Debutantes

Sep 28, 2012 Rebecca ♥ Ash, Jem, Warner ♥ rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Tweens who like dresses

Shelves: historical-fiction, young-adult, cover-lust, provincial-library, reviewed, standalone

The summary and title for this are rather misleading. The story revolves around 4 sisters, all named after flowers. The oldest is Violet at 18, Daisy and Poppy are twins at 16, and Rose is the youngest at 12. Each sister has a different hair colour; black, red, blonde, and brown, which is rather ridiculous and most likely impossible. The MC is Daisy, 16, blonde, and an aspiring film director. Her and her sisters all have a hobby that keeps them extremely occupied. Daisy is constantly filming som...more The summary and title for this are rather misleading. The story revolves around 4 sisters, all named after flowers. The oldest is Violet at 18, Daisy and Poppy are twins at 16, and Rose is the youngest at 12. Each sister has a different hair colour; black, red, blonde, and brown, which is rather ridiculous and most likely impossible. The MC is Daisy, 16, blonde, and an aspiring film director. Her and her sisters all have a hobby that keeps them extremely occupied. Daisy is constantly filming something and making short films out of clips that she took of her family and staff; Poppy is a musician and part of a jazz band along with their chauffeur so she is always practicing; Rose, at 12, is an aspiring writer and is constantly making up fake newspaper headings and speaking in a ridiculously formal tone that is very unrealistic for her age; and Violet is obsessed with the rich and famous, always day dreaming about parties and dresses. The majority of the book consists of this sort of thing. Not much story at all. Mostly descriptions of the process of developing film, and descriptions of many, many dresses and outfits.

Eventually a handsome young man shows up, and I thought yay, about time. Of course he notices Violet first because she is by far the prettiest of the sisters, but like a complete snob, she treats him condescendingly because he is the youngest son and has no inheritance. Violet intends to marry money, because she is a romantic. Yes, the book actually said that. She wants to be a princess, not a poor man's wife, because she is a romantic. I had a hard time swallowing that one. I have no idea if this book was supposed to be satirical and just went about it so poorly that I didnt even notice, or the author is really cynical, or this just happens to be the worst group of characters I have ever seen.

I thought after Violet's cold welcome, Justin would start to notice Daisy instead, who is friendly and thinks he is very handsome. But he continues to obsess over Violet with absolutely no cause to think she returned his interest. It was the most awkward relationship I have ever seen. I hated Violet so much. She was horrid! But all her sisters loved her and thought she was so lovely and she deserved all their attention and they did what ever she wanted them to. Sometimes when Violet was being particularly bitchy, I expected Daisy to say something, that she should check her attitude, or something. But instead Daisy would think about something nice she should do for Violet to lift her spirits. OMG that girl needed to be pushed out a window! Even though she did the right thing in the end, that just made it more frustrating. After her obsessing about marrying rich for most of her life, did it not occur to her sooner that it would not make her happy? And after everything she put poor Justin through? Everything she put her sisters through in order to have the perfect debut? It was all for naught.

Eventually the sisters are invited to London by Violet's godmother, and there are many more parties and dinners and excuses to describe dresses and for Daisy to make more films. And it all revolved around Violet with Daisy just looking on from the sidelines. There was a bit of a side story about a mysterious aunt that revolved around Daisy, but it was completely predictable and didnt save us much from the sea of dresses (and this is 1923 so they arent even pretty dresses, just flapper dresses).

This book was a complete bore with horrible, hateful and illogical characters, no story, the worst romance I have ever seen, and really bad punctuation. Whoever edited this book didnt know how to properly use quotation marks. Editing errors dont actually hinder my reading. I read a lot of indie and I am used to errors and I can accept that some indie authors cant afford an editor. But this is not indie, and I read a hard copy from the library. I expect better from this.(less)

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Aug 29, 2012 Jessica-Robyn marked it as to-read

Shelves: historical-fiction, young-adult, pov-female

Premeditating: I am incredibly wary of young adult historical fiction. I won't even look twice at those pretty dresses and flashy tales about young women in the hight of glamour any more. I have been disillusioned that a beautiful cover means it will be a beautiful book. ... But oh my god! This cover takes the cake. It. is. amazing. So yes, I will be reading this because of the cover, even if reviews start trickling in that call this another outright costume fiction flop. I am a proud cover junk...more

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Dec 29, 2012 Renae M. rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012, historical-fiction, published-2012

Outwardly, Debutantes seems promising. It has an intriguing jacket blurb, a professional cover, and is written by an author who has experience in the genre. Unfortunately, this book didn’t wow me at all. I came in expecting a novel similar to something by Anna Godbersen, but instead I was constantly reminded of Distant Waves by Suzanne Weyn, another historical novel I didn’t particularly care for.

Right away, Cora Harrison introduces the four Derrington sisters: Violet, Poppy, Daisy, and Rose. T...more Outwardly, Debutantes seems promising. It has an intriguing jacket blurb, a professional cover, and is written by an author who has experience in the genre. Unfortunately, this book didn’t wow me at all. I came in expecting a novel similar to something by Anna Godbersen, but instead I was constantly reminded of Distant Waves by Suzanne Weyn, another historical novel I didn’t particularly care for.

