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THE BRIDE GOES ROGUE

From the Fifth Avenue Rebels series , Vol. 3

The Mrs. Astor of Gilded Age romances provides another smart and sexy read.

A childhood engagement between the children of one-time business partners becomes a steamy affair between enemies.

Katherine Delafield is done waiting—she’s been betrothed to Preston Clarke since she was a child and their fathers agreed to the match, but she’s still not married to him. However, when she reminds him of this fact and tries to set a date for the wedding, he strongly declines, and Katherine decides to move on and stop waiting for marriage. As a relatively free and privileged young woman of the Gilded Age, she’s ready to explore the wilder side of New York City and declares to her friends that she wants to have an affair. For his part, merciless tycoon Preston has, as always, been too absorbed in his tireless work to think much about the visit from Katherine. In need of relaxation, he decides to go to a famous downtown party that’s known to be “quite risqué”—the French Ball at Madison Square Garden. But wouldn’t you know it? It’s the same debauched evening Katherine is attending in search of her first affair. Masked and anonymous, they share a red-hot intimate moment and vow to meet again soon. When they discover the truth about their masked encounter the following night, both are furious but quickly find that the pull of their chemistry is so strong that they begin a series of steamy clandestine meetings and even develop a friendship of sorts despite Preston’s long-standing hatred for Katherine's father. They tell themselves they’re just having an adventure, but as their unusual connection deepens, the rivalry between their families becomes even more serious. Shupe’s well-loved Fifth Avenue Rebels series returns with a very saucy friends-with-benefits story. As ever, her command of historical details enlivens the story just as much as her command of intimate ones—and yes, that means she has proof that there really were indecent public events in New York in the 1890s. Preston is the kind of delightfully anachronistic historical romance hero Shupe’s fans love, and he works perfectly in combination with Katherine's bold bluestocking ways; those fans will be glad to hear the series is not yet done and get a glimpse of the next book at the end of this one.

The Mrs. Astor of Gilded Age romances provides another smart and sexy read.

Pub Date: May 24, 2022

ISBN: 978-0-06-304506-4

Page Count: 384

Publisher: Avon/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: March 1, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2022

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NOT PART OF THE PLAN

This small-town romp has sexy main characters and a wacky, at-times exasperating crew.

A bad-boy photographer and a by-the-book businesswoman fall in love in a small town.

Nikolai Vulkov is taking some time off. Though he’s used to traveling the world photographing beautiful models and attending gallery openings in Manhattan, Niko hasn’t felt like picking up his camera in a long time. Looking for a change of scenery and maybe even a little inspiration, he decides to visit his friend Summer Pierce’s home in Blue Moon for a few weeks. Blue Moon is a quaint town in upstate New York teeming with quirky locals and acres of farmland, and is also the place where many inhabitants find their one true love. Take Summer’s husband, for example: Each of the Pierce brothers is happily married, perhaps with some intervention from the town’s “Beautification Committee,” a group of busybodies who meddle in the love affairs of Blue Moon newbies. Not that Niko is looking for anything serious—for all Blue Moon knows, he’s a died-in-the-wool, no-strings-attached bad boy. That is, until he meets Emmaline Merrill. New to town herself, Emma runs a tight ship as manager of the local brewery. Ever since her mother left when she was young, Emma has morphed into what her sisters call a control freak. It’s in her nature to take charge and want stability, but as soon as Niko walks into the brewery with his motorcycle boots and wolfish grin, she has to fight hard not to let him in. As Niko works to prove to Emma that he’s serious relationship material, could the town of Blue Moon start to feel like home for the two newcomers? In Book 4 of her Blue Moon series, Score excels at creating a setting full of antics, farm animals, and vibrant characters. Though the Pierce family and company can be a bit much, with overly precocious children and a lot of macho talk, the cozy location and elevated spice level will make this a quick and easy read.

This small-town romp has sexy main characters and a wacky, at-times exasperating crew.

Pub Date: July 8, 2025

ISBN: 9781728295251

Page Count: 320

Publisher: Bloom Books

Review Posted Online: May 3, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2025

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YOURS TRULY

A solid contemporary with a balance of humor and lasting emotional beats.

In this contemporary romance, two emergency room doctors, both recovering from messy breakups, form a close, comforting friendship and perhaps something more.

Dr. Briana Ortiz has enough on her plate. She’s in the midst of finalizing her divorce, and her brother’s on a deadline to find a kidney donor. Now she has to worry that the new doctor, Jacob Maddox, is there to nab her promotion to chief of emergency medicine. Admittedly, Jacob—who has social anxiety—doesn't make the best first impression on Bri, telling her off for bumping into him in the hall. To make amends, he writes her a letter to explain himself and apologize, and the tension between them softens as their letters to each other keep coming. Bri realizes Jacob isn’t there to undermine her, and Jacob gets to see Bri’s more vulnerable side. When Jacob offers to be Bri’s brother’s kidney donor and Bri agrees to be Jacob’s pretend girlfriend for a wedding, it's easy to wonder what kept these two apart in the first place. The answer: not much. Of course, the two are carrying some heavy baggage from prior relationships, but it seems like a minor obstacle when compared to the genuine connection Jacob and Bri share. This is a cute, slow-burn romance with plenty of funny moments and emotional challenges, though the focus seems to be on the leads finally realizing what’s been in front of them all along through grand and sometimes unnecessary machinations. Did this need a fake dating subplot? Or epistolary flirting? Not really, but Jimenez manages to pepper these adorable tropes throughout without making them feel too gimmicky.

A solid contemporary with a balance of humor and lasting emotional beats.

Pub Date: April 11, 2023

ISBN: 9781538704394

Page Count: 416

Publisher: Forever

Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023

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