What do you think?
Rate this book
The American Heiress
A New York Times–bestselling author brings World War I–era England to vibrant life in this romantic saga in which destiny turns a lady’s maid into a lady. It is spring of 1915. Spoiled twenty-one-year-old Clemency Jervis and her Fifth Avenue entourage board the Lusitania, bound for England, where Clemency is to marry the dashing Lord Hugo Hazzard of Loburn. A few miles off the Irish coast, the ship is torpedoed by the Germans. One of the few survivors is Clemency’s maid, Hetty Brown, a young woman who resembles her mistress. Surprised to be taken for Clemency, Hetty carries out a daring deception that makes her a nobleman’s wife and the mistress of a magnificent country estate, despite doubts about her among some in her aristocratic new set. Suspenseful, surprising, and heartwarming, The American Heiress is a tale of love, war, and the far-reaching, often-unexpected consequences of our actions.
274 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1980
525 people are currently reading
1289 people want to read
About the author
Dorothy Eden
93 books164 followersAka Mary Paradise.
Dorothy Eden was born in 1912 in New Zealand and died in 1982. She moved to England in 1954 after taking a trip around the world and falling in love with the country. She was best known for her many mystery and romance books as well as short stories that were published in periodicals. As a novelist, Dorothy Eden was renowned for her ability to create fear and suspense. This earned her many devoted readers throughout her lifetime.
Dorothy Eden was born in 1912 in New Zealand and died in 1982. She moved to England in 1954 after taking a trip around the world and falling in love with the country. She was best known for her many mystery and romance books as well as short stories that were published in periodicals. As a novelist, Dorothy Eden was renowned for her ability to create fear and suspense. This earned her many devoted readers throughout her lifetime.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 163 reviews
January 7, 2014
4 1/2 stars
I have to be careful what I say in this review because I could so easily spoil the story. But I'll do my best. In a nutshell, a young woman assumes the identity of her heiress 1/2 sister when her sister perishes in the sinking of the Lusitania.
She goes on and marries her sister 's fiance and takes her place at a manor house in England. Her husband is promptly called back to the war and she is left with her fabrications ...and new relatives. Will they see through her facade?
I loved the premise of this story. Swapping roles and hidden identities fascinate me. So I was really excited to find this book at the library.
At times the heroine disappointed me and I didn't like who she was becoming. But when I took my self righteous soul aside for a chat I realized that the character was reacting exactly as we would expect her to act in those circumstances. It was REAL even if it wasn't heroic.
And the ending was good. Very good. Satisfying on so many levels though I still wish there was yet another epilogue cos I still want a few answers...
Bottom line : well worth a read!
CONTENT :
SEX : two encounters between married individuals. I didn't find it vulgar or offensive but not recommended for YA readers.
VIOLENCE : None, although there is a shipwreck
PROFANITY : Mild
PARANORMAL ELEMENTS : Hettie has hallucinations? sees a ghost? its not clear to her any more than it is to us. She has gone through major trauma so it wouldn't be unusual to have 'breakdown ' type nightmares.
MY RATING : PG -13 (for NA or Adult readers -because of sexual content )
I have to be careful what I say in this review because I could so easily spoil the story. But I'll do my best. In a nutshell, a young woman assumes the identity of her heiress 1/2 sister when her sister perishes in the sinking of the Lusitania.
She goes on and marries her sister 's fiance and takes her place at a manor house in England. Her husband is promptly called back to the war and she is left with her fabrications ...and new relatives. Will they see through her facade?
I loved the premise of this story. Swapping roles and hidden identities fascinate me. So I was really excited to find this book at the library.
At times the heroine disappointed me and I didn't like who she was becoming. But when I took my self righteous soul aside for a chat I realized that the character was reacting exactly as we would expect her to act in those circumstances. It was REAL even if it wasn't heroic.
And the ending was good. Very good. Satisfying on so many levels though I still wish there was yet another epilogue cos I still want a few answers...
Bottom line : well worth a read!
CONTENT :
SEX : two encounters between married individuals. I didn't find it vulgar or offensive but not recommended for YA readers.
VIOLENCE : None, although there is a shipwreck
PROFANITY : Mild
PARANORMAL ELEMENTS : Hettie has hallucinations? sees a ghost? its not clear to her any more than it is to us. She has gone through major trauma so it wouldn't be unusual to have 'breakdown ' type nightmares.
