I loved this even more than the first in the series! The progression of Kit and Alice’s relationship was so sweet and fun to read. Shupe always balances a great amount of romance and steaminess with so much emotional depth and individual growth for each partner. I’m always looking forward to more fun in the gilded age from her!

SA-WOON. Ladies and gentleman, I present to you my new favorite Joanna Shupe book and historical romance in general. *raucous applause*

Oh wow. From the first few pages I was OBSESSED with the fun dynamic between Kit and Alice, and it was so satisfying to see their story evolve from lighthearted seduction lessons to a breathtakingly beautiful and swoony romance. Everything from the steam to the chemistry between these two to the character development was nothing short of immaculate. Idk that I have the proper words to describe my love for this book, but this truly is Shupe at her finest and I cannot recommend it enough.

**Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc of this in exchange for an honest review**

I absolutely adored Alice and Kit's story!! I just loved everything about it and couldn't put it down. I just loved watching Alice come out of her shell and become the woman she was meant to be. And Kit...Swoon!! This was a great addition to the Fifth Avenue Rebels series!

I absolutely adore Kit and Alice from Joanna Shupe's THE LADY GETS LUCKY, the second book in her The Fifth Avenue Rebels series.

There are so many things about this book that I love - the "wallflower" heiress heroine, the playboy hero, lessons in seduction, and food/cooking.

Alice has a passion for cooking, which pairs nicely with Kit's desire to open a supper club. How is this not a perfect match? I do want to advise you to have some babka, or other sweet bread, on hand when reading the book. Or maybe treat yourself to some French inspired cuisine after reading. You'll want something to snack on with all the food mentioned.

A bonus with this book is that we get to revisit parts of The Heiress Hunt from the perspective of different characters, as the early chapters take place at the house party for Harrison. You do not need to read The Heiress Hunt first to enjoy The Lady Gets Lucky. This also means we get to revisit other characters in the series. I'm excited to see what is in store for Katherine and Prescott, and then Nellie and the Duke in future books.

Content Notes: overbearing parent, alcoholism (friend), death (of friend).

Alice Lusk is an heiress who needs to get married fast and she is clear that she will only marry for love. Shy and withdrawn Alice has no way of earning her freedom from her mother and marrying for love unless she learns the art of seduction from the master seducer Kit Ward. Kit is about to open a fancy supper club and he would really like the recipes from a world famous chef that Alice has access to. They make a deal, Alice gets a lesson in seduction from Kit in exchange for a recipe. Kit and Alice are at a house party and they have 4 days for their lessons before they go back to their lives in New York. Will Alice find love and freedom with Kit's lessons?

This is the first Joanna Shupe book that I read and decided to read this first before The Heiress Hunt, book 1 in the series. I was pleasantly surprised by how much fun this book was and loved both Alice and Kit. This book was steamy and hot! I really enjoyed the other characters in the books especially Chef, Preston and Nellie. Will definitely be reading the The Heiress Hunt soon. Pretty excited about Preston's book too!

Thank you Avon Books & NetGalley for the ARC of The Lady Gets Luck by Joanna Shupe in exchange for my honest review.

Second in The Fifth Avenue Rebels series, this entertaining romance features Kit and Alice, who try to resist the attraction between them (to no avail, as each eventually comes to the realization that they are meant for each other). Kit is working to open a fashionable supper club in NYC and needs an exceptional chef; Alice has hidden culinary talents plus an in with the city's top chef. The characterization and setting both shine, and this can easily be read as a standalone.

4.5 stars rounded up.

Despite the fortune she has for a dowry, Alice Lusk is overlooked by most of society’s eligible bachelors because of crippling shyness. At this rate, she’ll be forced to marry a man who only wants her money so she needs to make a change and learn how to attract a man on her own merits, and she knows the perfect man to teach her.

Christopher “Kit” Ward is working on leveraging his natural social charm into opening a supper club in New York City with his best friend. He’s tried everything he can think of to hire the city’s top chef, without success, so when he learns that said chef is a close friend of Alice’s, he agrees to give her scandalous lessons in exchange for access to the famous recipes.

