Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl
Renée Rosen
It’s 1938, and a young woman selling face cream out of a New York City beauty parlor is determined to prove she can have it all. Her name is Estée Lauder, and she’s about to take the world by storm, in this dazzling new novel from the USA Today bestselling author of The Social Graces and Park Avenue Summer. In New York City, you can disappear into the crowd. more
432 pages, Paperback
First published Berkley
4.05
Rating
6240
Ratings
651
Reviews
Renée Rosen
10 books 1687 followers
Renee is the USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction including: THE SOCIAL GRACES, PARK AVENUE SUMMER, WHAT THE LADY WANTS, WINDY CITY BLUES, WHITE COLLAR GIRL and DOLLFACE, as well as the YA novel, EVERY CROOKED POT.Her new novel, FIFTH AVENUE GLAMOUR GIRL, about the cosmetic icon, Estée Lauder will be published in April, 2023 Penguin Random House / Berkley. She is currently working on a new novel about Ruth Handler, the creator of Barbie, coming in 2025.
Most people discover their love of reading first and then decide to try writing. For Renee Rosen, it was just the opposite. From the time she was a little girl she knew she wanted to be a writer and by age seventeen had completed her first novel, with what she admits was the worst opening line of all time. Her hopes of being the youngest published author on record were soon dashed when her “masterpiece” was repeatedly rejected. Several years and many attempts later, Renee finally became a reader first.
Since then she has been fortunate enough to study the craft of writing from such esteemed novelists as Michael Cunningham, Susan Minot and Carol Anshaw.
Renee now lives in Chicago where she is working on a new novel. You can find her online at https://www.facebook.com/ReneeRosenAu..., https://twitter.com/ReneeRosen1 or visit her website at www.reneerosen.com
Praise for DOLLFACE
"DOLLFACE is as intoxicating as the forbidden liquor at the heart of it. Rosen's Chicago gangsters are vividly rendered, and the gun molls stir up at least as much trouble as their infamous men. Fans of Boardwalk Empire will love DOLLFACE. I know I did." Sara Gruen, New York Times bestselling author of WATER FOR ELEPHANTS
Advanced Praise for WHAT THE LADY WANTS (coming November 4, 2014)
"WHAT THE LADY WANTS is as fun and addictive and Chicago-licious as a box of Marshall Field's Frango Mints. And, sadly, you'll finish it almost as fast. A delight.” Rebecca Makkai, author of The Borrower and The Hundred Year House
Awards for EVERY CROOKED POT
2010 Popular Book for Young Adults by YALSA
2007 Booklist Editor’s Pick
Starred Reviews from Booklist and School Library Journal
Community reviews
A Renee Rosen heroine is always one who falls in love not with a significant other (though she may do that too) but with her work. FIFTH AVENUE GLAMOUR GIRL is no exception as an ex-debutante dazed by the destruction of her family and their fortune enters the work force for the first time, barely hanging onto a shampoo-girl job in the beauty business, and meets the dazzling Estee Lauder: a fast-talking empire-builder with a bag of homemade beauty products and a big dream. Watching the two bond and rise is an absolute pleasure. more
Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl reimagines the story of Estee Lauder. Her story is related through a friend Gloria. Both young women supposedly come from families well off, but lost the fortunes. Both women are forced to forge their own paths. The only difference is that Estee knows clearly what she wants, Gloria doesn’t. more
Gloria Downings father has been arrested, he’s been accused of committing investment fraud, and the family loses everything and Gloria's friends no longer speak to her. Gloria wants to become invisible, she changes her name and appearance and for the first time in her life, she has to find a job and be independent. Estée Lauder is married to Joe and they have a young son Leonard. Estée makes beauty products in her kitchen, she’s currently selling them at a beauty parlor and her dream is to see them displayed on the shelves of an up market department store. Estée and Gloria meet in 1938, the two women become best friends, and yet they don’t share their secrets. more
3. 5 StarsWell, the cover of this book is fabulous. that's for sure. I'm certain that's what initially drew me in. Plus the scheme of a historical fiction perspective of a famous person in the skin care, makeup and perfume industry was attractive to me. more
Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl by Renee Rosen is a lovely and entertaining novel about Estée Lauder -A true success story. I had no idea (as with most books I read) what or who this novel was about. I was thrilled to find out. Her make up was the go to make up for all young teens who shopped in department stores in the 80s. Often with give aways to be included Refreshing this novel focused on Estée Lauder and her friend Gloria Downing. more