MY RATING : PG -13 (for NA or Adult readers -because of sexual content )
August 21, 2011
Harriet (Hetty) Brown is maid to heiress Clemency Millicent Jervis, although there's a bit more to the relationship between the pair - they look alike enough to pass as sisters (well, they are half sisters, but that would take too long to explain). Clemency's family has bartered her off with a generous dowry in trade for an Englishman with a title,
"He was willing to give a pretty American girl a title, which naturally she would adore, a wedding in St. Margaret's, Westminster, and the chance to show off a wantonly expensive trousseau to London society, in return for a plump injection into his bank account."
The voyage to meet her groom hits a snag when the Germans sink the Lusitania, and Hetty is the only one of the three to survive (or is she?). Since the authorities have mistakenly identified her as Clemency, why shouldn't she just step into her *sister's* shoes and become Lady Hazzard? It shouldn't be that difficult should it? It all seems so simple at first...
"Nothing was safe. Nothing. But at this point there was no turning back."
Nope there's no turning back, but you'll have to read it for yourself to see if Hetty pulls it off. This was a solid, well written tale, with plenty of twists, turns and surprise developments to keep you guessing until the end (loved the epilogue!). I found Hetty's deception and subsequent complications believable and thumbs up to the author for including some of the smaller difficulties, i.e. having to make her handwriting the same as Clemency's. This is the second book by Eden I've read and it won't be the last - and it looks like the library has plenty more to choose from. 4/5 stars.
"He was willing to give a pretty American girl a title, which naturally she would adore, a wedding in St. Margaret's, Westminster, and the chance to show off a wantonly expensive trousseau to London society, in return for a plump injection into his bank account."
The voyage to meet her groom hits a snag when the Germans sink the Lusitania, and Hetty is the only one of the three to survive (or is she?). Since the authorities have mistakenly identified her as Clemency, why shouldn't she just step into her *sister's* shoes and become Lady Hazzard? It shouldn't be that difficult should it? It all seems so simple at first...
"Nothing was safe. Nothing. But at this point there was no turning back."
Nope there's no turning back, but you'll have to read it for yourself to see if Hetty pulls it off. This was a solid, well written tale, with plenty of twists, turns and surprise developments to keep you guessing until the end (loved the epilogue!). I found Hetty's deception and subsequent complications believable and thumbs up to the author for including some of the smaller difficulties, i.e. having to make her handwriting the same as Clemency's. This is the second book by Eden I've read and it won't be the last - and it looks like the library has plenty more to choose from. 4/5 stars.
December 1, 2022
Типичната богата и глезена американска наследница сключва взаимно изгоден годеж с типичен обеднял английски аристократ. Пари и титла се допълват превъзходно. Щастливата годеница обаче се качва на съдбовен кораб - “Лузитания”, потопен от немска подводница в началото на първата световна война.
В крайна сметка обеднялото, но гордо старо английско имение и неговите настръхнали от неприязън надменни обитатели се сдобиват с американска снаха, която е извадена полумъртва от океана без друга идентификация, освен една гривна. След сватбата младоженецът поема обратно към фронта. Остава дв виси въпросът коя всъщност е невестата... Играта на котка и мишка между американката и англичанките от имението, плюс приятния фон и интересните герои осигурява приятно прекарано време в тази семейна история с леко криминален привкус и неочаквани обрати.
В крайна сметка обеднялото, но гордо старо английско имение и неговите настръхнали от неприязън надменни обитатели се сдобиват с американска снаха, която е извадена полумъртва от океана без друга идентификация, освен една гривна. След сватбата младоженецът поема обратно към фронта. Остава дв виси въпросът коя всъщност е невестата... Играта на котка и мишка между американката и англичанките от имението, плюс приятния фон и интересните герои осигурява приятно прекарано време в тази семейна история с леко криминален привкус и неочаквани обрати.
November 17, 2015
Zzzz...an incredibly boring, incredibly bland, incredibly passionless story graced with flat writing & cardboard characters. It was the reading equivalent of stale Wonderbread. The ending sucked (WTF was all the build-up?!), the 'romantic detour' was pointless, & the random ghost served no purpose but to try & distract from the lack of plot. FAIL.
