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American Duchess
American Duchess: A Novel of Consuelo Vanderbilt | Karen Harper
30 posts | 21 read | 28 to read
Before there was Meghan Markle, there was Consuelo Vanderbilt, the original American Duchess. Karen Harper tells the tale of Consuelo Vanderbilt, her The Wedding of the Century to the Duke of Marlborough, and her quest to find meaning behind the glitter and the gold. On a cold November day in 1895, a carriage approaches St Thomas Episcopal Church on New York Citys Fifth Avenue. Massive crowds surge forward, awaiting their glimpse of heiress Consuelo Vanderbilt. Just 18, the beautiful bride has not only arrived late, but in tears, yet her marriage to the aloof Duke of Marlborough proceeds. Bullied into the wedding by her indomitable mother, Alva, Consuelo loves another. But a deal was made, trading some of the vast Vanderbilt wealth for a title and prestige, and Consuelo, bred to obey, realizes she must make the best of things. At Blenheim Palace, Consuelo is confronted with an overwhelming list of duties, including producing an heir and a spare, but her relationship with the duke quickly disintegrates. Consuelo finds an inner strength, charming everyone from debutantes to diplomats including Winston Churchill, as she fights for womens suffrage. And when she takes a scandalous leap, can she hope to attain love at last? From the dawning of the opulent Gilded Age, to the battles of the Second World War, American Duchess is a riveting tale of one womans quest to attain independenceat any price.
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FashionableObserver
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Pickpick

While this was a work of historical fiction, American Duchess has endeared Consuelo to me. I want to know more! I think my Fall Quest will be to read as much as I can about her. What a fascinating woman!

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FashionableObserver
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Because, sometimes, you just need something light and entertaining!

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TheSpineView
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Pickpick

This is the fictional story about Consuelo Vanderbilt who was married to the Duke of Marlborough at a very young age. It was an arranged marriage and a business deal. The Duke needed the Vanderbilt money in order to save his family estate. Consuelo's mother what a title. There was no love in the marriage and though she bore the Duke two sons it ended in divorce. Interesting take on a real facts. I liked the first half of the story but the...

TheSpineView ...second half dragged until we got to WWII. I thought there was so much that got glossed over. I also thought Consuelo's mother was a real piece of work. 3.5 ⭐ 4y
80 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Lreads
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Pickpick

I can‘t remember how I stumbled onto this book but I‘m glad I did. It was really interesting learning about Consuelo Vanderbilt and the eras she lived through. The story moved quickly and was entertaining.
#audiobook #historicalfiction

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BiblioLitten
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#3books
I did not even get to my usual 100 page mark before I #DNF.
Sometimes life gets in the way of reading. and I keep a few books for later. These three won‘t be getting a second chance. 🥱😴😴

Ruthiella I DNFed The 12 Lives too...gee, I‘d totally forgotten that! Everybody else seemed to love it. 4y
BiblioLitten @Ruthiella A lot of people love this one and the Henrik Groen book. The blurbs sounded quite promising though. 4y
OriginalCyn620 📚😐📚 4y
55 likes3 comments
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thelizflynn
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Another #quarantineread to clear up my TBR and physical bookshelf. It‘s alright so far, but nothing spectacular. The character development is not that great and the pacing of the story feels rushed/stilted. Like...am I supposed to care deeply about Consuelo? Because I‘m not connecting 😖

BiblioLitten I couldn‘t go through with the book. The protagonist was just annoying. 😑 5y
thelizflynn @BiblioLitten I can totally understand that. I just don‘t really...care about the protagonist! 😂 I‘ll see if I can go through with it and finish or if it‘ll go to the DNF pile. 5y
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the_next_chapter101
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Mehso-so

Her story was interesting but I felt like there was something missing. I still advise reading it if you love history novels. 4/5⭐

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a.bookish.byrd
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Mdargusch
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Pickpick

I‘m fascinated by Blenheim Palace after visiting there twice, so this book about Consuelo Vanderbilt was a must read for me. Her mother traded Consuelo and her Vanderbilt fortune to the Duke of Marlborough for his title and prestige. Harper does and adequate job of following Consuelo‘s life and love story. I find this period of time compelling thanks to Downton Abbey.

