Rachel Reads & Reviews

1. The Devil of Downtown: This was a very tough ranking as the couples below have more memorable, distinct arcs, but I just really, really like the multi-lingual, smooth talking, good with his hands Jack Mulligan. The romance was strong, however I found the sisterly relationship to be lackluster as Florence and Mamie have already been through their romances with a man below their station and go out into the dangerous streets yet continually underestimate Justine. It felt strange like they were different characters.
2. The Prince of Broadway: If I was being honest I’d switch the titles since Madden is more of a rogue than Frank Tripp, the MMC below but I digress. Prince and Rogue have equal flaws, but what gave this the edge over Rogue is that I loved how equal Florence and Madden were in their headstrong, headbutting personalities. Plus the steamy scenes were hold your chest, panting hot. Very memorable. The big flaw is that Madden stated from the beginning that he was out to destroy Florence’s father and she knew that. That his plans would affect her own should have been a given, but she ignored. It made her seem very naive, especially since he had repeatedly stated his goals and was generally honest for an old-timey mob boss.
3. The Rogue of Fifth Avenue: Mamie and Frank have such older siblings take on the world mentality, I loved seeing them find trust and comfort in each other. You’d be surprised since it’s ranked on the bottom, but I found Frank’s character arc the most compelling out of the MMCs. And I enjoyed the courtroom scenes and Mamie’s interest in helping the immigrants in the corrupt justice system. It comes last simple because they’re the most vanilla out of the books, focusing on typical tropes of Mamie fighting against her arranged marriage and Frank hiding his true background. Definitly fits with the HBO Gilded Age show though.

I also suggest if you want a cool, bad girl heroine and a slightly amoral hero, try Shupe’s Baron. Unlike other “bad girl” heroines, Ava Jones really does con people with her Madam Zolikoff medium act and her romance with Will Sloane train baron, aspiring politician was full of tension. Shupe does a wonderful job immersing you in the extravagant world, highlighting the disparity between the poor and the rich, and the sense of excitement and innovation of the era.

Born into one of New York’s most respected families, William Sloane is a railroad baron who has all the right friends in all the right places. But no matter how much success he achieves, he always wants more. Having secured his place atop the city’s highest echelons of society, he’s now setting his sights on a political run. Nothing can distract him from his next pursuit–except, perhaps, the enchanting con artist he never saw coming . . .

Ava Jones has eked out a living the only way she knows how. As “Madam Zolikoff,” she hoodwinks gullible audiences into believing she can communicate with the spirit world. But her carefully crafted persona is nearly destroyed when Will Sloane walks into her life–and lays bare her latest scheme. The charlatan is certain she can seduce the handsome millionaire into keeping her secret and using her skills for his campaign–unless he’s the one who’s already put a spell on her . . .