This book was okay, and not a book that I would read again. It didn't grasp my attention, and I found it a struggle to finish. The narrator did an okay job. I think it would have been better if the narrator had distinguished the characters more. The narrator spoke clearly and was easy to understand.

I had high hopes for "A Bright Young Thing"--but, I found the book the be just okay. The book is very plot heavy (which I know some people like).

I did really like the book's placement in history. I have read so much historical fiction placed during WWII--which is fascinating but a bit tired. This book is placed after the stock market crash but in England. It was a hugely transformational time.

If you like a plot heavy read, you should definitely check this book out! The main characters are likeable, and there are certain points where you feel for the character so much (getting stuck with the dress bill).

This book will leave you yearning for parties of days past but ultimately being grateful for a less restrictive society. Women truly had few options.

A Bright Young Thing (Hardcover)
by Brianne Moore
This is an amazing story of the resilience of the English nobility after the great war. The great depression and political changes caused many of the nobility to loose money and income. They had to change their lives in many ways. the hardest was the result of the unprepared noble life they don't know how to replace their financial lives. As a young woman orphaned by an accident that took both her parents, Astra Davies has to find her own way. Although society required her to find a husband to live on his finances, but she has a new path. it is her intelligence and ingenuity that provides her safety.

This book was a definitely a slow burn and the “villains” very much a one-dimensional characters. Of course, we are seeing Millicent and Astra’s aunt from Astra’s eyes, so perhaps that just characterizes her lack of growth as a person.

Overall I did like this book and would recommend it to Downton Abbey fans.

Interesting picture of the aristocracy living in their country estates during the 1930’s. Their way of life was disappearing and they were struggling to adapt to a new era. I enjoy peeping into other’s windows.

I enjoyed getting to know Astra Davies as the grew from a child, orphaned by the unexpected death of her parents, into a hard-working young woman. The other characters were a bit one-dimensional (the “Mean girl” is almost a parody of wickedness), but the story was enjoyable.

The narration by Shiromi Arserio was well-done and unobtrusive.

Astra is in dire straights after her parents die leaving her a struggling tire company and little funds to keep up the lifestyle she is accustomed to. She moves in with her aunt and must find a suitable husband before people find out just how penniless she is and her marriage prospects dry up, but another debutant with a secret of her own is determined to put a wrench in Astra's plans.

I liked that this book was a little out of the norm for recent historical fiction. While so many are set in either WWI or WWII, this is in between during the Great Depression. It deals with how the depression affected Europe, which I don't get to read about often.

I really enjoyed the main character. Astra is a strong, modern woman who does not shrink away from a challenge. Rather than focusing on snagging the most eligible bachelor, like her aunt would like her to, she jumps into turning the tire company her parents left her from the brink of bankruptcy into a success. In an era where women of her social class were expected to keep their noses out of business, Astra realized that her social class would slip away from her if she didn't.

I love reading about strong women and they are definitely a hallmark of historical fiction lately, but I would almost categorize these stories as "alternate history." Those there were definitely some strong women in actual history, they were few and far between. These modern stories really put forward a "what if" that I think is important to think about even if they are not very realistic. What if more young women bucked tradition like Astra did in this novel? What if women were welcomed into the business world much earlier than they were? What can we learn from these stories? Those are the questions I like pondering most.

I really liked A Bright Young Thing and I think Astra is a character we can all root for and look up to. I would love to read a sequel to see where she goes from here.

Oh how I wanted to read this book. Just right up my alley. HOWEVER, NetGalley sent to me in an audio version and I don't have access for anything audio on my Kindle Paperwhite. I am so disappointed, and since it has been archived, I will not be able to request it from NetGalley. Guess I will just order it from Amazon. Hum....It is a little pricey. I don't feel right just giving this one star, nor do I feel I should give it 5 stars. I hope everyone lets me know how good this book is. (The instructions for the review informed me I had to give it some star rating.) It probably does deserve 5 stars!!!!!

Astra has recently lost her parents and her wealth. She has moved in with an aunt as she sorts through the financial mess her parents left behind. She soon discovers many secrets and scandals about her family. So, Astra has had to grow up quickly and use her brains to survive.

I love this cover! Covers are a huge draw for me. But, this story fell a tad bit short. I enjoyed the characters and the setting. But, way too many conversations about little or nothing tended to slow down the flow of the story.

Astra is a character which I enjoyed. However, she is a little too wishy washy for my taste. She did redeem herself in the end.

I will say if I had been physically reading this book, I would have probably put it aside. I have a bit more patience when it comes to an audio book. Plus the narrator is wonderful and this helped me enjoy this novel more than if holding a book in my hand.

This is a good historical tale with lots of family secrets! GRAB YOUR COPY TODAY!

I received this audiobook from the publisher for a honest review.