Estee Lauder and Gloria Downing both came from money, but both families had lost their fortunes. Gloria's family lost their money when her father was arrested for a Ponzi scheme. That is when Gloria changed her name because of the stigma her name held. Both women had to work now, but the only difference was that Estee was ambitious, and Gloria had no skills and wasn't a go getter. Actually Gloria didn't know how to do anything - she had never worked a day in her life. more
The Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl sweeps us into the fascinating world of New York’s beauty industry and pulls back the veil on the Cinderella story of how Estee Lauder carved out a name for herself through perseverance and hard work. With Renee Rosen’s impressive research and richly crafted characters, this beautifully written story will be one you won’t be able to put down as you cheer these women on. . more
I always love Renée Rosen's historical fiction gems and Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl truly sparkles. I learned a lot about Estee Lauder and the story was really empowering and inspiring. I like how the story was told through the eyes of a fictional character, similar to how Park Avenue Summer was written. Gloria had a really interesting and difficult situation to deal with and Renee did a great job weaving her story into Estee's, and vice versa. Estee seemed like a toxic friend to Gloria for the most part. more
This is not a traditional biography of Estée Lauder, it does give the reader a look into the woman who by sheer determination and drive became a pioneer in the cosmetic industry. While much of her life remains a mystery this book reveals enough to get a read on the person she was. Jewish and born in Queens Josephine Esther simply reinvented herself claiming noble Austrian heritage. Estée’s story is told through a fictional friend Gloria Downing. Gloria has parted ways with her family after her father is sent to prison for a Ponzi scheme (think Madoff). more
In Fifth Avenue Glamor Girl , Renée Rosen has created two fabulous characters in Estée Lauder, whose inexhaustible energy and ambition took her from a concession stand in a hair salon to the heights of international fame, and the woman who befriends her, Gloria Downing, a down-on-her luck former rich girl forced to work for a living when her father is prosecuted for running a Ponzi scheme. Renée Rosen’s gift for creating real, fallible and compelling characters we grow to love and cheer for shines in Fifth Avenue Glamor Girl, a story of the grit and determination behind the glamor of beauty icon, Estée Lauder, and of an enduring, flawed friendship between two strong women. Fifth Avenue Glamor Girl is a brilliant, absorbing, and emotional novel you won’t want to put down. more
As I look over my Estee Lauder beauty products, I think to myself how fascinating it is that I've just read a book on their humble beginnings. This compelling read will not be forgotten anytime soon. Though I thought the book would be told from Estte Lauder's point of view it is told by her best friend Gloria Downing's point of view. Estee and Gloria have a love/hate relationship (sisterly/best-friend) love. Gloria's family was rich until her father was jailed for many people investing with him with no return causing a scandal. more
4. 5 starsAh, what a sight that would been; Saks Fifth Avenue as it was in its heyday, during the ‘30s and 40’s. A time when many women got completely dressed up and put on make-up just to go downtown, to see and be seen. This book was like a trip in a time-machine, with the wonderful descriptions of Manhattan and the fashions that were popular in that period, which of course included cosmetics. more
Summary: In 1938 New York City, a young woman by the name of Estée Lauder is selling her homemade face products out of a local beauty shop, determined to become the next Elizabeth Arden. When she crosses paths with fellow shopgirl Gloria Downing, the two women forge a friendship that will change both of their lives. Thoughts: Wow. This is the most bingeable historical fiction novel I have ever read. Renee Rosen does a masterful job brining Estée Lauder to life and showcasing the extent of her sheer willpower to succeed in the midst of a changing social and political landscape. more
I love historical fiction and was really looking forward to reading this book. The idea of the book was fantastic. Estee Lauder's story is fascinating. Unfortunately, the author constantly repeats the same theme. Practically every chapter is a retelling of what happened to Gloria's father. more
I am a huge fan of historical fiction, especially those set during WWII. This book has some overlap of the WWII era but it's more of a small side topic, not at all the major focus. That totally worked here. You probably couldn't have lived during that period without some kind of impact. The focus of this book is Estee Lauder, her rise in the late 1930s and 1940s, as seen from her friend Gloria's perspective. more
