This is such a unique story - almost like a realty love show set in historic times lol. My attention was all Willow's as I followed her interesting journey in finding just the right suiter. This was a delightful read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A delightful Edwardian twist on the drama and romance of the Bachelorette!

Willow Dupre is s savvy business woman ready to take the reins of her family's sugar empire, but in order to appease the shareholders she must make an advantageous match from New York's elite. I think she handled the whole situation with grace and I liked how the story kept me guessing who she would choose in the end. I'm not overly familiar with the Bachelor franchise, but even I could pick out some humorous nods to the reality show which I found cute.

Willow had a very likable bunch of gentlemen, I especially liked Teddy, Kit and Cullen. It was a fun read, and I loved the idea of a Bachelorette-like competition set in historical New York society. There was great interaction between the characters, and I had no trouble keeping the main characters straight. I also liked how Willow holds to her faith, and also encourages others.

Overall, a highly enjoyable read great for fans of feel-good romantic comedies, full of adventure! I can't wait to read the next one in the series!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book is what I expected and what I wanted it to be! Royalty, easy read, and one that I can recommend to many! Eager for more!

My Dear Miss Dupre is a historical fiction novel written by Grace Hitchcock. It is book one in the American Royalty series.

Summary: Willow Dupre’s main focus in life has been working alongside her father at the family’s sugar factory. And as her father’s health has deteriorated, she has spent more and more time running the business.

But the men on the board don’t respect a woman in charge-even if she knows everything there is to know about the sugar business. She needs to be married, and that’s final.

So when her parents concoct a scheme designed to draw the best of the best suitors to Willow’s door, she is forced to go along with it-for the sake of the family.

Can she find someone she loves to stand by her side-or at least someone she can respect?

My Thoughts: This is a great book. It was a bit like a vintage version of The Bachelorette as men take her on dates, and she gives them crowns to keep them in the competition.

Overall the story is well-written, has plenty of interesting characters, and lots of twists and turns between what the suitors are doing and a subplot of someone trying to destroy the family business besides.

It is a very entertaining read, and I enjoyed it.

I would like to thank Bethany House for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my review. Thank you!

While the initial premise of this book was a bit silly, it was a really fun read - basically, The Bachelorette but set at the beginning of the 20th century. Willow Dupre is an extremely well-educated young woman whose parents have set her up to take over her father's sugar empire; however, the Board of Directors won't let her do so unless she has a husband to run the business along with her. So, her family sets up a Bachelorette-style competition: 30 eligible suitors get gradually narrowed down until she decides to marry one. It's not totally historically accurate, but it's meant more as a light read than historical fiction, and it definitely served its purpose in keeping me reading and interested! This was lots of fun, I was still kept guessing by some of the twists and turns, and of course, it had a happy ending :) Definitely recommended!

I sadly had to DNF. Not my type of writing voice. I found the MC whiny and very immature and a little clueless to what was happening :( The Setting was gorgeous tho <3

A Victorian era Bachelorette. Personally, this book was not for me. Though well written the plot was just too ridiculous for me. It’s exactly like watching the bachelorette, so if you like that tv show you’d probably enjoy this.

This book had an interesting premise, but I read it on my eReader and those books always seem to take longer than physical books or audiobooks. Anyway, I enjoyed the banter between the characters and the events and mishaps were amusing.

My Dear Miss Dupre by Grace Hitchcock is a such fun and unique story! Think bachelorette set in the Gilded Age with 30 suitors to choose a husband from and a mere 6 months to do it!

This was a light fun story that had me rooting for more than one suitor! I enjoyed all the outings and how each suitor tried to make Willow choose him. In the end, Willow and my favorite bachelor fell in love, but I must admit I felt horrible for our runner up. I am looking forward to reading his story soon!

If you’re looking for a lighthearted fun romance, this is the perfect choice!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Wow! It is like a book Bachelorette!

Could you imagine your parents setting in motion a contest for you to find a husband? I could not but Willow takes it in stride. I enjoyed all the quirky, funny, maddening mishaps and could not put this book down!

