I love the Gilded Age in American history and it is a wonderful setting for a romance.  Willow Dupre has been raised to take over her fathers sugar business.  With his failing health, the board of directors is not willing to have a woman helm the business without a man, so a new plan is hatched.  Willow will have a "Bachelorette" competition with 30 of the most eligible bachelors from the prominent families of NYC.  All this is a great start to what I expected to be a fun and lighthearted book.

Willow is earnest and sincere.  The competition is forced on her but she will see it through for her families sake.  I liked her character and her desires for a good match.  The time frame of the contest gets shortened and the cuts of men happen quickly.  The story really only has a few viable suitors to connect with.  For me the story bogs down in all the other things going on, blackmail, newspaper articles, theft, kidnapping etc.  It got more and more unrealistic, e.g. Willow posing as a worker in her own factory.  If Willow would really have been in the time period she would have been ruined and forced into marriage fairly early on in the story.   For me the plot was overly complicated taking away from a romance developing.  Even the grand gesture, which is good, still takes almost blackmailing to make happen.  Her parents come off as supportive but overly manipulative.  And I was disappointed in the runner-ups response to her choice.

This is a clean Christian romance with some chaste kisses.  It is also a first in a new series and I am hoping best friend Fiona gets a story.  Thank you to NetGalley and Bethany House for an ARC ebook in exchange for a honest review.

I requested to read and review this book for free from Bethany house Publishing Company. This book takes place in the 1800s. This story has romance, mystery, suspense and some comedy. It may or may not end like you think it should. It's a book for any type of reader and can be read anywhere. This book reminds me of a 1800s version of the Bachelorette! Can you actually forgive someone completely when they did something wrong? If they try or don't try to make it right? You will cheer on Will and the other surrounding her to make the right decision.

An utterly enchanting story from Grace Hitchcock!  My Dear Miss Dupré captivated me from the beginning, and I never wanted it to end.  I absolutely adored the parallels to modern reality shows The Bachelor and The Bachelorette (I definitely giggled a bit at the similarities), and I loved following Hitchcock’s Gilded Age version. 

What I loved most about this story is the characters.  Each were relatable in unique ways, and I absolutely need to see more of Teddy and Kit especially.  Cullen’s moral dilemma and his devotion to Willow were so wonderfully written that I sincerely felt what both he and Willow were feeling.  Hitchcock truly has a gift!

My Dear Miss Dupré will keep readers completely enraptured.  I cannot recommend it highly enough, and I’m eagerly looking forward to the rest of the series!  5/5 stars

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

I read about a book a day, and this was one of the most entertaining books I've read in quite some time!  In a Victorian-age Bachelorette, Willow is being forced to find a husband as quickly as possible.  It truly plays out like the Bachelorette tv show, with hijinks, underhandedness, and multiple affections...but this a Christian romance, so it is clean.  It ended the way I had hoped, and I cannot wait for the author to write the next book in the series....I sincerely hope it is about Flora and the runner-up (did you think I would reveal the winner?), as they deserve their happily-ever-after, too!

My Dear Miss Dupre by Grace Hitchcock is similar to  the TV show the Bachelorette, but set in the American Gilded Age.  Not so willing participant, Willow Dupre, the heir of the Dupre sugar fortune can not believe what her family had gotten her into. She has 6 months to choose a husband and get married or lose her family business.  No pressure!  

I enjoyed meeting Willow’s family, her friends, and the bachelors.  My Dear Miss Dupre had good chemistry, well crafted scenes, and the elegance reminiscent of the time period. I found the story original, romantic, funny, and I was wondering how it would all come together up until the end.  It was truly a pleasure to read.  

