Glitter Baby by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Pub. Date: December 2008
ISBN-13: 9780061438561
Sales Rank: 1,309
448pp
Edition Description: Reprint







Glitter Baby is one of SEP's older book published in 1987 and it is hard to find. Recently it was revised (few scenes cut and add in) and reissued this year in 2009. I brought the book when it was released but held back on reading it until I was done with the last two books I read recently from Harlequin.

The story begin in the year of 1950's, when Belinda Britton pick up a copy of Modern Screen magazine and thought about going to see Marilyn Monroe's new movie The Seven Year Itch. Belinda have always dream of becoming a famous Hollywood stars someday. She fantasies about finding bad boy James Dean, and when she did it was one of the most excited moment of her life. But her world come to halt when James Dean died and she met Errol Flynn. Belinda life took a sudden turn when her daughter Fleur Savagar was born.

In all of Fleur life - she have been known as the beautiful woman in the world, name as 'Glitter Baby'. Even with oversized hand, paddle boat feet, streak blond hair and green eyes - she still live her life filled with secrets. Even secrets that happen before she was born. She have fallen for her co-star Jake Koranda who don't even 'see' her but treated her like a kid, and she wonder if he ever will. Her heart was broken when she discover the shocking truth about her mother and Jake. But even with the odd against her, she is determined to discover the woman she's destined to be.

Jake Koranda is one of the New York hottest actor and brilliant playwright in Hollywood. He never had the patience for international glamour girls but when he met Glitter Baby, he found that there something more to her than what she seem to be. He knew she much tougher then Fleur think. But Jake has a secret past that he never told anyone. And he afraid that if it came out, its would ruin his strong, tough macho image of him in Hollywood.

Two people, a tough movie stars guy and a ugly duckling turn into swan ....can two unlikely lovers who secret past shatter their broken dream, come to trust their hearts and love one another?

Glitter Baby is a story about mother and daughter and their experiences in and around Hollywood life of the rich and famous. It was written in the years of 50's to the early 80's, during the hay day of James Dean and Marilyn Monroe. And innocence children were taken by men. Lovers and romance was deep, dark and emotional. But it is the characters that stay with you...

I have to admit that I wasn't sure how well I'm going to like the book. For one thing it was an out of date written story of Hollywood life. Many famous stars who have come and gone was mention. Then the icky factor, which you will have to found out yourself. And the book is more of an saga story of woman fic than a contemporary romance. But as I continue to read, it interesting to see what happen to Belinda and Fleur when two women - a mother and daughter - who is close as best friend, have separated and departed from each other and live their own life without each other. I think it changed them and make Fleur become a better person. You go through lot of emotions for the characters and feel what they feel. Heart break, evil and sadness. I knew that in the original book, it was much darker than the reissue book. And one of the scenes was cut and revised over. And I for one so glad I read the reissued book, because I like this version lot better. But since I'm curious, I will read the original book eventually.

I think Glitter Baby is well written book, with lot of emotional scars and crazy Hollywood life. I think that I would have prefer her most recent books (The Chicago Stars series is must read!) work than this one, although I'm so glad that I've read Glitter Baby and enjoy it. But there are a few of her earlier work I like too, Hot Shot and Honeymoon for example. And while this is Sega of women fic, there is a little of romance between Fleur and Jake. But I wish it would have span out a little more. There wasn't enough of them for me. But the romance between them was sweet and sensual.

I always love Susan Elizabeth Phillips books and hope to read more of her newest one soon!

Grade : 4 stars