Review: The Artist’s Secret

Title: The Artist’s Secret

Author: Alexandra Joel

Publisher: 4th January 2023 by HarperCollins Australia

Pages: 379 pages

Genre: romance, women’s fiction

My Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

The sweeping new saga of strong heroines and family secrets from the bestselling author of The Paris Model. While searching for her lost sister, art historian Wren Summers takes on the glittering world of New York's auction houses.

A missing girl, a hidden masterpiece, and the search for the truth

1965: A beautiful young couple escapes the suffocating weight of family expectations to live a life free of materialism and tradition. But the past does not always let go so easily ...

1987: Art historian Wren Summers starts her dream job at Sydney Art Museum and quickly makes a name for herself. She keeps quiet about her unconventional upbringing and flighty but talented artist mother. Then, just as everything she has built looks to come crashing down around her, shocking family secrets come to light.

Wren heads to New York in search of answers as well as a fresh start, and is swept up in the glittering world of fine art sales and high-stakes auctions. Can she navigate the swirling temptations and pitfalls of glamour and romance, betrayals and deceit while holding true to what is right?

My Thoughts

Alexandra Joel … take a bow 👏 I loved your previous books but I feel that The Artist’s Secret is next level, your best yet - wonderful! A dual time narrative going between 1965 and 1987 seamlessly weaving historical fact and fiction that provides her readers with a highly engaging tale.

‘These were the moments art historians lived for.’

This book presented a riveting tale that I was so eager to return to and lose myself in. The story was well written incorporating themes of art, workplace discrimination, family secrets, love and friendships set against backgrounds from Sydney, Rome and New York. The 1965 timeline briefly touches on a young couple running away from conscription to the Vietnam war. The main focus is on Wren in the 1980s and I enjoyed her journey from hippie childhood, to attempting to break into the Art Auction scene which takes her all around the world and even facing up against the Mafia. There is action and adventure, romance and betrayals all set against a highly engaging story. 

‘You know, it doesn't matter where you have come from. What counts is who you want to be.’

I have no doubts that there is something for everyone in this multi-layered story - from art and auctions, from finding love and even yourself. Readers are sure to be enthralled with this intriguing and lively tale.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: The Royal Correspondent

Title: The Royal Correspondent

Author: Alexandra Joel

Publisher: 3rd February 2021 by HarperCollins AU

Pages: 400 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: historical fiction

My Rating: 4.5 cups

Synopsis:

Success would depend on taking a dangerous risk.

When Blaise Hill, a feisty young journalist from one of Sydney's toughest neighbourhoods, is dispatched to London at the dawn of the swinging sixties to report on Princess Margaret's controversial marriage to an unconventional photographer, she is drawn into an elite realm of glamour and intrigue.

As the nation faces an explosive upheaval, Blaise must grapple with a series of shocking scandals at the pinnacle of British society. Yet, haunted by a threat from her past and torn between two very different men, who can she trust in a world of hidden motives and shifting alliances? If she makes the wrong choice, she will lose everything.

Inspired by real events, The Royal Correspondent is a compelling story of love and betrayal, family secrets and conspiracy that takes you from the gritty life of a daily newspaper to the opulent splendour of Buckingham Palace.

My Thoughts

Following on from Alexandra’s 2020 novel, The Paris Model, she now brings to life the upper echelons of British society, with the incorporation of the press, in the 1960s with her latest historical fiction offering. I enjoyed last year’s book and I am happy to report that once again, Alexandra has won me over with her seamless weaving of historical fact and fiction to provide her readers with a highly engaging tale. 

‘ ... no matter how good you are, you’re going to be faced with plenty of brick walls for no other reason than because you’re a girl. I say ignore them. Either batter those walls down, find a way round them or else slip through the cracks - if you don’t, you won’t get anywhere. You’ve got to back yourself Blaise - nobody else will.’

