I fell in love with Joanna Shupe’s writing after reading her Uptown Girls series, and once I saw the steamy cover for The Heiress Hunt I was SO excited for the start of this new series. While Shupe’s writing was a pleasure, as always, I didn’t connect with the characters or the story as much as I hoped.

Our hero, Harrison Archer, was too persistent and never listened to the thoughts and concerns of our heroine, Maddie Webster; rather, he steamrolled over her and everyone else to get what he wanted. Maddie, on the other hand, had her likable moments, but I had a difficult time sympathizing with her when her internal conflict came down to deciding whether she wanted to marry a super wealthy, nice English duke or her super rich childhood best friend.

Harrison and Maddie’s chemistry in the first half of the book was amazing—Joanna Shupe’s sexy scenes never disappoint—but when the stakes and conflict changed in the second half, some of that spark was lost. While these changes made for a unique, unexpected turn at the halfway point, they became melodramatic and, eventually, predictable. I began to feel more invested in the side characters and wish I could’ve learned more about the history around Maddie as a professional tennis played in the Gilded Age.

I would recommend this book if you’re looking for an easy historical romance that, hopefully, will be the first building block in another great series from Joanna Shupe. Based on the wonderful side characters, I have a feeling this will be the case for the remaining Fifth Avenue Rebels books. I predict Katherine and Preston will have a book of their own, and I’m hoping for a story for Forrest and Nellie because Nellie definitely deserves her own book. I guess we’ll have to wait and see!

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager via Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I enjoyed reading The Heiress Hunt. Life’s been a little crazy lately. I’ve only been able to read a little and it kept my interest. I love how much the hero loved the heroine. It was a nice, gentle, sexy sweet read.


I voluntarily read an early copy.

This was my first Joanna Shupe book. I also don't read a ton of American-set historical romances. I haven't found a new favorite author, but I will read more books buy her in the future.

This has a friends-to-lovers element, but it also has some unrequited love which is not a trope I like...at all. I liked Harrison as a character, but Maddie was just ok. I didn't mind their romance, but I also didn't fully connect to it. My issue mainly stemmed from a lack of belief in Maddie's investment in the romance.

There's definitely a lot of sequel bait here with Harrison and Maddie's friends. I'm definitely a big fan of sequel bait in my romances. Generally, I'm interested in their friends. And I'm definitely happy they have good, supportive friends.

There was a secondary plot toward the end that kind of confused me. I don't want to go into spoilers so I'll be vague. Because of how that issue resolved I'm unsure what the point of that plot point was. At this point it just feels like lazy writing for relationship drama. Maybe it'll come up in a future book.

Johanna Shupe knows how to write a great story with compelling characters. However, I didnt enjoy this book as much as others. I didnt care for the trope of this one and the tennis aspect did not interest me. I will definitely keep reading this author in the future!

Reading anything by Joanna Shupe is always a treat. She manages to create men and women of passion, intelligence and put them in situations where finding a way to happiness is not always easy. Through it all, she creates settings — Gilded Age New York and Newport — that add richness to her stories. In The Heiress Hunt, we see longtime friends Harrison Archer and Maddie Webster united as adults. He's been off carousing through Europe and she's been putting off becoming a wife. She's rather play tennis, a wonderful addition to the romance that gives so much context about the times. She is a heroine, who when her best friend (Harrison) went off to Europe without a word, didn't lie on the fainting couch. She started hitting the tennis balls. What she doesn't know is he left over a misunderstanding -- and now that he's back, the question is how they get past that miscommunication. Especially since he is under pressure to marry money -- his family is broke -- and she's being courted by a duke. So much can go wrong, but in Shupe's capable hands, the couple find their way back to love. Along the way, we see inside the inner workings of New York society and the early days of competitive tennis in the United States. The romance is sizzling and sweet, perhaps the best kind. Another winner from this master of romance. It only misses the fifth star for me because the original misunderstanding just doesn't set up such a severe separation, at least not for me. All in all, a fun read. (I received an advance copy from NetGalley. Opinions mine.)

