Teddy by Emily Dunlay holds up a magnifying glass to a Texan woman, Teddy Huntley Carlyle, besmirched by losing her virginity at the Coming Out Ball in 1969, making her a tarnished woman in the vile patriarchal soceity of the time. Teddy is granted respite by marrying David, a diplomat, granting her a life of supposed opulence and glamour, yet behind closed doors, David is domineering and controlling, slowly breaking down her individuality and agency.

Teddy is further isolated by the couple relocating to Rome for David's job, her finances restricted to what David will give her, every move determined by him and what soceital dogma commands. However, during an event, Teddy is caught in a compromising situation by a person from her past and she needs to go to the ends fo the earth and back to recover the evidence of her supposed misdemeanour of her youth

This book is timely and so very well written. It highlights the deeply personal experience of a woman controlled by a patriarchal soceity and the damage that is causes. It almost echoes the story of Marilyn Monroe, yet instead of the constraints of celebrity, it is the constraints of womanhood n the 60s. It is terrifying to remember that this was set only 50 years ago and that soceity is on the precipice of returning there again

An excellent read worth having on your shelf to revisit over and over

Thank you to NetGalley, 4th Estate and William Collins | Fourth Estate and the outstanding Emily Dunlay for this incredible ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

This was a little more than I was expecting, but also a little less. Stylish, yes. Intriguing, yes. Well-written, yes. Perhaps just a bit of tighter edit and this would have been a great book. As it is, it’s a very good, evocative debut.

Set in Rome in 1969, Teddy Huntley Carlyle is a newly married, slightly messy young woman hoping (but failing) to straighten herself out and live up to her wealthy parents’ expectations for her.

When her diplomat husband is away on business, Teddy is caught on camera in a clinch with the US Ambassador, which sets in motion a set of events that Teddy will struggle to extricate herself from with her reputation intact. What will Teddy do?

There’s a fabulous exploration here of the role of women in society in the late 1960s, as many struggled to conform with traditional expectations in the face of changing times and increasing liberation. There’s also an insight into what happened to “fallen women” and more than a nod to Rosemary Kennedy.

I really liked this. It’s perhaps overly descriptive in places but it held my interest until the end, and it was definitely worth sticking with. If you like atmospheric, historical fiction like The Divorcees or The Talented Mr Ripley, or books about the Kennedys, I think this is one you might enjoy. 3.5/5 ⭐️ rounded up

*Many thanks to @harpercollinsire @courtneysbooks for the #gifted copy received over the summer but only recently read. This was published in July so is widely available.

A fun story that evoked both Rome and the late 60s to great effect. I was expecting a bit more of a sleight of hand twist at the end from Teddy but I'm glad she made it out to a better life on her own!

I absolutely loved this book. Set in 1969 and at first it feels like Teddy lives in another galaxy. Get to the end? Doesn’t feel like modern society treats its females any better. Still putting all the guilt and blame on women….an absolutely fantastic debut book.
One of the most thought provoking books I’ve read in a long time.
Look forward to reading more by her.

Unfortunately just couldn't get into this book at all. MC is unlikable in a way that made me want to put the book down... I loved the premise but it just wasn't a read for me.

It seems a lot of people have enjoyed it tho so hopefully I am just in the minority!

3/5, huge thanks to NetGalley for my copy.

Teddy is an ageing Texas deb who heads off with her government official husband to start a new life in glamorous Dolce Vita 60s Rome. Life is filled with trips to the Via Condotti and parties at the Ambassadors residence but things aren’t quite as perfect as they seem and soon Teddy’s messy past and the secret lives of the elite collide …

The story is told in a dual timeline between Teddy’s interrogation at the hands of spooks and flashbacks illuminating how she got where she did. Some of the metaphors are clumsy and the characters not fully inhabited, but the pace is great and there is a good sense of place and time. The book does a great job of highlighting how the constraints on women make being an heiress a gilded cage in those times.

All in all this is a fun read and I would recommend.

I’d like to extend many great thanks to NetGalley and 4th Estate at Harper Collins for giving me the opportunity to read this book in advance of publication.

The premise of Teddy drew me in, then the cover sealed the deal. A book that promised 1960s glamour, travel, and a peek into the rich world of an American girl in decadent Europe was not one I wanted to miss.

