by Ella Berman
First published 2025
Lane Warren has clawed her way back from literary failure with a new book deal. Her subject is Gala Margolis, the free spirit who was once her friend and always her rival. There's just one problem. Gala has vanished without a trace. Ten years ago, both women were writers navigating the glittering party scene of 1960s Los Angeles. Gala played the charming socialite while Lane remained the Hollywood outsider. They circled each other with mutual fascination. Lane admired Gala's sharp wit. Gala appreciated being taken seriously as more than just a muse. Their uneasy friendship shifted when Gala's career took off and Lane's jealousy deepened. Lane made a choice she could never undo, one that altered both their futures forever. Now she must confront what happened between them while Gala stays mysteriously absent, unable to tell her side of the story.
Genres: literary-fiction, american-fiction, 20th-century, mystery, contemporary, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Los Angeles
Period: 1960s
416 pages · Hardcover · Berkley