My Dear Miss Dupré (American Royalty)

I thought this was another solid, entertaining read by Grace Hitchcock - I'm already impatiently waiting for the other two books in this trilogy. :) When I am reading historical fiction I want believable, relatable, sympathetic characters and an entertaining plot line. I thought both of these were present in My Dear Miss Dupre. I was invested from the beginning in Willow's story. The men were sympathetic and all sounded very dreamy. I can't wait to follow some of the other story lines in her subsequent books (I hope!). Willow is a sharp business woman and perhaps a little naïve about human character and relationships - I think she grew throughout the novel and by the end was on her way to becoming well-rounded as a whole. She handled the anxiety and pressure of a bachelorette style ambush very well. I think she treated the "contestants" well, considering the pressures she was facing from both her family and her business. I thought the faith aspect of the book was believable and didn't feel forced, like it can for some Christian fiction. It felt like a natural aspect of the characters and their lives. There was some very light (fisticuffs) violence and a few kisses. I was scheduled to receive a copy of this book from the author and publisher. I also purchased a copy. The opinions stated above are entirely my own.

I didn't set out to read My Dear Miss Dupre. The premise of Regency era meets The Bachelor seemed a little silly, partially because I don't watch The Bachelor/Bachelorette and don't see any appeal. But April was rather short on books that intrigued me, and I do love the Regency period, in England or New York. So, out of my local bookstore I went with a copy. I definitely did not regret it. First off, the book's title says a lot. Miss Willow Dupre is in fact a dear. Part of this is because of her compassionate bent, her physical beauty, and her wit, traits that a lot of heroines and especially "American princesses" are expected to possess. But Willow is a dear more because she stands out among other American princesses. She's sanguine. She's irrepressible. As Cullen notes, Willow balances the driven nature of a businesswoman with interpersonal intelligence and true joie de vivre. Spending a book with her as the lead is a pleasure on every page. As for the bevy of gentlemen courting Willow, they're enjoyable in all kinds of ways. They don't read as a vapid 1880s version of men from The Bachelorette. Instead, each man has a unique personality and way of relating to Willow, some of which hide surprises or shocking revelations. And like Willow, I have to give extra credit to Cullen Dempsey. This Irish Wild Man is every inch the swoon-worthy hero without being a stereotype. He defends Willow's honor, with fists if necessary, but also lets her take care of him. He knows how to be a perfect gentleman of his era, but maintains authenticity and appreciation of his roots. This mix means that when Cullen does something "expected," such as escorting Willow to dinner or kissing her, I swooned all the more. Grace Hitchcock clearly did her homework on the New York and Newport settings and 1880s social conventions. The settings pop, and small details from bustles and bathing costumes to a floor of packaging girls in a sugar factory, make them authentic. As for the social conventions, they're written in organically, so you never feel as if research is getting info-dumped on you. Some conventions are amusing; for instance, Willow's mother having a fit over her being out at eleven PM was funny simply because that's not the case for adult women anymore. Others ramped up the plot's tension, such as the ruthlessness of reporters and the possibility that Willow's being alone with a man could be horribly misconstrued. Each one works great. Finally, I found a lot of great scenes in My Dear Miss Dupre that set it apart from similar books and prevent the Bachelor-like stereotypes or predictability. Look for such gems as an almost-kiss in a doctor's office, an undercover "sting" at Dupre Sucre, a Valentine's party that mixes sweetness and drama, and a scene that reveals a surprise villain. I did want more of certain things and less of others. For instance, Grace includes some good spiritual threads, such as when Cullen "does business" with God over Psalm 40. But most of the meaty spiritual moments come late in the book. Until then, it's mostly Willow throwing up a prayer occasionally, or Cullen noting he was brought back to "the feet of Jesus" without delving into how that happened or what his spiritual life looks like now. I also felt that Grace's climax came too early, leaving a long piece of the book to wrap things up. The actual events leading up to the ending were surprising, but they occurred after Willow had already been captured by and defeated a villain whose identity was a big shock. Thus, everything else sort of fell flat, even though Grace tried to keep the action and suspense levels up. I think the ending events would've made more sense if Grace either removed the "hypotenuse" beforehand, or gave the secondary villain role to a different man. With this said, My Dear Miss Dupre was my first pleasant surprise of this year and gets a recommendation. I'm already curious about the other American Royalty books, especially since Grace promised I would meet familiar characters in them. I hope for a good mix of the familiar and the new, as well as another fun story.

I have recently read a lot of Grace Hitchcock’s books and have enjoyed all of them. But this one was special I really got into the characters and the plot. It was great!

This was so much fun! I've never been a fan of the TV shows the Bachelor and Bachelorette, but I really enjoyed this Gilded Age twist to the shows. I was hooked right from the start and couldn't get enough of it. Willow has a tough decision to make. Some of New York's finest and most eligible men are vying for her hand in marriage. She has six months to make a decision. Who will she pick? I definitely had my favorite chosen pretty early on, but there were a couple of other guys who I really liked, too. I was on the edge of my seat wondering who she'd pick in the end. This was a great historical romance that I'd definitely recommend. I'm so excited it's the first book in a series. I can't wait to pick up a copy of the sequel!

I supposed the author developed this story after watching the TV series “The Bachelor.” It was tedious at times, but a fun read full of twists and turns. I enjoyed the book, the author gave us an idea of what it was like to be one of several men who are all wanting to be the winner and we’d the “queen”.

Why I Choose this Book The name of the series is American Royalty, and that's a concept that has always been intriguing to me. What I Thought about the Book For how many things I didn't like in the book, I'm surprised by how much I did like. And since that's a confusing statement, I'll go with three pros and three cons. The Pros: -I enjoyed the writing style; it was well done and kept my attention. I could imagine the setting and enjoyed getting to visit wintery 1882. -The story, although predictable, moved at a good pace. Each scene is supposed to move the plot forward, and the author did well with that. Also, this was a unique way to spin a very common type of story so I applaud the author's ingenuity. -I thought Willow's struggle to change her plans and mindset were very realistic and I liked that a lot. The Cons: -There were so many guys introduced all at once and I could only keep track of about three of them. -The need to suspend belief was high. It's not plausible that Willow's parents wouldn't have been more selective and careful with the process - for how serious the whole thing was, it was treated with a very flippant attitude by the parents. -Four out of the five guys we actually got to know bothered me a lot. Some of them I just found annoying, others I disagreed greatly with the choices they made. Conclusion If you like just enjoying the story and not worrying about how realistic it is, then this is a good book for you. It was clean, had a few sweet moments, and the plot moved at a good pace. I enjoyed the author's writing enough that although this story wasn't for me, I'll probably read another one of her books in the future. Rating I’m giving My Dear Miss Duprè 3 out of 5 stars. Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for sending me a copy of the book so I could post this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Hitchcock’s newest story after tearing through her previous novels, The White City and the Gray Chamber. My Dear Miss Dupre did not disappoint! Another page turner, with a completely original storyline, well developed characters, and surprise twists!

Set in a historical time period, this play on the Bachelorette had me intrigued, but I put it off. I found it had humor, historical info, but also the underlying heartbreak of being forced into a marriage due to save your family. It is hard to imagine being in that place, yet, in some ways, since it was expected, it took away many issues we have today with single parenthood that end up working themselves ragged. Yet, you wonder at the unhappy marriages and abuse as well. I am looking forward to the second book!