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Are you a fan of old Hollywood? This post features the best books about Grace Kelly for a dose of not just the glamour of Hollywood, but also royalty. You’ll learn all about the life of the famous actress turned royalty through immersive narratives. Let’s get literary!

grace kelly

Books About Grace Kelly

Meet Me in Monaco by Hazel Gaynor & Heather Webb

Best for fans of historical fiction

Meet Me in Monaco is historical fiction about Grace Kelly, and it is also one of the best books about weddings I’ve read.

As Hollywood elites and paparazzi flock to Cannes, starlet Grace Kelly takes shelter from British photographer, James Henderson, in Sophie Duval’s struggling perfume shop. This meeting forms a bond between Sophie and Grace, as well as Sophie and James, spanning thirty years.

The lives of all three continue to intertwine as Grace Kelly meets, becomes engaged to, and eventually marries Prince Rainier of Monaco, becoming Princess Grace of Monaco.

Grace Kelly is a constant character in Meet Me in Monaco, but the heart of the story is the “Will they or won’t they?” relationship between James and Sophie.

Meet Me in Monaco is a glamorous escape read and one of the best books for Spring, offering a dose of heart and hope spanning thirty years of friendship, love, and tragedy.

I was pleasantly surprised by this being one, including a few unexpected twists!


The Grace Kelly Dress by Brenda Janowitz

Best for fans of modern heartwarming stories

Three women, one dress, inspired by one princess — Grace Kelly. The Grace Kelly Dress is one of the best beach reads as well as an addictive page-turner. For years, it’s been one of my top recommendations for women looking for a lighter read that has some heart and keeps you engaged.

In this novel, each woman had an interesting story tied to the dress. First, there’s the seamstress. Two years after Grace Kelly’s wedding, she is entrusted with creating a replica dress for a wealthy bride-to-be. Throughout the process, she begins to secretly fall for the bride’s brother.

Then there’s Raquel a/k/a “Rocky” a modern, non-traditional bride who has inherited the dress of her mother, Joan, the third main character in this book. Rocky is stuck between not wanting to wear the dress and not wanting to break her mother’s heart.

The lives of these three women come together as the reader learns about the love and heartbreak held within the history of the dress as Rocky’s wedding approaches.

At the end of the day, The Grace Kelly Dress is about celebrating both individuality and tradition, and I couldn’t recommend it more highly.


The Girl in White Gloves by Keri Maher

Best for fans of fictionalized biographies

A Library Reads Pick and Historical Novel Society Editor’s Choice

The Girl in White Gloves is a fictionalized story of Grace Kelly’s life. It delves deep beyond the beautiful face and dazzling wardrobe into a real life of which many of us are unfamiliar.

Beginning as a book set in Philadelphia, the reader learns of Grace’s acting studies and budding career, boyfriends, family struggles, courtship with Prince Ranier III of Monaco, and some of the constraints of being a Princess in a foreign country. So many readers will find this utterly fascinating.

Overall, the author did a great job of presenting the narrative. It’s more of an overview of the main points than a deep dive, yet, at times, I couldn’t stop reading this book.

I recommend The Girl in White Gloves to anyone looking for an old Hollywood read, a royalty read and/or anyone who wants to learn more about this American Princess from a book that reads more like fiction than a biography.

About Grace Kelly

I would like to be remembered as someone who accomplished useful deeds, and who was a kind and loving person.

Grace Kelly

Grace Kelly was born on November 12, 1929, and grew up in the East Falls section of Philadelphia, about two miles from where I live. Her father, John B. Kelly, Sr. won three Olympic gold medals for sculling and owned a successful brickwork contracting company that was popular on the East Coast. 

To her parents’ dismay, she studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York and rose to stardom thereafter. She won an Academy Award for The Country Girl. Other popular films in her short acting career include To Catch a Thief and High Society.

After a yearlong courtship, Prince Rainier III of Monaco and Grace Kelly married in 1956, and she became Princess Grace of Monaco. The couple had three children: Princess Caroline, Prince Albert, and Princess Stephanie.

On September 13, 1982, Princess Grace was driving to Monaco from her country home when she had a stroke and lost control of her vehicle. Her daughter Stephanie, a passenger, attempted to regain control but failed, and they drove off a steep, winding road, down a 120-foot mountainside. Princess Stephanie sustained injuries and Princess Grace died the following night at age 52.

(Source)

Conclusion

The best books about Grace Kelly offer rich insights into the icon’s life, from Hollywood stardom to Monaco’s royalty. Each narrative unveils her enduring charm and impact. Through these works, we not only uncover the depth of her life but also celebrate the timeless allure of Grace Kelly:

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