Unfortunately, despite the potential and intrigue, Teddy became a bit of a chore to me; I found myself not really caring about the characters, and the plot didn’t keep me engaged. It ended up feeling like a rambling stream of consciousness that I simply didn't care about, but not enough to not trudge one. Wading through treacle is how I'd sum up my Teddy experience.

I found the writing to be beautiful; the settings were so descriptive it was easy to imagine yourself in Texas or Rome or by the pool with Aunt Sister. I can see Teddy's appeal for an audience who likes more of a slow burn, but for me it was a little too slow, to the point where the plot didn't keep me hooked and I was really disengaged.

Somehow I made it to the end, and I couldn't tell you more than five things that have stuck in my mind about the book. It wasn't horrific, it just wasn't for me.

Rating: ✨✨

Set in 1960s Rome, Teddy has suspense and glamour all rolled into one. The story follows 34-year-old Texan Teddy Huntley Carlyle, newly married to a diplomat at the American Embassy. Despite her wealthy political background, Teddy has a troubled past and complicated relationships with men.

As she navigates Rome’s elite parties with guests varying from Hollywood actors to spies, Teddy is constantly haunted by the secrets she’s trying to keep hidden. I found her to be a relatable character, in the midst of her chaos, and the novel’s focus on the challenges women faced in a male-dominated society really struck a chord.

The writing vividly captures the glamour of Italy, and I’d definitely call it a “page turner”. I did find the ending a little rushed compared to the rest of the book, but I think that was the nature of the story.

What a phenomenal story from the cover to the final page. Taking you from Texas to Rome in 1960’s what a rollercoaster follow Teddy’s journey . There is glitz ,,glamour , political intrigue and of course secrets ! A page turner of a book following the life a wealthy well connected strong charming woman in the mystery and twists as Teddy tries to break free from constraints that are set for woman of her wealth and her journey to break them and seeing the inner most thoughts she has of her choices good and bad.4.5/5

Oh Teddy! I wanted to wrap her up in cotton wool and make sure she was ok. This is a fantastic debut that will have you really invested in Teddy and wishing everyone around her would go to hell.

I don’t want to spoil anything as the story is revealed bit by bit across the book, but it’s got ‘glamorous’ American geopolitics mixed up with a bit of a salacious past and really what more could you want?!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review.

What a fantastic book this was & what a wonderfully brilliant character Teddy is.

This book has everything, it's griping, dazzling, thrilling & glamourous with the historical setting of Rome in the 60's described perfectly, it is very clear that a lot of research went into this.

I adored Teddy, the book & the character.

On one hand the storyline kept me engaged but on the other I found myself getting irritated by the characters. The book starts quite slow but eventually does pick up a bit of pace while Teddy gets interrogated by police while in Rome. It wasn't bad, it was quite a decent book but the pacing was a bit off and the character development was slightly lacking.

****

Set in the 1960's, we meet Teddy Carlyle who hails from a wealthy and influential Texan family. Teddy is late to marry and when she does so, she moves with her new husband to Rome when he takes up a job for the US embassy.

Teddy has lived a very privileged life to date, and she is ill-prepared for the societal, and financial, pressures that are entwined with her marriage. Teddy is glamorous and naïve, and constantly struggles to find her place in this new world. Her innocence leads her on an unexpected journey of self-discovery when she is caught up in a scandal involving the American ambassador.

Teddy is a fascinating, loveable, infuriating at times, and completely relatable character. I was rooting for her the whole way through and I was entirely immersed in Teddy's world throughout the book.

This is a thrilling read, with a twist of historical fiction. It is glamorous, fun and scandalous, and yet it highlights the anti-feminist society of the time. It really is the perfect summer read.

With many thanks to NetGally and @4thestatebooks for the opportunity to honestly review this book.

It is the summer of 1969 and Teddy Huntley Carlyle has just arrived in Italy from Dallas, Texas, eager for a fresh start with her new husband, a diplomat assigned to the American embassy. Teddy wants this new role to be a departure from her secretly debauched life back in America. But the more she tries for perfection, the more she fails. The final straw comes when she’s caught in a compromising position with a married ambassador, and Teddy must scramble to protect a life that she’s not sure is worth her protection.

