Shupe’s latest Gilded Age romance delivers on opulence, scandals and simmering romance so let’s get to it.

1. The Lady Gets Lucky: This was a lovely book wit a nice share of character development for both. When shy Alice goes to Kit for seduction lessons so she may marry a man who’ll love her for her and not her dowry, they both end up falling hard. Kit is determined to open a supper club to prove that he is not the layabout wasteral his father says he is, seeding the insecurity that he’s “as deep as a puddle.” He hides behind a charming facade because he fears it’s all he really is. Meanwhile, Alice has deep insecurities that she’s too plain, too stupid, a nothing thanks to her mother’s constant criticisms. So they’re mutually pleasurable arrangement has surprising results besides orgasms. Alice begins to realize she does have worth, she shares her cooking skills in public, she gains confidence and starts to stand up for herself. And Kit realizes that just as he snubs his nose at society rules, he needs to snub his nose at his inner voice because he already knows his father’s a con, why should he believe his words about his worth. Best of all, they learn together.

2. The Duke Gets Even: The poor Duke of Lockwood went through a wringer in the previous three books with his potential brides swept out from under him by the bad boys of Fifth Avenue. Unfortunate as he needs a doller princess in order to get his estate out of debt and fulfill his ducal responsibilities. Problem is that the one heiress that he can’t get out of his mind has a reputation too scandelous to consider. Nellie also can’t get him out of her mind after their heated midnight swim together. He’s a beast in bed in contrast to his polite public demenour and loves that she’s the only one who seems to know the real him. He does too and so he’s determined to have her, no matter what. After three books of men bemouning how they were too scandelous to marry, it was a nice role reversal to see Nellie fretting how her reputation may affect Lockwood. Well, not entirely Lockwood but what it would mean for her personally to leave America and her friends, and enter strict London society if she married him. It seems too impossible to work because while she doesn’t care about societal views, she thinks Lockwood does. True, but love has a way of shifting priorities and I admire how steadfast Lockwood is in proving that to her. It was also enjoyable in how Nellie and Lockwood were experienced in bed and knew what they wanted, it made the steamy scenes more dynamic. Plus they like it rough and Shupe doesn’t play into the cliche Lockwood thinks he’s a depraved monster for enjoying a little pain, rather he’s ashamed of why he likes it. There’s excellent scenes discussing friendship, autonomy and grief and it was just so enjoyable overall. It was hard to put this in second place but I found that The Lady Gets Lucky had more clear character development.

3. The Bride Goes Rogue: Preston and Katherine have been betrothed for a year but Preston has no plans to follow through on that contract with the daughter of his nemesis. He’s too busy conquering the NYC skyline, blackmailing and revenging and all those nefarious deeds. Well, Katherine is furious she wasted a year of her life waiting for a betrothal that isn’t coming so she decides to embark on a fling at the scandelous French Ball. Yep, while in masquerade, they end up together and find they can’t let go of the attraction even though marriage isn’t on the table. As one can imagine the no-strings attached doesn’t last for long. The feels are intense. I enjoyed the more playful, naughty games Preston and Katherine shared with each other. It was certainly creative. I also liked how Katherine was more steadfast in knowing her value and what she wanted. She really made him beg and reconsider his outdated priorities. It made it more worthwhile when they got together. I also admire how Shupe didn’t just say that Preston’s dealings were criminal. So often, these historical bad boys are only in name but she showed it in action. So it is even more satisfying when beauty tames the beast.

4. The Heiress Hunt: This began as a sweet childhood friends to lovers with lots of miscommunication involved. Harrison has always loved his best friend, Maddie, the only one who sees him as someone with potential, not a disappointment like the rest of his family. But when he overhears her say she thinks of him as a brother, he leaves for Paris for three years without a word. Now, he’s back and determined to do a hostile takeover of his estranged family’s business and win Maddie’s heart. Problem is, she’s due to be engaged to a duke and doesn’t feel the same way for him. . . yet. Shupe sets this up nicely by making it clear that Maddie has no feelings for the duke, rather she’s as competitive in getting the best match in the marriage market as she is in lawn tennis. She’s all plans and hates surprises while he’s impulsive and ambitious so they’re also opposites-attract. The problem is the execution. Harrison is disgusted when his family suggests that he compromise a woman to get married yet he does that with Maddie. He ruins her reputation and continually rushes her as she realizing her feelings for the first time. Then he continually lies to her once they’re married. I was actually happy when Maddie suggested to divorce because he was being an ass. They do get together in the end but it felt rushed as if Maddie’s desire for a perfect marriage was equal to Harrison’s assholery. He just couldn’t get it through his thick head that even though they have money, a women’s reputation can get ruined so easily. He didn’t care.

The only nitpick I have is that Harrison, Preston and Kit have another friend, Forrest who never gets explored beyond contrasting with the heroes and providing guilt for Preston and Kit because they feel they didn’t help him enough with his alcoholism. It’s said he had a similar harsh upbringing as they did and inner demons he couldn’t fight but they never reveal more. And I had this whole idea he was going to end up with the Montana heiress Lydia to escape in the great outdoors and reveal his abusive past but no dice. But that might have been my stupid writer brain making more of a minor character than needed be.