I wanted to really love “The Unexpected Heiress” by Cassidy Crane. I love historical romance and I adore the Art Deco cover of the book. Unfortunately, this book didn’t really live up to what I wanted. The main character Clara, was incessantly naive, while her love interest, Addie, was a selfish and toxic person. This made rooting for their relationship difficult. Going into a romance with one person solely into it for personal monetary gain and not caring that she was cruelly manipulating and using the other is tough to swallow. I understand that perhaps it was supposed to be romantic that such an individual set in these ways, was persuaded into living more honestly and empathetically because of love. But to me, I just felt like she didn’t deserve money and love. I’m also not a fan of when someone’s circumstances are completely separated from their agency. As in the case of Clara, where she ends up receiving a huge family inheritance. I feel like too much of her worth stems from this new money, even if it’s tried to be played more as her good nature. I also struggled through the writing of this book, as a lot of it felt infantile in nature and too internal. I think overall, the Achilles heel of the book was the unchangeable dislikability of Addie. I simply couldn’t find myself rooting for her, even when she “changed.” Becoming a better person from a money-hungry swindler and being rewarded with… more money didn’t feel like a win. Also, I wanted more chemistry in their relationship that wasn’t just sex.

okay, so.. i was really looking forward to this one. a sapphic historical romance during the great depression? with a secret inheritance and two women navigating class, and their feelings? yes, please. i'm a sucker for this kind of setup and i went in fully expecting to fall in love with the story.

and tbf, the premise absolutely delivers. the historical setting is refreshing and the author clearly did her homework. the world-building is solid without being too heavy-handed, and i appreciated how grounded everything felt. you can tell this was written with love for both the genre and the time period.

that said, some parts just didn't quite land for me. the pacing was a bit inconsistent. there were stretches where a lot happened, and i found myself waiting for the emotional payoff that never fully came. the central relationship between clara and addie had potential, but it felt underdeveloped in key moments. i wanted more tension, more longing, more oomph. instead, it sometimes felt like the story was telling me "they have chemistry, just trust us," rather than letting it build organically. i just wished i could've connected with them on a deeper level.

that being said, i do want to shout out the things that worked: the writing style is accessible and flows nicely, and i loved the overall message abt agency, self-discovery, and carving out space for love even in uncertain times. there are some truly sweet and thoughtful moments sprinkled throughout, and if you're someone who enjoys historical fiction with a sapphic lens, this might still hit the spot.

thank you, netgalley and bold stroke books, for the e-arc!

rating: 3.5 ⭐

An historical romance set in the Depression Era. Clara has no interest in marriage and no skills to support herself. Without much options she accompanies her aunt as a companion on a European river cruise. She meets Addie, a cabin stewardess, who isn’t above using her charms to get by. When Clara gets an inheritance, it is enough for her to invite Addie to return to Boston with her. Is Clara a meal ticket for Addie or could this be the real thing?

I liked both characters and the historical setting. The hardship of the depression is depicted as is the difficulties for queer people. The characters develop and grow over the course of the story and I had empathy for Addie because of her background. This is not a light romance but I enjoyed reading it all the same.

The Unexpected Heiress is a quick and light read perfect to pass the time. I must admit I was lured in by the backdrop of the Great Depression, during which this story is set, and was a little disappointed when it didn't play as big a role as I was expecting.

The timing of the events felt slightly off, with both time skips and day-to-day descriptions that made the timeline a bit confusing. The author also relies on the 'third act misunderstanding trope', which I'm not a big fan of. Nonetheless, the story is easy enough to follow, the characters likeable (even if not all well fleshed out) and the events narrated interesting enough to keep reading.

Clara is someone who doesn't have money, but, her extended family does. And, when an unexpected inheritance comes out of nowhere for her. Well, it throws her life into the (not yet invented yet) fully electric/automatic washing machine. Addie is always looking for another person who will help her survive the world. When she finds Clara, well, she thinks that by becoming Clara's companion she'll be set for life. But... I mean, this is a LesFic romance, so... one guess for if that goes sideways or not...

I liked the setting for sure. The characters were fun too, and they were what kept me reading. On the other hand, I do wish that there had been more showing me of things in the narrative instead of telling.

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would and flew through it in no time! I had no trouble being invested in the story. Both our main characters, Addie and Clara, had good character development though I think Addie had more depth. I appreciate an author that is able to take a seemingly unlikable character and transform them into someone you understand and maybe even relate to.
*Spoilers below*
What I found the sweetest was the ending though. I love how Addie redeemed herself and was willing to do whatever it took to earn Clara's trust again. And Clara, despite what Addie did, found it in herself to understand Addie's actions and the reasoning behind it, and used her privilege so that Addie could be financially stable and be with Clara without necessity. I loved this happy ending.

My favorite thing about this book was that it took a left turn every time I was sure I had it all figured out. The story starts out around 1930, the very beginning of the American Depression. Hard times for most but there are always some exceptions and Clara Cooper’s aunt is one of those people who remains wealthy. In order to see a bit of the world, Clara agrees to act as her aunt’s companion on a river cruise in France where she meets Addie Barnes, the beautiful and charismatic cruise director. Both mains are sharp and a joy on the page. Sure, the story twists and turns but the characters change as well in unexpected ways. At the beginning, Clara is the naive, small town gal in love with world and Addie is the shrewd con artist looking to hook a rich woman. But as the story unfolds, the characters evolve too. I had a great time reading the book although sometimes I had a knot in my stomach wondering what might happen next to Clara and Addie. I recommend for people who like solid storytelling, rags to riches tales, romance, heat, angst, a little bit of grit, and memorable main characters.

