If you want classic literary fiction of the Gilded Age, read Edith Wharton. This is not Edith Wharton. You must adjust your expectations accordingly. However, this IS a very pleasurable book that is in the wonderful middle ground between Literary and Trashy, which I would call a "guilty pleasure" type of read. And as such, I would highly recommend this book. 
 That is not to say that this book is without substance. I think Daisy Goodwin does an excellent job in capturing this era of American heiresses who travel to England in search of titled husbands. Our heroine, Cora Cash, bears a strong resemblance to the real life story of Consuelo Vanderbilt. 
 Like Wharton's "Buccaneers," the transition to English life is not a smooth one, and Cora learns that there are things money can't buy and that change often comes with an emotional cost.