Anita Ojeda 
I receive free electronic advanced reader copies of these books through an arrangement between the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion on NetGalley’s website. I only review books on my blog that I really love.
Although it sounds like an oxymoron, this book really is an inspirational gothic novel! Find out why!
If you love novels set in the Roaring Twenties or Hollywood’s Golden Age, you’ll love these two new releases!
New Novels Set in the Roaring Twenties and Hollywood’s Golden Age
When I see a novel set in the Roaring Twenties, I think of flappers, bobbed hair, and men in Dick Tracy fedoras. I also think of Grace Livingston Hill’s classics and her disdain for all things flapper and ‘modern.’ Jocelyn Green takes on the Roaring Twenties with an inspirational twist and plenty of intrigues. Stephanie Landsem’s novel chronicles the darker side of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Both books highlight the struggles of women during a time period when they had few rights and little respect from male coworkers.
The Metropolitan Affair
By Jocelyn Green, Bethany House Publishers, March 14, 2023, 400 pages.
Dr. Lauren Westlake holds a prestigious position at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art as an assistant curator of the Egyptian collection. She inherited her love of Egypt from the mesmerizing stories of adventure and intrigue her father told her on his rare visits home. After her mother’s death, Lauren moves in with her aunt and uncle and immerses herself in learning all she can about Egyptology.
In 1925, few women have their doctorate, and even fewer speak multiple languages and read Egyptian hieroglyphs. When Lauren’s estranged father seeks her out, Lauren prays that she’ll forge a real relationship with him this time. If not the father-daughter relationship she craved as a young girl, then at least a relationship based on mutual respect for each other’s accomplishments.
When his partner gets arrested on murder charges, New York Police Department Detective Joe Caravello knows the mystery goes deeper than anyone at the police department will admit. Prohibition has spawned speakeasies and illegal activity all over the city, and someone is making bank. Joe figures the criminals must somehow launder the money, and the mysterious Egyptian artifact his partner tossed in the victim’s drink might hold a clue.
When his chief gives him permission to investigate, Joe turns to the one person he knows could spot a fake—Dr. Lauren Westlake. He hasn’t seen her in over a decade, but his feelings for her haven’t diminished. As they embark on a joint investigation to uncover Egyptian forgeries, his respect and concern for her grow.
Can they discover the motive and the artist behind the elaborate forgeries before someone gets hurt?
Why I Loved this Book
Green sets the story in an era when few women had the means or the support to further their education. And once they gained it, they often struggled to find a place to use it or gain the respect of their male colleagues. Her lush descriptions of New York during Prohibition draw the reader into the story.
Readers will relate to the protagonist’s struggle to heal a broken relationship with a parent. A dash of danger, a sweet romance, betrayal, and mystery keep the reader turning page after page. If you love historical romance that inspires and entertains, you’ll love The Metropolitan Affair. Fans of Amanda Dykes and Kristy Cambron will love this book.
If you love novels set in the Roaring Twenties, you'll love this new release by @JocelynGreen77! @Bethany_House @NetGalley #amreading #Egyptology Click To TweetCode Name Edelweiss
By Stephanie Landsem, Tyndale House Publishers, March 7, 2023, 423 pages.
Hollywood’s Golden Age Wasn’t Always Golden
Liesl Weiss loves her job as a typist in MGM’s secretary pool, but she doesn’t love how men treat an honest woman trying to support her family. But as the Great Depression tightens its grip on America, Liesl knows speaking out could lose the family’s main source of income. As cutbacks hit the studios, Liesel’s worst nightmare comes true—she gets laid off.
Finding a new job looks hopeless because more and more employers will only hire men. But Liesl has two young children, an aging mother, and an irresponsible brother to support. She’ll do just about anything to feed her family. Even spy.
When Jewish lawyer Leon Lewis sends a request to an employment agency, he has specific qualifications. And the young woman who shows up at his office doesn’t meet those qualifications. But when she confesses to getting the interview dishonestly, Lewis sees her potential as a spy.
While Adolf Hitler’s National Socialist Party seems only to have a grip on Germany, Lewis has evidence Hitler plans to expand his party’s reach to the United States. If Lewis can place a spy in the Friends of New Germany office, he may find evidence to present to the police.
An Unlikely Spy
Liesl takes the job as a spy, even though she doubts the need. Hitler lives on another continent, and no one in Hollywood believes his drivel—do they? But the more involved she is in the Friends of New Germany Liesl, the more she questions her convictions. And the more she worries about Wilhelm Otto, the enigmatic sidekick of her new boss at Friends of New Germany. Does he threaten her safety, or can she depend on him in a crisis?
Why I Loved this Book
Landsem’s historical research and details make this novel come alive. The protagonist lives in limbo—unsure of her husband’s fate. She knows she must carry on, or their family will end up on the streets—the nightmare of Liesl’s childhood.
In an era when leaders want to make America hate again, this timely tale of Hitler’s rise to power hits home. Liesel faces the same dilemma many Christians struggle with today: Should we follow the rhetoric of hate if it seems to bring us closer to our righteous ends?
Readers who love spy novels and reading about the underbelly of Hollywood’s Golden Age will love this book.
You'll love this spy novel based on true events during Hollywood's Golden Age from @stephlandsem and @TyndaleHouse #amreading #spynovel #inspy Click To Tweet
Anita, I don’t normally read a lot of historical fiction from this era but you have really piqued my interest with these two books. They both sound very intriguing!