If a book had a season, this would be a summer read: you can practically feel the sandy streets of Rome, Teddy’s red-hot embarrassment, and her frantic scrambling to hold things together.

Teddy is a fantastic protagonist: so self-aware of her own flaws, and yet helpless against them. In a way, she reminded me a lot of The Bell Jar’s Esther Greenwood: Teddy feels constrained by what is expected of her and what is expected of women in general; and the more she tries to conform to those expectations, the more horrendous her mistakes. There were moments I just wanted to shake her, but that is why I adored her so much. She couldn’t help but be fully herself, even if conforming, or pulling herself together, would have been so much easier.

The plot is not complex: it is more a character driven novel – and we stick with Teddy’s point of view throughout. The story shifts between the present day, where Teddy is being questioned by a group of suited men, their role unclear, and the events that led up to her being of interest to them. It’s a really effective device and although it doesn’t amp up the tension all that much, it does mean you feel compelled to keep reading to find out how it all unfolds – is Teddy in trouble? And if so, how much?

All in all, it was incredibly readable – I look forward to seeing what else Emily Dunlay writes in future!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an eARC of this book.

A glamorous book, I found that this was maybe too much of a historical fiction read for me - which is not a criticism of the book, just not one of my favourites. Teddy is an excellent character and incredibly well-described, I could picture her very quickly and found her inability to admit she was ever wrong infuriating - but not infuriating enough to stop reading. The non-linear approach to the narrative was interesting, and this was very well-written.

In many ways this story just deserves to be clinked into a tall glass with some ice and a lemon slice and a sprig of mint. So much of it is so classic and stylish, so vivid in its description (which I'm sure is testament to the author's painstaking research). The story and the characters are interesting, the settings evocative, but I felt the plot went over so slightly off the boil towards the end. From the beginning - the present chapters of Teddy being interviewed, set against her telling the story of What Actually Happened - I felt like there was going to be a huge reveal. And there was a reveal, it just wasn't huge. That's not to say it should be (not every story needs a shocking twist), but I felt that's what I was expecting and I didn't quite get it. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the story.

I found this book quite slow paced and found that it went into a lot of detail that didn’t drive the story which made me lose slight interest. However, I did want to find out how this story ended.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The cover of Teddy drew me in, and the novel delivered on its promise of gripping historical fiction with a feminist twist. Set in 1969, it follows Teddy, a privileged Texan struggling against societal expectations and financial constraints. Her journey from a constrained life in America to the glamorous but confining world of high society in Rome reveals deep internal conflicts and a yearning for authenticity.

As Teddy navigates her new life, the novel contrasts her struggles with societal pressures on women. Her complex relationship with her free-spirited Aunt Sister highlights the constraints placed on women who defy conventions.

Teddy is more than historical fiction—it's a powerful feminist commentary wrapped in a compelling narrative. With a satisfying conclusion, it’s a must-read for fans of historical and feminist literature. Perfect for a summer read!

http://thesecretbookreview.co.uk

Teddy is a member of a rich and powerful Texan family but has remained unmarried until now. She has moved to Rome with her new husband full of good intentions but Teddy can't seem to get it right. She spends too much money on clothes, is looked down on by the educated women in the Embassy and cannot keep house. At a party she is caught in a compromising position by a photographer and also sees a man from her past.
This is a book with high concepts and on many levels it works. The character of Teddy is quite well-developed and I loved the idea of her being a pawn in a bigger political game. However I found her husband rather underwritten and the plotline around the Russian spy never really seemed to go anywhere. It was a great holiday read but not one I will remember

Teddy is a 35 year old woman in the 1960s who moves to Rome from Texas with her new husband. Teddy is scatterbrained but glamorous, torn between her impluse and doing what is expected of her. She unwittingly gets caught up in a political scandal and the narrative of the novel is Teddy explaining how she got here to the detectives interviewing her. This lends a conversational, gossipy tone to the book.

I really liked the premise of the story, frothy and fun, but for some reason this fell flat for me. I didn't find Teddy convincing as both extraordinary and unaware.

Beautiful cover, and I would still recommend for fans of books like Lessons in Chemistry or Where The Crawdads SIng.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the eARC.