Reviews with content warning for Child death - The Heiress: The Revelations of Anne de Bourgh

The Heiress is a romantic Pride and Prejudice retelling/spin-off with such beautiful and romantic writing that it could be by Austen herself. It has such an interesting premise following Mr. Darcy's cousin, but it absolutely takes on a world of its own. The characters are very real and such an integral part of the story. It's slow paced and character driven, following Anne's entire life. I felt so sad at the ending that I almost feel in mourning. Also, the lesbian romance is handled so well and did not disappoint; it's a cornerstone of the story but doesn't come in for a while (but it is so worth it). I recommend this book to anyone who likes sapphic historical romance, strong character growth, and poetic stories.

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adoras's review

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow & Custom House for the ARC.

The Heiress follows Anne de Bourgh, who briefly appeared in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice as the sickly and quiet woman Mr. Darcy was meant to marry. Although reading (or simply watching an adaptation of) Pride and Prejudice does add to this story, it's not necessary. I haven't read any other novels set in the Pride and Prejudice world but from another perspective, but I appreciated that this one didn't try to mimic the style or tone of the original. Like the original, it is both full of societal commentary and romance, but that's more or less where the similarities end.

Anne was prescribed laudanum as a baby, and continued to rely on the drug for decades. I found the beginning of the novel to be slow, and it took me around 15-20% to fully get into the book, despite the beautiful writing style, partially because it seemed to mimic Anne's laudanum-induced slowness of thought, and the lack of stimulation in her life. Later, the pacing becomes much more brisk, as Anne comes alive and takes charge of her life.

This book does feature a f/f romance. I won't get into details for fear of spoiling major plot elements, but I really enjoyed the major feminist themes, as well as the explorations of sexuality and class. Anne and other supporting characters grappled with the dangers of motherhood (vs. the more distant fatherhood), the need to marry if you don't have an estate/an inheritance of your own, and even the fact that men who are found to be in a relationship with other men are treated much more harshly by the law than women. Although the focus remains on Anne and her personal journey, there are many details and people she encounters that make the world she inhabits seem rich and full of complicated people all trying to navigate it.

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