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The American Heiress
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren
- Length: 13 hrs and 26 mins
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Editorial reviews
Life can go in many different directions based on a few simple events. When Cora Cash, a rich American girl seeking a title at the turn of the Century, fell off her horse in a wooded area of the English countryside, fate would have it that an unmarried handsome duke should find her in her hour of distress. The American Heiress, a debut novel from Daisy Goodwin, tells Cora's story of marrying into British royalty and all the politics, scandals, and societal expectations that follow. Katherine Kellgren narrates, giving voice to Cora and a myriad of supporting characters from varying backgrounds, from Americans to Europeans and aristocrats to servants.
As if acclimating herself to a foreign country wasn't difficult enough, upon marrying Ivo, the Duke of Wareham, Cora quickly learns that becoming a duchess has come with a whole new set of stringent rules and expectations from her peers. Kellgren embodies Cora's naiveté and headstrong personality in her narration, expressing frustration in her voice in a gradual crescendo as Cora struggles to find her place among the oppressive British aristocracy. It seems that everyone from the duke's mother, a woman with a sharp tongue and a proclivity for traditions (many that Cora is not familiar with), to the Lord and Lady Beauchamp, the richest and most fashionable couple in the county, has an opinion on how Cora should behave in the upper class, noble arena. Cora dances around these societal expectations with uneasy footing, which only becomes more complicated as she begins to uncover certain nefarious details of her new husband's past.
Goodwin decorates The American Heiress with ornate period details that transport the listener to the English countryside at the turn of the century. Kellgren embraces the significance of time and place in this story, flourishing in the intricate descriptions of Cora's lavish surroundings. There's so much to enjoy about a story that allows you to lose yourself in a foreign setting, to travel with a character to the unknown. Following Cora to England is an alluring introduction to the intriguing world of classic British royalty. Suzanne Day
Publisher's summary
"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 in the mind." (Allison Pearson, New York Times best-selling author of I Don't Know How She Does It and I Think I Love You)
This program includes a bonus chapter of Victoria, the latest novel from author Daisy Goodwin, the creator and writer of the new PBS/Masterpiece drama of the same name.
Be careful what you wish for.
Traveling abroad with her mother at the turn of the 20th 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
Please note: An alternate (British) title for this novel is My Last Duchess.
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1913: In a sprawling manor on the outskirts of London, three young women seek to fulfill their destinies and desires amidst the unspoken rules of society and the distant rumblings of war.... Sir Philip Buxton raised three girls into beautiful and capable young women in a bohemian household that defied Edwardian tradition. Eldest sister Rowena was taught to value people, not wealth or status. But everything she believes will be tested when Sir Philip dies, and the girls must live under their uncle’s guardianship....
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Great for Downton Abbey fans, but…
- By Katherine on 03-11-13
By: T. J. Brown
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Delicious
- By: Sherry Thomas
- Narrated by: Virginia Leishman
- Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Story
Delicious presents Verity Durant, an irresistible woman of a more elegant age. Verity is renowned from London to Paris for her succulent cuisine - and for her rapacious carnal appetite. And she's determined to tempt prim and proper politician Stuart Somerset with forbidden fruits he's never tasted.
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Sherry Thomas, Wonderful as Always!
- By Shoppermom on 06-04-18
By: Sherry Thomas
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Potent Pleasures
- The Pleasures Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Eloisa James
- Narrated by: Susan Duerden
- Length: 15 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Story
Reckless desire sends Charlotte Daicheston into the garden with a dashing masked stranger. He's powerful and unforgettable, a devastatingly handsome footman who lures her - not against her will - into a grand indiscretion at a masquerade ball. Then he vanishes. Several years later, after Charlotte has made her dazzling debut in London society, they meet again. But the rogue is no footman. He's rich, titled, and he doesn't remember Charlotte. Worse, he's the subject of some scandalous gossip.
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A Mind "F" in the Best Possible Way
- By Cynthia on 12-23-14
By: Eloisa James
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The Desirable Duchess
- Dukes and Desires, Book 1
- By: M. C. Beaton
- Narrated by: Justine Eyre
- Length: 4 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Story
Lovely Alice Lacey was a true incomparable, and her marriage to the Duke of Ferrant was the event of the season. Almost no one realized, however, that Alice was secretly in love with someone else - or that she had confided her feelings to a clever talking mynah bird who announces these intimacies at the moment of the couple's wedding. Now the gossip mongers are relentless. Alice's marriage started out, and has remained, cold and impersonal, and her new husband is already rumored to be taken with another woman.
