Lives of the fictional rich and famous

Fans of Daisy Jones and the Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo will adore these books about fictional celebrities. 

 'Everybody wants this. Everybody wants to be us.'
- Miranda Priestly from
The Devil Wears Prada

With social media apps, persistent paparazzi and a 24-hour news cycle granting us more access than ever before, our addiction to the glamorous and at times sordid lives of the rich and famous is ever-fed. In fact, if the popularity of Daisy Jones and the Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo tells us anything, it’s that our latest obsession is reading about the lives of fictional celebrities. 

Here we share nine utterly compelling books about the rich and famous, with worlds and characters so richly detailed that you’ll be convinced you’re reading about real-life celebrities.

The Double Life of Daisy Hemmings

by Joanna Nadin

2018, Camberwell, London. Famous actress Daisy Hemmings has decided it's time to publish her eagerly-awaited autobiography and commissions James Tate for the job. As a ghostwriter, James is constantly stepping into other people's shoes and telling their stories for them and he's very good at it. After all, he's had years of practice at pretending to be someone he's not. But as Daisy and James start to work together, secrets from the past are uncovered and the events of one deadly summer in 1988 come back to haunt Daisy, reminding her that there is always a price to pay to get what you want.

Trust

Book cover for Trust

Everyone in New York has heard of Benjamin and Helen Rask; one a legendary tycoon and the other, the daughter of eccentric aristocrats. Together they have risen to the very top of a world that values only extravagant decadence and staggering wealth. But how did they acquire their fortune? What is the truth, or perhaps more importantly, what makes the most compelling story? Trust is an enigmatic literary puzzle about money, power and intimacy that you won't be able to put down.

The Confession

by Jessie Burton

Book cover for The Confession

In the 1980s, Elise Morceau meets the acclaimed author Constance Holden and they fall into an all-consuming love. When Connie's latest novel is picked up by a film studio, Elise follows her to Los Angeles. But while Connie thrives, Elise feels increasingly out of her depth. Three decades later, Rose Simmons is looking for answers about her mother, who disappeared after she was born. When she learns that reclusive novelist Constance Holden was the last person to see her mother alive, she is drawn to her door in search of a confession . . .

Shotgun Lovesongs

by Nickolas Butler

Henry, Lee, Kip and Ronny grew up together in rural Wisconsin. Friends since childhood, their lives all began the same way, but have since taken different paths. While Henry stayed on the family farm, Ronnie became a rodeo star, Kip made his fortune in the city and Lee found fame as a musician. Now all four are back in town for a wedding, hoping to reunite, but will old rivalries and secrets tear their friendship apart for good?

People Like Her

by Ellery Lloyd

Book cover for People Like Her

This smart debut thriller from husband-and-wife writing team Ellery Lloyd takes a compelling look at the dark side of social media and influencer culture. Emmy Jackson is better known to her online fans as Instagram sensation Mamabare, famous for telling it like it is when it comes to modern parenthood. But not everything you see online can be believed, and someone out there knows the truth about Emmy and intends to make her pay . . . 

Dance Prone

by David Coventry

Neues Bauen are a post-hardcore band from Illinois riding the waves of success when two events of hatred and stupidity during their 1985 tour forever change the course of their lives. Decades pass and the band's former frontman Conrad Wells embarks on a journey of rediscovery, in an attempt to recall what happened during the band's lost years. Dance Prone is a novel of music, ritual and love, perfect for anyone with a passion for the underground and indie rock scenes of the 1980s.

The Christie Affair

by Nina de Gramont

We’re cheating a little here because this book is a fictionalised retelling of something that happened to a real person, the world’s best-selling author, Agatha Christie. The world of Agatha Christie is glamourous parties full of socialites, and country house weekends. But, in 1926, Agatha Christie disappeared for eleven days. Only one person knows the truth of her disappearance – her husband's mistress, Nan O’Dea. Despite their differences, the two women will become the most unlikely of allies. And during the mysterious eleven days that Agatha goes missing, they will unravel a dark secret that only Nan holds the key to . . .

The Great Circle

by Maggie Shipstead

Book cover for The Great Circle

Marian Graves is down in the history books as one of the most fearless pilots of all time. In 1949, she set out to do what no one else had done before: fly the Great Circle around the earth, north to south around the poles. But before completing the journey, her plane disappeared and she was lost. In 2015, former child star Hadley Baxter is about to play Marian Graves in a biopic and from her first script reading, she feels an instant connection with the lost aviator. Through the course of this award-winning novel, uncover the truth of Marian’s life and what really happened on that last fateful voyage. 

The Idea of You

by Robinne Lee

Book cover for The Idea of You

What would it be like to fall in love with a mega pop star? Read The Idea of You and find out. Hayes Campbell is the frontman of the world's biggest boyband. He's the boy of every teenage girl's dreams and he's about to walk into the life of Solene Marchand. Their attraction is instant and romance quickly blossoms between the pair. But any relationship they have has to remain a secret. But for how long?

Discover even more books about the lives of fictional rich and famous characters in this episode of BookBreak.