Their private lessons develop into something a bit more passionate, and Alice learns much faster than Kit could’ve expected. The rest of Society notices the changes in Alice as well, but Kit isn’t sure he can let her go.

I really loved both of these MCs and lately that has been a rarity for me so I was super excited to have both a hero and a heroine I could really root for. Kit and Alice both had depths even they weren’t aware of, so their character growth was off the charts, and I loved that they grew and learned more about themselves and each other essentially at the same time. I also enjoyed the fact that Alice helped Kit see his own self-worth and Kit helped Alice find the confidence and backbone she’d been afraid to display before thanks to her mother’s dreadful behavior. I was happy to see that lady put in her place and in fact, could’ve used more of that and been happy. This was a sizzling slow burn between Kit and Alice, and I really enjoyed that build-up, but I would’ve been truly delighted by at least one more on page intimate scene between them after their relationship was solidified and their marriage confirmed; I still loved the book, that would’ve just been the cherry on top for me. I will say this book was also quite a bit grittier than I expected and surprised me a bit, which is all I can say lest I risk spoilers, but I still very much enjoyed it. Overall, I was surprised at how much I liked Kit, especially given his rakish tendencies, but I think it was his low view of himself and the lack of confidence he hid beneath his charm that did it for me; I loved seeing Alice uncover him as much as he was uncovering her. I also think Alice worked so well as a heroine for me because she wasn’t so in-your-face feminist, was in fact quite shy, and yet she stood up for what she wanted for her life and refused to let herself be cowed or settle for less. I liked these two together, I enjoyed the supporting characters, especially Nellie and Preston, and this story worked for me far better than its predecessor. I would’ve enjoyed a bit more sexy times, but I loved this couple, this is one of my favorite covers of the year, and I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

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

What can I say? I'm a sucker for a scoundrel falling in love with a wallflower. I've been getting heavily into historical romances lately, and books like The Lady Gets Lucky are exactly why!

This is one of the best historical romances I've read this year.

I was a little hesitant since the first book of the series kind of fell apart for me in the third act, but The Lady Gets Lucky is phenomenal from beginning to end!

Alice is so enjoyable as the repressed daughter of a harridan who keeps Alice close at hand to deliver scathing comments about her appearance, personality, and undesirableness. Despite this, Alice's spirit hasn't been broken. No, she's motivated to discover the ways to attract a man - someone who would love her - so that she can escape her horrible mama.

When Kit is approached by this wallflower for lessons in flirtation and seduction, he is shocked, but quickly attracted to her open and honest approach. The story is incredibly romantic and swoony.

My favorite part is the babka scene and how it plays into Kit's romantic gesture at the end!

What an enjoyable read! First off, the general premise – a shy and sheltered heiress asks a renowned (but now reformed) rake to teach her how to seduce a future husband – is absolutely ingenious and I loved it. I mean, I know it probably has been done before in one way or another, but I don’t know what it was about Shupe’s writing that just made it seem so fresh and exciting.

I loved Alice and Kit’s chemistry. The pair really balanced each other out well and gave support to each other when it lacked from others in their lives. The Lady Gets Lucky excels in character development and characterization. Both Kit and Alice go through such a transformation from the beginning to the end that was fun to read and see how they influenced each other for the better.

As for the romance…talk about steamy tension! I’m always a sucker for relationships that start with zero or low stakes and seriousness, so I knew when I picked it up that I was bound to like it. But I never anticipated to Alice and Kit’s relationship as much as I did. Their chemistry just leapt off the page from the very beginning, and had loved watching it develop and grow into such a strong and loving relationship. The narrative is told in dual POV which really helped show that development as they both began to have feelings and also added to the angst and, sometimes, extreme tension between the two.

My one issue with this book, and what took me out of the narrative for a bit, was the subplot that crops up around midway through the novel between Kit and one of his friends. I don’t want to get too much into it since it could be considered a spoiler, but it seemed to come out of left field. Now, since I haven’t read the first book in this series, I don’t know if it was referenced or alluded to previously, but it seems as if it was added just to pad the narrative for Kit a bit. Unfortunately, it felt irrelevant to the main narrative and was only passingly referenced once it was over.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Lady Gets Lucky and would reread it in a heartbeat. It also sparked enough interest that I want to go back and read the first book in the series, as well as pick up the next one as soon as it’s out. I may be a relatively new historical romance reader, but Joanna Shupe is now definitely on my top to read list.

