Shupe takes the "virgin meets rogue" trope and spins it into this sweetly sexy story about self-esteem and fighting for what you love.

Having read the first in this series and felt it was an enjoyable mid-pack novel, I am very glad I read this second in the series. This take on the “seduction lessons” trope was well-written and greatly enhanced by the heroine having her own, not romance related, motives and interests. Weaving in some “secret identities,” “troublesome mamas” and “more than he appears” tropes, this romance manages to be steamy while also feeling authentic to the characters.

Where the book really shines however, is the setting. Again, I love seeing gilded-age Newport, RI and the era as a whole is a very glamorous background (at least when we stick with the life of the ton, historically, not a great time for anyone else!). Additionally, the story is woven beautifully into the events of the first book in the series by starting at the houseparty that kicked off the series. Seeing those events again from different perspectives is great world-building.

I officially can't wait to see more in this series!

This book was an absolutely wonderful read! I fell in love with Joanna Shupe's writing when I read The Rogue of Fifth Avenue and went on to read her entire backlist while eagerly awaiting her newer releases. I enjoyed the first book in this series, but I was definitely looking forward to Kit's story and then I saw THIS COVER! Let me just say that the inside of the book did not disappoint. The kissing lessons trope is not my favorite, but Shupe knocked it out of the park here. Kit's character was so unique to me, I feel as though I rarely read a historical romance hero like him & I just loved him. He seemed so real and his insecurities seemed so natural to me. Alice felt like a natural counterpart to me for Kit and I truly believed in their chemistry & eventual love, plus the jealousy & mutual pining was just so great! I cannot wait for more Joanna Shupe books, I'm dying for a Nellie Young book! I couldn't wait until October to devour this and now I am just eagerly anticipating the next arrival and I cannot wait for readers to get their hands on this book.

This was a quick read, but I still struggled to get into it at first. I think the dialogue seemed a little unnatural at times, and I didn't necessarily love either of the characters. They were both fine, but I wasn't in love with them, and I felt like the chemistry of Kit's friend group hooked me more than the actual romance. That's not necessarily a bad thing, because the friend dynamics make me want to give other books in the series a shot, but for most of the book, I was wondering why the hero and heroine were even together. They just didn't always seem fully fleshed out as characters. All this said, the steam level was nice, and I did enjoy the ending. I wanted more from the mother-daughter confrontation, and I wish we'd seen more of her dad because he seems like an interesting character, but overall the ending came through for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc. All opinions are my own.

This doesn't come out for months but I couldn't wait to read this second book in Joanna Shupe's Fifth Avenue Rebels series. Cleverly the first half of this book overlaps The Heiress Hunt (first book in the series). In that book there is a large house party in Newport, RI. Both Alice Lusk and Christopher (Kit) Ward are in attendance. Alice is painfully shy with an overbearing mother. She approaches Kit with the idea of teaching her about men. She wants to know how to talk, flirt etc as her greatest desire is to marry for love.

The love lessons trope is familiar and of course there is going to be desire and attraction. But when it is done well, as this one is, you can see the growth in the people. Alice goes from timidness to being able to stand up for herself. She doesn't need Kit to save her. Kit has insecurities and never plans to marry but he never met a girl like Alice before. They are fun and sweet together and steamy and hot too. I also enjoyed Alices love of cooking. An unusual choice for her status.

I imagine Shupe having fun plotting the overlap in storylines. I definitely had fun returning to the first book and seeing where the characters fit into the scenes in both. I love that story being told from both POV's so we are aware of their thoughts and emotions. This can be read as a stand alone but is more enjoyable if read in order. This all takes place in the Gilded Age, 1895 NYC & Newport. It is the USA equivalent to the Victorian/Regency eras. If I had one wish it would be that it was a little more over the top with wealth as in the first book. I missed the mention of Tiffany jewelry and excesses of the day.

I would recommend to any who enjoys historical romances. The beautiful cover alone will grab catch the readers eye and imagination. A grateful thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Soooo I currently have 23 books from NetGalley, 20 of which publish before this book, but I could not resist. I mean, LOOK AT THAT COVER. How was I supposed to hold off reading it until closer October? I remember when I first saw the cover on Twitter or Instagram and my jaw dropping because it is so deliciously hot. This is what I want on my romance novel covers!!

This book starts in the middle of the Newport, RI house party that takes place during the first Fifth Avenue Rebels book and follows Kit, a friend of Maddie and Harrison (main couple from book one), and Alice, one of the debutants at the party. I’m not saying that you have to read the first book in the series to enjoy this one, but I highly recommend doing so as it will make this one more enjoyable. I will say that reading this one first, will likely ruin the drama of the first book, so if you’re planning on reading them both I suggest reading them in order.

Alice enlists Kit’s help in teaching her how to be seductive so she can find her own spouse instead of being trapped with a fortune hunter after her large dowery. As with all educational kissing books the two end up falling for each other and it’s delightful. On top of this being an educational kissing romance, it is also a food romance. I don’t think I’ve ever come across a historical food romance and it was wonderful.

I loved both Alice and Kit. I really liked Kit in the first book and was looking forward to his story. He’s just so fun and still manages to feel like a fully developed real person. Also, I love when book characters are big dummies and don’t realize they’re in love until they’re a jealous wreck (this only applies to book characters). I vaguely remember Alice from the first book, but now want to go back and reread it for glimpses of her. It was very interesting being in her head and seeing her inner-self and outward persona become more aligned throughout the book as she became more self assured. I felt like both characters grew both as individuals and a couple which should happen in all books.

I can’t wait for the next book in the series, which I really hope is Nellie’s story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyage for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this one! I picked it up in the middle of reading A Feast For Crows, so all I wanted was an easy read. This looked like it would be enjoyable, so I picked it up. I ended up binging it in less than 24 hours, it was an addictive read.

My favorite thing about this was definitely our main character, Alice. At the beginning of this, she was painfully naive and shy. I loved watching her accept herself and come out of her shell over the course of the book, and when she finally stood up to her mother, I couldn't have been happier. I loved how she didn't need Kit to be herself, she came into her own, and it was amazing.

I feel like the relationship between Kit and Alice also needs to be addressed, as this is a historical romance after all. I feel like the alternating perspectives really worked for this one, because it allowed us to understand each character and their feelings. I enjoyed both perspectives equally, and I loved how the romance helped each character develop. I had expected more steam based on the cover, but I didn't mind the lack of it.

Although this isn't what I normally read, I really enjoyed it! It was the perfect break from high fantasy, and just what I wanted when I picked it up.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review

Did. Not. Finish. Blech. Not enjoyable at all. I don't know if it was the writing style or if it was really that bad but I hated it.