Now including an excerpt from VICTORIA: A Novel, by Daisy Goodwin, the Creator/Writer of the Masterpiece Presentation on PBS.
“Anyone suffering Downton Abbey withdrawal symptoms (who isn’t?) will find an instant tonic in Daisy Goodwin’s The American Heiress. The story of Cora Cash, an American heiress in the 1890s who bags an English duke, this is a deliciously evocative first novel that lingers … that lingers in the mind.” –Allison Pearson, New York Times bestselling author of I Don’t Know How She Does It and I Think I Love You
Be careful what you wish for. Traveling abroad with her mother at the turn of the twentieth century to seek a titled husband, beautiful, vivacious Cora Cash, whose family mansion in Newport dwarfs the Vanderbilts’, suddenly finds herself Duchess of Wareham, married to Ivo, the most eligible bachelor in England. Nothing is quite as it seems, however: Ivo is withdrawn and secretive, and the English social scene is full of traps and betrayals. Money, Cora soon learns, cannot buy everything, as she must decide what is truly worth the price in her life and her marriage.
Witty, moving, and brilliantly entertaining, Cora’s story marks the debut of a glorious storyteller who brings a fresh new spirit to the world of Edith Wharton and Henry James.
“For daughters of the new American billionaires of the 19th century, it was the ultimate deal: marriage to a cash-strapped British Aristocrat in return for a title and social status. But money didn’t always buy them happiness.” –Daisy Goodwin in The Daily Mail
One of Library Journal’s Best Historical Fiction Books of 2011
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To her mother’s delight, an elite East Coast heiress falls in love and marries a duke. Shortly after the marriage, the duchess becomes pregnant while the duke become distant and manages to make himself scarce throughout the pregnancy. This bothers the duchess as she is strung along – with the reader – by the unsettling behavior of her new husband. …
Take a trip to the late 1800s, where Cora Cash is on the cusp of her adult life. In this time, families had a much stronger say or push for who their child will wed. Daisy Goodwin swept me right away to the time period and settings; both America and England. I found while reading to be invested in Cora; one minute rooting for her and the next …
I like the main character and her mother. The duke is unpredictable and that is hard to find in a romantic novel. Fun read.
Good book, but I found it to be rather predictable
Interesting – ending was predictable, though left story for another book!
This is an entertaining frothy little romance perfect for someone looking for a little fun.
A bit far fetched.
A truly great period piece with excellent characters that leaves you wanting more.
I really enjoyed this book. It’s different from many romance stories as it keeps one guessing till the end. Definitely, recommend.
It wasn’t the best book I’ve ever read, but it wasn’t awful either. I actually ended up liking the main character, after initially finding her to be a bit annoying. My biggest complaint was how abruptly it ended. It probably could have used another 75 pages or so to fully develop the ending to take it from “well…ok” to something actually …
This is Daisy Godwin’s first book and it is great fun. If you are missing Downton Abbey, this is the fun novel for you! Romantic, heartwarming, historically accurate…you will enjoy it!
I am a big fan of Downton Abbey so reading this book was wonderful. I loved this story line of this book and all the research of the novel. You realize that at one time that American Women had to save English Gentlemen from losing all of their properties. The story tells about a young woman going from a life of knowing what and where and who …
Ms. Goodwin beautifully describes the differences of the upper classes in Rhode Island and England in the 1890s. The British are descendants of the aristocracy while the Americans strive to pay their way to achieve the honor. Highly recommended. Wonderful read.
Really horrible book. I could barely read it with all the grammar mistakes that flooded it. I actually took pictures of some parts and sent it to my friends, and they said “how could this possibly make it all the way through publishing?!”
The plot was okay. At the end there was supposed to be all these shocking twists and turns, but honestly, it …