Right away, Cora Harrison introduces the four Derrington sisters: Violet, Poppy, Daisy, and Rose. The introduction was honestly a little rough, as the author gave her reader very little information to differentiate the sisters from each other besides names and lengthy descriptions of their assorted hair colors. I find it intensely aggravating when an author expects me to keep all the characters straight by telling me their names and appearance, as if that’s the only thing that matters. If there are four main characters, I need for them to become well-rounded individuals, not just paper dolls with specific labels.

There was also an astonishing amount of “telling” rather than “showing” in Debutantes, which is on par for the less mature, middle-grade-esque style of narration that Harrison employed here. As I’ve mentioned before, I have nothing against fiction intended for people 14 and under, but that doesn’t mean I like it very much either, not anymore. And, sadly, Debutantes was (in my opinion) incorrectly marketed toward the young adult audience—it is middle grade, pure and simple.

The main focus of Debutantes is Daisy Derrington, the character to whom the “secret” alluded in the blurb refers. Except, of course, that secret didn’t make its presence known until the final 50 pages, so much of this novel was about the four sisters doing nothing while they waited for the secret to be revealed. That was probably my biggest complaint with this book: the plot was tediously dull and slow-moving, and when things finally started moving, it was too little too late.

I didn’t hate this book. I really didn’t. I was just bored out of my mind while reading it, and slightly aggravated by the sloppy plot construction. So, as with all books that I find dull, I will dish out a 2 star rating and move on.

Read more reviews at Respiring Thoughts.(less)

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May 18, 2013 Megan (The Book Babe) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-on-my-site

Due to copy and paste, formatting has been lost.

I'm a big fan of historical YA as a genre. That being said, I wasn't a big fan of this book. It was heartbreakingly slow-- to the point that nothing really happened. I may like historical, but I like a little mystery or intrigue. This didn't deliver on that front.

There was a mystery, but I found it trivial. The hints weren't very well done, because I figured out the mystery long before it was time. I'm not a huge fan of that, but in a world where...more

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Feb 24, 2013 Book Angel Emma rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1920-s

Review by Beth

Sweet and sugary, Debutantes is a novel which is filled with girly excitement and enjoyment. Told mainly from the point of view of Daisy, the budding film director, we’re led through a journey of 1920s England and the lives of the four Derrington sisters. Each sister has her own dreams and aspirations and is fearless and enjoyable in her own way. As the first of a series it’s clear to see how Harrison is setting up her readers to experience things from the point of view of each sis...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Bettsbubbles rated it 1 of 5 stars

Well, I think an appropiate summary of the terrible experience I had with this book would be the old adage "Don't judge a book by its cover." Aye, how true it is.

I fell for the cover of this book hook, line and sinker whilst browsing in Waterstones. So when it appeared in my local library, I snapped it up, wanting to read it as soon as possible.

I don't even know why I wasted my time.

This book was awful. And I know there are some other awful books out there, like Twilight and those Becca Fitzpatr...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Suzanne rated it 1 of 5 stars

Yawn. I was really hoping the cover was just a way to get lovers of chick lit to pick it up, but was really a kind of a mockery of the contents. Not so. The main subject area is the 'struggle' of four beautiful & aristocratic but penniless sisters to enter English society. Meanwhile, a nod to feminism has each girl being very interested and talented in some area (writing, music, film-making, acting) and the obsession with style & dance partners only supposed to be the means to getting ri...more

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Nov 22, 2012 The-vault rated it 3 of 5 stars

By Cora Harrison. Grade B+
Debutantes was my first encounter with the genre of historical fiction, and I am glad that I read it. Had it not been for this review copy I got, I would probably not be planning to try as many books as I can in this genre in the near future.
It’s 1923 and London is a whirl of jazz, dancing and parties. Violet, Daisy, Poppy and Rose Derrington are desperate to be part of it, but stuck in an enormous crumbling house in the country, with no money and no fashionable dresse...more By Cora Harrison. Grade B+
Debutantes was my first encounter with the genre of historical fiction, and I am glad that I read it. Had it not been for this review copy I got, I would probably not be planning to try as many books as I can in this genre in the near future.
It’s 1923 and London is a whirl of jazz, dancing and parties. Violet, Daisy, Poppy and Rose Derrington are desperate to be part of it, but stuck in an enormous crumbling house in the country, with no money and no fashionable dresses, the excitement seems a lifetime away.
Luckily the girls each have a plan for escaping their humdrum country life: Rose wants to be a novelist, Poppy a jazz musician and Daisy a famous film director. Violet, however, has only one ambition: to become the perfect Debutante, so that she can go to London and catch the eye of Prince George, the most eligible bachelor in the country.
But a house as big and old as Beech Grove Manor hides many secrets, and Daisy is about to uncover one so huge it could ruin all their plans—ruin everything—forever.