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Bachelorette 1880’s style! My Dear Miss Dupre, opens on New Year’s Eve, New York City, 1882.  Willow Dupre has been given control of her ailing father’s sugar empire.  There are just a few slight problems.  She’s a woman.  She’s unmarried.  She’s in charge of a business.  In the 1880’s, this was simply unacceptable- on all accounts!  Unbeknownst to Willow, her parents have devised a plan to help “fix” those problems.  Enter 29 eligible bachelors.  Willow’s parents have created a competition.  The winner of this competition gets to marry Willow and become the “head” of the Dupre Sucre.  Willow is not, and I repeat, not in favor of this plan!  She feels trapped.  She’s content running her father’s business and being unmarried.  However, she loves her family and realizes that her father could lose the business (to her conniving cousin) because the company shareholders are demanding that a male figure be in charge.  So, with that in mind, she agrees to her parents’ crazy scheme and starts to court these 29 bachelors.  Some of the lucky bachelors chosen to compete are Cullen Dempsey (an Irish mystery man), Teddy Day (childhood friend), Kit Quincy (childhood crush), Friedrich Blythe (avid botanist), and many more.   They all have 6 months to woo Willow into picking one of them for her husband.  The competition is complete with the handing out of laurel crowns, one-on-one dates, group dates, and constant bickering between the male contestants.  Throughout the story she whittles down the contestants until there are but a few remaining.  Her heart begins to waver between the few that are left.  Who will she choose?  Who will win her heart? Who could end up destroying her and everyone she loves?  I found this book to be quite delightful.  It started off a bit slow and with a few eyerolls from me from all the drama.  However, once the competition really got underway, I found myself intrigued and rooting for several of the bachelors.  Willow surprised me many times by letting go the ones I was certain she would choose.   Romance, drama, mystery, betrayal, and courage were all wrapped up into one cozy novel.  It took a while for Willow to choose- this was going to be permanent after all, but in the end, I believe she chose wisely.  This was my first book by Grace Hitchcock but certainly won’t be my last!  Thank you to NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers for the ARC of this book.  All opinions within this review are my own.

Yes - read it!  This first in the series starts out very strong and sets up some great future reads.

While you don't exactly know who are the two main characters (this is a romance after all), there are plenty of interesting characters you can enjoy and root for!  There are plenty of sub plots to keep your mind engaged and make for a really enjoyable read.  

Thanks to Netgalley and Bethany House Publishers for an ARC to help me prepare for this review.

My Dear Miss Dupré, Book 1 of the American Royalty series, started out as a rather fun, frivolous high society story set in the Gilded Age; however, it turned out to be so much more!  A unique, steadily moving plot that keeps you guessing; an intriguing subplot; delightful, diverse characters including a strong-willed female protagonist; an outlandish romantic competition; bits of humor; and an inspiring faith element combine to make an enjoyable, captivating read.  I was drawn in from the beginning and stayed invested to the end.  This well-written tale by an extraordinary storyteller is sure to delight and entertain, and I highly recommend it!  I look forward to Book 2 in the series.
I received a copy of this book in e-book form from the publisher via NetGalley.  All opinions are my own.

My Dear Miss Dupre is a fascinating story of Willow, a business minded woman who, decided by her parents, must find a husband. Quickly. So they set up a competition with thirty men from their area to wed her and help assist her in the family sugar business. Beginning on New Year's eve, she must decide on one husband by June. She gets it narrowed down to eight, and eventually three, all the while, one man she really is interested in is working with her business adversary. Cullen, however, has become a changed man since meeting her. He is no longer working with the adversary, but rather working with Pinkerton agents to arrest the man. On the last day of this competition she has to decide between him and one other man, and it is a difficult decision for her. Great story I really enjoyed!

I loved everything about this book! It hooks you on the first page and doesn't let go. This is the first book I've read about dating competitions and it was wonderful. It will keep you guessing until the end who she will choose. It was a fun read and I look forward to the next book in this series. Thank you Bethany House and Grace Hitchcock via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

As several other reviewers have put it, My Dear Miss Dupre is a spin on perhaps what the Bachelorette would look like if it look place during the Gilded Age. Willow Dupre is more than capable of taking her father’s place as head of their family sugar company; however, the board of the company has demanded that she be married before she can assume the position. Her parents then take to creating an elaborate competition for one suitor to win her hand. 
At first, when I started reading, I was intrigued. However, I found that the characters were not endearing and the romance aspect lacked any believable chemistry. Willow becomes rather annoying as she flits from one suitor to the next, trying to find a spark. None of the suitors are particularly likable, and I found myself skimming in the middle of the book just trying to make it to the finish. The ending has several surprises which adds to the suspenseful line throughout, but the ending wasn’t ultimately satisfying to me.

