I’m a bit conflicted with this book and the rating might be closer to a 3 or 3.5 star, but for now I’m going with 4.

I liked Maddie and Harrison. They’re both loyal and determined and I enjoyed the idea of their being BFFs when they were younger. There are a decent amount of characters here and I can say without a doubt I could do with 1000% more of Nellie.

Plot wise, it felt like it never settled and that’s where I struggled. I could understand Harrison not being forthcoming the first time, but after repeated conversations his choice to continue was frustrating. Even if he meant well. I wanted more of the two of them together and learning to be a couple together, instead it felt like the story consistently jumped around. And while the lust was obvious, the love didn’t quite make it for me.

Overall, it was a Joanna book and so I was definitely going to read it. I’m here for whatever and whoever this series brings.

**Huge thanks to Avon Books for providing the arc free of charge**

Game. Set. Perfect Match!

I don’t typically like romances with any type of love triangle or revenge plot but damn it if Joanna Shupe didn’t make me love them here!

Maddie and Harrison have been friends since childhood but he’s loved her almost as long. After leaving New York believing he would never have her the way he wants her, he’s back and unwilling to give her up again....even if she think she’s fancies a Duke.

I absolutely loved that Harrison was the one with the deep feelings first and was unafraid to admit them to himself and his friends, no I just lust for him! I also loved the Maddie was unwilling to be shut out of her own life but also admit when she was wrong. And the tennis and history!!! The Gilded Age is one of my favorite historical periods in American history so I love learning new things about his period.

I can’t wait for the remainder of this series as Kit and Preston stole pieces of my heart and Forrest has me intrigued!

I received a complimentary review of this book but all opinions are my own.

3.5 Stars
The Heiress Hunt is the first book in a new series from the amazing Joanna Shupe! This time, she's expanding her world outside the streets of NYC and up to the posh coastal town of Newport.
This story follows Madeline Webster (Maddie) and her best friend from childhood, Harrison Archer. Harrison disappeared at the time of her debut, for 3 years. He went to Paris without a word, but now he's back. His awful father has passed away, and his family is demanding he marry an heiress soon so save their family from ruin (Because of course they're broke.)

Typically, I enjoy a really well done Friends to Lovers story because I love when deep love blossoms from friendship. Harrison begins the entire reunion with Maddie under false pretenses. He's always been in love with her, whereas she always saw him in more of a brotherly sense (hence the hasty departure). But of course when he's back, he is grown up and handsome and all too smooth. She's also nearly betrothed to a duke (who is a fortune hunter as well). But Harrison isn't going to let that happen. He's always only wanted her for his wife.
Maddie is also an incredibly talented lawn tennis player and her family has supported her pursuits (her mother somewhat begrudgingly) and allowed her to play before she finds herself a match and marries off.

I guess my entire issue lies within how Harrison eventually gets her to marry him. And not only that, the way he kept lying and keeping things from her. Now, once he apologized and kept promising not to do it again (of course, he does...) her reaction seemed so overblown to me. I don't know. I keep going back and forth with how I felt. The most compelling thing to me were the background bae's... Nellie, Kit, Preston, Alice... Their friends are AMAZING and I hope we get all their books. Either way - Maddie & Harrison needed to work on their communication more on the page - that work MUST be done.

I am a diehard Joanna Shupe fan, so one book that just didn't quite hit the mark for me will absolutely not make me stop - this one just didn't work for me on a few levels. It's not a terrible book by any stretch, I just think it wasn't the most perfect for me.

Many thanks to Avon & NetGalley for the eArc opportunity!

Wow I loved this book! Im usually not the biggest fan of friends to lover books but this one was great! Harrison wanting Madi since he was 15 and always pinning for her was sweet. I loved the idea of the house party to find a wife, super cool. One of my favorite genres of romance is sports romance so the added sports aspect made it an even more fun read! My first historical with a sports aspect!

