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3.31 AVERAGE
3.31 AVERAGE
This is a tale of a rich American gal who hops the pond and marries an English Duke who has a fancy estate but needs a rich wife to keep it running. This happened a lot in the late 1800s, and the majority of this book is Cora (rich American gal) adjusting to life as a Duchess. It was an interesting book, and I read a nonfiction book detailing all the true stories of this, and of course there is Downton. I liked the book, but it was a bit predictable, and the ending was a bit too idyllic. Not a bad read, though, especially if you like Downton and English fancy life.
Definitely a guilty pleasure...I was not a huge fan of the ending, but I enjoyed the story.
Maybe a 2.5. I like novels set during this time period, but this book was a bit dull for me.
I liked the book very much. It didn't end quite the way I hoped it would, but it was still a good ending. Can't wait to start her next book, The Fortune Hunter!
Very Downton Abbey-ish. I was hoping for a sequel at the end for more. I did feel the book was a bit lengthy.
Atrocious grammar. That being said, I was curious enough to see how things unfolded that I read all 400-something pages. The characters developed better than I had hoped for. If literally anyone had proofread it, it would be a solid 2 stars.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I listened to this book on CD and, while it made my commute pass more quickly, my overall impression is ho-hum. None of the characters, save Cora Cash's maid, Bertha Jackson, were very likable. And the story was too-often bogged down in details that were unnecessary. I believe that Daisy Goodwin is a wonderful writer - her descriptive language is remarkable - but this book needed some serious editing. There's an incident at the beginning of the book, for example, in which Cora's mother is disfigured by fire during a ball held at her home in Newport, Rhode Island. I kept waiting to see the reason for adding the accident, how it might develop the character. Yet she never changed. Beginning to end she was stuck-up and interested only in her own reputation and in how her daughter's life reflected on her. In other words, it was a pointless incident and could have been deleted without affecting the story in any way.
I would be interested in reading Goodwin's future efforts, as I think she shows promise as a writer. But they wouldn't be at the top of my list.
I would be interested in reading Goodwin's future efforts, as I think she shows promise as a writer. But they wouldn't be at the top of my list.