Content Warnings: Emotional abuse & manipulation by a parent, alcoholism, death of a secondary character

I utterly adored this book and read it through the night. It is definitely going on my list of favorite books that I read over and over. Kit and Alice are utterly lovable characters. Their chemistry burns through the pages. I was so hungry as I read this book that I had to go get snacks every time Alice made something delicious in the book. Even as I write this review, I want a slice of Babka.

This is part of the Fifth Avenue Rebels series and I hadn't read the previous book before reading this one. I felt like I was missing part of the story and the backstory on the characters and I will be reading the first book as soon as possible. So I would recommend reading this book as part of the series rather than a standalone book. The only issue I have with this book is that I didn't quite understand what the tragedy of Kit's friend had to do with the rest of the story. It was a little abrupt and pulled me out of the romance. The story would be just as strong even if those scenes were completed edited out. Having said that, I would still recommend this book because Kit and Alice are just that adorable. You do not want to miss out on this beautifully written romance.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*

Big thanks to Avon Publishing for an e-ARC of this book via NetGalley! This review is being given honestly and all thoughts & opinions are my own.

*This is not a spoiler free review. If spoilers bother you skip the section marked by asterisks & capitalized letters.

Overall 4.25 ☆

CW: verbal domestic abuse, death of a side character, & alcoholism

First, can we just talk about this cover! I'm absolutely obsessed with the cover of this book, like I just love the color as well as the cover models. I just think it's perfect for a Historical Romance!

Plus Mass Market MAX Size for the win! I love this size for HR's because I still get that classic HR experience but don't feel like I'm going to break the spine, tear a page, or struggle to read small text.

Kit is usually not my type of hero because I'm not a huge fan of hyper-swxual heros who mention their exploits on page/to the heroine BUT I honestly loved Kit so much that it really didn't bother me in this book (there was also very minor mentions of it as well). Alice was an okay heroine in some regards because I didn't like how bothered she was by Kit's history either (I know I'm being hypocritical but oh well). For the most part though I really did like her as a heroine & how clearly her feelings came across in the book. Kit's emotional expression was a bit lacking but I definitely think he made up for it by the end. I also loved the way the MCs built each other up and had their own individual epiphanies about themselves & their self-worth without it being centered around the idea that it was all thanks to the respective MC. Like *MINOR SPOILER* Alice eventually decides to stop seeing Kit because she wants to respect her own boundaries and self worth and realizes that although she loved Kit she couldn't wait around for him to feel the same way, so she was going to do what she needed to do to get what she wanted.*END OF SPOILER*

My only real issue with this book was the Author's writing style/the language used in this book. I felt Joanna Shupe's writing/verbiage was a bit outdated for my own personal taste. This also combined with the Author's voice (which I just didn't vibe with) kind of stuck out to me the whole time reading which is why this is 4.25 rather than 4.5/5 stars. I also felt that the epilogue was a little underwhelming (I just like a specific type of epilogue which this one didn't completely meet).

I highly recommend this book though & urge HR and non-HR readers alike to pick this up.

“The Lady Get Lucky” by Joanna Shupe, book two of her Fifth Avenue Rebels series is out today. Alice Lush admired how easy it was for Christopher “Kit” Ward to talk to everyone and make them feel comfortable at a house party in Newport. After her mother went to bed, Alice knocked on Kit’s door, walks in and asked him for Lessons in Seduction before he even knew her name. Alice wanted to marry for love and after three seasons, if suitors will not come to her, then the shy debutante will flirt with them. Kit was instructed to stay away from the heiresses by his good friend, heroine in book one, so he refused Alice. The next day, embarrassed Alice and Kit were randomly paired up for a game. He wanted her to be comfortable around him and found out she was connected to a chef he wanted for his supper club he planned to open soon with one of his best friends. She learned a thing or two about negotiating from her father and she got Kit to agree to full lessons per recipe he desperately wanted for the success of his new venture. Kit may not be the marrying type, however time spent with the right person can change minds, especially when the lessons switched from advice to practice.

