I have enjoyed Therese Anne Fowler's previous books, and also loved this look at Gilded Age New York. A wonderful read!

Loved this book by Fowler about the Vanderbilts as they ruled gilded-age New York. I was familiar with George Washington Vanderbilt and the Biltmore Estate but this was my first introduction to his brother, William and William's wife, Alva. I really felt the conflict throughout this book and was very satisfied with the ending. I found myself rooting for Alva Vanderbilt the whole time. It was tough to be a well-behaved woman and often it still is.

I've read a lot of novels about and biographies of Alva Vanderbilt, so this was sort of a rehash of what I already knew. It was an okay read for people unfamiliar with the story.

This one took a while to get into. Once there, well worth the read, but for me - or perhaps my current state of mind - this started out frustrating and a bit of a chore. I'm finding historic fiction, "gilded age" fiction a challenge of late. It may be time for me to take a break from that genre - no reflection on this author or her work. I'm a huge fan of Fowler's early works, and hope she'll return to current times for her next work.

In a time when women only found their place through mariage, in a time when marriageable men were fewer due to the American Civil war, in a time when society ruled your thoughts and actions, in a time when women had no say, Alva Smith blossomed to become Alva Vanderbilt.
After the fabulous story of Zelda Fitzgerald, Therese Fowler uncover the mysterious personality of the trailblazer Alva Vanderbilt.

In 1875 the Vanderbilt are already extremely rich but shunned by New York high society and Manhattan’s Knickerbockers, they are craving social recognition.
Here comes Alva Smith, born from a privilege Southern family, raised in privilege till the untimely death of her mother, with powerful connections and a family going to ruin. The ingenious Alva strikes a deal to marry William Vanderbilt under the assumption that she will open New York high Society to the Vanderbilt. With her smarts and the help of Ward McAllister she does.

Through mariage, through motherhood, through her perfect taste, through her desires, Alva Vanderbilt changes the rules. She becomes the first woman in high society to file for divorce, hence becoming an outcast, just to remarry for love and regain her status back. Marries her daughter for a title in a time when English Lords and Earls were looking for money in exchange for a title. In a world where it was quite unheard of, Alva become a woman with a voice as a Women’s right activist, as Women’s suffrage rights trailblazer and funds Political Equality Association to push for what became the 19th amendment to the constitution.
One cannot name Alva Vanderbilt and not acknowledge the magnificent ‘Cottages’ she designed and built in Rhodes Island and in New York.

It is a fascinating account of the rich and famous and how to bent a judgmental society, as a woman in a time when women couldn’t be influential. Famous name like Astor, Rockefeller, Carnegie lace Alva’s life to paint New York guilded era.
The whole story was very well researched, the date were accurate, the writing is enticing and the whole book reads like a novella.

Historical fiction is my favorite kind of book and I cannot wait to hear which interesting, complex, determined, influential woman, Therese Fowler is going to chose next. Her books are fantastic !

With many Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Therese Fowler for this ARC of A Well-Behaved Woman: A Novel of the Vanderbilt

I really liked this book. I liked reading about Alva Vanderbilt and how life was like in the 1800s, especially for a woman. There were things that were spoken about that I would think about before recommending it to someone, but it was an interesting book about those times. I read it pretty quickly for me and to me that means I was very intrigued at what I was reading and I was. I would recommend to some, but for others, because of some content, I couldn’t. Just because I know they wouldn’t want to read that type of details in their reading. Not because, I believe, it is extremely explicit, but because it does go into some detail and not all likes or wants to read that type of content in what they read. But other than that, it was a intriguing and interesting book. ... I appreciate and thank Net Galley and the publishers, St. Martin’s Press, for the opportunity to read it.
#NetGalley #Awell-behavedWoman

Curious to learn more about the history of the Vanderbilt family thought the voice and vision of one of the earliest "outsider" women to marry into the family, I opened this historical fiction novel expecting a story of "rags to riches" in the Gilded Age of New York society. While that is certainly the backstory for the evolving life of Alva Smith Vanderbilt, it is only one of many sides of both the woman, the family and her story. Beyond the drive for wealth and stature, there are many layers to peel back on this "well-behaved woman" whose inner drive for equality drove decisions throughout her life. Feminism, suffrage and a centuries precursor to "Me Too" are all just-below-the surface themes, along with the Vanderbilt's earliest impact on transforming New York City into the international cultural mecca at the turn of the 20th century. A great read and a powerful story about a fiercely strong and influential woman who was so much more than her married name would imply. Make sure you read the author's notes at the end - an epilogue that is the exclamation point to her story!
**Thank you to St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review.

Fun, compelling read. Maybe not quite as captivating as Z, but I still love a period drama, and this was a fascinating glimpse into the golden era of a golden family.

