This was one of my least favorite Rodale's unfortunately. I love her writing and look forward to what she does next.

I enjoyed this historical romance story with the two main characters that were Beatrice Goodwin and. Wes Dalton. And also the rest of the characters to.

Beatrice Goodwin left Manhattan after her marriage to a duke. But her marriage didn't go so well and she was able to divorce the duke and then return home to Manhattan. When she gets back she find out the father store is not doing so well. So she decides to take over the store. But there is also some competition from the store that is across the street.

Wes Dalton fall in love with Beatrice Goodwin. He asks her to run away with him but she not sure because of her family want her to marry a duke. When she decides to take to duke he is heart broke and decides to take revenge. But before he can get his revenge she returns to Manhattan and decides to take over the store.

This story was fun to read and also listen to. The author had me laughing a lot throughout the story. There also kind of a mystery within the the story that was fun to guess.

I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley. I also listen to it on audio but I had to pay for it. This is my honest unbiased opinions.

I recieved a free copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Again I dont know why I was hesitant to read this book especially since I liked the previous books in the series.
A strong, independent, smart businesswoman and the man who loves her.
I have really enjoyed this series and this book was no different. I also really liked the author's note about the real women who inspired the fictional.
Great book.

This book was so entertaining. I was drawn into the story from the beginning and was involved until the end. The characters were complex and interesting. I found the story to be well paced and engrossing throughout the whole book. I was invested in the couple throughout the book and felt all the emotions through both the highs and lows of the story.The side characters were such an integral part of this story as well. This is the love story i needed to read at this time. If you want an entertaining and well written book this is it for you

Beatrice is a strong, independent woman and it's admirable, but there's no ROMANCE in this romance. I read romance - especially historical romance - for those fluttering butterflies and tension so thick you could cut it with a knife moments where the couple is falling in love. There just was not a lot of that here. It's still a great story, and the setting of Gilded Age New York is absolutely stunning. I love the strong female friendship and feminist stories. But as this is a genre romance novel, I feel like the actual romance plotline shouldn't be just sort of tangential to the main story, which is really about strong female characters building their empires.

After 16 years abroad, Beatrice is back home in New York. Only this time is different. She is no longer scandalous as she is now a divorced duchess. It can't be any more lowly than that! Having done what her family required her to do so many years ago, she no longer has to do their bidding. She has plans!

Wes thought he had the girl of his dreams until she up and left him for a Duke. His heart was broken. He swore that very day he would wreak havoc on Beatrice and her entire family. But now, with Beatrice back in town and looking as lovely as ever, is revenge still his number 1 priority?

I absolutely love this guilded age historical! I love how the author has brought this era to life in her books! The description is so good, I could see the city as vividly as being there! I liked Beatrice and her spunk! She doesn't take things lying down and believes hard work will give you the rewards you seek. I understand how Wes felt slighted and I was glad to see he wasn't so cold as to not have feelings anymore. The second chance aspect worked well! They made little steps so it was believable and not just boom! back together.

The Guilded Age series is wonderful as it showcases women in the 1800's coming into their own. Their society shows they are every bit influential as men when it comes to getting things done. I love it!

Beatrice Goodwin left Manhattan a duchess and has returned a divorcée.
For Wes Dalton, Beatrice has always been the one—the one who broke his young heart by marrying a duke.
Beatrice and Wes make for an interesting story of love and intrigue.
The story is a good idea and makes perfect sense.

It has been a long time since I read a book by Maya Rodale. I just could not get through this book. It would not hold my attention no matter how long I kept reading. I dont know if the book being Americanized was the issue or what. Sorry I truly wanted to like this book.

I enjoyed reading several aspects of this book! The pacing was wonderful, characters were well drawn, and the reading experience on the whole was delightful.

Beatrice was once the darling of society now she has return home to Manhattan with scandal attached to her. Her arrival is greeted with the family business Goodwin Department Store in near bankrupt. Beatrice is determine to save the company and make it the best place for the women of Manhattan
to shop. Standing in her way is the talented Wes Dalton, who is referred to as the Merchant Prince. Wes is determined to buy Godwin’s and and have his revenge on the family, yet Beatrice returns throws a monkey wrench in his plans. What will he decided get revenge or have a chance at one who got away?

If you like joanna Shupe new york city book. You will like this series.

Once a society darling, Beatrice Goodwin has returned to Manhattan in a cloud of scandal. She is determined to save the bankrupt family business—Goodwin’s Department Store—and transform it into the shopping destination for Manhattan’s women. She will certainly never, ever sell it to Wes Dalton.

Downtown Rogue

Wes Dalton came from nowhere to possess one of the great fortunes of the Gilded Age, thanks to his premier department store located opposite Goodwin’s. This “Merchant Prince” never forgot the girl who got away—or her parents who made it clear that he’d never be rich, powerful or respectable enough. He has sworn revenge—until Beatrice’s return complicates everything.

