In the late 1800’s, feminism is unheard-of and a woman rising from middle-class to aristocracy is looked down upon. Did that stop Isabel Bilton? Think again.



Isabel leaves her parents’ home for London and doesn’t look back. She changes her name to Belle and is determined to “make it”. While her life takes interesting avenues I never knew existed in 1887, it’s her spirit that propels her to Countess. Along the way, she encounters many people who make it their mission to tear her down and put her in her place. Will Belle be victorious or will the upper echelon throw her back to her middle-class home, ruined and broken?



Becoming Belle is a compelling, historical fiction based on a real person. O’Connor takes the reader from modern-day and plunges them waist-deep into 17th century London. Everything from the language to the distinct differences in classes (food, clothing, appearance, behavior) makes this story alluring. Staying true to the era, this is a historical reader’s dream.



The character of Belle, however, didn’t appeal to me. I found her selfish, demanding and greedy. The fact that she continues to forgive those who have wronged her leaves a sour taste in my mouth. For a feminist, Belle’s quite the glutton for punishment. I found myself skipping pages to get to the more interesting aspects of the plot.



If you love strong women with a drive for social climbing, you’ll love Becoming Belle.



Disclaimer: I received an ARC from Penguin Canada via Netgalley in the hopes I'd review it.



My Rating: 3.5 stars

As I found it completely unbelievable that any woman would repeatedly forgive the spineless scoundrels Belle falls for, imagine my surprise when at the end of the book I read that it was based on actual historical figures!

Based on real people, Becoming Belle is a fascinating tale of an independent woman finding her way in London at a time when being an independent woman was not always considered a particularly respectable way to be.

I very much enjoyed this book - historical fiction based on real people being a particular favourite of mine, it is hard for such books to disappoint me. I would say it was a solid 3.5 star read which I am happy to round up to 4. While I found it interesting, it never really grabbed me - which would be a 3 star read EXCEPT I really quite liked all the characters.

Something I definitely appreciated a lot was that the language is era appropriate - not just the dialogue, but consistently throughout. Some archaic words were well employed and the very flow of the prose felt like it could have been written in the early 1900s, as if Belle was writing her own life story.

The book is largely written from only Belle's perspective except for a few passages - which could have been jarring but really helped give depth to another character and only added to the story.

I very much liked the maim characters, but never felt concerned about how they would end up - this is a hard feat to achieve when dealing with a true story where the ending is therefore known ahead of time. I don't fault Nuala O'Connor for not creating more tension, but it kept my from giving a higher rating.

Overall a very solid book. Would definitely recommend to historical fiction fans, especially if you enjoy stories of real people, the setting of London in the late 1800s, or stories about women who carve their own path.

Though the historical context was interesting the book lacked substance. Belle was a shallow character who thought only of herself and getting ahead . Even though she and her sister had singing and dancing talents they came across as just performers with little moral values. The topic book become a bit more engaging half way through but most of the characters were unlikeable. The love story went on too long. Just did not appeal
to me and I enjoy historical fiction.