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The Real True Hollywood Story of Jackie Gold
Following her Oscar nomination, tabloid cover girl Jackie Gold has been offered the role of a lifetime. At the height of her career, her equally famous boyfriend and current People’s “Sexiest Man of the Year” has a proposal of his own. It’s enough to make a pack of bloodthirsty paparazzi push her over the edge.
The year is 1999 and Jackie fights for her life while the press and public speculate on everything from whether “JACKIE’S JUMP!” was a suicide attempt to whether or not her breasts are real. Visitors circle her hospital bed, sharing regrets and spilling secrets when they think she can’t hear from her comatose state.
While drama unfolds at her bedside confessional, Jackie’s life replays like a movie in her mind. In a narrative both hilarious and heartbreaking, she recounts her improbable Malibu upbringing, her California coming-of-age, and the fat-free, drug-fueled, “glamourous” Hollywood career that led to her notorious jump.
Award-winning actor and director Dinah Manoff offers an honest, fictional glimpse behind the red carpet in her new novel about a Hollywood star, the remarkable journey that got her there, and her walk-in closet full of tabloid-worthy secrets. Best known for her roles in Grease and Empty Nest, Dinah Manoff has used her own experiences to craft an engrossing page-turner both exciting and wise, posing the ultimate starry-eyed question:
Does fame really matter in the end?
The year is 1999 and Jackie fights for her life while the press and public speculate on everything from whether “JACKIE’S JUMP!” was a suicide attempt to whether or not her breasts are real. Visitors circle her hospital bed, sharing regrets and spilling secrets when they think she can’t hear from her comatose state.
While drama unfolds at her bedside confessional, Jackie’s life replays like a movie in her mind. In a narrative both hilarious and heartbreaking, she recounts her improbable Malibu upbringing, her California coming-of-age, and the fat-free, drug-fueled, “glamourous” Hollywood career that led to her notorious jump.
Award-winning actor and director Dinah Manoff offers an honest, fictional glimpse behind the red carpet in her new novel about a Hollywood star, the remarkable journey that got her there, and her walk-in closet full of tabloid-worthy secrets. Best known for her roles in Grease and Empty Nest, Dinah Manoff has used her own experiences to craft an engrossing page-turner both exciting and wise, posing the ultimate starry-eyed question:
Does fame really matter in the end?
370 pages, Paperback
First published July 20, 2021
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1464 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
July 31, 2021
I had so much fun reading this book! But it’s not only funny, the family stuff is so vivid - the depth and pain are palpable. Excellent story!
July 20, 2021
3.5 ⭐️ Jackie Gold is fighting for her life. Paparazzi ambushed her and in an attempt to escape she fell off of a ledge, landing her in a coma with a traumatic brain injury. Visitors spill secrets, thinking Jackie can’t hear them — but she very much can. While Jackie is fighting for her life, she can’t help but replay the details of her life.
The book alternates between her time in a coma in the the ICU and everything that led up to that point. I was hooked from the start, but this is certainly a slow-burn novel. Some parts felt like they were dragging on/unnecessary, but others kept me turning the page. Even though this is a novel, Jackie Gold’s story definitely felt like it could have been real — her coming of age and learning the ins and outs of becoming an actress in Hollywood. The Real True Hollywood Story of Jackie Gold is a juicy and entertaining story about family and fame.
The book alternates between her time in a coma in the the ICU and everything that led up to that point. I was hooked from the start, but this is certainly a slow-burn novel. Some parts felt like they were dragging on/unnecessary, but others kept me turning the page. Even though this is a novel, Jackie Gold’s story definitely felt like it could have been real — her coming of age and learning the ins and outs of becoming an actress in Hollywood. The Real True Hollywood Story of Jackie Gold is a juicy and entertaining story about family and fame.
