Book of the Month: The Last Duchess

Hi everyone, hope you enjoyed his review. Now, back to me. My book of the month for Novermber is The last Duchess by Daisy Goodwin.

I absolutely loved this novel. The book was set in the 1890's and is loosely based on the American heiress, Consuelo Venderbilt who married the 10th Duke of Malborough. I love reading fiction from this time period and am fascinated about the lives of socialites/debutantes in this era aswell as their fashion and stately homes.

So as you might have gathered, the book is about an American heiress who marries an English Duke. The aristocracy in Britain were suffering from declining incomes aswell as the new inhertance tax, and therefore found it extremely difficult to maintain and keep their stately homes. Meanwhile, in the US, vast fortunes were being made. American heiresses would make their way to Europe to obtain titles and other things the Old World had to offer.

It was not so much the plot that made me love the book, but the detail and historical accuracy that went into this novel. I truly felt like I was drawn into that era, and through reading, could experience a little of what it was like to be a debutante during that time. The book is filled with interesting characters, some carrying with them dark secrets. I found the book a very good read, and I was hooked after a couple of pages. After I finished the book, I was still thinking about it alot and wished the author has a similar book on sale.

Book of the Month: November (The Ice Cream Girls)

Hi everyone! I LOVE reading books, and go through so many books a year. So many that my husband forced me to join a library as I buy too many books! I decided to do a feature each month on my favourite book of the moment. This month, it's the Ice Cream Girls by Dorothy Koomson.

This book has been categorised as a psychological thriller (one of my favourite genres).

The Blurb:

'As teenagers, Poppy Carlisle and Serena Gorringe were the only witnesses to a tragic event. Amid heated public debate, the two seemingly glamorous teens were dubbed 'The Ice Cream Girls' by the press and were dealt with by the courts. Years later, having led very different lives, Poppy is keen to set the record straight about what really happened, while Serena wants no one in her present to find out about her past. But some secrets will not stay buried - and if theirs is revealed, everything will become a living hell all over again...'

The story deals with an abusive relationship the girls have with their school teacher, and the consequences when the teacher ends up dead. I found this book completely thought provoking, and couldn't put it down. The story kept me guessing until the very end. I found the book pretty detailed and very well written. The story-line was quite dark and gripping. I liked that the book made me think and look at things from very different perspectives. All in all, a very good read!