True Rating: 3.5 stars

The set up for this one was a lot of fun. The first half of this book kept my interest, and I wanted to see what would happen.

Once we hit the halfway point, I kind of started to not care so much, and it fell into some convenient yet annoying plot devices for the third act breakup.

This was my first Joanna Shupe. I plan to try more, because I saw the potential with this one. I just think this one didn't quite work for me.

4.5

Harrison Archer is back in New York after a fight with his father resulted in him being disowned and leaving for Paris also on the heels of a broken heart. So it is with no love lost that Harrison has returned, instead it's to enact a certain revenge upon the family that cut him off so completely. But first, he has to lay the groundwork which includes convincing his family he's actually back to help save their failing company. To do so, Harrison intimates that he's looking for an heiress to wed and enlists his best childhood friend Maddie Webster to help him find the perfect wife.

There was a time when Maddie and Harrison were inseparable. But all that stopped three years ago when Harrison left for Paris without a word. After the sting of that faded, Maddie was able to focus more on her tennis game as well as become friendly with a Duke. With her first time playing in an upcoming tournament on the horizon, Maddie has no time for distractions. But when Harrison suddenly returns asking Maddie to host a weekend party with the most eligible heiresses, she agrees. But as she spends time with her friend again, she realizes that Harrison Archer is not the same boy who left for Paris.

Harrison's intention was never to win the hand of some random heiress, but actually win Maddie's hand. He's been in love with her for as long as he can remember and is loath to see her betrothed to a duke. But will all his scheming and secrets doom their happiness before it can even begin?

It's been awhile since I've read a really good friends-to-lovers romance. It didn't take long for me to get pulled into Maddie and Harrison's story. I loved the the inherent chemistry between the pair. But the fact that Harrison has been gone for so long has driven an unspoken wedge between them, so it's like they're learning anew about the other person.

Right off the bat, I was so intrigued by Maddie being a professional tennis player. I've never read a historical book featuring female sports. I honestly would have loved if the story focused more on this aspect of Maddie's character. How her parents are supportive and maybe spoken about how it was not a commonality of the times. I think it would have been beneficial because we see pretty early on that Maddie is very focused with the idea of marrying this Duke that she's acquainted with. Like she's bound and determined to do her duty as a woman and get married. The thing is, I just didn't understand where the pressure was coming from for Maddie to marry. Her father was fully supportive of her tennis pursuits and her mother - while encouraging Maddie to marry - didn't ever come across as a make-it-or-break-it kind of deal between them. Maybe if there was more development of Maddie's life behind the scenes of her tennis playing there could have been a root cause for why she was determined the marry at this point in her life.

As it stands it's kind of used as something to initially come between Harrison and Maddie, which I admit did indeed add some intrigue to their story, but I was surprised, I guess, at how far (or not) Joanna Shupe decided to take this conflict. Around the halfway mark of the book there's a turning point for Harrison and Maddie that kind of flips the trajectory of the story and subsequently Maddie and Harrison's relationship. At this point, I ended up missing the more playful scenes from the weekend party, but maybe that's indicative of having to eventually grow up and face certain responsibilities.

Harrison is a man who has been knocked down in life and basically had to build himself back up on his own with no help. Besides his love for Maddie, and his unbreakable friendships, he's almost consumed with the idea of having to mete out his revenge. To make his family feel the way he felt - alone, adrift, lost - not only for the past three years, but basically for his entire life. He may have been cut off financially three years ago, but his home life situation had always been grim with the one bright spot being Maddie. It's kind of a lot of pressure to put on one person and one idea of that person, but it's something he'll protect at all costs. Maybe a little too much....