August 3, 2021
**I received this advanced readers copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
I was completely intrigued with the synopsis of the book when the publisher contacted me asking if I would be interested in reading and reviewing this book. I LOVE the movie Grease, so it was appealing that an OG Pink Lady had written this and wanted MY opinion on her written words (talk about a humbling experience). So I want to do Dinah & this story she has created justice. I would fairly give this a 2.5 star rating out of five, but Goodreads doesn’t have half stars. I rounded down to 2 instead of up to 3 because the book overall didn’t keep my attention. This was almost 400 pages and I think it could’ve gotten the same point across closer to 250-300 range.
A spoiler-free review: Jackie Gold, Hollywood starlet, gets in a life-threatening accident and is in a coma for the book. (Not a spoiler, this happens on page 2) It is then told in flashbacks throughout her life – how she got to the point of getting in this accident and how her star power skyrocketed to the point where she was stalked by the paparazzi daily. You get details literally from when she’s 5 years old to the point where she’s a 30-something star laying in a hospital bed. For all the details this book offers, it tends to drag on the wrong details. Her life didn’t seem all that scandalous, her relationships (there were only 2) were very lackluster, and there’s only so much a coma patient can narrate in almost 400 pages. Maybe that was the point – that her life was blown out of proportion on the big screen so when you get the “real, true story” it’s kind of… dull.
Maybe I’m just a little jaded because I read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo last year and I still think about it often. I really tried not to compare the two stories, but they were similarly set so it was hard not to relate them and realize Evelyn Hugo was a much more interested character than Jackie Gold.
I would say read if:
*you are having massive withdrawals from The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
*you enjoy dual timelines
*you believe in the power of People magazine (or US Weekly or OK or any of the other tabloids)
**spoiler starts here
Let’s jump right in: I think Emme being Mirabelle was an unnecessary twist. It wasn’t as an impactful hit that I think the author wanted it to be. I feel like at that point in the story, I was kind of over it (I took a break in the middle of reading this book to read something else that ended up being a 5 star read for me) so once I got back to this, I was like, that didn’t feel fully developed in the story. Jackie met her younger sister once when she was 16 and then almost 15ish years later, they reconnect after she has a life-threatening injury. If Mirabelle had been more of a presence that popped up once every few years for her and then they got in a big fight maybe when Mirabelle was like 16 years old and they created a huge rift and didn’t speak for 10 years, that might have been a more meaningful moment when Emme turned out to be her caring sister.
And then Peter & Brett. Again, I know we had 7 husbands with Evelyn Hugo and one huge love of her life with Celia, but only 2 very lackluster relationships didn’t seem large enough to carry through 400 pages. There wasn’t really anything interesting about hers and Brett’s relationship, which was the main relationship of the book. As I said before, that’s the point of the book – see how you lived your life wrong, wasted your time on your image and the wrong people, and then watch your life flash before you. That concept is a great message, but kind of boring when you have to read about how boring your life is. It unfortunately didn’t translate for me.
I was completely intrigued with the synopsis of the book when the publisher contacted me asking if I would be interested in reading and reviewing this book. I LOVE the movie Grease, so it was appealing that an OG Pink Lady had written this and wanted MY opinion on her written words (talk about a humbling experience). So I want to do Dinah & this story she has created justice. I would fairly give this a 2.5 star rating out of five, but Goodreads doesn’t have half stars. I rounded down to 2 instead of up to 3 because the book overall didn’t keep my attention. This was almost 400 pages and I think it could’ve gotten the same point across closer to 250-300 range.
A spoiler-free review: Jackie Gold, Hollywood starlet, gets in a life-threatening accident and is in a coma for the book. (Not a spoiler, this happens on page 2) It is then told in flashbacks throughout her life – how she got to the point of getting in this accident and how her star power skyrocketed to the point where she was stalked by the paparazzi daily. You get details literally from when she’s 5 years old to the point where she’s a 30-something star laying in a hospital bed. For all the details this book offers, it tends to drag on the wrong details. Her life didn’t seem all that scandalous, her relationships (there were only 2) were very lackluster, and there’s only so much a coma patient can narrate in almost 400 pages. Maybe that was the point – that her life was blown out of proportion on the big screen so when you get the “real, true story” it’s kind of… dull.
