Controlling Shelly Fagan

by Olive Dunn

A captivating, unforgettable romance saga.

Pregnant, alone, and told she was a disgrace to her family, Shelly Fagan was forced into a convent when she was seventeen. Her parents, influenced by their Catholic faith and the social mores of their generation, decided to keep their daughter hidden. Keep her away from him. Place the baby up for adoption. Force Shelly to move on with her life. Force Shelly to forget.

Shelly Fagan had no choice but to grow up very quickly, and in the midst of the Vietnam War. Lies were told. Secrets were kept. Now married to another—and a mother of two sons—she unexpectedly comes face to face with her past. Unable to pick up the pieces, she, too, is forced to make a decision. Does she go back to the way it was or continue with her life as it is?

Be transported back to 1967 with this intense and provocative debut novel. Fall in love with Shelly and the generation of music, sex, freedom, laughter, love, and Vietnam.

Grab your copy today. People disappear, but the feelings remain.

286 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2019

Reviews

[Mattie · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Controlling Shelly Fagan” by Olive Dunn is a beautifully written and page turning novel.
It’s about growing up in the 60’s and goes into the 80’s. Not many authors can successfully go from one era to the next without losing their readers. Ms. Dunn has mastered it!
You will be amazed at how many differences there are during and through those years. She has the gift of making her book come alive. Love her descriptions.
I am looking forward to reading another novel by this up and coming author.

[Clayton Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I like reading romance novels, as a guy I lean more to detective stories; however, I loved this book. It took me back to my teens and early twenties. The authors attention to historic detail is amazing. Not just the correctness, but the fact she thought of so many period correct jewels. That is what pulls you in. The historic accuracy validated the social accuracy and made it real for me. The moral values of the time, while hard to accept today, add to the sadness of Shelly’s situation.

[Harpenaususansbcglobal.Com · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read book! Your heart will break for Shelly as a teenager and as an adult. You will feel the love Shelly has for two different men and I felt her heart tearing in half for each of them. There are so many twists and turns in this book. It will keep you on your toes! When you are finished with one chapter you will want to immediately start the next and not put the book down. This is not only a love story but a story of true feelings for her first, true love. Shelly is going back in time during her teenage years and closing some doors that have been opened for too long.

[Teresa Kanneberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just read a pre-release copy of Controlling Shelly Fagan and loved it! A heartwarming love story with many exciting twists and turns. Every chapter leaves you wanting to keep reading to find out what happens next. This book will be available on Amazon the first of July. A must read!

[Doreen Lamar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romance books are not my usual genre but I did enjoy this book about Shelley Fagan. While I did not agree with all of Shelley's choices, I was intriqued and entertained with this book.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to the author for this ARC.

I really enjoyed this book about growing up in the 1960s and how it went back and forth between the past and the 1980s.

Shelly had a wonderful life of growing up in a small town with her brother, her friends and her boyfriend Chris in 1967. Times were different in 1967 and this book definitely shows the difference of what would happen in 1967 vs. 1986 in certain circumstances.

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story will keep you turning the pages for surprises that you don't see coming! Awesome story telling by Dunn about how love was very different in the 60's, but war remains the same......a must read!

[Mary Anne]

This book took my back to the wonderful 60's when everyone went to the lake to swim. Olive Dunn makes you feel the sand, hear the music over the lake...feel the characters emotions. LOVED the book and hope she writes another one FAST!

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shelly Fagan was completely and totally in love with Chris Johnson. She was forced away but never forgot what they shared. Beautifully written and so incredibly real. This story won’t leave me. I received an advanced copy and have already ordered the ebook.

[Serena Soape · Rating 5 out of 5]

Olive Dunn clearly shows us how lies and deceit can hurt a family and friendships in her novel “Controlling Shelly Fagan”.

This a deeply poignant story telling us about Shelly and her very difficult life. From her teenage years through her mid-thirties we watch her maneuver through so much heartbreak; because of what happened to her as a teenager and then all of the unimaginable choices she had to make as an adult.

