Review - - The Gilded Heiress

The Gilded Heiress

by Joanna Shupe

Publisher: Avon

Release Date: August 26, 2025

Reviewed by Hellie

 

In 1880 a baby was stolen from the wealthiest family in America. Though no ransom was ever demanded, the Pendelton family never gave up hope . . . and their reward became the stuff of legend.

After being raised in a children’s asylum, Josie Smith ends up on the streets and quickly learns how to take care of herself. Her singing voice draws crowds on every corner, and she’ll stop at nothing to become famous and travel the world, loved and adored by all. Maybe then she won’t think about the family who gave her away as an infant.

Leo Hardy isn’t afraid to use his charm and wits to make a fast buck, especially with a mother and five siblings to support. When he stumbles upon a beautiful young woman singing on the street, Leo notices her striking resemblance to the infamous missing baby’s mother, Mrs. Thomas Pendelton. The Hardys lost everything thanks to the Pendeltons, and once Leo sees Josie, he seizes the opportunity to settle the score. All he needs to do is pull off the biggest swindle of his career.

As the two are catapulted into Knickerbocker High Society, they grow closer to their goal, as well as to each other. But secrets can only stay hidden for so long. Soon the truth unfolds, and both Josie and Leo must separate what’s real from what’s just gilding.

Hellie’s Heeds

What a delightful romp!! If you love steamy sex scenes, witty banter, laugh-out-loud scenes that should totally be in a movie, and plot twists where you wonder, “HOW is the author going to make this work out?”--then you will be enchanted with this book. I feel if you’ve been watching The Gilded Age–and perhaps already watched all the episodes–this may help fill in a bit of that void as well. 

Joanna Shupe’s novels have always been a hallmark of these characteristics: the hot-hot-hot love scenes, banter for days, and the sheer emotional wreckage as we wonder if these characters will ever get their happily ever after. And I think this one fits nicely with her previous offerings–with Leo Hardy being yet another hero in need of a little redemption, but we can’t help but fall for him anyway and root for him to become a better man for this one woman who is perfect for him. He is Dreamy–and seriously, that opening scene in the brothel? We have Bridgerton on Netflix–can we have this one too? 

Neither character is perfect by any means, but they are perfect for each other–and it’s wonderful to watch their relationship unfold. The emotional plot points were dead on–like when I read the black moment, I was like, “Ooof, that is exactly what needed to happen” even as I was yelling, “NO! How are they ever going to get together? There’s not enough pages left!” Just excellent character growth. 

From a historical standpoint, if that is at all a stickler for you, some of the historical stuff feels wildly improbable. Though technically speaking, I suppose, not impossible–which is all we need really, right? (I just watch a lot of missing people shows…the odds of them not winding up dead is slim to none. And then to be a child in this era that grew up in a big city orphanage and didn’t die of whooping cough, typhoid, tuberculosis, or the myriad of other childhood ailments made me a bit skeptical. So…that’s the reason it wasn’t a 5 star for me–I couldn’t quite suspend disbelief.) However, on other aspects of a historical nature–the description of theater life, life in the mid-1890s, etc, I felt those were believable and made for great reading. Anyway, it’s not a surprise she grows up in an orphanage…and was kidnapped–that’s right there in the blurb. If you are a stickler about childhood ailments and orphanages, you too may have difficulties with suspending disbelief, but I can say the rest of it makes for really good reading.

Cover Reveal - - Eliza and the Duke

 

 

If you've been following me the past few years, you already know how much I've enjoyed Harper St. George's Gilded Age/Victorian historical romances. This past April, St. George published The Stranger I Wed (read my review) which launched her The Doves of New York series. This new series features an interesting take on American Dollar Princesses. Rather than the pampered, legitimate daughters of wealthy industry icons, the Dove sisters are the cast aside, illegitimate daughters of a member of one of New York's wealthiest founding families who must marry British aristocrats in order to collect their inheritances. Makes them all the more interesting, in my opinion!

