3.5. Laura Lamont was born Elsa of Wisconsin. She grew up around her father's theatre, dreaming of the day where she might make it in Hollywood. To me, Old Hollywood is pretty much the ultimate in glitz and glam. I can totally see why Elsa would want to go there.

To me, the title "Laura Lamont's Life in Pictures" has sort of a double meaning. First, yes, this book is about Laura Lamont becoming a movie star. To me, the title could also refer to how the book is written. We only get pictures of Laura/Elsa's life. There is space in time between the different chapters in the book. We get to know Laura but not well. We don't really get to know what's she's thinking or her motivations. And we don't get that for any of the other characters either.

When I read a book, I really want to know what makes a character tick. I want to know why they do what they do. I want to know how they are feeling when they do the things they do. I find that sort of thing really helps me to feel connected to the character. I just wasn't feeling that here.

I loved the story and I loved the detail about Hollywood back in the day. You can definitely tell that the author put a lot of time and effort into researching the setting and time period of the book to make the story come to life. I definitely appreciated that.

Bottom line: If you're looking for a good setting, this is a good historical fiction for you!