Customer Reviews

Heiress (Daughters of Fortune)

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I love reading stories set during the Gilded Age, and have read a good number of them to date. This novel tops them all as my absolute favorite. In fact, in my opinion this is Susan May Warren's best book ever! I've read ten of her books and have ten more (at least) that I own or have started. Her historical fiction is far superior in quality because it's full of deep, heart-felt insight on a level that her contemporary novels don't quite touch. I used to think Sons of Thunder was her best book because it was so intense and fabulous, but this novel even tops that one.

In my opinion, Susan is clearly gifted when it comes to writing historical romance. She does a great job with deep point of view and insight into human frailty and overwhelming regrets. At many different times while reading this novel I felt like I was living the life of each of the sisters. The author includes so much sensory detail with visceral emotion attached to it...like the scent of city life, the ink from the presses, stark terror from the absence of light deep in the mines, the pain from wearing the corsets, to constriction of society's expectations, the blood from...well I won't say.

Anyway, a few times I was agonizing over the story line. I felt like yelling into the book and saying nooooo! Talk about torturing your reader with the characters' conflicts! I was feeling their regrets and wishing they had made better choices too. My heart hurt for them. I was living this story! That's great writing.

Things I admired most about this novel was it was brave, honest, and well told. How many Christian authors have their characters actually admitting to themselves that something was very wrong that happened, but it led to something that was very right...like understanding true love for the first time in their lives? There were some tender scenes that included passionate gazes and kisses filled with so much longing. The intense emotion in this novel was palpable at times. And the heroes were so lovable.

Many contemporary topics were covered that were relevant back in the Gilded Age just like they are now. Infidelity, spousal abuse, the love of money and position, and pride over appearances to name a few. I loved how the author tied so many truths into each character's struggle with their desire to know true love and with learning to receive forgiveness. The heroes were each, in their own way, models of Christ. They were committed to the heiresses, patient and willing to forgive. But unlike Jesus, the heroes weren't perfect. I loved that too. I didn't find the spiritual thread heavy handed, but it was clearly present. I like how the author showed their spiritual journeys in a way that was culturally relevant to the times. I loved how she referred to D. L. Moody and some of his famous sermons as well.

This was a great book. But I have to warn you that it's addicting. I literally struggled with having to go to work when what I really wanted to do was stay home and read this novel. Excellent fiction. Compelling. Well-plotted. Intelligently written. I was thinking, "Man, I wish I could write like this." Truly superior and emotionally evocative writing. I highly recommend it.

Susan May Warren took a bold step with this novel and one I applaud. Gripping, this imaginative tale will leave you turning pages without pause. With unexpected twists and masterful storytelling, Warren has penned one of her best novels to date.

Oh. My. Goodness. I have been a Susan May Warren fan from the very first book that I read of hers but this one is beyond them all. Heiress just confirms to me that Susan may be one of the most versatile authors I've read. From sweet romance to humor to intense suspense to gripping historical novels, everything this author has written has made me want more. I made myself wait to read Heiress until my earlier review obligations were met and can say it was definitely worth the wait.

A story that begins in New York City during what is known as "The Gilded Age", Heiress features sisters Esme and Jinx, daughters of a prominent newspaper publisher. In a world filled with glamorous clothing and fabulous balls, it is their duty to marry well and enhance the family's position in society. Jinx eagerly awaits her chance to participate in the societal rituals involved in finding a husband. Unfortunately she must wait until older sister Esme has married before her father will allow it - and Esme has no desire to marry the man chosen for her. At this juncture, choices are made by both young women that will affect their lives forever.

The story takes the reader from the mansions of New York to a small frontier town in Montana and spans over a decade in time. A dramatic and emotional tale, the plot is filled with unexpected twists. Just when things seem to be the most hopeless, something will happen that brings light. On the other hand, just when you think one of the women will finally find happiness, something else will happen that will set her back. This is one book that will keep the reader in suspense until the very end because there is absolutely NO way to guess how everything will be resolved.