Debutantes reminded me of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and quite inevitably so. With the sisters loving each other so unconditionally and the struggle for the eldest to get married in the era of nineteen twenties, it was quite natural. Moreover, the author herself has been influenced by the literary legend, seeing how her two other books are titled I was Jane Austen’s Best Friend, and Jane Austen Stole My Boyfriend.
The Derrington family, formerly very rich, has lost everything with time. Now all they own is an abnormally large house called the Beech Grove Manor which houses four Derrington girls, their father – the Earl – and their Great Aunt Lizzie.
The issue that the book focuses on in the beginning is one related to Violet – the most beautiful Derrington girl – and the struggles and planning to make her a Debutante in the Season in London, on her eighteenth birthday. Like most girls of that time, Violet wants to make a debut at the season, meet a rich peer from the realm, fall in love, and then marry him. Violet is sure that if she gets successful with this, she would surely find her younger sisters the best of husbands, and above all, make them the Debutantes too.
–
Cora Harrison has tried her best to meet the levels of her ideal, apparently. And she has been successful at it to a large extent. The best thing I liked about the book was the scene setting and descriptions. She has done the appropriate research, and gives the era an authentic feel. I couldn’t find any scene in the book which seemed unbelievable. You clearly get the picture of the 1920’s before your eyes while you leaf through the book. From the protagonist to the most irrelevant secondary character, all of them are fantastically well-developed. You live the book with them. Daisy, the narrator of the story, steals the show and is my favourite character in the book. The effect of teenage in the girls is commendably portrayed. It is nice to know that the horrors of puberty a hundred years ago were nearly the same as they are now.
After reading this one, I’d say hats off to Cora Harrison for penning down this one. Writing historical fiction like her is not at all everybody’s cup of tea. My only problem was that the plot was very, very slow. Also, there are certain sentences, not many though, that are abnormally long. But of course, you can neglect the latter when you have such a great story to read.
To sum up, I would say that absolutely loved this book. Debutantes is tailor made for any lover of YA, historical fiction, mystery and/or classics. A perfect blend of genres, Debutantes, is definitely recommended for the ones who want to have a little bit of everything.

Originally reviewed at http://vaultofbooks.com/(less)

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Nov 19, 2012 VaultOfBooks rated it 3 of 5 stars

By Cora Harrison. Grade B+
Debutantes was my first encounter with the genre of historical fiction, and I am glad that I read it. Had it not been for this review copy I got, I would probably not be planning to try as many books as I can in this genre in the near future.
It’s 1923 and London is a whirl of jazz, dancing and parties. Violet, Daisy, Poppy and Rose Derrington are desperate to be part of it, but stuck in an enormous crumbling house in the country, with no money and no fashionable dresse...more By Cora Harrison. Grade B+
Debutantes was my first encounter with the genre of historical fiction, and I am glad that I read it. Had it not been for this review copy I got, I would probably not be planning to try as many books as I can in this genre in the near future.
It’s 1923 and London is a whirl of jazz, dancing and parties. Violet, Daisy, Poppy and Rose Derrington are desperate to be part of it, but stuck in an enormous crumbling house in the country, with no money and no fashionable dresses, the excitement seems a lifetime away.
Luckily the girls each have a plan for escaping their humdrum country life: Rose wants to be a novelist, Poppy a jazz musician and Daisy a famous film director. Violet, however, has only one ambition: to become the perfect Debutante, so that she can go to London and catch the eye of Prince George, the most eligible bachelor in the country.
But a house as big and old as Beech Grove Manor hides many secrets, and Daisy is about to uncover one so huge it could ruin all their plans—ruin everything—forever.

Debutantes reminded me of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and quite inevitably so. With the sisters loving each other so unconditionally and the struggle for the eldest to get married in the era of nineteen twenties, it was quite natural. Moreover, the author herself has been influenced by the literary legend, seeing how her two other books are titled I was Jane Austen’s Best Friend, and Jane Austen Stole My Boyfriend.
The Derrington family, formerly very rich, has lost everything with time. Now all they own is an abnormally large house called the Beech Grove Manor which houses four Derrington girls, their father – the Earl – and their Great Aunt Lizzie.
The issue that the book focuses on in the beginning is one related to Violet – the most beautiful Derrington girl – and the struggles and planning to make her a Debutante in the Season in London, on her eighteenth birthday. Like most girls of that time, Violet wants to make a debut at the season, meet a rich peer from the realm, fall in love, and then marry him. Violet is sure that if she gets successful with this, she would surely find her younger sisters the best of husbands, and above all, make them the Debutantes too.
–
Cora Harrison has tried her best to meet the levels of her ideal, apparently. And she has been successful at it to a large extent. The best thing I liked about the book was the scene setting and descriptions. She has done the appropriate research, and gives the era an authentic feel. I couldn’t find any scene in the book which seemed unbelievable. You clearly get the picture of the 1920’s before your eyes while you leaf through the book. From the protagonist to the most irrelevant secondary character, all of them are fantastically well-developed. You live the book with them. Daisy, the narrator of the story, steals the show and is my favourite character in the book. The effect of teenage in the girls is commendably portrayed. It is nice to know that the horrors of puberty a hundred years ago were nearly the same as they are now.
After reading this one, I’d say hats off to Cora Harrison for penning down this one. Writing historical fiction like her is not at all everybody’s cup of tea. My only problem was that the plot was very, very slow. Also, there are certain sentences, not many though, that are abnormally long. But of course, you can neglect the latter when you have such a great story to read.
To sum up, I would say that absolutely loved this book. Debutantes is tailor made for any lover of YA, historical fiction, mystery and/or classics. A perfect blend of genres, Debutantes, is definitely recommended for the ones who want to have a little bit of everything.

