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There's Only One Sin in Hollywood: A Novel
A cinematic, razor-sharp novel following a backlot fixer’s daring investigation into the suspicious death of a closeted Black actor within the glamorous world of Hollywood, from the bestselling author of
My Government Means to Kill Me
Xavier C. Barlow, one of Hollywood’s young Black stars taking the industry by storm in the late 1950s, is Skyline Studios’s ambitious attempt to rival Sidney Poitier's burgeoning success. His arrival into the industry is calculated, his charm is magnetic, and his seductive screen presence appeals to both audiences and celebrities across generations.
But years later, after Xavier dies at the height of his fame, Aaron Touissant—Skyline’s designated backlot fixer who helps the studio’s stars stay as deep in the closet as humanly possible—is finally ready to expose the powerful culprits responsible for his untimely death.
Written as part-confessional, part-cris de coeur from Aaron's panoramic lens, There’s Only One Sin in Hollywood is a searing portrait of the movie industry as a manicured minefield and a compelling journey into the queer history of Los Angeles.
Xavier C. Barlow, one of Hollywood’s young Black stars taking the industry by storm in the late 1950s, is Skyline Studios’s ambitious attempt to rival Sidney Poitier's burgeoning success. His arrival into the industry is calculated, his charm is magnetic, and his seductive screen presence appeals to both audiences and celebrities across generations.
But years later, after Xavier dies at the height of his fame, Aaron Touissant—Skyline’s designated backlot fixer who helps the studio’s stars stay as deep in the closet as humanly possible—is finally ready to expose the powerful culprits responsible for his untimely death.
Written as part-confessional, part-cris de coeur from Aaron's panoramic lens, There’s Only One Sin in Hollywood is a searing portrait of the movie industry as a manicured minefield and a compelling journey into the queer history of Los Angeles.
Audible Audio
First published June 2, 2026
About the author
Rasheed Newson
2 books396 followersRasheed Newson is the author of the national bestseller "My Government Means to Kill Me." The novel was a Lambda Literary finalist for Gay Fiction and was named one of the “The 100 Notable Books of 2022” by The New York Times.
His forthcoming novel, "There’s Only One Sin in Hollywood," is slated for publication by Flatiron on June 2, 2026.
Rasheed is a 2025–26 American Library in Paris Visiting Fellow. He is also a television drama writer, producer, and showrunner. Along with his screenplay writing partner, T.J. Brady, he co-developed and is an executive producer of "Bel-Air." The drama series has won two NAACP Image Awards and has been nominated several times for Best Drama Series.
Additionally, Rasheed has worked on "The Chi," "Animal Kingdom," and "Narcos," among other drama series.
Rasheed was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is a graduate of Georgetown University. He currently lives with his husband and their two children in Pasadena.
His forthcoming novel, "There’s Only One Sin in Hollywood," is slated for publication by Flatiron on June 2, 2026.
Rasheed is a 2025–26 American Library in Paris Visiting Fellow. He is also a television drama writer, producer, and showrunner. Along with his screenplay writing partner, T.J. Brady, he co-developed and is an executive producer of "Bel-Air." The drama series has won two NAACP Image Awards and has been nominated several times for Best Drama Series.
Additionally, Rasheed has worked on "The Chi," "Animal Kingdom," and "Narcos," among other drama series.
Rasheed was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is a graduate of Georgetown University. He currently lives with his husband and their two children in Pasadena.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 224 reviews
June 12, 2026
What a fantastic book this was!! I really enjoyed Rasheed Newson’s first book,
My Government Means To Kill Me
, and this was an incredible follow-up. I’m a huge movie buff, and the amount of research Newson did here really showed.
Xavier Barlow is on the cusp of becoming the next Black movie star in the late 1950s. His magnetic good looks and his talent set him apart, and he wants to become a bigger star than Sidney Poitier.
Aaron is a fixer for Skyline Studios. His job is to get Black stars out of trouble and salvage their reputations if scandal occurs. Ironically, one of the things he handles is keeping closeted gay stars from getting into trouble—while he is gay himself.
When Xavier gets killed right after a disagreement with the studio, Aaron is convinced he was murdered. Xavier wanted to be an openly gay actor, wanted to change the status quo—but that type of freedom wasn’t allowed in Hollywood at that time.
Aaron is determined to bring those behind Xavier’s death to light. While everything else in his life has fallen apart, he wants Xavier’s talent—and his sacrifices—to be known and respected.
The book is written from Aaron’s perspective, tracing the challenges and opportunities Black actors faced in the 1950s and 1960s. The nostalgic feel of the story was so appealing. Aaron pulls no punches about his own role in all that occurred. This was such a great Pride Read!!
Check out my best reads of 2025 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2026/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2025.html .
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/getbookedwithlarry/.
Xavier Barlow is on the cusp of becoming the next Black movie star in the late 1950s. His magnetic good looks and his talent set him apart, and he wants to become a bigger star than Sidney Poitier.
Aaron is a fixer for Skyline Studios. His job is to get Black stars out of trouble and salvage their reputations if scandal occurs. Ironically, one of the things he handles is keeping closeted gay stars from getting into trouble—while he is gay himself.
When Xavier gets killed right after a disagreement with the studio, Aaron is convinced he was murdered. Xavier wanted to be an openly gay actor, wanted to change the status quo—but that type of freedom wasn’t allowed in Hollywood at that time.
Aaron is determined to bring those behind Xavier’s death to light. While everything else in his life has fallen apart, he wants Xavier’s talent—and his sacrifices—to be known and respected.
