The Social Graces by Renée Rosen is a captivating read for anyone who delights in historical fiction, particularly those fascinated by the opulence and intrigue of the Gilded Age, the struggles of women's empowerment, and the complexities of high society, as this novel masterfully weaves together the true story of two remarkable women, Alva Vanderbilt and Mrs. Astor, in a tale of power, privilege, and the pursuit of social status.

The Social Graces has been sitting on my kindle for a while and I'm glad I finally picked it up. This novel takes the real lives of the Vanderbilts and the Astors and fictionalizes aspects of their lives, while staying fairly true to many of the facts. I found myself stopping to google images and places because the way Rosen wrote their stories made me completely fascinated and dying to know more.

I really appreciated how she made Alva and Caroline interesting and flawed and lovable--you couldn't help but root for both of them, even as you questioned some of their choices. I also enjoyed that she wrote about a large span of their lives, which made the novel feel very satisfying when you got to the end--it felt complete.

Interesting, historical read.

This is the story of two women and their families who ran Manhattan and New Port in the gilded age. Was Life better then--well for alva Vanderbilt and Caroline Astor it certainly wasn't--even though they could afford everything, their lives were not particularly happy, which just proves that money can't buy happiness. Maybe, if these two headstrong women could have been friends, they could have done great things, instead they frittered their lives away--so sad as this book points out.

{2.5 stars rounded down} THE SOCIAL GRACES • Renée Rosen • Pub Date: April 20, 2021

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. After setting this eARC down in March 2021 for a year or two, and then deciding to switch to the audiobook version, I am finally ready to review THE SOCIAL GRACES. Better late than never, right?

Goodreads Synopsis: In the glittering world of Manhattan's upper crust, where wives turn a blind eye to husbands' infidelities, and women have few rights and even less independence, society is everything. The more celebrated the hostess, the more powerful the woman. And none is more powerful than Caroline Astor—the Mrs. Astor. But times are changing. Alva Vanderbilt has recently married into one of America's richest families. But what good is money when society refuses to acknowledge you? Alva, who knows what it is to have nothing, will do whatever it takes to have everything. Sweeping three decades and based on true events, this is a gripping novel about two fascinating, complicated women going head-to-head, behaving badly, and discovering what’s truly at stake.

This was a marvelously well-written book, alternating between two POVs (Caroline Astor and Alva Vanderbilt) with little snippets of "Society" to give us an objective look into how their actions were being perceived by the upper crust masses. While my review was supposed to be dedicated to the digital copy I received, I would be remiss not to mention how fantastic the narration was on the audiobook.

I think ultimately my enjoyment of this book suffered because this simply is not my "go-to" genre or area of interest. I found it difficult for me to really connect with the characters, and the story itself seemed to move slowly. Reading about opulence and extravagance is always fun but watching these women social climb while trying to mitigate the consequences of their self-destructing (and BRATTY) daughters was not something I was really able to get into.

TL;DR: This book is a well-written peak into the lives of two society women, based on true events. It is perfect for us girlies in our Bridgerton/Queen Charlotte eras that want to delve into society, stateside.

New money vs. Old money. This is the classic dilemma during the Guilded Age- one of opulence and yet cruelty despite the supposed social graces that are deemed important in the time. Alva Vanderbuilt is a force to be reconciled with in this amazing book that was clearly well researched. Each character is robust, The scenery and buildings are characters themselves. The book not only hits on a lot of behind the scenes of the celebrities of the time, but also inspires one to look more into the interesting relationships during the Guilded Age.

Usually, when I hear people raving about a book, I'm a bit leery that it won't live up to the hype. That is certainly not a problem with The Social Graces.

The story is like a biography of the elite of New York City during the Gilded Era. The basics of the story are all true but tied together with the beautiful imagination and writing of the author, Renee Rosen.

I have never spent so much time jumping into rabbit holes on Google and Wikipedia. The more I read, the more fascinated I became with this time period.

The excesses were even grander than I expected. It was almost unbelievable to me how much money was spent on impressing each other. Whether it was elaborate balls or seaside "cottages" with 15 bedrooms and an entire staff of servants, the ultra-rich are indeed different.

I learned so much about the early elite of New York and the everyday people and workers during this period. It was absolutely a time of the "haves" vs. the "have-nots" that set the stage for changes that still affect us today.

While you will learn a lot about the extravagances of the uber-rich, you will also learn about the working conditions of the poor, the beginnings of the suffrage movement, and political changes.

I highly recommend this book to all lovers of historical fiction, biographies, and family dynasties.


I received a digital copy of the book via NetGalley. This review is my honest, unbiased opinion.

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it.

I really enjoyed learning more about the Vanderbilt family and how they fit into the New York society life. I had no idea this was how the Vanderbilt family came to be known so well, through social climbing of a wife who only wanted to be accepted in society.

The history of the society ladies was extremely interesting to me, and makes me want to go learn more about the time period.

I admit it! HBO’s show The Gilded Age has made me obsessed with all historical fiction books relating to this time period and The Social Graces did not disappoint!! This story took a personal and deeper look into the details of the relationship between Alva Vanderbilt and Caroline Astor, old and new money. The author invites us into their colorful lives which while may hold vast wealth do not seem easy.