4.5 Stars! This book is romantic, fast-paced, full of both heart-wrenching and heartwarming moments, and quite steamy at times! Whenever I picked up "The Heiress Hunt", I was whisked back in time to The Gilded Age in America, and found myself drawn into the story from the first page to the last.

This is the first book in Joanna Shupe's new "The Fifth Avenue Rebels" series, and I hope there will be many more! She truly knows how to bring a story to life, and her characters feel like real people: you know what they want, need, desire, and fear. They are also flawed, and she writes the good, bad, and everything in between. I can truly envision each and every location: from the various houses, to the tennis courts, and more!

Maddie is such a kind, strong, driven intelligent, and hard-working woman who wants the best for those she cares for. She is also incredibly passionate and talented on the tennis court, and is such an amazing player! In the beginning of the book, she is hopeful to make Nationals, as well as that Duke Lockwood will propose to her. Never could she have imagined what will happen when her childhood best friend Harrison comes back (after having spent 3 years abroad), what this will lead to, and how it will change her life.

Harrison is an ambitious, loving, kind, and strong man who has always been in love with his childhood best friend, Maddie. He decides to come back home to seek revenge on his family, who treated him horrifically growing up. When they demand he marry an heiress, he has only one woman in mind, though what he plans is different than his family perceives it to be. Never could he have imagined how everything begins to unfold.

(Possible Spoilers!)
Maddie and Harrison are definitely meant for each other. They support each other, and their chemistry is quite fiery at times. However, I felt, even at the end, that they more loved one another than actually were being IN love with each other (and nothing is wrong with this, it just isn't quite what I was expecting). While Ms. Shupe does show an arc in their relationship, quite a few rash decisions caused certain parts of the book to feel jumpy to me. I do believe that Harrison has always loved Maddie, and that Maddie grew to love him...it just didn't feel quite smooth to me to warrant the end being as quick as it is in terms of the plot itself, and that this conflicted with what was said. But, I absolutely did feel their love completely in the epilogue, and might have squealed out loud!

If you enjoy historical romance, I highly recommend this book! It kept me turning the pages and chapters to see how everything would work out. I hope we see many of these characters in future books, and to watch their stories continue, especially Nellie, Kit, and Preston!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC of this book, and to Avon for sending me a physical ARC as well, I really enjoyed it! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The Heiress Hunt is the first book in Joanna Shupe's The Fifth Avenue Rebels series. I read Ms. Shupe's Wicked Deceptions series and totally adored it, so I was thrilled to get a shot at reading her brand new one. I usually end up starting a series in the middle, so reading the first book was a treat. This was a fun read and I'm really looking forward to the next in the series.

Harrison Archer and Maddie Webster were the best of friends; until, however, Harrison fell in love and found out that Maddie thought of him as a brother. So off he went to Paris for three years, living not just a life of debauchery but also by doing his best to wreak vengeance on his estranged family. He's now back in New York, and his mother and brother demand that Harrison marry an heiress in order to refill the family coffers that his father depleted before his death. He asks Maddie to host a house party in Newport to introduce him to eligible heiresses, without her knowing that she is the one he still wants. Maddie was brokenhearted when her best friend disappeared, and she's given her life to tennis and is planning to wed an English duke. When Maddie and Harrison are reunited, sparks begin to fly wildly. Can Harrison win Maddie for his own, before they're separated by opposite futures?

