The Unforgettable Loretta, Darling — Katherine Blake

An aspiring makeup artist takes on predatory Hollywood in this addictive debut novel with bite -- a sultry, thrilling blend of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Killing Eve, and A Promising Young Woman.

It's 1950 and Loretta Reynolds is newly arrived in Hollywood, fresh off a con that brought her from England to the sunny shores of California. She's running away from a complicated past to fulfill her ambition of becoming a makeup artist to the stars.

 When her new husband, a would-be actor, takes her to a sex-fueled Hollywood party on their wedding night -- hoping to trade her to a powerful director for a favor -- she discovers the dark side of Tinseltown and sets out on a path of revenge against the cruel men who use their money and power to play with lives and dreams.

 In her quest for vengeance, Loretta gathers a band of La-La-Land misfits: a fading starlet past her prime, a friendly neighborhood sex worker, and a brooding screenwriter who proves yes, not all men are evil -- just most . . .

 Now, Loretta is about to get her big break -- and Hollywood better beware. Loretta has learned a lot about makeup, and more. . . and some of her clients might not make it out alive.