Maybe I’m just a little jaded because I read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo last year and I still think about it often. I really tried not to compare the two stories, but they were similarly set so it was hard not to relate them and realize Evelyn Hugo was a much more interested character than Jackie Gold.
I would say read if:
*you are having massive withdrawals from The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
*you enjoy dual timelines
*you believe in the power of People magazine (or US Weekly or OK or any of the other tabloids)
**spoiler starts here
Let’s jump right in: I think Emme being Mirabelle was an unnecessary twist. It wasn’t as an impactful hit that I think the author wanted it to be. I feel like at that point in the story, I was kind of over it (I took a break in the middle of reading this book to read something else that ended up being a 5 star read for me) so once I got back to this, I was like, that didn’t feel fully developed in the story. Jackie met her younger sister once when she was 16 and then almost 15ish years later, they reconnect after she has a life-threatening injury. If Mirabelle had been more of a presence that popped up once every few years for her and then they got in a big fight maybe when Mirabelle was like 16 years old and they created a huge rift and didn’t speak for 10 years, that might have been a more meaningful moment when Emme turned out to be her caring sister.
And then Peter & Brett. Again, I know we had 7 husbands with Evelyn Hugo and one huge love of her life with Celia, but only 2 very lackluster relationships didn’t seem large enough to carry through 400 pages. There wasn’t really anything interesting about hers and Brett’s relationship, which was the main relationship of the book. As I said before, that’s the point of the book – see how you lived your life wrong, wasted your time on your image and the wrong people, and then watch your life flash before you. That concept is a great message, but kind of boring when you have to read about how boring your life is. It unfortunately didn’t translate for me.
May 28, 2021
Dinah Manoff's new novel is an entertaining, thought provoking and character driven story that celebrates the human condition.
Jackie Gold character is funny, sad, pathetic, winning, strong, weak and every other characteristic that makes a person human and alive. Manoff is able to develop and show the many facets of this character as the character relives her life after a terrible accident called by the paparazzi. Manoff is able to ensure that this patient is three dimensional and it is a matter of merit that even with the secondary characters (which in effect are normally cardboard cut outs) are not the case in Jackie Gold. These secondary characters live and breath off the page and the reader gets an breathing live person where they can soak in their essence. This is what makes Jackie Gold something above the normal novel categorised in this genre. She made something that could have been a box standard fiction and raised it to a high level platform making it rewarding and winning just through her characters alone.
The plot is well choreographed and naturally put together. There is never a false move or a feeling that the characters would not act a certain way. It moves very well and keeps the reader invested from the very first paragraph and carries you though to the very end and it still leaves you wanting more. The action moves back and forth between the present and the past as we trace through Jackie's life. This is told using comedic timing, pathos, emotional weakness and strengths and the very human existence of a girl raised in an extraordinary way.
Dinah Manoff's first novel is a true winner and one that shows how accomplished she is already. With a strong plot that will weald every emotional from its reader through happiness, sorrow, pain and accomplishments. A plot that is so well put together, it will leave the reader wanting more and long after you finish, you still want to spend more time in Jackie Gold's world and know about her friends and family more.
A true triumph and one that is highly recommended. I can't wait to see what Manoff comes up with next. A Must read.
Jackie Gold character is funny, sad, pathetic, winning, strong, weak and every other characteristic that makes a person human and alive. Manoff is able to develop and show the many facets of this character as the character relives her life after a terrible accident called by the paparazzi. Manoff is able to ensure that this patient is three dimensional and it is a matter of merit that even with the secondary characters (which in effect are normally cardboard cut outs) are not the case in Jackie Gold. These secondary characters live and breath off the page and the reader gets an breathing live person where they can soak in their essence. This is what makes Jackie Gold something above the normal novel categorised in this genre. She made something that could have been a box standard fiction and raised it to a high level platform making it rewarding and winning just through her characters alone.