Why do I keep trying this author? Good grief. -______- This is my third (or fourth? I can't even remember) attempt at Eden, & each time her prose batters me over the head with dullness. It's just SO DRAB. At least recognizably shitty writers like Dan Ross or Johanna Lindsey have some personality, even if their grammar is awful or their characters are schizo. Someone throw a freakin' pie, huh?! I don't understand why Eden has such a devoted clan of fans.
Why do I keep trying this author? Good grief. -______- This is my third (or fourth? I can't even remember) attempt at Eden, & each time her prose batters me over the head with dullness. It's just SO DRAB. At least recognizably shitty writers like Dan Ross or Johanna Lindsey have some personality, even if their grammar is awful or their characters are schizo. Someone throw a freakin' pie, huh?! I don't understand why Eden has such a devoted clan of fans.
September 17, 2015
The sinking of the Lusitania by the Germans in 1915 provides a basis for the story. Harriet (Hetty) Brown, survived the shipwreck, was mistakenly identified as her employer (a rich american heiress to be married to the English lord), assumed the identity and tried to build her life around it.
I liked the first half of the book quite bit. Hetty’s background, her ambivalent place in the family, the voyage on the fated ship, shipwreck and its aftermath, the heroine strength and determination to survive by impersonating her dead employer was very interesting and well done. Her initial meeting with a fiancé, their subsequent marriage was believable. I didn’t really care for the hero but understood his behavior granted the circumstances of why the characters were married in the first place (he needed money, she (or rather her employer) wanted a title). Where the story started to lose its appeal to me was when it went to a ghostly territory (no pan intended). There was not necessary a supernatural element there. It was more of Hetty suffering from PTSD (IMHO). I think the author tried very hard to make this story as gothic and suspenseful as possible but the characters' development suffered as result and the plot became little bit tedious. I couldn’t understand why Hetty who appeared to be such a strong survivor and a very capable woman at the beginning would meekly put up with jabs and disdain from some of the secondary characters. And the hero … I would love the story to have his POV to understand him better. Otherwise, he appeared to be somewhat one-dimensional and not very likable. I would also love to see more of the characters' interactions, specially, when they truly started to appreciate each other. As it is, the ending felt too abrupt and the epilogue too strange.
I liked the first half of the book quite bit. Hetty’s background, her ambivalent place in the family, the voyage on the fated ship, shipwreck and its aftermath, the heroine strength and determination to survive by impersonating her dead employer was very interesting and well done. Her initial meeting with a fiancé, their subsequent marriage was believable. I didn’t really care for the hero but understood his behavior granted the circumstances of why the characters were married in the first place (he needed money, she (or rather her employer) wanted a title). Where the story started to lose its appeal to me was when it went to a ghostly territory (no pan intended). There was not necessary a supernatural element there. It was more of Hetty suffering from PTSD (IMHO). I think the author tried very hard to make this story as gothic and suspenseful as possible but the characters' development suffered as result and the plot became little bit tedious. I couldn’t understand why Hetty who appeared to be such a strong survivor and a very capable woman at the beginning would meekly put up with jabs and disdain from some of the secondary characters. And the hero … I would love the story to have his POV to understand him better. Otherwise, he appeared to be somewhat one-dimensional and not very likable. I would also love to see more of the characters' interactions, specially, when they truly started to appreciate each other. As it is, the ending felt too abrupt and the epilogue too strange.
August 3, 2013
The American Heiress by Dorothy Eden was originally published in 1980. Open Road Media has released some of Dorothy Eden's best loved novels in digital format. This one was a July 2013 release.
Clemency Jarvis is betrothed to Lord Hazzard, Hugo, and is preparing to travel to England for her wedding.
Her ladies maid- Hetty, will be making the journey with her. Although warned that since the war has broken out it is unsafe to cross the Atlantic, Mrs. Jarvis insist the wedding take place before Hugo must go into combat. So, they board the fated Lusitania ship.
Clemency was an American from New York whose family was quite wealthy. Her betrothal to Hugo was certainly not a love match. Clemency and her mother just want the title and Hugo is in financial straights and needs Clemency's money.
Clemency is spoiled and without much depth of character. She is silly, vain and self absorbed.
But Hugo seemed taken with her during their short introduction.
Hetty Brown, has lived with Clemency since she was a child. She is a servant in the house, but Hetty is all too aware of her heritage. Just one look at her and one would guess Hetty is related to Clemency, since the two could easily pass as sisters.
