Reviews

The Heiress: The Revelations of Anne de Bourgh by Molly Greeley

emco_0's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

jordanbrady's review against another edition

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5.0

Pride and Prejudice spin off, beautiful descriptive writing, discovering and remaining true to yourself, and a wlw romance. What’s not to love?

magicalrocketships's review against another edition

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5.0

Devoured this book in one sitting. So good. Loved it.

renaplays's review against another edition

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3.0

Most original was the harrowing depiction of laudanum addiction.

saracosk2's review against another edition

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4.0

3.5

if you like sapphic longing and jane austin / historical fiction from that era, this could easily be a 5 star read. v well written and the main plot is very good, I've just never been very into austin-era media but that's a me problem. the romance was a 10/10 and the conversation about medicine and illness was v emotional

valerieelseswhere's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5 The prose in this novel is gorgeous, the story is compelling, and you really root for Anne to take control of her own life. It is a queer love story with open door scenes.

catebutler's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

JASNA Book Club - November 2023

plaidpladd's review against another edition

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emotional sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

 This was okay, but I think it lacked focus. The plot elements were interesting but it was written in such a meandering way. 

suvata's review against another edition

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5.0

#Pemberlittens November/December 2022 ReadAlong @SprainedBrain #HeiressToPride #ChapterADay #ReadAlong #PrideAndPrejudice #GroupRead

#StoryGraph: fiction historical lgbtqia+ emotional reflective slow-paced
357 pages | first published 2021

“A gorgeously written and spellbinding historical novel based on Pride and Prejudice.”

This was supposed to be a chapter-a-day read, but once I really got into it, I had to finish it. I have no self-control.

Description

In this gorgeously written and spellbinding historical novel based on Pride and Prejudice, the author of The Clergyman’s Wife combines the knowing eye of Jane Austen with the eroticism and Gothic intrigue of Sarah Waters to reimagine the life of the mysterious Anne de Bourgh.

As a fussy baby, Anne de Bourgh was prescribed laudanum to quiet her, and now the young woman must take the opium-heavy tincture every day. Growing up sheltered and confined, removed from sunshine and fresh air, the pale and overly slender Anne grew up with few companions except her cousins, including Fitzwilliam Darcy. Throughout their childhoods, it was understood that Darcy and Anne would marry and combine their vast estates of Pemberley and Rosings. But Darcy does not love Anne or want her.

After her father dies unexpectedly, leaving her his vast fortune, Anne has a moment of clarity: what if her life of fragility and illness isn’t truly real? What if she could free herself from the medicine that clouds her sharp mind and leaves her body weak and lethargic? Might there be a better life without the medicine she has been told she cannot live without?

In a frenzy of desperation, Anne discards her laudanum and flees to the London home of her cousin, Colonel John Fitzwilliam, who helps her through her painful recovery. Yet once she returns to health, new challenges await. Shy and utterly inexperienced, the wealthy heiress must forge a new identity for herself, learning to navigate a “season” in society and the complexities of love and passion. The once wan, passive Anne gives way to a braver woman with a keen edge—leading to a powerful reckoning with the domineering mother determined to control Anne’s fortune . . . and her life.

An extraordinary tale of one woman’s liberation, The Heiress reveals both the darkness and light in Austen’s world, with wit, sensuality, and a deeply compassionate understanding of the human heart.

isa_reader's review against another edition

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0