It's the 1930s in England, and Astra Davies just found herself in a really tough spot. Both her parents died suddenly and she's left with debts and obligations. Astra had no idea the family had all this debt, but it's her problem now.

Astra only has two options to get through this - find a rich husband or find a way to salvage the family business herself. Astra is an independent and fierce young woman, so she chooses to figure it all out on her own. Astra has to work around blackmail, rumors, and bad business partners.

Throughout her journey, Astra discovers other family secrets that she never could have guessed. This experience tested her will, wit, and intelligence, but she's making her way.

Thank you NetGalley for the audio version of this book! I thought this was a pleasant enough story, but it was extremely slow and not much actually happened. There were some tense moments where I felt the stress of Astra, but there was no big climax or anything. I feel this book was much longer than it needed to be, but it was written well. Like I said, it was a good story, it just needs a little "umph". I did mostly like the character of Astra. She was not defined by her romantic relationships or motherhood; she was her own woman living her own life, and I am so here for that.

I am a lover of historical fiction. To me, this book was just ok. Just a book of historical style without any specific plot.

Written well, great narrator, just kind of boring.

This was a delightful, very entertaining historical fiction sprinkled with clean romance. It’s told during the 1930s, when England was experiencing changes but status was still everything. It didn’t feel like Downton Abby to me but it did have house parties with Frenemies, Earls and the like. I loved Astra, she was a strong, confident, very likable woman who was determined to make it. The romance was a slow burn and oh so sweet. I very much enjoyed it.
I highly recommend it for anyone who loves a good British story.
I chose to listen to this book on audio and Shiromi Arserio narrator it and she was a delight. It was 11 hours 39 minutes of easy listening.

This was such a fun read!

Astra is suddenly orphaned when her parents are in a bad car accident. Soon after she learns they left behind debts and secrets.

She is left to find a way to stand on her own feet and unravel these knotty family secrets.

Along the way she does battle with mean girls, men who don’t believe women should be involved in business, rumors and her heart.

Can she find independence? Will she trust her friends with her truth? And what to do about the lord who’s piqued her interest?

Excellent narration.

Positively delightful! A hint of mystery, a strong female lead whose main focus in life is hardly romance (finally! And welcomed like a breath of fresh air), and a wonderful story from start to end. This story felt focused and deliberate, characters well-honed, and the perfect amount of drama to make the story quite interesting. A big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me early access to A Bright Young Thing. I highly recommend it!

4 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the early listen. I really enjoyed this story. Enjoyed all the characters and the narrator did a good job narrating. Enjoyed all the characters. Wealthy girl loses everything when parents die. Becomes a stronger more resilient young lady.
Will recommend

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audiobook.

I liked this quite a lot! A quick, engaging read with characters I adored. I loved following Astra take charge of her life and attempt to better herself and those around her. The narrator was perfect for this audiobook, too. I would 100% recommend giving this book a try!

The cover is appealing. The story is meh. It's not over the top, and it's not bad. It's historical fiction romance and the romance part was grating. I rolled my eyes and accepted the ending about half way into the book. The mouse chasing the cheese storyline is old. Its the usual. Sadly, the cover was the best part. However, should a reader need an airport read, this would work.


#Netgalley
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I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the audio version. This book was amazing! If you love Downton Abbey sort of style you are going to love this. The narrator did an amazing job! I loved all the Characters. This is the second book I have read from this author! I can't wait to read more from her

As the 1930’s begin Astra Davies is wealthy and intelligent; she spends her days drinking and gallivanting around the London social scene. But things change when Astra’s parents die, leaving her cash poor. It’s clear she’s going to have to change her lifestyle, maybe rent out the family home. The one thing she does not want to do is marry for money and stability, the one man she does care for hasn’t got any money either. Vowing to make a success of the business her father invested in before his death, Astra is determined to claw her way back up the ladder. Arserio does an amazing job bringing this story to life, she doesn’t just read the story, she “lives” it. That said, the storyline is a little flat, none of the characters are particularly likable or memorable. An interesting read, but I felt no emotional investment

A Bright Young Thing is a riches to rags story that follows Astra after the death of her parents. She now has a bunch of debt and no real idea of how the world works, so her family and friends are eager for her to get married. However, Astra has different ideas as she's determined to learn how to adult. When Astra trades flirtations with Jeremy, her friend's awful sister (who also had her eye on Jeremy) will stop at nothing to ruin Astra's reputation.

I have a hard time rating this book. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. I think Astra is a great character, and I love that she works hard to find solutions to her problems that don't include marriage. I listened to the audiobook read by Shiromi Arserio and she was AMAZING. She did exercise, smoking, and running voices. It really made the audiobook for me. I think if I hadn't listened to the audio I probably would have rated this lower because the story isn't very exciting. And Millicent is a horrible person. I find it hard to believe that someone would go to all that trouble for a man who wasn't even interested in her. If you pick this up, I definitely recommend the audiobook.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC.