Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This book fel flat for me. The story was very bland and nothing really happened. I was excited to read something set in my home town of Philadelphia. Our main character was a total bore.

The Philadelphia Heiress is a fluffy book. There is nothing deep or meaningful about the story. There really isn’t even any conflict. I spent much of the time reading feeling annoyed by Helen’s attitude. Her expectations of others are impossibly high, and she is unforgiving when they fail to be met.
That all being said, I have never before finished a book when I disliked the main character as much as I disliked Helen. The fact that I finished says a lot about Anita Abriel’s writing, because I don’t typically finish fluffy books either. But sometimes a light fluffy book is just what the brain needs, and I guess I needed that when I picked this one up.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All of the opinions are my own. Thank you Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley!

I enjoy reading the book, but there are some parts of it that I probably don't like. The ending is not what I expected to come. One thing I like about the book is the setting, which is the 1920s (imagine the fashion). I have mixed feelings about the main character, Helen. She overreacts most of the things. Overall, The Philadelphia Heiress is a decent book.

3.5 stars (round up would be 4 stars)

Thank you Lake Union & NetGalley for access to this title. The Philadelphia Heiress is a historical piece set in the 1920’s. It follows the main character Helen, her love for farming, marriage and social life. I enjoyed this book though at times found Helen unlikeable due to her temper and strong opinions. Overall, it was interesting to learn about the area and time in history. I look forward to reading more titles by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I had high expectations for this book due to its description matching my wants for a book. Sadly the story did not rise to my expectations and I ended up not finishing it. I did love the cover though

This book had all the makings of something I would love, but I am sad to report that it completely missed the mark. I felt as though nothing happened throughout the novel, and it was too much tell rather than show. I wanted more growth from the lead, which didn't happen, and the ending was predictable and rushed.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

2 stars

This was a perfectly decent story - that was simply set in the 19020's. An Ok read by historical fiction standards. The main issue I had was the main character was just not likeable - at all - so uptight and prudish for a woman who is trying to break societal norms with starting a dairy. I also questioned how it was she had all this money to spend on fancy dresses and such and her husband could buy her fancy jewelry but she needed a loan to put into her business? IMO the side characters seemed much more interesting and I would have liked to know more about them and their lives - especially April and Daisy.

This was, for me, just really slow. I felt that the writing was alright, the story jumped/was choppy and it kept me from getting fully immersed in the book. I wanted to read this based on the description of the book, but I don't think this one was really for me.

Tons of history and research was put into this book to make it authentic (kudos to the author).

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for my E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Glamour, romance and dreams are featured in this unputdownable peek into 1920s Philadelphia high society. Main character Helen tries to standout against society norms and develop her dairy business, but finds herself balancing family scandals, finding love and holding onto her dreams. This is a great book for funs of Gilded Age era novels.

This is a story that is fun to read as Helen gets to go New York with her uncle for her birthday in his beautiful automobile. They had plans to eat at the Plaza, pick up her coming out dress and go to the latest Broadway play. But then, she sees her Dad lunching with another woman and that sets off a series of events that lead Helen to get married to the wrong man - or is he so wrong?

The twists and turns of this novel as well as learning about the Mainline of Philadelphia made this novel a fast, enjoyable read. I am grateful to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to discovering Anita Abriel and I look forward to reading more of her books.

I was drawn to the book for its gorgeous cover and a tale that might go along the lines similar to the movies, The Philadelphia Story or High Society. The story of a young girl in the 1920s whose life was grand - descriptions of the fabulously wealthy in the 1920s - until it wasn’t and in order to secure her family’s financial and social standing has to marry well to make amends.

The author has done her research for the period, including a great amount of detail. Readers are sure to enjoy these descriptions - clothes, houses, holidays and some famous people of the period. However, the story is a bit dry and predictable, especially the ending.




“Is that why you want to spend time with me?” Helen wondered. “Because of my wealth and my mother’s family tree?”