The book is written from Aaron’s perspective, tracing the challenges and opportunities Black actors faced in the 1950s and 1960s. The nostalgic feel of the story was so appealing. Aaron pulls no punches about his own role in all that occurred. This was such a great Pride Read!!
Check out my best reads of 2025 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2026/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2025.html .
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/getbookedwithlarry/.
July 2, 2026
(2.5 stars)
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to a review copy of There’s Only One Sin In Hollywood by Rasheed Newson.
I was really looking forward to this one because of the blurb - Hollywood in the years after WW2, queer history, a mysterious death and an investigation. Unfortunately, this book just didn’t resonate with me. The constant timeline shifts didn’t help. I never felt really connected to any of the main characters. And the advertised death didn’t happen until very late in the book with the lauded investigation resolved really quickly.
While fictional, there is a huge amount of name dropping of Hollywood stars of the time.
Warning: lots of graphic, open-door MM scenes
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to a review copy of There’s Only One Sin In Hollywood by Rasheed Newson.
I was really looking forward to this one because of the blurb - Hollywood in the years after WW2, queer history, a mysterious death and an investigation. Unfortunately, this book just didn’t resonate with me. The constant timeline shifts didn’t help. I never felt really connected to any of the main characters. And the advertised death didn’t happen until very late in the book with the lauded investigation resolved really quickly.
While fictional, there is a huge amount of name dropping of Hollywood stars of the time.
Warning: lots of graphic, open-door MM scenes
Read
July 8, 2026
Book Riot’s Best Books of 2026 (So Far)
Screenwriter and producer Rasheed Newson is known for his work on shows like Bel-Air and The Chi. He brings his industry insider knowledge to this dazzling historical novel about queer life in Golden Age Hollywood. It tells the story of Xavier, an up-and-coming Black actor, and Aaron, the studio “fixer” tasked with keeping Xavier in the closet. That becomes much more complicated when Xavier is cast in a biopic as the Navy hero Aaron fell in love with while fighting alongside him in WWII. Newson beautifully blends real historical figures with richly layered fictional characters to create an unforgettable story that I’m already dying to see adapted for the screen.
- Susie Dumond
Screenwriter and producer Rasheed Newson is known for his work on shows like Bel-Air and The Chi. He brings his industry insider knowledge to this dazzling historical novel about queer life in Golden Age Hollywood. It tells the story of Xavier, an up-and-coming Black actor, and Aaron, the studio “fixer” tasked with keeping Xavier in the closet. That becomes much more complicated when Xavier is cast in a biopic as the Navy hero Aaron fell in love with while fighting alongside him in WWII. Newson beautifully blends real historical figures with richly layered fictional characters to create an unforgettable story that I’m already dying to see adapted for the screen.
- Susie Dumond
May 14, 2026
This guy sure knows a lot about old films! Fr tho this was a fantastic read, I did want more of a love story on the Xavier end of things
June 19, 2026
i feel like it sets out to be something greater than it ends up being
June 29, 2026
Very entertaining. Very propulsive. I had a blast reading this.
A novel on old Hollywood, Black and queer Hollywood in particular. (There was a lot more to this than what the back flap says). Here, we meet Aaron Touissant, who will go on to be a backlot fixer, a job that consists of making sure Hollywood stars remain scandal free. He soon comes into contact with Xavier C. Barlow, a young black actor making waves in the industry. Both of these men are closeted; then again they have no choice but to be. This is 1950s Hollywood. Being Black in the industry is already a struggle, being gay is a career killer. Xavier will soon try to become a gay trailblazer, hoping to shakeup the industry and the world at large. Since this story is told through Aaron’s POV, we also get to see how Aaron navigates through the world with his hidden sexual identity. ‘Cause as the title alludes: The only sin in Hollywood is…being gay.
The novel is such a page-turner, bursting with explosive social commentary. We explore gay love in Hollywood (and the military, for that matter). I loved the juxtaposition of Aaron and Xavier’s characters. Aaron is a product of internalized homophobia. He has a passionate love affair, but has been conditioned to believe that his sexuality has no right to be shown or displayed. In contrast, Xavier thinks gay love is beautiful and is more willing to take chances in order to satisfy his desires. More and more, he starts to believe there can be a world where men like him can be free to express their love openly to the masses.
If you’re a cinephile, there’s lots to appreciate, as the narrative is chock-full of old Hollywood pop culture trivia. Real-life people such as Sidney Poiter and Diahann Carroll are heavily pivotal to the narrative. Along with many others from the Hollywood machine Real life events mixed in with an addictive fictitious plot.
Themes include queer love, queer trailblazing, queer iconography, internalized homophobia, being closeted, blackness, queer subtext and undertones in cinema, studio politics, the creative process and censorship.
I do think the book should’ve gone on a little longer. I wanted more resolution to Aaron’s story. He seemed to get sidelined in order for Xavier’s climax to take center stage. I yearned for more from Aaron at the end. But it’s a small complaint. I found this story to be memorable, never boring, never stagnant, full of energy. A wildly engaging and original tale.
A novel on old Hollywood, Black and queer Hollywood in particular. (There was a lot more to this than what the back flap says). Here, we meet Aaron Touissant, who will go on to be a backlot fixer, a job that consists of making sure Hollywood stars remain scandal free. He soon comes into contact with Xavier C. Barlow, a young black actor making waves in the industry. Both of these men are closeted; then again they have no choice but to be. This is 1950s Hollywood. Being Black in the industry is already a struggle, being gay is a career killer. Xavier will soon try to become a gay trailblazer, hoping to shakeup the industry and the world at large. Since this story is told through Aaron’s POV, we also get to see how Aaron navigates through the world with his hidden sexual identity. ‘Cause as the title alludes: The only sin in Hollywood is…being gay.
