rai 's review for:

The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin

3.0

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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...