When I saw this book was about the Vanderbilt family I immediately responded with an "ooooh" and then immediately realized I didn't know anything about their history. I couldn't even name any of their first names. That was remedied when I met Alva. I found her to be sassy, stubborn, and unconventional, in all the best ways. I enjoyed how the novel seemingly grew and expanded along with Alva's story, the gray seeping into her original black-and-while motivations, but all the while, she stood on her morals and principals. She was very practical, but also possessed great self respect and compassion for others. After reading and upon googling Alva, it made me further appreciate Alva's character and the author's intentions to depict a more complex Alva than is usually portrayed and perceived. This novel will appeal to many, those who enjoy strong female characters, those who enjoy historical fiction, those who enjoy biographical sketches, those drawn to the gilded-age -- I could go on. That's all to say, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Alva.

A rich and thoughtful portrait of an overlooked (albeit wealth!) woman and her role in a changing society. A novel sure to provoke lots of discussion in book groups.

I could not get into this book. I found the story choppy and the characters one dimensional. Very hard to follow and the story seemed to go no where. Very disappointed as I love historical fiction and the Gilded Age.

What a wonderful book! As I’ve akways been intrigued by the Vanderbilt’s, this grabbed my attention instantly and held my attention throughout every page!

Therese Anne Fowler has once again given us a look of what it would be like in the life of a golden era woman. This is stellar look at the life of Alva Vanderbilt and family. Top notch!

“A Well-Behaved Woman” has been aptly named one of Publishers Weekly’s Top Ten Fall literary fiction selections. It is a delectable historical novel, one you lose hours in, about the heady climes of the Gilded Age’s ultra rich. We follow the life of Alva Smith, near destitute before she marries William Vanderbilt. She awes us as she transforms into a Grand Dame, bucking conventions of the day to support women’s suffrage, back charitable causes, helm construction of nine mansions, and shepherd the once-shunned Vanderbilt family up the highest societal rungs. Gorgeously written with characters so real they breathe the air beside you. 5 Enthusiastic Stars!

I received a review copy from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. Opinions are fully mine.

#Awell-behavedWoman #NetGalley

A Well-Behaved Woman traces Alva Smith's well-calculated climb through the upper levels of society as the wife of William Vanderbilt. Therese Anne Fowler artfully leads the reader through the family's history that makes this novel a real page turner! This is the perfect read for fans of the Gilded Age, family dynasties, or strong female characters willing to go to any means to protect their families.

Alva Smith’s family could trace their bloodline to royalty of France and Scotland, but their fortune was gone.

William K. Vanderbilt is the third Manhattan generation of a wealthy family, but their bloodline has no connection to any royalty, no title or lands, nothing in history to claim glory, not even by extension.

The Knickerbockers of Manhattan closely guard their tight high society and will not let the Vanderbilts in.

Alva is so poor that she needs to marry into money soon or she’ll be looking for a job and living in tenements. So she considers her options. And she tries to convince herself that the Vanderbilts are at least influential in politics and policy. “The Vanderbilt’s bread was already half buttered.”

Once married to William, she turns out to be a lady of action: writing letters for her father to sign to admit Vanderbilts to the Union Club. Instead of joining charity where money is just handed to agency, she goes to hospitals and places where charity is needed and investigates herself where the money needs to be directed. She encourages Vanderbilts to take action in elevating themselves to its rightful place in society by investing in building mansions that make statement in architecture.

The first half of the book is very interesting. However, once Alva achieves the status she was looking for, the second part of the book falls pretty flat.

Therese Anne Fowler owns the portrayal of women in historical fiction. As she did in her novel "Z," Ms. Fowler shows us another side of Alva Smith Vanderbilt. This is a woman on the edge of becoming destitute - along with her sisters and ailing father - when she grabs a brass ring that changes her live - and theirs. This strong woman found the courage to defy "women's roles, gained respect in society for the Vanderbilt family, designed and built (with no formal architectural education) nine mansions. Found to ways to fund charitable organizations and became a leader in the women's suffrage movement. A remarkable novel bringing to life a remarkable woman. Ten stars if I could.

Phenomenal book! I have a great fondness for the so called 'gilded age'. Touring the Newport houses brought a heightened interest in the individuals responsible for such incredible lodgings. They were merely names to me, this book brought faces and personalities to the names. I still cannot imagine such wealth, such a lifestyle. I can't say I 'liked' Alva, I found her to be a bit too grasping, to strict, but I loved several of the other characters in this book. What characters they are! I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the history of America. Therese Anne Fowler is a wonderful writier!