I very much enjoyed The Heiress Hunt. I love the Golden Age time period that Joanna Shupe has written about in her last couple of series. I think that readers were introduced to some very interesting secondary characters in Maddie and Harrison's friends whom I'm hoping will each get their own books in the future. Overall, I just loved seeing Maddie and Harrison interact, I loved seeing their connection and how their strong friendship had room to grow into something more.

This one was just ok for me. I have really enjoyed Shupe's prior books but for some reason these characters just didn't click with / for me. I LOVE the cover and even though I say what I said about the book / characters, I'm still definitely going to be checking out the next book in the series.

The Heiress Hunt is my very first Joanna Shupe and it certainly won't be my last. The story of Harrison returning to take down his own family, but shifting to marrying tennis player and childhood friend Maddie was just plain fun. His determination, both in his personal goals and in claiming her, were so compelling to watch unfold. He was ruthless and fierce in all the best ways and paired that with a little bit of scoundrel that had you rooting for him in all ways. Maddie's unconventional path in life and her confidence in herself and what she wanted were the perfect compliment to him. I needed a page turner to get me reading again and this was just the right thing.

After a three-year banishment, Harrison returns to his family as their last hope. The family business is bankrupt, and their only option to avoid ruin is for him to marry an heiress. But Harrison has other ideas. He's been using the wealth he acquired in Paris to buy up company stock and take over the business for himself. He has no interest in pursuing an heiress—until he learns that Maddie, his secret childhood love, is still single.

To win her away from the duke who's courting her, Harrison asks Maddie to throw a house party and invite her eligible friends so he can choose a bride from among them. But Maddie can't deny the powerful attraction growing between her and Harrison. Will their stolen kisses lead to love or ruin?

This Gilded Age romance is fast-paced, steamy, and compelling. It's a fun story with likeable if fallible characters. I'm not a huge fan of the revenge trope, but the revenge subplot in this story doesn't overwhelm the romance. Beautifully executed, it's an entertaining and emotional tale.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

3.5 Stars

Friends to lovers, a bad boy with a thirst for revenge and tennis… count me in!

Shupe’s latest is the first in a new series, The Fifth Avenue Rebels features many of the things I’ve come to enjoy from these Gilded Era stores- unconventional heroines, heroes that don’t snub there nose at making money (got to love those Americans), and falling in love amid a New York City/East Coast backdrop.

Our heiress, Maddie Webster, is a budding tennis pro on her way to play in the Nationals. At the same time, she’s reaching the end of her time on the marriage mart and is days away from landing a Duke. Cue the arrival of her old childhood friend, Harrison Archer.

Harrison is on a mission of revenge, but when he finds out the girl he’s loved since he was a boy is about to marry another, Harrison can’t help but risk everything to win her for himself.

This book had all the trappings to sucker me in and make me fall hard. Unfortunately, it was a bit lackluster for me. I found Harrison’s love for Maddie sweet, but he was a bit underhanded in winning her. I couldn’t really respect the way he went about things. Not to mention he and Maddie don’t really talk. They’ve been apart for years, at least five, and Harrison assumes a lot. Maddie is likeable enough, but the chemistry with her and Harrison is a little difficult to accept, once I learned about their past.

While the coming together was good I wanted more from the plot as a whole. There were storylines that felt loosely tied together and plenty of hints dropped to future storylines. Also, Maddie’s would-be fiancé Duke gets the shaft and I semi-hope he gets some redemption in a future book.

Overall, I liked the story. I inhaled it within one evening, eager to get to the end. Though the end is where I struggled the most. Series starters can be difficult, and I am still looking forward to future books in the series. Especially, Kit’s story.

~ Landra

I decided to DNF at 30%. I have read and loved Joanna Shupe books in the past, but sadly The Heiress Hunt was not working for me. I had a hard time feeling any connection between Harrison and Maddie. I decided to put the book down for now.