I also felt the storyline grabbed you and the characters were well developed. The details made it a fun and enjoyable book and am excited to read the next book in the series Her Darling Mr. Day.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the Publisher and was under no obligation to post a favorable review.

This is a a wonderful historical romance!

I loved the premise of this story from the very beginning. I hadn’t read the back cover summary of it before starting the book. I picked up on the bachelorette theme immediately and was intrigued as to how it would turn out in the confines of 1883 New York high society. I was completely captivated by the whole process that Willow had to go through.

The characters were wonderfully well developed. There were a lot of quirks among the different suitors that Willow had to weed through. I enjoyed what characteristics she picked up that helped her decide who to cut from the competition. There were a lot of scenes that were laugh-out-loud funny. Some of the antics from the different men seemed to be outrageous.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All of the opinions expressed are my own.

My Dear Miss Dupre by Grace Hitchcock is the first book in the American Royalty series and a definite must read if you love inspirational historical romances.
Willow Dupre's future is put in a very precarious situation when her father retires from running the Dupre sugar refinery. In order to take over Willow must find a husband to run the refinery by her side. Willow believes she will find someone that is nothing more than a working partner, but instead she finds someone who captures her heart.
I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading more in this series.

I was given an ARC from the author/publisher. All conclusions are mine and mine alone.

Grace Hitchcock's My Dear Miss Dupré is a great start to the new series, American Royalty. I am giving five stars.

What a great story! You can’t help but fall in love with Willow Dupre. She’s caring, funny, and has a personality that’s all her own. I also loved the setting of this book. The author did a great job of describing the social scene among the elite “Four Hundred” and the way that Willow navigates this and all her “suitors” makes for entertaining reading. There’s also a faith aspect to the book that adds some encouragement and inspiration for the reader. A great storyline and a sparkling main character makes this one a must-read in the Christian historical fiction category. I’m hoping to see another new book soon from this author.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this book. It is the year 1882 and Miss Dupré needs a husband to keep her place at her father's sugar company. In order to find her daughter a husband, her mother creates a competition similar to The Bachelorette.
Much like you would expect, the competition has its fair share of drama and deception. These elements made it all the more engaging and entertaining. The characters were so fun to read about, I especially loved how strong Willow was when it came to business and personal relationships. The story overall was so cute and fun and I am so ready to read the next book in this series!

*Warnings*
#1 This is a long review, so pull up a chair and grab a bowl of popcorn. You’ll be here awhile. #2 When I read a review, I want substantial information. So I will not skimp on the details. Which may mean some spoilers, so watch out.


Stars: 4

Synopsis: Willow Dupré is the heiress of a multi-million-dollar sugar refining industry...and the Sugar Queen needs a king. When her parents host a six-month long contest to allow thirty eligible bachelors to steal her heart, Willow finds herself loosing it to four different men. Who will win the day and rule beside her?

Favorite Quote: Well, for the first time, I don’t believe I have one...


Marriage contests. Gee, are they difficult to pull off or what. Personally, I shy away from them because, ugh, the drama! And the cringe-worthy lack of development. The obvious foreknowledge of who the hero or heroine is going to choose in the end. The disgruntled heroine who fusses about everything. The domineering parents who stifle her dreams.

Etc., etc. I’m sure you get the point. We’ve all been through these stories before with the feminist or misunderstood heroine and all the no-good potential husbands—save the one, of course, who just oozes goodness from his pores. I mean, where’s the fun and intrigue in knowing the ending before it even began?

Rant aside, I’ve been avoiding marriage contests and arranged/forced/politely-suggested marriage stories for far too long, because My Dear Miss Dupré has finally caught up with me. Its reputation has preceded it, for I’ve heard so much good about this story and I’ve been longing to read it for months now, simply because I haven’t heard one ill word breathed against it.

With good reason.

Admittedly, I had a hard time deciding what to rate MDMD—I enjoyed it immensely and it kept my attention ‘til the end, so was it a five-star read? But it wasn’t my favorite nor very memorable, and of course I have my qualms—so was it instead a three star?