Besides her wonderful stories that keep me reading way too late into the night, St. George's books are also known for their stunningly beautiful, rich, jewel-toned covers. Her next book in the series is no exception. I'm delighted to share the cover reveal for book two of The Doves of New York: Eliza and the Duke!

Eliza and the Duke will be published on June 24, 2025 but is available now for preorder at the following link: https://bit.ly/3YS5G3K. It goes without saying that I have already preordered my copy. 

Eliza and the Duke

by Harper St. George

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: June 24, 2025

American heiress Eliza Dove was resigned to a polite marriage of convenience...until she spent one wicked night with the Duke.

All hopeless romantic Eliza Dove asked for was one night of adventure. One glorious evening of freedom to explore the dark corners of London with a mysterious stranger before a lifetime trapped in a quiet, respectable marriage of convenience. Except now she wants more. Now she wants him.  

Simon Cavell is no gentleman. Known only as ‘the Duke,’ Whitechapel’s prize boxer is one fight away from achieving his goal: to safeguard his late sister’s only treasure and leave the streets for good. He cannot allow some pretty young heiress to spill his secrets, no matter how tempting she might be. In return for her silence, Simon will give Eliza a taste of the darkness…and hope he doesn’t lose his heart in the process.

But one night together could never be enough. And now Eliza has a new plan—an even more scandalous bargain that will either land the heiress her duke or ruin them both. 

Have you read any books by Harper St. George yet? 

Are you a fan of historical romance?

One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, December 7 will receive a print copy of The Heiress Gets a Duke, book one in St. George's The Gilded Age Heiresses series. 

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

 

Review - - Art of the Chase

Art of the Chase

by Tracy Brogan

The Bostwicks of Trillium Bay

Publisher: Oliver Heber Books

Release Date: December 5, 2023

Reviewed by PJ

Above the glistening waters of Trillium Bay, the majestic Imperial Hotel awaits its first guests. It’s the summer of 1888, and names like Carnegie, Astor, Pullman, and Bostwick line the premier resort’s registry as society’s elite gather on its grandiose front porch to see – and be seen.

But Chase Bostwick isn’t interested in being seen. As the second son of a wealthy financier, he’s only interested in work – in Chicago – so being tasked by his father to chaperone his wearisome mother and boisterous little sister during their Michigan summer holiday is Chase’s personal purgatory masquerading as paradise – for never was a man more ill-suited to leisure.

Emerson McKenna isn’t interested in being seen, either – but she does want her artistic talents to be noticed. As the illegitimate daughter of a renown portraitist more infamous for his romantic dalliances than for his work, Emerson has schemed her way into a position at the hotel teaching doe-eyed debutantes to paint. She says her goal is to commission enough portraits from the resort’s wealthy patrons to finance her dreams of studying in Paris.

But Chase has his suspicions…

Thinking to ease his ennui, he sets about to unravel the mysteries of this enigmatic Miss and her tattered satchel full of secrets, but what he learns – from her questionable marital status right down to the potentially felonious embellishment of her artistic credentials – leaves him feeling captivated. And protective. When his misplaced chivalry sets in motion events which may do more harm than good, Chase and Emerson must work together to keep her safe – and in his arms.

PJ's Thoughts:

Tracy Brogan uses charm, laughter, heart-tugging emotion, and an immersive sense of place to bring the Gilded Age version of her popular Trillium Bay to life in Art of the Chase, book one of her new historical romance series: The Bostwicks of Trillium Bay. 

If you've ever visited Mackinac Island, stayed in the Grand Hotel, or viewed it in photos - or on the big screen in Somewhere in Time - you will no doubt recognize it's elegant influence on Trillium Bay's Imperial Hotel. Brogan brings every nook, cranny, sweeping lake-front lawn, and iconic front porch niche to life in her fictional version, evoking sweet memories for those of us who have visited the real thing and vivid mental paintings of how it - as well as her fictional version - might have been in years gone by. The hotel, like the island itself, is a nuanced character is its own right in this book, helping to offer insight into the lives and personalities of both hard-working staff and privileged guests. 

