The Second Mrs. Astor

By: Shana Abe

Narrated by: Lauren Ezzo

Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

Madeleine Talmage Force is just 17 when she attracts the attention of John Jacob "Jack" Astor. Madeleine is beautiful, intelligent, and solidly upper-class, but the Astors are in a league apart. Jack's mother was the Mrs. Astor, American royalty and New York's most formidable socialite. Despite their 29-year age difference and the scandal of Jack's recent divorce, Madeleine falls headlong into love - and becomes the press' favorite target.

On their extended honeymoon in Egypt, the newlyweds finally find a measure of peace away from photographers and journalists. Madeleine feels truly alive for the first time - and is happily pregnant. The couple plans to return home in the spring of 1912, aboard an opulent new ocean liner. When the ship hits an iceberg close to midnight on April 14th, there is no immediate panic. The swift, state-of-the-art RMS Titanic seems unsinkable. As Jack helps Madeleine into a lifeboat, he assures her that he'll see her soon in New York....

Four months later, at the Astors' Fifth Avenue mansion, a widowed Madeleine gives birth to their son. In the wake of the disaster, the press has elevated her to the status of virtuous, tragic heroine. But Madeleine's most important decision still lies ahead: whether to accept the role assigned to her or carve out her own remarkable path....

©2021 Five Rabbits, Inc. (P)2021 Tantor

It Just Got Boring

I really like historical fiction, and also love all things Titanic, but this book just got boring. Nothing tied me to either character, the story line was too drawn out, and the narrator was just ok.

Audio level not professional for Audible

I loved the story as I love history and this book was excellent. The performer was young but maybe the yelling of Leta at the beginning of the story was her fault but I feel that the director of sound should have been aware of the loudness which made this listener have to adjust the sound level. This was not the only episode… I had to turn the audio up or down throughout… especially with Margaret Brown’s voice toward the end of the performance. So very disappointing for Audible! Please, some of us are blind so we love to listen to our entertainment…and some of us a bit deaf . Please remember those facts.

beautiful love story

well written well spoken beautiful love story with a tragic ending heartbreaking but that young woman handled it so well with complete decorum and respect excellent job

The Second Mrs Astor

Interesting historical story about John Astor and the Titanic. I looked forward to each chapter. Recommend this book.

Fascinating

I have always loved reading about the gilded age. I know this is fiction but, it well written and rich in detail. I can only imagine how horrifying the sinking of the Titanic was and then to live on without your loved one.

Loved it!

Brought me right back to the movie Titanic’s fabulous first days at sea. Loved the inner story of the Astors!

The Build of Madeleine's World Ourshines Her Journey

Okay, I ate up the first part of this book... listened to like 6 hrs of it the first day on a 12 hr shift. Her world interested me, their chemistry during their courtship (ummmm, the orchestra scene he had a line that just... yes, I get why she married him right then), her family dynamic... but then it fell flat. By being a historical novel I get the author is trying to stick to real events, but they just didn't seem as "enchanting" to the reader during their honeymoon through Egypt and I struggled with the third part of the book... she did come off as a spoiled girl coming off her dream of what it would be like to be married to John Jacob Astor, but their interactions lacked the "umph" their relationship had been built on. She's so in love and so "obsessed" with him, but I didn't get that here. It wasn't until they boarded Titantic, which sadly was just as lackluster that I started to key back in. The author failed to follow through making him this "larger than life" character she had in the beginning that I didn't feel I "missed" him until she is standing before his casket at his funeral. She finishes off strong by growing a backbone with his "grown" son, but it's almost a little too late for the reader to properly mourn with her and celebrate her transition. I liked it and finished it, but struggled in the third of the book and wasn't invested again until it was almost over.

A little too dramatic

Interesting story but it was so dramatic leading up to the Titanic. Afterwards that made sense but the story of a 17 year old girl falling in love with a man 30 years her senior may have been true but did not appeal to me. It probably would have when I was 17 but as an adult, not so much.

The Astors.

Loved the Audio and the ebook. Love anything Titanic. Story was good. Characters seemed real. So wanted a different ending....but losing Jack was real. So sad.

I wanted a part two!

As a lover of history, this book read like an biography! I couldn’t stop listening to this very well researched account of her life.