I wanted to read this book because of the author, I did not read the synopsis, so I was delighted to find out this was a lessons-of-seduction-from-a-scoundrel book. I have no idea when people are flirting with me, that is was I love this trope, and instructions are helpful so I highlighted the lessons which was actually good advice. I enjoyed reading the thoughts and perspective from one who was shy and one with swag.

I loved the time-passing-by scenes which were lovely to read and necessary for this type of book because we know they will fall in love, but the readers know when it starts before the characters do. When the characters finally face their internal conflicts, with the help of old or new friends, the proposal was amusing and chef’s kiss!

Personally, this book came at the right time! I have been thinking about being shy equaling being bored, and this book brought up that misconception. There was so much more about Alice, or a wallflower, than finding a husband. Food is a love language and Alice’s passions related to food and cooking. Food was used to seduce in this book and I also have been told not to eat too much in front of a crush or people I “should” impress like Alice’s mother told her. I was thrilled to read that eating can be sexy. There were other elements that touched my heart, so this book was cathartic and relatable.

I enjoyed this book very much! I am excited to read the first book of this series and more Gilded Age books by Joanna Shupe!

Thank you to Net Galley, Avon, and Harper Voyager US for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Trigger Warning: alcoholism, grief, and death of a friend, fatshaming, and mental and emotional abuse. Wow! I loved this book! This was so fun and I honestly loved everything about it! I loved the first book and I was so glad to meet these characters again in this one! I thought it was fun and interesting to see things that went on behind the scenes in moments that took place in the first book! So I loved both Alice and Kit! I loved Alice and how she really tried to live her life regardless of how her mother always controlled her or put her down. My heart broke for her because you could really tell how much it hurt her to be treated that way. I loved how in a way Kit really stood up for her when she couldn't. Alice was so sweet and it hurt my heart at times when you could tell that Alice was really bogged down by her mother and her hurtful words and comments. As someone who had comments like the ones that were said to Alice thrown at me all my life as well, I felt so connected to Alice in this book and I felt so seen. While it wasn't my mother like it was with Alice, it still hurts, especially when at times you feel like there's nothing you can do to change or fix it. I loved their romance so much! The chemistry! The biting! The steamy, sexy goodness! I loved it so much! I felt they were so great together! Being with Kit really opened Alice up and really helped her to embrace her sexuality and I loved seeing that in her! Kit was so great for Alice and I loved seeing her open up more as the book went on! Also their lessons in seduction were super hot and I loved the biting that went on! It is something that you really don't see much of that in historical romances! I hope in the future we get more of that! I also loved seeing them cook together! I thought that was a cute way for them to connect and I liked that this really focused on a passion that Alice had. I think with this romance, it was amazing, but I could see moments where it could have been turned up even more! But I did love what we got! It was so good!! Joanna Shupe is definitely one of my new favorite historical romance authors! I just find myself blown away by her work each time I read a new book of hers!

At a house party, innocent Alice asks playboy Kit for lessons in winning the interest of a man—for more than just her dowry. After two failed seasons, with a critical mother dogging her, she wants a marriage that offers mutual respect. Kit can't help but admire the spirited young woman, but he's not looking for a wife. Can they resist the growing attraction between them?

I read a ton of Regency, so it's a nice change to read a historical romance set in the Gilded Age. There's a strong attraction between Kit and Alice from the beginning, but the romance develops gradually through the time they spend together helping each other. It's nice to see how Alice blossoms with Kit's encouragement.

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

** Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review **

Okay it's official, I have another new favorite book of 2021!! This is the fourth book I’ve read from Joanna Shupe, so I can definitely say at this point that she is definitely an all time favorite historical romance author of mine.

