Strangers in the Night: A Novel of Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner

Description

It was the tumultuous romance that scandalized the world: Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner fought, loved, and lived life to the hilt. Now their unbridled story is brought vividly to life by Heather Webb, the bestselling author of Meet Me in Monaco and The Next Ship Home. In the golden age of Hollywood, two of the brightest stars would define-and defy-an era... She was the small-town southern beauty transformed into a Hollywood love goddess. He was the legendary crooner whose voice transfixed the world. They were Ava Gardner and Frank Sinatra. Separately they were irresistible; together they were an explosive combination. Ava's star is rising just as Frank's career-and public image as a family man-is taking a hit. Gone are the days of the screaming bobbysoxers and chart-topping hits. Ava, however, finds herself gracing the front page of every tabloid in America. Jealousy and cheating abound, and when the two succumb to their temperaments and their vices, their happiness is threatened at every turn. As the pair ride the rollercoaster of success and failure, passion and anger, they both wonder if the next turn will be the end of their careers, and most devastating of all-the end of all they've shared. A captivating novel with a star-studded cast spanning continents and decades, Strangers in the Night brings to life the most riveting love story of the twentieth century.

Heather Webb is an author, freelance editor, and blogger at award-winning writing sites WriterUnboxed.com and RomanceUniversity.org. Heather is a member of the Historical Novel Society and the Women's Fiction Writers Association, and she may also be found teaching craft-based courses at a local college.

"Ava Gardner and Frank Sinatra's wildly rocky relationship in Strangers in the Night exposes the cinematic glitz of Hollywood's golden age alongside Tinseltown's darker underbelly. Readers craving a story that's glamorous and deliciously dishy won't be able to turn these pages fast enough!" - Stephanie Marie Thornton, USA Today bestselling author of A Most Clever Girl "Heather Webb gets under the skin of two of the brightest stars showbiz ever produced, and takes us inside their tempestuous, compulsive, alcohol-fueled love story. Crackling with sexual tension, and full of insight about the pressures of mega-stardom, this is a spicy and addictive page-turner." - Gill Paul, USA Today bestselling author of The Manhattan Girls "Strangers in the Night is a gorgeously written, impeccably researched historical novel that delves into both the glamour and darkness of old Hollywood, as it details the passionate and tumultuous epic love story of Ava Gardner and Frank Sinatra. By turns sexy and heartbreaking, beautiful and volatile, I loved this fascinating peek behind the curtain of a real Hollywood love affair." - Jillian Cantor, USA Today bestselling author of Beautiful Little Fools "Heather Webb has set a new standard in historical fiction by writing a story that was so engaging that I forgot I was reading a book and not actually embodying the characters. Legendary stars Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner come alive under her deft handling of their tumultuous and passionate relationship and will leave readers feeling like they've leapt from the page into living, breathing people that they know. A lifelong fan of the famous crooner, my own music listening will forever be quite impacted by Webb's captivating book." - Camille di Maio, bestselling author of The Memory of Us "A fragrant French bonbon of a book: love, glamour, perfume, and paparazzi all circling around the wedding of the century." - Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author, on Meet Me in Monaco "Webb and Gaynor's latest collaboration is a historical fiction home run. The duo brings to life a vivid, engaging heroine, a glorious Cote d'Azur setting, and the ultimate princess, Grace Kelly. Meet Me in Monaco is smart, romantic, and heartbreaking, and the tale captivates from the start." - Michelle Gable, New York Times bestselling author of A Paris Apartment "Meet Me in Monaco offers a fabulous you-are-there glimpse into the lives of the rich and famous-and real. From Grace Kelly's royal 'wedding of the century' to the luxe lifestyles on the Riviera and in Paris and New York, this novel swept me away." - Karen Harper, New York Times bestselling author of American Duchess and It Girls "Everyone from shop owners to paparazzi and movie stars arrive in glamorous Monaco against the backdrop of Grace Kelly's 'Wedding of the Century' to Prince Rainier. A delightful beach read." - New York Post on Meet Me in Monaco "A scrumptious concoction served up with delectable descriptions and heaps of emotion. Sweet, then bitter, then sweet again, the love story is woven through with Grace's fairy-tale romance with Rainier and its devastating ending, snatching redemption from tragedy in the best Hollywood style." - Publishers Weekly on Meet Me in Monaco