As for the actual characters, Brogan offers up a collection of diverse, well-developed individuals who open windows into the lives of the rich and famous of the time and those whose job it is to serve them. There's the snobbish society maven, who may or may not be more complex than she seems, a teen society miss with a kind heart and unexpected ambitions, a supercilious desk clerk, hyper social director, business-savvy hotel owner, awkward wallflowers, and more. But at the heart of the tale are Chase and Jo (Emerson), two characters from different social classes with more in common than one would imagine, an undeniable attraction, and future plans that do not include the other. I really enjoyed the deft touch Brogan used in bringing them to life, how she slowly unfurled their layers, allowing us into their thoughts and hearts as they, and their relationship, evolved; the light hand she used that celebrated the laughter and joy of falling in love while at the same time keeping the realities of their situation firmly in play. It's a delicate balance between the magic of a summer romance on the island and the reality of city life within an elite society that is likely to never accept the choice of Chase's heart.

Art of the Chase is a story that is charming, humorous, thought provoking, glittering, heart-tugging, and utterly romantic. I turned the final page with a smile on my face, a happy sigh in my heart, and eagerness for the next chapter of The Bostwicks of Trillium Bay. 

Review - - The Rogue of Fifth Avenue

THE ROGUE OF FIFTH AVENUE

by Joanna Shupe

Publisher: Avon 

Release Date: May 28, 2019
Reviewed by Hellie

 

Mamie Green is an uptown heiress who is passionate about her work helping those who did not have her privileged upbringing. With her sisters, Mamie makes it her secret mission to “steal from the rich and give to the poor”, but her efforts are thwarted by the watchdog her father has sent to keep an eye on her, Frank Tripp, a lawyer who has secret roots in the very neighborhoods Mamie does her work.

Blurb: 

He can solve any problem . . .

In serving the wealthy power brokers of New York society, Frank Tripp has finally gained the respectability and security his own upbringing lacked. There’s no issue he cannot fix . . . except for one: the beautiful and reckless daughter of an important client who doesn’t seem to understand the word danger.

She’s not looking for a hero . . .

Excitement lies just below Forty-Second Street and Mamie Greene is determined to explore all of it—while playing a modern-day Robin Hood along the way. What she doesn’t need is her father’s lawyer dogging her every step and threatening her efforts to help struggling families in the tenements.

However, she doesn’t count on Frank’s persistence . . . or the sparks that fly between them. When fate upends all her plans, Mamie must decide if she’s willing to risk it all on a rogue . . .

Mamie is bold and audacious without feeling anachronistic for her place in time. She’s a new woman of the era, seeking more women’s rights as well as seeking fairer wages and laws to protect all people in society, not just the rich. Frank Tripp is swoony--he just is. He reminds me of the lawyer in the musical Can-Can, who was, well, Frank Sinatra: well-dressed, carefully articulate, and very much in love with the heroine. The subplot that brings them together: the case against Mrs. Porter for murdering her husband keeps things busy and suspenseful as you wonder how can he possibly save this poor widow who confessed? There were interesting historical details and historic pieces that definitely made the setting for this story. Police corruption as well as normal vice (gambling dens, etc) were active players in this story. The author has an engaging writing style and voice, but also clearly does her due diligence for making the story fit the time period (story feels organic and authentic to the time period rather than being “wallpaper” or forced.) It was a joy to read. 

I appreciated the emotional journeys of Frank who needs to make peace with his past--and also even the one I felt Mamie’s father had in that he was convinced Mamie needed to marry a childhood friend, no compromise. There was a scene that I thought could have gone the “easy” route and made the father a bad guy, but in the end, he did the right thing for his daughter. It was lovely to see. I look forward to reading the stories of the other two sisters--I imagine they will be as much a hoot as Mamie. And the sexual tension was off the charts--very sexy, but also very believable for the time and characters. I can’t wait to see what’s next!