The Lady Gets Lucky is the standalone second novel in Shupe’s The Fifth Avenue Rebels series. This story follows Kit, an infamous ladies man, and Alice, an innocent wallflower. The two initially cross paths at a house party when Alice approaches Kit asking for help in learning the art of seduction so that she can overcome her timid ways and secure a decent husband. She desperately wants to get married so that she can escape her mother’s overbearing and toxic clutches. Kit is initially hesitant as he doesn’t want to risk putting her into a compromising situation and feels that his involvement in her life would not be a positive thing. But when he learns that Alice has a passion for cooking and is good friends with a well-known chef that he has been trying to employ at his up and coming supper club, he reluctantly agrees to give her seduction lessons in exchange for her giving him some of the chef’s popular recipes (with the chef’s permission of course!). The chemistry (both physically and intellectually) is undeniable right from the start, but Kit makes it very clear that he’s not the marrying time and that the two can only be friends. However, when the two return to their separate lives in New York but continue to cross paths, will the two truly be able to remain just friends?

The plot itself is very simple and straightforward, which I really enjoyed because it allowed for the characters to take center stage and kept me invested in all aspects of the story until the very end. I hate when historical romances throw multiple subplots thrown the reader because I feel like it allows for the plot/characters to become stretched too thin with limited pay off. That was definitely not the case here. I fell in love with Kit and Alice, both as individuals and their relationship. These definitely felt like Shupe’s most real and authentic characters yet. Both Alice and Kit were struggling with their own insecurities, and I really related to the ways in which these insecurities impacted their relationships/interactions with others and each other. Not matter what is thrown at them or whatever internal conflict their dealing with, they were both so loving and supportive of each other. There were some moments where I literally wanted to shake Kit to kick his butt into gear, but I could completely understand why he was acting the way he was given his history and personality. Both Alice and Kit grew so much over the course of the book, which made the pay off at the ending that much sweeter. Also, every side character was to notch and I want all of them to find happiness.

If you've never read anything from Joanna Shupe before (or are new to historical romance in general), this would definitely be a great place to start!

And can we just take another second to appreciate this stunning cover? I need to pick up a physical copy ASAP because I need this on my shelves.

First of all, before we start, I strongly recommend having a loaf of babka at the ready. Please, trust me.

A delicious true and tried trope between an alleged wallflower and an infamous rake striking a somewhat easy bargain which will of course backfire on both of them. How long before the rake reforms and the lady gets fucky?

Seemingly shy debutante Alice Lusk dares strike a deal with Christopher ‘Kit’ Ward, notorious scoundrel known to turn the shyest women into proper vixens, convinced his tutelage necessary to rope-in a love match—or a lust match—anything, really, other than some arranged marriage her mother predestinates her to enter on account of her lack of appeal but considerable dowry.

Alice will provide the famous recipes Kit requires to successfully open a supper club in exchange for his valuable lessons in seduction.

At this point of my review, may I suggest a slice of babka to nibble on ?

I loved how fast the tables turned on our scoundrel during his "how to become a vixen" masterclass. Kit soon finds himself unable to resist his eager but innocent student—the crackling chemistry between them permeating the pages— and Alice can’t help but view Kit as more than he lets people see.

Now is probably a good time to go back for seconds on that babka .

Spurred by the house party time frame they’re both attending and Alice’s mother chaperoning her with a suffocating tight leash, their initial arrangement of kissing lessons for a recipe takes an illicit turn and keeps being revised as both become more invested than they dare to admit themselves, least to one another.

Babka anyone?

I loved the heroine, whose shyness and withdrawn manners were most likely part of the many shields unconciously built to protect herself from her unsufferable mother were just begging to vanish. I enjoyed seeing her wit, charm and confidence florish within her proximity and building intimacy with Kit.
I adored how the hero never stopped pushing Alice to seek new experiences but was still considerate of her safety and feelings as their encounters turned heated. He was so protective of her and we love a protecting hero. I just adore witnessing a total rake get soft for his woman. WAIT. Not soft like THAT—
There's actually no misunderstanding HOW HARD the hero gets for Alice, the author spares us no thoughts—especially not the dirty ones—from Kit.

The core of their attraction for each other could be they recognized kindred a soul, both sharing a toxic and abusive parenting upbringing that shaped them into who they are today; the quiet, self-effacing wallflower and the nonchalant rake.

