Thanks to #NetGalley for this ARC. The Courtesan’s Daughter is set in the early 1900s New York where a mother and daughter live in a tenement sewing for a living. The mother, whose trauma, choices and regrets we learn about, is a wonderfully complex character, but one who doesn’t realize her daughter wants so much more than what she has raised her to be. Sylvie, the courtesan’s daughter, is bright and usually a rule follower until she meets a handsome young man. Circumstances throw them together in a trajectory that changes both of their lives. The author set the place and time so well, I felt like I was in New York at the turn of the century. The story is interesting and it kept me interested all the way through. I loved the author’s description of dresses and fabrics as well as the world building around early films. A very satisfying book!

Susanne Dunlap's The Courtesan's Daughter has it all—historical accuracy, intrigue, fully-developed characters with depth and humanity. The story flows swiftly with perfect timing and a compelling duel point of view. I thoroughly enjoyed diving into early 20th century New York and the lives of these women.

The Courtesans Daughter is a story based on a mother’s desire to give her daughter the life she never had the chance to live herself.

They move from France to New York where the mom has a job sewing clothing and the daughter attends school because her mom wants her to go to college.

The secrets that the mother holds come back to haunt her and her daughter catches sight of something she doesn’t understand and in doing so she makes choices that could get her into a-lot of trouble.

This is a story of strength and desire to be something more even if it’s not the path that was chosen originally.

This is definitely the best book that the author has written, in my opinion, and I have read many of her books, which includes 'Emilie's Voice' which was superb, but I think this is even better. Sylvie has a mother who hides secrets from her, indeed, from everyone. Her mother is French, but she came to New York. She wants her daughter to have a better life than she did. When the secrets start to unravel and Sylvie meets Paolo, the mother's carefully laid plans are at risk. I cannot say any more about the plot without spoiling it, but I would highly recommend this book to all readers of historical fiction. The plot is gripping and I could not put it down. I would give it ten stars if I could but, alas, I am limited to five.