Review - - MOGUL

Mogul

By Joanna Shupe

Publisher: Kensington/Zebra

Release Date: January 31, 2017

    

Calvin Cabot is a reporter for the New York Bugle when he meets Lillian Davis, daughter of a wealthy mine owner. Two months later, Calvin and Lily, passionately in love, elope. Three weeks into their honeymoon, Lily’s father tracks them down and bullies and blackmails Calvin into abandoning Lily, who refuses to believe that Calvin will not return for her. When denial becomes impossible, she agrees to her father’s insistence that the marriage be annulled. Four years bring significant changes. Lily, still harboring resentment against the man who was briefly her husband, has become president of the Davies Mining Company after her father’s death. Calvin, owner and publisher of three newspapers, has become a powerful and somewhat mysterious figure with a reputation for ruthlessness. Neither has remarried, although Lily is on the verge of a betrothal to a man from her own class.

When Lily receives a threatening letter, it becomes imperative that she find her younger brother, Tom, who is inexplicably missing. She is forced to seek help from Calvin. When her letters to him are ignored and he avoids her visits to his office, she hires Pinkerton agents to locate and kidnap him. Despite these strong-arm tactics, Calvin is not interested in helping Lily. It is not until he discovers that Tom has earned the enmity of Wah Lee, a Chinese mob boss whose dangerous reach Calvin knows well, that the newspaperman reluctantly agrees to Lily’s request (demand).  What follows is part action-adventure in which the dangers are real and the risks high on multiple levels and part second-chance-at-love tale in which the chemistry between Calvin and Lily proves to be as explosive as it was when they were young lovers with their illusions intact.

Mogul is the third novel in Shupe’s Knickerbocker Club series (after Baron and Magnate), and it has the most exciting plot of the series. I confess that I was hooked on this story from the first sentence: “She never expected to find her former husband in an opium den.” A kidnapping and flying bullets before the end of the second chapter ensured that interest continued. Lily is a strong heroine who refuses to be relegated professionally or personally into the narrow role convention defined as a woman’s place. I have a long-standing weakness for self-made heroes and Shupe gives her readers a captivating example of that trope in Calvin. His stubbornness equals Lily’s, but he respects who she is in her own right. Secondary characters, including Tom and his love interest and Calvin’s closest friend, Hugo, an African American, and his Chinese wife, add interest and provide greater diversity than one usually encounters in historical romance.

Shupe brings to life not only the glitz, glamour, and powerful self-made men of Gilded Age New York but also gender issues of the period and lesser known and heinous bits of American history surrounding the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1892 and the violence, isolation and discrimination associated with it. Fans of the series will be pleased to see Calvin’s story, but the book also works well as a standalone. If you like a fast-paced story and highly sensual romance, this book is for you. Tycoon, the novella that introduced the series, is included as a bonus read in the ARC, and I assume it will also be included with the book for purchase. Lighter in tone than Mogul, it is also an entertaining read. I loved it.

I find the Gilded Age immensely interesting, teaching Edith Wharton and Henry James provided some of my favorite moments in the classroom, and I expressed the hope years ago that someone would set a romance novel in this period. I continue to be excited about the stories in this period that Shupe is giving readers. Magnate is my favorite, but all the novels and the novella have been engaging reads. I give Mogul my enthusiastic recommendation.

According to reports, Shupe has contracted for three more novels in the Knickerbocker Club series. I applaud this news and eagerly await the next release.

~Janga

Today's Special - - Joanna Shupe

Photo by Kathryn Huang Photography

It's my pleasure to welcome Joanna Shupe back to the Romance Dish today. I am crazy about her The Knickerbocker Club series, set in New York City during the Gilded Age, one of my favorite American historical periods. She really brings the city to life during an exciting time in our history. Today, Joanna joins us to talk about her newest book, BARON (out today!), featuring a pompous railroad baron and a faux-Russian medium. You don't want to miss this one! Read Janga's review of MAGNATE here and PJ's review of BARON here. 