The novel is such a page-turner, bursting with explosive social commentary. We explore gay love in Hollywood (and the military, for that matter). I loved the juxtaposition of Aaron and Xavier’s characters. Aaron is a product of internalized homophobia. He has a passionate love affair, but has been conditioned to believe that his sexuality has no right to be shown or displayed. In contrast, Xavier thinks gay love is beautiful and is more willing to take chances in order to satisfy his desires. More and more, he starts to believe there can be a world where men like him can be free to express their love openly to the masses.
If you’re a cinephile, there’s lots to appreciate, as the narrative is chock-full of old Hollywood pop culture trivia. Real-life people such as Sidney Poiter and Diahann Carroll are heavily pivotal to the narrative. Along with many others from the Hollywood machine Real life events mixed in with an addictive fictitious plot.
Themes include queer love, queer trailblazing, queer iconography, internalized homophobia, being closeted, blackness, queer subtext and undertones in cinema, studio politics, the creative process and censorship.
I do think the book should’ve gone on a little longer. I wanted more resolution to Aaron’s story. He seemed to get sidelined in order for Xavier’s climax to take center stage. I yearned for more from Aaron at the end. But it’s a small complaint. I found this story to be memorable, never boring, never stagnant, full of energy. A wildly engaging and original tale.
June 12, 2026
Happy pride month 🌈.
Oh Xavier.
Oh Xavier.
June 4, 2026
Full of heated personal and professional rivalries, lust, longing, and plenty of cruising— I was captivated from beginning to end by this narrative chronicling the life of a Hollywood fixer and his relationship with a closeted rising star.
We know from the very beginning that Xavier C. Barlow is dead, but the investigative journey that follows seamlessly blends lesser known queer history with a heartfelt story of a man in search of self that will keep you turning the page.
I really loved the pacing of this, and the surprise of it not just being a murder-mystery but really diving deeply into the life of a queer Black man in the 1950’s. We get glimpses of stars we know and revere, but with more context. We really understand the stakes for someone to simply be who they are in a pre-Stonewall world that put the queer liberation struggle on the map.
Rasheed Newson has done it again, and deserves a standing ovation!
We know from the very beginning that Xavier C. Barlow is dead, but the investigative journey that follows seamlessly blends lesser known queer history with a heartfelt story of a man in search of self that will keep you turning the page.
I really loved the pacing of this, and the surprise of it not just being a murder-mystery but really diving deeply into the life of a queer Black man in the 1950’s. We get glimpses of stars we know and revere, but with more context. We really understand the stakes for someone to simply be who they are in a pre-Stonewall world that put the queer liberation struggle on the map.
Rasheed Newson has done it again, and deserves a standing ovation!
July 4, 2026
4.5 stars
A heartwrenching and cinematic tale about Black gay men navigating Golden Age Hollywood.
I absolutely adored My Government Means to Kill Me, so I snatched up There’s Only One Sin in Hollywood. Newson is a stellar historical fiction storyteller. Normally, peppering a historical fiction book with real-world historical figures and lengthy explanatory infodumps pulls me out of the story, but Newson somehow pulls it off. I always feel like I’m learning so much when I read his books. You can tell he knows a lot about this era of Hollywood, and his passion for filmmaking adds a special vibrancy to the setting.
Not only does he nail the historical part of historical fiction, he also creates such an immersive story with memorable, complex characters. Aaron in this book is more of a tragic figure than plucky Trey from My Government Means to Kill Me. As a result, the book lacks a lot of the wit and humor that I loved about his debut. Aaron’s anguish and love affairs, however, feel painfully real. His character captures the tortured position of someone who is crushed by the system but unwilling to risk everything to fight it. Newson neither lauds nor damns Aaron—he portrays him as a sympathetic but flawed character trying his best in hard circumstances. It’s a sobering and thought-provoking reflection on a bygone era that continues to shape our present.
June 8, 2026
Rasheed Newson blended fact and fiction so seamlessly that I kept wondering where one ended and the other began. The story had me hooked from start to finish, and I never once thought about putting it down. The Hollywood backdrop, secrets, ambition, and consequences made for an engaging read that also had me reflecting on real events and people. A compelling, thought-provoking novel that kept me invested all the way through. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
June 26, 2026
What a story
This book was so entertaining I read it in one day. Everyone knows Hollywood is full of literal insanity, but it was really cool to get perspective on vintage black Hollywood stars and the power hungry people who run Hollywood from someone who was an insider. Even though this book was fiction, there were a lot of accurate depictions and made me interested in reading more on our vintage black stars: Dorothy Dandridge, Lena Horne, Sidney Poitier, Diahann Carroll, Hazel Scott, and Billie Holiday. I paused the book more than a few times(I did an immersive read - listened and read at the same time) to google some of the affairs and details.
Rasheed Newson not only thoroughly researched the happenings of the times well, but he did a great job of depicting the dichotomy of the main character - being a gay black man in a world that deemed it not only unacceptable, but illegal, while also navigating the tricky waters of Hollywood and understanding that being closeted at the time, was necessary for survival.
Well worth the read.