Originally reviewed at: http://vaultofbooks.com/(less)

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Nov 18, 2012 Paula Phillips rated it 4 of 5 stars

As we all know how much I love covers , this book shows how much a cover can influence someone to buy a book as the fact that I love the 1920's era books as well helped. But, I just can't stop gushing over how amazing this cover art is from the flowers to the main picture of the girl who seems porcelain which in this era was all the rage. Debutantes by Cora Harrison in a slight way reminded me of the book Ballet Shoes by Noel Stretfeild in which the girls all wanted to become somebody but their...more

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Oct 25, 2012 Kirsti rated it 1 of 5 stars

Such a beautiful cover; such a waste of time! I was not planning on buying a book that day, but I loved how pretty the cover was, and the story seemed interesting. Instead of the interesting story however, all I got was predictable plot, extremely bad writing, and zero connection. This story is told in such a dispassionate way that not only could I never like the characters, most of them left a bad taste in my mouth as well. I couldn't even keep up with which sister was which; they're all named...more

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Oct 13, 2012 Damaskcat rated it 4 of 5 stars

Violet, Poppy, Rose and Daisy, four sisters, who are longing to make something of their lives; it is the nineteen twenties and their widowed father and the aunt who lives with them do not seem to be doing anything about changing their situation. The girls decide to do something themselves. Violet wants to be a debutante and marry money so that her sisters can go and live with her.

Poppy plays jazz and wants to make her name a jazz musician; Daisy wants to be a film director and Rose wants to be...more

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Aug 12, 2012 Naomi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Debutantes is a fun, light and enjoyable read. Set in 1920’s England, the Derrington sisters each have different personalities, and they do not blend together – they all are individual characters, with different aspirations. The first book focuses mainly on Daisy, who is interesting and hopes to become a film director. Violet, one of her sisters, hoped to be a debutante and come out for a season in London. Poppy loved jazz and had a band with locals in their town. Rose wanted to be a newspaper e...more

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Aug 03, 2012 Chelsey rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is the best book that I have read based off of family dynamics this year. These Derrington girls knew the true meaning of sisterhood. They shared everything together and even got along quite remarkably for four sisters who are all relatively around the same age. They all genuinely looked out for one another and never broke the bonds of family. I love reading a good book where siblings really have each other’s back. The bond between siblings is something that should be unbreakable; thes...more This book is the best book that I have read based off of family dynamics this year. These Derrington girls knew the true meaning of sisterhood. They shared everything together and even got along quite remarkably for four sisters who are all relatively around the same age. They all genuinely looked out for one another and never broke the bonds of family. I love reading a good book where siblings really have each other’s back. The bond between siblings is something that should be unbreakable; these girls relied on each other and that’s what family should be.

I loved reading about each of the four girls: Violet, Daisy, Poppy, and Rose. I also love how Cora Harrison was able to bond them over something as pivotal as an anonymous love letter and then turn right around and write each of their characters so differently. They each had their own individualistic likes, dislikes, qualities, and characteristics. I love when siblings are night and day different from one another. This keeps the story more interesting and then you, as the reader, can decide whom you are most relatable with. They all have desires and goals as well. Rose wants to be a novelist and Poppy wants to be a famous jazz musician, and it is instances like these that really help to define a character and really made the family dynamics all the more exciting. When everyone is going down a different path that only equals one thing. Adventure.

Daisy seemed to narrate and be in control of most of the story, as to the reason why, I am not going into detail because you all need to pick up a copy for yourselves!! However, I will say that Daisy is an interesting character and would have been my pick out of the four sisters as well to narrate the story. The Derrington estate has reached the doors of poverty and has slowly slumped down the doorstep. Daisy is a very influential character because even though her family is facing hard times she is still able to entertain, strengthen, and heighten the thoughts and emotions of her sisters. Daisy is the most grounded and cares the most for the well-being and happiness of her sisters. I was so shocked and completely awed at the sacrifices that Daisy was willing to make just to help the dreams of her sisters come true.

This was such a breezy read and truly captured the 1920’s as I have always envisioned them. I am all about a good setting too and I loved Cora’s, Beech Grove Manor, where the girls grew up. Harrison takes readers on an inside look at the servants and groundskeepers of the manor as well, and I find it very important that as reader I am introduced to even the smallest of characters. She instilled each of the Derrington girls with a desire, want, or a need to bring her family out of poverty and each girl would not lay to rest until she had secured the fate of her sisters. It was such a touching story highlighting one family of dreamers and their plans to get rich quick!! Such a romantic novel with totally inspiring and charming characters!

