Strangers in the Night

 

Strangers in the Night

Heather Webb

Publication date: March 21, 2023 by Harper Collins

Genre: Historical Fiction 

Rating: 5 🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷

Summary: It was the tumultuous romance that scandalized the world: Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner fought, loved, and lived life to the hilt. Now their unbridled story is brought vividly to life by Heather Webb, the bestselling author of Meet Me in Monaco and The Next Ship Home.

In the golden age of Hollywood, two of the brightest stars would define—and defy—an era…

She was the small-town southern beauty transformed into a Hollywood love goddess. He was the legendary crooner whose voice transfixed the world. They were Ava Gardner and Frank Sinatra. Separately they were irresistible; together they were an explosive combination.

Ava’s star is rising just as Frank’s career—and public image as a family man—is taking a hit. Gone are the days of the screaming bobbysoxers and chart-topping hits. Ava, however, finds herself gracing the front page of every tabloid in America. Jealousy and cheating abound, and when the two succumb to their temperaments and their vices, their happiness is threatened at every turn.

As the pair ride the rollercoaster of success and failure, passion and anger, they both wonder if the next turn will be the end of their careers, and most devastating of all—the end of all they’ve shared.

A captivating novel with a star-studded cast spanning continents and decades, Strangers in the Night brings to life the most riveting love story of the twentieth century.

My thoughts: The month of April had significance for both Frank and Ava. Frank signed a contract with Capitol Records on April 1, 1953. Ava packed up and moved to London on April 2, 1968 where she would live out the rest of her days. It therefore seemed like April was a good time to do a review for a novel that truly encapsulated their tumultuous love story.

Most have heard of Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner. Frank most notable for his swagger, his membership in the Rat Pack, and maybe a song or two (😉). Ava was once noted as being the most beautiful woman in Hollywood. Their on again, off again relationship played out like a headliner for the National Enquirer. Webb masterfully made them human for the reader. These were real people with real emotions. They had hopes and dreams and fell in love just like the rest of us. They also suffered from disappointments, alcoholism, depression, and despair. They were manic in both their work and their play. Webb wrote with an intensity that mirrored Frank and Ava's rollercoaster relationship. An unputdownable read that fans of both Sinatra and Gardner will not want to miss. Bravo Heather Webb, you've done it again!

I received a copy of this title via NetGalley.