Renee Rosen’s books have taken place in Chicago in the 1950s, New York City in the 1960s, at Chess Records during the Civil Rights Movement, and in Chicago during prohibition.

In her newest novel, The Social Graces, we’re back to New York City, and Newport, and Paris… and wherever else Mrs. Vanderbilt and Mrs. Astor wish to travel as they vie for control of New York society during the gilded age.

I recently spoke with Renee Rosen about the book, her research, and more. Here’s our conversation:

I was eager to read this novel because it focused on the rivalry between Alva Vanderbilt and Mrs. Astor. However, I thought Theresa Anne Fowler gave a better depiction of their story in her novel, A Well-Behaved Woman. Still, Renee Rosen is a very talented author. It is just so hard to pull off a novel written by Theresa Anne Fowler. Thus if A Well-Behaved Woman was not already published, I would have enjoyed it more.

This was my first Renée Rosen book, and a nice change from reading WWII historical fiction. I haven't read all that much about Manhattan history so this was an especially fun book to dive into.

Society is everything for these upper-crust women. They have few rights, have to put up with philandering husbands, but they have a lot of power in their own ways. This book showed the Aster and Vanderbilt women going head-to-head, and it's utterly fascinating (as well as a little heartbreaking).

The author's descriptions really transport you right there, and you could imagine you're a fly on the wall in one of their ritzy homes.

In my opinion the sign of a great historical fiction book is one that makes me start researching and learning more about the real-life events and people, and this book certainly has me wanting to learn more!

This was my kind of Historical Fiction. I love what Renee was able to do this with this story. I will be featuring this book in an upcoming historical fiction recommendation episode.

I love a good gossipy read and the added glitz worked so well here. If you like books about high society this is so fun

There is something so wonderful about Rosen's writing. Having devoured PARK AVENUE SUMMER, I was excited to read this book and it didn't disappoint. The author transports her readers back in time to witness Alva Vanderbilt and Mrs. Astor's notorious fight for control of New York society. The dialog, the characters, and the sheer juiciness of this novel will enchant from the beginning. As with her previous novel, THE SOCIAL GRACES touches upon feminism and strong women through the development of the people we meet in these pages. This book is nothing short of delightful!

I do enjoy a well-written historical fiction, and because I'm not an expert on much of anything I read about, I love truthful author comments so I know what was historical, and what was fiction. Rosen gave us just that at the end of this great side by side story of Caroline Astor and Alva Vanderbilt.

I loved all sides of the stories - the society pages, Caroline's take, and Alva's responses and motivations. The author truly made them equally likable, with no one society matron being the good one or the bad one.

Overall, I felt immersed in the time period, and feeling the real motivations of the woman who wanted to lead proper society, along with their hows and whys. I'd give this book 4 out of 5 stars. It was great to learn about life in another time, place, and income bracket, and was just an enjoyable read besides.

Rich women behaving badly could have also been the title of the book. Lol All I can say is thank goodness these women didn’t live their lives during the social media era or they would have been in a world of hurt. Ms. Rosen definitely knows how to write a story.

One of my favorite books I read last year. Loved the characters and tension between the two women, who we rooted for for different reasons. I purchased a finished copy for my personal library!

I was really looking forward to this one because I thought it would be fun and I’d learn a little history as well. Sadly, it just didn’t grab me like I thought it would. Maybe ten years ago, I might have enjoyed this one, but I was just totally turned off by the shallowness of their feud to be the No. 1 Socialite. Although this is historical fiction, I found that they were just so shallow and the excesses portrayed in their social gatherings seem like such a waste. The author did a good job of portraying how women just didn’t have as many choices during that time, and I did enjoy seeing how Alva managed to go her own way regardless of social convention. I will say this one has received many very positive reviews. I just think I’m at a point in my life where I would rather read about people who I feel are following more honorable pursuits.

My Rating: 3 Stars

Between the Vanderbilt and Astor family, this book is exactly as it's description says: mesmerizing! These two women of force in the late 1800s are a perfect match for each other. It was a beautiful look at an interesting decade of women's social status and start for a fight of equality.

This book was so much fun, a quickly devoured novel that whirls you right back to the Gilded Age and all that it was to be wealthy and powerful then. It was fascinating from start to finish

This story alternates chapters between the feuding Mrs. Vanderbilt and Mrs. Astor, two incredibly wealthy wives, though one through “old money” inheritance and the other through “new money”, and their comical efforts to outdo one another in society. Perfectly crafted by the author to be engaging instead of off putting, and with facts, tragedies and humor, this author did amazing in bringing the two women to life.

A sizzling read that’s perfect to curl up with on a long weekend or at the beach, this is the perfect read for those who enjoy exactly what this book has to offer- Scandal, NYC society high life, and a lighter pick in the Historical Fiction genre.

This was a 4 out of 5 star read for me and one I am constantly recommending!

Thank you so much to #NetGalley, the publisher, and author for an electronic ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.