Title: The Duchess
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publish Date: June 27, 2017
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb: Angélique Latham has grown up at magnificent Belgrave Castle under the loving tutelage of her father, the Duke of Westerfield, after the death of her aristocratic French mother. At eighteen she is her father’s closest, most trusted child, schooled in managing their grand estate. But when he dies, her half-brothers brutally turn her out, denying her very existence. Angélique has a keen mind, remarkable beauty, and an envelope of money her father pressed upon her. To survive, she will need all her resources—and one bold stroke of fortune.
Unable to secure employment without references or connections, Angélique desperately makes her way to Paris, where she rescues a young woman fleeing an abusive madam—and suddenly sees a possibility: Open an elegant house of pleasure that will protect its women and serve only the best clients. With her upper-class breeding, her impeccable style, and her father’s bequest, Angélique creates Le Boudoir, soon a sensational establishment where powerful men, secret desires, and beautiful, sophisticated women come together. But living on the edge of scandal, can she ever make a life of her own—or regain her rightful place in the world?
From England to Paris to New York, Danielle Steel captures an age of upheaval and the struggles of women in a male-ruled society—and paints a captivating portrait of a woman of unquenchable spirit, who in houses great or humble is every ounce a duchess.
See, I really know better when it comes to Danielle Steel, but something always makes me give her a try again. I usually regret it too. Oh do I regret it but the blurb and the cover here are fantastic.
Unfortunately that's all that is fantastic and because I made the library special order this book in for me, I was determined to finish it. See I saw this book on a clearance table at B & N and wanted to read it, but wouldn't pay 5 bucks for it. Truthfully, I wouldn't pay 50 cents for this one if I found it at a yard sale.
Angelique is the daughter of duke with 2 wicked stepbrothers that hate her. Remember that, its a reoccurring theme here. Her father dies and they kick her out.
Uh, how could that happen? Also how could the daughter of a duke have no friends and never have a season in London? No one knows her? C'mon? I know this is fiction, but could we have a little dash of reality to our story.
Then her brother send her off to be a nanny....and wait til you find out what he tells the couple about her there.
Again. No one in the nobility could get away with this. Her father was a duke!
Then she gets booted out of that position because one of the house guests decided to get handsy with her and...boom she's out on her ear again...mostly because the evil wife doesn't like her and sees her as competition.
Oye to the vey.
What bugged me the most as bad things continued to happen to her..yet she is beloved by staff etc..is that we never learn anything about her. This story is simply told to us. Angelique is very 2 dimensional.
Not to mention how she comes to own a brothel. A daughter of a duke?
There are no words.
And guilt kept me reading because I checked it out of the library.
Oh and did I mention, she created the best little whorehouse in Paris (pun intended) in 16 months...before more tragedy strikes. (This is a recurring theme in all of Danielle Steel's novels btw)
On the boat to New York she meets and falls in love (finally) with a man her age. Don't worry...she finds love but like all Steel novels its not to be..
Yup more gloom and doom here.
And then at last, redemption.
I can't believe I read this book, because truthfully for an author that has sold millions of copies, the writing is terrible. A third grader could do better. Heck this book made me want feel that Twilight was a brilliant piece of fiction.
Rating: 2 flowers
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