An interesting fictional biography that attempts to humanize the Astors and Vanderbilts. The American Gilded Age is one that has always fascinated me, and so I enjoyed the book. Rosen has an engaging style and does an excellent job of bringing history to life.

My only regret is that I wish I could have come away liking the two protagonists better. Sadly they didn’t win me over.

Received an ARC from Netgalley for an honest review.

A book that makes you want to fall down the Wiki hole doing more research on everything in it! I love history; history of stuff, history of people, history of places! It can be a real time sucker... but I really don't care. If this appeals to you, read this book!

The Vanderbilts and the Astors- need I say more.
Wonderful novel about the wealthiest of wealth in NYC. Very lavish! Very juicy- perfect read to get your mind off the world right now,

A nicely done story about the Vanderbilts and Astors of New York City. The story centers on Caroline Astor and Alva Vanderbilt and their place in society. The Astors were "old money" and Caroline was well established in New York society. Alva Vanderbilt wanted to achieve Caroline's place in society and would stop at nothing to achieve her goal.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book.
Beautifully written historical fiction about the Gilded Age featuring the two main characters of the women of the era, Caroline Astor and Alva Vanderbilt. Fascinating account of the fancy, extravagant balls and how high society gradually gives way to reform in all areas of life.

I LOVE Renee Rosen and was soo excited to be approved for an ARC of this book (THANK YOU NETGALLEY)! She is one of my favorite fluffy in the best way historical fiction authors. Fluff and historical fiction can be a hard balance as I want the fun parts and the ooooh knowledge to absorb. This book definitely captures that. I realized I am not a big fan of Ava Vanderbilt and she is one of the main protagonists. I have read non-fiction and historical fiction on her and something about her (until she hits the suffragette years) just does not gel for me. I struggled a bit with the book because of that (nothing to do with the writing) but am so glad I finished. The Gilded Age was a tricky time for America...the rich were getting richer and the poor poorer. Spending the equivalent of what would be SIX FIGURES today for an outfit to be worn once and giving diamonds as party favors was nothing to the Vanderbilts and the Astors. Caroline Astor is another narrator and she rules New York. She does not want the likes of the Vanderbilts mingling with her or her family...new money does not mix with old money. Seeing how the women fight to rule and be accepted because that is ALL that they have is a strong reminder of how far we have come. The book spans many years and many ups and downs within the families. Saying too much more would be spoileriffic and I don't want to do that. This is definitely one to put on your radar.

Caroline Astor and Alva Vanderbilt, two powerful women, rooted in New York's upper crust of society during the Gilded Age. Can Alva bully her way into The 400? This book gives a glimpse into the society world these women dominated and their private personal lives that challenged them in different ways. Expertly researched and written.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I just finished The Social Graces, and was left absolutely speechless. I adored this book and was so incredibly impressed with Renée Rosen's beautiful writing! Throughout the entirety of this book, I felt like I was right there with the character's living in high society during the Gilded Age, as that was how descriptive and intricate the details of each chapter were.

This was a beautiful story narrated by two main characters, Caroline Astor and Alva Vanderbilt, and their different viewpoints living in New York Society from the perspectives of new money vs. old money. Their ongoing feud and competition in society outlined this book and how women were solely defined by their roles in social society. Having connections and obtaining a position of high social status were of the upmost importance to women during this time period. Both characters proved to maintain their confidence no matter what obstacles got in their way, and they never faltered to lose their strength as confident women.

I can't express how much I enjoyed this book from start to finish. Renée Rosen knocked it out of the park with this one and I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good historical fiction novel!

Having LOVED Park Avenue Summer, I was so excited to hear what Renee Rosen was up to next and SOCIAL GRACES did not disappoint! I love Rosen's ability to bring parts of history to life and will read anything she writes. In Social Graces, I admittedly did not know very much about this time period going in -- just having basic name recognition of the Astors and the Vanderbilts, but I was pleasantly surprised by the story and how the society (and Avla Vanderbilt) paved the way for women to gain the right to vote and excel in the paths they chose. The "Society" chapters really magnified the story further and made you feel like you were reading the Society pages in the newspaper. All in all, I think this was a solid historical fiction novel during a place in history that hasn't been saturated by historical fiction and the impact women have had on our nation's history well before we had equal rights. I look forward to sharing this book with our organization's audience and will keep it on a list for a potential book club pick for our virtual book club. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fun and fascinating look at New York high society at the end of the 19th century. I really enjoyed the gossipy drama between rivals Caroline Astor and Alva Vanderbilt, and was curious to know how much was fictional (which is detailed in the Author’s Notes at the end of the book). Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC for review.