Heartbreaking & Beautiful // The Girl from The Savoy by Hazel Gaynor

I received this book for free from The Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Girl from The Savoy by Hazel Gaynor
Published by William Morrow Paperbacks on June 7th, 2016
Genres: Adult, Historical
Format: Paperback
Source: The Publisher
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Sometimes life gives you cotton stockings. Sometimes it gives you a Chanel gown …

Dolly Lane is a dreamer; a downtrodden maid who longs to dance on the London stage, but her life has been fractured by the Great War. Memories of the soldier she loved, of secret shame and profound loss, by turns pull her back and spur her on to make a better life.

When she finds employment as a chambermaid at London’s grandest hotel, The Savoy, Dolly takes a step closer to the glittering lives of the Bright Young Things who thrive on champagne, jazz and rebellion. Right now, she must exist on the fringes of power, wealth and glamor—she must remain invisible and unimportant.

But her fortunes take an unexpected turn when she responds to a struggling songwriter’s advertisement for a ‘muse’ and finds herself thrust into London’s exhilarating theatre scene and into the lives of celebrated actress, Loretta May, and her brother, Perry. Loretta and Perry may have the life Dolly aspires to, but they too are searching for something.

Now, at the precipice of the life she has and the one she longs for, the girl from The Savoy must make difficult choices: between two men; between two classes, between everything she knows and everything she dreams of. A brighter future is tantalizingly close—but can a girl like Dolly ever truly leave her past behind?

My Thoughts:

How many books have you picked up and fell in love with at the very start? For me, The Girl from the Savoy is one of them.

Two women. Different backgrounds, same dream. What happens when their lives intertwine, and how much of what you love and hold dear are you willing to give up while chasing those dreams?

The Girl from the Savoy has so many great things going for it. I loved the multiple POVs. While Dolly and Loretta May had similar dreams, insecurities, and we later find out how much of their tragic past they share, their voices are unique and it’s difficult not to FEEL. It’s almost tragic, reading their stories but there’s this aura of hope that consumes you. The last POV, was Teddy, Dolly’s beau that left to serve in the war. His view was just sad and heartbreaking. At first, I couldn’t see the direction of where the story was going with his POV but everything unfolds beautifully and it’s best to not overthink it.

As I mentioned, Dolly and Loretta’s lives intertwine and I thought the set up was well done. It was rather slow at times, but it was needed to really get into each character before their worlds collided. While the ending left me in a shock, I loved it. It fit the story, and how I wish things could have been different for everyone involved, I’m happy to say it made the story stronger.

Overall – I loved The Girl from the Savoy. I loved the setting, the roaring 20’s in London! I loved the writing, and how much I came to love and adore these characters. But most of all, I loved the meaning. Chasing your dreams with the shadow of heartbreak, pain and regret on your heels. Hazel Gaynor is an author I will be reading more of and I can’t recommend this book enough.

 

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Tell me your thoughts

• Have you read The Girl from the Savoy? If so, what did you think? If not, does it sound like something you’d enjoy?

 

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