This was a fun book, though it started out a bit slow for me. I'm 56 years old, so Maddie and Harrison seemed like immature youngsters to me. The first part of the book was amusing, with Harrison attempting to tear Maddie away from her duke; his competition with the duke was extremely entertaining. The story got deeper and more interesting to me as I reached the middle and more conflict arose between Maddie and Harrison. He's always loved her, but she is getting used to this adult version of her childhood buddy. She's drawn to him, but she resents the way he holds things close to his chest and doesn't share problems with her; Harrison wants to protect her so he keeps secrets. Just talk to each other! One place where they have no strife, however, is in bed. My, oh my, Ms. Shupe can write some fiery intimate scenes! If bad language bothers you, you may be a bit offended. It's very passionate and adds to the story, so I hope you won't let that stop you from enjoying. It was interesting to read about Maddie's tennis career during the Gilded Age when women were finally able to compete. I loved Harrison's friends Kit and Preston and I can't wait to read more about the adventures of these entitled yet troubled young men!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Harrison has been in love with Maddie since he was 12. He was going to tell her one night after she had her debut, but he overheard her saying he was like a brother to her and that she could never marry him. This hurt him, so he left for Paris. Three years later, he is back in New York and his family’s company is broke. They want him to marry an heiress to help with their money problems. He refuses until he hears that Maddie is a possibility.

Maddie is about to be engaged to a duke, but Harrison comes up with a plan to spend as much time with her as possible. He asks her to be his matchmaker and help him find a wife. Maddie organizes a five day house party and invites all of her single friends. It is clear to everyone there that Harrison is in love with Maddie, and some girls even offer to help him win her. This part was adorable, and I loved it so much!

What made me not love this book as much was the third act conflict that Joanna Shupe often does. Harrison had promised not to lie to Maddie, but gets caught in a lie. Maddie is so upset by this that she wants to separate. This conflict just seemed unnecessary.

3.5 stars
I received this book for free in return for an honest review.

Joanna Shupe's FIFTH AVENUE REBELS series is off to a fantastic start with THE HEIRESS HUNT. This Gilded Age hooks the reader and does not let go. A sizzling romance that is a must-read for historical romance fans!

Joanna Shupe is one of my favorite writers and I'm always waiting for her next book. The Heiress Hunt is the start of a brand new series the Fifth Avenue Rebels.

Grab this book for Shupe's great writing and then stay for the women's tennis! I also love a New York City gilded age romance that ventures to a house party in Newport, Rhode Island.

Archer Harrison has returned to New York from France with a plan. Destroy his evil family and win over his first love. Pretending to save his family, Archer enlists his oldest friend, Maddie, to throw him a house party... aka The Heiress Hunt. Archer has loved Maddie since he was twelve years old. These two friends have had and have many obstacles in their way. Not to mention Maddie is engaged to an English Duke! The romance in this novel feels young, full of discovery and hard won. In many ways they are both very green to romantic relationships and that creates its own conflict.

Maddie has become a professional tennis player. I loved the role tennis plays in this novel. Maddie's training and competing and her passion for the sport are such a breath of fresh air in the genre.

Can't wait for more in the series!

Thank you to #Netgalley for the ARC. #Joanna Shupe. #TheHeiressHunt #NetGalley #Avon #AvonBooks

Do I think you should read and would enjoy this book? Yes. Was it my favorite from Joanna Shupe? Sadly, no. With Shupe's books we get Gilded Age New York and I'm here for it. Maddie is a society heiress. She grew up with the finest of NYC society and spent her summers in Newport, RI. Newport was Harrison's escape from an unloving family. The summers he spent there with Maddie were the times he could be himself having found a lifelong friend. He grows to love her but overhearing a crushing comment about him sends him running to Europe for years on a moment's notice. Now he's back and he wants to win her for life.

I liked the concept of childhood friends to lovers. I loved how Harrison loved Maddie and did so for life. The tales of their adventures as kids were sweet. However, this book stressed me out a bit too much. When Harrison returns from Europe, Maddie is all but engaged to a Duke and the three way drama had my stomach in knots. I was crushed several times right along with Harrison. I just didn't enjoy the feeling it gave me reading it.

