Untitled Gill Paul Book 1: A brand new gripping and sweeping historical fiction novel of rivalry, betrayal and female empowerment in 20th Century New York Paperback – Import, 31 August 2023

I am a fan of Gill Paul's writing. I find it straightforward and easy to read. Her descriptions of time and place put you at the scene. While Rubinstein and Arden are not my favorite subjects (I prefer her older eras, especially the Russian monarchy period), still I enjoyed this battle of talented, ambitious women. It is well done and a wonderful behind the scenes look. I especially enjoyed the thought that Helena conveyed in her note to Elizabeth after the attempted robbery when she congratulated her competition for not letting the "hoodlums" win.

I love this author. She puts you right back into time. Very interesting how the cosmetics started.

Excellent written book, fiction based on history. Well-rounded characters, another great book from Gill Paul. I recommend this book.

Really enjoyed this story about these 2 competitive and cunning business women. Interesting facts about each of their backgrounds and how they managed to become incredibly successful in the beauty industry. Both were carrying a lot of baggage from their childhood but managed, in their respective ways, to use their upbringing as a means to escape and build a successful business empire. I particularly chuckled at the ways in which they tried to avoid each other while still trying to outdo each other from stealing ideas, trying to sabotage each others efforts, firing and hiring each other’s employees, placing “moles” in their rival’s company, etc!! These two women would go to any lengths to best each other. Despite all this subterfuge I think they could honestly have been friends if they had only gotten over their own egos! The author did have them meet up near the end of the book and I thought this was a great way to give the reader a glimpse into what could have happened if only these women hadn’t been so concerned about their own egos and their personal position in society. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a great story of the struggles it takes for women in particular, to become a pioneer of industry. Excellent book:)

I’m a huge fan of historical fiction. In that sense this book did not disappoint. I had no idea these two women, both hugely successful in their own right, had such a long lasting rivalry! The book felt a bit slow at times did feel a bit slow at times. I think this is in part due to the chapters alternating between the two main characters. The timing felt choppy and didn’t always line up. Not a huge deal though as I’d still recommend this book to historical fiction fans and makeup lovers alike.