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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
Rachel Woodley is working as a nursery governess in France when the telegram comes. Her hardworking mother, the only person left to her in life, is dying of influenza. When she arrives back in England, however, Rachel finds that she is too late--the funeral has already occurred, and her only role now is to clean out her mother's house and try to find a new position as a governess or possibly a typist. But when she finds a magazine clipping in her mother's room, her whole world is turned upside down. Her father, whom she had always been told was dead, is not only alive but has a wife and two children and a high position in 1920s society. Instead of being an orphan, Rachel is the illegitimate by-blow of a selfish earl.
Flummoxed and enraged, Rachel falls in with handsome blueblood Simon Montfort who happens to also be a columnist for a London gossip rag. He offers to set her up as his cousin in an expensive flat with a whole new wardrobe so that she can infiltrate the earl's family. Playing the part of Vera Merton, Rachel searches for two things: the reason why, and sweet revenge. But once again, things are not as simple as they seem. Although Rachel's father shows no recognition of her, Rachel soon find that her half-sister Olivia is more to be pitied than envied. As she develops a sympathy for the earl's family, she begins to call Simon's ulterior motives into question and to question the legitimacy of her own complaint. Nothing can halt her desire for a final confrontation, however. As Rachel and Simon crash a house party at the earl's estate, masks come off and characters are revealed, leading to a well-constructed ending where both Rachel and the reader gain their satisfaction.
I admired many aspects of Lauren Willig's book The English Wife, but for me, this story of The Other Daughter was pitch-perfect. The excess and phoniness of the Bright Young Things and their love for all things Bohemian is displayed in glittering detail. Rachel's outrage is wholly believable. Her transformation into Vera Merton is skillful and enjoyable as she tiptoes into an alien world and makes her mark.
My favorite part about this book definitely has to be Simon. He is a character of many layers--the consummate 1920s playboy splashing about in alcohol and fast women but with waters that run much deeper below that exterior. The literary banter between Rachel and Simon is brilliant (although possibly incomprehensible to those who don't know their Shakespeare).
I made the mistake of beginning this book at around 10:30pm last night, planning to just read a little before falling asleep...let's just say that it's going to be a very long day today. Wholeheartedly recommended...one of my favorite reads from this year.
Flummoxed and enraged, Rachel falls in with handsome blueblood Simon Montfort who happens to also be a columnist for a London gossip rag. He offers to set her up as his cousin in an expensive flat with a whole new wardrobe so that she can infiltrate the earl's family. Playing the part of Vera Merton, Rachel searches for two things: the reason why, and sweet revenge. But once again, things are not as simple as they seem. Although Rachel's father shows no recognition of her, Rachel soon find that her half-sister Olivia is more to be pitied than envied. As she develops a sympathy for the earl's family, she begins to call Simon's ulterior motives into question and to question the legitimacy of her own complaint. Nothing can halt her desire for a final confrontation, however. As Rachel and Simon crash a house party at the earl's estate, masks come off and characters are revealed, leading to a well-constructed ending where both Rachel and the reader gain their satisfaction.
I admired many aspects of Lauren Willig's book The English Wife, but for me, this story of The Other Daughter was pitch-perfect. The excess and phoniness of the Bright Young Things and their love for all things Bohemian is displayed in glittering detail. Rachel's outrage is wholly believable. Her transformation into Vera Merton is skillful and enjoyable as she tiptoes into an alien world and makes her mark.
My favorite part about this book definitely has to be Simon. He is a character of many layers--the consummate 1920s playboy splashing about in alcohol and fast women but with waters that run much deeper below that exterior. The literary banter between Rachel and Simon is brilliant (although possibly incomprehensible to those who don't know their Shakespeare).
I made the mistake of beginning this book at around 10:30pm last night, planning to just read a little before falling asleep...let's just say that it's going to be a very long day today. Wholeheartedly recommended...one of my favorite reads from this year.
I found this book to be so stereotypical and common that I kept asking myself if I had read it before.
I enjoyed listening to this one. The reader had a easy voice to listen to despite the English accent and was able to make each different character's voice their own.
