My Dear Miss Dupre by Grace Hitchcock Book Review

 

Willow Dupré never thought she would have to marry, but with her father’s unexpected retirement from running the prosperous Dupré sugar refinery, she is forced into a different future. The shareholders are unwilling to allow a female to take over the company without a man at her side, so her parents devise a plan–find Willow a spokesman king in order for her to become queen of the business empire.

Willow is presented with thirty potential suitors from the families of New York society’s elite group called the Four Hundred. She has six months to court the group and is told to eliminate men each month to narrow her beaus until she chooses one to marry, ending the competition with a wedding. Willow reluctantly agrees, knowing she must do what is best for the business. She doesn’t expect to find anything other than a proxy . . . until she meets a gentleman who captures her attention, and she must discover for herself if his motives are pure.

 My Thoughts:

I have wanted something different to read from my usual genre and thought that this book looked intriguing. Grace Hitchcock is also a new author for me.

The book sounds like a modern-day Bachelorette reality show but back in the 1880s without the cameras and show producers. Not something I have ever watched or care to watch personally. I’m just a stickler for historical romance.

Willow wants to run her father’s business but the shareholders will not have it. She must find a husband if she is to take over her family’s business when her father retires. Her father comes up with thirty suitors from an elite group of men to stay in their mansion. Can you imagine six months to decide! Some of the men she knows like one she considers a long-time friend, an old crush, and many unknown men. She wants to marry for love and not just to satisfy her father’s company shareholders.

Willow is smart and is very capable of running her father’s business. She is a strong character and seeks God for guidance. She lacked some common sense in questioning her suitors and probably did some things in that era that are probably no-no’s. Some of the men aren’t who they say they are like reporters and those who would love to see ill intentions against Willow and her family.

As you can imagine there are a lot of characters in this book but don’t worry you don’t have a lot to keep track of as Willow narrows down the suitors. Just like good books things happen towards the end that causes drama. People aren’t who they say they are.

So for a family with so much money, I found it hard that the father didn’t investigate the narrowed down list and there are a few other things that just seemed out of place for the era. Overall the book was entertaining and the plot interesting. Probably not my favorite book I have read but it wouldn’t deter me to not read the next book in the series or from the author.

I received this from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own.