**A copy of this book was provided to me by Pan Macmillan Children’s Books in exchange for my honest review**
(less)

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Aug 28, 2012 Maria Bavin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Precisely written and engaging, Cora Harrison has created a novel of romance, parties and secrets in the year of 1923. I believe that Harrison has captured the essence of that era beautifully and has been able to portray it to her readers all the same.

I’m going to start by saying what I most enjoyed about this book and it was in fact the character, Rose. For a 12-year-old Harrison has portrayed her to be quite mature and already knows what she wants for a career. Although I admired this, the thi...more

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Aug 03, 2012 Rebecca- Books rated it 4 of 5 stars

Originally posted here: http://rebecca-books.blogspot.co.uk/2...

I discovered Cora Harrison a couple of years ago when I picked up I was Jane Austen's Best Friend (review) after choosing it as 'the other book' in one of the classic Waterstone's 3 for 2 and found myself pleasantly surprised by the depth of knowledge on Jane Austen, the subtle parodies and hints of Austen's own novels and just the lovely simplistic writing that made it perfect for a summer read on holiday.
I also bought the sequel,...more

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Sep 06, 2012 Natalie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic, covers-to-die-for

The blurb and cover of this book made it look much better than it was, especially due to the tagline: "The season of parties, romance and secrets is about to begin..." First of all, we are only told that the parties were attended by Violet, although are given very little detail about what happened at them. There is literally NO romance throughout the novel, and there's one secret, which I guessed right at the beginning, before Elaine was even introduced. Also, the blurb says that "Daisy is about...more

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Aug 28, 2012 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, read-for-review

Debutantes is a sweet historical novel set in the 1920s Kent countryside. When I was reading it, I kept thinking this is Pride and Prejudice meets Dawson’s Creek. It is a romance but it’s also a novel of friendship and making your own way in the world.

It’s the story of four sisters who are the daughters of an Earl. Sadly, the Derrington’s fortune was lost on a mining business venture and so the family estate is in a state of disrepair. There is no male heir and so the estate will pass to a cousi...more Debutantes is a sweet historical novel set in the 1920s Kent countryside. When I was reading it, I kept thinking this is Pride and Prejudice meets Dawson’s Creek. It is a romance but it’s also a novel of friendship and making your own way in the world.

It’s the story of four sisters who are the daughters of an Earl. Sadly, the Derrington’s fortune was lost on a mining business venture and so the family estate is in a state of disrepair. There is no male heir and so the estate will pass to a cousin on the death of Michael Derrington. The family’s hopes lay with the eldest daughter Violet. If she can have a season and marry a rich aristocrat, then all will be well. But there is no money for a debutant season for Violet. Yet the main character of the story is Daisy. She wants to be a film director and has a plan to make Violet famous in one of her movies.

The great thing about this book is Daisy and Poppy (her twin sister). They both have separate interests – directing films and jazz music – which evoke the dazzling 1920s era. It was great to see young women empowering themselves and following their dreams. I love that message. All the references to film-making were fascinating to me and captured my imagination. I loved visiting Sir Guy’s film studios and seeing behind the scenes. This is where the book excelled and brought the era to life.

However, I did have difficulty visualising the characters’ outfits. One of the things I thought worked really well in I Was Jane Austen’s Best Friend was the illustrations. They complimented the story so well and brought it to life. I really wish that this book had contained black and white photos or film stills taken by Daisy. It would have given the book a wow factor and helped me to picture the girls’ attire and hair dos. There is such an emphasis on fashion of the period in Debutantes so I would have loved to have seen it.

There were also some errors in the proof copy. I think the author had changed Justin’s name from an earlier draft and so I was confused when a Julian randomly appeared. I’m sure this will have been rectified when the manuscript went to print though.

I wish I could have turned off my critical faculties and just enjoyed this story. But I kept wondering why Rose was there. (She is the youngest sister at twelve years old). What was her plot purpose? She wanted to be a novelist (and here I can see the link to Harrison’s previous novels) but did she really need to be there? At times it was hard to keep track of so many characters and I think the novel may have benefited from one less sister. It couldn’t be the eldest sister Violet because she is the “damsel in distress” and very much in need of a husband with a fortune.

Despite my criticisms, I did find Debutantes to be a sweet and engaging read. It’s historical fiction and yet it is very accessible and has a “contemporary” feel to the language. Girls will love the fashion theme, the go-getting Daisy and jazzy parties. A great first novel for preteens who want to try the historical genre.(less)

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Jul 31, 2012 Stephanie (Stepping out of the Page) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, arc-or-review, cover-appeal, historical, young-adult, read-in-2012, realistic-fiction, blog-tour

Debutantes is going to be quite a challenging book for me to review. This is another book where I was quite honestly blinded by the beauty of the cover - just look at it, isn't it gorgeous? I did of course read the blurb and whilst I don't read all that much historical fiction, what I have read I have enjoyed, so I was excited to give this one a go.

