I adored this book. I am instantly looking for more from Joanna Shupe as the story was delightful. I really enjoyed the characterisation of Kit and Alice, they felt real - as did Alice's mother.

While attending a house party hosted by the Websters at their Newport “chapeau”, Boston heiress Alice Lusk makes a decision that will change her life. After years of verbal and emotional abuse at the hands of her mother, Alice is determined to marry – but she wants a man who will love her for herself, not her father’s money. So, she figures her best bet is to seduce a man, but how does a painfully shy, insecure, proper young lady do such a thing? By hiring the man her hostess’ daughter swears can turn even the shyest woman into a vixen – Christopher “Kit” Ward.

Kit is a self-described scoundrel, a playboy with charm, good looks, and money to spare and in no rush to change. So, when the pretty little wallflower asks for help, he is ready to send her on her way, but then he learns she is close friends with the famous Fifth Ave Hotel chef, Angelo Franconi – the very man Kit and his business partner and friend Preston have been trying to hire for their supper club! Alice makes it clear, chef Franconi will never leave the hotel, but she is sure she could persuade him to sell the men some of his famous recipes, as well as the rights to use his name and in exchange, she wants Kit to teach her how to attract a man.

Kit agrees and the two begin, but Kit is unprepared for his reaction to Alice and he aggressively fights his growing attraction. Things heat up between them, but they both know that nothing will ever come from it, and if Alice ever wants to follow her dream of running her own kitchen, she needs to marry, something that Kit has made quite clear he will never do. They return to New York, assuming they will never see each other again. Kit can’t deny he is jealous when he learns that Alice is being courted, but he stubbornly refuses to consider a future with her. But when Kit needs help, Alice offers to step in and cook for his club’s opening night and their passion burns bright and won’t be denied – but even one glorious night is not enough to change Kit’s mind about marriage and once more they part ways. It seems like Kit’s insecurities will cost him the love of a lifetime, but an unexpected tragedy and some no-nonsense advice, make him realize that Alice is exactly what he needs – but is it too late?

This book was fantastic! I loved it so much and am so glad I didn’t pass on it after my disappointment with the previous installment of this series. This book is nearly perfect, it is well-written, perfectly paced, filled with witty banter, extremely likable leads, steamy love scenes, a bit of heartache, insecurities, an overbearing, nasty mother, wonderful secondary characters, and a HEA that is sure to put a smile on your face. This is the second book in the series and part of the book runs concurrently with the first book, but this book can easily be read as a standalone title – however if you don’t want spoilers, read the books in order! I highly recommend this title and cannot wait for the next installment!

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

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

CW: emotionally abusive parent, gaslighting, parental abandonment (past), death of a parent (past), grief, death of a friend, brief mentions of alcoholism, food shaming

This is the second book in the series. The events in the first half are concurrent to the first half of the first book so there are mild spoilers, I would recommend reading the first book (which I enjoyed) but you can still enjoy this one as a standalone

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f historical romance
-sex education
-an agreement
-food as a love language
-insta attraction
-a house party

The chemistry in this book was crackling. I really enjoyed this fun read, I'm always down for a romance/sex pact. Kit always understood Alice from the beginning, respecting her, never pushing her beyond what she could give. Their connection over food, their matching ambitions. They were the perfect matches for each other. Both had past issues with their parents and they opened up to each other, all while fulfilling their sides of the agreement. Both fun and intimate at the same time, grab this, I mean look at that cover.

Steam: 3

4 to 4.5 stars!

I cried, took a cold shower, then cried again.

I am so surprised by the complete 180 this series took! I DNF’d the first book and then this one just completely blew me away, I couldn’t get enough!!!

Kit and Alice were EVERYTHING and I loved the way the author handled both Alice’s relationship with her mother and Kit’s internal conflict, even if it did get overly repetitive at times. Also wasn’t the biggest fan of how a certain death was thrown in there and then used to advance the plot a bit, but alas.

Overall, such a great read and I can’t wait for the next one!!

While I didn't loooooooooooooooooooove the previous book, I did enjoy it and was eager to get to this one. I do love Joanna Shupe and I think the teach-me trope is quickly becoming a favorite.

I loved Alice. She's smart and passionate and so loving. Kit is charming and so uncertain underneath all of that bravado. Together they're full of chemistry and great conversation and constant surprises. I loved seeing her give him assurance and him giving her confidence. Of course Nellie was a damn delight and I'll be over here hoping we see more of her.

Plot wise, it was good. They were together a lot of the time and that's always a favorite for me. It's very light on the angst and while I was hoping the conflict would come from outside of the relationship, it didn't quite hit that mark. There's a bit of push and pull and for the first time ever, I'm going to say that it was needed. These two needed to grow separately and together and the grand gesture was everything I could have wanted.

Overall, this is definitely a new favorite and one I'm sure I'll be going back to.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

The Lady Gets Lucky is the second in Joanna Shupe’s Fifth Avenue Rebels series. It can be read as a stand-alone, although the first book is also quite enjoyable. The two do take place roughly around the same time, so there’s really no harm in starting here.

The blurb of this one definitely doesn’t do justice to the book. It lays out the main tropes and archetypes you can expect, but I was much more impressed upon seeing how Shupe fleshed them out. For one, there’s the characters. There are definitely parts of Kit’s character that could have annoyed me, and some that did. The lack of self-awareness in that men are so afraid of becoming like their wastrel fathers, completely ignorant of the fact that it’s a choice, and the very fact that this was something he feared meant he wasn’t like his father. But ultimately, I really liked him, in spite of this minor annoyance, because of how much of a standup guy he is. I particularly appreciated his sentiment about respecting the women he’s been with by valuing their trust in him, and not see each of them as another “notch on the bedpost,” but a companion and an equal. And in turn, I love how he busts through the double standards with the sentiment that anyone he did marry didn’t have to be “pure” on her wedding night, as he understood that women also had desires too, and deserved pleasure.