This book was so entertaining I read it in one day. Everyone knows Hollywood is full of literal insanity, but it was really cool to get perspective on vintage black Hollywood stars and the power hungry people who run Hollywood from someone who was an insider. Even though this book was fiction, there were a lot of accurate depictions and made me interested in reading more on our vintage black stars: Dorothy Dandridge, Lena Horne, Sidney Poitier, Diahann Carroll, Hazel Scott, and Billie Holiday. I paused the book more than a few times(I did an immersive read - listened and read at the same time) to google some of the affairs and details.
Rasheed Newson not only thoroughly researched the happenings of the times well, but he did a great job of depicting the dichotomy of the main character - being a gay black man in a world that deemed it not only unacceptable, but illegal, while also navigating the tricky waters of Hollywood and understanding that being closeted at the time, was necessary for survival.
Well worth the read.
June 13, 2026
"Forgive me if I am slow to join your revolution at your speed. I am haunted by a society that was eviler and crueler than the one you've met."
Really great and super valuable, following both an era and a demographic that isn't talked about nearly enough. I've chewed out other books for not bothering with intersectionality, and I think that is one of the things this book does best. Queer Black men exist at a really complicated intersection of identity, partially because Queer POC from the jump face more violence and scrutiny, and partially because Black masculinity is especially scrutinized from inside and out. I also appreciate historical fiction that is realistic about the stakes that people like Aaron, Horace, and Xavier face. Aaron's repression and unwillingness to be out-and-proud might not be wildly heroic, but it's unreasonable to ask everyone to always be willing to fight. I'm sure a lot of people in various marginalized groups have had the experiences of being expected to act as the face of your community, and sometimes that criticism comes from within as the end of the book points out.
Annoyingly, I'm both glad that Aaron isn't some bold trailblazer for Queer rights and also felt like the story kind of petered out without some kind of climax or conclusion of his character arc along those lines. It's cool if the author was going for a more nontraditional narrative arc, it just didn't really go where I wanted it to. Still, a really beautiful story worth adding to your list.
Really great and super valuable, following both an era and a demographic that isn't talked about nearly enough. I've chewed out other books for not bothering with intersectionality, and I think that is one of the things this book does best. Queer Black men exist at a really complicated intersection of identity, partially because Queer POC from the jump face more violence and scrutiny, and partially because Black masculinity is especially scrutinized from inside and out. I also appreciate historical fiction that is realistic about the stakes that people like Aaron, Horace, and Xavier face. Aaron's repression and unwillingness to be out-and-proud might not be wildly heroic, but it's unreasonable to ask everyone to always be willing to fight. I'm sure a lot of people in various marginalized groups have had the experiences of being expected to act as the face of your community, and sometimes that criticism comes from within as the end of the book points out.
Annoyingly, I'm both glad that Aaron isn't some bold trailblazer for Queer rights and also felt like the story kind of petered out without some kind of climax or conclusion of his character arc along those lines. It's cool if the author was going for a more nontraditional narrative arc, it just didn't really go where I wanted it to. Still, a really beautiful story worth adding to your list.
June 23, 2026
An inventive novel about a demographic that's been grossly underrepresented for decades: queer People of Colour in the time before gay liberation. I've read somewhere that There's Only One Sin in Hollywood reads like a prequel to Rasheed Newson's first novel My Government Means to Kill Me, and I can see that. How forces beyond the individual impact queer PoC's lives seems to be Newson's great topic, and he presents it with literary finesse and sometimes broad strokes. There's Only One Sin in Hollywood makes for a heartbreaking, worthwhile read.
June 6, 2026
I think this one didn't land the plane in the end, which is a shame because the story is captivating until the end.
I enjoyed the story of Xavier and his advocacy. I appreciate that he was a man of principle, so much so that he was willing to lose everything for it. He was a bit naive, but I believe that was part of his charm. I enjoyed Aaron's story of his own awaking. I was sad when he was sad. I appreciate that he told his wife about his past, so she married him knowing who and what he was. I was angry that he cheated.
What I did not like was the ending which I found to be a bit too unfinished. I'm not at all surprised that Lowell got away with Xavier's murder. That's not surprising at all. But what happened to Aaron? I assume the money was stolen for him. Did him and his wife stay together? How did he end up? What became of his life? At what age is he when he's dying but want to commit this story to the record? Did he have a whole, fulfilling life? I can't even call this ending artistic temperament. It just feels unfinished.
It was a captivating story that just did not end in a way I found satisfying. It was a 4-star read until the last 5 pages.
I enjoyed the story of Xavier and his advocacy. I appreciate that he was a man of principle, so much so that he was willing to lose everything for it. He was a bit naive, but I believe that was part of his charm. I enjoyed Aaron's story of his own awaking. I was sad when he was sad. I appreciate that he told his wife about his past, so she married him knowing who and what he was. I was angry that he cheated.
What I did not like was the ending which I found to be a bit too unfinished. I'm not at all surprised that Lowell got away with Xavier's murder. That's not surprising at all. But what happened to Aaron? I assume the money was stolen for him. Did him and his wife stay together? How did he end up? What became of his life? At what age is he when he's dying but want to commit this story to the record? Did he have a whole, fulfilling life? I can't even call this ending artistic temperament. It just feels unfinished.
It was a captivating story that just did not end in a way I found satisfying. It was a 4-star read until the last 5 pages.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 16, 2026
this was excellent; I was pulled in DEEP into 1950s-era Hollywood—its glitz and gutting history, deeply personalized through Aaron’s lens. Historical fiction utilized to maximum effect—this was so well written (and SO well narrated - cannot recommend the audio highly enough); I’m going to need to sit with that ending and Aaron/Xavier/Horace’s story for a long time.