So, when the ship they are on is wrecked, Mrs. Jarvis had insisted the three of them load themselves down with the jewelry they had brought in hopes of salvaging something and making it to a life raft. However, the majority of people on board were dead. When Hetty regains consciousness, she is wearing a bracelet with Clemency's initials engraved on them, making people believe she was Clemency. Mrs. Jarvis has been identified as one of the dead, but Clemency was never found.
The temptation to step into Clemency's shoes was too great for Hetty. Knowing who her father was, gives Hetty the rationalization that she is owed just as much as Clemency.
So, once Hetty arrives in England, she finds it all too easy to step into Clemency's role. But, be careful what you wish for. Hugo only has a short leave before he must return to war. This leaves Hetty with her sister in law, her mother in law and a woman named Julia. Julia and Hugo had once been in love. Julia is stunned when Hugo choses money and the restoration of his estate over Julia and a love match. Hetty has been told that Julia will not be turned out of the house. So, Hetty must deal with suspicions that she is not who she claims to be, the devastating images of the shipwreck, the jealousy and all consuming determination of Julia to wreck her marriage, and being haunted by Clemency. To make matters worse, her brother in law has been sent home from the war and she finds the two of them have a great deal more in common that she and Hugo ever had.
The backdrop of the war, and the horrific effect of surviving a shipwreck and trying to maintain a front under a cloud of suspicion, Hetty is constantly ill at ease. She doesn't know if Clemency will ever show up or if someone from her past will recognize her or if one of the ladies in the house will set a clever trap for Hetty to fall into. The suspense is nearly unbearable as Hetty deals with several huge personal blows, and with her increasing feeling for her brother in law, and the constant worry that Hugo will be killed on the battlefield, and of course the ever present and increasingly vindictive, Julia.
Dorothy Eden was a master story teller well ahead of her time. Her talent for building suspense and throwing shocking twist into a story made her a regular best seller. If you read mysteries and romantic suspense novels you can see Dorothy Eden's influence in many popular authors today. Dorothy also wrote in the very popular Gothic romance genre in the 60's and 70's. I was so excited when I saw that Open Road Media was going to release a nice size backlist of Dorothy's work in digital format. It's a real shame that these books were only available through used bookstores and Ebay. It's not like you can walk into a Barnes & Noble and purchase one these books now. So, many readers have been missing out on some really good stories and influential writing. Now everyone can re-read their favorites or be introduced to this most talented author. This story in particular stands the test of time. This one is historical, suspenseful, and romantic.
A++
Clemency Jarvis is betrothed to Lord Hazzard, Hugo, and is preparing to travel to England for her wedding.
Her ladies maid- Hetty, will be making the journey with her. Although warned that since the war has broken out it is unsafe to cross the Atlantic, Mrs. Jarvis insist the wedding take place before Hugo must go into combat. So, they board the fated Lusitania ship.
Clemency was an American from New York whose family was quite wealthy. Her betrothal to Hugo was certainly not a love match. Clemency and her mother just want the title and Hugo is in financial straights and needs Clemency's money.
Clemency is spoiled and without much depth of character. She is silly, vain and self absorbed.
But Hugo seemed taken with her during their short introduction.
Hetty Brown, has lived with Clemency since she was a child. She is a servant in the house, but Hetty is all too aware of her heritage. Just one look at her and one would guess Hetty is related to Clemency, since the two could easily pass as sisters.
So, when the ship they are on is wrecked, Mrs. Jarvis had insisted the three of them load themselves down with the jewelry they had brought in hopes of salvaging something and making it to a life raft. However, the majority of people on board were dead. When Hetty regains consciousness, she is wearing a bracelet with Clemency's initials engraved on them, making people believe she was Clemency. Mrs. Jarvis has been identified as one of the dead, but Clemency was never found.
The temptation to step into Clemency's shoes was too great for Hetty. Knowing who her father was, gives Hetty the rationalization that she is owed just as much as Clemency.
So, once Hetty arrives in England, she finds it all too easy to step into Clemency's role. But, be careful what you wish for. Hugo only has a short leave before he must return to war. This leaves Hetty with her sister in law, her mother in law and a woman named Julia. Julia and Hugo had once been in love. Julia is stunned when Hugo choses money and the restoration of his estate over Julia and a love match. Hetty has been told that Julia will not be turned out of the house. So, Hetty must deal with suspicions that she is not who she claims to be, the devastating images of the shipwreck, the jealousy and all consuming determination of Julia to wreck her marriage, and being haunted by Clemency. To make matters worse, her brother in law has been sent home from the war and she finds the two of them have a great deal more in common that she and Hugo ever had.