Heiress is a bold story that touches on some ugly facts of life such as rebellion, adultery, domestic abuse, lies, and betrayal. It illustrates how a person without Christ can be held prisoner by success, wealth, and power. It is ultimately a powerful account of the potential high cost one must pay for choices made.

This book was provided for review by LitFuse Publicity.

Ever since Gossip Girl came to life on television, I have been hooked on all things New York and its ritzy upper-crust families. Glamour, scandals, glitter and gold - when I heard Susan May Warren was tackling this world with a historical twist, call me hopelessly hooked but I was more than ready to jump into this adventure.

THE GOOD BITS
{The difference of chasing dreams versus living them.} Heiress takes place in a world where women did not have a lot of options - their main objective is to secure the right sort of marriage. Some women live for this, but others dream bigger for independence and perhaps a career. Esme dreams to be a journalist instead of marrying the man that her parents picked out, but is she prepared to leave the glittery world behind and get her hands dirty in the real world? That is the real trial by fire, and Susan May Warren allows this character to both fail and succeed.

{Jinx's knotty romance.} Granted I wouldn't wish anyone to go through what Jinx went through in the romance department, but it was so deliciously twisted that I flew through the pages to find out how it would all unravel. A heartbreaking nightmare of a love triangle, but when things were good, they were happy-good. The beauty of this particular storyline is how tragic and real it felt - how many women have been trapped like Jinx? How many had to let go of an impossible love to survive? It was riveting. It was raw. It was real - and I ate up every word of it!

THE BAD BITS
{Combination of 2 storylines.} It works for certain books. I don't think it was a major issue for Heiress, but when I got invested in one sister, I wanted to see her story through to the very end without any interruptions from the other sister. Susan May Warren gives us nice chunks of time with each sister, but I wished the story did not have to alternate - and perhaps each sister would get their own individual book.

{Just a smidge of Christian fiction?} I expected a more obvious Christian message somewhere within these pages, but I could not put a finger to it for the life of me. Granted, a good way to describe Heiress is a more wholesome Gossip Girl. Scandal and unfaithful husbands are still running around, but how does a Christian woman survive in such a society? Can she hold onto her faith when society kicks her to the curb? The problem that I have is that I did not really see Esme or Jinx struggling with their faith as much as the simple fact that life is unfair to women.

THE OVERALL
I think Susan May Warren is onto something with this latest series, and I admit some curiosity as to how the sisters will fare in the future after the ending. Heiress is quite enjoyable - not too historical, not too scandalous - just the right amount of both. More of a quiet and thoughtful piece on the trials for women living on the cusp of independence.

Why haven't I ever read anything by Susan May Warren? I absolutely loved this book and I feel like I've missed out on really getting to know a great author! I can't wait to read more by Susan!!

Heiress is about August Prices' daughters and how they wanted different things in life and how things turned out for them with the decisions they made along the way. Esme was beautiful and graceful, but she was also a Heiress which meant she was meant to be married off to the highest bidder. Esme had no interest in the rules of high society and she was adamant that she would marry for love along and she would become an amazing female journalist!

Jinx was Esme's younger sister and wanted more than anything to be the Heiress and marry a wealthy man and become the center in high society. Jinx wanted everything Esme didn't, if only they could switch who was born first!!

Author Susan May Warren completely astounded me with this new series titled the Daughters of Fortune!! Right from the beginning I was completely invested in the passionate love stories of Esme and her sister Jinx!

Heiress is a unique story that deals with tough issues like adultery, betrayal and passion along with rebellious and strong heroines! There were so many twists and turns and unexpected events that unfolded throughout the story I felt I couldn't read it fast enough!

The story starts off with the 2 sisters together and then splits off into each of their own personal lives and then it comes together again when the sisters are reunited after years of separation. This is a story of opposites; one sister chooses wealth and status, the other chooses love and poverty.

