Mysterious and seductive, Libby Durant is a woman with a past. Running from a world of nightmares, she escapes to a land of illusion, Hollywood in the 1920s. With skills bordering on the occult, she turns silent screen shadows into silver screen legends, and in a few short years builds a powerful commercial empire. But at what cost? No one knows Libby’s greatest accomplishment is her own … disguise. Will she be swallowed up in this maelstrom of danger and deceit?
Join Amanda Hughes as she immerses you in the decadent world of wealth and power that is Prohibition America of the 1920s.
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I’m a guy, I don’t read romance, but the work by Amanda Hughes was really great. Much of my work is set in Minnesota where this tale begins. After a series of tragic events Elizabeth Durant ends up in 1920s Hollywood. With her skills as a makeup artist she builds an empire, but not without a lot of the potential pitfalls during the prohibition years. Plenty of dark danger and questionable characters to keep me involved. I actually felt transported back to the day. A truly enjoyable read for me, I recommend you check it out.
Great story about a strong woman who wants to make her own mark in the world , not relying on family money or name. She has a plan almost from the beginning and pursues it with all the energy she can muster. Her experiences along her way are interesting and exciting. You want her to succeed.
Strong woman with a mission. Enjoyed her journey and struggles.
Great female characters in a male dominated world. Loved it.
The author has done a great job with her research and brought to life the characters to show what life was like in 1917 and beyond in America. Libby, the main character is a strong, progressive women. You will want to find the time to grab this book and enjoy the story.
Entertaining and fast paced – I enjoyed this book – historical fiction from the 1920s with a little romance. The main character is a strong woman who overcame a difficult childhood. The characters were well-developed. I enjoyed the background of Hollywood and corruption during prohibition. The author does need a good editor to tweak written errors, but those were easy to overlook because the story moved well.
Love reading about a different moment in time. Prohibition Hollywood was interesting to read about.
Great story telling!
A wonderful look into the early days of movie making. So many details I’d never have thought about. It also covers the tragic loss of life due to the Spanish flu and how life altering for those left behind. Excellent story.
Very good story how a young rich girl gave up her wealth . Went out west to earn her money back again. Not a lot of sex in the book . It was written very tastefully. I enjoyed that period of time and how well it was written.
Great book with wonderful characters. Enjoyed the story line and the author carried you right along in the lives of these characters as if you were the proverbial fly on the wall.
The fascinating story of a challenging life. Heartbreaking and triumphant.
Fun, light read. Old Hollywood, makeup artist, bootleggers, insanity.
A great look at old Hollywood!!
This is a great book about the early years of Hollywood. Add to the history background — great characters and a good story line. Very enjoyable read.
the conclusion was full of suspense
A saga of extreme loss and extreme redemption.
Lillian Durant suffers from schizophrenia. Which explains why she stabbed and scarred her 10 year old daughter Libby. What happens over the next 18 years is the interesting and engrossing saga of The Looking Glass Goddess by Amanda Hughes.
I’ve read a number of Ms. Hughes’ books and they all have the following attributes in common.
They are all lengthy.
They are all well written and well researched.
They are all detailed and descriptive.
They all have well developed characters.
They all have a happy ending, but not before having a great deal of sorrow.
The Looking Glass Goddess did not disappoint.
If you are willing to take your time and be patient, then you really should enjoy this novel. It completely immerses you into the early 29th century society, subcultures and even Hollywood. It is truly an entertaining book.
Content alert: There is some moderate swearing (including religious expletives), but no “F” bombs. There is some passionate kissing and some referred-to intimacy, but no detailed sexual content.
FYI: I also posted my review on Amazon (as Rural Reader) and with GoodReads.
A strong woman makes her own way on her own terms . Inspirational for young women and girls. Not really my interest at this time of life, but recommend for young (female) readers.
Amanda Hughes Formidable Characters, with an excellent storyline. I have to compliment Amanda Hughes on bringing history to life in this book. I could not put it down once I started reading about Libby, a strong female, seductive, bold and a great head on her shoulders in a man’s world especially for the 1920’s.
Overall a good, quick read, but a bit predictable and a little shallow. Nothing deep, nor any huge character building.