June 21, 2026
3.75
“His killers wanted him disgraced and forgotten. Don't let them win. He died for the revolution to come.”
Told from Aaron Toussaint's POV, this story feels like a memoir, an adult coming-of-age story (weird as that sounds), and a history lesson, all told through the rise and fall of a celebrity who had the right ideas at the wrong time.
The first and second sections of this book start a bit slow and would have interested me more if I were a film buff. However, I found myself a bit bored at times and just wanting to move on, as I was under the assumption that the focus would be Xavier rather than Aaron. Regardless, I think these chapters did a pretty good job of setting the stage.
The third section was, in my opinion, the strongest part of the book. It starts to feel less like a memoir and more like a story. We see the evil of the machine that is Hollywood, Xavier's rise, downfall, and death, and Aaron's investigation into it. It gave me a lot to consider, and I honestly wished the first two sections were more like the third. Xavier being the focus of this section is likely why the story felt more interesting, as he was the most compelling character from start to finish. I actually wish he had been more present throughout the novel. I also wish the ending had a bit more closure, but it was resonant in a way.
Aaron is very frustrating, and it took me a while to realize why. Aaron has a more conservative idea of what progress looks like and prefers the middle ground. He is, however, surrounded by people who want change and don't think the middle ground is where that can be found. As a result, he ends up quite unlikable due to his inability to pick a side.
The final chapters actually give insight into Aaron's conservative nature and helped me understand why he was so "inactive" compared to someone like Xavier. They also point out the irony of how we often forget how easy certain things are because of the people who had it harder before us. Ultimately, he's a person who was just as naive as the person he thought he was protecting.
The biggest sin this story commits is not being the story it was advertised as. The inside cover depicts a historical murder mystery. This is not that at all. You can pretty much guess who killed Xavier, and you'd be right. I think this book is mismarketed, and it led to some irritation on my end for a while as I waited for the murder mystery plot to unfold. It's given maybe a chapter or two and is not actually a real plot point.
This is a historical fiction novel through and through. Luckily, it's an interesting one. The story is also a bit too exposition-heavy for me in the first two sections of the novel, and I never truly connected to the characters, but those issues didn't ruin the experience, just detracted from it.
This book is a bit hard to discuss without spoiling it, as it's essentially a memoir, but as long as you do not go into it expecting a murder mystery, you may enjoy it. While the messaging did fall a little flat overall, I think I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about Hollywood and gay history in LA in the 1950s and is interested in film.
“His killers wanted him disgraced and forgotten. Don't let them win. He died for the revolution to come.”
Told from Aaron Toussaint's POV, this story feels like a memoir, an adult coming-of-age story (weird as that sounds), and a history lesson, all told through the rise and fall of a celebrity who had the right ideas at the wrong time.
The first and second sections of this book start a bit slow and would have interested me more if I were a film buff. However, I found myself a bit bored at times and just wanting to move on, as I was under the assumption that the focus would be Xavier rather than Aaron. Regardless, I think these chapters did a pretty good job of setting the stage.
The third section was, in my opinion, the strongest part of the book. It starts to feel less like a memoir and more like a story. We see the evil of the machine that is Hollywood, Xavier's rise, downfall, and death, and Aaron's investigation into it. It gave me a lot to consider, and I honestly wished the first two sections were more like the third. Xavier being the focus of this section is likely why the story felt more interesting, as he was the most compelling character from start to finish. I actually wish he had been more present throughout the novel. I also wish the ending had a bit more closure, but it was resonant in a way.
Aaron is very frustrating, and it took me a while to realize why. Aaron has a more conservative idea of what progress looks like and prefers the middle ground. He is, however, surrounded by people who want change and don't think the middle ground is where that can be found. As a result, he ends up quite unlikable due to his inability to pick a side.
The final chapters actually give insight into Aaron's conservative nature and helped me understand why he was so "inactive" compared to someone like Xavier. They also point out the irony of how we often forget how easy certain things are because of the people who had it harder before us. Ultimately, he's a person who was just as naive as the person he thought he was protecting.
The biggest sin this story commits is not being the story it was advertised as. The inside cover depicts a historical murder mystery. This is not that at all. You can pretty much guess who killed Xavier, and you'd be right. I think this book is mismarketed, and it led to some irritation on my end for a while as I waited for the murder mystery plot to unfold. It's given maybe a chapter or two and is not actually a real plot point.
This is a historical fiction novel through and through. Luckily, it's an interesting one. The story is also a bit too exposition-heavy for me in the first two sections of the novel, and I never truly connected to the characters, but those issues didn't ruin the experience, just detracted from it.
This book is a bit hard to discuss without spoiling it, as it's essentially a memoir, but as long as you do not go into it expecting a murder mystery, you may enjoy it. While the messaging did fall a little flat overall, I think I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about Hollywood and gay history in LA in the 1950s and is interested in film.
June 3, 2026
Hadn’t heard of Hazel Scott until I read With Love from Harlem yesterday. Now I see her in today’s book, too. What a fascinating time.
April 20, 2026
I was fortunate to receive an ARC from the publisher and Goodreads and so it’s only appropriate I share my thoughts.