4. 5 stars rounded up. Estée Lauder started with nothing, worked hard, and against all odds, founded a global cosmetic company. Gloria Downing is down on her luck, trying to figure out how to make a life for herself after a family scandal implodes her life. The two women meet and become close friends, helping each other through tough times, cheering each other on and at times and antagonizing each other. more
3. 5 StarsFifth Avenue Glamour Girl is a fictionalized account of the Estée Lauder story as seen through Gloria’s perspective. It’s 1938 and Gloria Downing is reinventing her life after a family scandal when she crosses paths with Estée (Lauder). Idealistic, visionary, ambitious, and determined, Estee is selling face cream out of beauty parlors. Through helping Estée, Gloria begins to discover her own talents, and her success leads to opening doors for Estée. more
I tend to like fictional reimaginings of famous figures, and although I'm not into cosmetics in any way, I found the idea of a book about Estée Lauder interesting. While I did find Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl to be a fun read with lots of drama, optimism, and determination, it wasn't quite what I wanted it to be. I think my biggest issue was that I wanted more of the focus to be on Estée rather than the fictional character serving as our narrator. Gloria "Downing" is running from her family's major scandal and finds herself crossing paths with cosmetic maker Estée Lauder. The two become friends, and over the next several years, Gloria forges her own path while helping Estée make her cosmetics a success. more
Each Christmas of my childhood a distinctive pink box of Estee Lauder’s “Beautiful” perfume could always be found waiting for my mom under the tree. In my mind Estee Lauder was the pinnacle of luxury beauty products. FIFTH AVENUE GLAMOUR GIRL is based on the true story of Estee Lauder and her journey to becoming a household name. Estee’s moxie and blind ambition that catapulted her to the top of the beauty industry came at a cost. The blind ambition of chasing her dreams made it difficult for her to manage her personal relationships and made for an entertaining read. more
I did really like this book. To me though it seemed like it was completely fabricated. I guess if this wasn’t the story of Estée Lauder I could have bought in to it more. To me it was just a good story about someone trying to break into the cosmetic world. The book also seemed to me that it was more about her best friend, Gloria. more
4. 5 https://goodbookfairy. com/fifth-avenu. more
*3. 5 stars ✨This had me quite interested in the makeup industry. I think I googled a million times while reading this book. Good story, would find myself picking up another book by this author. more
Renée Rosen captures cosmetic industry icon Estée Lauder with panache in this compelling, well-researched histfic tale. “It’s just such a shame. Every woman can be beautiful. They just need someone like me to show them how. ”WHAT I LOVEDRenée's elegant prose and the way she gives us Estée with flaws and all as she climbs the ladder of success in 20th Century America. more
In a world that would eat men for lunch Gloria Downing in Estée Lauder walked into the fray not knowing what to expect only knowing what they wanted in Wished for. These two women made STE a household name. They say truth is stranger than fiction and that is true and something that kept coming up in my mind as I read 5th Ave. , Glamour girl by Renee Rosen because of what glorious daddy did she change her name and because of Estés loyalty it would change her life. Through there troubles with romance The sin of being a woman in a man’s world and all the things that create a friendship and a life is all in this book and trust me when I say it is so worth reading. more
This was such an interesting historical fiction about Estée Lauder and how she started her business. It was told through the eyes of Gloria, a woman Estée befriends who is holding onto her own secrets and trying to rebuild her life. I enjoyed seeing the friendship between Gloria and Estée grow. Though there were times that I found their arguments frustrating. I also found Gloria frustrating with her ‘woe-is-me, I need to sabotage my life’ behaviors. more
i’m thankful that i was able to read an early copy of this book. it’s one of my favorite books of the year and is engaging and full of complex relationships and a unique view on history. i think historical fiction fans will really enjoy it and i’m glad that it features a lesser known historical figure - estée lauder. i learned a lot about her while reading and i appreciate what she did with her cosmetics company a lot more now. 5 stars. more
This is my first Renee Rosen novel, and I absolutely LOVED IT. From page one, I was immersed in Estee Lauder's history and that of her friend Gloria. Rosen's clearly done her research, and her writing is filled with wit and emotion. I laughed, I cried, and I closed the book completely satisfied. Thank you to the publisher for sharing an advance copy. more
Rosen's novel needs a clear identity. Is it Gloria's coming of age story. Is it an exploration of Gloria's psychology (guilt). Is it the story of Estee making it. Without a clear identity, the characters all feel flat. more