In the city of angels, she finds her devil… Los Angeles, 1950—glamour on the surface, secrets lurking underneath. Barbara Evans, once a rising starlet, is now a picture-perfect housewife trapped in a lifeless marriage. Bound by high society and a domineering mother, she is expected to smile, stay silent, and behave. But Barbara was never meant for the background.
Then she meets Victor Cardello. Magnetic. Ruthless. Utterly untouchable. He’s everything her world lacks—and everything it forbids. A self-made real estate mogul with impeccable manners and a taste for control, Victor offers everything Barbara’s been desire, danger, and the intoxicating thrill of being seen.
Their affair is a powder keg—reckless, raw, impossible to resist. But as Barbara sinks deeper into his world, she begins to spot cracks in his façade. Victor has secrets… and some come with a body count.
Torn between the life she was groomed for and the future she craves, Barbara must decide how far she’s willing to go for freedom—and what she’s willing to burn to get it.
Inspired by a true story, Letters From Victor is a sizzling noir romance of seduction, secrets, and the dangerous pursuit of freedom.
A cute love story set in the 50’s. One who needed to find her self and make her own life and the other who isn’t the most upstanding man but has a heart of gold to give her
Letters From Victor is truly wonderful. My first from Nadine Theiss and I loved how unique a storyline this book delivers, with a glimpse into the early 1950's from the point of view of two people in very unhappy marriages. It doesn't take long for Victor Cardello and Barbara Evans to catch each other's eyes as they suffer through a business dinner Barbara's husband Frank arranges presumably for his benefit. With a bit of a secret deal btw the men discussed while their wives are 'powdering their noses', it was very intriguing for Victor to suggest Barbara be his temporary secretary in order to satisfy part of a debt owed by Frank. And from there, I could tell Victor had more up his sleeve than just needing a new secretary. Oh yeah, the man set his sights on the exquisite former model and actress and somehow I knew he'd stop at nothing to make her his.
From the moment Barbara becomes Victor's secretary, the spark between them ignites in the most powerful of ways. Theiss counters this with Barb's failing marriage to Frank, devouring all the accolades Victor throws her way and knowing her husband is simply not the man for her. Her confidente in big sister Edith is a wonderful respite from the swirling and complicated feelings Barb has for Victor. She tries her hardest to be the perfect 50's wife but her want for more just may be her downfall. Although not if Edie has anything to say about it. The woman is a sparkplug and I adored her for being Barb's biggest champion no matter the circumstance.
I loved Victor and his adoration and patience for Barbara. How she finally felt seen by him and not just thrown into the same category of staying a sweet little wife, mother and homemaker. That she had a talent for designing dresses and lit up a room whenever she was present. Theiss does a great job of showing how it was after WWII with so many people jumping into marriage so young with some so ravaged by war. For both Victor and Barbara, they loved their spouses once upon a time but the passion disappeared and they deserved so much more for themselves. It was truly as simple as that.
The story is clever in that the underlying narrator is Frank Jr, Barbara's son, and his discovery of long-lost love letters from Victor to Barbara while they were having their torrid affair. It's like seeing his mother and stepfather through a different lens and the letters perhaps explain fully to him how everything went down when he was a child. You can clearly sense the longing, the love and the desperation for Victor to have Barbara in his arms forever.
With Victor's not always above-board business dealings an interesting component of this story, I was impressed with how honest he was with Barbara and how he only wanted the best for her and what would be their eventual life together. There is some brutality that surprised me but in the end, Victor did what he could to keep Barbara and Frank Jr. safe and the fact that they were then married for over 50 years proves they were meant to be.
I am so glad I picked up this book. It's a fresh concept with the backdrop of what we now think of as a more innocent time, with a woman living in the city of angels truly finding her own lovable devil to cherish. The chemistry between Barbara and Victor is unavoidable and I'm very glad they decided to do what they had to in order to be together. Sure, they cheated but considering their prior marriage situations, they clearly did everyone involved a favor. You can't deny what they had and anyone around them would be hard-pressed to ignore their addictive dynamic.