There were many times where my heart truly broke for her. I kept wondering what choice she would make when she came to certain crossroads and wondered would I have done the same???

I must admit that I was surprised a couple of times as I thought the story was headed a different direction, only to be taken the opposite.

I thoroughly enjoyed this from cover to cover! Olive Dunn’s Debut novel surely was wonderful, I hope she writes more!
4.5 stars

[Jennifer Shepard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I read from this author and let me tell you that I loved it! Such a good book with great characters that keeps you obsessed with every page since the first one. The ending of this book.. come on! I just didn´t expect it! Can´t wait to read other books from this great writer! Amazing job! a must-read!. A fantastic book that has it all!

I happily endorse this story to any and all who are looking for a romance enjoyable read and a completely different experience than anyone could imagine on their own. An emotionally charged book that leaves you gripping and turning the pages. It was beautifully written with amazing imagery. I was completely invested in the outcome of this book. I highly recommend this book

[Brooke Ashleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

My head hurts from the crying! A good portion of the second half had me in tears repeatedly. This was such a good story and Shelly...her life...what she went through. You just have to read it. There were 2 tiny inconsistencies I noticed but they were just that, tiny. They didn’t have an impact on the story as a whole. So for me it’s something to overlook and the story, in my opinion, was still 5 stars. Stephen, Michael, Chris, etc. There was something (what was forced away from her)I wish that would have been addressed in a chapter that’s maybe 3 years later or however long, saying that she was somehow resolved fully. Where it was left was closure enough for Shelly and I understand that...so as Shelly's belief that someday it will happen I too am saying it happened. Lol.

[Sherri Peter fortwendel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished reading this and it was a great read. If you want a good book to read at the beach or the pool this is it.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! With out giving anything away, I will say You really feel all of Shelly’s emotions! Your heart breaks for her! Ms Dunn did an amazing job making the characters come to life and her attention to detail is awesome. It’s like you step into the pages of the book and get lost in the 70’s! Well written! I can’t wait for more from this author!

[Loves Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

1967 - Shelly remembers. Everything. She never forgot. She couldn’t forget. Vietnam was everywhere. Love, laughter and music. And him...

[Joyce Stewart Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Controlling Shelly Fagan
Author :Olive Dunn
288 pages
Publication date: July 1, 2019
5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Have you ever loved someone so much it took your breath away?

A beautifully written love story, Olive Dunn restores glory to the romance genre with this emotional and gripping novel.

A first love, an endless love. Shelly Fagan at seventeen loved Chris Johnson. Loved him with every ounce of her being. Forced away from him by her parents, she was hidden in a convent, pregnant and alone. Now, at age thirty-six, Shelly finds herself back in the same small Indiana town where it all began.
⭐ MY REVIEW ⭐
Wow what a beautifully written debut. I was hooked from the very first page. It is such a Heart-wrenching ,
Compelling, beautifully written, and emotionally-charged story that will make you sympathize with each of the characters as they come alive on the pages. The author really knows how to bring her characters to life & draw her readers completely into the story .I simply could not stop reading this book once I started it. You just keep turning page after page to see what is going to happen next. This story is written with so much feeling and depth and brought about so many emotions in me. I can not wait to see what else this author has in store for us. As always if you like the book you read please take the time to leave a review for the author in places like goodreads & Amazon. It does not have to be long. Just a few sentences saying you liked the book will do. Authors really appreciate every review they get !Thanks to the author for my paper copy . Opinions are unbiased and entirely my own.

[Daisy Sauceda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Controlling Shelly Fagan by Olive Dunn is a gut wrenching, heartbreaking and emotional book to read. It definitely is not for the faint of heart. It was a tough book for me to read. I don't know how many times I would pick up the book to continue to read where I left off only to put it back down to give myself time to wrap my head around the story. Olive Dunn captivates you with the characters in the story. I was drawn into the story and felt like I actually living it through her words. At several points I cried, like ugly cry because I don't know how Shelly could have been put through all that and come out sane. I know that there were many times where I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest and my hands were shaking but I needed to know what was going to happen. Some things I was not expecting to happen and caught me off guard. I kept asking myself why? Why did you go down this path Shelly? What do you think will happen? Will Shelly get her happily ever after? Does she forgive who she needs to? Will she be reunited with her family? Does she finally let go of her past? So many questions and some get resolved and others don't.

