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3.31 AVERAGE
3.31 AVERAGE
Weak characters, weak ending, finished with absolutely no satisfaction.
Unaccustomed as I am to reading historical fiction, I found this book intriguing. I read it in two days. It reminded me if the TV series, Downton Abbey.
I enjoyed the 'outsider' perspective of Cora, the heiress from New York who lands herself a British Duke, and her maid Bertha, who is also an outsider amongst the other servants because she is American and black, but I found the ending very anticlimatic.Still worth a read if you're a Downton Abbey fan.
What do you get when a young, rich, American heiress meets an Old World English aristocrat? You get a great big ol' culture clash, that's what. Set during the Gilded Age when excess was putting it mildly (gold painted hummingbirds, what?), Cora Cash is a young, vibrant, and veeeerrrrrryyy rich American girl. Ivo Maltravers is the new Duke of Wareham, newly come into his title and the income losing lands that come with it. Many young American heiresses of the time sought to buy themselves English titles while many English noblemen sought cash to save their ancestral lands. And so it is that fate, and Cora's well intentioned but very domineering mother, brings Cora and Ivo into each other's spheres of existence. And while the title and the money are definitely part of the equation, both Cora and Ivo hope to find something more than just a financial arrangement.
Now I've seen other reviews that make Ivo and/or Cora out to be the bad guys but I really don't see it that way at all. I liked them both even though at times I would get frustrated with them individually and collectively. It seemed to be a pretty clear case of culture clash between two people who were trying to create a life together despite not knowing each other very well. They were both coming at things using the rules, norms, and expectations that they each grew up with - essentially speaking different languages. Cora is the New World with its emphasis and value on the next, new, shiny thing. Ivo, on the other hand, comes from the Old World nobility where tradition and decorum is prized, from a segment of society that wasn't comfortable discussing emotions much less showing them - and never in public! To me, they are two people from very different worlds who are learning, slowly but surely, a new, common language specific just to them.
I ended up really enjoying this book more than I thought I would and I'm glad I read it. 3.5 stars
Now I've seen other reviews that make Ivo and/or Cora out to be the bad guys but I really don't see it that way at all. I liked them both even though at times I would get frustrated with them individually and collectively. It seemed to be a pretty clear case of culture clash between two people who were trying to create a life together despite not knowing each other very well. They were both coming at things using the rules, norms, and expectations that they each grew up with - essentially speaking different languages. Cora is the New World with its emphasis and value on the next, new, shiny thing. Ivo, on the other hand, comes from the Old World nobility where tradition and decorum is prized, from a segment of society that wasn't comfortable discussing emotions much less showing them - and never in public! To me, they are two people from very different worlds who are learning, slowly but surely, a new, common language specific just to them.
I ended up really enjoying this book more than I thought I would and I'm glad I read it. 3.5 stars
Loved this book! I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves Downton Abbey!
If there was ever a time for Goodreads to adopt a half-star policy, this is it. Ideally, I'd give The American Heiress 2.5 stars. I didn't hate the book but I have no desire to read it again. The heroine, Cora Cash, is vapid to the point that she deflects any sympathy. She's a rich American with the surname of Cash? The entire story needs an injection of originality in the worst way. What keeps you reading is the buildup of a scandal and subsequent confrontation (the subject of said scandal is painfully apparent to anyone who has picked up a book before) yet the climax of the novel is lackluster. All the while you are silently begging Cora to figure it out and find some independence. No such luck. I've read books that were worse, but that does not mean I would recommend The American Heiress.
I can’t put my finger on exactly why, but I adored this novel. The words that come to mind are luxurious, glamorous, delicious, and elegant. Not words I would usually use to describe a book, but they all fit this one. I was totally immersed in this story. The characters were all quite well-developed, the descriptions were vivid, and the plot was well-paced. Fans of Downton Abbey truly won’t want to miss this one.
This was an interesting book and I was excited to read another Daisy Goodwin book as I loved Victoria! This book had a Downton Abbey feel but before the series started. A young American Heiress, Cora, goes to England to find a Duke to marry, but things to not always appear as it seems!
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I really enjoyed the premise of this book. I loved reading about American and English history and their connections! The plot and pace of the book was nice and fast so it kept me engaged.
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The one thing that I didn’t love about the book was the main character, Cora, was a little annoying! So I found it sometimes challenging to connect with her fully! But overall I still loved enjoyed the book overall!
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I really enjoyed the premise of this book. I loved reading about American and English history and their connections! The plot and pace of the book was nice and fast so it kept me engaged.
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The one thing that I didn’t love about the book was the main character, Cora, was a little annoying! So I found it sometimes challenging to connect with her fully! But overall I still loved enjoyed the book overall!
Great if you love Downton Abbey. Nice details about the Golden Age of the Rockefeller era...what hostesses did to outdo each other's parties. The main character's naïveté annoyed me as she is also depicted as brave and headstrong.
I finished this book last night, and my reflection on it has actually dropped the rating from 4 to 3 stars. At one point I was ready to give it a 5 star rating even... Essentially, I didn't like the ending. Not that there was anything wrong with it, it was actually fine and logically... I just didn't like it. I might have added a little further elaboration, or some type of resolution... It just seems to end.
But before that, I liked it. It was rough getting into it, but after a couple chapters, I was hooked. The writing is clean and engaging. The characters have depth and quirks. Cora is perhaps a little TOO perfect (golden brown hair that glimmers in the light is mentioned a few times), but the rest of the characters certainly have doubts and flaws and make bad decisions. Cora also makes bad decisions, but she always has logical reasons behind it.
One of the major revelations I figured out ages before it was an issue. But Ivo's bipolar disorder was a little overstated and random. Even the reason behind it seems hollow, his mood was too extreme.
But I certainly did like to the book throughout, I just wish I had felt better about the ending. It seems a shame to rate it a 3 star...
But before that, I liked it. It was rough getting into it, but after a couple chapters, I was hooked. The writing is clean and engaging. The characters have depth and quirks. Cora is perhaps a little TOO perfect (golden brown hair that glimmers in the light is mentioned a few times), but the rest of the characters certainly have doubts and flaws and make bad decisions. Cora also makes bad decisions, but she always has logical reasons behind it.
One of the major revelations I figured out ages before it was an issue. But Ivo's bipolar disorder was a little overstated and random. Even the reason behind it seems hollow, his mood was too extreme.
But I certainly did like to the book throughout, I just wish I had felt better about the ending. It seems a shame to rate it a 3 star...