Book Review: Duchess

If you've read any of my previous reviews of any title by Susan May Warren, you know my usual bottom line -- "Buy it."

Can't do that this time.  Duchess is the third (and final) book in the Daughters of Fortune series, and while it is definitely the best book of the three, I personally do not think it stands on its own.  So my bottom line this time:  Go get Heiress.  Then Baroness.  And finally, go get Duchess. 

I suspect this book would be good if you haven't read the first two.  But it is so much better knowing the stories that have come before.

From the publisher:

The golden age of Hollywood is in the business of creating stars. Rosie Worth, now starlet Roxy Price, has found everything she’s wanted in the glamour of the silver screen. With adoring fans and a studio-mogul husband, she’s finally silenced the voices—and grief—of the past. Her future shines bright…until the fated Black Friday when it all comes crashing down. When Roxy loses everything, she finds herself disgraced and penniless. Her only hope is to join forces with Belgian duke Rolfe Van Horne, a longtime film investor. But Rolfe is not who he seems, and he has other plans for Roxy and her movies—plans to support a growing unrest in Europe, plans that could break her heart and endanger her life.

This novel covers the late 1920s and the 1930s, in Hollywood and in Europe.  I'll confess to knowing very, very little about Hollywood in the 30s, but the detail in Duchess certainly rings true for what I do know about the times.  The 1930s Europe setting is one that is a bit more familiar to me, and the historical details there (and their accuracy) were simply fantastic.

As she always does, Warren managed to suck me in so that I really did care about the characters, even though the whole "starlet" thing didn't do anything for me.  Rosie/Roxy became very real, and her struggles with whether or not God could possibly care about her rung oh-so-very-true.

This series is great.  And you could win it and a Kindle...


Susan May Warren is celebrating the release of Duchess with a Kindle Fire HD Giveaway.

One "glam" winner will receive:

• A brand new Kindle Fire HD
• Signed copies of Duchess, Baroness and Heiress

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on May 4th. Winner will be announced on 5/7/13 at Susan's blog.

Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.

Disclaimer:  I received this book through LitFuse Blog Tour.  No other compensation was received.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own.