I can't tell you how Shelly's story unfolds, but I can tell you is that if you want to know what it was like in the 60's then you need to read this. Make sure you have tissues on hand. I feel so torn and heartbroken at the moment that I am still trying to take in the story. The only thing I wished for was to know if her daughter ever contacted her. I can honestly say that I am glad I read this book. THIS BOOK IS A HIDDEN GEM AND A MUST READ.

[Nya Ando · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book was quite an experience.
It’s written in a narrative and a point of view that pulled me in, placing me in the mood, right next to Shelly, in her shoes even! The author takes no pity on her heroes, but exposes all their weaknesses, going deeper into all the characters, psychographing them and intriguing me to want to know more about everyone. What made each of them the person he/she is? What’s each one’s story? What does actually drive them to their choices?
Every scene contents the right quantity of details, holding my attention to the heroine’s interaction with other people and her inner turmoil of emotions. Even when Shelly is alone, trapped in her head, the focus remains on the action.
The first couple of chapters outline a complicated plot, mentioning many other characters the reader meets along the story. A potent story about to be revealed, guiding the reader through a maze of plot options for every hero and piquing my curiosity.
No matter if it’s Shelly and her friends, or Shelly and her memories, those scenes A- always reveal more about her but from different points of view, and B, outline Shelly’s reaction seeing herself through others’ eyes.
On the other hand, her endless but sincere inner dialogue, looking for answers yet to be found, engages the reader in her roller-coaster of emotions, challenging her to cope with her feelings even when she considers herself not ready yet to.
The story held my interest from the very beginning till the end.
I anticipated reading the following scenes.
Palpable emotions in every scene, bringing me closer to all the heroes, feeling their emotions.
Brilliant read!

[**Elle**Bee**Double U** · Rating 5 out of 5]

Controlling Shelly Fagan...
Man I'm honestly lost for words on this book. While reading this book I experienced so many emotions; heartache, sorrow, fury, love, and most of all forgiveness. Reading this book gives women an idea of just how far we have come to be the modern bunch of free women that we are. We are no longer held down by the ideas that we should only be housewives, seen but not heard, and our hardest job would be taking care of the house.

I don't want to give away too much of this story. But when readers start to read this book they really should put themselves in the mindset and understand how women's roles have changed throughout history. How Shelly Fagan's journey was what is was because of the time period she grew up in, as well as the choices her own parents had to make given how they grew up, especially her mother, in an even more suppressed time.

This book does flop between "present" (and by present time I'm talking 80's) and the past (the 60's). Shelly's journey to accepting what has happened in her life and learning to forgive the choices that were left out her control is a heart-retching reading experience.
I would definitely be sure you keep some Kleenex around while reading this one!

[Sandra Lopez · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s the 1960’s: 17-year old Shelly Fagan was shocked to realize her parents were dropping her off at a convent because she was pregnant. According to Mother Margaret, she must suffer for her sins and Chris (boy she loved) would never find her.

19 years later, Shelly was married with two sons. It was exhausting pretending to be the upbeat wife and mother like everything was fine—it was NOT fine. For her son’s game, Shelly must return to the convent she hoped to forget. Approaching her tortured destination, Shelly relives memories of her youth that summer in the 60’s.

Story was engaging from the start. The author paints a vivid portrayal of Shelly’s life—past and present—with delicate strokes and somber hues. Reading about life in the 60’s and how Shelly’s life turned out in the present, I really wanted to find out what happened to Chris and the baby as that basically is what launched the story to a great start. It’s an interesting journey through the 60’s, but the reader would have to trudge through miles and miles of memory lane with quick cuts to the present. Going back and forth could be a little disorienting sometimes as you almost forget where you’re at.

A well-written soft prose laced with sharp resentment and deep folds of remorse.