Happy ever after at last . . . ?

Now Goodwin’s and Dalton’s are dueling to be the best department store in Manhattan. Beatrice and Wes will stop at nothing to impress, and not even the sparks flying between them will get in the way of their fierce rivalry. They’re competitors by day and lovers by night, until they’re forced to choose what is sweeter: revenge, success or happy ever after at last

I absolutely loved this romance! the main characters had great chemistry, and the secondary characters added some great texture to the plot. Can't wait to read the next in the series.

I voluntary reviewed this ARC after receiving a free gifted copy.
Beatrice and Dalton love and romance story is certainly not your conventional love story in this book. Both characters had a lot of growing up to do in their time apart from one another when they were young. During this separation the writer allowed the reader to view the trials of family and heartache both Dalton and Beatrice experienced. When the two finally did come together, the writer really wanted the readers to see how much Beatrice leaving Dalton made him feel. While Dalton was feeling anger for revenge, Beatrice was in search of the woman of who she knew that she could be. The writer chose the write era to place this story at the time when women started speaking up more and making themselves more visible in the predominantly male world of business. Beatrice had to find a way to succeed and she did. She had to think like the duchess that she is. The details of the story gave good visualization of the stores and what the characters wore. Even how their facial expressions appeared after a comment or a phrase. <img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/4c2082eade28a9b5297515683f15ceaa5f1ea57d" width="80" height="80" alt="10 Book Reviews" title="10 Book Reviews"/>

This was a second chance romance set in the gilded age. The time and setting Of the story was fun and interesting. I especially liked the back and forth enemies to lovers between the rival store owners. The way that the author ended the chapters and started the next chapter was I’m sure written that way to keep the ready hooked, but was unusual. 4 stars.

THIS TEXT WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED BY HISTORICAL FICTION SOCIETY

Maya Rodale: A Ravishing Romance Features Gilded Age Woman Finding Herself

In the third and final novel of the Gilded Age Girls’ Club series (Avon, March 2020), Maya Rodale chronicles the adventures of Beatrice Goodwin, an heiress who returns to Manhattan after a failed marriage to a British duke. Once a popular socialite, Beatrice finds that her romantic status had made her a bit of a pariah. However, she doesn’t let this stop her, turning her attention to rebuilding the family business, an upmarket department store, which is losing customers to a store run by Wes Dalton, Beatrice’s former love and biggest rival. The sparks are flying between Beatrice and Wes, both by day and by night, although with different results.

Rodale, who previously wrote within Regency romance, has now set the story in Gilded Age New York. “The Gilded Age is such a dynamic age, and it’s the perfect setting for historical romances for today’s readers,” Rodale explains. “It has everything we love in historical romances: gorgeous gowns, high society, dashing dukes and other rogues, carriages and candlelight. But it also was a world in which women were stepping out of their confines, living bold and independent lives; a Gilded Age woman could have a modern sensibility. The age also echoes our own age: progressives fighting massive wealth inequality, debates about who was allowed to participate in the public sphere, and stunning innovations. I loved including all these dynamics in the novels of the Gilded Age Girls’ Club.”

Previous books in the series had real-life inspirations, such as Harriet Hubbard Maers and Madam Demoret. In this installment, Rodale was inspired by two real-life women: Consuelo Vanderbilt, whose loveless marriage to the Duke of Marlborough is well-documented, and Margaret Getchell, a woman from Nantucket who managed to rise through the ranks from store clerk at Macy’s to superintendent of the multi-million dollar business.

“Due to her head for numbers and visionary merchandising, she was soon promoted to bookkeeper, trained other clerks and before long was promoted to an executive position due to the many innovations she implemented that made Macy’s a success, such as adding new departments, creating stunning visual displays in the windows and adding a soda fountain,” Rodale elaborates. “She also dressed cats up in baby clothes for a popular window display and basically unleashed America’s obsession with cat pictures.”


author Maya Rodale

It is obvious that Rodale has conducted extensive research for the series. Her philosophy on incorporating this research into historical fiction is nuanced. “When writing about history, historical figures, true events or fictionalized versions of them, I think it’s important to be aware of the facts. But more importantly, we should consider the lens through which we do our research and the lens through which other people wrote about history,” Rodale explains. “So often the history books are written from a rich, white, male point of view. It may be factually accurate but they will also miss things or bake in their biases. So it’s important that it’s not the only perspective to consider when crafting a full, honest, and relevant look at people and the past.”

During the course of her research into the period Rodale encountered many interesting female pioneers of the age. Even though this is the third and last book in the series, she will keep unused material. “There are so many more women’s stories I could tell as a part of this world,” she states. “I share some of their stories on my Instagram and Facebook pages. Maybe one day I’ll write them!”

