3.5⭐️

Duch tells the story of a woman who is pulled from a Parisian river, remembering nothing except that he name is Diana. Given her voice, her look, the location and the very significant date, people begin to suspect they know exactly who Diana is...

This was a fun read without getting too silly, and I enjoyed the semi-fictionalised version of the royal family - close enough to reality to be even funnier.

I found this to be a quick read, especially as I didn't know where it was heading and for the most part I enjoyed it. However, I can pinpoint a particular moment when it fell apart for me (no spoilers but I think you'll recognise the gratuitous-ness).

Recommended if you're looking for a comedy to keep you guessing and if you love the royals... or love poking fun at them!

Thanks, NetGalley and Riverdale Avenue books for the ARC!

I have always been really intrigued by the royals, especially Diana, so I had to read this. This is a satirical take on the conspiracy theories about Diana. The writing was really good and I found the book to be interesting. I definitely think you have to be a fan of the royals or at least be interested in them to like this book.

A sweeping historical novel that transports readers to a world of intrigue, ambition, and betrayal. Miller’s attention to detail and intricate storytelling make Duch an immersive experience, bringing history to life in a way that feels both epic and deeply personal.

I guess this is supposed to be a ripoff of all those stories about people pretending to be Anastasia Romanov after the fall of the tsar? The problems that there's nothing new here: no new thoughts, no new situations, nothing that we haven't seen before.

The premise of this novel is sensational: Princess Diana is still alive and has just been pulled out of the River Seine. Is she really Diana? How will everyone, including the Royal Family, react? The woman thought to be Princess Diana doesn't look exactly like the princess, but it has been nearly thirty years since she was last seen. But her actions and British accent seem consistent. Finally, the woman tells people who she really is.

I loved the first half of the book, but the second half of the book gets weird and off track. A romance between the main character and another character introduced late seemed gratuitous and unnecessary. Allusions to a little known movie were just weird and didn't make sense. At the end, the author did suggest in a roundabout way how this woman could indeed be Princess Diana, but overall, the whole second half of the book just fell flat.

I wanted to like this book, but the author dropped the ball after a remarkable beginning and premise.

If you are interested in the Royal family, I think you will find this book very entertaining. I have moderate interest in them and though I still enjoyed the book, I don't think I am the target audience of this title.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What an interesting premise for a book! I was very intrigued for the first half, but found myself losing interest as the story went on. In the end I did not find enough change or evolution in the characters for my satisfaction.

I liked the premise of the idea and while I don't follow the royals or feel any connection with the Princess Diana story (any more than anyone else) I still found myself wishing for a certain outcome and rooting for the underdog, so to speak. The portrayal of the royal family was interesting although many of the characters seemed reduced to caricatures of themselves, almost uncomfortably so for me since these are real people still living. I'm always intrigued when authors write fiction about real people who are still living.

I do think the story put a point on illustrating how the seed of an idea can take off in a crowd, and online, and grow into something much bigger, and perhaps unhinged.

Thanks you to Riverdale Avenue Books and Net Galley for the advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My thanks to Riverdale Avenue Books and NetGalley for a copy of “ Duch “ for an honest review .

I thought this was an entertaining , enjoyable , and humorous read.
Someone looking like , and claiming to be Diana is rescued after jumping in the Seine , but could it really be Princess Diana after all these years , and how will the Royal family and the public react to such news ?!
This is the sort of book where you have to suspend your belief, and just go with the flow.
Well worth a read

First things first: I love reading about the British Royal Family - biographies, tabloids, blog posts, etc. So I was very much looking forward to reading “Duch” for a bit of lighthearted entertainment (thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review).

Sadly, I was immediately annoyed by the wrong/incorrect information and details. It remains unclear whether this was done on purpose, was simply the author’s mistake, or was due to very poor editing/absence of any fact-checking. After all, this is a novel about the Royal Family, not a fictitious family of royals, even though the heroine Diana Inconnue might be entirely fictional.

A few examples:
• Reference to Harry and Meghan as the Duke and Duchess of Wessex (!) not Sussex (noted at least once)
• Reference to two Jack Russell dogs owned by the King and Queen. The book was to be published at the end of February 2025, and it was widely publicised that one of the King and Queen’s dogs died in 2024
• Last but not least, The Telegraph (British newspaper) would never spell the word “travelling” with one ‘l’

There were other mistakes, but I was not paid to edit the book!