The backdrop of the war, and the horrific effect of surviving a shipwreck and trying to maintain a front under a cloud of suspicion, Hetty is constantly ill at ease. She doesn't know if Clemency will ever show up or if someone from her past will recognize her or if one of the ladies in the house will set a clever trap for Hetty to fall into. The suspense is nearly unbearable as Hetty deals with several huge personal blows, and with her increasing feeling for her brother in law, and the constant worry that Hugo will be killed on the battlefield, and of course the ever present and increasingly vindictive, Julia.
Dorothy Eden was a master story teller well ahead of her time. Her talent for building suspense and throwing shocking twist into a story made her a regular best seller. If you read mysteries and romantic suspense novels you can see Dorothy Eden's influence in many popular authors today. Dorothy also wrote in the very popular Gothic romance genre in the 60's and 70's. I was so excited when I saw that Open Road Media was going to release a nice size backlist of Dorothy's work in digital format. It's a real shame that these books were only available through used bookstores and Ebay. It's not like you can walk into a Barnes & Noble and purchase one these books now. So, many readers have been missing out on some really good stories and influential writing. Now everyone can re-read their favorites or be introduced to this most talented author. This story in particular stands the test of time. This one is historical, suspenseful, and romantic.
A++
February 17, 2015
I got this confused with another book by the same title, by Daisy Goodwin. This one was sort of like eating sorbet to cleanse the pallet between courses...pretty blah and non-descript. However I had just finished a 785-pager and needed something simple to wake me up and clear my head.
October 18, 2015
"It is spring of 1915. Spoiled twenty-one-year-old Clemency Jervis and her Fifth Avenue entourage board the Lusitania, bound for England, where Clemency is to marry the dashing Lord Hugo Hazzard of Loburn. A few miles off the Irish coast, the ship is torpedoed by the Germans. One of the few survivors is Clemency’s maid, Hetty Brown, a young woman who resembles her mistress. Surprised to be taken for Clemency, Hetty carries out a daring deception that makes her a nobleman’s wife and the mistress of a magnificent country estate, despite doubts about her among some in her aristocratic new set"
Is this plot summary from Amazon not awesome? Unfortunately, the actual book is not so much. Didn't hate it but it could have been so much better.
Is this plot summary from Amazon not awesome? Unfortunately, the actual book is not so much. Didn't hate it but it could have been so much better.
February 24, 2020
Fun, fast Gothic read. Perfect reading for a travel day.
December 8, 2017
It's 1915. Rich widowed American Mrs. Jervis and her daughter Clemency, accompanied by their maid Harriet (Hetty) Brown, are on their way to England so that Clemency can marry handsome Lord Hazzard. Clemency gets a title and Hazzard gets Jervis money. A win-win except that the women are traveling on the Lusitania and Hetty is the only one to survive the German torpedo and sinking of the ship. Or at least that seems to be the case.
Turns out that Hetty is Clemency's illegitimate older half sister (Mr. Jervis's illicit relationship with an upstairs maid) and looks enough like Clemency that when it is mistakenly assumed that Clemency is the only survivor and that Mrs. Jervis and the maid have died, Hetty takes over Clemency's life, marrying Lord Hazzard and living on the New York inheritance.
Well, how does all that turn out for her? It's not easy being the pretend heiress and Eden does a masterly job of showing us all the major and minor difficulties in pretending to be someone you're not. In addition to small things like waist size and handwriting, there are some particular worries for Hetty. Point #1: Can Hetty be sure she is the only one to survive in the Jervis party? Only Mrs. Jervis's body was recovered. Point #2: What about other survivors of the Lusitania who had met Clemency on the trip over? Would a chance encounter with one undo her? Point #3: Lord Hazzard's former love works as companion to his mother and is doing all she can to sabotage the new couple's happiness. Point #4: WWI is not cooperating as Lord Hazzard has to leave for the war shortly after their marriage. Hard for Hetty to find any moments free of unease and, let's face it, guilt.
This was an enjoyable read. There was a sense of dread throughout the reading, a feeling that things wouldn't work out for Hetty/Clemency. Then, of course there's the thought that perhaps they shouldn't work out for her. Is what she's doing all that ethical? Read and decide for yourself. I found it quite suspenseful, not as in life-or-death situations but rather in the "will she/won't she" get away with it?
