Debutantes (Debutantes, #1) by Cora Harrison

Mar 16, 2012 ♥ Rebecca ♥ rated it did not like it

Recommends it for: Tweens who like dresses

Shelves: young-adult, cover-love, reviewed, standalone, library-regional, historical-fiction

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 extremely unlikely. 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 somethi 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 extremely unlikely. 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 I got from my library. I expect better from that. ...more

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Jun 06, 2012 Jessica-Robyn marked it as to-read

Shelves: fiction-ya, historical-fiction, series-book-one

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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Jul 20, 2012 Stephanie (Stepping Out Of The Page) rated it liked it

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

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Sep 19, 2014 Cora Tea Party Princess rated it it was ok

5 Words: debutantes, poor, family, friends, secrets.

Fluff, but it just didn't do it for me.

A lot of aspects were really annoying, like how they were so poor they couldn't have a fire in winter but all had pocket money. It was frustrating to read and didn't make sense.

Violet reminded me a bit of Rose in I Capture the Castle, but despite this I intensely disliked her. She was just such a cow. In fact, I don't think I liked a single one of the characters. Not even Daisy, who was probably the most l ...more

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Aug 12, 2012 Naomi rated it really liked it

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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Nov 19, 2012 VaultOfBooks rated it liked it

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 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/ ...more

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Nov 22, 2012 The-vault rated it liked it

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 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/ ...more

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Nov 03, 2013 Sarah rated it liked it

I really enjoyed Debutantes and found it to be a fun, light hearted read that transports the reader back to the glamorous age of the 1920’s. Full of vivid descriptions it shares the magical sheen of new technologies, risky fashions and scandalous love affairs unique to the time period. It is a must read for any fans of YA historical fiction!

Although the book is about all four of the Derrington girls, this story mostly focuses on the younger twin Daisy. A future film director to be – she is neve I really enjoyed Debutantes and found it to be a fun, light hearted read that transports the reader back to the glamorous age of the 1920’s. Full of vivid descriptions it shares the magical sheen of new technologies, risky fashions and scandalous love affairs unique to the time period. It is a must read for any fans of YA historical fiction!

Although the book is about all four of the Derrington girls, this story mostly focuses on the younger twin Daisy. A future film director to be – she is never far from her trusted camera and unlike her sisters, she cares little for the thought of marriage and fancy dances. However when the girls are offered the chance to go to London Daisy is excited by the prospect of the big city – even if she is only there to support her eldest sister Violet in finding a husband. But when Daisy uncovers a mysterious love letter dated from sixteen years ago, she opens the box to a world of best-forgotten family secrets that could change the lives of the Derrington girls forever…

I really enjoyed this book. Placed in a beautiful setting the descriptions were vivid and detailed and I felt completely immersed in the era of the 1920’s. The drastic changes in fashion and technology were very interesting to read – as were the reactions and difference in opinions between the younger and older generations.

The plot, however, I thought was a little predictable and I guessed most of the twists straight away – yet the story was still fun and held my attention throughout. Both well paced and expressively written, I think Cora Harrison has done a fantastic job in capturing the feel and vibes of the 1920’s.

Also I liked how each character was unique, with the sisters all having distinct personalities and individual dreams. For instance, Violet secretly aspires to be an actress yet as the eldest of the four sisters, she sees it as her duty to marry well and provide for her family. The youngest sister Rose is quite melodramatic and romanticizes everything to put into her stories (she wants to be a writer) and Poppy, Daisy’s twin sister wants nothing more than to own a jazz club and play music all day.

The secondary characters such as Daisy’s Godfather and Justin also contributed greatly to the book. Their scenes were often humorous, witty and in the game of ‘murder in the dark’ just downright fun!

So overall, a thoroughly enjoyable read that I would recommend to younger teens and anyone who enjoyed books by Anna Godbersen such Bright Young Things or the Luxe series. Sassy, vibrant and scandalous, Debutantes brings together all the life and energy of the 1920’s. 3 ½ stars!
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Jul 23, 2012 Vicky rated it it was amazing

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

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 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! ...more

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Jul 04, 2012 Giselle rated it liked it

Shelves: from-publishers, unsolicited, 3-star, arc-physical, 2012, beautiful-covers, age-young-adult, genre-romance, genre-historical

An unsolicited Advanced Reader Copy was provided by the publisher for review. Quotes have been pulled from an ARC and may be subject to change.

The Derrington sisters Violet, Daisy, Rose, and Poppy all live in London all longing to be part of the rich lifestyle they used to live in. A lot of their wealth has been depleted due to their father's business decisions. Their only hope is for the eldest sister Violet to marry, and to debut her place in society as a dutiful wife to a wealthy man. The plo An unsolicited Advanced Reader Copy was provided by the publisher for review. Quotes have been pulled from an ARC and may be subject to change.

The Derrington sisters Violet, Daisy, Rose, and Poppy all live in London all longing to be part of the rich lifestyle they used to live in. A lot of their wealth has been depleted due to their father's business decisions. Their only hope is for the eldest sister Violet to marry, and to debut her place in society as a dutiful wife to a wealthy man. The plot given to us is none other than Violet wanting to marry a rich man and her sisters trying to help her along the way.

I loved the gorgeous details about the girls dressing up. It was wonderful to picture London in the roaring '20's. So full of life, and fashion. It also must be so hard living in that age. To rely on marrying a man with wealth just so you can provide a better life for you and your family. It must have put a lot of pressure on the eldest sibling. Women were finally getting jobs. Working on their own and becoming independent. This was clearly evident in the main character's viewpoint, Daisy Derrington.

I liked how their wasn't a big romance and that it was more of a book about the very day lives of the sisters. All their personalities so different and yet you can't help but love each one. I figured the mother's love for flowers is why they are all aptly named AFTER a flower which I found adorable and sweet. As for the characters, I can't blame Violet for being whiny of angry all the time. Her love for Justin is clearly expressed in return and I felt such pity for them both. Daisy is absolutely my favourite and I love how she has such a passion for film. The theme of family and sisterhood is deeply evident throughout the book, and most certainly at the end. I can't help but admire Daisy's decision and actually felt myself smiling at the ending.

I've always had trouble with historical fiction, but this one was an enjoyable and light hearted read. Fans of the "Little Women" will certainly gobble this one. Also, you'd be blind as to not notice how gorgeous that cover is. ...more

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Feb 24, 2013 Emma rated it really liked it

Shelves: guest-reviews

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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May 18, 2013 Megan (The Book Babe) rated it it was ok

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 whe ...more

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Jun 07, 2012 Ade rated it it was ok

Shelves: books-i-own

I really wanted to love this book. I mean, who wouldn't with such a gorgeous cover? I just.. Couldn't get into the book at all. The life-changing surprise wasn't actually much of a surprise, and it could easily be guessed about 1/4 of the way through the book, and I didn't particularly like any of the sisters. I didn't DISLIKE them exactly, but I wouldn't have cared much if something happened to one of them. Basically, the thing that annoyed me most was Violet. Violet is incredibly focused on ma ...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Natalie rated it it was ok

Shelves: 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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Oct 25, 2012 Kirsti rated it did not like it

Shelves: owned

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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Jul 09, 2012 Kirsty rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: review-books, historical, historical-interwar-years

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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Jul 02, 2015 Shamsa rated it it was ok

I bought this book from one of the books on offer. Basically I got it for a very got price.
The setting of the novel is beautiful I generally love that time the novel was set in. Everything about royalty as well as the clothing and girly-ness of everything.

So let's get to the point ! The back of the book cover saying there was a secret and such ...
I expected more mystery in the story.
How Daisy easily found out who her mother is and such. I expected more of a difficulty and guessing it's someone ...more

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Aug 04, 2012 『Hailey』 marked it as to-read

oh WOW the cover is so lovely!

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Jul 31, 2012 Rebecca rated it really liked it

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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Nov 05, 2017 Mary rated it it was ok

While the cover may be beautiful and the blurb compelling, this book didn't quite resonate with me. I read it as a fourteen-year-old, as I have an affinity for beautiful dresses and suspense (as the blurb hinted towards) but it didn't entertain me as much as I wanted to.

The plot was quite bland, in my opinion, so it was a long read for me. That being said, at fourteen years old, not many people were into historical fiction- I wasn't an exception. It is quite a light read and it would most likel ...more

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Mar 04, 2021 Lea Randall rated it liked it

Recommends it for: fans of Downton Abbey, young readers

This book is perfect for fans of Downton Abbey.

Pros:

- I felt very immersed in the time period. Loved the vibes of Beech Grove Manor
- I like the relationships between the sisters
- Learned more about how films were made back in the 1920s

Cons:

- The romance was lacking and what was included was quite innocent. This would be great for younger readers, but I'm in my mid-twenties and just wanted more
- I guessed the twisted pretty early on and spent most of the novel just waiting for the mystery to res ...more

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Jun 13, 2018 isabelle x rated it liked it

I loved all the characters APART from Violet. I just found her a unpredictable character she could be nice , but she could also be nasty. However I found the other girls likeable and easy to relate to.

Nothing really seemed to happen to happen until the very end but i quite liked it as I needed a bit of a break from action-packed books.

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Aug 07, 2018 Brittany Morrison rated it liked it · review of another edition

Not much of a mystery.

I really like YA and I really like time pieces, so I wanted to like this, but really couldn’t. The descriptions of the clothes and houses and parties gave a good feel, but the “mystery” wasn’t much of a mystery at all and it was easily figured out about a quarter way through the book.

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Sep 04, 2019 Leanne rated it did not like it

Shelves: didn-t-like, ya, historical-fiction, 1920-s, jolly-old-england

This was exceptionally bland and needed a ton of editing. The "romance" between (view spoiler). And not much of anything even happened? Over the course of the book I don't feel i Know these characters any better than before I read it. ...more

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Nov 06, 2017 Nancy Drew rated it really liked it

Is there a way to do 4 1/2 stars? Cause that's what I'd rate it. It was good but not quite 5 stars. But I did love it and want to read the next one. ...more

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May 29, 2018 Faranis Osman rated it it was amazing

5 stars because this book will take you to somewhere else

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Apr 01, 2021 Jo rated it did not like it

Not for me, didn’t like the style or story - not a lot happened

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Nov 27, 2016 Aneely rated it liked it

Shelves: historical

1920's, Two ambitious young sisters out to find a wealthy husband each. Light and Lovely! ...more

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Jul 27, 2012 Liz rated it liked it

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 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?) ...more

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Jul 27, 2020 Heidi Davis rated it really liked it

This is such a sweet book about 4 sisters and the eldest sister’s season in London. The relationships between the sisters are just darling and I particularly loved how each sister had a different hobbie that they so enjoyed and that the reader got to share in. It has elements of romance, humour and mystery and is just such a sweet story. I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys reading stories of first love and historical fiction.

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