However, I loved their friends and really enjoyed reading about Maddie's ambitions of winning the Nationals in tennis. As I said, this time period always gets me and I genuinely enjoy that Shupe writes American historicals. I would recommend this book if for no other reason that it's the first in the series and you get to meet many of the characters to come. Shupe will always be an auto-read author for me and I cannot wait for the next book to come. 3.5 stars

So this book is great because I don't think Joanna Shupe could write anything but great. It made me envy rich people everywhere who get to frolic on the coast in the salty sea leaden breezes in luxury. And I love a hero who has been in love with the heroine for their entire lives.

*not really a Spoiler but kinda so stop here if you don't want any specific plot details whatsoever*

But...this heroine, Maddie, was very difficult for me to like. Which I hate because she's also awesome. A champion tennis player. But the way she fails to see the treasure that Harrison is and her expectations of perfection...ugh. I was really irritated. Of course it makes for good plot. And there's a great scene when her friend calls her out on it. And, YES, Harrison is all the things she's frustrated by and her feelings are valid. But still. She CRUSHES this man with one snap decision and it felt extremely immature to me.

While this is a romance and Harrison does get his apology I wanted a bigger grovel for him. Maybe some display of emotion over what she almost did to them. He deserved it.

Whatever though. They're happy now and it's all fine. Sometimes you just don't like a character and that's okay.

The series set up here is GLORIOUS and I cannot wait for all the characters introduced her to get their HEAs. Like I said, this book is great because JS wrote it. So it still gets 4 stars.

Thank you Netgalley and Avon for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Harrison Archer, second son and much abused, left New York without a word for Paris some years ago, and rumors of his debauchery were all that had reached Maddie Westbrook’s ears in ages. Stunned and hurt by her childhood best friend’s disappearance, and now approaching her third year in society and close to “landing” a Duke, her focus is turning to her tennis. A bargain with her parents allowed her to pursue a ‘career’ in tennis for a few more years, until choosing the appropriate man to marry. But the surprise return of Harrison leaves her conflicted: never had she had THAT reaction to her childhood friend, and now he was back to find a wife: with her help.

For his part, Harrison has no interest in any of Maddie’s friends, but using her to organize the party of introductions and a weekend of relaxation at his favorite house, her family’s in Rhode Island, is his desire. There he can arrange to spend time with Maddie, see if he can’t convince her of his affections, and gauge her reactions. Of course his best friends Kit and Prescott know of his enduring affections for Maddie, and of the turbulent relationship that he has with his family. Disowned after years of abuse as the ‘second son’ his brother’s mismanagement has nearly lost them the company. Now they are demanding Harrison marry well and give them the money to save the company.

What emerges is a series of issues, deceptions and some truly astounding maneuvers that don’t place Maddie OR Harrison in a very good light. Both need to focus on communicating with one another, being honest, and when push comes to shove Maddie needs to learn that ‘good enough” isn’t quite enough. While there were more moments that frustrated me with both characters, there are also moments that shine brightly and given my history with Shupe’s stories and characters, I’m excited to see who’s up next for her matching, and just what their stories will reveal. Everyone is so complex and complete here: from her disgraced and slightly disreputable friend Nellie to the quietly menacing Prescott: there is plenty of scope and this was a good introduction to both the characters and their connections. And NOBODY can pen a Gilded Age story complete with descriptions, moments and characters like Shupe.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-aRQ /” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

Stopped reading at 19%.

This is bad. It's not about the story or the characters—those are fine. Rather, it's about the author's ability to <i>develop</i> whatever is going on in her head and make it believable for the audience. This is an "estranged friends to lovers" plot, but there's no sense that these people ever had any kind of feelings for each other, platonic or otherwise. The hero boldly announces in his internal monologue in the opening paragraph that he's motivated by Revenge, but then you never get more on this subject in the following five chapters. Meanwhile, the heroine is apparently a very talented tennis player and is about-to-be-engaged to a duke...never hear about this, either. The narrative is an absurdly simple "he did this, then said this, then this happened" thing without any internal characterization or opening exposition to orient readers.