Childhood friends to lovers
A female tennis star circa 1895
Prodigal son returns to (maybe?) save the family business
A house party in Newport with the stated purpose of finding a bride

Maddie Webster has known Harrison Archer since they were children. Harrison left for Paris years ago without saying goodbye. He couldn’t tell her that he heard her state that she wasn’t romantically interested in him on the very day he planned to make his intentions known. He returns years later intent on making Maddie his bride. Everyone around her realizes Harrison and Maddie are meant for each other, but she remains clueless. Throw in a Duke looking to marry an heiress, a family looking to be bailed out of bankruptcy by the prodigal son and the most important tennis tournament for Maddie and you have an interesting Gilded Age romance novel. 3 1/2 stars.

*3.5
I love a good historical romance between two childhood best friends. Joanna Shupe continues to push the boundaries of historical romances with her unique storytelling. Maddie is a competitive tennis player with an upending marriage to a duke. Harrison Archer, her long-lost best friend, comes back into town after 3 years of essentially ghosting her. Unbeknownst to Maddie, Harrison Archer has been pining after his best friend for years. I LOVED the angst and longing. It was frustratingly beautiful and so satisfying when they finally end up together. I loved the chemistry and passion between Maddie and Archer. Maddie is logical and plans accordingly for her future. So, when Archer shows up, she was unprepared for the intense feelings towards Archer.

I will say that I found Maddie's people-pleasing and image-conscious side to be quite frustrating. She was settling so much in her life because it was what her parents wanted her. She never had any true agency in this book. I found Archer to be a tad annoying with all his hidden secrets and controlling tactics. He never really thought about Maddie's feelings till the end. Plus, the ending felt too rushed. However, I am soo looking forward to reading Kit's story with Alice! Overall, I enjoyed this story and I will be reading more of this series.

I go back and forth between rating this a 3 or 4, so it’s probably more of a 3.5.
I received this an an arc and that in no way effects my opinion.
I think this had a really interesting premise. It’s a friends to lovers story inspired by the Count of Monte Cristo (and perhaps a bit of The Notebook 😉).
I can 100% understand Harrison’s motivations and cheered when he got his revenge upon his family; however I couldn’t stand the way he treated Maddie. Although he supposedly loved her more than anything/anyone, he treats her like property half the time. I became as frustrated with him as she did towards the end. We get no apology from him or a very weak one. I needed him to grovel, make it up to her and not drink his sorrows until Maddie decides to forgive him. For some reason a lot of their problems were framed as Maddie’s fault but they weren’t. This frustrated me too.
I also think the ending was a bit rushed. There issues weren’t really resolved and they didn’t even have a conversation about how they were going to do better. I would have liked more of a resolution.
Besides all that, I really loved Maddie! Her enthusiasm and devotion to tennis was unique and made her interesting to read about. Maddie knows her worth and accepts nothing less than what she deserves, which I love seeing.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the angst these two characters had. I mean that fight/kiss in the rain was reminiscent of the famous Notebook one! I couldn’t get enough of the drama between these two. I’m glad that was majority of the story!
I think fans of Shupe’s other works will enjoy this but also those who like Sarah MacLean and Julia Quinn will too.
Once again thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins/Avon publishing and Joanna Shupe for the arc.

I like Joanna Shupe and I like this book well enough, but I have such high expectations for a Shupe book and this missed in a few places. Spoilers in this review.

Maddie is a champion tennis player who has her sights set on a duke. Harrison is her childhood best friend who has come back from Paris and is going to marry her, she just doesn't know that yet. Through out Harrison barrels ahead with his marriage plan, running roughshod over the heroine (though she stand up to him, memorably telling him to "Do better"), compromising her while she's engaged to someone else, and marrying her quickly. He's kind of a dick, really.

That said, the bedroom (and closet, and changing room, and carriage house, and gazebo) scenes are scorching. The physical chemistry isn't an issue and I bought their long developing feelings for each other.

