Like Downton Abbey? More Books and Quotes to Enjoy, Week 4

Welcome to Week 4 of our If You Like Downton Abbey Series.  Thank you for the emails, book suggestions and comments- all are wonderful!   If you are just starting our series, here is Week 1, here is Week 2 and here is Week 3.

 

Quotes From Downton Abbey

There are so many great one-liners in Downton Abbey that I thought I would share a few favorites.  By far, my favorite character is the Dowager Countess, Violet, played by the amazing Maggie Smith.  I have noticed of late that Carson the Butler also comes out with a few gems, as does the quirky cook, Mrs. Patmore.

More Books Like Downton Abbey

The Orchid House by Lucinda Riley

If you follow this site (and why don’t you if you are not?), you know that I am a huge fan of Lucinda Riley, the author of The Orchid House.  She joined us last year with hilarious guest posts, here and here,  and I have recently read her new book, The Lavender Garden which comes out in June of 2013.  I suggest you pre-order it at once as it is wonderful as well.

The Orchid House is a magnificent novel.  From the publisher, “Spanning from the 1930s to the present day, from the Wharton Park estate in England to Thailand, this sweeping novel tells the tale of a concert pianist and the aristocratic Crawford family, whose shocking secrets are revealed, leading to devastating consequences. “

Here is Lucinda discusses how her own sprawling estate in the English countryside served as inspiration for The Orchid House:

Simon and Schuster provided a review copy of this book.  All opinions are my own. 

The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin

This book was included in Great Thoughts’ Top Books of 2011.   My full review is here.  It channels Downton Abbey in that it is the story of Cora Cash, a wealthy American who marries a British duke in the late 1890′s.  Interesting that this wealthy American is named Cora, as is Lady Grantham in the show.  And don’t we love that the character in the book has the last name of Cash?

From the publisher, “Be careful what you wish for. Traveling abroad with her mother at the turn of the twentieth century to seek a titled husband, beautiful, vivacious Cora Cash, whose family mansion in Newport dwarfs the Vanderbilts’, suddenly finds herself Duchess of Wareham, married to Ivo, the most eligible bachelor in England. Nothing is quite as it seems, however: Ivo is withdrawn and secretive, and the English social scene is full of traps and betrayals. Money, Cora soon learns, cannot buy everything, as she must decide what is truly worth the price in her life and her marriage.

My favorite quote from the book occurs when Teddy, Cora’s American beau comes to visit prior to the wedding  and he says, “I have no doubt that your mother is happy and your Duke and your dressmaker but I just wanted to be sure you were.”

St. Martin’s Press provided a review copy of this book for this post.  All opinions are my own.

What are you reading and where are you going?

 

 

 

book review, downton abbey