Rodale is a strong believer in the romance novel as it allows women to meet challenges and overcome these in spite of a world that is not keen for women’s success. “The heroines of my Gilded Age Girl’s Club face many of the same obstacles we face today—a disdain for things that are feminine (lipstick, shopping) or that empower women (pockets in dresses) or more serious issues like harassment, not being believed, not be allowed to live and love as they wish to,” Rodale says. “I hope that seeing my fictional heroines deal with these issues make readers feel like they’re not alone or that they’re not crazy. I hope they also see how women supporting women is the way to a better world.”

Rodale points out that the romance genre and its readers are a very supportive community. “These books give us a space to define success and see women like ourselves achieving it,” she asserts. “Once a reader sees what’s possible, maybe she’ll try to achieve it in her own real life. And if she finds a supportive community like many of us find in Romancelandia, there will be no stopping her!”

The protagonists are likeable. Execution of the story and overall structure of the book is poor. I trudged through it to see how ends, even that seemed sloppily done.

1 star

An Heiress to Remember (The Gilded Age Girls Club, #3) An Heiress to Remember by Maya Rodale



Goodreads Description: USA Today bestselling author Maya Rodale’s Gilded Age Girls Club series continues with an enemies-to-lovers romance that shows love is sweeter than revenge.

Uptown Heiress

Once a society darling, Beatrice Goodwin has returned to Manhattan in a cloud of scandal. She is determined to save the bankrupt family business—Goodwin’s Department Store—and transform it into the shopping destination for Manhattan’s women. She will certainly never, ever sell it to Wes Dalton.

Downtown Rogue

Wes Dalton came from nowhere to possess one of the great fortunes of the Gilded Age, thanks to his premier department store located opposite Goodwin’s. This “Merchant Prince” never forgot the girl who got away—or her parents who made it clear that he’d never be rich, powerful or respectable enough. He has sworn revenge—until Beatrice’s return complicates everything.

Happy ever after at last . . . ?

Now Goodwin’s and Dalton’s are dueling to be the best department store in Manhattan. Beatrice and Wes will stop at nothing to impress, and not even the sparks flying between them will get in the way of their fierce rivalry. They’re competitors by day and lovers by night, until they’re forced to choose what is sweeter: revenge, success or happy ever after at last.



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My Thoughts: This series by Maya Rodale is quickly moving up my list to being one of my favorites...ever. EVER. I have said it before, I love me a strong, smart, independent heroine no matter the time period, and the women of the Gilded Age Girls Club series fit that completely. I love that it's not just our main characters that fit that mold, but all the supporting ones as well. I think one of my favorite things about this series though, aside from the delightful writing and storytelling, is that I come away from every book learning something new about history (even if just "based upon" true facts) that I can then research and learn. While some argue the topics are "frivolous" (birth of the makeup industry, shopping, clothes) they demonstrate the birth of women's rights, recognition of females as entrepreneurs and people in their own rights and minds, smart and capable and frankly, awesome.

I thought the backstory here was unique...a divorced Duchess coming home to America, finding herself and rebuilding the family empire. I really enjoyed the history between Wes and Beatrice, their drive and visions, frankly just the entire story captivated me, and I can't say that often happens from start to finish. The story was not just strong between the main characters and battling their personal and professional demons, but the entire book was just wonderful...dialogue, laughs, love, drama, all you could hope for overall. All I can say is read this book...and read the previous books in the series, and revel in the atmosphere, the relationships, the emotions, and the history.

I so appreciate NetGalley and Avon for granting this wish and providing an advance copy!

At the age of 20, Beatrice had to choose between marrying a Duke as her parents expected or Wes, the poor boy who worked in her father’s store. She chooses the Duke. Fast forward 16 years. Beatrice is a shocking 36 year-old divorcée and Wes has a retail empire. They become department store competitors, each trying to outdo the other. Beatrice’s story is about female empowerment and Wes struggles with giving up his plans for revenge as they fall back in love. Told with humor- Wes wonders if there could be a cabal of ladies out to defeat him - yes, there could! And a little mystery- someone keeps vandalizing Beatrice’s store.

It starts off slow and kind of dense, but once the action begins, it's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. It reads as a true epic, one that makes you feel the world really has been reshaped as you read it. Would recommend.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have read some of Ms. Rodale’s earlier series, and I wasn’t that impressed; they were okay, but that was it. I was intrigued by the description of this book and decided to give her another try, and I am so glad I did. I loved Wes and Beatrice’s story. I loved that their reunion didn’t sacrifice Beatrice’s dreams and ambitions. Great character development, plot, and pacing. I’m going to have to go back and read the earlier books in this series, because I found this book delightful.