In late 1969, America, Teddy Huntley is an art student. She’s also desired by men. She marries a government official, moves to an Italy and becomes involved in a conspiracy where her own past unravels as quickly as a possible future could be revealed.

It’s a delicious premise, the right side of trashy, with a political edge for those looking for a serious read. However, it falls somewhere between the two and feels a somewhat elusive, allusive work of fiction. There’s enough to produce a bright, engaging character - Teddy is matter of fact in her narration of her sex life as much as she is about modern art. See also, the grimy, but glamorous backdrop of 1960’s Italy.

But that imagined timeline, where Teddy’s nemesis is not the men who see her as disposable - but the ex-Cowboy actor, planning to run for President in 1976 - doesn’t seem explored as fully as it could be. The overarching narrative nods to both Me Too and the current tyre fire that is American politics and the pieces of the novel didn’t really gel for me, but in age where nostalgia isn’t what it used to be, some may find the past as contemporary as the present. It’s published by 4th Estate on 2nd July and I thank them for a preview copy.

4.5
We have Teddy, a glamourous 30 something Texan beauty with secrets bigger than my future and David, who works for the American embassy in Rome.
Teddy has had a bad time with men and when she meets David, she decides she will settle down and marry him. Then we enter 1960s Rome, and wow, what a a ride. All of a sudden Teddy's past is behind her, she is a wife, she is rubbing shoulders with all the big names, and she has a little job. Until, her past catches up to her. What are her secrets? What did she do? Why are the police interviewing her?

I was HOOKED. I absolutely loved reading about 1960s Rome and the whole culture. I loved Teddy, she was such a sweet character, a little misguided at times but sweet. David was a bit sus from the beginning but I think he really tried in his own way.

This is a story of power, corruption, glitz and the not so glamourous. Highly recommend.

Had seen quite a lot of mentions of this book on bookstagram so had to request. I really enjoyed it and would love to read more from the author.

This is a hard book to review. On one hand the storyline kept me engaged but on the other I found myself getting very irritated with the characters.

The book starts off quite slow but the pace picks up at the end, if a little rushed at the end.

Overall a decent story but I would have liked a bit more character development and a more developed ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to @4thestatebooks, @wmcollinsbooks and @NetGalley for the eARC of this book.

Secrets, corruption, politics and glamour!

It revolves around 34 year old glamorous Texan, Teddy Huntley Carlyle who is newly married to an aloof diplomat working for the American Embassy in Rome in the 1960’s. She comes from a very wealthy political family but didn’t have a loving childhood and the men in her life haven’t been the best either.

She finds herself in a beautiful city, drinking cocktails and rubbing shoulders with ambassadors, royalty, actors and spies at fancy parties, but Teddy has always been running from her past and anxious that her secrets be kept hidden.

It was a fast, entertaining read and had me hooked from the get go.

Teddy will be realised on 2 July - definitely recommend!

A chaotic and glamorous view of an American in Rome in the mid 20th century. Seemed very stereo typical to me, very predictable in its manner. I couldn't find any characters that I liked or even sympathised with. The history and politics, especially between USA and Russia was interesting at times.

✨3.5 stars✨

I really enjoyed the glitz and glamour of this time that the book was set in and the fact that it was set in Rome in the 1960s added a unique twist to it that I hadn’t read before.

Sadly, I didn’t feel wholly connected with any of the characters which is why this rating isn’t higher!

However, if you enjoyed The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo that I would recommend that you give this book a go!

I received an ARC for this via the publishers on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A really wonderful read Teddy is a great character a story full of glamour that I enjoyed from beginning to end.Would make a juicy series.#netgalley #4thestate

A wonderful read! Emily writes the 60s Rome world so well. I really felt as if I was there. I loved the political spin on this, it kept the narrative engaging and well paced.

This is a fun read with a glamorous setting of late 1960s Rome - but beneath all the glitz of money, martinis and fur coats, is a story of political rivalry, corruption and family secrets, with the Cold War woven in. But really, I think, this is a tale of Teddy as a woman embroiled and entrapped in all the constraints of the time: the girdle she is forced to wear to keep her unruly flesh out of sight, the fur coat she desires which, when she gets it, smells so bad she's sick, the way her money becomes her husband's, and the way he's entitled to tell her when she's wearing something too low cut. With little slippages in the story Teddy is telling, this has a clever narrative style. Perhaps a bit too much plot for my personal taste but this is light and bright with a more meaningful heart.

The perfect book to read on a Saturday night with a cocktail in hand! Reading "Teddy" by Emily Dunlay is like peeking behind the velvet curtain into a world of glitz, glamour, and juicy secrets set in 1960’s Rome!

First off, let's talk about Teddy. She's a whirlwind of chaos and charm. With a past she's desperate to keep buried, you'll be on the edge of your seat trying to unravel her mysteries.

And the setting? It's like stepping into a time machine to Rome in the '60s. The descriptions are so vivid, it really teleports you into the story!

The story unfolds through a police interview. It's like getting VIP access to Teddy's innermost thoughts and secrets. This concept was so interesting to me as I felt I was reading her diary! It was really fun.

I couldn’t put this books down once I got started! I can’t wait for more from this author!

I don't really know how to rate this book - I didn't like it, but I couldn't look away. It was gripping and I had to know what happened, but it was easy to put down and difficult to pick back up again! I think it's going to do well and I predict it will be a Reese Witherspoon book club pick which probably explains why I didn't love it - I love her but I rarely enjoy anything her book club reads, call it fluke or coincide or whatever!

The writing evokes a strong sense of time and place, where the only things more stifling than the hot summer in Rome are the social rules Teddy has had drilled into her! It's very well done, just not the glossy romp I expected going in.

I wasn’t sure where this book was going, at first. It follows Teddy Huntley, a member of a wealthy and well connected Texan family, in the early days of her life as a newly wed in Rome. She’s introduced trying to hide a blood stained dress. The structure has Teddy being interviewed by… police? Special agents? And the mystery of what led her to this point drives the novel.

Entertaining and twisting, it explores a complex and interesting mind. Teddy is used to being underestimated and misunderstood, and the novel shows her growth and attempts to break out of the box others have put her in.

¡This book is the graphic example of glamour! Was a easy to hook and page turner book. Teddy is such a chaotic character and that was what make me love her. This book is set in 1960 on Italy I adored the extremely detail atmosphere, but the book is full of suspense and adventure. With a interesting plot, a very easy to read structure. For me was a delight read this book. Can’t wait to read more of the author.

Glamorous, atmospheric and page-turning, TEDDY will absolutely be the hottest book of summer 2023. I loved experiencing Teddy’s tense and carefully constructed world of 1960s Italy, her world felt like MAD MEN meets THE BELL JAR. I particularly loved the detail-oriented setting, Dunlay brings Rome to life in a way that reminds me of Winman’s STILL LIFE, you can feel the heat and the history. An absolute must-read!

What a glamorous book, very excited to read and share Teddy’s adventures, I think this would make a great movie or book club choice. Who doesn’t love 1960s glamour packed with suspense and adventure. Will be sharing a full review soon!

This was perfect companion reading for the latest series of Feud, which at the time of writing covers Truman Capote and his Swans (socialites). Capote’s high society scandals are slightly later than the time frame of this book, but the atmosphere and milieu are very much aligned: diplomacy, depravity and decadence fused with sharp dressing and a whip-smart central voice (I noted down so many beautiful metaphors and other descriptive language).

The thinking woman's beach read this summer - a compulsive page-turner with a chaotic but oh-so-relatable heroine who finds herself caught in a net of political machinations and unwise affairs.