And what about the story itself? Intriguing, entertaining, somewhat silly, satirical - it all started really well, and I was enjoying the book. Sadly, it all disintegrated rather quickly, as if the author lost the will to continue entertaining us and simply dragged on with the novel. The quality of the story really suffered towards the end.

I didn’t perceive any hidden deeper meaning about the problems of public personas, issues with idealised images, and our expectations of famous people. I mean, it was all on the surface without deeper analysis or amazing insights. Similarly, I do not feel the author really had any instructive stories about our usage of social media and how dangerous even a simple tweet could be, coming from a famous person with a huge following. It has all been said many times before.

And then it all ended on a rather blah note.

All in all, perhaps an entertaining enough story, but one I would not recommend.

For those of us around when 'Shy Di' first hit the news, the image of the woman on the front cover was instantly recognisable.
With there having been so many conspiracy theories around over the years, the idea that Diana was alive in a French hospital was after a jump from a bridge into the Seine made a great opening.
Lots of clever ideas about the Royal Family (already covered differently by Sue Townsend in 'The Queen and I') which often had me laughing out loud.
There was one aspect of the story that I felt was far too predictable and unnecessary, but the rest of it was great.

This was a very interesting and insightful take into modern day society, the royal family, social media presence and the rebirth of an icon.

On the anniversary of Princess Diana’s death in Paris, a woman who will be called Duch, shouts I am Diana and jump into the Seine river. What follows is the fictionalized events of a timeless icon being re-launched into modern society.

I found the first 3/4 of this book engaging, though-provoking and charming with its quick witticism and cheeky nods at certain “personalities” let’s say.

However, it kind of lost it for me in the last 1/4 - the ending felt rushed, and didn’t bind together the flowing narrative arc I had been receiving from it thus far (Or perhaps it’s that I didn’t receive the ending I hoped for).

Overall, an interesting and pop culty fun novel worth the read

I adored this book! As a huge Diana fan anyway, I thought the plot and premise was superb. A great cast of characters and overlapping narratives over a memorable 3 week summer in Paris. I would love JB Miller to take on other historical and cultural events like JFK or Titanic.

Entertaining but halting. Written in little spurts which I didn’t really like because it’s hard to get into a groove. More like “the Royals” than “the crown”. It's definitely a fun read but gets a little bogged down in too many points of view.

When I read the description of Duch, I knew this had to be the first book I try on NetGalley. The subject matter really sounded interesting to me - Princess Diana, the people’s princess so suddenly taken from the world, is back? After being fished out from the river Seine? Insane, and I love it.

The story unfolds as this mystery woman named Diana/Duch is admitted into a Paris hospital for recovery, and the big question on everyone's lips is “is it really her?”.

In the meantime we are treated to the insightful chapters which detail the personal lives of members of the royal family, as Duch (whoever she is?), accrues an accidental cult following across the globe.

Although I wish that the ending of this book continued that little bit longer. I feel like this was a fantastic example of a parody done correctly, and this was executed in a way which wasn’t disrespectful at all but more…playful. Especially regarding the humorous embellishments (*cough* Mr Beasley *cough*), added to the well known figures of the Royal Family.

It also does pose the question, would this be an accurate reinvigoration of such a beloved public figure, if this scenario were to play out? And to be honest, in this day and age, I don’t think it’s far off!

A fabulous read, and I am keen to look into other books by this Author!

On the 28th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death, a silver haired woman throws herself into the Seine in Paris. She is rescued saying “I am Diana” and taken to the hospital. The woman could be an older Diana but she has no memory of her life before jumping into the water. When the press picks it up, many people who loved the Princess gather around the hospital singing and chanting to her believing that she never died but has been hiding in Paris.

Back in the UK, King Charles doesn’t know what to make of this spectacle but he’s also fixated on his duties and his own little problems and quirks. The American press tries to interview her but only seems to get the same answer to their questions: “I don’t know.”

The story goes back and forth from Diana to members of the British royal family and their courtiers. There is lots of humor here as the story pokes fun at the British royals but not in a mean way. I think one would need to be a long-time follower of Princess Diana as I was from the first day she “came on the scene” to fully comprehend this story. I, too, was devastated at her death and will remember her forever. Having lived in Paris for many years, I was pleased at all of the French language used in the book that gave me the chance to revisit that beautiful language. A quirky and sometimes whacky book that will keep readers laughing. Enjoy!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

As a relatively casual royal-watcher drawn in by the excellent premise, I wanted nothing more to like this book. Unfortunately, I think it suffers from not daring greatly enough. A premise like this should provide a launchpad for both satire and character study. However, the book tends to neglect both, in favor of working through twists and double-backs about whether the woman who claims to be Princess Diana "really is" Princess Diana, which is even less interesting than it sounds.