I literally cannot express how poorly written I found this book to be. It's so bad I can't even comment on the story itself, because it's impossible to evaluate when the writer's craft is so poor.

-----

Unfortunately, this book is badly written. Straight up. It’s absolutely ridiculous that traditionally published books get put on shelves with this little editing and polishing and everyone finds it acceptable, whereas indie authors with significantly less budget/resources can put out glorious masterpieces while still facing crap for being “low quality.” I’m reminded that several people have told me that once an author gets to be so successful that any book they put out is sure to sell sufficient copies, the editing process is far less rigorous. I don’t know if that’s true, but this book is strong corroborating evidence.

I have no comments on the plot, the characters, or the overall vibe of The Heiress Hunt. I really cannot talk about the story when the basic mechanics of storytelling are blatantly absent and/or poorly done. Not to be rude, but…did Shupe & the team at Avon even try?

Harrison Archer fled to Paris 3 years ago after being disowned by his father and then overhearing the woman he loves saying she thinks of him as a brother. Now his father is dead and Harrison returns to New York with only one thing on his mind – vengeance. Harrison has spent the last 3 years amassing a fortune and plans to buy out his family’s failing business from under them. But when he arrives home and learns that the only woman, he has ever loved is still unwed, he seemingly goes along with his mother’s demand that he marry an heiress to save the family's fortunes. He goes as far as to ask Madeline “Maddie” Webster, his love, to help him find a bride, but make no mistake, the only woman Harrison will marry is Maddie.

Maddie was shocked and hurt when her best friend in the world up and left 3 years ago without a word, but she didn’t wallow in despair, no she made a plan – First she would take two years to become the best woman’s tennis professional in the States, then during her third “season” she would find a man to marry. And she has accomplished both, she is set to play in a national tennis tournament in June and she is on the cusp of getting engaged to the catch of the season, the Duke of Lockwood. Everything is going as planned until her long-lost best friend Harrison returns and asks her to help him find a bride. She agrees but doesn’t bargain for the feelings of seeing Harrison flirting with other women stirs up in her.

Harrison is determined to win Maddie, but he is never completely honest with her, so when they ended up married, it is no surprise to the reader when things outside the bedroom do not go well for them. Soon things come to a head and Harrison may have to face the possibility that he has lost Maddie forever.

Although the writing is great, this story was not for me. A relationship filled with miscommunication, secrets, lies, and characters jockeying for control does not make for an enjoyable romantic read – neither does a hero that gives up without a fight and decides life is not worth living without his love, yet he cables his mistress and tells her to expect him in about a week – WTH? I just can’t love a guy like that. I was so disappointed; I usually LOVE Joanna Shupe’s books – The Uptown Girls and The Four Hundred series are some of my favorite New York Gilded Age books of all time – but sadly, this book doesn’t reach the bar she set with her previous books. I did like all the secondary characters, I enjoyed the steamyish love scenes, and I liked the twist of having Maddie have a “career”. So, despite not loving this title, I have every intention of reading the future installments of this series with the fervent hope that this book was just a blip on an otherwise pristine record of successful novels.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions are my own *

I knew I was going to like this book because it is written by JoAnna Shupe. It was lovely, but didn't have the normal page turning urgency that I usually experience with her work. I will absolutely still recommend it to readers and it would be great for book clubs. As a 400-level romance reader, it just wasn't it for me. I liked it enough to finish, which is a high compliment because I'm quick to abandon books, but was a little disappointed overall. I'm still looking forward to the next book in this series and will read anything JoAnna Shupe puts out.

Harrison Archer is a young man who has been forced from his family home by his father. He is the second son and is treated horribly by his parents and older brother. His best friend. Madeline Jane Webster has been his savior all these years. He runs to her to escape the cruelty. I did feel that they needed a little more maturing but hopeful they would get that with life experiences. They both had some true friends and they needed them.
I did enjoy the tale. The characters were great and trying to find their way. I thought the duke seemed nice but a little mercenary. It was written to keep your attention and keep you involved in the book and it did. You were always reading to find out what happened next. To add more excitement she was trying to be ready for the Tennis Nationals coming up in a month or two. Can you imagine the pressure on those involved?
I received this ARC from Net Galley and voluntarily reviewed this great book.