The self-assured and enterprising Willow Dupre has been preparing for years for the day when she will step into her father's role as head of the Dupre Sucre sugar business. When Mr. Dupre falls ill, the capable Willow is ready to take the reins. But the board objects. In this Gilded Age, unmarried women do not run companies. Mr. and Mrs. Dupre hatch a plan: 30 potential suitors receive coveted invitations to court the dear Miss Dupre. As Willow learns to entrust her future to God, yielding her hopes and dreams to Him, she narrows the field. Ultimately only one man will remain. But who will it be? 

Grace Hitchcock has become one of my favorite historical fiction writers and this book did not disappoint. The closer I got to the end, the faster I had to turn the pages. This book kept me guessing until the end! 

I received an e-copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.

I should have paid more attention to the description and what it implied before choosing to read this book.  I found Willow interesting and her dilemma compelling.  I was even intrigued by the men to whom she was introduced.  But the Bachelorette themed trope used to propel the story was cheap and tawdry and unbecoming of a Christian historical romance.  I refused to read past the third chapter.  If the author had been a bit more creative instead of trying to appeal to popular culture (which is what Christians are supposed to avoid), this could have been a cute story.

I have to admit that I have watched a few seasons of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, and I still don't understand how someone can meet the love of his or her life through such a convoluted method.  

Willow Dupre has been running her father's sugar empire since he had a heart attack, but she has been thwarted at every turn by the board of directors who believe a woman can't have a good business mind.  So her parents put together a New Year's Eve party different from any other they've ever thrown before.  They have invited thirty-one bachelors from the New York Four Hundred families setting up a Bachelorette season to end all seasons.  Instead of a rose, Willow gives out laurel crowns to the contestants she wants to know better.  She has to winnow out the ones who are just in the "game" for her money and not for her.  There are a few keepers in the group.  

Willow's parents have set it up so that the men she chooses stay in their mansion until the list is pared down to the final two.  While there are too many similarities to The Bachelorette to ignore, there are some compelling reasons to read the book.  One of the contestants, Cullen Dempsey, has connections to a man who is for all intents and purposes a mob boss, Heathcliff Wellington.  Wellington wants the sugar company and will go to any lengths to insure the cooperation of his "man inside."  In a fit of conscience, Cullen goes to the Pinkerton detective agency to let them know what he knew about Wellington's practices and feeds the Pinkertons information about Wellington, but at the same time he feeds Wellington information about Dupre Sucre. When Willow finds out, she feels betrayed, but it takes several people to help her figure out what the truth is.  

This is my first Grace Hitchcock book to read, and while My Dear Miss Dupre has its moments, it's not one I truly enjoyed.  Three stars. 

Bethany House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Have you ever wondered what a season of "The Bachelorette" would look like set in 1883?  My Dear Miss Dupre will show you!  Spinster Willow Dupre is cast in the role of the bachelorette, her mother takes on the role of "Chris Harrison" and her best friend Flora is the conscientious confidant who helps Willow sort out how she really feels.  
An interesting concept, but I was happy for the intriguing sub plot running throughout.  If the story had just been centered on the competition for her hand, I think I would have felt it was just a "knock off" of the television show.  

This is the first book I have read by Grace Hitchcock and I enjoyed her writing.  Her characters were beautifully written and with 30 bachelors vying for her hand they were diverse and unique.  Mystery, danger and of course romance were plentiful in this book.  I was happy to read that this is the first in a series...there were many characters I would love to read more about as they search for their one true love. My Dear Miss Dupre is Christian Fiction, themes of trusting God, forgiveness and waiting patiently for Him to move instead of seeking our own desires were plentiful throughout.  

Thank you, Bethany House and Net Galley for the free DRC of My Dear Miss Dupre.  The opinions expressed here are my own.

