Reviews
"I devoured this novel about two astounding self-made multimillionaires. It's a meticulously researched tale of rivalry, revenge, passion, prejudice and unimaginable wealth. Their intertwined rags-to-mega-riches stories are so extraordinary they read like compulsive fiction, but these women really lived." -- Maggie Brookes, author of The Prisoner's Wife and Acts of Love and War "This is an utterly compelling, astonishing tale of two extraordinary self-made women who, between them, and in part due to their visceral rivalry, invented the multi-billion beauty industry we so well recognize today. With her impeccable research and engaging storytelling, Gill Paul skillfully takes her reader on a spell-binding journey with Elizabeth and Helena, which only gets more remarkable with every turn of the page. I shall be recommending this book to everyone and it is, for sure, one of my favorite reads of the year!" -- Louise Fein, author of People Like Us and The Hidden Child "Paul strikes a balance between the cynicism of the Lost Generation and the characters' sincere desires to find happiness and stability. Witty, emotional, and intelligent." -- Booklist on The Manhattan Girls "Historical fiction enthusiasts will extol Paul's riveting Sex in the City-esque novel, which includes speakeasies, bootleggers, gangsters, bathtub gin, and an impressive who's who of the rich, the famous, and the infamous of Roaring-Twenties New York City." -- Library Journal on The Manhattan Girls "In The Manhattan Girls, Gill Paul brings Dorothy Parker and her eclectic circle of friends roaring into life in a dazzling and daring novel... Oozing with passion and wit...this is a story for those who enjoy their novels with a side order of gin, jazz and sass. An absolute treat!" -- Hazel Gaynor, New York Times bestselling author of When We Were Young & Brave "If ever we needed escapism, it is now, and The Manhattan Girls does that perfectly, whisking you instantly away to the glittering world of 1920s New York... The story slips seamlessly between fact and fiction, evoking their world so wonderfully... A sparkling read, in so many ways!" -- Liz Trenow, New York Times bestselling author of Searching for My Daughter "The Manhattan Girls completely stole me away to The Algonquin, and the sparkling company of Dottie Parker and her girlfriends as they navigate life--and sex--in the city. Paul slips inside her characters brilliantly, blending fact and fiction so seamlessly... A total treat, full of friendship and heart, I loved it." -- Eve Chase, bestselling author of The Birdcage and The Daughters of Foxcote Manor "I loved this funny and moving novel about the bonds of friendship. Putting words into the mouth of the world's wittiest woman is no mean feat, but I think Dorothy Parker would approve! The Manhattan Girls evokes all the glamour and excitement of New York in the Roaring Twenties, and at the same time highlights the private pain women faced as they struggled to be respected as equals in society." -- Fiona Valpy, bestselling author of The Storyteller of Casablanca, "Gill Paul's fascinating novel shows us that behind the lipsticks and lotions were two compelling, ambitious and passionate women who were responsible for the birth of the global beauty industry. Few women leave such an extraordinary legacy as Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden and Paul's impeccable research brings to life their rivalry and their personal struggles, showing us that, for two women intent on outdoing one another, they actually had a lot in common, which makes for a poignant and timeless story." -- Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Orphan "I devoured this novel about two astounding self-made multimillionaires. It's a meticulously researched tale of rivalry, revenge, passion, prejudice and unimaginable wealth. Their intertwined rags-to-mega-riches stories are so extraordinary they read like compulsive fiction, but these women really lived." -- Maggie Brookes, author of The Prisoner's Wife and Acts of Love and War "No one writes like Gill Paul. She has this incredible gift for spinning fact into fiction, immersing the reader utterly in the brilliant, page-turning worlds she creates, bringing the most iconic of figures to vivid, sparkling life. In A Beautiful Rival, she does this for famed rivals, Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein, portraying their passion. ambition, loves, and insecurities, so truly that I've been left feeling I know them. I think this might just be her best yet!" -- Jenny Ashcroft, author of The Echoes of Love and Beneath A Burning Sky "This is an utterly compelling, astonishing tale of two extraordinary self-made women who, between them, and in part due to their visceral rivalry, invented the multi-billion beauty industry we so well recognize today. With her impeccable research and engaging storytelling, Gill Paul skillfully takes her reader on a spell-binding journey with Elizabeth and Helena, which only gets more remarkable with every turn of the page. I shall be recommending this book to everyone and it is, for sure, one of my favorite reads of the year!" -- Louise Fein, author of People Like Us and The Hidden Child "I ripped through this delicious take on the longstanding catfights between two legends of the beauty industry. Think Dynasty set against the dazzle and glitz of New York in the first half of the twentieth century, with miracle creams, diamonds and racehorses thrown in for good measure. Unputdownable." -- Sarah Steele, author of The Schoolteacher of San Michel and The Lost Song of Paris, "Paul strikes a balance between the cynicism of the Lost Generation and the characters' sincere desires to find happiness and stability. Witty, emotional, and intelligent." -- Booklist on The Manhattan Girls "Historical fiction enthusiasts will extol Paul's riveting Sex in the City-esque novel, which includes speakeasies, bootleggers, gangsters, bathtub gin, and an impressive who's who of the rich, the famous, and the infamous of Roaring-Twenties New York City." -- Library Journal on The Manhattan Girls "In The Manhattan Girls, Gill Paul brings Dorothy Parker and her eclectic circle of friends roaring into life in a dazzling and daring novel... Oozing with passion and wit...this is a story for those who enjoy their novels with a side order of gin, jazz and sass. An absolute treat!" -- Hazel Gaynor, New York Times bestselling author of When We Were Young & Brave "If ever we needed escapism, it is now, and The Manhattan Girls does that perfectly, whisking you instantly away to the glittering world of 1920s New York... The story slips seamlessly between fact and fiction, evoking their world so wonderfully... A sparkling read, in so many ways!" -- Liz Trenow, New York Times bestselling author of Searching for My Daughter "The Manhattan Girls completely stole me away to The Algonquin, and the sparkling company of Dottie Parker and her girlfriends as they navigate life--and sex--in the city. Paul slips inside her characters brilliantly, blending fact and fiction so seamlessly... A total treat, full of friendship and heart, I loved it." -- Eve Chase, bestselling author of The Birdcage and The Daughters of Foxcote Manor "I loved this funny and moving novel about the bonds of friendship. Putting words into the mouth of the world's wittiest woman is no mean feat, but I think Dorothy Parker would approve! The Manhattan Girls evokes all the glamour and excitement of New York in the Roaring Twenties, and at the same time highlights the private pain women faced as they struggled to be respected as equals in society." -- Fiona Valpy, bestselling author of The Storyteller of Casablanca
