As soon as I read the information on A Dream Called Marilyn by Mercedes King is I could tell it would be a book that pulls you right into a version of Hollywood that feels both familiar and a little unsettling. It takes Marilyn Monroe and places her into a fictional 1962 story where her life becomes even more complicated than what history already tells us.
The story follows Dr. Charles Campbell, a psychiatrist hired by a Hollywood studio to help manage Marilyn. From the very beginning, he expects a difficult patient, someone unpredictable and weighed down by fame. What he does not expect is how quickly she changes the atmosphere the moment she walks into his office.
The Author has written Marilyn as magnetic, emotional, and fragile all at the same time which she was in real life as well. She has that star quality everyone recognizes, but underneath it, she carries exhaustion and loneliness that keeps showing through the cracks. Charles tries hard to stay professional, but it becomes clear very quickly that this assignment is going to test every boundary he has.
As the sessions continue, the story starts to shift from a personal struggle into something much bigger. Secrets begin to surface, and rumors start to circle around Marilyn that reach beyond Hollywood. Charles starts to believe she may be carrying information that could create serious consequences far outside of her own life. That is where the story takes a turn from character study into suspense.
At the same time, Marilyn’s struggle with pills and alcohol becomes more serious, and that adds urgency to everything happening around her. She becomes harder to predict, and Charles finds himself more involved than he should be. Instead of stepping back, he leans in further, convinced that he might be the only one who can help her or protect her from what is coming.
The deeper he goes, the more he starts to question the people around her. Trust becomes harder to hold onto, and what begins as a job slowly turns into something personal. That shift changes the tone of the entire story and pushes it toward darker territory which I thought I wouldn’t like but I did.
Mercedes King writes the story with a fast pace and a very cinematic feel, almost like you are watching a version of old Hollywood that blends real people with fictional possibilities. Marilyn Monroe is a real historical figure, but in this story she is placed into a “what if” version of her life that mixes psychological tension with political suspense.
For readers who enjoy Hollywood stories, psychological drama, and fictional takes on real-life icons, this book moves quickly and keeps the focus on emotion, pressure, and the strain of fame. By the end, A Dream Called Marilyn feels like a look at fame, control, and vulnerability all colliding at once, set against a version of Hollywood that is both glamorous and fragile at the same time.
About the book: A Dream Called Marilyn by Mercedes King
He wanted to remain professional, but what man could resist her allure…
When Marilyn Monroe sashays into Dr. Charles Campbell’s LA office in the summer of 1962, nothing could have prepared him for their first session. He had been hired the previous week by a studio executive, who claimed she was unpredictable and needed managed. Having worked with celebrities before, Charles believes he is the ideal man for the job. Upon meeting her, he forces himself to subdue his attraction to her. A harrowing challenge once she is standing in his office, sheathed in a curve-enhancing dress. He struggles to keep up with her energy while her naïveté amuses him.
As he begins to earn her trust, secrets leak, and Charles realizes Marilyn’s information has the potential to destroy President Kennedy’s administration. If Marilyn exposes the scandal, Charles knows the upheaval and disruption could tip the United States into nuclear war with Russia. However, his main concern is Marilyn. Her reckless devotion to pills and alcohol concerns him, along with her history of suicide attempts.
Word travels through the Hollywood grapevine that Marilyn has been keeping a diary and intends to hold a press conference. Threats arise against Marilyn–and Charles–but he refuses to cast her aside. Instead, he sinks deeper into her troubles and becomes more involved with her than he should. He grows distrustful of everyone in Marilyn’s life and hatches a plan to rescue her from the impending dangers closing in on her, but will he be too late?
About the author: Mercedes King
Mercedes King is an Ohio native and founding member of Buckeye Crime Writers. With a degree in Criminology from Capital University and a passion for writing, she enjoys exploring criminal behaviors through her stories. Mixing fact with fiction is her specialty, as is setting her tales in not-so-distant decades, which she’s dubbed Modern Historicals.
The Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis series, a four-book collection, offers a fictional peek inside the private life of one of America’s most beloved first ladies.
Grave Secrets details an abuse survivor’s quest to overcome mistakes from her past and to find out the truth about her mother’s disappearance.
Every Little Secret follows Kyle Reed, a young college student determined to unravel family secrets entangled around the unsolved murder of her father’s mistress.
Columbus Noir features Mercedes’ short story, “An Agreeable Wife for a Suitable Husband”, set in Columbus’ gritty South Side during the 1970s.
A Dream Called Marilyn (novella) focuses on a psychiatrist who is hired to treat and subdue actress Marilyn Monroe, no matter what it takes.
You can connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
I received this book in exchange for a review. If you make a purchase through my Amazon affiliate links, I may earn a small percentage at no extra cost to you.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
