Starlight and dreams - Benita Brown

Benita Brown's brilliant new novel of celebrity, heartache and falling in love, set against the glamorous backdrop of 1940s London

Carol Marshal regularly visits the magnificent Palais de Dance cinema, and spends her days dreaming of the glitz and magic of the movies. When Steve Douglas, an aerial photographer with the RAF, is demobbed and returns home, her past feelings for him resurface, but she realises that his heart belongs to another girl. Heartbroken, Carol is more determined than ever to follow her dreams, and enters a competition at the Palais to win a contract for a small part in a film. She is whisked off to London, and it isn't long before Carol is spotted by a talent scout. She also catches the eye of famous film star Paul Grainger who introduces her to the wild parties and celebrity lifestyle of swinging London. But a sudden, tragic accident turns Carol's world upside down...