Anne Girard

“In spite of her newfound celebrity, Harlean still believed herself to be the property of others, a circumstance from which she longed to break free.”
― Anne Girard, Platinum Doll

3.5 stars.

I enjoyed reading about Jean Harlow. I knew very little about her before I read this book although my parents are always commenting on her beauty and stage presence.

The book takes you through Jean's life, from her attempting to break into Hollywood, to her success to her tension filled relationship with her husband.

As much as I enjoyed the book, it was a difficult read for me because so much of what took place in the book was about Jean's marriage. Ultimately, the aspects of the book that I really found compelling were when her husband was less a part of the story as I enjoyed reading about Jean's rise to the top.

It was very informative reading as like I said I am a newbie to anything related to Jean Harlow. I also loved the lush glamorous , atmosphere which the writer recreated very well. It does feel like you are in that time period.

While not my favorite book in the world, this was a fun read and I'd recommend it.… (more)

3.5 Stars
At 16 Hearlean McGrew is a brand new wife to Chuck McGrew living in dazzling Hollywood. By luck, she captures the eye of men at the studio and is soon acting for a small fee. Her relationship, however, is one of constant turmoil and making up. Chuck wants his wife at home, but his unwillingness to face his emotions leads to drinking and outbursts. As their relationship falls to pieces Jean's life in the spotlight picks up speed as she is cast in multiple talkie rolls and begins her press tours. With girls lining up to dye their hair that certain shade of platinum blonde, Jean Harlow must face her family, herself, and her passion for performance.

Jean Harlow's relationship with Chuck McGrew wasn't perfect, but the love is there and Anne Girard's coverage of this is excellent. While it isn't as true as Jean Harlow's real life, you know she drank too, it did bring to life who Jean really was at her young, impressionable age. I really enjoyed reading about her relationship, even though it was often strained and uneasy. Their relationship, while not incredibly public at the time, has been well documented and I felt like it was accurate. It also helped me to understand who Jean Harlow really was and why she was so good at just sitting down and doing what everyone wanted. I also loved her friend Rosalie and how they both were such unique individuals in the acting world. The interactions on set, especially when famous celebrities i recognized seemed pretty close to the truth, were really enjoyable to read. The historic facts, especially the movie facts as talkies first released, were very accurate and I appreciated the amount of research that had to have gone into that.

What starts as a promising tale of love, loss, and fame soon becomes repetitive and lacks the girlish charm of the first 50%. While Girard has a beautiful way with words, the general story of Jean Harlow's climb to celebrity status lacked emotion once her relationship falls apart. It felt like a highlight reel, which would make sense if the entire book read that way, but the first half of the novel seemed to have so much more to it. I'm not an expert on Jean Harlow's life, by any means, but I expected some personal growth from her and instead she felt more like a rug beneath her parent's feet. I wanted to know about the struggle with her mother, how she really felt about her mother and stepfather owning her life. I wanted to know about her marriage with Paul, how that really came to be, and her life in the movies.

Overall, Platinum Doll is an engaging story of the famous blonde pin-up girl, Jean Harlow. The novel brings dimension to her life and is great book for those that are fans of the 20's and historical fiction.… (more)

PLATINUM DOLL is a novel based on actress Jean Harlow’s rise to fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. In the late 1920s, she goes to California as a teenage bride from the Midwest. The book follows her turbulent marriage to Chuck McGrew, and the struggles she had with her ruthless mother who pushed and pushed an acting career, not always having her best interest at heart.

I enjoy reading about this era, and this book presents an intriguing and well-researched “slice of life” of a promising Golden Age starlet. I liked the author’s portrayal of Jean Harlow – part blonde bombshell, part book nerd – though I wish she would’ve had more of a backbone when it came to her mother. It was fun watching the clips referenced in the book, especially the Laurel & Hardy short “Double Whoopee.” The pacing was slow in spots, but overall it was a “swell” read, as Jean would say.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.… (more)