The Reluctant Heiress

by Eva Ibbotson

Spring, 1922

Tessa is a beautiful, tiny, dark-eyed princess - who's given up her duties to follow her heart, working for nothing backstage at the Viennese opera. No one there knows who she really is, or that a fairy-tale castle is missing its princess, and Tessa is determined to keep it that way.

But secret lives can be complicated, and when a wealthy, handsome Englishman discovers this bewitching urchin backstage, Tessa's two lives collide - and in escaping her inheritance, she finds her destiny. . .

• ISBN10: 0142412775
• ISBN13: 9780142412770
• Publish Date: 30 April 2009
• Publish Status: Remaindered
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: Penguin USA
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 325
• Language: English

Reviews

[ladygrey]

I have to admit I was a little disappointed in this book. The romance is sweet and everything, the integration of the opera and art and music winsome. But it was really hard to get into the story. Partly because it was full of locations I'm completely unfamiliar with, but named as if they ought to be familiar and just by their name the attributes and significance of the place ought to be obvious. Also, because it took a while to place it in time, even though [auhtor:Eva Ibbotson] gave the years as indicators they didn't quite click, especially the few times in the beginning where it bounced around in time.

But mostly, I had a hard time because it's written with a certain cold detachment to the characters. Which, I guess, stylistically fits with the English culture it's trying to evoke in some ways, but practically makes it difficult to really engage with the characters or the story. It's too withdrawn and too dry, despite whatever backstory is given for even the secondary and tertiary characters.

But eventually, I didn't notice that so much. Maybe the strawberries are where it soften and became accessible and engaging. Maybe before that. But the characters did develop quite well and I was rather invested enough in them, despite how nearly obvious the plot progressed. I didn't mind that, because, having read Ibbotson before I wasn't expecting to be surprised. And the romance, actually, was quite wonderful, with the way things were said and left unsaid. There wasn't a single line that was brilliant, and I sort of wanted one to encapsulate the delightful allusions to mysticism and wonder that work so well in this story.

[rakesandrogues]

Posted at Muggle-Born.net

A Princess undercover, a beautiful castle, and a self-made male protagonist. It sounds like the perfect fairy tale. THE RELUCTANT HEIRESS is a charming story of Tess, Princess of Pfaffenstein, who wants nothing more to serve the arts, and Guy, the self-made millionaire who wants his chance at true love.

I didn't think I was going to make it through this book, to be quite honest. The beginning was agonizingly slow, and Eva Ibbotson's writing style was tough to get used to. I did not like how I was presented with each character's background from the very beginning. There was no joy in peeling the layers to the characters when they were just handed over to me. It almost felt like the story was going off tangent and I wanted to get the story going already.

With that said, once the introductions were out of the way, I was hooked. At the beginning, I was almost annoyed at the endless vivid descriptions of just about everything from the stage scenery to the property of Pfaffenstein. However, the more I read the book, the more I realized just how wonderful it was to be able to paint the grounds and interior of Pfaffenstein. It seemed like such a fairy tale setting and I could not get enough of the castle. The plot was very well developed and I couldn't wait to read just how everything would turn out.

And dare I say it? I've only had one bad experience with opera at the Met in New York City, but THE RELUCTANT HEIRESS made me want to go see another one to give it another chance. Ibbotson weaves the opera into the play wonderfully from describing the scenery and costumes to the aria. I could picture the opera from backstage, but also from the very front row. Opera, I learned, is not my kind of entertainment, but THE RELUCTANT HEIRESS has provided me a bit of appreciation for the fine art.

Ibbotson weaves such a lovely story, and I wish I could like it more. However, I found the romance lacking in passion. I did feel a connection between Guy and Tessa, but the romance in the book was strained. The characters had reason to hold back, but it would have been nice to see at least a little public display of affection. There was a connection, but there was a lack of chemistry that suggested anything more than best friends.

What made this novel also tough to read was the amount of disdain that I felt for Nerine, Guy's bride to be. From the very beginning that her character is introduced, I knew I wasn't going to like her. She has no positive qualities to redeem her character. It was agonizing every time the perspective changed to her point of view because every single one of her thoughts was garbage to me.

THE RELUCTANT HEIRESS is a beautifully written story, but the story was so lacking in the romance department. I honestly wished that I felt the chemistry between Guy and Tessa because I would have loved to give this book a higher rating. I would recommend this book to those who love castles, operas, and historical romances.