Hollywood Wives: introduced by Helen Ellis

It's Hollywood. For Elaine Conti, with friends like hers, who needs enemies? Being wife to the movie legend, actor Ross Conti, is all that gives her any clout in this town. The trouble is, Ross' days on the screen are, in effect, over.Regularly dining at the most expensive, must be seen at restaurants, Elaine and her two best 'friends', Karen and Maralee, gossip, bitch and generally pamper themselves within an inch of their lives. But Elaine's finances are slowly dwindling and the only way to boost the bank balance is to revive Ross' career.Ross Conti is on the verge of the big 'Five-O' and not happy about it. Having not worked for several years and the last time he saw one of his movies was as a re-run on TV, his career prospects don't look particularly illustrious. What he needs is a decent vehicle to get him back on top again.As for his marriage to Elaine. Why does she have to nag so much? Spend his money like it's going out of fashion? Always criticising his spreading midriff. And just because she's gone off sex, doesn't mean he has.Buddy Hudson. In his mid-twenties, stunningly good looking, arrogant, newly-wed and aspiring actor with a highly peppered past will do anything to get into the movies (almost).He ran away from home is his teens and headed for the bright lights of Hollywood. Desperate for money he became involved in various dubious dealings he'd prefer remained in the closet.In a town where it's shallow residents only care about how good your last film was, or how many A-listers will be attending your next soiree, it's not what you know but who you know that counts.HOLLYWOOD WIVES is a melting pot of many flamboyant characters that all have one thing in common - their only concern is for themselves.This was my first Jackie Collins novel and I have to admit, I'd always dismissed her as a 'fluff' writer. How wrong I was.Collins grabs you by the throat from the very first brutal, shocking scene.The first quarter of the book involves introducing and developing the considerable amount of central characters. And what 'juicy' characters they are. She tells you of the uber rich lives of Hollywood film stars and their wives, to the almost destitute lives of aspiring actors and what they have to do to make ends meet. Each in their own way, makes for great reading, whether you like them or not. Even the periphery characters I found to be very alluring and hoped they'd have more involvement in the plot.Whilst reading the character traits I couldn't help but think, this person reminds me of someone famous but I can't quite think who...certainly many famous names are dropped into the story.Collins has the ability to switch from writing with humour on one page, to the convincing thoughts of a psychopath on another. She conveys the inner opinions of both male and female characters with sharp individualism that makes each of their actions totally credible. I felt as if I was inside their heads with them.The aspect of this novel that had me firmly in its grasps was that Collins draws upon people she knows and her own experiences. I was left thinking, sometimes these characters seem unbelievable to me, but Collins states there are many people in the Hollywood community, which most of us will never meet, that really do lead lives described within her books. She's said that her characters are toned down versions of people she's encountered and that in reality their behaviours far more outrageous.HOLLYWOOD WIVES was an extremely entertaining read, containing a bit of something for everyone.The plot moves fast and is relentless. It's a very hard book to put down.I'd recommend this novel to anyone who has an interest into the lurid lives of Hollywood's rich and famous, written by someone who's on the inside, looking out.

The knives are out and a roller coaster of a readI have never read a Jackie Collins novel before and this was a great read -funny, lots of black humour, great characters, and a plot that kept you hooked throughout.I will certainly delve In to the depths of Hollywood for more

Pure unadulterated, sinful enjoyment, a classic. Jackie Collins Hollywood Wives, pure indulgent fiction, because the truth we’d never believe!! Bravo !!

I'm a big fan of Jackie Collins, and while this book is one of her most famous, for me it's not her best. That said, it's still a good read.OK, so the story follows the lives of the Hudsons, the Contis, the Grays and the various characters around them, like agents, hustlers, lovers. Throw a brilliant portrayal of a psycho killer into the mix and you've got the usual Jackie Collins story going on.What was good was the build up and tension, especially at the end. It's also crammed with her usual very funny take on personal interactions. I loved the OCD aspect of Oliver Easterne. I have to say though, that I found the Hudsons disappointing. Buddy is just a lying, useless, selfish user, who only tells the truth when things are going well for him. And Angel his wife, isn't naïve, she's dumb. In contrast, I loved the Contis. So OK, they weren't perfect, but that makes them human, and you root for them both throughout the novel. This is the second time I read this book, and it's still good.Other books you might like to readCold Steel on the RocksWe Are Cold SteelKalter Stahl auf den FelsenWir Sind Kalter Stahl

After reading '50 Shades of Grey', which is possibly one of the worst books I have ever read, I had a craving to re-visit the books of my teenage years. I started with 'Valley of the Dolls' and then moved onto 'Hollywood Wives'. These books have more fun, wit and irony than the pretentious 50 Shades which takes itself so seriously. Give me a good old fashioned bonk-buster in the style of Jackie Collins or Jilly Cooper any day! They are fun all the way, do not take themselves seriously or try to be something they are not. Jackie Collins certainly knows how to write a novel with a fast moving pace. I enjoyed reading it again so much it made me long to be back in the 80s.

Brilliant!! I've been searching for an equally submerging read after having gone through all the Jilly Coopers and this is it. This was my first sample of Jackie Collins and I'm hooked. Yes, it's light and frothy, Hollywood glitz and glamour, etc, but with strong characters and good storylines. Thoroughly absorbing.

After reading a lot of murder mystery novels I needed a break. Enter my old love of Jackie Collins. I demolished this in 2 days and then immediately downloaded Hollywood Husbands and did that in another 2 days. She really knows how to write a nutjob in Deke Andrews and a bimbo in Gina Germaine but it's all the little hints that make her heroes and heroines so likeable that Jackie does so well. So many writers seem to rush the ending of their books and don't have enough of build up but Jackie does this in bucketloads, even though it's easy to know what's coming. I've just downloaded the new generation of Hollywood Wives and am looking forward to escaping into that soon.

Could not put this book down. It’s just fun and unashamedly trashy but it the best way. Loved it so much I have continued to read the rest of the Hollywood series.

I read this book years ago and decided to reread it now to see if I enjoyed it as much. I must say it's even better now. This was my first novel by her and it wasn't my last. Since then I have devoured most of her books. She was a great author.

I didn't realize how small the font was when ordering the book.

Bit leangthy, too many characters, but things fall in place as story progresses at break neck speed!! In places the situations are simply hilarious. Ending was a bit disappointing though...

I loved this!!50% of this book is scandalous, full of affairs and an interesting situation involving Vaginismus, while the other 50% is like reading an entirely different book that is dark and murderous but when these two stories come together it's magic!

Easy reading. Seems to be what you would expect from Hollywood. Jackie Collins has a great storytelling style. Can not wait to read the next book.