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Punishing man to a young niave woman
- By R. Manion on 06-03-21
By: M. C. Beaton
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Scandal Wears Satin
- The Dressmakers Series, Book 2
- By: Loretta Chase
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
- Length: 10 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Story
This time, Scandal Wears Satin, as the second sister from a somewhat scandalous aristocratic family - the purveyors of one of London’s most fashionable shops - finds passion and a love as sumptuous as the gorgeous gowns she creates. Superstar romance author Susan Elizabeth Phillips says Loretta Chase has “a rare talent for creating crackling sexual tension and characters so fresh and compelling that readers won’t be able to forget them.”
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romantic comedy
- By Amazon Customer on 12-17-20
By: Loretta Chase
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A Wicked Gentleman
- By: Jane Feather
- Narrated by: Emma Taylor
- Length: 13 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Best-selling author Jane Feather brings to life the glamour, sophistication, and intrigue of Regency-era London in this captivating novel of unexpected passions and dangerous secrets. Pooling their meager resources, Lady Cornelia Dagenham, her sister-in-law Aurelia, and their friend Liv Lacey arrive in London's Cavendish Square to spend a month at the home Liv has just inherited. But why anyone would show a fervent interest in purchasing the rundown property - particularly the arrogant Viscount Bonham, who clearly could afford the finest of homes, is a puzzle.
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disappointing
- By Anonymous User on 06-10-20
By: Jane Feather
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Rushed to the Altar
- By: Jane Feather
- Narrated by: Jill Tanner
- Length: 13 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Story
A best-selling author of more than 25 historical romances, Jane Feather boasts more than 10 million copies of her books in print. Rushed to the Altar kicks off a new trilogy in high style. In order to inherit a fortune, Jasper Sullivan, Earl of Blackwater, must rescue a “fallen woman.” So when a lady of the night attempts to pick his pocket, he makes a daring proposal. Everything seems to have dropped into place for Jasper—but he may have made a colossal blunder.
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Just Ok...
- By Just so you know on 08-03-11
By: Jane Feather
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The Cross of Love
- Barbara Cartland's Pink Collection 1
- By: Barbara Cartland
- Narrated by: Anthony Wren
- Length: 4 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
When Rena's father dies she is alone in the world, forced out of the vicarage that has been her home, with nowhere to go and no money. She seeks help at the large wooden cross standing in the nearby grounds of "The Grange". And there in the earth she finds three golden coins, which she hands over to the new young Earl of Lansdale. They form a friendship, the sweetest one of her life. But her new happiness is threatened by Mr. Wyngate, a wealthy man determined to force the Earl to marry his daughter.
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The Cross of Love
- By Cindy H. on 06-11-17
By: Barbara Cartland
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Ruined by Rumor
- By: Alyssa Everett
- Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor
- Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Who could possibly throw over a woman as beautiful and vivacious as Roxana? Certainly not Alex Winslow, the Earl of Ayersley, who has spent years trying in vain to forget his unrequited love. When he learns she's been abandoned by her cad of a fiancé, he finds himself offering a shoulder for her to cry on. Comfort soon turns into a passionate kiss—and scandal when they are caught in an embrace.
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Good Old-Fashioned Romance!
- By Lady M on 09-28-13
By: Alyssa Everett
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Midnight Angel
- Stokehursts, Book 1
- By: Lisa Kleypas
- Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor
- Length: 11 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
A noblewoman of frail beauty and exotic mystery fakes her own death to escape the gallows. And now she must flee. In disguise and under a false identity, she finds unexpected sanctuary in the arms of a handsome and arrogant yet gallant British lord—who must defy society to keep her safe . . . and overcome a tragic past to claim her as his own.
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Can't finish. Made me cringe.
- By Lillian on 02-23-22
By: Lisa Kleypas
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You May Kiss the Bride
- The Penhallow Dynasty, Book 1
- By: Lisa Berne
- Narrated by: Carolyn Morris
- Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Wealthy and arrogant, Gabriel Penhallow knows it's time to fulfill his dynastic duty. All he must do is follow "The Penhallow way" - find a biddable bride, produce an heir and a spare, and then live separate lives. It's worked so well for generations, certainly one kiss with the delectable Livia Stuart isn't going to change things. Society dictates he marry her, and one chit is as good as another as long as she's from a decent family.