Thank you and WOW! I am honored and fortunate to be one of the first people to read and comment on, “There’s Only One Sin in Hollywood” by Rasheed Newson. This was a compelling and interesting story; excellently written by Newson with impeccable research and devotion to history - black, gay, military, showbiz and Hollywood. This story took a few turns I wasn’t expecting but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I liked genuine nature of the characters and the real care that was taken in setting up and crafting the times they lived in. I thought the ending was perfect and really revealed that life is a journey and that we don’t always end up where we think This is one of those books that doesn’t leave you.
I look forward to reading more Rasheed Newson.
Thank you and WOW! I am honored and fortunate to be one of the first people to read and comment on, “There’s Only One Sin in Hollywood” by Rasheed Newson. This was a compelling and interesting story; excellently written by Newson with impeccable research and devotion to history - black, gay, military, showbiz and Hollywood. This story took a few turns I wasn’t expecting but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I liked genuine nature of the characters and the real care that was taken in setting up and crafting the times they lived in. I thought the ending was perfect and really revealed that life is a journey and that we don’t always end up where we think This is one of those books that doesn’t leave you.
I look forward to reading more Rasheed Newson.
June 30, 2026
Thank you to Flatiron Books and Lavender Reading Room for providing me with an advance readers copy of this book for review.
Unfortunately, this fell flat for me. The first third of the book established a propulsive and intense tone and storyline that the rest of the book could not sustain. The most entertaining part of the book was the last 30 pages, in part because I knew I was almost done reading and because the narrative finally focused on Xavier, the novel's theoretical main subject of study. Despite the book being a firsthand "archival" account of Xavier's political activism in Hollywood and the gay rights movement, the book was excessively centered on Aaron and his passive-aggressive gripes with the culture around him. It read too much like a film history textbook than a reflective biography about someone else's life. The pretense that Aaron's letters were to be considered for archival preservation is laughable, at best. Rather than supplying the reader with the significant material about Xavier's life that would deem Aaron's letters appropriate for a queer history archive but also for the reader's engagement, the author instead filled this structural void with excessive details about 20th century Hollywood film history and production, flexing the amount of research done for the story's most insignificant aspect.
Secondly, the book fails to integrate Xavier as a Black movie star into the well-established backdrop of Black Hollywood in the 20th century. His rivalry with Sidney Poitier was well-written and made sense politically given the two actors' differing approaches to Black respectability, but Xavier's relationality to real-life Hollywood stars depicted in the book felt one-dimensional. Even the names of the fictitious Hollywood movies and characters in this novel felt anachronistic to the 20th-century setting (what kind of Old Hollywood movie star name is Xavier?). The Black Hollywood constructed by the author was not only asynchronous to the timeline of Black history and filmmaking (someone of Xavier's political and cultural leaning would not have been interested in Hollywood during the rise of Black independent filmmaking, but I digress) but failed to stand on its own as an extension of the corporate militancy of Hollywood. The author obviously did a large sum of research for this novel, but unfortunately the final product reveals too much of this Herculean effort to revisualize Hollywood history rather than culminating into a novel that is both plausible and entertaining.
*2.75 stars
Unfortunately, this fell flat for me. The first third of the book established a propulsive and intense tone and storyline that the rest of the book could not sustain. The most entertaining part of the book was the last 30 pages, in part because I knew I was almost done reading and because the narrative finally focused on Xavier, the novel's theoretical main subject of study. Despite the book being a firsthand "archival" account of Xavier's political activism in Hollywood and the gay rights movement, the book was excessively centered on Aaron and his passive-aggressive gripes with the culture around him. It read too much like a film history textbook than a reflective biography about someone else's life. The pretense that Aaron's letters were to be considered for archival preservation is laughable, at best. Rather than supplying the reader with the significant material about Xavier's life that would deem Aaron's letters appropriate for a queer history archive but also for the reader's engagement, the author instead filled this structural void with excessive details about 20th century Hollywood film history and production, flexing the amount of research done for the story's most insignificant aspect.
Secondly, the book fails to integrate Xavier as a Black movie star into the well-established backdrop of Black Hollywood in the 20th century. His rivalry with Sidney Poitier was well-written and made sense politically given the two actors' differing approaches to Black respectability, but Xavier's relationality to real-life Hollywood stars depicted in the book felt one-dimensional. Even the names of the fictitious Hollywood movies and characters in this novel felt anachronistic to the 20th-century setting (what kind of Old Hollywood movie star name is Xavier?). The Black Hollywood constructed by the author was not only asynchronous to the timeline of Black history and filmmaking (someone of Xavier's political and cultural leaning would not have been interested in Hollywood during the rise of Black independent filmmaking, but I digress) but failed to stand on its own as an extension of the corporate militancy of Hollywood. The author obviously did a large sum of research for this novel, but unfortunately the final product reveals too much of this Herculean effort to revisualize Hollywood history rather than culminating into a novel that is both plausible and entertaining.
*2.75 stars
July 5, 2026
There’s a moment in Friends where Phoebe says, “Now THERE’S your movie!” and that’s how I felt about this book, in the best possible way. To say that is a little meta, against the backdrop of (mostly) closeted, Black, gay 1960s Hollywood, this book is about a story waiting to be told, and who gets to tell it and how. The whole story, though, adds up to a really compelling and cinematic read in and of itself. I hate to immediately wish books into movies, but I would absolutely watch this and love it.
I really appreciated what Newson did in My Government Means to Kill Me, but I loved what he did in There’s Only One Sin in Hollywood. He showed rather than hold, seamlessly integrating historical detail into his fictional story that made the sum of all parts feel totally believable. I can’t wait to see what he does next.