The plot is well choreographed and naturally put together. There is never a false move or a feeling that the characters would not act a certain way. It moves very well and keeps the reader invested from the very first paragraph and carries you though to the very end and it still leaves you wanting more. The action moves back and forth between the present and the past as we trace through Jackie's life. This is told using comedic timing, pathos, emotional weakness and strengths and the very human existence of a girl raised in an extraordinary way.
Dinah Manoff's first novel is a true winner and one that shows how accomplished she is already. With a strong plot that will weald every emotional from its reader through happiness, sorrow, pain and accomplishments. A plot that is so well put together, it will leave the reader wanting more and long after you finish, you still want to spend more time in Jackie Gold's world and know about her friends and family more.
A true triumph and one that is highly recommended. I can't wait to see what Manoff comes up with next. A Must read.
August 20, 2021
I laughed, I cried, and lost an entire night's sleep because I could not put it down. Disguised as a summer beach read, profound truths of human behavior and pathos are woven throughout. I was hooked from the first laugh out loud moment. More from this author!!!!!
March 14, 2021
A true insider look beyond the red carpet. This stunning debut proves that Dinah Manoff isn't only an award-winning actor and director, but boy can she write, too! You'll want to savor every page of this delicious, Tinstletown tale of 90s tabloid star, Jackie Gold.
August 20, 2021
Manoff gives us the story of the rise and sudden fall of Hollywood star Jackie Gold, told in the way that only an insider could. The book is delightful tapestry of fame, betrayal, ambition and loneliness, at times hilarious and, at others, heartbreaking. A perfectly delicious summer read!
August 31, 2021
Tell them I am near, yes
Let them know who earthquakes Hollywood and Vine
Black and white noir
Contract actors, big picture companies
Hollywood soared -
Commies ruined it, unions buried it.
Chris Roberts, Patron Saint of the Plastic People
Let them know who earthquakes Hollywood and Vine
Black and white noir
Contract actors, big picture companies
Hollywood soared -
Commies ruined it, unions buried it.
Chris Roberts, Patron Saint of the Plastic People
May 25, 2023
Edited rating: 2.25
Read this for a local book club or I would have probably dnfed.
I didn't like the writing style initially. I got used to it after a while and towards the end it did get better, but the way certain things were worded took me out of the story. It also felt like there was a lot of unnecessary scenes in the first half of the book. Honestly this could have been equally if not more impactful if it were 100 pages shorter.
There isn't much to say about the story itself, really. It's just a rich person getting up to rich person shit mostly. It doesn't really get all that interesting until the last third of the book, imo and even then it wasn't like omg I need to know what happens next.
I also think the little twist at the very end was....unnecessary. it felt like it was there purely for the sake of having a twist and added absolutely nothing to the story.
(Sidenote I put this book down near my cat directly after reading so I could write my review and she started trying to eat it, so... 5 stars for being tasty, I guess?)
(Side side note: The book club I'm in got to speak with Dinah and she is hilarious. I got to really know the thought process behind the book and it gave me another perspective on the story. It still isn't fully my cup of tea, but I'm changing my rating to 2.25 instead of 1.75)
Read this for a local book club or I would have probably dnfed.
I didn't like the writing style initially. I got used to it after a while and towards the end it did get better, but the way certain things were worded took me out of the story. It also felt like there was a lot of unnecessary scenes in the first half of the book. Honestly this could have been equally if not more impactful if it were 100 pages shorter.
There isn't much to say about the story itself, really. It's just a rich person getting up to rich person shit mostly. It doesn't really get all that interesting until the last third of the book, imo and even then it wasn't like omg I need to know what happens next.
I also think the little twist at the very end was....unnecessary. it felt like it was there purely for the sake of having a twist and added absolutely nothing to the story.
(Sidenote I put this book down near my cat directly after reading so I could write my review and she started trying to eat it, so... 5 stars for being tasty, I guess?)