Joanna Shupe has always loved history, a fact that is clearly evident in her writing. She was the 2013 winner of RWA's Golden Heart® for Best Historical, her first Regency historical, The Courtesan Duchess was nominated as Best First Historical by RT Book Reviews, and The Lady Hellion was named one of the Washington Post's top five romance novels. Joanna can be found online at: Facebook  Twitter.

Welcome, Joanna!

Gilded Age Women Rise Up

Thank you so much for hosting me today! I’m very excited to be here to talk about my brand-new Gilded Age romance, BARON.

One reason the Gilded Age is fascinating is because it saw the start of the women’s movement. Most of us already know about the brave suffragettes who campaigned tirelessly for women to get the vote. (Incidentally, vote on November 8^th!) But there were other ways women advanced during this time period as well.

Urban areas boomed in the Gilded Age. With the industrial explosion, more and more people moved

off farms and into cities for office jobs. This included single women, who now found respectable positions as secretaries and shop clerks. More job opportunities meant independent income, which meant women could wait longer to marry.

Another respectable occupation popped up as well, and it’s one you might not expect.

During the Civil War, many husbands, brothers, and sons were lost. Those left behind were eager to remember and “speak to” those deceased relatives. This led to an explosion in spiritualism and interest in the afterlife. Many women began a lucrative career as a medium by telling fortunes, holding séances, and speaking to the dead.

Ava, the heroine in BARON, is a practicing medium. As the head of her family, she has three siblings to provide for and being a medium pays extremely well. She sees this as providing a service to her clients, many of whom are so mired in grief over a loved one that they cannot move forward. She sees herself as more of an entertainer and therapist than an outright liar.

The hero of Baron isn’t so convinced. This very proper and pompous railroad baron is horrified by what she does…yet she’s laughing all the way to the bank.

I’d love to give away a copy of BARON! Just comment below with your favorite card game for the chance to win a signed paperback. Thank you!

New York City's Gilded Age shines as bright as the power-wielding men of the Knickerbocker Club. And one pragmatic industrialist is about to learn that a man may make his own destiny, but love is a matter of fortune . . .
 
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 . . .

Today's Special - - Joanna Shupe

Photo by Kathryn Huang Photography

It's my pleasure to welcome Joanna Shupe to the Romance Dish today. I'm so excited about her new The Knickerbocker Club series, set in New York City during the Gilded Age, one of my favorite American historical periods. You can read Janga's reviews of TYCOON (a novella) and MAGNATE (first book in the series) here. 

Joanna Shupe has always loved history, a fact that is clearly evident in her writing. She was the 2013 winner of RWA's Golden Heart® for Best Historical, her first Regency historical, The Courtesan Duchess was nominated as Best First Historical by RT Book Reviews, and The Lady Hellion was named one of the Washington Post's top five romance novels. Joanna can be found online at: Facebook  Twitter.

The Gilded Age vs. The Regency

Thanks for hosting me on The Romance Dish today! I’m excited to be here today to discuss the Gilded Age, which serves as the setting for my new historical romance, MAGNATE.

In Romancelandia, we know all about the Regency. It’s the beloved time in British history of Jane Austen, Byron, and the Prince Regent. Just say the word and we imagine balls, dukes, fancy gowns, and strict social conventions that heroines love to skirt.

Most romance readers are less familiar with the American Gilded Age, a pocket of extreme wealth

and industrialization at the end of the nineteenth century. You might recognize Boss Tweed, Tammany Hall and trust busting from school, which are, in concept, about as interesting as a root canal. But stay with me, because I’m about to blow your mind (I hope).

All that stuff you love about the Regency era? The Gilded Age has it, too. Let’s break it down…

Fashion

In the Regency, English ladies wore elegant gowns with empire waists and long flowing skirts. The Gilded Age had gowns, too, and wealthy American women had oodles of money to spend on the very best, which usually meant dresses designed by the House of Worth, the originators of haute couture as we know it today.