This book was like, the definition of fine, not great. This was obviously exhaustively researched (exhaustingly, at some points) and the storyline was pleasant enough but nothing much happened. The book was so calm, which is great if that’s what you want, but I was hoping for a little more action, some intrigue, some emotion, something to keep me invested. It was okay, I just didn’t love it.

It's difficult to like a novel when the main character is so unlikeable. While I may not have liked Helen, I did like the host of other characters around her; they were all interesting and fun. The setting was fascinating and, at times, the descriptions made it almost feel like I was in 1920s Philadelphia. I just really wish I had connected with Helen more but her inability to enjoy life was difficult to get through.

I love reading about this era but found this a little lacking. There was a lot of detailed description about everything which showed much research had been done but I didn’t particularly warm to any of the characters and found it all a little bit weak, especially the end which was predictable from the beginning.
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for this free e-copy in exchange for a honest review.This is the story of Helen Montgomery a young wealthy young woman who after her father cheats on her mother, is forced to marry well so her father doesn’t lose his fortune.She is a very modern woman in 1927- preferring to work at her her family’s farm, Dumfries, than to attend balls and dances.Edgar , a struggling writer with a rich family, is the man Helen chooses to marriage. Neither of them are ready for marriage and they fight constantly and finally separate .She soon after meets George an up and coming builder who can offer Helen anything she desires but does she love him.? Very informative drama about women’s role and expectations from life in the early 20 th century.

It was the year 1927, where in Philadelphia's high society, young unmarried women were expected to attend debutante balls to meet their future husband. Helen Montgomery was one of those women coming from a wealthy family to carry on the tradition. However, Helen had dreams of her own. She wanted to make a name for herself to own a dairy farm business. In the 1920's, women were not granted bank loans. It was extremely difficult.

A shocking revelation occurred on Helen's birthday and changed the course of her life. In order for her to keep Dumfries Farm, Helen had to look for a wealthy husband because of her family's troubled finances and her father's scandal.

I enjoyed reading about the life and times of 1920's high society. The similarity between the past and the present is that we are reminded that finding love, self esteem and true happiness are timeless regardless of society status.

Many thanks to Net Galley and the author for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I enjoyed reading The Philadelphia Heiress by Anita Abriel. You will fall in love with all the characters. Happy reading! I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and the publisher. This is my honest and personal review.

If you love historical fiction, pick this one up! It's set in the 1920's, in Philadelphia. If follows Helen, who was born wealthy, and wants to own her own business. She's forced to marry for money to save her parent's reputation. The story goes through her struggles, romances, betrayals, and regrets. There are so many small details related to the era, Abriel must have done so much research, and I loved it! I felt like this was a quick, enjoyable read that had great character development and really brought the 20s to life! Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I was really looking forward to The Philadelphia Heiress. Historical fiction set in the United States is my one of my favorite genres.
I really enjoyed the challenges with the social aspect of women in the 1920’s, it really showed how different it was back then, all the sacrifices women made for their social circles. I think the story did fall a little flat though. I didn’t care too much for the main characters. I did love Jack and would love his own story. Even Daisy’s story I think I would enjoy more.

Helen has grown up in Philadelphia society but a wrong decision by her father puts his business and their lifestyle in jeopardy and it’s up to her to secure a ‘good’ marriage to save the family.

I found the characters all a bit weak and I’m not really sure what the point of the story was. I had been hoping it would be a story about a young woman standing up against the expectations of society, but it fell short in this area. The relationships between the characters felt a bit superficial and shallow.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

Born & raised in the Philadelphia area, I was excited to read a book set on the Main Line. I give credit to the author for the deep research clearly present within this book. However, the book read more as a historical account vs. work of fiction. I could not identify with the main character, who seemed to only see the world in black and white and was largely unwilling to compromise on her own worldview as the sole "right" perspective. This one just wasn't for me, but may be better suited for someone who appreciates setting-driven, research-forward novels.