Letters From Victor is a well-crafted storyline (with inspiration from a true story) that held me captive until those last words were read. And with a bit of a bonus that I'm very curious about on the author's website, I am thrilled there will be a little more for me to devour. I highly recommend this as the perfect beach read and happily give this book a huge 5 stars!
🖤1950's Noir 🫦Secret Mob Boss x Society Girl ❤️🔥Forbidden Love 👔Workplace Affair 😈Villain Gets the Girl
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🌶🌶🌶
I love noir and classic Hollywood period (1930's-1950') dramas! This one hits the nail on the head with a forbidden love and compelling narrative that's dripping with the 1950's ambiance and nostalgic tone. It's also wholly original (inspired by these real letters!) and truly drops you into what feels like real lives of people. I was lost in them and so happy that I never knew what came next! I truly feel transported back, with the thickly curling puffs of cigarette smoke, the dimly lit office sanctum of Victor, the s3xy pin striped suits and wool hats, and the bombshell finger waved hair and bold red lips of Barbara.
This has echoes of Chinatown or LA Confidential and I ate it up. It's different from most predictable mafia romances out there (thats part of this one's charm and allure), but the world is much the same. We have an inkling that Victor is more than just a handsome business man. When Victoria goes to work for him, she sees an exceptionally savvy corporate minded leader, who also knows how to put the pinch on those that try to pull a fast one on him.
For much of the time, his darker affiliations are inferred, but it's the mystery of not knowing what exactly the morally grey side of himself is that gives this the noir vibes! And then we do find out and half a rousing third act! But we mostly see a very tender man and one that falls hard for Victoria. His gestures of love and immense respect for Victoria's hidden passions for fashion, to be a working woman, makes him all the more attractive! He empowers her in a time when women were meant to be housewives.
The forbidden is done with panache, as these two are either in loveless/near loveless marriages, or separated... so the cheating never felt bad to me. I immediately root for them, they compliment one another and seeing how they navigate how they can be together was highly addictive for me! Plus the elements of mystery and danger associated with Victor just entranced me to him more... he is 100% swoonworthy in his suits, vests, hat and cufflinks! I'm weak for him and his beautiful way of speaking, loving a woman, and fierceness to protect.
Knowing that this book is set in the 1950’s immediately had me on seat and the fact that this was based on true events sold me even more! Absolutely, can’t wait to devour this book.
✧.* 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬 ᯓ★
Barbara married young and started a family young, too. But their marriage wasn’t a happy one. Not too long, she met Victor, a handsome, rich, wealthy man, but he was also married. His marriage wasn’t a happy one either. After Barbara’s death, her son went through her old things and discovered letters sent from her last lover, Victor. From the letters, we get to see how their forbidden love unfolds.
I adore both main characters from this book. Barbara is such a realistic woman. She had dreams and ambitions of her own but all of that went down the drain when she married Frank, who only cared less about her, treating her like a maid rather than a wife. But here comes Victor, the man who would turn Barbara’s life upside down. He worships the ground she walks on and wants to bring her dreams to life. He is head-over-heels for Barbara and I am here for it! Words cannot explain enough how this book executed longing, pining, and yearning so well.
I couldn’t get bored of this book at all and I was always anticipating to read Victor’s letters to Barbara. His words make me swoon and literally have me gasping for air. The fact that these letters are actually written in real life makes me go insane more! It is unbelievable how one can be so in love in a woman just based on the letters he has written for her. Victor lives, eats, and breathes Barbara and I am very much here for it!
Aside from the romance aspect of it, how the plot thickens outside their relationship is done so well. There is actually build-up and thrill. It even includes jaw-dropping plot-twists that just keeps you on your toes. Their story is definitely one of a kind and this might be just one of the books I will never shut up about. This book deserves so much recognition and hype, and when that day comes, I’d be so proud.
