A Dream Called Marilyn
by Mercedes King
Copyright: 2015
Pages: 167
Rating: 4/5
Read: March 28 – April 3, 2015
Challenge: No challenge
Yearly count: 13
Format: Print
Source: Pump Up Your Book Blog Tour
Series: N/A
Blurb: In the summer of 1962, nothing could prepare Dr. Charles Campbell for his first meeting with new client, Marilyn Monroe. A reputable L.A. psychiatrist, he’s been hired by a studio executive to treat and subdue the star, no matter what it takes. Although he’s been warned about Ms. Monroe’s unpredictability, she’s not what he expected. Gaining Marilyn’s trust means crossing doctor-patient boundaries, and trying to separate fact from Hollywood-fed-rumors proves destructive to both Charles’ career and his personal life. As Marilyn shares her secrets and threatens to go public with information that could destroy President Kennedy’s administration, Charles’ world turns upside-down. He sinks deeper into her troubles than he should, but Charles becomes determined to help her, even though it means endangering Marilyn’s life and risking his own.
Review: If you have followed my blog for any time, you know that I am obsessed with JFK. Well, along with that obsession comes a side obsession with Marilyn Monroe, too. I’m just fascinated by what happened all those years ago and all the conspiracies that are out there. So when I was pitched this short novella, I immediately picked up on it.
Novellas are not something that I am used to reading, so I didn’t quite know what to expect going into it. I figured some 170 odd pages would be easy to take on (pregnancy brain is at its finest in my life right now) and it was Marilyn, so….. But at the same time, I didn’t know how something could be packed into 170 short pages.
But Ms. King makes it work. She takes a few characters and a few pages and just creates this really fun short novel. It really worked for me. I enjoyed it. I was totally entranced by Charles’ life. There’s so much going on with his personal life, and Marilyn definitely throws a wrench in the picture. And Marilyn is, well, Marilyn.
Honestly, I enjoyed my first foray into the novella world. This was a really fun read and I would highly recommend it to anyone!!
About the Author: A founding member of Sisters in Crime Columbus, Ohio (affectionately dubbed SiCCO), Mercedes King can be found elbow-deep in research, reading, or enjoying the local bike path. Combining her love of pop culture with history, she created A Dream Called Marilyn, a fictional take on the last weeks of Marilyn’s life. With an unquenchable thirst for a bygone era, she’s also written O! Jackie, a fictional take on Jackie Kennedy’s private life–and how she dealt with JFK’s affairs. Short story fans would enjoy The Kennedy Chronicles, a series featuring Jackie and Jack before the White House and before they were married. Visit Mercedes’ website at http://www.mercedesking.com to find out more.
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As always, I hope you take the time to visit the other stops on the tour:
Monday, April 6 First Chapter Reveal at Pump Up Your Book
Tuesday, April 7 Book Review at Books Reviews ETC.
Wednesday, April 8 Guest Blogging at The Story Behind the Book
Thursday, April 9 Interview at Examiner
Friday, April 10 Book Featured at The Literary Nook
Monday April 13 Interview at The Writer’s Life
Tuesday, April 14 Book Review at My Book Addiction and More
Wednesday, April 15 Interview at As the Page Turns
Thursday, April 16 First Chapter Reveal at Read My First Chapter
Monday, April 20 Interview at PUYB Virtual Book Club
Tuesday, April 21 Interview at Beyond the Books
Wednesday, April 22 Book Review at Tales of a Book Addict
Thursday, April 23 Guest Blogging at Lori’s Reading Corner
Friday, April 24 Interview at Pimp That Character
Monday April 27 Book Review at Quirky Book Reviews
Tuesday, April 28 Book Review at Deal Sharing Aunt
Wednesday, April 29 Book Review at Must Read Faster
Thursday, April 30 Book Review at My Life Loves and Passion
Tales of a Book Addict 