This is a Christian fiction but I was impressed that it was not overly preachy. It gets a little annoying to read perfect characters leading perfect lives. However Susan weaves a subtle message about following God's path for your life and the consequences of following our sinful desires! I will be adding this book to one of my favorite Christian fiction books ever read list and will anxiously awaiting book 2 in the Daughters of Fortune Series!!

I highly recommend Heiress to any fan of the Gilded Ages, Christian historical fiction, Edgy Christian fiction and romance readers!!
Content: Some minor things to mention: this book is about marriages and like I mentioned before there is adultery and some violence. I would recommend this book for mature audience only.
A Big Thank You to Litfuse for providing a review copy of the book. I was not obligated to provide a positive review.

I'm an avid reader of mostly legal, medical, mystery, thriller fiction. I nearly didn't pick up "Heiress" from my library's new books shelf - I neither like nor read "Christian" fiction, romance novels or most "chic-lit and the Christian fiction sticker on the jacket was, frankly, a turn-off. But pickings were slim that day, so I thought I'd give it a try. I LOVED it - the characters were well developed, the plot moved well, and the writing was engaging - the Christian flavor was a bit God-centered for me, but the moral/ethical themes meshed with my own thinking.
Good reminder to look outside the box and have an open mind. I'm looking forward to "Baroness".

Author Susan May Warren has astounded us with another future bestseller in this first book of a new trilogy entitled the Daughters of Fortune. From the very first pages, I was enthralled with the passionate story that unfolded upon its pages.

The story is about the two very different daughters of August Price. First, there is Esme. Proud and headstrong, she wants nothing more than to follow in her father's footsteps and become a journalist and then heir to his newspaper empire. Jinx is the exact opposite and jealous of her elder sister and avidly desires to grace society's grandest ballrooms in search of a wealthy husband. Their mother, Phoebe, is determined to ensure both her daughters are married off to men of great means.

What follows is clever plot steeped in rebellion, transgression, betrayal, and passionate love. Filled with plenty of twists and turns, I was fascinated with the story and the trials of the two daughters whom fate separated, but later threw together in a fascinating, suspenseful ending. It is a story of opposites - from great wealth to the dregs of poverty, taking the reader from New York's ballrooms to the wilds of Montana. Although this is Christian historical fiction, there is little preaching. Rather, the author cleverly weaves subtle, but powerful lessons about love and value and family into the story. Most definitely I will read this books sequels. Highly recommended!

The Blighted Troth: A Historical Novel of New France

The Blighted Troth: A Historical Novel of New France

Who am I? When one has been raised in the wealthy society of the Gilded Age in the late 1800s, one has a book of rules, Godey's Lady's Book, to scrupulously follow if one would be successful as a debutante and respected society female. Esme and Jinx Price have opposite dreams, the former to become a famous journalist and the latter to be the envy of her social class after making a prize marriage with a wealthy gentleman. Indeed, Jinx little by little is falling in love with the man Esme is supposed to marry, Foster Worth, a genuine cad for sure!

Esme, however, has a secret, a butler's son who loves her and wants to marry her; he even nurtures her passion for journalism by having her stories submitted as "Anonymous Writer" to Esme's father's newspaper, The New York Chronicle. Jinx and her mother are responsible for the most outrageous machination, designed to save the family's fortune but that truly seems to bring ruin to all involved.

Esme will lose one love and escape to Silver City, Montana where she will start her own small newspaper, fight for the causes she believes in, and meet a man who will briefly love her in the truest sense of the word but not until she suffers a great deal of poverty and prejudice because she is a woman working in a man's trade. Jinx, on the other hand, gets her man but the relationship turns out to be a dark nightmare, exacerbated by the presence of one family member she shares a very dark secret with, as well as a passionate love!

