Breakaway Books

Authored by Melissa O’Connor; Published July 2025; Historical Fiction

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 🏖️🏖️🏖️🏖️

If you have dreamed of being a 1950s Hollywood starlet, The One and Only Vivian Stone is the book for you. All of those dreams will finally come true through Vivian.

In The One and Only Vivian Stone, aspiring writer Margot is cleaning out her grandmother’s house for the final time when she discovers a series of old tapes. On them, Hollywood star Vivian Stone recounts her rise to fame, the abuse she suffers at the hands of the studios, and her romantic relationships. But why does Margot’s grandmother have these tapes? As Margot tries to find the last tape and piece the mystery together, she finds herself inspired by Vivian’s persistence in the face of failure after failure. If only she knew what the connection was between Vivian and her family…

I’m not a person who’s ever dreamed of being a celebrity, but I have to say that I enjoyed this peek into 1950s Hollywood glamor. I’m sure it wouldn’t have been nearly as effective if I hadn’t been sold on Vivian herself, but I was: I admired her persistence, her willingness to pivot, and her ability to see her own weaknesses. (I also listened to this novel, and her Long Island accent is completely charming.) I appreciated that even as she becomes extremely famous, Vivian never turns into a mean girl or even becomes high maintenance. She remembers where she comes from, and she stays loyal to the people she loves. I guess what I’m saying is, I wouldn’t mind spending time with Vivian in real life, and that makes watching her succeed in this book quite satisfying.

I didn’t find Margot’s parallel narrative particularly satisfying. Margot is fine, but it just doesn’t feel like there is much substance to her. I’m glad that Vivian inspired her to pursue her dreams of writing again, but it feels like her entire plot line is an unnecessary addition to a story that is already enough with Vivian. Margot’s story demonstrates the flaw in the recent trend in historical novels to have two lightly interwoven plots separated by decades of history—a weaker story can detract from the overall novel. I was much more invested in Vivian’s life, in the draconian rules the studio set for their stars and in Vivian’s bold move to expose the lecherous MGM executives, many decades before the #metoo movement. Even Vivian’s depressing encounter with alcoholism, before it was understood as the scourge as it is, is compelling and enlightening.

If you like the vibes of Mad Men, and you are attracted to the old school Hollywood glamor, you will love The One and Only Vivian Stone.