Grace Robbins

Although much of the gossip in this book is from the same time as Girls Like Us, it feels a little musty. I haven't read any Harold Robbins (who died in 1997), but he was a hugely best-selling novelist. Grace said it took 20 years to get her book out, so she might have missed the window of timeliness. Both Harold and Grace were married to other people when they met (she cast commercials in the Mad Men era), and they stayed together about 30 years (until she was supplanted by the new assistant/caretaker, who also later wrote a book). Theirs was a life literally in the jet set, with yachts and multiple lavish international homes. It also had its sordid side, with drugs and wild parties that became orgies. After a while, Harold asked for an open marriage and was blatant in his infidelities. Grace had her flings as well, but was much more reluctant to participate in the hedonism.… (meer)

"Cinderella and the Carpetbagger" is a book about Grace Robbins and her life with world’s bestselling author Harold Robbins. It describes her life from the time she read “The Carpetbaggers” and her wish to meet this author, she thought he must be dead. And she met him shortly thereafter. It sounds firstly like a dream, but like everything in life had their marriage ups and downs.

After few happy years with wedding, child birth and common activities like researching in Colombia for “The Adventurers” went life downward. Harold Robbins and Grace lived like characters in his novels. Grace describes herself as the good housewife which had only one affair, a one night stand, with “James Bond” actor Sean Connery. While Harold Robbins had sex with some others when he was researching or writing on his books. But he was still a gentleman to her till the moment he had a stroke under the shower. And when they were together, he treated her as when they met and fell in love the day before.

The book is a must have for Harold Robbins fans. Differently to Jann sound her story about the life with Harold truly. Whatever Harold did or not, he was one of the best storytellers. I can read his books again and again and it feels like true happenings. In “Never Love a Stranger” as an example, I must wipe in some chapters. And Grace wrote what I thought as I read “The Raiders”. The novels published in the nineties and later must be written by ghostwriters. It is not the style of Harold Robbins. And I believe what Grace said: Harold wasn’t able to write a novel after his stroke. And he had never written any ideas or storyline or something else.

This book is wonderfully written. I love it. Thank you very much Grace.… (meer)

The descriptions of this fascinating book focus on its seamiest parts - the fact that bestselling author Harold Robbins (and his somewhat reluctant second wife, who authored this memoir) took part in orgies and other escapades--just like many of the characters in his books. While this book does include a few of those episodes, its primary focus is on the story of Grace Robbins, her unexplained introduction to Harold Robbins, their subsequent romance, and eventual marriage after Robbins divorced his wife of 20+ years (with a generous settlement) and offered a lump sum to Grace's alcoholic husband to get him out of the picture. Thus ensued a marriage that was mostly happy, highlighted by Harold's apparently first-rate lovemaking and freespending habits, which resulted in a fleet of luxury automobiles, a yacht or two, homes in Beverly Hills, the French Riviera, and Acapulco--but only one child, a daughter.

Harold is a fascinating character, and despite how he treated her late in their marriage, Grace's love for him still shines through. If you are looking to read about the lifestyles of the rich and famous, this is the book for you. The couple's friends included Saudi billionaire arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi and more than a few Hollywood stars, among others. Grace Robbins drops lots of names, including a couple of stars she slept with. At times the book may seem to be a bit self-serving. She boasts of her considerable involvement with charities and downplays her own passivity, which let Harold get away with his excesses. In the end, though, this is a minor quibble. I picked up this book while in the middle of reading another one and I couldn't put it down until I was finished. It is a well-written page turner that will be of interest to anyone who knows who Harold Robbins was, even if, like me, you've never read any of his books. (I've seen some of the films made from them, which Robbins apparently hated, though he loved the money they brought him.)

I do have one or two of his books downstairs, however, and I may have to give him a try. I love one quote in the book where a New York Times book reviewer said that compared to Jacqueline Suzanne, Robbins wrote like Proust!… (meer)