This book started out as a fun spoof on the royal family, and on media frenzies such as the one that surrounded Princess Diana's life and death. And the premise is fun - what if Diana was still alive.

It was fast-paced, switching between many points of view in very short scenes. But after reading 55% of the book, it started to feel long. I've been known to waste an hour or so reading through a gossip magazine, but I couldn't keep it up for 300 pages.

This novel was a whimsical look at what the world might be like if Princess Diana resurfaced almost 30 years after her fatal car crash. Based on the current media representation of what the royal family is like, the characters are totally believable, from the fame-obsessed Sussexes to the bumbling King Charles. I might be biased, as someone who is definitely Team Diana over Team Charles/Camilla, but this was a wonderful peek into what Diana might be up to now had she not been taken too soon.

I had so much more hope for this. A big letdown. Not in how it was written, but how it plays out.

It was fun, coy, quirky, laugh out loud funny in parts. A huge nod to the Heir vs. the Spare dilemma.

A lot of it is weird. A big take on parasocial relationships in this day and age where everything is right at our fingertips and social media is inevitably in your face.

I genuinely wonder how the Royal Family feels about this, it is borderline invasive and disrespectful.

Maybe that’s the point?…

3.5 ⭐️

2.5 stars rounded down. Admittedly, part of my disappointment is my own fault since, you know, I requested it (many thanks to NetGalley!), but this is one of those books that really didn't need to be read. I thought the premise sounded fun: What if Princess Diana was still alive all these years later? And it started off entertaining enough, albeit a bit try-hard — the author really wanted to take the piss out of the royals, albeit good-naturedly, so they threw in quirky details (William and Charles as co-stars on EastEnders! Harry & Meghan being comically over-the top!) for a laugh. However, it soon descended into a "Why is even a thing?" experience, which is never great as a reader.

The ending was predictable, and there was a MAJOR WTF moment (among several) in the form of (view spoiler), but I suppose the most important reason I rated this so low is that it just felt... weird. I know "The Crown" exists and lots of people are fascinated by the lives of the royals, but this was different. It was part spoof, part weird take-down, and part... I don't know, fanfic? Either way, I finished it, and given how slow I've been with reading lately, that deserves applause, but I wasn't a fan.

Project Bear B is something I empathize with deeply and have considered executing on my own, but of the penguin variety. This might be the single most human thing I have ever seen ascribed to King Charles III.

Similarly, Diana may be the least important part of her own story. JB Miller's "Duch" postulates what would happen if Diana suddenly returned to contemporary Europe, upsetting the apple cart of a Charles who wants to do more. But his bear is missing. Will Diana actually return or is she an ersatz teddy bear as well?

Thank you to the publisher for giving me the chance to read an early digital copy of this book. Those that know me know that I am an avid fan of the Royal Family of England. I have always been fascinated by them, ever since I was a little girl and saw the coverage of Princess Diana's funeral on the television. Ever since then, I have read and watched so many stories, interviews, documentaries, shows, etc. on the royal family. I know there are people who believe that the death of Princess Diana was a conspiracy and others that believe she is still alive. Although I do not necessarily believe that she is still alive, this story was kind of fun to imagine what if. It does kind of make you think of what her life would have been like had she not died, or what her public life would have been like. A fun and entertaining read, this one is out now!

This was such a unique and unexpected read. This book is part satire, part royal fever dream, and part cultural commentary. The premise is bold: what if Princess Diana is alive, living in Paris under a cloud of mystery and memory loss? JB Miller runs with this idea in a fast-paced, often hilarious chronicle that blends reality with wild what-ifs.

The writing is witty and sharp, with moments of genuine heart that caught me off guard. The character of Duch is intriguing and the supporting cast adds flavor to this whimsical and slightly chaotic story. I especially enjoyed the satirical take on media obsession and royal politics.