Just search “House of Worth Gowns” on Pinterest. You. Will. Not. Be. Sorry.

 Balls

The Gilded Age had fancy balls, as well as debutantes. And yes, the balls were just as exclusive as the Regency soirees. You might have heard the term “The Four Hundred,” which originated because Mrs. Astor’s ballroom only held four hundred people. Needless to say, this quickly established a list of who’s who in New York society.

With so much money on hand for the Gilded Age’s elite, the balls were extravagant. Want 10,000 butterflies shipped in from Brazil? What about swans floating in a real pond as a centerpiece? Or party favors of gold pencil cases, jewelry, or cash? All of these actually happened.

High Society

In Regency romance, we adore our dukes. And little wonder: the British aristocracy is an exclusive club not many could join. The high society of New York, however, operated in much the same way. No matter how wealthy you were, if your roots couldn’t be traced all the way back to the Dutch settlers of Manhattan, you were too gauche for this crowd.

This was why many of the nouveau riche in America married their daughters off to English noblemen; they couldn’t buy acceptance in society, so they hoped to gain it through a British title.

There are more similarities—from stately mansions and scandals, to class struggles and social upheaval—but one major difference between the two eras are the industrial advances.

The Technology

The Gilded Age had more modern toys, including railroads, the telegraph, and telephones. Even the automobile comes in at the tail end. Thankfully, there were still carriages and horses for those quick romantic rides across town. Have you watched The Age of Innocence, when Daniel Day-Lewis seduces Michelle Pfeiffer in the carriage? Gilded Age hotness!

If you like historical romance, I hope you will give the Gilded Age a try. It’s a fascinating era, and my very favorite.

What’s your favorite historical movie? Comment below with your answer for the chance to win a signed paperback copy of MAGNATE!

******

New York City’s Gilded Age shimmers with unimaginable wealth and glittering power. The men of the Knickerbocker Club know this more than anyone else. But for one millionaire, the business of love is not what he expected…

Born in the slums of Five Points, Emmett Cavanaugh climbed his way to the top of a booming steel empire and now holds court in an opulent Fifth Avenue mansion. His rise in stations, however, has done little to elevate his taste in women. He loathes the city’s “high society” types, but a rebellious and beautiful blue-blood just might change all that.

Elizabeth Sloane’s mind is filled with more than the latest parlor room gossip. Lizzie can play the Stock Exchange as deftly as New York’s most accomplished brokers—but she needs a man to put her skills to use. Emmett reluctantly agrees when the stunning socialite asks him to back her trades and split the profits. But love and business make strange bedfellows, and as their fragile partnership begins to crack, they’ll discover a passion more frenzied than the trading room floor…

Review - - TYCOON and MAGNATE

Tycoon

By Joanna Schupe

Publisher: Zebra

Release Date: February 23, 2016

Joanna Shupe introduced her Knickerbocker Club series set in New York City during the Gilded Age with the novella Tycoon, the story of Clara Dobson, a shop girl, and Theodore Harper, president of one of the nation’s largest banks. Clara witnesses a crime and is on the run from the perpetrators. With no money and only the clothes she is wearing, she is headed home to Missouri. Ted is in Grand Central Station about to board his private car for business meetings on the train with a St. Louis brewer. When Clara spots her pursuers, she randomly attaches herself to Ted, unaware of who he is. Ted can’t decide if Clara is crazy, involved in a scam, or actually in danger, but he agrees to let her share his car. She, in turn, agrees to help distract the wife of the brewer while the men discuss business. Clara’s presence proves an unexpected boon.

Over the next few days, Clara and Ted come to know each other better. The attraction that sparked with that first kiss between strangers grows exponentially. But trust grows more slowly, and Clara remains in danger. Can love really conquer all?

