ARC REVIEW: The Last Secret Of Lily Adams – by Sara Blaydes

Title: The Last Secret Of Lily Adams
Author: Sara Blaydes
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery
First published: June 4th 2024
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Finished reading: May 20th 2024
Pages: 332

“My story begins and ends with Stella Lane. Soon you will understand what that means.”

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

REVIEW

I’m not sure why, but the blurb of this story kind of gave me The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo vibes and I couldn’t resist adding it to my shelves. I’m so glad I did so now, because I ended up having such a fantastic time reading this debut! The Last Secret Of Lily Adams is a dual timeline story and a blend of historical Hollywood glamour, family drama and a mystery that will keep you on your toes. I simply couldn’t get enough! It was without doubt one of my reading highlights so far this year.

Like I said, The Last Secret Of Lily Adams uses a dual timeline structure, where we switch between a (budding) Hollywood actress in the 1940s and her granddaughter in the present. Dual timelines can go both ways for me as I usually end up strongly preferring one over the other, but this story ended up being the exception to the rule. I enjoyed both timelines almost equally as each timeline and POV brought something different to the table. The past timeline gives you all that Hollywood glamour and scandal, while the present has the mystery to keep you fully intrigued.

As for the characters… There is no doubt that most of them have their flaws, but they felt so much more realistic because of them. I liked Lily more than Carolyn as a character, but both POVs were able to grab my attention easily. The family drama in the present could get a bit much and Carolyn had some annoying traits, but thanks to the whole mystery surrounding her grandmother’s past it is very easy to look past that. Lily on the other hand was easier to root for, although she also had her flaws of course.

The Last Secret Of Lily Adams is a blend of different genres as well as topics, creating a rich and multi-faceted story that will appeal to a wide public. The plot incorporates heavy topics including misogyny, rape, abuse, bullying, infidelity, body shaming, addiction, family drama and toxic relationships in general, so it’s definitely not all roses and sunshine along the way… But there are plenty of moments of hope as well, and the story also has a dose of romance to lighten things up a little. The story did an excellent job portraying just how toxic the Hollywood world is for actresses, and the different elements were incorporated seamlessly.

If you are looking for a rich and immersive piece of historical fiction that mixes Hollywood glamour with a compelling mystery and plenty of drama and secrets, I cannot recommend this debut enough. I already know that The Last Secret Of Lily Adams will appear on my list of 2024 favorites!