MrsMalaprop Love the photo 🌸🌺. 5y
Reviewsbylola I may have to borrow this. 5y
Mdargusch I will save it for you if you want it. I will put it in the LFL when you‘re done. @Reviewsbylola 5y
78 likes1 stack add4 comments
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Crazeedi
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@CoverToCoverGirl your package is getting mailed today!
@Lynnsoprano I'm paying this book forward! 💞 I appreciate your generosity, thought I'd copy it!!

CoverToCoverGirl So sorry I somehow missed this post! Thank you soooo much! 😍😊 I so want to read that book! I‘ll be looking forward to receiving some #LitsyLove. I‘ll be checking my mailbox on my way home from work! 😘 (edited) 5y
Crazeedi I hope it's there soon! 5y
64 likes2 comments
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S.Web
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Panpan

I thought Consuelo Vanderbilt was fascinating and would like to read more about her, but I did not like this book. I didn‘t think it was particularly well written, and I think the decision to cover 40+ years of such an interesting person‘s life in 350 pages was a mistake.

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litenthusiast
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Pickpick

I recently read a book about Alva Vanderbilt and learned about how she fought for a woman's right to vote. This book is about her daughter, Consuelo, and her marriage to the Duke of Marlborough. It is an interesting and fascinating read. The picture I posted is of Consuelo and Winston Churchill who was a good friend to her and cousin of her husband.

Crazeedi I read a book about alva and I read this one too. Both very good! 5y
Crazeedi The clothes they wore though! I dont know how they did it. And what alva put Consuelo through, and what alva went through! Of course the millions were helpful 5y
litenthusiast @Crazeedi All the clothes and layers they described I found interesting, but I could not imagine wearing those dresses especially in the heat. 5y
33 likes3 comments
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litenthusiast
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Friday Night #DateNight. We are sitting in one of our favorite indie bookstores and both reading. Also, I know very little about Consuelo Vanderbilt, so I'm very curious about the book.

Reviewsbylola This sounds like an amazing date! 5y
Leftcoastzen Nice! 5y
35 likes2 comments
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Librarybelle
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April was a rough month at the library - so many great new things, but so many late hours! The last big piece - a new circulation system - debuts in less than two weeks. I‘ll be so happy when that is up and running!

So, as a little pick me up, I went on a mad book buying spree. My Barnes and Noble #bookhaul arrives today. #bookmail

Kaila-ann The Huntress was really good. Kind of a slow build (I thought) but worth it. 5y
Librarybelle Good to know, @Kaila-ann ! Thank you! 5y
See All 6 Comments
Librarybelle @CoverToCoverGirl It sounds so good! 5y
ferskner You're so close! Good luck on the final transition. 5y
102 likes1 stack add6 comments
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BiblioLitten
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YA? Y Not!

The protagonist of both my current reads (the tagged book and the one in the pic) is an 18 yo American teenager. One is a duchess and the other is a drummer. 🥁👑
Also, happy 4th wedding anniversary to me! 🎉

JennyM Happy anniversary! Great pic, too 😘 5y
Tanisha_A Hi lovely! Happy anniversary! 🥂 5y
JessClark78 Happy Anniversary! 🎊❤️🥂 5y
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Kaye Happy Anniversary and aren‘t you cute ? 💕 5y
sudi Happy Anniversary 💖 and that is a cute picture 😊 5y
Reggie Happy Anniversary!!! 5y
batsy Happy anniversary! 💐💜 Love this pic! 5y
DaveGreen7777 Awww, Happy Anniversary! 😀🎉 5y
Crazeedi Happy anniversary!!🎉🎉🎉 5y
cobwebmoth Happy Anniversary! 5y
readordierachel Happy anniversary! 🎉🎉🎉 And adorable pic! 5y
BiblioLitten @readordierachel Thank you🤗💕 5y
RohitSawant Belated Happy Anniversary! 🎉🎂🎉 5y
CouronneDhiver Beautiful picture and Happy Anniversary! 😘😘❤️ 5y
64 likes15 comments
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BookNAround
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Pickpick

Between a pick and a so-so, this is the fictionalized story of Consuelo Vanderbilt, who marries into the British aristocracy becoming the Duchess of Marlborough. It‘s a first person narrative but superficial even so but it does give a good overview into the life of the caring, philanthropic person she became despite her unhappy marriage. Full review at https://booknaround.blogspot.com/2019/03/review-american-duchess-by-karen-harper...

