless, obnoxious, unhappy, and retreads of characters featured in other stories of LA in the period featuring sex, drugs and Rock N Roll. It was just depressing.
Debra F. (Cudjoe Key, FL)
Women
This was not my favorite book. I had a hard time just 'liking' the characters; too much whining, too much complaining.
The story takes place in 2 different timelines. One of the women disappears and so they go back to the beginning of their relationship.
I generally enjoy Hollywood stories, life of the rich & famous etc. but I'm afraid this didn't do it for me.
Jean F. (Cary, NC)
Making it Big in 1970's Los Angeles
Set in the late 1960's and up to the mid 1970's, L. A. Women is a story of the intense, fractured friendship between two young women, Lane, a novelist, ultimately a wife and mother, and Gala, a party girl and sometime writer with an out-size personality. The men in their lives are Charlie, party master and closeted gay, and straightforward upright Scotty, who marries Lane. Lane's childhood was particularly dysfunctional while Gala's wasn't wonderful either. As so-called friends, these two women use and abuse and sometimes depend on each other. Competition and compassion are at war in this back-and-forth
…more relationship.
The opening chapters are full of sex and drug-laden parties, and I didn't find any of the characters very appealing or ones I could identify with. When Gala disappears and no one seems to know where she has gone, Lane feels compelled, even driven, to try to locate her. This search fuels the novel as the chapters alternate in time between past events and present day 1975. Recommended for fans of Ella Berman and those looking for a graphic depiction of an earlier Hollywood/Los Angeles party scene. (less)I honestly did not enjoy this book. I found the characters vapid, self-absorbed, superficial and uninteresting. Maybe that was the author's point, but I'm not sure. I'm not a prude at all, but I got tired of the author's constant use of the "f" word. Maybe that is an "LA thing", but for me, it's a sign of lazy writing.
Sandi W. (East Moline, IL)
never really hit the mark
2 stars Thanks to BookBrowse and Berkley for providing this ARC. Publishes August 5, 2025
I liked the premise of this book when I first read it. However I felt that it never really lived up to the hype.
Two very different female authors become friends - or do they? One is quiet and self loathing while the other is loud boisterous and unapologetic. Over time they have a falling out and the loud author goes missing.
This is a long book that, for me, never really hit the mark. There was enough to the story that you kept turning pages, hoping for a twist or a turn somewhere along the line, but that never really came. I
…more believe that I would have been happier had the book only been around 250 pages. Waiting 400 pages for something to happen, that never does, takes a lot away from a book. (less)I did not enjoy this book. It's the story of two L.A. women, both writers and friendly with one another,, who find themselves engaged in a jealousy-fueled competition on the career front. All of the major characters - the women, their partners, their business associates -- seem broken, self-destructive, and totally unsympathetic. The book, set in 1963 and 1975 (dual timeline) is filled with drug-use, back-stabbing, and foul language-- f-bombs all over the place. The writing contains a number of grammatical errors. (With luck they'll be caught before the book is published.)
The book begins with the disappearance
…more of one of the two writers, possibly in response to the actions of the other, and then switches between the two timelines to build their backstories. The only redeeming part of the book is the last 20, where some degree of normalcy appears and saves this book from a totally tanked rating. (less)
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