I had a little trouble in the second half of the book - there are verbal threats to Maddie and three separate instances which can be construed as threats and only one was explained, despite mentions of looking into it. This really bothered me, and it felt like a missed opportunity. Harrison's revenge plot ends up somewhat underdeveloped.

So: The first half is more rompy, the second is kind of messy. The hero, upon reflection, needs to do better. But the chemistry is super hot and there's good stuff in there. Overall, I'm not mad at it, just a little disappointed, in part because I had super high expectations.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Heiress Hunt is the first book in The Fifth Avenue Rebels series by Joanna Shupe. A steamy historical romance that sweeps you away to another time. A time full of mystery and the magic of unforbidden love. A streamy romance that is sure to leave you wanting more.

Joanna Shupe does it again! This is the first book in a new series and I loved the main characters, Maddie and Harrison, but the secondary characters also have me excited about where this series will go next.

The old New York and Newport settings were a fantastic backdrop to this friends to lovers romance. Maddie and Harrison were childhood best friends. That is, until Harrison was cut off and moved to Paris for three years. But he’s back and is looking for revenge against his family and he’s looking to marry Maddie, the woman he’s loved for years.

Maddie is an honest and very competitive woman. She’s a top ranked tennis player and I loved how unique that storyline was. She agrees to set up a house party to help Harrison find a wife, not realizing he’s there only for her.

It was exactly what I expect from Joanna Shupe, steamy romance, a fabulous setting and a book I can’t put down.

I remain completely in love with Joanna Shupe's Gilded Age romances! There is nothing else quite like them in historical romance. The Heiress Hunt had all the fun, steamy antics that you expect from Shupe with an engaging and fresh Newport house party setting. I loved the friends to lovers trope and the strong, independent heroine, Maddie. Already so looking forward to the next installment in this series!

Second chance romances, while one of my favorite tropes, often require a deft hand. The reason the relationship didn’t work out in the first place has to be handled with care so that audiences are still rooting for the couple. I don’t love stories where someone cheated, for instance, but stories where life happened and that’s what tore them apart? PUT IT IN MY VEINS. Good news for all of us, in The Heiress Hunt, Ms. Shupe shows she has the required deft hand.

Maddie Webster knows she has one job in this world, and that’s to marry well. Not marry for love, not marry a charming prince, but to marry well. She’s assuming that means she will have to abandon her actual true love - tennis - but she does appear resigned to that fact. When we meet her, the goal seems to be in sight. Lockwood, an honest to goodness English Duke is about to propose.

And then the man that broke her heart sails back into her life.

Literally, sails back into her life from Paris.

Now, for Maddie, that heartbreak was one of friendship, but for Harrison? He left because Maddie broke his romantic heart. After several years of self-imposed exile, he’s back in New York and is forced to marry because of Plot Reasons involving his family. Maddie, being the pal that she is, agrees to host a Bachelor-style gathering at her family’s Rhode Island estate and find him a wife. Legit, y’all, all that was missing was Chris Harrison and some roses, the vibe was the same.

Of course, Harrison has less than zero interest in anyone else - he’s there for Maddie.

Drama ensues, an engagement is made and broken, childhood truths are spoken, and everyone lives happily ever after.

I liked this book a great deal, and I love how Shupe writes complicated characters who stand on their own feet. I adored that the epilogue wasn’t a babylogue, but instead about Maddie as a person and her goals. Harrison, however, itched at me. I get that he needed to be ruthless, and I get that he’s a bit of a scoundrel, and that’s supposed to be the appeal - but he was an alpha without being called one and I’m just more into beta/cinnamon roll heroes these days. If you like Growly Fucky Heroes (as one of my good friends refers to them) then Harrison is going to be your jam, friends, but he itched me a little too much for this to be a DIK.

I am so ready for the rest of this series, however. Gilded Age New York should be mined far more than it is for historical romance, and I’m so grateful Shupe has turned her skilled pen to that era.

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