Heiress is full of dreams, adventures, disappointments, passion, secrets, battles, bloodshed, fistfights, murder, and more that make the pages fly. Words of faith begin to resonate in all of these characters, offering a peace that passes the understanding of most people restlessly pursuing their devastating and chaotic goals, conforming without thinking or feeling about a larger purpose for living.

Susan May Warren's first novel in this Daughters of Fortune series is guaranteed to leave you wanting to read the next book in the series soon. She knows how to spin a multilevel plot with varied characters, together with constant changes that surprise the reader as well as the characters. Heiress is peaceful, frantic, passionate, and inspiring - a superb combination, Ms. Warren!

Susan May Warren pens a powerfully moving story that takes place during the Gilded Age of America, a time of the elite set in New York City; of riches and glamorous cotillions, motorcars and yachts, and forbidden passions and discontentment. It is the story of two sisters, Esme and Jinx Price, daughters of the wealthy newspaper magnate, August Price, who are as different as night and day. Esme wishes only to follow in her father's footsteps, to become a famous female journalist, whereas her younger sister, Jinx, wants only to be a member of the elite society, possessing great riches and social status, even to the point of wanting her sister's wealthy fiance.

Brokenhearted Esme's journey takes her to Montana, a far cry from what she was use to in NY; a mining town with vigilantes, gamblers, and a saloon-turned-headquarters for her newspaper. She has no desire to ever marry, but meets the handsome son of the owner of Silverthreads Mines, Daughtry Hoyt. Will she find love again and what terrible tragedy draws her back to her opulent home in NY City? Does she learn to commit her ways to the Lord and finally find peace?

Jinx seems to have everything her heart could ever desire; a wealthy, handsome husband, jewels, a magnificent home, and the best parties, but her life is just a facade. One foolish night threatens to ruin her life forever, and her best laid plans for herself come crumbling in on her. Is there something that money can't buy, that lies deep inside, and does Jinx find it? Will love's elusive dream ever find her again?

This is the second series by Susan May Warren I have read, and all I can say is NOW I see why she wins so many awards for her writing. I was a little nervous starting into this book, because Ms. Warren doesn't sugarcoat her characters or her storylines at all! Her characters are human and sinful, and not knowing God they do some pretty awful things, but I found myself loving them anyway. The storyline drew me in, and I found myself not being able to put this book down once I got into it, except out of necessity. This novel was heartbreakingly realistic...edgy to be sure, but oh, what a satisfying conclusion! S. M. Warren, you are a master storyteller!

Heiress is written by the amazing Susan May Warren. Set during the Gilded Age this book sweeps the reader seamlessly from the opulence of high society balls in New York City, to underground mining tunnels in rugged Montana. You'll experience the luxurious summer cottages of the privileged, the ink-stained hands of downtown journalist, and the hovels in Hell's Kitchen (the poorest section of NY).

Susie's writing is mind-blowing--you see the rich pooling curtains in the mansions, smell the soot in the city air, and run your fingers through Montana dirt. It's that realistic.

More than that, as a reader I was so invested in the story that my heart was wrenched through the gamut of emotions. I literary lost sleep agonizing over what was happening in the characters' lives. Putting down the book to eat was next to impossible, so much so that I finished it in two days.

See, in Heiress Susie took on the task of telling the Biblical story of Esau and Jacob with a modern twist. The Biblical truths are present in this brilliantly spun story of two affluent daughters, Esme and Jinx.

This book deals honestly and boldly with really tough issues. Life's horrors aren't glossed over. A deep lesson unfolds, one that shows the condition of the human heart paralleled with a God who is always willing to offer grace. Both sisters must face painful consequences for pursuing their sinful desires and for refusing to wait on God.

Both sisters must answer the question: what does it mean to be blessed? To have wealth? Family? Influence in their position? Popularity among peers? To be forgiven?

Read this powerful book. You're morals will be assaulted (in the best sense), your heart will weep, you'll catch yourself sighing, and you will be blessed.