Book Review: "Famous Once" by Jane Green

This was one of the Amazon First Reads for January. Jane Green’s writing is so lush and evocative, and she always captures the time period of her work and the setting so effectively.

In the 1970s, Astrid Lane was one of the hottest models in the world. Everyone knew her face and her name, and she was often found in the company of the world’s most glamorous stars. When she fell for rockstar Callum Blake, it was a fairytale match, and Astrid was more than happy to step away from her career to raise the couple’s daughter, Zara.

But fame took its toll, and when Astrid and Callum’s marriage fell apart due to his infidelity, Astrid became addicted to drugs and alcohol, leaving young Zara to fend for herself.

Years later, Astrid lives a quiet life as a caterer, and has a somewhat-estranged relationship with Zara. But when a retrospective of 1970s music and fashion raises the profile of the stars of that time, Callum is back in the spotlight. His life is the subject of a podcast, but of particular interest is a tragedy that happened all those years ago.

Zara, who is a globetrotting reporter, wants to dig into the tragedy, even if it might unearth information that could damage her father. Astrid becomes a target of threats to keep any information she has a secret, which includes hours of audio recordings Callum made for her through the years. Zara and Astrid pore over these recordings and other memorabilia, and the truth is finally uncovered.

I thought this was a good story, but it was a little too short to feel complete. Everything was treated with a broad brush rather than detail, but I would love to see this expanded into a novel.

The story will be released 2/1/2026.

Book Review: "The Cover Girl" by Amy Rossi

“The thing about being someone’s idea of beautiful was that because people felt comfortable looking at you, they assumed you felt comfortable in the world.”⁣

⁣ Birdie was 13, and she was living a fairly unremarkable life. Her parents’ marriage was unhappy and her mother often told her she had no personality, so she was lucky she was tall and reasonably attractive. Then one day, while shopping with her mother at a department store in NYC, Birdie was discovered by famed modeling agent Harriet Goldman. And in that moment, her life changed dramatically.⁣

⁣ In the mid 1970s, no one seemed to have concerns about a 13-year-old modeling and interacting with men much older than her. But over the first two years of her career, she came into her own, realizing that she could control what people saw when they looked at her. When she was 15, she posed for an album cover, and the 31-year-old rock star fell head over heels for her. ⁣

⁣ The rock star asked Birdie to go on tour with him, and her parents essentially sign her over to him, making him her guardian. Harriet warns her not to get involved with someone like him, but the excitement is too much to pass up. And when it ends, the experience leaves Birdie reeling.⁣

Some 30 years later, Birdie lives a quiet life outside the spotlight. She gets Botox, contemplates a face lift, and takes Pilates. And then she gets invited to a gala celebrating Harriet’s 50-year career. She doesn’t want to go, as they’ve been estranged for years, but she can’t not go. But doing so means she must finally confront all she lived through, as well as become comfortable with growing older.⁣

⁣ You really feel for Birdie and the many ways people mistreated her or let her down. It’s really quite difficult at times, but ultimately you hope she has the strength to confront her past. The book shifts between past and present, and while it moves slowly, it’s very well told.⁣

Book Review: "Body Grammar" by Jules Ohman

This debut novel from Jules Ohman is a beautifully written book about love, longing, and finding your way.

Everywhere Lou goes, her striking, androgynous looks catch the attention of modeling scouts. But the thought of being in front of the camera doesn’t appeal to Lou, who loves taking pictures of her own and dreams of studying ecology in college. She’s also nursing a serious crush on her best friend Ivy, yet neither is willing to make the first move.

When Lou is witness to a tragedy, her confusion about how to react causes a great deal of guilt and seems to widen the divide between her and Ivy. She decides to pursue modeling after all, learning how to be comfortable with a body she’s tried to hide all these years, and making connections with her fellow models.

Almost unwittingly, Lou becomes a sensation in the modeling world. And while she develops more comfort with being in front of the camera and on runways, she’s not sure if this is the life she wants. But mostly she can’t stop thinking about that one fateful day, and how much she still wants Ivy in her life.

This book is definitely character-driven, but I absolutely loved the emotions of the characters and the journeys they took. It’s tremendously self-assured for a debut novel, and it reminds me of one of my favorite authors, Nina LaCour, who writes so well about longing. I can’t wait to see what Ohman does next!!