I will admit that I wasn't immediately taken with this book when I started with it. It's a bit of a slow burner and rather than having much action or...more Debutantes is going to be quite a challenging book for me to review. This is another book where I was quite honestly blinded by the beauty of the cover - just look at it, isn't it gorgeous? I did of course read the blurb and whilst I don't read all that much historical fiction, what I have read I have enjoyed, so I was excited to give this one a go.

I will admit that I wasn't immediately taken with this book when I started with it. It's a bit of a slow burner and rather than having much action or twists and turns at the beginning, we're introduced to the Derrington sisters (Violet, Daisy, Poppy and Rose), their family and friends. I really liked getting to know the sisters, they were all different and equally intriguing. I thought that it was great that each sister was following their own, independent path. I especially loved reading about Daisy and her passion for movie making! I enjoyed watching the sister's interactions together and I am curious to see how their relationships will develop during this series. I took a real fondness to each of the girls and appreciated their differences.

I also enjoyed learning about the housemaids, though at some points the amount of characters did feel a little overwhelming. It wasn't confusing as such, but because of the amount of characters, it was difficult for them all to be given real depth. Whilst I did enjoy the relationships that were developing in the book - both the familial love as well as the romance, I found some of the relationships to be a little too quickly progressed. The romance certainly wasn't instant love and it did seem 'right' and natural, but I would've liked to see some more depth. Of course, there is lots of room for exploration of this in the upcoming books.

This isn't a particularly deep book, though it does have some family issues interwoven into it to satisfy those who do like some real issues incorporated into their books. The story wasn't very unpredictable, though there was a little mystery, but I thought it was good to have a slightly grittier subplot against the actual debutante ball. This book isn't one that I was shocked at, there were no huge twists and turns, but rather it was consistently enjoyable throughout. It was relaxed and moved at a nice pace. Personally, I do like my twists and turns in novels, but I wasn't disappointed when I found that this one wasn't very eventful. This is definitely a book to simply get immersed in and to relax with.

Although this wasn't a perfect book for me, it was a pleasant enough read and I think that it will appeal to most people who are fans of historical fiction and fans of Downton Abbey as well as young adults who simply want an easy read. I am certainly still intrigued enough and found the 1920's atmosphere and setting absorbing enough to want to read more. It will be exciting to see what happens next!(less)

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Nov 13, 2012 Soph...*Lock&Key* rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, predictable-reads, read-in-2012, love-the-cover

The blurb to this book was misleading; I was not expecting what I read.

What I liked was the general idea of this book. I love everything about love stories about family and a handsome stranger that enters the characters world and changes their life for good. However the execution of this idea was not done well, and resulted in bad writing and a very predictable plot. The Four sisters were all pretty mindless, I had a hard time telling them apart because they all seemed to have the same personali...more

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Jul 27, 2012 Liz rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5/5

Debutantes really made me feel like I’d been transported back to the 1920s! I loved the dynamic between the four sisters and all the great descriptions – if you like historical fiction, then this book is for you.

Daisy, Poppy, Violet and Rose were all likeable girls (though Violet could get on my nerves at times) but I think my favourite was Daisy. She wanted to be a famous filmmaker and really didn’t care too much about dances and marriage – though she did worry about her eldest sister Viol...more 3.5/5

Debutantes really made me feel like I’d been transported back to the 1920s! I loved the dynamic between the four sisters and all the great descriptions – if you like historical fiction, then this book is for you.

Daisy, Poppy, Violet and Rose were all likeable girls (though Violet could get on my nerves at times) but I think my favourite was Daisy. She wanted to be a famous filmmaker and really didn’t care too much about dances and marriage – though she did worry about her eldest sister Violet, who was determined to marry rich so she could support herself and her sisters. I liked the way Daisy worried about Violet and did her best to help her and make her as happy as she could be. I also loved her enthusiasm for film and photography, and she had a real eye for capturing images that would really grab an audience’s attention. She could also be quite funny too, and even sarcastic at times – I think she and Rose made me laugh the most. However, she could exaggerate a bit sometimes as well – okay, the family weren’t rich anymore and had little money for clothes and outings, but it wasn’t exactly “soul-destroying poverty”. They still had servants! But I guess it was a difficult time for them all and I can understand why the sisters felt trapped and hard done by. Violet especially felt the effects of their poverty because she could remember a time when the family was still wealthy, and was desperate to get out of there and settle down somewhere else. Poppy was probably my second favourite, and I liked the way she spoke her mind and the sweet relationship she had with Baz – she didn’t want to marry for money, but for love and seemed to have a lot of things planned out already. I also liked her relationship with Daisy and how she supported her towards the end when things got difficult.

One thing I really loved about Debutantes was the descriptions and detail – you could tell the author had researched the era thoroughly and it really paid off. I liked the way the dresses were described and how the girls talked about all the latest fashions at the time and how they felt their clothes were outdated and needed to be changed. Violet spent a lot of time altering dresses trying to make them look new and in-style and it all seemed very realistic and really added to the whole 20s atmosphere. I liked the focus on 20s fashion and hairstyles but I think Daisy’s films and photographs were also explained well and described realistically and I could almost picture Daisy with her old-fashioned camera, making her silent films with her black and white images!

