While I might have mixed feelings about the book as a whole, when it comes to the plot, up to but excluding the ending, my feelings are quite clear. Cora Cash is a bit too on the nose, don’t you think? The good There are moments throughout the book where you almost wish that you could jump into the story and shake her. She is too trusting of others, often falling prey to their manipulations. Speaking of Cora, she is a source of frustration throughout the novel. Only 20 pages prior to his proposal, he had been appalled by the mere suggestion that he marry her, but I suppose her wealth was sufficient enough for him to overlook his misgivings about the match. They become engaged shortly after meeting, with Ivo’s proposal to Cora coming out of left field. The ending had the potential to be a true turning point for Cora, a chance for her to demonstrate courage and volition, but alas, she remains ever naïve and too easily manipulated by others.Īnother fault of this book is the courtship, or rather lack of it, between Cora and Ivo. Perhaps I am overly cynical, but I am not buying this “reveal.” It feels ham-fisted and contrived, as though the author is forcing the pieces into place in order to achieve the safe, predictable ending. A lot of information is revealed in short order, and on the basis of this information, we are meant to believe that throughout the entirety of the novel one of the characters has been sorely misunderstood. The ending is both predictable and rushed. Even now, I struggle with how to reconcile the joy I felt while reading The American Heiress with the disappointment I experienced upon finishing it.

This book, which had enraptured me for the better part of a week, left me feeling letdown and deprived of a proper ending. I stayed up into the wee hours of the morning to finish it, eager to see how everything would be resolved, and when at last I turned the final page, I felt. I relished wait times, be it for the train or simply dinner, as it meant that I could delve back into the world of Cora Cash. While I was reading it, I struggled to put it down, and I filled every spare moment with my nose between its pages. I have mixed feelings about The American Heiress. TLDR: Enjoyable overall, but the ending is rather underwhelming.

Goodwin daisy