This failure of focus means that the satire element is not heightened enough to register as satire, and that the character work is under-written and largely reliant on tired stories about these public figures. Top billing is given to the idea that Charles is a grown man fixated on one or more teddy bears; true or not, this is decades-old tabloid fodder. In contrast, the recently-confirmed fact that this family routinely leaks stories about one another to the press as a form of cannibalistic PR is relegated to one afterthought throw-away joke. So little of the fresh, colorful weirdness lurking in recent non-fiction accounts of the British Royal Family is conveyed here, and the narrative expresses little insight or even interest into the environmental dynamics between the family, those they rule, and the larger world.

That being said, the book is a fast read with good momentum, and I would likely recommend it to readers interested in the sub-sub-subgenre of "impactful 20th century figure causes stir by being unexpectedly alive" (see: Timor Vermes's "Look Who's Back," the mystery of Princess Anastasia, etc).

A woman jumps into the Seine stating that she is Diana. She bears a resemblance to the People's Princess. Could Princess Diana really be alive? Is this woman a fraud? Told through a very satirical look at the royal family's different perspectives, this story highlights how obsessed the media and people are with the royal family and likewise, how obsessed the royals are with how they are perceived.

I did generally enjoy this book for what it was. It was silly and funny. The writing is pretty good! I can tell that the author has written plays in the past. I do think that it would actually be better in play or novella form. The constant switching of perspectives in short bursts did feel like scenes in a play or movie. I enjoyed the sensationalism of the possible Diana and how the public reacted to this news. The ending was a wild ride and I wish more of the book was like that. I don't think it necessarily does anything new in its critique of the royal family. The Diana aspect was interesting; I found the mystery of is she or isn't she to be compelling to a certain extent. The narrative ended up being a little tedious for me with the constant switching of perspectives, as it didn't lead to deeper characterizations of some of the side royals used in this book.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher, Riverdale Avenue Books for the eARC!

Duch offers a unique and satirical take on the British royal family, imagining a world where Princess Diana never tragically died. The premise is bold and intriguing, offering a fresh lens through which to view the royals and their relationships.

In the first half of the book, I found myself genuinely laughing out loud, particularly during the bits involving Harry and Meghan. The humor is sharp and engaging, with a keen eye for poking fun at the absurdities of royal life. The author clearly has a knack for wit, and the playful exploration of these characters adds a lot of entertainment value.

However, as the story progresses, it begins to feel overly long. At times, the plot drags, and it seems that there are simply too many characters and subplots vying for attention. While the royal family dynamics were fascinating, the focus on Diana's life started to feel a bit tiresome and repetitive. There's no doubt that the central idea is strong, but the execution would have been even more impactful had the book been edited down by about 100 pages.

Ultimately, Duch is a good read with a strong premise, but it could have benefitted from a tighter narrative. If you’re a fan of royal satire and enjoy a bit of humor at the monarchy’s expense, you’ll likely enjoy this, but prepare for a bit of a slog toward the end.

Duch is the story of a woman who jumps into the Seine proclaiming “I am Diana”, with more than a passing physical resemblance to the former royal Princess of the same name.
The book started really well for me. Lots of laugh out loud moments especially following King Charles and I appreciated that we had short and snappy plot lines following various members including the royals and other narrators. Charles visiting his therapist had me in stitches.
I enjoyed the journey of Duch but it did get a little confusing at times trying to work out the theories behind her identity. The storyline with Alice didn’t add anything for me though. I’m not sure I felt satisfied with the read by the time I had finished it; it felt a bit repetitive at times and the conclusion a little underwhelming.
A quirky fun read and I did feel the author captured the essence of Britishness really well.

This book was definitely a fun read! It was casual but not overwhelmingly light-hearted, and discussed obviously somber topics without making things upsetting. The author pokes fun at both the Royal family, obsessive fans, and the media, without coming across as too serious. I would definitely reccomend this book to a friend if they were interested in anything related to the Royal family.