Bookish_B I've had my eye on this one... I love the cover. 6y
Crazeedi I just read this. Yes it could have been better written but I did enjoy reading about her, especially since I just read one about her mother Alva 6y
57 likes2 comments
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Crazeedi
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Pickpick

4⭐ this is the story of Consuelo Vanderbilt, Duchess of Marlborough. Her mother forced her into the marriage to the Duke, and from there we read about her life in English royalty. The book spans the time frame from the late 19th century to WW2. A fascinating story. I will check out the authors other books.

rubyslippersreads This is on my TBR. 6y
Crazeedi @rubyslippersreads if you send me your address, I'd be happy to send it to you! crazeedi73@gmail.com 6y
rubyslippersreads @Crazeedi Thank you so much for your kind offer. I actually have the ebook, and your great review has made me want to move it up my list. 😘 6y
Crazeedi @rubyslippersreads that's fine! Glad you have it! 6y
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Crazeedi
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Next up! I'll see how many more hours I can add to my #24B4Monday total!! I havent done so well, I was gone most of the day Friday, and I had a job to finish yesterday so....cut in to my reading time!
@Andrew65 @TheReadingMermaid

BeansPage That's alright girl, don't fret just keep going! You got this! 6y
Andrew65 Still done a great job! 👏🙌 6y
Crazeedi @Andrew65 thanks! 6y
HOTPock3tt That gorgeous cover!! 😎 6y
74 likes4 comments
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MrBook
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#TBRtemptation post 3! Just came out in stores. From the Gilded Age to WWII, you get the perspective of one women‘s suffrage leader and influencer. At 18, Conseulo was forced by her mother to be married off to the Duke of Marlborough in what was dubbed “The Wedding of the Century”. Despite an eventual crumbling marriage, she used her aristocratic position to influence reforms, persuading the likes of Churchill. #blameLitsy #blameMrBook 😎

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BookNAround
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Nothing quite like historical fiction to make you grateful that, as a woman, you live now and have control over your own destiny. Here‘s hoping I like Consuelo better as the book goes on because right now I am just annoyed with her and with her cowardly, milksop of a father and find her mother to be a nasty schemer.

Crinoline_Laphroaig That always gets me when reading Historical Fiction, the horror of being at the mercy of men. 6y
erzascarletbookgasm Kristen 👋 Just want to let you know I‘ve received your card, so sweet of you. I‘ll be writing back! 🤗 6y
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Crazeedi
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@Lynnsoprano I LOVE them! I can't wait to read! Thank you so very much for thinking of me, you made my day
#littenfriendship #litsylove #olderbutwiserfriends ❤️❤️❤️❤️💕💕💕💜💜💜💜💜

Lynnsoprano I hope you enjoy them as much as I did😘 6y
Crazeedi @Lynnsoprano we seem to have similar tastes, and they both are something I would pick up to read, so I'm thinking YES! 😉😍 6y
robinb The Penrose is a wonderful series...♥️♥️♥️ Enjoy! 6y
Crazeedi @robinb awesome, I can't wait to start! 6y
76 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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Lynnsoprano
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Pickpick

A fictionalized biography of one of the “dollar brides,” Consuelo Vanderbilt. A very interesting character who led a full life, this is well written, and the author‘s comments at the end really are a nice addition. It took longer to read than I expected, because I ended up googling so many names and historical events. I‘ll put a full review up on LibraryThing in a day or two, as this was an #earlyreviewer book.

Crazeedi Looks like an interesting one! 6y
80 likes5 stack adds1 comment
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Lynnsoprano
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1. Teleport. I could travel without long airplane flights 👏
2. I‘m almost finished with the tagged book.
3. No sense making resolutions I don‘t keep
4. Not really a binge watcher, but finally close to finishing The Crown and Anne With an E
5. Will do! #friyayintro

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Lynnsoprano
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Just as I was about to start a new book, this arrived in the mail! LibraryThing #earlyreviewer books always go to the top of the queue, so this is #nextup. One of the highlights of my 2018 reading life was getting involved with the early reviewer program at LibraryThing. So far, they‘ve all been winners.

TheBookKeepers Can‘t wait to hear what your review is! I love the cover and sounds interesting!! 6y
Crazeedi I'm interested in your thoughts on this book 6y
79 likes2 stack adds2 comments