It takes place in and around London a few years after the first world war. If you enjoyed Downton Abbey, you'll probably like this one.
It takes place in and around London a few years after the first world war. If you enjoyed Downton Abbey, you'll probably like this one.
I really enjoyed this one! I liked her writing and the story! The characters were great, too! Only one question I think I didn't get answered (involving what I said before about CeCe and Livy and Peter). Full review to come soon!
What a mess this book was. The characters were all two dimensional and boring, there was no actual plot tension or energy around this alleged revenge scheme, the end saw not one but two “plot twists” which were both boring and uninspired.. yikes. Just don’t bother.
Nothing spectacular; nothing terrible. I was expecting it to be a bit more dramatic.
Word of warning: for the first fourth of this book I had my doubts. The story did not mesh with me in terms of connection to characters or amenability towards the slang of the Bright Young Things. So if you too find you have similar troubles, then I would advise to read on because the book really does improve once the plot begins to unravel the darkness that lurks behind the glittering façade presented by the characters.
The Other Daughter is the story of Rachel Woodley, who learns from a newspaper clipping discovered after her mother’s death that the father, whom she was told had died when she was four, is still alive. And not only is he alive, he is an earl with another family. Disbelief soon turns to anger for Rachel; under the force of her rage, however, there also remains the remnant of a four-year-old girl desperate to know her father had loved her and did think of her as the years went by. So with the help of man loosely connected to her uncle, Rachel masquerades as Vera Merton to place herself within the company of her father’s children to gain access to him.
As mentioned at the beginning of this review, the initial introduction of Rachel to the Bright Young Things set was not the easiest to get through. It is a series of parties, and empty conversations; I have always read characters from this time period and wished that I could be shown some depth, because I have always had to believe there is something there to a person. When The Other Daughter shows the truth behind the people, it became a story I was much more invested in. Emotions do exist for these characters, the most notable in my mind being the truth about CeCe and the two scenes in which Rachel comes face to face with her father.
When the truth behind what really happened to Rachel’s family twenty-three years ago is revealed, I was not too surprised for my thoughts since the beginning had fallen along the correct lines, even though I did not grasp the reasons. Transparency aside, I was still engaged with the unraveling of the mystery and motivations of all parties involved. I leave the book satisfied with the answers given. In conclusion, with the exception of the vapidity displayed by the Bright Young Things set along with the exclusion of true presence for Rachel’s sister despite her often in the same space, this book was a decent enough read that fans of Lauren Willig’s stories should enjoy.
The Other Daughter is the story of Rachel Woodley, who learns from a newspaper clipping discovered after her mother’s death that the father, whom she was told had died when she was four, is still alive. And not only is he alive, he is an earl with another family. Disbelief soon turns to anger for Rachel; under the force of her rage, however, there also remains the remnant of a four-year-old girl desperate to know her father had loved her and did think of her as the years went by. So with the help of man loosely connected to her uncle, Rachel masquerades as Vera Merton to place herself within the company of her father’s children to gain access to him.
As mentioned at the beginning of this review, the initial introduction of Rachel to the Bright Young Things set was not the easiest to get through. It is a series of parties, and empty conversations; I have always read characters from this time period and wished that I could be shown some depth, because I have always had to believe there is something there to a person. When The Other Daughter shows the truth behind the people, it became a story I was much more invested in. Emotions do exist for these characters, the most notable in my mind being the truth about CeCe and the two scenes in which Rachel comes face to face with her father.
When the truth behind what really happened to Rachel’s family twenty-three years ago is revealed, I was not too surprised for my thoughts since the beginning had fallen along the correct lines, even though I did not grasp the reasons. Transparency aside, I was still engaged with the unraveling of the mystery and motivations of all parties involved. I leave the book satisfied with the answers given. In conclusion, with the exception of the vapidity displayed by the Bright Young Things set along with the exclusion of true presence for Rachel’s sister despite her often in the same space, this book was a decent enough read that fans of Lauren Willig’s stories should enjoy.
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An enjoyable read with an interesting story and characters. A bit predictable but fun.