Turns out that Hetty is Clemency's illegitimate older half sister (Mr. Jervis's illicit relationship with an upstairs maid) and looks enough like Clemency that when it is mistakenly assumed that Clemency is the only survivor and that Mrs. Jervis and the maid have died, Hetty takes over Clemency's life, marrying Lord Hazzard and living on the New York inheritance.
Well, how does all that turn out for her? It's not easy being the pretend heiress and Eden does a masterly job of showing us all the major and minor difficulties in pretending to be someone you're not. In addition to small things like waist size and handwriting, there are some particular worries for Hetty. Point #1: Can Hetty be sure she is the only one to survive in the Jervis party? Only Mrs. Jervis's body was recovered. Point #2: What about other survivors of the Lusitania who had met Clemency on the trip over? Would a chance encounter with one undo her? Point #3: Lord Hazzard's former love works as companion to his mother and is doing all she can to sabotage the new couple's happiness. Point #4: WWI is not cooperating as Lord Hazzard has to leave for the war shortly after their marriage. Hard for Hetty to find any moments free of unease and, let's face it, guilt.
This was an enjoyable read. There was a sense of dread throughout the reading, a feeling that things wouldn't work out for Hetty/Clemency. Then, of course there's the thought that perhaps they shouldn't work out for her. Is what she's doing all that ethical? Read and decide for yourself. I found it quite suspenseful, not as in life-or-death situations but rather in the "will she/won't she" get away with it?
August 29, 2025
I read this book by accident. I set out to read The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin. A hasty Libby checkout led me to this twisty, circa 1980s romantic suspense story based around the sinking of the Lusitania and set at a majestic English manor house during World War I. What a happy accident! I adored this book. I probably would’ve never stumbled across Dorothy Eden otherwise. In reading several reviews of her other works and snippets about Eden I noticed the word “spellbinding” used more than once. That is a perfect word to describe how completely wrapped up I became in this story. Secrets, drama, romance, war, shipwrecks, and a slightly spooky English manor! What more could you ask for. I will definitely be exploring other stories by Dorothy Eden!
September 1, 2022
3.5 stars rounded up
What a delightful afternoon's reading.
What a delightful afternoon's reading.
February 10, 2015
Sweet read 3.5 stars
I really struggled with what rating I wanted to give this book. There care so many good things to say about this book but in the end I just didn't feel like it rated vCard 5 star
The plot was excellent.
The heroine was great.
The hero/husband turned out to be a likable guy but there is not enough in the story about their life together and the refurbishment of his estate. A major portion of the story was about how much Hetty wanted this done and I believe we can correctly assume it was but, reading about it happening as she continued to confound Julia would have greatly added to the story.
Speang of Julia, what happened to her? Do you really think she would have given up her pursuit of Hugo just because she was dismissed?
The only thing I will say about the end is it was abrupt and I was disappointed.
The author writes extremely well, is very descriptive, and her characters were developed.
I did enjoy the book for all I've said and I do recommend it to others but I did feel it moved slowly.
I really struggled with what rating I wanted to give this book. There care so many good things to say about this book but in the end I just didn't feel like it rated vCard 5 star
The plot was excellent.
The heroine was great.
The hero/husband turned out to be a likable guy but there is not enough in the story about their life together and the refurbishment of his estate. A major portion of the story was about how much Hetty wanted this done and I believe we can correctly assume it was but, reading about it happening as she continued to confound Julia would have greatly added to the story.
Speang of Julia, what happened to her? Do you really think she would have given up her pursuit of Hugo just because she was dismissed?
The only thing I will say about the end is it was abrupt and I was disappointed.
The author writes extremely well, is very descriptive, and her characters were developed.
I did enjoy the book for all I've said and I do recommend it to others but I did feel it moved slowly.
February 20, 2015
Good, Mildly Suspenseful.
Part gothic, part historical, part mystery, part romance...overall a nice blend of several genres that make a satisfying read. A deception such as the one portrayed in this book could only have happened in a time before instantaneous communication and rapid travel across great distances. Of course, the author was still obliged to pull out a number of 'convenient' plot devices to make it work, but even with that it managed to keep me engaged.
Bottom line: This is a enjoyable, mildly suspenseful snowy afternoon read.