I really appreciated what Newson did in My Government Means to Kill Me, but I loved what he did in There’s Only One Sin in Hollywood. He showed rather than hold, seamlessly integrating historical detail into his fictional story that made the sum of all parts feel totally believable. I can’t wait to see what he does next.
June 24, 2026
I love old Hollywood so much, it’s a cinephile’s dream era and this book immersed you in it in a truly wonderful way. I loved the characters so much, Xavier felt like a classic black movie star, and mixing in real characters like Sidney Poitier was a fantastic choice.
The ending was anticlimactic in a way, but given the era and the characters it dealt with I actually didn’t mind because it felt more realistic in a sense. It was an incredible story, and I definitely need to check out the author’s other and future novels.
The ending was anticlimactic in a way, but given the era and the characters it dealt with I actually didn’t mind because it felt more realistic in a sense. It was an incredible story, and I definitely need to check out the author’s other and future novels.
April 15, 2026
Thank you FlatIron books for the Advance Reading Copy!
As a big fan of classic-Hollywood-era films, I was more than a little excited to dive into this book. I knew I was in good hands as the historical fiction continued to develop sprinkled with real history and references to actual stars/ their work.
Newson crafted this tragic fictional story that still manages to ring true in exploring the dark side of fame - especially for those in the queer and BIPOC communities. Definitely recommend picking this book up when it is released in June!
As a big fan of classic-Hollywood-era films, I was more than a little excited to dive into this book. I knew I was in good hands as the historical fiction continued to develop sprinkled with real history and references to actual stars/ their work.
Newson crafted this tragic fictional story that still manages to ring true in exploring the dark side of fame - especially for those in the queer and BIPOC communities. Definitely recommend picking this book up when it is released in June!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Sex, love, power, lust; the want of fame, the desire to leave a mark, the hope of a budding revolution; the money and influence of the establishment that refuses to lose. This was glamorous, gritty, sexy, and propulsively readable.
June 8, 2026
Pure Magic!
I don't read a ton of historical fiction, but there was something about There's Only One Sin in Hollywood that called to me before I even began. Perhaps it was the Hollywood setting in the 50's since it's a time period not so long ago. Regardless, I was fortunate enough to receive an ALC of the book thanks to Macmillan Audio and right out of the gate, it felt real. The magic of film. The exquisite storytelling. The characters bringing the story to life all under Newsom's vision of combining fictional characters with real life films and actual Black Hollywood legends.
From the beginning, Rasheed Newson transported me back in time. With the prologue in 1970's, I was at the movies with the narrator. We then follow Aaron, a Black queer man as he works "behind the scenes" in film with actors, to his time in the military where he forms a secret relationship with a man named Horace. But this wasn't only Aaron's story. According to the blurb, this was supposed to be about the death of Xavier C Barlow, a rising Black film star. And as the story goes on, we see how Aaron and his time in Hollywood collide with Xavier's, giving us a story of Hollywood and a time when relationships such as those stay far away from any prying eyes, going as far as marrying women and denying themselves real love for the sake of the public.
Rasheed Newson obviously did a ton of research when he created this whole world filled with sex, lust, fame, greed and real life legends while building up a whole background of Black Queer life under the Hollywood microscope. I loved how the story seemed so real coming from Jalani Alladin's audio performance. He became Aaron and I felt all of his experiences throughout by his voice alone. While I liked getting so much of Aaron and his different relationships with men, his wife and his job, I felt like I was always waiting for more of Xavier and the mystery surrounding his death. It all came, but it felt a little it came too late for me to be fully satisfied.
With that said, I still really enjoyed the book and the way real and fictional characters were weaved into the overall story. The time period, the film world and the queer romance throughout is what made it magical.
Don't we want to make him a hero? That's our goal. And there's no such thing as a gay hero."
"But there is."
Overall, 4+ stars for the historical aspect and the wonderful audiobook performance.
I don't read a ton of historical fiction, but there was something about There's Only One Sin in Hollywood that called to me before I even began. Perhaps it was the Hollywood setting in the 50's since it's a time period not so long ago. Regardless, I was fortunate enough to receive an ALC of the book thanks to Macmillan Audio and right out of the gate, it felt real. The magic of film. The exquisite storytelling. The characters bringing the story to life all under Newsom's vision of combining fictional characters with real life films and actual Black Hollywood legends.
From the beginning, Rasheed Newson transported me back in time. With the prologue in 1970's, I was at the movies with the narrator. We then follow Aaron, a Black queer man as he works "behind the scenes" in film with actors, to his time in the military where he forms a secret relationship with a man named Horace. But this wasn't only Aaron's story. According to the blurb, this was supposed to be about the death of Xavier C Barlow, a rising Black film star. And as the story goes on, we see how Aaron and his time in Hollywood collide with Xavier's, giving us a story of Hollywood and a time when relationships such as those stay far away from any prying eyes, going as far as marrying women and denying themselves real love for the sake of the public.
Rasheed Newson obviously did a ton of research when he created this whole world filled with sex, lust, fame, greed and real life legends while building up a whole background of Black Queer life under the Hollywood microscope. I loved how the story seemed so real coming from Jalani Alladin's audio performance. He became Aaron and I felt all of his experiences throughout by his voice alone. While I liked getting so much of Aaron and his different relationships with men, his wife and his job, I felt like I was always waiting for more of Xavier and the mystery surrounding his death. It all came, but it felt a little it came too late for me to be fully satisfied.