Clara Cooper met Addie Barnes on a riverboat when she was travelling with her aunt Matilda. On the ship, Clara discovered that she has inherited a small fortune. This meant that she could live an independent life and not rely on getting married. Addie also secretly discovered the news of Clara’s inheritance and place herself in a position to accompany Clara as a companion.

This was in The Great Depression era where queer relationships were not accepted. I liked that part of the book a lot, with speakeasy bars and great poverty. The main characters were ok. Clara is rather gullible. I found her quite lovely. However, I don’t quite like Addie in the beginning as I found her quite conniving. She was still in love with her ex and that was rather clear. And I felt that she was trying to cheat Clara. But halfway into the book, I became more engaged with the story. I loved the characters more then. It felt like the book shift and I could then feel the real feelings the main characters had for each other.

So persist reading beyond the halfway mark as it became a book that I could not put down. Great story.

I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Thanks to the publisher Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for a copy of this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I usually love a historical sapphic romance read but this one left me wanting more. There's some good spice and angst. It had cute moments and was well paced. I can't quite articulate what I'm missing just that it didn't give me everything I hoped for.

Clara Cooper longs for more than the predictable life laid out before her. Restless and stifled by a society that values marriage over ambition, she yearns to chase her artistic passions instead of settling into convention. When an unexpected inheritance falls into her hands, Clara’s world shifts overnight, unlocking opportunities she never dared imagine.

On paper this should have worked for me, but it really didn't. I had a hard time finishing this because I struggled to connect with either of the main characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A historical lesbian romance novel taking place in the 20s and 30s. I loved the beginning of this book: the meet-cute, the intrigue, the set-up. After about 35% in, I wasn't as into it. I can't believe I'm saying this, but this book almost had *too* much interiority. Given how much time elapsed in it, not enough *happened* in the book. Additionally, the characters' thoughts and feelings got pretty repetitive and didn't evolve or change very much throughout the book. Ultimately, this was a fun and quick read, but not much beyond that.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

4/5 🌟

Thank you NetGalley and Bold Stroke Books for this ARC!

This was such a cozy read! Two women who start on the same spot, economical difficulties, and one suddenly grows and "changes" social class. It talks about the intricacies of falling in love with someone from another tax bracket, how it can deteriorate the relationship, and specially, how miscommunication is <I> not </I> something that helps building a healthy one.

I absolutely adored how well the characters were built. With that you knew how someone was going to react. I also liked how homophobia was mentioned yet it didn't have <I> that </I> important place on the plot.

In the beginning it was kind of hard to get hooked, but the moment I understood the characters, I really needed to know how it would develop. This was a very nice read so if you like historical romances, this is for you!

This was cute but honestly I expected something… more. More action. More romance. More angst. It’s not a bad story, at all, but it’s a little bland, unfortunately. At least for me.
However, I appreciated the historical setting, very accurate.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

To my great disappointment I found this book unbearably slow and dull. The plot and characters never held my interest and reading it felt like a chore. From the description it had so much potential but it never lived up to it.

This was a good read. The man characters were well developed and the secondary characters were written well too. The plot was very interesting., and the romance between the main characters was nice and spicy there's drama and angst throughout. It was very interesting reading about an era that I'm not to familiar with, some of the hardships that a section of the country went through in order to survive and live, this storyline kept my interest from the beginning to the end of this book. I wound definitely recommend this book and author.

I enjoyed this Sapphic roaring 20s romance. I'm normally not a fan of romances set during this time period I but I did enjoy this one.

I enjoyed this as a Great Depression romance and how the characters were used during this storyline. I was engaged from start to finish and enjoyed the overall feel of this world and how the characters were used in this historical element. I enjoyed how good Cassidy Crane wrote this and enjoyed how good everything flowed together. It had that romance element that I was looking for and glad I read this.

This was a good read. The MC’s were well developed, and the plot was interesting. There were some nice spicy scenes, and some angst as well O, a decent read.

Sapphic historical romance? YES PLEASE! I liked this book, it was a solid read!

As a queer person, it hit especially hard hearing about the queer community during the time that this was set.

Overall there’s a nice balance of lighthearted moments with more emotional times, which made the story feel well-rounded.

The pacing is strong overall, though there were a few sections that could have been tightened up, and I occasionally wished for deeper development of certain side characters. Still, the book delivers a good mix of romance and suspense without feeling predictable.

I received an advanced reader's copy from the author through Netgalley, all of my thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.

Clara and Addie were friends to lovers who were both trying to figure things out along the way during the time of The Great Depression. There were secrets, lies, and manipulation that happened throughout the story. Addie hid behind her lies to create a future for herself in the many wrong ways as possible, given her background. Unfortunately, this book fell flat for me. I had expected more character development from both characters, but there wasn't much. In the first few chapters, there was the whole meet-cute scene with both Addie and Clara. But the majority of the chapters were after the fact of their split, and it was from Addie's perspective that she struggled because her manipulation and lies were caught by Clara, rightfully so. But there wasn't anything that offered Clara's POV, and I wanted to see what she went through. Almost, if not the majority of the chapter, was just Clara holding a grudge against Addie, which is valid, but it didn't make sense for it to drag on to the end of the book. Despite them both having a HEA, what kind of threw me off was the fact that Addie's narcissism and her admitting that she would only try to stop lying once she was confronted by Clara, and her making that change was very minimal from the start about the genuine her. But also how Addie was written as a gold-digger as one of her character aspects, which again seemed like that's what she was when she was an artist with a talent, and that it could have expanded to how art is her forte, but it was very vague on how she started her artist journey. There were plot holes that completely slowed down the plot and story even more, rather than progressing further.

The book isn't bad; it's just lacking in aspects like showing how both struggled after the split, how one attempted to change their bad habits, especially character development, where initiatives were taken to make changes happen internally and externally.

Review is posted on GoodReads and Instagram