The Prince of Broadway (Uptown Girls, #2) by Joanna Shupe

Title: The Prince of Broadway: Uptown Girls
Classification: Adult Fiction
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Uptown Girls (Book 2)
Format: Paperback; 384 pages
Publisher: Avon (December 30, 2019)
ISBN-10: 0062906836
ISBN-13: 978-0062906830
Author's Website: http://www.joannashupe.com/
Notes: I received an eARC loan from the publisher for review purposes. This in no way affected my review or rating. All quotes are subject to change as an ARC is not the final version. Any errors in quotes are most likely my own and not the authors.


Florence Greene is not your typical society miss. She doesn't have grand plans of marriage or of raising a family. Her dreams consist of opening a casino for young ladies and she's come up with a plan to accomplish just that. It all revolves around a rather illusive man named Clayton Madden. Clayton owns the most successful gambling establishment in the city call the Bronze House. She wants her casino to mimic his and she's hoping he'll mentor her on how she can go about making that happen. Gambling, after all, is illegal in the great state of New York, but Florence isn't the type to let a little thing like that get in her way. The one thing she hadn't counted on, however, was finding herself attracted to the man, or that he'd be attracted to her...

"You should know a few things before we finalize any apprenticeship."

She leaned in, all eagerness and devotion, hanging on his every word.(...)

"I'll put my cards on the table. I'm attracted to you."

Her brows shot high on her forehead, her face slackening. "W-what?"(...)

"Understand that my motives are never pure. I'm as selfish as they come, and if there's an opportunity to get you in my bed I won't hesitate to take it."(...)

"Was there anything else?"

"Yes, actually. I plan to bring about your father's ruin."

This was the second book in the Uptown Girls series and it can be read out of order as a standalone. It actually takes place at the same time as 'The Rogue of Fifth Avenue,' the first book in the series, so the reader truly will have missed nothing if they haven't read the previous book first. The series revolves around the Greene sisters who are unconventional young women who are the daughter's of one of New York's richest and most influential men. The 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. It's set in an era when there is a great divide between how the upper and lower classes of New York society live. The novel takes place during 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. If you've not yet read one of Ms. Shupe's novels, you will not be disappointed.

Florence Greene is smart and beautiful, but has never truly felt like she fit in with high society, mainly because she's never cared what they thought of her. Plus, she isn't one to engage in games unless they involve a gaming table. She's played her role in society seamlessly, however, for the sake of her mother and sisters. She's even turned down several proposals, but being married to some society fop whose ego barely fits in the room is not her idea of bliss. The only thing that has kept her sane over the years is her dream of one day opening up a casino for ladies, and being able to be the person she'd always felt she was meant to be. She found out at an early age she had a love and knack for cards. She intends to make use of that.

Clayton Madden is a self-made man who blames his family's demise on Florence's father. All he's done over the years has been driven by the thought of one day being able to exact revenge on him. Florence, however, is something he hadn't expected. The more he gets to know her the more he comes to like her. He convinces himself he can still exact revenge upon her father without it affecting their relationship. He'll soon find out the truth of the matter and have to deal with the consequences.

Overall, I gave this one 4 out of 5 roses. The book had a nice combination of drama and romance which kept my interest from start to finish. While Clayton and Florence would appear to be an unlikely couple, their chemistry is undeniable. As they start to work together and get to know each other they gain a mutual respect for one another. Clayton has no problem letting Florence be who she wants to be and, for the most part, encourages her endeavors. Some of Florence's behavior, however, was a little questionable for someone who supposedly was trying to protect her mother and sisters from scandal. Plus, it took me some time to warm up to Clayton, but by the end he won me over. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one earned a SHOWER rating--a cold shower may be necessary. Need I say more? Some books should come with a warning--make sure your significant other is handy or your shower is in working order. lol 

Order of the Uptown Girls series: 

Coming June 2020:

 

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.

Early Review of A Daring Arrangement (The Four Hundred, #1) by Joanna Shupe

Title: A Daring Arrangement: The Four Hundred Series
Classification: Adult Fiction
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: The Four Hundred
Format: Paperback; 384 pages
Publisher: Avon (October 31, 2017)
ISBN-10: 0062678892
ISBN-13: 978-0062678898
Author's Website: http://www.joannashupe.com/
Notes: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I am also an Avon Addict which means I love the books that Avon publishes enough to volunteer to read as many ARCs and books as they can send my way. So you'll be seeing a lot of books reviewed by me from this publisher. Please note, however, that if I don't like a book, it will be truthfully reflected by a low rating.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

She wants to find the most outrageous fiance so her father will ship her back to England.
He wants entrance into New York's polite society.
The plan is simple--they will pretend to be engaged until they each get what they desire.
Everything goes according to plan until a crazy little thing called love gets in the way...

This is the first book I've read by Ms. Shupe and I loved how refreshing it was. I don't think I've read a romance book that delved into the Gilded Age when America was first coming into its own. Lady Honora Parker is the only child of an Earl and he's shipped her to America in hopes she'll find a suitable husband after she botched up her chances in England. She, however, has plans to get back to the young painter who stole her heart. Her scheme is to make a deal with the most inappropriate suitor she can find in hopes her father will ship her back to England. Unfortunately, or rather fortunately, depending on how you look at it, the man she picks ends up being much more than she ever expected.

Julius Hatcher is one of the richest self made men in New York. He's also comes with quite a scandalous reputation for being the "scourge on everything decent and upstanding in the city." He brashly spends outrageous sums of money on parties that are over the top and other equally frivolous things. He's handsome as sin and the gossip pages have printed many a story about his sordid affairs over the years. At face value he seems the perfect man to fill Nora's plan, but there's more to Julius than meets the eye. Plus, he has his own secret agenda.

Lady Honora 'Nora' Parker was young and desperate for attention when a young man hired to paint her portrait took advantage of her. She thinks herself worldly, but she's rather naive when it come to the opposite sex. She fancies herself in love, but doesn't know the first thing about it. Julius is nothing like anyone she's ever met. He believes in working hard and playing hard. He's also smart as they come and in Nora, he'll meet his match. For while she may at times seem irresponsible and impulsive, there's hidden depths to her character that he'll slowly begin to discover and come to admire.

Overall, I gave this one 4 1/2 out of 5 roses. I love the time period and location that this story is set in, and hope the rest of the series follows suit. It's a time when huge fortunes were amassed in a short period of time. A time when the American dream was more attainable then any other time, but corruption was rampant. It was a fun, sweet, and charming romance that made me shake my head, laugh, and grin while keeping me glued to its pages. I adored watching these two fall in love. 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.

Notes to keep you in the know:

The inspiration for one scene is this book came from the above picture of a party on horseback given by C. K. G. Billings in Sherry's ballroom, New York City, on March 28, 1903. The source of the photo is the Washington Post which published it on page 1 January 25, 1914. The Photo was take by Byron Company and is now part of the public domain.