The American Heiress

In the late 19th century, beautiful Cora Cash (named without subtlety) is one of the richest debutantes in America. Spoiled, haughty, yet looking for an escape from her overbearing mother, Cora agrees to travel with her mother to England in search of a husband with a title%E2%80%94the one thing new American money can't buy. She meets Ivo, the duke of Wareham, and soon finds herself married, surprisingly, for love. Away from her mother and with the title of duchess, it seems as if Cora has it all. Yet English society life proves difficult to navigate; she faces betrayal and embarrassment. Goodwin's attention to period detail and her inclusion of perspectives from many different characters carries the book through 14 hours of listening. Katherine Kellgren assigns distinct voices to every character, from Cora's maid Bertha to the pretentious Mrs. Cash. While Kellgren consistently maintains each voice, her cartoonish, shrill, and affected voices for the villains grate over time. A St. Martin's hardcover. (June)