‘The Duchess’ by Danielle Steel

STORY: Angelique 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. Angelique 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, Angelique 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, Angelique 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.

REVIEW: Lets start this review by admitting that I’ve never been a huge fan of Ms. Steele, but I did read a few of her books which I liked. I’ll not go so far as to say that this story wasn’t written by the author, as some other reviewers have suggested, but for an accomplished author as Ms. Steele, this book is unacceptable.

Now, let me tell you what didn’t work for me in this book.

I believe if the story was told only from the heroine’s POV, it would have resonated better, but the thin plot made this story not just improbable, but totally unbelievable and most of the story, especially the ending, predictable. It annoyed me to no end that the story was told from everyone’s POV. But what was most annoying was that the whole book read more as a movie script and not as a novel.

As for romance? Well, there wasn’t much of it throughout the story and when finally our heroine falls in love, the story is rushed through and I felt absolutely no connection between the two. If I was the editor of this story, I would have made the author rewrite the ending. Huge disappointment there!

There are only two things that I thought were done well, and that’s the heroine’s character development and growth. I liked watching her grow into a woman of principle and strength, however improbable her journey was. The second thing was Gideon Emery’s narration.

In the end, I do not recommend this read. I’m truly disappointment in it.

Melanie for b2b