There is not such thing as too much babka, have some more

This opposites attract romance was perfectly served with:
▪︎crackling chemistry
▪︎exquisite culinary foreplay
▪︎heady notes of push and pull
▪︎a fairly amount of humor
▪︎heaps of pining
▪︎a healthy dose of steam
▪︎and a pinch of dirty talk.

Yes, all of this. Luscious, I’m telling you. The hero would have probably qualified this as 'finger licking good' but it was already taken.

Look, you already devoured all the babka!

Unconditional support, grovel and grand gesture finish to make of this historical romance the perfect treat. (Beside babka.)

Note : This is book 2 of a series but it does not require to read the previous book to be enjoyed. I haven’t read "The Heiress Hunt" which shares a timeline with "The Lady Gets Lucky" and it didn’t hinder my reading at all.

This is my first time reading Joanna Shupe and it won’t be my last. This book had me hooked from the first page and I couldn’t put it down!

Kit and Alice were both really likeable characters. The trope of the Rake and the innocent has been done many times, but these two had such fun dialogue that it felt fresh and romantic and exciting!

The side characters were enjoyable too and the story was very well-written. It was also interesting as most historicals are set in England, but this one gave me a glimpse of early America.

Overall enjoyed this book and would encourage all historical romance fans to check it out!

Book two in The Fifth Avenue Rebels still has me hooked.

I think Shupe gets me with the tropes. The wallflower and the scoundrel, a trope match made in heaven. Of course, I’m going to read it.

We begin with an awkward encounter, where scoundrel, Kit Ward, finds a woman in his room at a house party and not one that he invited there. Heiress Alice Lusk is desperate to get the upper hand in her mother’s matchmaking schemes by getting tutored in how to attract a man or else she’ll be married off to a fortune hunter and not to someone she’d rather choose herself.

Of course, Kit’s happy to oblige, only because Alice’s father employs a chef he needs recipes from for an upcoming club he’s opening. In exchange for lessons, Alice will provide the recipes Kit so desires, but what starts as a few tips and pointers becomes an obsession. Kit can’t get enough of Alice, nor can he stop himself from wanting more time with her.

I enjoyed this story, with Kit and Alice constantly trying to not fall for each other, but each ‘lesson’ makes it near impossible. Add in Alice’s secret love of cooking, which I also love to do, and I immediately wanted her to make all her dreams come true. Though as the story progressed, I didn’t think an HEA would be possible.

Side note: I feel horrible for this English Duke that keeps getting tossed around. In the first book of this series, he was ditched by the heroine after proposing. In Alice’s story, Alice charms him and then of course her attraction and desire for Kit gets in the way. This guy can’t catch a break. I really hope Shupe has something planned for him in the future.

Overall, this is a nice read to get lost in for a few hours and a good follow up for the first in the series. I’m looking forward to the next book as these scoundrels keep falling. For readers who enjoy Maya Rodale.

~ Landra

Food and seduction all wrapped up in one book? Sign me up. This story begins during the timeline of the first in the series. Kit and Alice are at a house party in Newport when Alice gets the idea to request help from Kit in the art of seduction so that she can find a husband who will love her. Kit sees Alice as a shy, timid kind girl and so doesn't want to help her and be the reason for her ruin until he learns that she has connections with a famous chef....one that Kit has been trying to solicit help from in time to open his own supper club. A deal is struck and these two get more than they bargain for.

Alice is a heroine who really undergoes some big changes. Kit helps her see the things she can be if she just lets her inner self shine instead of cowing to her horrid mother's constant demands. Alice is a lover of food and cooking....two things not socially acceptable in high society. I loved how she slowly begins to let that side of her show and gains confidence in who she is in the kitchen. It's such a fun twist to this historical romance and one I hadn't seen before. I really enjoyed it. Kit's past is one that has haunted him. His change wasn't quite as big or believable as Alice's but I did appreciate he had some vulnerabilities to him and that he supports her and cheers her on, even when it's not a benefit to him. The chemistry between these two was great and we get that Shupe heat that is so great in her books.

I really enjoyed this book - more so than the first in the series. The parallel timelines between the two was creative and fun. I am really looking forward to the next book and would recommend this to any lover of historical romance who would like to leave the English setting behind.