Part gothic, part historical, part mystery, part romance...overall a nice blend of several genres that make a satisfying read. A deception such as the one portrayed in this book could only have happened in a time before instantaneous communication and rapid travel across great distances. Of course, the author was still obliged to pull out a number of 'convenient' plot devices to make it work, but even with that it managed to keep me engaged.
Bottom line: This is a enjoyable, mildly suspenseful snowy afternoon read.
July 23, 2016
I would actually rate the book 3 stars, but I always give a bonus star for a great ending, beautiful writing style, or creativeness. This book may have had a few problems with the plot, but I really liked the ending, and it was not at all what I expected (in a good way) from the book description. The main characters do not always have to be perfect, and the author understood that. So, 4 stars it is.
June 25, 2009
Story of a girl that survived the icy waters of the Atlantic after the Lusitania sank. Her mistress had died and she had her initialed gold bracelet. She decided she would take on her mistresses identity and marry the Lord Hazzard they had been on their way to.
What would this lie cost her? What would it take for her to become in reality the loved, acknowledged Lady Hazzard?
What would this lie cost her? What would it take for her to become in reality the loved, acknowledged Lady Hazzard?
March 10, 2015
The American Heiress certainly had many twists and turns going on I could hardly tell what was going to happen next. It was pretty enjoyable although I felt that it could have been more descriptive and sort of lacked a real climax at the end, but all in all I was happy with how things turned out for the characters.
January 12, 2013
This book started off really well and then like with so many books, the author lost her steam and the book just kind of ends abruptly. She could have continued to develop the story a bit more before tying up all the loose ends. But for the most part, I enjoyed this book (ala Downton Abbey).
February 16, 2015
Read It
If you like a bit of suspense with your historical fiction, go for it. Eden combines a light touch coupled with a dark atmosphere that strikes just the note as far as I'm concerned. Very well done and a quick read as well
If you like a bit of suspense with your historical fiction, go for it. Eden combines a light touch coupled with a dark atmosphere that strikes just the note as far as I'm concerned. Very well done and a quick read as well
May 13, 2010
You guys. It's NOT good.
September 11, 2014
Bad. Do not recommend.
July 20, 2015
Total beach or airplane read if you are looking for something light. Writing and plot are clunky at times.
October 25, 2015
The was a really good book until the end. It just sort of stopped abruptly and made a transition to the future that was incredibly disjointed, at least for me anyway.
May 9, 2016
Nice story. Good plot lines and interesting characters. Well written. Just easy entertainment.
July 18, 2025
I've had this book in my Kindle for 6 years and just now rediscovered it and why I didn't read it right away years ago is now beyond me. This was such a great book that had a bit of gothic-esque vibes as the story kept building and building my suspense. A New York aristocrat heads to England to marry an earl with her mother and her lady's maid. Problem is they're traveling on the Lusitania in 1915 and when the German sub hits the ship the mistress and her mother die, but her lady's maid lives and decides to pretend she's the mistress and shows up at the earl's place and marries him. It gets really creepy, exciting and a little scary from then on. The story builds and builds until you just know something big is going to happen and when it does, you're shocked. I love books that can do this to me. So happy to have finally read this book. I know Dorothy Eden is no longer with us but I'm eager to look into some of her other books, I know she's got a lot. Happy Reading!
April 18, 2019
This is the second Dorothy Eden book I've read and like the first (Speak To Me Of Love), it's definitely engaging. The author does write about complex characters, I'll give her that. Plus, she does a good job with the historical context which, not too much and not too little (for my taste - I like history to aid characterization and not dominate it, so others who read for more history in fiction might not agree).
One thing that did get on my nerves a bit is that the author's characters seem uneven. I noticed this in the first book I read as well, especially the protagonists. I felt they started out well but as the story went on, they were doing things that felt out of character to what they were set up to be in the beginning. As a writer, that irked me, as I know how important character consistency is.
But definitely a read that will have you turning pages.
One thing that did get on my nerves a bit is that the author's characters seem uneven. I noticed this in the first book I read as well, especially the protagonists. I felt they started out well but as the story went on, they were doing things that felt out of character to what they were set up to be in the beginning. As a writer, that irked me, as I know how important character consistency is.
But definitely a read that will have you turning pages.
October 20, 2021
Well, the author didn’t make some of the choices I was dreading, but I also can’t exactly say I’m satisfied?
A promising first half, and Hetty was interesting, but I have so many issues with the way the characters and their relationships were developed…or not developed, as the case may be.