(Side side note: The book club I'm in got to speak with Dinah and she is hilarious. I got to really know the thought process behind the book and it gave me another perspective on the story. It still isn't fully my cup of tea, but I'm changing my rating to 2.25 instead of 1.75)
Read
September 3, 2021I didn't want to stop reading this book. I chuckled out loud in spots. I love the format. Dinah was so clever with the way she presented the story and the characters. Even though I never lived that life, I did live in southern California and was familiar with the settings. I was once a teenage girl and really understood Jackie. I just loved this book!
It is right up there with some of my all time favorite reads! I loved every minute of it!
It is right up there with some of my all time favorite reads! I loved every minute of it!
September 22, 2022
Purchased it because of the author, without realizing that it is geared towards females. Spoiler alert, enjoyed the twist ending. Won't necessarily read again, though female aquaintances may appreciate it.Still, not a bad first effort by Dinah Manoff:-)
August 15, 2021
Are you a Taylor Jenkins Reid fan? You’ll love this book too. Highly recommend. 10 stars!
September 24, 2021
I liked it a lot. It reminded me of reading Jackie Collins‘s books, fun fluff. Very well written BTW.
April 8, 2023
This is a fast-paced read which was part Hollywood stargazing, part existential and a wise portion of examination of relationships. Excellent characters and context. Highly recommend.
August 8, 2023
Deborah Call
5.0 out of 5 stars 5 big GOLD stars for Dinah Manoff and Jackie Gold!
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 28, 2021
Dinah Manoff's premier 2021 novel, The Real True Hollywood Story of Jackie Gold, is an adventurous romp through the insiders-only territory of Hollywood. With all the glitz, glam, dirt and scuzz that we might expect, Manoff's character Jackie Gold leads us on an insightful journey winding up in unexpected destinations that are by turn hilarious and soulful. Jackie touches us in unique and profound ways.
We travel with Jackie as she is looking back over her life while climbing the treacherous steps of fame and fortune. Over the course of her journey she overcomes numerous obstacles, and some unlikely decorating challenges, finally meeting her sexy counterpart in the form of a true Texas hunk of an actor. Just when things appear to have culminated at the apex of both her career and personal life, she is set drastically off course leading us to the most sincere and insightful components of this truly original and nuanced work by Manoff.
Anyone who has questioned the value of who they are, the lifestyle they are living, the people they meet or the meaning of love, will enjoy getting into the grit of this novel. Every time I put it down, I could not wait to pick it up again...cliff hangers abound at every new chapter.
5 big GOLD STARS for Dinah Manoff and Jackie GOLD!
5.0 out of 5 stars 5 big GOLD stars for Dinah Manoff and Jackie Gold!
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 28, 2021
Dinah Manoff's premier 2021 novel, The Real True Hollywood Story of Jackie Gold, is an adventurous romp through the insiders-only territory of Hollywood. With all the glitz, glam, dirt and scuzz that we might expect, Manoff's character Jackie Gold leads us on an insightful journey winding up in unexpected destinations that are by turn hilarious and soulful. Jackie touches us in unique and profound ways.
We travel with Jackie as she is looking back over her life while climbing the treacherous steps of fame and fortune. Over the course of her journey she overcomes numerous obstacles, and some unlikely decorating challenges, finally meeting her sexy counterpart in the form of a true Texas hunk of an actor. Just when things appear to have culminated at the apex of both her career and personal life, she is set drastically off course leading us to the most sincere and insightful components of this truly original and nuanced work by Manoff.
Anyone who has questioned the value of who they are, the lifestyle they are living, the people they meet or the meaning of love, will enjoy getting into the grit of this novel. Every time I put it down, I could not wait to pick it up again...cliff hangers abound at every new chapter.
5 big GOLD STARS for Dinah Manoff and Jackie GOLD!
December 25, 2021
I wasn't expecting this book to have the emotional impact it did. I thought it would be a funny, light read. While it is very funny, laugh out loud funny, it is much more.
The characters and descriptions pull you into Hollywood and beyond for a story you won't soon forget.
The characters and descriptions pull you into Hollywood and beyond for a story you won't soon forget.
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