Inspired by real events, The Royal Correspondent covers love and betrayal, family secrets and even a thrilling spy conspiracy from the streets of Sydney to the swinging 60s of London. Perhaps the most inspiring story line is that of a female trying to pave her way out of the ‘Women’s Pages’ and into the ‘real news’ and to be seen (and paid) like her fellow male reporters. Add into the mix everything from Buckingham Palace Garden parties, to conspiracy theories of the Cold War, to romance and betrayal all against the backdrop of hems coming up and music in full swing. It is lively and it is liberating!

You cannot help but be inspired by  Blaise as she pushes the social boundaries in her quest to be recognised for her journalism and maintain the strong, independent woman she wishes to represent in the 1960s. There is sure to be something for everyone in this multi layered story - from espionage to fashion, from getting the scoop to falling in love, readers are sure to be enthralled with this fun and lively tale. 

‘Blaise drifted out of Sir Ernest’s flat, gathered her billowing skirts in her white-gloved hands and stepped into the lift. Taking several deep breaths, she told herself ‘You’ve got this, Blaise Hill. You’re simply off to a royal ball held by Her Majesty the Queen in honour of the imminent marriage of her little sister, Princess Margaret. Piece of cake. Nothing to it.’ Somehow, the words had a hollow ring.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review:The Paris Model

Title: The Paris Model

Author: Alexandra Joel

Publisher: 20th January 2020 by HarperCollins Publishers Australia

Pages: 352 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: historical fiction, romance

My Rating: 4.5 cups

Synopsis:

Sometimes you have to lose everything to find yourself ... A stunning novel of love, betrayal and family secrets for all fans of Fiona McIntosh and Natasha Lester.

After a shocking discovery, Grace Woods leaves her vast Australian sheep station and travels to tumultuous post-war Paris in order to find her true identity.

While working as a mannequin for Christian Dior, the world's newly acclaimed emperor of fashion, Grace mixes with counts and princesses, authors and artists, diplomats and politicians.

But when Grace falls for handsome Philippe Boyer she doesn't know that he is leading a double life, nor that his past might inflict devastating consequences upon her. As she is drawn into Philippe's dangerous world of international espionage, Grace discovers both the shattering truth of her origins - and that her life is in peril.

Inspired by an astonishing true story, The Paris Model is a tale of glamour, family secrets and heartbreak that takes you from the rolling plains of country Australia to the elegant salons of Paris.

My Thoughts

‘She had learnt harder lessons: about the complexities of identity; the truths that hid behind secrets and lies; the challenges of making heartbreaking decisions in a world of elusive certainties and infinite grey shades.’

Alexandra Joel, a former magazine editor, has turned her hand to historical fiction and what a fabulous job she has done! The Paris Model is based on a true story with Alexandra even keeping the original names for authenticity. It is a work of fiction, however, based around events of the time.  In this story the reader will travel from rural New South Wales Australia to the fashion houses of Paris France in the 1950s. This is a tale of family secrets with a wonderful window into the fashion of the time. On a deeper level, it is also an examination of several themes including the role of women in a time of great change. 

The story is set in post WWII and begins in outback Australia. It is a wonderful tale in itself: Grace was in a difficult marriage with a returned airman and then was plucked from a Sydney showing and selected to be a ‘mannequin’ for the famed fashion house of Christian Dior! There is a book right there especially with the people Grace mixes with including one, Jacqueline Bouiver. I was happy with this story - old life, new life and love and a great tale of family secrets etc. What was then thrown in the mix was espionage - this I was not too sure about. 

To me it seemed unnecessary that Grace become a part of conspiracies and secret missions - all a bit too much in my opinion. This is where the tale launched into full roller coaster mode of people, politics, even shootings and car chases! Was this needed in an already complete story ... I’m not too sure. 

Overall, however, this only detracted half a star for me as I found the story as a whole very compelling. Historical fiction (based on fact) with locations of Aussie outback to the City of Lights, a great story of heritage and family ties all sprinkled with a bit of romance. As Alexandra cited at the end of her story:

‘The epigraph at the front of The Paris Model quotes Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex, published in Paris in that landmark year, 1949. In it, the author exhorted women to challenge the myth that their modest and compliant ‘essence’ was immutable, and to instead throw themselves into lives that were not defined by gender.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.