Early Review of The Rogue of Fifth Avenue (Uptown Girls, #1) by Joanna Shupe

Title: The Rogue of Fifth Avenue: Uptown Girls
Classification: Adult Fiction
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Uptown Girls
Format: Paperback; 400 pages
Publisher: Avon (May 28, 2019)
ISBN-10: 006290681X
ISBN-13: 978-0062906816
Author's Website: http://www.joannashupe.com/
Notes: I received an eARC loan of the book from the publisher for review purposes. This in no way affected my rating. Any and all quotes used are subject to change and will need to be checked against the final version as they were taking from an Advanced Reader Copy.



Frank Tripp is a self-made man who portrays himself as a New York blue blood, born and bred. Rising up out of one of New York's poorest neighborhoods he's a force to be reckoned within a courtroom. Said to be persuasive enough to sell a drowning man water, he's got the brains to know how to get what he wants and the drive to do whatever it takes to accomplish it. For the past three months his attention has been captured by one of his wealthiest and most influential client's daughter. Something he knows is not healthy or wise and could cost him everything. There's just something about Maime that draws him to her and sparks something inside him he's never experienced before--a burning obsession--that he's doing his best to ignore...

At first glance Marion 'Mamie' Greene appears to be like any other spoiled beautiful debutante, but there's more to her than meets the eye. She's not concerned 'with dance cards, matrimonial prospects and other society nonsense. ' She speaks her mind and lets 'nothing—and no one—get in her way of accomplishing her goal.' She's smart, funny, insightful, and sees far more than one would think. She also detests her father's attorney, Frank Tripp, because he's a little too smooth and  polished and the one man she can't figure out. The latter of which also intrigues her, but she'll never admit it. The man is overindulged--always getting what he wants, with everyone rushing to do his bidding the moment an order or request leaves his lips. Pair that with the fact he's absurdly good looking, charming, and flirts shamelessly with every woman he encounters while currying favor with the men, and she can't help but dislike the fellow.

For the past year Maime's adopted several families whom she's been giving a hand up. Seeing herself as something of a modern day Robin Hood, she's not above pick pocketing from society's elite to give to those more monetarily challenged. She also uses her considerable skill at the card table to earn coin to aid that endeavor. All things, which if discovered, could ruin her reputation and possibly land her in jail. When Tripp finds her frequenting a gaming hell one too many times in the tenderloin district he can't seem to help himself from using that to his advantage...

'She blinked. “You are blackmailing me into having dinner with you?” 

“Yes, it appears that I am.”

 “Even for you, Tripp, this is a new low. I won’t do it.” 

“You most definitely will.” His eyes darted toward her mouth before he captured her stare once more. “I get what I want, Mamie. Never forget it.”'

Sometimes life doesn't go as one expects, and something as seemingly innocent as a dinner date can change everything...

If you've never read one of Ms. Shupe's stories, you're in for a real treat. She tends to set her stories during the exciting years when America, and New York in particular, were first coming into their own. A time when everything was changing and slowly evolving into the place we now know and love. This series is set in the 1890's when Carnegie Hall has just been built, child labor laws are all but nonexistent, and women still have yet to acquire the right to vote. An era when there is a great divide between how the upper and lower classes of New York society live, and working conditions at factories are atrocious and outright dangerous.  A time when corruption in the police department runs rampant and justice is not always served. In other words, it's a great period to use for the backdrop of a story.

It is during this prosperous and tumultuous time in American history that the Greene sisters find themselves living.  Deemed "Knickerbocker princesses" they are part of Manhattan's elite and the only heirs of their father's--one of New York's most influential and wealthiest men--fortune. Marion (aka Maime) is the eldest of these three fictitious sisters to whom the Uptown Girls series centers around, and is said to be the most responsible. Perhaps the reason for this lies in the fact she's been promised since birth to marry the son of one of her father's oldest and dearest friends. Resigned, but not exactly delighted or enthusiastic about her fate, she's set out to help other woman who are less fortunate then herself and are struggling to take care of their children and make ends meet. Woman during this time had very few rights or options, but change is in the air. This story explores that world in an interesting and unique way that kept my attention from the first page until the very last, all the while reminding me just how lucky we are to live in the time in which we do. The Greene sisters appear to want to make a difference in the world, and I look forward to getting to know them and  reading each and every one of their stories.

Frank Tripp is a multifaceted character that I ended up loving, but not from the very start. His background story gradually endeared him to me as we slowly got insight into his past. He's a very private individual with secrets he hopes will never be revealed. I liked seeing him grow as a person and face his past, but I loved that it was Maime who made him him aspire to be a better person and, in a way, face his demons.

Maime is a strong and compassionate woman who comes from a loving family. She's her father's favorite, but he believes he knows what's best for her and her sisters.  As the eldest she's expected to marry well, and her father wants only the best for her and believes by selecting Maime's husband for her he's ensuring just that. While we get a glimpse into the family dynamic of the Greene household, I kind of wish we'd gotten a bit more. All three sisters, from what we've heard and seen in this first book, appear to be exceptional individuals and that usually implies at least one, if not both, parents are too. I'd love to see what shaped these three individuals into the woman we are presented with. Perhaps we'll get a better look into this family within the next two books. I, for one, am crossing my fingers and hoping.

I couldn't help but give this one 5 out of 5 roses. I adored this couple and the feeling that they were well matched. They brought out the best in one another while keeping each other on their toes. They surprised each other at every turn--each being nothing like they'd first imagined the other to be. I loved the grand gesture at the end, and the mention of one of America's most prominent political figures at the time. See if you can spot who I'm talking about. The story was filled with plenty of drama, romance, and history. A combination I very much enjoyed. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one earned a STEAM rating--too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed. This one is going on my keeper shelf. I absolutely loved it.