Duch is an imaginative and entertaining ride. If you’re curious about royals, conspiracy theories, and speculative fiction with a humorous twist, this might be a book you will enjoy.

I was one of those Anglophiles who was obsessed with Diana from the very beginning. Her funeral was on my birthday. I still read everything about her I can get my hands on, especially fiction. I think this is my new favorite novel about her.

The book has some funny lines and is rather irreverent, but not in a cruel way. It was such a fun read, It poked gentle fun at the Royals, took a good poke at the media, and then there was the matter of Diana.

I think towards the end, the story got a bit too wild but I still loved it. The characters were strong, the storyline delivered, and the premise was just delightful. If you don't cheer for Fox and Diana, are you truly a fan?!

Thank you NetGalley, and thank you, JB Miller, for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions are mine and freely given.

It took me some time to get in the groove of this book. Erm. novel. It’s always a tricky exercise to write fiction about existing people, and although the premise was interesting, the execution proved tedious.

However, much like a Kafka story, you get most out of the story by its end, and it allows you to reflect on the absurdity of life and our reaction to it. I liked how quirky it was, but somehow the story feels geared toward a more UK crowd, if that makes sense. I know Diana’s cult was global but there are too Englishism for it to really show.

I’d rate this 2.5 and it could’ve been more but frankly, it lost a full star because of the sheer amount of translation mistakes—if you’re going to write in another language have the decency to get it checked by something or preferably someone other than Deepl… (I’m a French native and this was *very frustrating* to read at times).

An intriguing book with an interesting premise. Did Diana fake her death in 1997? On the face of it, its a premise that has nowhere to go. She couldn't have, could she? But...

With a high-wire set-up like this, part of the appeal of this book is seeing how the author gets out of the trap they have set for themselves. Whether they do or not is hard to discuss in a review without spoiling it, but it is safe to say that the book wrong-foots its readers with multiple twists and turns.

I approached the book imagining that it would be a 'Diana in hiding' story, with the identity of the still-living 'People's Princess' gradually revealed. It isn't that book. Diana's possible survival becomes known to other characters very early on - the book is more concerned with examining the impact of that and of how Diana's public persona would work in a world that is very different from when she left it. It isn't so much an exploration of how she might have survived, and more a discussion of where she might fit with TikTok, viral campaigns and online activism.

We do get quite a bit of characterisation of Charles, Camilla, Harry and William - the latter is implausibly now an actor in EastEnders. The novel never fully addressed why the House of Windsor would have afforded any credence to the rumours of Diana's survival.

Chapter-less, the book is an easy read and flows to a surprising conclusion. It's likely to be one of the most 'out there' novels of the year, but one which you need to read to the end of.

This was a miss for me . . . just a bit too wacky and far fetched. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy!

3.5⭐️

Duch tells the story of a woman who is pulled from a Parisian river, remembering nothing except that he name is Diana. Given her voice, her look, the location and the very significant date, people begin to suspect they know exactly who Diana is...

This was a fun read without getting too silly, and I enjoyed the semi-fictionalised version of the royal family - close enough to reality to be even funnier.

I found this to be a quick read, especially as I didn't know where it was heading and for the most part I enjoyed it. However, I can pinpoint a particular moment when it fell apart for me (no spoilers but I think you'll recognise the gratuitous-ness).

Recommended if you're looking for a comedy to keep you guessing and if you love the royals... or love poking fun at them!

Thanks, NetGalley and Riverdale Avenue books for the ARC!

I have always been really intrigued by the royals, especially Diana, so I had to read this. This is a satirical take on the conspiracy theories about Diana. The writing was really good and I found the book to be interesting. I definitely think you have to be a fan of the royals or at least be interested in them to like this book.

A sweeping historical novel that transports readers to a world of intrigue, ambition, and betrayal. Miller’s attention to detail and intricate storytelling make Duch an immersive experience, bringing history to life in a way that feels both epic and deeply personal.