After three years of exile in France, high society second son Harrison Archer returns to New York following his father’s death to find his family bankrupted by mismanagement. He has made his own fortune now but goes along with his family’s demands that he find an heiress to marry, and fast, because it suits his own agenda. He seeks matchmaking help from the only woman he’s ever wanted to marry, Maddie. He has no intention of offering for anyone else but needs an excuse to spend time with the girl who once broke his heart and convince her not to follow through on her impending engagement to an English duke.

Madeline Webster was devastated when her best friend fled to Paris without a word then or since. She’s devoted herself wholly to her passion for tennis and is preparing to compete nationally. Now, with Harrison suddenly back on the scene, she agrees to host a house party at her family’s Newport mansion so he can meet some of her unmarried friends. But closeness with Harrison and seeing him interact with other women ignites feelings she’s surprised to identify as jealousy and leaves her feeling distinctly unsettled.

Reunited at last, there is a clear spark of connection between Harrison and Maddie, but time is not on their side and they must determine if they’re meant to be just friends or so much more.

This book had so much potential and such a great setup but unfortunately fell quite flat. I’m going to try to avoid spoilers as I get my thoughts out but please be aware, they’re possible from here on. Harrison’s triumphant return to the city after an ignominious leave-taking and a terrible childhood set him up for some excellent comeuppance for his family yet this was only teased and, for me at least, never fully realized. The introduction of a potential threat to Maddie was really just a device to be used as an excuse for discord between her and Harrison and the hinted potential for suspense just fizzled away to nothing. Everything wrapped up just fine, but this seemed like a missed opportunity of wasted tension building and a heavy-handed plot device.

I found myself cheering for Harrison even if he was rather ham-fisted. His longing and desperation were beautifully described and palpable and the unrequited love was heart-rending. He was by no means a perfect hero, but he was relatable and realistically flawed and still deserving of better from nearly every character with whom he interacted (excepting Preston, Nellie and Kit.) Harrison had proven himself quite thoroughly and that seemed to mean virtually nothing. This aside, Maddie is where this really fell apart for me. Her cluelessness about Harrison’s feelings and constant insistence on everything and everyone falling into line with her plans got old fast. She was both naïve and mercenary, treating everything like a game and fixedly determined to win the duke merely for status. When a heroine admits verbatim to scheming to get a man, it’s a turn off for me. I actually rather liked the Duke of Lockwood and his level-headedness but the love triangle aspect here was just frustrating rather than charming or engrossing. Harrison wanted only to give Maddie everything and rather than recognize that he was trying and learning, given that he’d never experienced a functional, loving relationship, she demanded sheer perfection and over-reacted dramatically when he inevitably failed to meet her standards. Maddie’s mood swings were too much for me and when she went from being aware of her feelings for Harrison and acknowledging her ability to hurt him to wanting nothing to do with him for trying to protect her without her knowledge, I was done with her. These two obviously had to learn how to communicate as a couple, but every couple goes through that and her willingness to throw in the towel at the slightest adversity undermined the love story for me. Maddie just seemed flat and incapable of the depth of feeling Harrison showed for her and that left me a bit sad and frustrated for him rather than really enjoying the HEA.

Despite being underwhelmed by this book I love the concept of this series and find myself looking forward to stories for Kit, Preston, Forrest, and even Nellie and maybe the Duke of Lockwood.