Justin, the youngest son of the Earl of Pennington, was the main love interest in the story...and this was my main problem. It’s not that I didn’t like Justin, because I did. He was quite funny, good-looking and just pretty cool for a 20s guy. But the thing is, I couldn’t really work out whose love interest he was. I mean, we find out for certain it was Violet he liked at the end, and I’m sure most people reading the book would know this from the start, but to me it didn’t feel that way at all. He spent most of his time with Daisy, he chatted with Daisy, he told Daisy his plans for the future – I found it extremely odd that it should be Violet that he liked when the most he did was dance with her and have a few awkward conversations. Looking back, I do see all the hints and expressions that explain his feeling for Violet, but I don’t know. I just didn’t feel the connection with them. I felt he got along better with Daisy, and while he and Violet may have had some love-hate thing going on, I just didn’t get any real romantic vibes from them. Still, I enjoyed his parts of the story and I don’t think this really affected the book in a big way. In fact, judging from other reviews, I think I’m the only one that thinks this anyway, so definitely don’t let it put you off reading the book.

The plot was enjoyable, though for me, very predictable. I had guessed the twist at from the start and couldn’t fathom why it took the girls so long to figure it out. I guess people in the 20s weren’t used to such things and it didn’t seem like the obvious option as it would now. However, I did really enjoy the story and felt it was well-paced and easy to read. My favourite part was Daisy’s filming of “Murder in the Dark” – Murder in the Dark was a game I actually used to play when I was younger, so I got quite excited when it was mentioned. I used to love that game, morbid as it was! And I felt Daisy had created a great story to go with it and I sort of wish I could have actually seen her film, since it sounded so good.

Overall, Debutantes was a great historical read and gave me an insight into life in the 20s. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what’s in store for the sisters next! (And isn’t the cover just gorgeous?)(less)

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Jul 21, 2012 Kirsty (overflowing library) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: review-books

Debutantes is a really interesting read which I enjoyed.

The story revolves around 4 sisters who come from a formerly wealthy family who have fallen on hard times but trying to keep up appearances within a society bound by strict class divisions. I loved getting to know the girls and their different personalities and views on the world.

The one thing I really enjoyed about this book was the insight it gave you into the historical setting. You get a real feeling for the glitz and glamour of the 192...more

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Aug 07, 2012 Sophie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, for-review, uk-author, blog-tour

I think that Debutantes had all the possibility to be amazing, but it fell a little short for me.

I expected to hear from each of the four Derrington girls equally so I was surprised to find Debutantes written in third person close-up, focusing on Daisy. I was a little disappointed about that as although I enjoyed getting to know and love Daisy, the other three girls remained a little one-dimensional for me.

Poppy is self-involved and a complete airy fairy; Violet is pretty selfish and I found her...more

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Sep 22, 2012 Ana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: family-drama, historical-fiction, women

"Debutantes" is the lovely story of the Derrington sisters, set in 1020's England. Violet is 18 years old and dreams of being presented at court and marrying a wealthy man. Daisy is enchanted by the film industry revolution and dreams of becoming a movie director. Poppy is caught up in the Jazz whirlwind and dreams of opening up her own Jazz club. And little Rose loves romantic novels and dreams of becoming a writer.

Problem is, they live in a rundown manor on the English country side and money i...more

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Dec 12, 2012 Nikkita rated it 4 of 5 stars

Debutantes is about a 18 year old girl who wants to be the perfect debutant. She has three sisters (or does she?) who are all into different things. Written in the point of view of Daisy a 16 year old who has a dream of working on the movie set helps her 18 year old sister Violet but there are a lot of mysteries in the old house they live in and their mysterious relative.The author has amazing character development but can be a bit confusing. This book is a mystery and very intriguing. I persona...more

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Aug 04, 2012 Kerry-Ann McDade rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reading-a-little-bit-of-everything

Not only does Debutantes have the most most beautiful it also contains the most beautiful story I have ever read. Cora Harrison has wrote a page turning addictive read for every and any girl around the globe.

I cannot recommend Debutantes enough. It will have you staying up late in the night just to read that little bit more although it will never be enough. The author writes in a way that makes you understand and connect with the characters something which I haven't felt in a long time with a n...more

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Aug 21, 2012 Carly rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review

This is a hard review for me to write as I'm not quite sure where to start. I found Debutantes a little hard to get into, I got around 30 pages in and put it down, I went back to it again and I'm so glad I did, it ended up being a really enjoyable read. The four sisters, Rose, Poppy, Daisy and Violet are a real pleasure to get to know, they are all so unique and entirely different from each other, you will easily and quickly have a favourite although there will be qualities you will love in each...more This is a hard review for me to write as I'm not quite sure where to start. I found Debutantes a little hard to get into, I got around 30 pages in and put it down, I went back to it again and I'm so glad I did, it ended up being a really enjoyable read. The four sisters, Rose, Poppy, Daisy and Violet are a real pleasure to get to know, they are all so unique and entirely different from each other, you will easily and quickly have a favourite although there will be qualities you will love in each of the girls. Debutantes has a really fun storyline that once you get into is both exciting and entrancing. This is beautifully written and imagined with some really well developed, intriguing characters. There are also lots of little twists and turns that will keep you guessing right up until the end.