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Slow Story. EXCELLENT SUPERB NARRATION!
- By Tracy T on 03-30-17
By: Lisa Berne
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Tremontaine, Season One
- 13 Book Series, Box Set
- By: Ellen Kushner, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Malinda Lo, and others
- Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren, Nick Sullivan, Sarah Mollo-Christensen
- Length: 22 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Story
In a city that never was, sex, scandal, and swordplay combine in a melodrama of manners that takes listeners to a world inspired by Elizabethan London, 18th century Paris, and 1980s New York City. Sexuality is fluid, politics is everything, and outcasts are the tastemakers. Intrigue is afoot when a Duchess, a scholar, a swordswoman, and a genius, are brought together by long-buried lies and truths that cannot be denied.
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Wonderful story, flawed narration
- By Kristin on 05-25-18
By: Ellen Kushner, and others
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Buddenbrooks
- The Decline of a Family
- By: Thomas Mann
- Narrated by: David Rintoul
- Length: 26 hrs and 57 mins
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
First published in 1900, when Thomas Mann was 25, Buddenbrooks is a minutely imagined chronicle of four generations of a North German mercantile family - a work so true to life that it scandalized the author’s former neighbours in his native Lübeck.
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Where Have You Been All My Life, Thomas Mann?
- By Virginia Waldron on 03-30-17
By: Thomas Mann
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Autumn Masquerade
- Timeless Regency Collection, Book 1
- By: Josi S. Kilpack, Donna Hatch, Nancy Campbell Allen
- Narrated by: Sarah Zimmerman
- Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
When Lila overhears her uncle talking about a man coming to look for property in the county, she doesn't think twice, until her uncle says he hopes Lila will find enough interest to marry the man. How can she marry someone named Mortimer Luthford, not to mention that his advanced age of thirty-three, and especially since she's already in love with her absent cousin Neville?
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Happily Ever After
- By J. Byerly on 02-11-20
By: Josi S. Kilpack, and others
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Towards the end of the 19th century and for the first few years of the 20th, a strange invasion took place in Britain. The citadel of power, privilege, and breeding in which the titled, land-owning governing class had barricaded itself for so long was breached. The incomers were a group of young women who, 50 years earlier, would have been looked on as the alien denizens of another world - the New World, to be precise. From 1874 - the year that Jennie Jerome, the first known "Dollar Princess", married Randolph Churchill - to 1905, dozens of young American heiresses married into the British peerage....
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In late 19th-century Chicago, visionary retail tycoon Marshall Field made his fortune wooing women customers with his famous motto, "Give the lady what she wants." His legendary charm also won the heart of socialite Delia Spencer and led to an infamous love affair.
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What listeners say about The American Heiress
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- Maria
- 06-27-11
I loved this book!
Books like this come along only once in a very rare while. I loved it! If you're a fan of Jane Austen or Edith Wharton, you'll enjoy it immensely. I judge a book by how badly I want to get back to it and keep listening, and I finished this one in two days. The characters are well-developed, and the narrative beautifully written. The descriptions of the wealth and opulence of the gilded age were breathtaking -- as a female, I really enjoyed the detail about the clothing and manners and protocol. I found myself smiling so many times at the author's use of words, or the impeccable way her characters speak. As one who loves words, I found myself really appreciating how well the use of them flowed perfectly with the desired effect of grandeur and eloquence. Although unlike some gilded age novels, the flowery, descriptive language only added to the plot of the book rather than distracting from it. I fell in love with Cora, as well as all of the other characters -- even the ones I secretly didn't like. And the ending was perfect! The narrator was also magnificent as well. Some narrators really have a hard time pulling off the English accent/American accent mix between the characters, but Kellgren does it perfectly. I loved the way each of her characters sounded, and it only added to the complexity of this book. I thought overall it was fantastic and would highly recommend it!
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73 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Stanzi
- 06-24-11
Author???s first novel is a success
I was delighted to listen to a romance novel that was written intelligently, witty and romantic. This story was not burdened with graphic sex or cheesy unrealistic scenes. Ms Goodwin is a wonderful story teller. The Narrator did a great job and only added to the experience.
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66 people found this helpful
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- Foodiewife
- 07-08-11
Well narrated. Gets better towards the end.