With that said, I still really enjoyed the book and the way real and fictional characters were weaved into the overall story. The time period, the film world and the queer romance throughout is what made it magical.
Don't we want to make him a hero? That's our goal. And there's no such thing as a gay hero."
"But there is."
Overall, 4+ stars for the historical aspect and the wonderful audiobook performance.
June 2, 2026
**thank you so much Flatiron Books for my gifted copy and Macmillan Audio for the gifted ALC** I thoroughly enjoyed this historical fiction. This book is told from the perspective of Aaron Touissant, Skyline’s “backlot fixer” who is designated to keep scandal away from Skyline Studios biggest names, one being Xavier C. Barlow. Aaron and Xavier are two queer black men that have to cautiously navigate the world of cinema and lands one in a murder mystery.
Let me just say that this book is one of my new favorite historical fiction books. The storytelling is superb and I felt brought into the 1950s-era of Hollywood. The mix of fiction with real influential people such as Sidney Poitier and Diahann Carroll was so well researched. I mean the mention of Carmen Jones alone made my day. The way both Aaron and Xavier navigated their relationships, heartbreak and the complexities of their hidden lifestyle is very well-written and although they are fictional characters, their representation is very accurate. My only minor critique is that the ending felt slightly rushed but I still enjoyed it.
For the audiobook, it is very well done and immersed me further into the story. The performance and production is also done very well.
Overall, I highly recommend this book and I am so glad it is my first book of pride month. Happy Pride Month 🌈
Let me just say that this book is one of my new favorite historical fiction books. The storytelling is superb and I felt brought into the 1950s-era of Hollywood. The mix of fiction with real influential people such as Sidney Poitier and Diahann Carroll was so well researched. I mean the mention of Carmen Jones alone made my day. The way both Aaron and Xavier navigated their relationships, heartbreak and the complexities of their hidden lifestyle is very well-written and although they are fictional characters, their representation is very accurate. My only minor critique is that the ending felt slightly rushed but I still enjoyed it.
For the audiobook, it is very well done and immersed me further into the story. The performance and production is also done very well.
Overall, I highly recommend this book and I am so glad it is my first book of pride month. Happy Pride Month 🌈
June 20, 2026
Really enjoyed There’s Only One Sin in Hollywood by Rasheed Newson. It was a great read for Pride Month and Juneteenth! It blended Black history, Hollywood glamour, and LGBTQ+ representation into one story.
The book touches some heavy topics, but it also kept me invested in the characters and wanting to know more about their lives. There are a some spicy scenes, so be prepared for that going in.
My only real complaint is the ending. While I understood the overall message, it felt a little unfinished for me. I found myself wanting more closure, especially when it came to Aaron and what happened to him after everything unfolded.
I do think it’s worth picking up if you enjoy historical fiction with mystery, drama, and complex characters.
The book touches some heavy topics, but it also kept me invested in the characters and wanting to know more about their lives. There are a some spicy scenes, so be prepared for that going in.
My only real complaint is the ending. While I understood the overall message, it felt a little unfinished for me. I found myself wanting more closure, especially when it came to Aaron and what happened to him after everything unfolded.
I do think it’s worth picking up if you enjoy historical fiction with mystery, drama, and complex characters.
June 30, 2026
The gay Era in which you had to stay in the closet. If you came out talking about being gay you were basically arrested because it was illegal or killed! Because of this, Politicians, movie stars, or any celebrity or person of Power attended secret gay sex parties. Rasheed showed 3 types of gay men in this book! Horace who had urges for men but would not say he was gay even to his lover, Aaron! Aaron was gay Kenderick he was gay, but conformed to marrying a woman thinking that would stop him from being gay. However, that didn’t last when Xavier reappeared in his life and his urges came back. Xavier loved being gay. He wasn’t ashamed. He just knew that he could not go public with it because it would cost him his career as a movie star and of course his life. The way he viewed the great lengths people would go just to keep their secrets was so vivid!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 22, 2026
4.5 stars
Thanks to Libro's ALC for the audiobook!
I think the audiobook does the credit of Aaron's character and his personality! My only sadness is the most impactful scenes happen in the last 15-20% of the book where I feel these hard-hitting topics, blasting of Pride in the youth, and Aaron's life afterwards should have been more explored. It's 200% clear that Newson does amazing research on these time periods and the occasional inclusion of a star always gave that warm, fuzzy feeling movies deliver on, and I think Newson does a good job balancing between the dazzle and passions of Hollywood and its negative counterparts, particularly in the Black and queer communities of the time period (and one could argue still).
Thanks to Libro's ALC for the audiobook!
I think the audiobook does the credit of Aaron's character and his personality! My only sadness is the most impactful scenes happen in the last 15-20% of the book where I feel these hard-hitting topics, blasting of Pride in the youth, and Aaron's life afterwards should have been more explored. It's 200% clear that Newson does amazing research on these time periods and the occasional inclusion of a star always gave that warm, fuzzy feeling movies deliver on, and I think Newson does a good job balancing between the dazzle and passions of Hollywood and its negative counterparts, particularly in the Black and queer communities of the time period (and one could argue still).
June 17, 2026
This one was on my most anticipated list of 2026 and it deserves a spot on my top 10 of the year. This book was like catnip for me from the get-go with a queer lead and an accurate Classic Hollywood setting steeped in lore. This was a fun romp for me with all the director, actor and writer name drops, but it also had a lot of similarities with the sad story of Rudolph Valentino. Would definitely recommend!
June 15, 2026
3.75 stars
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