Debutantes is set in the 1920's in London and the four Derrington sisters long to be a part of the lavish lifestyle with extravagant parties that all the other debutantes have. But unfortunately the girls are poor, they live in a big house that is falling down around them, with no extra money to repair their house they can hardly expect their father to pay for beautiful dresses and parties for Violet's coming out year.

A strange stroke of luck sees the girls dreams start to come true. But the ever intuitive Daisy knows there is more to this newcomer in the girls lives than meets the eye and she starts to unravel a shocking mystery that I really didn't see coming! And who do you think out of all the debutantes will catch the eye of the handsome prince?

The lead up to the ending is brilliant, but the ending itself is seriously abrupt and a little rushed, I actually thought my copy was missing some pages (which it wasn't). So this beautiful story with it's absolutely stunning cover has me eagerly anticipating the release of the second book as I really need to know more about these four sisters. Put Debutantes on your wishlists today if you are in need of a classy read.

*Special thanks to Macmillan for the review copy*

3/5 Stars

Carly :)
http://fictionfascination.blogspot.co...(less)

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Aug 31, 2012 Vicky rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, historical-fiction, young-adult, read-in-2012

Originally reviewed at: http://www.booksbiscuitsandtea.co.uk/...

What caught my attention when I first heard about Debutantes was the fact that it’s supposed to be ‘the perfect read for Downton Abbey fans’. As a huge fan of this show I just knew I had to read this – and it blew me away.

At the risk of sounding terribly gushy, there was nothing I didn’t like about this book. The story centres around the four Derrington sisters who, a few chapters in, I became really fond of. I love the fact that th...more Originally reviewed at: http://www.booksbiscuitsandtea.co.uk/...

What caught my attention when I first heard about Debutantes was the fact that it’s supposed to be ‘the perfect read for Downton Abbey fans’. As a huge fan of this show I just knew I had to read this – and it blew me away.

At the risk of sounding terribly gushy, there was nothing I didn’t like about this book. The story centres around the four Derrington sisters who, a few chapters in, I became really fond of. I love the fact that they all have their own dreams, their own ambitions and they are all so different from each other. Violet is the beautiful, the energetic one; Rose is the youngest of them all and she’s the smart one, Poppy is a bit reserved, the one who doesn’t care for expensive dresses or meeting someone famous or rich. And there’s Daisy, who’s been living in the shadows of her sisters all her life and who’s always there to help them. I loved Poppy and Daisy’s relationship. They reminded me of Elizabeth Bennet from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice – they are the ones (but especially Poppy) who would rather spend time with their friends and have a good time than spend their days looking for someone rich and marry for money.

I found the writing style incredibly engaging – I was transported into the 20th century minutes after picking up the book. I was so absorbed by the story that I totally lost track of time and stopped thinking of where I was while I was reading it. I could literally see Beech Grove Manor, its long staircases, the paintings on the walls, the girls’ dresses, the burning logs in the fireplace – it’s brilliant. And not only is it really atmospheric, it’s a gripping story as well. There’s a great number of mysterious elements in the story and lots of twist and turns, especially towards the end.

The story has a rather Austen-like feel to it so if you enjoyed any of Jane Austen’s books – or, in fact, if you like Downton Abbey – you’re guaranteed to love this one too. What’s different between her books and Harrison’s work, however, is the fact that it’s a lot more accessible for younger readers. And even though I’m not its target audience, I still fell in love with it. It’s my very first Cora Harrison book but it won’t be the last, that’s for sure. Brilliant writing, likeable characters, many twists and turns and a great ending – what’s not to love? I can’t recommend this enough!(less)

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Sep 26, 2012 Sammee (I Want to Read That) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review-read

3.5 Stars

I really enjoyed the 1920's setting - Cora Harrison does a great job of bringing it all alive. And I loved the sisters too - their dynamic kind of reminded me of Little Women.

The mystery element to this was really good and I really enjoyed it! While some may work it out before I did, I was surprised at the revelations - I'm very interested to see what happens next and what it means for the sisters. I'm assuming the series will concentrate on a different sister, so I'm looking forward to...more

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Sep 25, 2012 Maya rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, ya

I love a good historical fiction, and the 1920s are always fun to read about. I think Cora Harrison did a good job of capturing the spirit of the time period, with the new fashion and music. I did think that the blurb exaggerated quite a bit ('Daisy is about to uncover a secret so huge it could ruin all their plans - ruin everything - forever'), as the secret is big but not that big. I also found certain aspects to be fairly predictable, although that wasn't actually a major issue for me.

I love...more

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