I guess this is supposed to be a ripoff of all those stories about people pretending to be Anastasia Romanov after the fall of the tsar? The problems that there's nothing new here: no new thoughts, no new situations, nothing that we haven't seen before.

The premise of this novel is sensational: Princess Diana is still alive and has just been pulled out of the River Seine. Is she really Diana? How will everyone, including the Royal Family, react? The woman thought to be Princess Diana doesn't look exactly like the princess, but it has been nearly thirty years since she was last seen. But her actions and British accent seem consistent. Finally, the woman tells people who she really is.

I loved the first half of the book, but the second half of the book gets weird and off track. A romance between the main character and another character introduced late seemed gratuitous and unnecessary. Allusions to a little known movie were just weird and didn't make sense. At the end, the author did suggest in a roundabout way how this woman could indeed be Princess Diana, but overall, the whole second half of the book just fell flat.

I wanted to like this book, but the author dropped the ball after a remarkable beginning and premise.

If you are interested in the Royal family, I think you will find this book very entertaining. I have moderate interest in them and though I still enjoyed the book, I don't think I am the target audience of this title.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What an interesting premise for a book! I was very intrigued for the first half, but found myself losing interest as the story went on. In the end I did not find enough change or evolution in the characters for my satisfaction.

I liked the premise of the idea and while I don't follow the royals or feel any connection with the Princess Diana story (any more than anyone else) I still found myself wishing for a certain outcome and rooting for the underdog, so to speak. The portrayal of the royal family was interesting although many of the characters seemed reduced to caricatures of themselves, almost uncomfortably so for me since these are real people still living. I'm always intrigued when authors write fiction about real people who are still living.

I do think the story put a point on illustrating how the seed of an idea can take off in a crowd, and online, and grow into something much bigger, and perhaps unhinged.

Thanks you to Riverdale Avenue Books and Net Galley for the advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My thanks to Riverdale Avenue Books and NetGalley for a copy of “ Duch “ for an honest review .

I thought this was an entertaining , enjoyable , and humorous read.
Someone looking like , and claiming to be Diana is rescued after jumping in the Seine , but could it really be Princess Diana after all these years , and how will the Royal family and the public react to such news ?!
This is the sort of book where you have to suspend your belief, and just go with the flow.
Well worth a read

First things first: I love reading about the British Royal Family - biographies, tabloids, blog posts, etc. So I was very much looking forward to reading “Duch” for a bit of lighthearted entertainment (thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review).

Sadly, I was immediately annoyed by the wrong/incorrect information and details. It remains unclear whether this was done on purpose, was simply the author’s mistake, or was due to very poor editing/absence of any fact-checking. After all, this is a novel about the Royal Family, not a fictitious family of royals, even though the heroine Diana Inconnue might be entirely fictional.

A few examples:
• Reference to Harry and Meghan as the Duke and Duchess of Wessex (!) not Sussex (noted at least once)
• Reference to two Jack Russell dogs owned by the King and Queen. The book was to be published at the end of February 2025, and it was widely publicised that one of the King and Queen’s dogs died in 2024
• Last but not least, The Telegraph (British newspaper) would never spell the word “travelling” with one ‘l’

There were other mistakes, but I was not paid to edit the book!

And what about the story itself? Intriguing, entertaining, somewhat silly, satirical - it all started really well, and I was enjoying the book. Sadly, it all disintegrated rather quickly, as if the author lost the will to continue entertaining us and simply dragged on with the novel. The quality of the story really suffered towards the end.

I didn’t perceive any hidden deeper meaning about the problems of public personas, issues with idealised images, and our expectations of famous people. I mean, it was all on the surface without deeper analysis or amazing insights. Similarly, I do not feel the author really had any instructive stories about our usage of social media and how dangerous even a simple tweet could be, coming from a famous person with a huge following. It has all been said many times before.

And then it all ended on a rather blah note.

All in all, perhaps an entertaining enough story, but one I would not recommend.