kirkusreviews.com
When New York society’s infamous ugly duckling is forced into an
engagement with a Gilded Age Prince Charming, they join forces to save
themselves from each other and soon realize they make an outstanding team.
As a “gawky, ungainly girl of thirteen,” Daisy Swan was dubbed
Ugly Duck Daisy by beautiful Theodore Prescott the Third, Manhattan’s favorite heir. The horrible
nickname stuck, cementing Daisy’s outcast status, so she’s horrified to learn
her mother expects her to marry him. Daisy’s been looking forward to
spinsterhood and living a life of independence, launching a business around the
complexion cream she’s developed using her chemistry degree from Barnard
College. However, after a particularly embarrassing scandal, Theo’s father, a
celebrated tycoon, decides marriage to a sensible girl will rein in his
restless son. Theo and Daisy meet, express their shared abhorrence for each
other, then conspire to launch Daisy’s product, hoping for financial freedom so
they won’t have to marry. Despite his wastrel reputation, Theo has always
wanted to prove himself somehow, and it turns out he’s very talented at
marketing. Using his packaging ideas and advertising copy, the complexion cream
is an instant success and leads to more business ideas. Meanwhile, working
together forces them to look beyond the surface and uncovers a surprising
attraction, making them question whether they actually want to cancel the
wedding. Scandal rises again, from an unexpected source, and as social and
familial pressures change, suddenly being together is the challenge. Rodale’s (Duchess
by Design, 2018, etc.) second Gilded Age Girls Club title hits the romance
sweet spot with an uplifting, empowering love story that underlines the point
that the best adventures happen not when the prince saves the princess, but
when two people bring out the best in each other, fall in love, and change the
world in the process.
Completely satisfying and delightful.
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