Rich or poor, it's good to have money and for Alva Smith that was truly the case. With her father ailing and their money dwindling, she was facing a life far different from what she was used to. Meeting W.K. Vanderbilt she was saved from a life of "genteel poverty" although I would hesitate to say it would be far from "genteel." Does money/wealth bring happiness, does it bring love? In Alva's case it brought security and the knowledge of a warm home and all the accouterments money can afford.

This novel brings you into the Gilded Age, where the society of the 400 was an elite and quite exclusive club. Not to be in included, no matter how much wealth you had, was a snub beyond compare. However, Alva was quite a competent woman who not only saved her family, but elevated the Vanderbilt family as well. She was a truly remarkable woman, at a time when most women were seen rather than heard. It wasn't just her life as a prominent personality in high society, she was outspoken, smart and knew how to play the game.
The research done for this historical fiction was awesome...I learned more from this book than I would have in history books where the names of historical personalities (especially women) are glossed over. There is so much more to Alva than can be explained in a review, so much more to this particular and interesting "age" in our history. The story gives Alva the flesh and blood of a person with real desires and causes, not just a name in a past lifetime. In the hands of Ms. Fowler, Alva and the society she lived in comes alive!

Fiction in all forms can provide the ultimate possible escape (that is why many of us deliberately seek them out) but unfortunately, I just can't seem to find that merciful departure from reality this year with any new historical novel release. I opened A Well-Behaved Woman: A Novel of the Vanderbilts desiring all the gilded trappings and recognized personalities that make the Gilded Age such a fascinating and riveting time period to lose yourself in but sadly this book couldn't decide if it wanted to be a serious examination of the era centered around one brazen and influential woman from New York Society, register as a nagging voice of comparisons of the past and present (that would break in at the most unwelcome moments) or a sentimental drawn out romance which bordered on a bodice ripper in certain chapters. Oh dear, I hate to have such a negative reaction (especially about the last point) and I understand every reader's tastes are different but I also can't help but remember that Ms Edith Wharton set the illustrious bar of fictional departure into history for this reader and scenes of romance have drastically changed ((what could have been beautifully conveyed with a lingering touch of an ungloved hand or flutter of a fan has now turned into something ugly and almost comical with pawing and grunting (alot of grunting in this novel)in every other chapter and every other book it seems)).

Alright, let me put the "they don't write books like they used to" attitude aside and bring forth the positives of A Well-Behaved Woman: A Novel of the Vanderbilts. I applaud that a writer has finally given Alva Vanderbilt Belmont née Smith her time to shine and brings her story to the attention of the modern audience who may have never heard of her before. She really is an interesting figure to read about and in this book, she steps off the gold and pearl encrusted pedestal and is portrayed mortal with fears and convictions. Good and bad happen throughout to this prominent figure as well to other members of the Vanderbilt line and I also must commend the author for making the huge family tree of the Vanderbilts easy to recall as each new member makes an appearance at those tragic events. Getting back in line with the positives to mention, the dialogue was believable and a few scenes were painted so delightfully vivid and captured exactly what I desired when I picked up this novel (especially the costume ball sequence).

Now the characters, even though their names were easy to recall in multiple passages they sadly missed something for me and I couldn't stop shaking my head especially as figures were portrayed in a more flattering light than reality (have a gander at The Glitter and the Gold by Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan when you have a minute then tell me again about unbreakable bonds between mothers and daughters or Consuelo and Alva Vanderbilt: The Story of a Daughter and a Mother in the Gilded Age by Amanda Mackenzie Stuart). I also would have loved to have found multiple breakaway scenes to other characters (Consuelo Vanderbilt, Alice Vanderbilt and Consuelo Montagu, Duchess of Manchester or THE Mrs Astor and Ward McAllister), Alva's views became repetitive and I longed to experience the other side of the guest list or gates into other's lives but no, I had to read how much Alva didn't want her husband in her bed and how attractive Oliver Belmont was then another guilty thought of conditions and comparisons. Dashes of time seemed to be another disappointment, we begin in the latter half of the 19th century and finish at beginning of 20th century but in certain chapters, I would hope we would be forgiven for being confused what year it is and not solely rely on another letter between characters. I finally have to admit this book wasn't for me, I was hoping for another beguiling carriage ride into the past that I found with other literary works (Fortune's Children: The Fall of the House of Vanderbilt by Arthur T Vanderbilt II immediately comes to mind and I highly recommend it to anyone that wants to feel like they have stepped back in time if only for a couple of hours) but alas I have yet to find a historical fiction novel that can transport my imagination completely to one of my favorite bygone ages to study, I guess my search continues and I need to start scanning the shelves again more carefully.

With thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for kindly sending me an advanced copy of A Well-Behaved Woman: A Novel of the Vanderbilts