This is a fun twisty version of The Bachelorette, but set in the Gilded Age. Willow Dupré is forced to choose a man in six months to be her husband and to help run her family’s sugar refinery business. She’s to pick a mate from 30 of New York’s elite families. The process is so fun as it unfolds and you’re never quite certain which guy she’ll choose. A delight, especially for lovers of romance and strong female characters. 

4 of 5 Stars
Pub Date 02 Mar 2021
#MyDearMissDupré #NetGalley

Thanks to the author, Bethany House, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed reading My Dear Miss Dupre by Grace Hitchcock!  I'm a huge fan of books with a strong female lead.  Willow is strong willed, brave, hardworking and caring.  Poor Willow is being forced into a competition that will help her choose a husband, bachelorette style.  Strait away Cullen was mysterious and Teddy was sweet and loving.  I liked the 3 POV and honesty had no clue who she was going to choose in the end as I was inside cheering them each for different reasons!  Twist and turns throughout the book had me wanting to scream "NO, don't do it!" and "Just do it!".  The different personalities of the suitors were fun and unique, making me laugh and squirm at times.  If you love dating competitions, you'll love this fun take on it!

I wasn’t sure what to do expect from this book since I’d never read Grace Hitchcock before but at the recommendation of my bestie I dove in. And it was an absolute delight! As an huge fan of the Bachelor franchise I loved that this was basically The Bachelorette set in the Gilded Age and all the little nods to the show had me cracking up. It was like getting a bonus season, but it was also unique in its own right with a fresh writing style that had me completely enraptured. It was light-hearted and fun without going to over the top ploys for hilarities sake.
Willow was a fun heroine, and I liked that she was the strong can-do-whatever-she-sets-her-mind-to type without being abrasive and refusing to accept help. She had a hard job before her not only finding someone she could have as a husband but also one she could trust to be her partner in business. I thought she handled things admirably and I enjoyed the circumstances that led to some of the eliminations.
I feel like the author did a great job of not making it abundantly clear which of the front runners she would choose while also not making it feel like a love triangle.
I enjoyed the entirety of this book though I wasn’t as completely sucked in for the second half as I was for the first! This was a strong start to the series though and I’m looking forward to what else the author has in store for us!

My Dear Miss Dupree by Grace Hitchcock is a mixture of The Bachelorette versus the Gilded Age American Royalties in New York City. While the concept is original, the ending is completely predictable. At times, I had a hard time not comparing it to Princess Dairies 2 with Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews. Must pick a spouse in order to run the company by her side. While the father kept saying that he supporter her and even raised her to take over the company, but he was listening to the board and trying to find a husband for her anyways. At time, I also had a hard time staying focused. The story line kept getting more unrealistic and more unrealistic. I didn't want to see her pick anyone. It was really hard for her to fall in love with anyone in six months, and her parents kept coming back with a shorter time frame, then a shorter time frame over and over. Tightening the noose on her neck again and again. Did I favor a hero over any of the others? Not really. I didn't know any of them long enough. She had to spend time evenly with all the possible suitors that I don't think she even found one that she liked. Overall, the story was unique, but I really didn't find it that interesting.  

I received a complimentary copy of My Dear Miss Dupree by Grace Hitchcock from Bethany House Publishers, but the opinions stated are all my own.

MY DEAR MISS DUPRE by GRACE HITCHCOCK is a delightful Gilded Age novel. The story starts on new year's eve 1882 in New York with Willow Dupré being drawn into a competition where thirty well vetted gentlemen will court her. With her father's deteriorating health and imminent retirement she needs a husband by her side as she runs the family sugar business, Dupré Sucré. Although she is quite capable of running the company, being well educated and having worked with her father for four years, she is looked down upon by the men on the board.
Her family are very rich, which is definitely a draw card for her suitors, but she wants to find a man she can love and who loves her for herself.
This competition, which was thought up by her mother and backed by her father, causes quite a stir,
The story is full of action and fun until secrets are brought to light which could lead to disqualification and even danger.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bethany House Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely my own.