If I were evaluating this as a standalone, I would award it 3.5 stars. I love the characters, and the premise, but the novella format allows for development for both that is too thin for my taste. However, as a teaser for a new series, this novella is highly effective. It certainly captured my attention and left me eager to read the first novel in the series. For this reason, I gave Tycoon five stars.

Magnate

By Joanna Schupe

Publisher: Zebra

Release date: April 26, 2016

  

Elizabeth Sloane belongs to elite New York society, old money with connections to the original Dutch settlers and low tolerance for the nouveau riche who were increasing in numbers and in personal wealth in the late nineteenth century. The queen bee of Old New York was Caroline Schermerhorn Astor, creator of the famed “Four Hundred,” a list of socially acceptable upper-class families. Known as Knickerbockers (a term sarcastically coined by author Washington Irving) by outsiders, old New York limited the power of its women to the social scene. It is this rigidly defined role that Elizabeth resists. She wants a life that consists of more than parties, opera, and gossip. An interest in stock trading fostered early in her life through time spent with her father has increased with her awareness that she is intelligent and particularly skilled in picking the right stocks. Growing concerns about the family business headed by her brother William heighten her interest in opening her own brokerage firm and adding to the family coffers. Her brother refuses to entertain the thought of his sister in business. Knowing that she needs to be publicly connected with a man powerful in the business community, Elizabeth approaches Emmett Cavanaugh, hoping that a man who belongs to the city’s new wealth will be less conservative than her brother. Elizabeth erroneously believes that her brother and Cavanaugh are friends because they, along with Theodore Harper (The Tycoon) and Calvin Cabot, owner of three large newspapers, belong to a four-member secret group who use their power and money for purposes that require their joint efforts.

Cavanaugh rose from brutal poverty and an early childhood spent in the squalor of the infamous Five Points. Ruthless and driven, from the age of twelve, he devoted himself to ensuring that he and his three siblings escaped the hunger and violence of life in America’s first urban ghetto.  He started working in a steel mill, and he ended up owning it and much more. Cavanaugh is first amused and then intrigued by Elizabeth. He consents not to her initial proposal but to a wager with her shares in her family’s company as her stake. He is conscious, as is Elizabeth, of the strong attraction that sizzles between them, but each thinks the social gulf between them cannot be bridged.

The scandal that began with their first dinner meeting intensifies with their business association. The result is a forced marriage and two unhappy partners. The conflicts between these two strong characters are real, and misunderstandings abound. But even Mother Nature appears to know that Elizabeth and Emmett belong together and helps them reach their HEA. (I do love a snowstorm in a romance.)

I have long wished for the return of the non-Western American historical romance, and I am delighted to see more in this subgenre being offered in recent months. I find the Gilded Age a fascinating period. I even briefly considered making Edith Wharton the focus of my dissertation. You can then imagine how pleased I was to learn that Schupe was setting a series in 1880s New York City. My expectations were high, and Schupe met them beautifully. She does a wonderful job of world building, from her descriptions of the opulent homes of the wealthy to the backroom meetings of the powerful who are not overly particular about using ethical means to achieve their goals. Lest some reader complain that Elizabeth’s triumph is unrealistic, Schupe provides an author’s note that briefly recounts her real life model.

Elizabeth and Emmett are complex, layered characters who held my interest from the first pages. I found her likeable and sympathetic. Although Emmett is not always likeable, he is always compelling, and, given what readers know of him, he remains true to his character. My one reservation is that I would like to have seen his character explored a bit more fully.  The secondary characters add depth to the story. I especially loved Emmett’s family, and I eagerly await Baron, the third novel in the series, which will feature William Sloane, Elizabeth’s brother, and a fake medium.

If you are a fan of cross-class romances or the forced marriage trope, if you are captivated by Gilded Age tales, or if you like historical romance that combines the tried and true with the fresh and new, I highly recommend Magnate. I liked it so well that I have pre-ordered Baron (October 25, 2016). It has a political element! I can’t wait!

~Janga