A pretty good read.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not my typical genre. I read a few contemporary romances or historical once in awhile. I remember why because some of them make me cry. I dont like crying...its not pretty! This story was f'in fabulous and it made me cry and it broke my heart and sent me on a freaking emotional roller coaster! I'm a very emotional person which is why I dont read many of these types of books. Okay...that said I loved it. This is a book about a woman who grew up from the 60s to 80s and honestly it was sooo historically accurate! Not many authors take the time to do that and it wasnt over the top either like it can seem. It was just an awesome book and I cant get over how much I loved it even if it made me ugly cry! I completely and utterly recommend it and its a long book too. Longer than my normal so it took me a bit to finish it. It was also sweet and romantic. Shelly just holds a special place in my heart because let me tell you she went through the washboard backwards like more than once...I dont see how she came out of that. She's a special character. Sooo thank you Olive Dunn...I kinda love you and hate you haha. XO

[Pam Haggard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel was a story of deception that covered two generations. The 1960s and the 1980s. A mother's love is taken too far and because of her actions her adult daughter hangs on by a thread to her sanity. Shelly's only hope is her husband who talks her into going back to her hometown to get closure. Only he doesn't know who is there waiting for her. (Neither does she.) Times have changed for girls since 1967. And young men being drafted into the Vietnam War was tough to read. Shelly was in love and I cried along with her the night of the storm. This story is still in my mind. I don't know if I would be able to forgive my mother. I know I would never forget.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

First things first, You need at least 2 boxes of Kleenex's when reading this book. This story begins in the sixties as we meet young Shelly Fagan, watching her grow up, fall in love and then watch her life fall out from under her. My feelings went smiling and laughing to hating certain people, crying when lives were torn apart, bawling when others were abused , crying again when love is re-found. But there are more feelings to come but you the reader must find these out for yourself. Olive Dunn has beautifully written a book, that makes you think, feel, want, hope, wonder, cry,and laugh. It touches you in a way that I have never seen before. Thank you for this wonderful book.

[Lawanda Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Standalone Romance with Triggers

This book takes you back to an era , where things seemed to be simpler. It shows you what is hidden away. Shelly Fagan grew up in the sixties .A time where women didn't have a lot of say. She fell in love and got pregnant (major taboo)Her parents hid her in a convent. She is told her baby is stillborn and is rushed off to France. Later she gets married. She must go back and face her past . I ugly cried for Shelly Fagan as her story unfolds. a well worth read.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Fantastic!!

This is Olive Dunn’s debut book, and what a debut it is! I was immediately and completely hooked. With characters that spoke to me, I could not get enough.

An emotionally charged book that leaves you gripping and turning the pages. It was beautifully written with amazing imagery. I was completely invested in the outcome of this book.

I can’t wait to see what Olive Dunn comes out with next!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good. Each chapter held my attention. Olive Dunn enlightened me about life in the 1960s even though the story really takes place in 1986 to a 36 year old Shelly Fagan who is married with two young boys. Not to spoil the story, Shelly discovers her parents lied to her when she was 17, when her brother was deployed to Vietnam, and when she was forced away from her true love. I finished this book yesterday, but I cannot stop thinking about the story. Well done Ms. Dunn!

[Priscille Richman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely story beginning in the fun filled 60’s, the heartbreak of the Vietnam war and then onto into the 80’s.

Enjoyed the intertwining of the characters from the past and the present, and I really felt Shelly’s pain as she struggled through her vast array of emotions.

A well written, gripping, enjoyable read. Would love a sequel!

[Samantha Lundergn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy crap this book was heart wrenching! This book was very well written and beautifully put together even if it did leave me feeling sucker punched to the gut. I still feel like I am reeling in an emotional state. This is a fantastic story as a debut novel. I have high hopes for any new stories this author writes.

[Ruth Bishop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book with a lot of twists and turns. It gives you an idea of what life could be like in 1967 the year i was born. The story itself was heartbreaking at times. I will definitely look forward to seeing more from this author.

[Jamie Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

I loved this book. Growing up in this era and reading this story brought back so many good memories. Looking forward to reading more from Olive Dunn