Welcome to Shelf Control — an original feature created and hosted by Bookshelf Fantasies.
Shelf Control is a weekly celebration of the unread books on our shelves. Pick a book you own but haven’t read, write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up! For more info on what Shelf Control is all about, check out my introductory post, here.
Want to join in? Shelf Control posts go up every Wednesday. See the guidelines at the bottom of the post, and jump on board!
Title: The American Heiress
Author: Daisy Goodwin
Published: 2010
Length: 468 pages
What it’s about (synopsis via Goodreads):
Witty, moving, and brilliantly entertaining, The American Heiress marks the debut of a glorious storyteller who brings a fresh new spirit to the world of Edith Wharton and Henry James.
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 Nothing is quite as it seems, however: Ivo is withdrawn and secretive, and the English social scene is full of traps and betrayals.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.
How and when I got it:
I’m sure I picked this up at a library sale, but I have not idea when — other than “a few years ago”.
Why I want to read it:
One blurb I read for this book describes it as an antidote for anyone suffering from Downton Abbey withdrawal… and while Downton Abbey has been off the air for a while now, I did really enjoy it at the time — and this novel seems, at least in plot, to offer some of the delicious social maneuvering and upper class snobbery that made DA so much fun to watch. The American Heiress sounds like it would be very entertaining, and I’m curious to find out if it’s more of a light-hearted romp or a more serious dramatic piece. Either way, I do still want to read it!
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Want to participate in Shelf Control? Here’s how:
- Write a blog post about a book that you own that you haven’t read yet.
- Add your link in the comments!
- If you’d be so kind, I’d appreciate a link back from your own post.
- Check out other posts, and…
Have fun!
Bookshelf Fantasies 
Good one, Lisa! I have had this on my Kindle for years, and I want to read it, too. I read this author’s Victoria last year.
How was Victoria? I meant to check that one out too!
I liked it, but I wished more for it. It seemed to get very draggy, and Victoria’s early life was so fascinating, I don’t know why. I’m still grateful I read it, and hey, they made it into a PBS mini series, too (That was great!). 😊
I watched the first season, and really liked it — not sure why I didn’t return for season 2, but maybe I still will.
Oh gosh, I totally forgot about season 2, Lisa!
I read it, but wasn’t overly impressed.
Oh, disappointing! But thanks for sharing. 🙂
Great post! This sounds like my kind of read 🙂
Thanks! I thought so too — sounds like something to really enjoy.