The One and Only Vivian Stone
The One and Only Vivian Stone is a dual-period novel which begins in modern-day California with Margot DuBois as she deals with the loss of her beloved grandmother, Ginger. As she packs and prepares her grandmother’s home for sale, Margot uncovers a box of audio tapes and a letter written by Vivian Stone, a long-forgotten comedic actress. The mysterious find reunites Margot with her high school boyfriend Leo as they attempt to discover how Vivian Stone was (or is?) connected to the DuBois family.
Vivian’s story opens in 1951 and recounts her struggle to survive and thrive in Old Hollywood. As Vivian Mackenzie, she hopes to become a serious dramatic actress, but her stack of rejections has put paid to that dream. A chance encounter with Hugh Fox, an accomplished actor, leads Vivian in an entirely new direction. As Vivian Stone, she is rebranded as the girl -next-door and comedic relief in multiple, successful films. But navigating the Hollywood studio system and its demands, will lead Vivian to fear her past mistakes and question her current path as an actress, all while falling in love with more than one man.
Melissa O’Connor is a snappy writer who manages to create two sympathetic female leads in Margot and Vivian. While Vivian’s story is undeniably the more compelling of the two, with its tale of Old Hollywood, the reader is also drawn into the emotional turmoil facing Margot as she grieves the loss of her grandmother. Her reunion with Leo keeps the narrative from becoming too dark while offering her the chance for redemption. Highly recommended for both lovers of historical and modern romantic fiction.