I'm a fan of historical fiction. This book didn't deliver much on history, but opened my eyes to the aristocrats, but not in a flattering way . The narrator does a great job, with both the female and male characters. But, I found myself rolling my eyes at the droll English accents-- wondering to myself "do the Duchesses really talk like this?" How would I know? I've never met one. The book droned on a bit, I felt. I found myself growing weary of the characters-- until, at last, the plot began to thicken. Not the best book I've ever listened to, but the narrator kept me wanting to stick to the end.
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25 people found this helpful
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- Looncatty
- 03-02-15
Tiresome
I couldn't wait for this story to be FINISHED. I kept hoping for something to happen ... that all of the drama we'd been through with Cora and Bertha would culminate into something meaningful. Or, at the very least, thought-provoking. The story has so much potential in a Jane Eyre/Rebecca-like "what is the mysterious and meaningful reason for the husband to behave like a jerk to his wife for 85% of the book?" plot. I wanted to throw my phone across the room when we finally got the confession. Plus, it was very difficult to listen to the narrator's condescendingly aristocratic tone for 13+ hours. I understand why it was narrated in that fashion, but it didn't make it any easier to listen to.
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17 people found this helpful
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Overall
- traceydriscoll
- 07-18-11
Good narration, decent story....fairly predictable
Im not sure i'd spend my money on this if I had a 2nd chance. Not because it wasnt well narrated or well written - both of which it was - HOWEVER, the storyline was So predictable I found myself skipping forward. In summary, a decent book to fall to sleep with. Its wealthy heiress meets dwindling fortuned lord - Downton Abbey mixed with Withering Heights. Decent but needs a new Twist.
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11 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Loretta R. Cooper
- 07-01-11
Mildly Distracting
The writing is insipid. The narration sounds contrived. Skip it. (Unless you like that sort of thing.)
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11 people found this helpful
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- Denise Barker
- 03-14-13
Could have been better
Is there anything you would change about this book?
I wanted more of the story, more character development. She didn't go very deep into any of them really, story was a bit predictable.
How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?
Not sure, I wanted to know more about the characters. It was an interesting perspective of the time, also the excess of wealthy Americans during this time and the struggle of the British aristocracy.
What about Katherine Kellgren’s performance did you like?
She did great transitions from American to English accents, something that usually slips in books like this.
Was The American Heiress worth the listening time?
It was an interesting story of the time period, always makes me glad to be a woman now, not then!
Any additional comments?
Would read more from this author.
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10 people found this helpful
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- Susianna
- 04-19-12
The American (Girl Doll) Heiress
This book wasn???t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?
Romance readers
What do you think your next listen will be?
Something more by D.L. Stevenson or "Rules of Civility" by Towles
Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Katherine Kellgren?
Nora Desmond
If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The American Heiress?
No comment
Any additional comments?
In the interests of full disclosure, I must confess to having listened to a mere 48 minutes of this novel before dropping everything to log into Audible and write a review. Maybe it was the book's cover photo that triggered a pleasant connection to Amor Towles's "Rules of Civility." Maybe it was my ravenous appetite for books set in early twentieth century Britain. Maybe it was the beautiful, soft, spring weather that made me open to a book with some romance. Whatever it was, it was a mistake. "The American Heiress" truly could be YA fiction or the book accompanying a new American Girl Doll, "Heiress Daisy." This novel features two dimensional characters and predictable construct. Nothing grabbed me, challenged me or made me care about anything in this book. I take that back, I am left with some melancholy over a dozen dead hummingbirds that did not survive being painted gold for the crass American dinner party.
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9 people found this helpful
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- Kimberly Ligocki
- 07-13-11
As my friend Merle would say, "Meh."
Yeah, this was only okay. I do wonder how it got mentioned in two different NYTimes stories, one a wrap up of the best summer reading and one a fullblown, and well-received review. It isn't bad, it just isn't that good. Nothing new here - girl and guy meet cute, get married and UGH threat to marriage, which is SPOILER ALERT - overcome. And someone please tell narrators - especially American ones - not to "act," but just read. This one has her duchess voice, and her prince voice and her so on, and they end up just sounding like caricatures and not real people.
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- Lori Mcbride
- 07-17-11
Might be worst.book.ever
Good narrator, awful plot and it all suddenly comes together at the end like she didn't know how to end it. I think this was under the romance section and it shouldn't be, just should be fiction. Not a lot of romance or likability to any one character in this book, and a leading man with the name of IVO really?!??!
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8 people found this helpful