My interest was instantly caught by the blurb for Letters from Victor as it gave off a distinct film noir vibe. Set in the post war years of the fifties when women had realised that there was more to life than being the perfect wife and mother, no longer content to be the perfect homemaker just because that’s what was expected of them. The heroine Barbara felt trapped. She’d had a taste of freedom as model and movie starlet before marriage to a man she no longer felt anything for love stopped that – wives do not work. Until the morally grey Victor entered her life, a man her husband owed so when Victor suggested Barbara work for him, he couldn’t refuse. But Victor had ulterior motives rather than having her do his typing.
I’m not usually a fan of stories that involve cheating but this one had the added frisson of being based on a true story and after reading the book, you are left in no doubt of the love and passion Barbara and Victor had for each other. There was a fantastic flow to the writing and Nadine Theiss’ style of writing was so evocative it was easy to visualise the story playing out in my mind to the extent I half expected Sam Spade to make an appearance. I loved how their story was told with Barbara’s son reading Victor’s letters to his mother and seeing her in a new light, not just as a mother but a woman. An intriguing concept that more than lived up to expectations.
This is the first time I’m reading a romance in the 1950s and boy was I at the edge of my seat!!!! I didn’t think this book would have me reading up so late at night, trying to finish it before the night is over. But, I absolutely devoured this book!!!! One of the best features of this book is the letters that are included in this novel!! It truly added another element to the story and I was just flabbergasted when I read it 🥹🤭
This is the story of Barbara and Victor, who are both married to their significant other but lack happiness in their marriages. Barbara ends up working for Victor and the chemistry is undeniable 🤭 Victor starts to write these letters that are truly so heartwarming, and speaks deeply from his heart ❤️ Although they are in married, it’s obvious that their marriages have been failing. And they end up finding each other and confiding in one another, loving one another as if it’s the last day. I thoroughly loved reading their journey in becoming one and navigating ex-partners and what life throws at them. These two will always have a special place in my heart and the fact that this story was inspired by real letters between Victor and Barbara makes it so much sweeter and heartwarming. I was already tearing up at the end of this book, especially the endnote and I just know Victor and Barbara are the definitions of soulmates ❤️
Thank you to Grey's Promotions for allowing me to review this ARC
After reading Letters From Victor, I feel like it was a mixed bag experience, so I'll start with what I enjoyed first. Set in the early 1950s in LA, it was so nice to have a different period than I usually get with my normal pick of contemporary romance. The FMC's interest in fashion was a great way to hear about the styles of that era, which I immensely enjoyed.
And now onto my dislikes.. The book starts with the adult child of the FMC and stepfather MMC reading letters of the deceased FMC. The transitions between the past and current time were rather clunky, and honestly, I found it a little uncomfortable for an OM/OW romance to be broken up by their adult child reading about it through their letters. I was drawn in by the description of the MMC being involved in 50s organized crime, but I felt like the book didn't deliver in that area. The tensions were more interpersonal, and the attempt to tie in his crime connections for the climax felt pretty shoehorned in. I was lured in by the promise of mob drama, and instead, this book delivered two people in miserable marriages waiting for their respective divorces.
I haven’t read too many stories set in the 1950’s. But the ones that I have read were so good. So I was so excited when I learned about this book. Plus Ms. Theiss is a new to me author so I was also excited to get to know her through her work. The main characters, Barbara and Victor, are in bad unhappy marriages. During a business meeting Victor is intrigued and taken with Barbara. It’s arranged that Barbara will start working with Victor. We get glimpses that there is more to Victor than meets the eye. Their story had me gripped and captivated. I absolutely loved the vibe and energy of this story. The details and descriptions of the story took me back in time. I got a front row seat to a forbidden romance story. With a setting that is exciting and interesting and different for that time period. And the concept of finding the love letters and learning about them and their relationship through them was brilliant. The icing on the cake the book is inspired by real life letters!
Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down! I was completely drawn into the setting of the early 1950s, everything was so vividly described, I could see it all playing out like a movie. The twists caught me completely off guard, and I loved every surprise.
Victor’s letters were a beautiful touch, and I adored how he knew Barbara was the one the moment he saw her. When someone believes in your potential instead of holding you back, it’s amazing what you can become and Barbara’s journey was the perfect example of that. Watching her reclaim her life was incredibly empowering.
Thank you to Grey’s Promotions and Nadine for this beautiful novel!
This was my first book by Nadine Theiss and I loved it! I have only read a few books set in older times and I need to read more! This book was set in the 50s and gave major noir movie vibes!
So many things to list about this book that I loved! The letters were so fun and cute! The plot held its own and had me trying to read so fast to figure it out and one of my favorite things?!?! A woman who comes into her own confidence and strength!!!
What to expect: Romantic Suspense 1950's Noir Secret Mob Boss x Society Girl Forbidden Love Workplace Affair Villain Gets the Girl
Thank you Nadine and Greys Promotions for allowing me the opportunity to read this as an ARC💛
I’m sitting here at 10 minutes to midnight finishing this book and I’m crying. I loved this story, this author certainly has a way with words, the way she described the rooms etc made me feel like I was right there with Barbara and Victor. I’m so sad to see their story end, but I hate to love endings where they die of old age after having a happy life together. I really loved the chapters in Frank Jrs pov, especially the epilogue it gave me more closure on the story, I’m glad it wasn’t just an abrupt ending. I really REALLY recommend giving this author a try!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This book was an adventure from start to finish. The broken marriages of both couples was heartbreaking. Seeing the love blossom between Victor and Barbara was intense and scary at times. I don’t agree with adultery but I can see why they both did it. The seedy underbelly of Victor’s work was no place for Barbara and Frankie so their split was necessary. The happy ever after was the best. Loved this one! 5/5 stars!
Barbara trapped in a lifeless marriage meet the devil Victor Cardello who’s ruthless, self made and powerful. I just loved Victor. Gosh the way he control everything but around Barbara it’s no use. Loved this one.
Letters From Victor is a story of secrets, temptation, seduction and freedom. This is the first novel I've read from the Author and I really enjoyed reading it.
I would rate this Five Stars and Recommend it to all readers.
What a beautiful, beautiful love story! I loved taking a step back in time and discovering the one of a kind love that these two characters had for each other! If you love stories with some spice, romance, and a HEA, this book is for you!
Thank you to author Nadine Theiss and Greys Promo for the gifted ebook. These are my own thoughts.
This was a really good story. A few plot twists and secrets! The author did a great job creating a story from letters she encountered that inspired this story.
Letters from Victor is a 1950s romance noir from Nadine Theiss. After reading the summary, I was intrigued; especially since it was inspired by a true story. And boy I wasn’t disappointed. The romance between Barbara and Victor was electrifying to read, and the fact that it took place in the 1950s made it so more interesting to read. The forbidden and danger aspect of their romance, made it addicting to read. I loved reading about the journey that Barbara went on, and how she fought for the life and love she deserved. Though I loved Barbara , Victor was a shade of Morally grey that I wasn’t a fan of. One of my favorite things about this book was reading the love letters between Victor and Barbara. And the fact they were based on real letters has my heart fluttering. They were so full of love, and tenderness, that I was swooning while I was reading them. The plot did a good job of balancing the romance, and the suspense. I inhaled this read in one sitting. Thank you Grey Promotion for giving me an opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is going to be a five-star read for most, I believe Sadly for me, it just missed the mark
I had a bit of trouble transitioning from the present to the past and back again
I wanted more More answers to the Why questions More detail when it came to actual events and character responses More time with the couple Hard to explain, reason I am not an author lol I wasn't able to connect with the characters in a way that I would have preferred. Again, this is a me issue
Oh this book hittttt I haven't read a book like this before and I loved it so much . I don't like cheating tropes but I can get behind this one for sure