Instead of halving and quartering my star ratings and mulling over it for forever, I just decided that, yeah, MDMD is a four-star kind of book. The kind that you are captivated by while reading, but are liable to forget a few days after you finish it. The kind that doesn’t really stand out in any particular arena, but is still balanced and interesting.

At least, that’s how it was for me.

Willow Dupré was, I don’t know, pretty typical at times...and then, every now and then, you’d glimpse something extraordinary in her character. In the beginning, I was almost dead-set against liking her, since few heroines ever live up to their hype (mine included). They’re described as being strong-willed, capable, and levelheaded—but when it boils down to it? They’re just like every other girl from every other boring book.

Not Willow Dupré. Granted, she didn’t make my “favorite heroine ever” list, since that’s a pretty exclusive selection I’ve got there, but she did exceed a few of my expectations. For example, she recovered quickly. Instead of pitching a fit against her parents’ decision to host the contest, she listened to reason (yay!) and went on with it because, yes, the idea had a lot of merit.

This one was a surprise—she treated every one of her thirty candidates with respect. (WHAT? No way!) I know, right? Instead of giving them all an earful of grief and guilting them for being alive, she listened to them, empathized with them, became friends with a lot, saw the best in almost all of them, and even flirted a few times.

To be honest, I would’ve liked to have seen more of her businesswoman side—handling the board members with a gentle but firm hand and maybe a few less outbursts, not to mention getting to know her employees well—but I can’t expect a progressive heiress to be submissive or stoop to the bowels of the lower class. Well, until toward the end, at least, which provided me a much welcome respite from the soap opera playing out amongst the men. (You’ll get my meaning once you read it.)

Back the point—Will wasn’t all that in a tater pie by a long shot, but she wasn’t all bad. She lived up to her reputation, for the most part, and conducted herself pretty well. I never felt drained by her character, which is pretty rare. Most girls are draining—trust me, I would know.

On that note, I feel like Hitchcock intentionally dodged a lot of issues (particularly those on gender and social equality), skirting any kind of controversies carefully, which was good. I read for enjoyment, not to be convinced about certain ideology.

As for the love triangle at play...boy, did Hitchcock pull that off EXPERTLY! So, yeah, I made my bets in the second chapter (and, as usual, the Queen of Assumptions hit the jackpot), but y’all don’t know how many times I doubted my earlier assessment. Hitchcock created four amazing guys—Fritz, Teddy, Cullen, and Kit (oh, Kit...)—and developed them all so well. Believe it or not, I feel in love with three of the four and was rooting for one, even despite my suspicions.

Ya gotta love a good love square.

But, wait. Didn’t I call it a love triangle?

That’s right, I did. Because Hitchcock kept her focus (and POV scenes) on two guys in particular, so I knew it had to be either or, which made my letdown a little softer. They both were so genuine, which was awesome to see. Of course, I think the incident with Guy #1 at the end was a little….I don’t know...contrived, maybe? Like the author needed a good reason for Willow not to choose him after all.

Guy #1 aside, the love triangle ended perfectly, even if the ending was kind of rushed. Both Guy #2 and Guy #3 (they’re numbered in the order they were introduced in the book, in case you’re wondering) were fantastic fellows, and I wouldn’t have been disappointed with either one. I do hope to see Guy #2 and Guy #4 get their own stories eventually, too!

Oh, speaking of, am I the only one who thought thirty-eight was, like, young and not at all too older for Will? I mean, come on, Kit, you’re acting like you’re sixty-two in a time where sixteen-year-olds married middle-aged men. Thirty-eight ain’t nothin’, y’all. My parents weren’t even going grey at thirty-eight.

Ahem. Pardon my age rant there. Age is one of my favorite aspects about, well, pretty much anything.

Now where was I?

Oh, yes. Everything was pulled off well, all the characters were charming, and the story moved perfectly. My only real qualm, I guess, that’s more technical than personal, is that Hitchcock’s writing was kind of...bland, at times. She focused on description and action more than thought and emotion, which left her writing and characters dry in certain moments, and there was nothing distinctive about her voice. A disappointment, yes, but at least her writing wasn’t poor. I’ll give her that.