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

I liked this book! It had a lot of pining for the characters, and I liked the romance between both Maddie and Harrison. This was actually interesting because it was a historical romance set in America, and the setting was super interesting! There was also the perfect amount of angst between them as well. This was a super well done friends to lovers story and I adored everything about it! It was interesting to see how the flaws of Maddie and Harrison really endeared me to them. Harrison was very much a heavy-handed person, and Maddie was someone who tried so hard to be perfect all the time. But the love and respect they had for each other was cute and perfect. Overall I loved this book, and it was a great introduction to Joanna Shupe. I highly recommend this book! It was a great story, I loved everything about it and I'm really excited to see more of what Joanna Shupe has in store with her previous books, and her future books!

Thanks to Avon Publishing & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

️Q: childhood best friends to eventual lovers stories—love them, indifferent to them, dislike them?

Joanna Shupe’s The Devil of Downtown was one of my fave releases last year & she’s rapidly become one of the authors I can depend on for a meltingly hot scene or two. But sadly The Heiress Hunt just doesn’t work so much for me.

Harrison Archer overhears his BFF Maddie Webster say that she thinks of him like a brother...on the night he plans on telling her he’s in love with her. Crushed, he heads to Paris for three years, dropping contact with her entirely, sowing his wild oats, & working on making a name & livelihood for himself—a necessary thing since his horrible, wealthy family disowned him.

Now, back in the US, he learns that Maddie is still not married but maybe almost engaged to a Duke, & he decides to ask her for help finding a spouse as part of a plan to take down his horrible family & to spend more time with her in Newport.

I’ll be honest: I didn’t entirely warm to either lead in this one. As Maddie notes, Harrison is ruthless in pursuing his agenda (*this time around*) but it was never a kind of ruthlessness that warmed my heart, for whatever reason. Maybe because she isn't asking for a lot & he keeps ignoring her wishes time & time again.

There are some things I love about how Maddie is portrayed. A tennis superstar who works hard at her dream?! Yes! How she takes charge during their first sex scene, re-calibrating some power dynamics?! Yes double yes!!

But I just don't see a lot of depth to either character & don't really see a deliberate moment of change/agency on her part—outside of tennis—until the end. The big issue in their relationship is how Harrison takes control & doesn’t see her as a partner & that’s reflected in the story itself; unfortunately—despite the things I love about her characterization—Maddie often fades into the background for me.

The Heiress Hunt has some super sexy scenes, a hero who is utterly devoted to the heroine, a heroine who is ready to take on the world of competitive tennis—so many good things. However, it sadly falls flat for me.

Look for me to be one of the first ones screaming with excitement about Joanna Shupe’s next book, though. I am a major fan.

3.5 ⭐️. The Heiress Hunt is out on 03/09.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Heiress Hunt excited me from the moment I first heard about it because a) friends-to-lovers, and b) the “Other Man” is a duke, and I love stories where they’re not the be-all, end-all. And for the most part, I enjoyed it overall for those two reasons.

The long-standing love between Harrison and Maddie is well-conveyed, and I really rooted for them as a couple for the most part. I did find myself a little bothered by the miscommunications that lead them to second-guess their decision to marry after they were cornered into it, because one of the things about friends-to-lovers that I love is that strong foundation, and even with the issues between them prior, I had thought they would have been addressed before it devolved.

I did like Harrison and Maddie as individuals as well, although Joanna Shupe’s other recent couples (looking at you, Clay and Florence) are hard acts to follow and feel like they pale a bit in comparison. I like that Harrison is underestimated by his family and others, yet has worked hard since being cut off to be financially solvent (another point in his favor against the Duke, whose whole reasoning for seeking marriage abroad was because his estate was in shambles and he had no “proper” way to work to save it). And I love that Maddie is a champion tennis player, with inspiration in a real life historical woman (in typical Shupe fashion).

This book is an enjoyable start to a new series, although not without its issues. If you loved Joanna Shupe’s prior work, I think you’ll enjoy this one. And if you’re looking for something a bit different in historical romance beyond dukes and the Regency, I recommend giving this a try as well.