My goal is to read 30 books by the end of 2015 (rather than reading the first chapter of each before tossing ’em aside, which has become a bad reading habit of mine).

With this in mind, I picked up Renée Rosen’s WHAT THE LADY WANTS.

(3* books down, 27 more to go)
*I didn’t review the 2nd book. It was Dani Shapiro’s STILL WRITING. It’s a book every writing should read.

Summary: In late-nineteenth-century Chicago, visionary retail tycoon Marshall Field made his fortune wooing women customers with his famous motto: “Give the lady what she wants.” His legendary charm also won the heart of socialite Delia Spencer and led to an infamous love affair.

What I disliked: The novel had a soap opera touch to it: adultery (check), hysterics galore (check), a bitchslap (check), bitchpushes (check), and by the end, because of the rushed pacing, it felt like the story went on a killing spree (check), with characters dropping dead in almost every chapter.

What I liked: I was expecting a historical fiction about Chicago and Marshall Field, but instead I got a swoon-worthy romance between Marshall Field and Delia Spenceer Caton (both historical figures). I enjoyed their blossoming relationship. **SPOILER ALERT!** What initially annoyed me was the plot twist used to justify Delia and Marshall’s affair: her husband ‘conveniently’ turns out to be homosexual and his wife ‘just happens’ to be a psychologically unstable laudanum addict with an “evil streak.” It felt very contrived, especially considering that there isn’t much historical fact backing this plot twist. However, after a few pages, the author managed to smooth out my ruffle feathers. And throughout the book, despite the soap opera, I can say for certain that Rosen is a great storyteller who weaves her words beautifully.

Favorite Passage: “Delia stood back in amazement. She’d never felt so important. This was a man who was respected by all for his tastes and here he had followed her choice. She realized she’d never really been taken serious—listened to—and by a man she respected to this extent. A burst of confidence awakened inside her. She held her shoulders back, standing proud. It was as if Marshal had shone a light on her, allowing her to see her true self.”

I recommend this book if you:

• want to be swept into the world of glamor, scandal, and shopping.
• love Rhett Butler, because Marshall Field (in the book) reminded me of him.
• are going through The Paradise/Mr Selfridge withdrawal.
• interested in the history of Chicago.

I mildly enjoyed this book, and now I’m leaving it for Joyce Maynard’s AFTER HER or I might try to finish Winston Graham’s POLDARK (I got halfway through then stopped after watching the BBC adaption Ergggg). Hopefully I’ll be able to commit to one, unlike the 3 other books I dropped before picking up Rosen’s What the Lady Wants.