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

I enjoyed reading about Ava Gardner and Frank Sinatra’s tumultuous relationship but felt that I was on a rollercoaster ride. Their relationship was intense, passionate and full of drama.Heather Webb writes the book in “ their voice” so we get to know them intimately. It made the reading more enjoyable even though it is fictionalized. About halfway through I felt that the story was getting repetitive with their constant breaking up and making up. They could not live with each other or without each other.

A story of Hollywood, love, and dual careers. Reading this book provided insights and prompted memories of the Hollywood of the 1950’s when everything was bigger than life. What price fame…this book provides an answer.

My father was a huge Sinatra fan, which was my initial draw to the book. I knew very little about his life and only a few of his songs. I enjoyed learning more about him and one of his more "intense" relationships. It sounds to me like he and Ava Gardner were almost TOO passionate for each other and that can be a recipe for disaster. It also shines a light on old school celebrity and old Hollywood, which I enjoyed reading about as well.

Great read, in my opinion. I already knew a lot about Sinatra and Gardner, but was drawn to this book for some reason. It was all I'd hoped it would be. What a love story. However, they couldn't live with or without each other, but goodness knows they tried! Many times throughout the book, I was driven to tears. If you're a fan of either or both, I recommend you read this book.

There are some inconsistencies in this story. The most glaring one is that the Sands was on Fremont Street. It was never on Fremont Street bc it was onLas Vegas Blvd otherwise known as The Strip. I seriously doubt that the term lap dance was in usage in-the lateforties and fifties. I found this novel to be a bit sophomoric. There isnt anything in the novel that you can’t get in the tabloids. And there is another side to the story of how Frank won the role in From here to Eternity. Some say “the boys” put pressure on Cohn to cast Frank. However, Frank was loyal to Ava for the rest of her life. He paid her hospital bills and he paid for her funeral. I find it difficult to think that glorifying two drunks is the best thing to do. This tale seems to make Frank look like the romantic one and the more loyal one.And another inconsistency, was that casinos in Atlantic City were offering gigs when Sinatra was making his come back in the 50s. Excuse me, but I don’t believe that there were casinos in Atlantic City at that time; at least not legal ones. So, if you are going to write a story, at least get the obvious and easy to research facts straight.Do not get an audio book, the person who did Sinatra’s voice was terrible with his fake tough guy New Jersey accent. It was tres amusant and not in a good way. Also the person who did Ava’s voice made her sound pathetic. These two voice actors did not make the story come alive.As I said earlier, most of the information can be gleaned in tabloids and online.

Fun to read.

This book was pitch perfect. I felt so many emotions reading it. Star crossed lovers the drama of Hollywood and the terrible sadness of being within the love of your life’s reach and not being able to embrace it. This was a wonderful book and it makes me want to know more about the characters

It’s great writing and I had no idea about their love or their loose morals. It was definitely a needy love and all encompassing. Not a healthy love yet a great friendship where they could relax and talk about many things.

This book was very good however, by the last half of the book, it was quite evident to me that many people in Hollywood were very selfish and had little or no scruples. Maybe that's why so many get involved with substance abuse...overall, a good read.

I loved this novel! While the romantic in me prayed for a happy ending, we don't quite get that since it's meant to be rooted in real events. I loved the way Frank and Ava were written, with chapters usually alternating between their first person perspectives. Again, I really loved it!!