Scandalous Women - by Gill Paul (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Mad Men meets the world of publishing in international bestselling author Gill Paul's new novel about Jackie Collins and Jacqueline Susann, two dynamic, groundbreaking writers renowned for their scandalous and controversial novels, and the beleaguered young editorial assistant who introduces them.

1966, NYC: Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls hits the bookstores and she is desperate for a bestseller. It's steamy, it's a page-turner, but will it make the big money she needs? In London, Jackie Collins's racy The World Is Full of Married Men launches her career. But neither author is prepared for the price they will pay for being women who dare to write about sex.

Jacqueline and Jackie are lambasted by the literary establishment, deluged with hate mail, and even condemned by feminists. In public, both women shoulder the outcry with dignity; in private, they are crumbling--particularly since they have secrets they don't want splashed across the front pages.

1965, NYC: College graduate Nancy White is excited to take up her dream job at a Manhattan publishing house, but she could never be prepared for the rampant sexism she will encounter. While working on Valley of the Dolls, she becomes friends with Jacqueline Susann, and, after reaching out to Jackie Collins about a US deal, she is responsible for the two authors meeting.

Will the two Jackies clash as they race to top the charts? Will Nancy achieve her ambition of becoming an editor, despite all the men determined to hold her back? Three women struggle to succeed in a man's world, while desperately trying to protect those they love the most.

Review Quotes

The audiobook is fast-paced and lively, engaging and delightfully racy. Nancy and the Jackies reach for the brass ring with dignity, zest, and sublime humor. -- Library Journal (starred review)

A juicy and fun novel about the women who pioneered the sexy page-turner with Valley of the Dolls and Hollywood Wives. -- Library Journal

"Alternating perspectives between Nancy and "the two Jackies," Paul spins a tale of sexism, women's empowerment, and Pucci pantsuits, resulting in a lively novel that imagines a glamorous, romantic world while revealing its troubling underbelly." -- Booklist

"This piercing novel is a riveting tale of biographical fiction!" -- BookBub

"Scrumptious!" -- Eve Chase, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Midnight Hour and The Birdcage

"Gill Paul has a sublime talent for mixing fact with fiction, and just like the two real subjects of this captivating novel, Jacqueline Susann and Jackie Collins, she is a wonderful storyteller. I absolutely galloped through this book and it has given me great admiration for these two groundbreaking authors who paved the way for countless women writers who followed in their wake and who have entertained and delighted millions of readers around the world. Kudos to the author for bringing us this story--it is definitely one of my favorites of the year!" -- Louise Fein, bestselling author of The London Bookshop Affair

"It's easy to forget what a snooty, stuffy publishing world Jacqueline Susann and Jackie Collins initially faced when trying to sell their 'racy' books about modern women and their real desires. Gill Paul captures perfectly an imagined relationship between the two ground-breaking authors in this scandalously delicious novel - especially fun for anyone who loves books and publishing." -- Liz Trenow, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Secret Sister

"Scandalous Women is sensational! Honestly, I flew through the pages, adored it. It's a pacy, brilliantly written tale of two bestselling authors in the wildly sexist publishing industry of the 1960s." -- Tracy Rees, international bestselling author of Elopement

"In Scandalous Women, Gill Paul once again throws back the curtains on real-life women in recent history, letting her vivid imagination reveal what was and what might have been. Readers will be captivated by her elevation of two pioneering women on the publishing scene in male-dominated 1960s and forever grateful for the Jackies and Jacquelines who paved the way for a new brand of storytelling. Paul's blend of the intimate moments of women's lives and the world stage they fight to be on confirm her as a favorite in this genre." -- Camille Di Maio, bestselling author of Until We Meet

"If Mad Men had been set in the world of publishing, Scandalous Women, would be it. Set in the 1960s and 70s it is perfect tangy cocktail of a novel: two parts, gossipy page-turner, with a twist of bonk-buster, and three parts eye-opening exposure of the misogyny blocking women's paths to success. This makes the achievements of Jaqueline Susann and Jackie Collins, both huge publishing sensations, all the more remarkable. Most of all, Gill Paul has written a novel that celebrates the ways in which women lift each other up - I'll drink to that!" -- Elizabeth Fremantle, bestselling author of Disobedient and Firebrand

"This fabulous novel makes me feel like cheering as it celebrates two indomitable female trailblazers who face down misogyny, critical snobbery and personal heartache to emerge at the top of the bestseller lists. It's not only an unputdownable page-turner, but also a moving story of the importance of friendship and a fascinating insight into publishing in the 1960s." -- Maggie Brookes, author of The Prisoner's Wife

"Scandalous Women traces the parallel careers of two doyennes of the blockbuster - Jacqueline Susann & Jackie Collins - as they navigate sexism & misogyny inside and outside the publishing industry in1960s London and New York. I couldn't put it down - another gripping read from Gill Paul!" -- Jacquie Bloese, author of The French House

"Gill Paul pulls back the curtain on two literary lionesses whose racy novels once dominated the bestseller lists. Deliciously dishy, this story of friendship and determination takes readers inside the publishing industry and the makings of blockbusters. You'll find yourself rooting for the fictional Nancy White every bit as much as Jacquelin Susann and Jackie Collins. From New York to London, Paul doesn't miss a beat on this fabulous new novel." -- Renée Rosen, bestselling author of Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl and The Social Graces