And we can’t forget how Willow finally surrendered to God and sought His will in her life!!! It breaks my heart to see so few Christian characters who submit to the will of the Father and so few Christian stories that even express their foundation of faith, you know? So even though it took her a while, I was super excited to see Will turn to God!

Anyway, this review has turned out way longer and rantier (which is a word...as of now) than I’d intended, so I think it’s time to close.

All in all, My Dear Miss Dupré was not my most favorite read of the year or one of the most memorable books I’ve read. It fell flat in some areas—like Hitchcock’s writing in general, and just that it didn’t captivate me like other stories have. But it also struck out in a lot of ways—like having one of the most amazingly developed love triangle-square-thingies in a single novel! I enjoyed it, I’m definitely glad I got the chance to read it, and I look forward to the next installment in the American Royalty series!

Disclaimer: A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Absolutely wonderful characters who made me laugh and melted my heart. I found this book to be highly addictive with each passing page, I couldn’t put it down. A fantastic plot that kept the reader so intrigued by each of the different suitors and quickly forming an opinion on who would suit best. This is definitely a fun and entertaining book that will grab your full attention from the very start. There were many times that I was laughing out loud as another suitor bit the dust and was asked to leave or matched out the door himself. The romance that is formed is so romantic and flirty it leaves you with stars in your eyes and a smile on your lips! I’m so excited for the next book in the American Royalty series.
Was given a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

This book reminded me of the Bachelorette, its' set in the late 1800's and I immensely enjoyed it.
I could hardly put it down and it was captivating and yet, mystery.
It was full of trusting God and learning from your mistakes. Grace was woven within the pages.
I enjoyed the camaraderie and was pleased that my life is not as crazy as the book and being watched by reporters.
This was well worth reading!

If you like historical romances, opulence to the extreme, the Bachelorette, and love triangles (or a triacontagon), this is a book for you. Bordering on ridiculous (which the main character acknowledges multiple times throughout the book), the story is mostly light-hearted and fun, with a few serious bits woven in. Sometimes the Bachelorette-ishness was just a bit too much for me, but overall I liked it. It took a while for me to figure out which man to root for, and I have hopes the other man will have his own story in a later book in the series.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own and are unbiased.

I am fascinated by the Gilded Age, so I gravitate towards any novel set during that time when I see it. This was an era of immense change in society and culture, and I don’t believe we’ve seen any other time when there was such an immense gulf between the rich and poor. How did the average person connect with someone who called their second home a “cottage” when it was far larger than they could possibly imagine? At the same time, however, it was possible for anyone to cross that gulf if they were determined enough. Take Andrew Carnegie, for example.

My Dear Miss Dupré is a Gilded Age version of The Bachelorette. I had a hard time connecting with Willow, although the newspaper headlines about her decision-making reminded me of internet gossip regarding reality television and the lives of the rich and famous. I can’t say I was content about her ultimate choice either. I much preferred the runner-up, and I’m happy he’ll be the focus of the next installment of the American Royalty series. But one of the contestants was someone who could associate with both poor and wealthy, having crossed that divide, and readers get his perspective as well as Willow’s.

We do see the excesses and injustices of this era within the pages. Willow’s family has their “cottage” in Newport, Rhode Island. While hers is an industrialist family, she would never have to work a day if she didn’t want to. The Dupré family isn’t seen to be especially benevolent, but it’s made clear that their business rival is not a good man and treats people badly. And then there are the scenes set during the social event of 1893: Alva Vanderbilt’s masquerade ball, which cost more than $5 million in today’s money.

There’s plenty of tension and romance in My Dear Miss Dupré, so why was I not thrilled with this title? I think it comes down to my inability to connect to Willow and an indifference to the eventual winner of her hand. Still, as I said earlier, I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series for the presumed happy ending for my favorite character here.

Disclaimer: Although I received an electronic copy of this book from the publisher, the opinions above are my own.