CW: Grief, PTSD, shipwreck/drowning, war, ableism, miscarriage
A promising first half, and Hetty was interesting, but I have so many issues with the way the characters and their relationships were developed…or not developed, as the case may be.
CW: Grief, PTSD, shipwreck/drowning, war, ableism, miscarriage
July 10, 2022
Very well constructed plot centered on a case of mistaken identity following the loss of life occasioned by the torpedoing of the Lusitania—colorful characters, sustained level of tension, high drama, satisfying denouement. Who knows what, and how long have they known it? This novel keeps the reader guessing to the very end.
July 22, 2020
This book was as tame as a little baby bunny named Muffin
October 9, 2016
Talk about Old Skool romance, this is it. I pity my mother's generation if this is all they had to read. It is mind-numbing boring, and I only finished it because I find it hard to stop reading once I start at book.
This is a story of young woman, Hetty Brown, born on the wrong side of the blanket, who gets a job as a lady's maid to Clemency Jervis. She is a rich, spoiled young women who is engaged to a Englishman with a title in need of money. She is also the young maid's half sister, and they look enough alike to be twins.
As fate would have it, they travel to England, where Lord Hazzard of Loburn is waiting to marry Clemency. The only family Clemency has is her mother and an old uncle, the rest being dead, so a lavish marriage in England appeals to her. Unfortunately, they decide to travel on the Lusitania and get torpedoed. As they are proceeding to the lifeboats, Mrs Jervis insists they load themselves with jewelry to save what they can. Somehow they get separated, and when Hetty is picked up, she is wearing a bracelet with Clemency's initials.
Once she determines that neither Mrs. Jervis nor Clemency has survived the ordeal, she takes the identity of her half-sister and goes through with the marriage. She realizes that one meeting in New York is not enough to impress her looks or personality on Lord Hazzard. Just to show how stupid everyone is, including herself, she insists on keeping her own name and insists on everyone calling her Hetty instead of Clemency.
Her husband is called away to war shortly after the wedding, but her money comes through all right, and she proceeds to repair the ancestral estate at Loburn. She manages to keep up the masquerade in spite of the suspicions of Lord Hazzard's penniless prior love, Julia, who is invited to stay at Loburn at the expense of Lady Loburn, Lord Hazzard's mother. Lady Loburn is smart enough to realize what she her bread is buttered on and eventually sends the trouble-making Julia away. The rest of the book is about Hetty's fear of being found out, and Julia's attempts to reveal her deception.
If this is your cup of tea, you will love all 480 pages of it. Me, I just went along to find out whether she gets away with it.
This is a story of young woman, Hetty Brown, born on the wrong side of the blanket, who gets a job as a lady's maid to Clemency Jervis. She is a rich, spoiled young women who is engaged to a Englishman with a title in need of money. She is also the young maid's half sister, and they look enough alike to be twins.
As fate would have it, they travel to England, where Lord Hazzard of Loburn is waiting to marry Clemency. The only family Clemency has is her mother and an old uncle, the rest being dead, so a lavish marriage in England appeals to her. Unfortunately, they decide to travel on the Lusitania and get torpedoed. As they are proceeding to the lifeboats, Mrs Jervis insists they load themselves with jewelry to save what they can. Somehow they get separated, and when Hetty is picked up, she is wearing a bracelet with Clemency's initials.
Once she determines that neither Mrs. Jervis nor Clemency has survived the ordeal, she takes the identity of her half-sister and goes through with the marriage. She realizes that one meeting in New York is not enough to impress her looks or personality on Lord Hazzard. Just to show how stupid everyone is, including herself, she insists on keeping her own name and insists on everyone calling her Hetty instead of Clemency.
Her husband is called away to war shortly after the wedding, but her money comes through all right, and she proceeds to repair the ancestral estate at Loburn. She manages to keep up the masquerade in spite of the suspicions of Lord Hazzard's penniless prior love, Julia, who is invited to stay at Loburn at the expense of Lady Loburn, Lord Hazzard's mother. Lady Loburn is smart enough to realize what she her bread is buttered on and eventually sends the trouble-making Julia away. The rest of the book is about Hetty's fear of being found out, and Julia's attempts to reveal her deception.
If this is your cup of tea, you will love all 480 pages of it. Me, I just went along to find out whether she gets away with it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 163 reviews