Julie Moylan

London, October, 1956. A glittering Royal Film Premiere. The whole world is watching ... Tonight, Elizabeth II will formally greet an array of stars. Though she was not born to be Queen, this young mother and wife has embraced her patriotic duty and its unforgiving demands. A limousine pulls up. Out steps a vision in dazzling gold: Marilyn Monroe. A money-making machine for Hollywood, with curves that drive men wild and a smile that lets women know she’s in on the joke. As the two most famous women in the world come face to face, they look to be worlds apart. Yet beneath the glamorous costumes, both are fighting to keep the men they love, while trying to do their work in a man’s world. And they have spent the summer of 1956 battling secret demons the public could never imagine. Now, Marilyn steps forward. These photographs will be on the front page of every newspaper in the morning. But this isn’t their first meeting. And the story behind the headlines is even more sensational ...

Discover the dazzling new historical novel from the author of That Green Eyed Girl and 73 Dove StreetPerfect for fans of City of Girls, Cabaret and Sunday Times bestseller, The Whalebone Theatre - available to pre-order in paperback! ''Sexy, electrically stylish, and beautiful - a gorgeous story about sisterhood, and a glamorous, evocative passport to a period we all long to get lost in'' Daisy Buchanan, award-winning author of Insatiable''Julie''s best novel yet'' Georgina Moore, bestselling author of The Garnett Girls‘Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Babylon Circus . . .’Berlin, 1926: young Leni finds work as a cigarette girl – wide-eyed, dodging stray hands – as the painted dancers and revellers party the nights away. It’s all for her little sister Annette – to put a roof over their heads, food in their bellies. Because the two sisters have no one but each other.Then Leni meets pianist Paul, and embarks on a passionate, all-consuming love affair. But for Paul, Berlin is a dangerous place to be. If he and Leni are to have a future together, they must flee the city.For Leni, it’s an impossible choice: her sister or the love of her life?The consequences of her decision will ripple through the next four decades . . .***‘Immersive, tender, simmering with secrets’ Alex Hay ''A tale of two sisters and a city, all three of them so vividly drawn, I felt I knew them. Superbly atmospheric, with convincingly flawed characters that just leap off the page'' Frances Quinn, author of The Bonesetter Woman ''An all-singing, all-dancing, moving and masterful book about two complex sisters living in incredibly complex times. Brilliant.'' Anna Mazzola, author of The Clockwork Girl ''Bold, brave and absorbing'' Elizabeth Buchan, author of Bonjour, Sophie ''With hints of Atonement, this is an epic novel’ Louise Fein, author of Daughter of the Reich Praise for Julie Owen Moylan ''Touching, entertaining and hopeful'' Sunday Times ''Dazzling'' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING ''I was gripped from the first page'' SARA COX ''Psychologically astute and emotionally absorbing,'' DAILY MAIL ''A wonderfully evocative, immersive novel that brings 50s London to life, from the smog and the nightlife to attitudes towards women'' SUNDAY EXPRESS ''Emotional, immersive and utterly absorbing'' JENNIFER SAINT

Transport yourself to mid-century New York in this compelling and evocative story of secrets, jealousy and hidden love NEW YORK CITY, 1955. In the dimmed lights of their apartment, Dovie and Gillian love each other in secret. Mixing drinks, dancing to slow jazz, they guard their lives closely, knowing they'll never truly be safe. And yet, outside, someone suspects the truth. Gillian fears the worst, and grips on to Dovie more tightly. But Dovie, seeing the good in people, lets the door open... Is this their chance to finally be free? Or are they in even more danger than before?