I found I really identified with Alice. I don’t have her precise situation, as her mother is a piece of work who desperately needed to be taken down a peg or two. But the desire to be seen and to learn how to be comfortable in your own skin, commanding attention…that resonated. And I love how her sexual growth with Kit’s help allowed for her to take command of not just her romantic life, but her life as a whole, freeing herself of her mother’s control and being able to pursue her true dreams.

I loved how the two of them worked as a couple, really challenging each other in various ways, particularly in addressing their most pertinent problems.

The supporting cast in this book is amazing, and I hope they all get books at some point. Preston’s book has been announced, and I’m excited for that one next year. I’d also love to see an HEA for Nellie, who is my favorite secondary character from the book. And I’d even love to see the Duke get a chance at happiness, as he’s definitely grown on me over these past two books.

This book was a delicious confection, a perfect treat for sexy historical romance readers. Whether you’ve read Joanna Shupe before or not, I recommend trying this one!

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for review

I enjoyed The Lady Gets Lucky. The story follows Kit, a rake and budding entrepreneur, and Alice, a secret chef and society wallflower with a domineering mother. Alice provides recipes to Kit in exchange for lessons on how to attract a husband, she wants to escape her mother more than anything. I had some trouble connecting with WHY Kit fell for Alice so quickly, but once the story moved forward I enjoyed their story.

Schupe is the queen of late 1800's New York based romance. Her writing really makes you feel immersed in the world, while still including more modern plot-lines. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in this series!

Overall: 4/5
Steam: 2.5/5
Relationship Development: 4/5
Plot: 4/5
Subplot: 3/5

So, this book is about a debutante and a rake. It is a normal story line for a Historical Romance. So I was not expecting to be impressed, but I started reading. And the story impressed me. Then I read some more, and I felt it was the usual story. Then I read some more and it was a very good story. And it was about my least favorite type of debutantes, the American debutante.
The heroine is the only child of a Boston family. She grew up with a domineering mother who was abrasive to everyone. The heroine and her mother live in New York City, in one of the fancy hotels. The hero is a happy-go-lucky rake of the highest order. They are at a house party in Newport, RI (where all the mansions are). The hero's best friend is there because the girl he has loved since childhood is about to be engaged to an English duke. So the hero comes to the house party because he wants both of his childhood friends to marry since they have loved each other since youth. While there, he has one little indiscretion and a knock on his door after dark makes him think the lady wants more, but he doesn't. He is very surprised to see a virginal debutante, the heroine, who he promised his friend he would not bother, on the other side of the door. She steps in and wants to engage him to teach her how to seduce men. The heroine has decided to try to lose her shyness and gain confidence and wants the hero to help her.
This story wandered from normal romance into different type of historical romance, back to the usual rake with virgin story, then it it's off into a unique story. I felt that this was very well researched and accurate rendition of the time. I learned new things about New York High Society and it made this type of story more palatable for me. The characters and supporting characters seem to be able to start their own stories. I could come up with three other stories from this one book. I give this book 5 stars and recommendation to read.

Shy young woman on the marriage mart in Gilded Age New York makes a deal with a scoundrel. If he will teach her how to catch a husband she will provide her chef's recipes that will make his new supper club a success. Things do not go as expected when Kit discovers Alice is a good student. Along the way, Alice makes friends, stands up to her despicable mother, and discovers she can be a great chef. Kit discovers his father was wrong and he is a good person. Friends are the found family you create. Nellie provides a modified Irish Wake for Kit's friend. I can hardly wait until we read Nellie's story. Is Preston her HEA? I can only hope. I am also beginning to feel sorry for the Duke of Lockwood. Poor guy needs to find an heiress with money so he can fix the leaky roof on his castle. He seems like a nice enough guy, but he keeps losing out to these Fifth Avenue Rebels.

4 stars.

What a delight! I really struggled with Shupe's last series for a variety of reasons, but the character inconsistencies across the trilogy was a big part of it. I accidentally missed the first in this new series, but I'll definitely be backtracking to read it and picking up the next.

Alice and Kit are so very adorable together -- I love a rake who falls for a wallflower and thus am primed to love them. Like, of course you big dummy, of course you're going to fall in love with that quiet girl who happens to be a very passionate kisser!

This book is fairly light, but I'd strongly encourage people to check out content warnings: the times they're featured are pretty serious.

Alice Lusk is a shy American Heiress with a large dowry on the hunt for a suitor. While attending dinner during a house party the hostess is quick to warn her away from a particular gentleman. She is told, “Kit is the very Devil. With one smile, he manages to turn even the shyest woman into a vixen. It never fails.” Alice desperately wants to get away from her verbally abusive mother and wants to marry for love. She quickly convinces herself that Kit is the answer to her prayers. After considering her friends words she devises a clever plan. Later that night Alice confronts Kit in his bedroom and eventually offers him a deal he can’t refuse. Recipes from a famous chef he can use for his supper club in exchange for lessons in seduction.

Alice and Kit have great chemistry throughout. I have always enjoyed reading Joanna Shupe and this book is no exception. Everything is so perfectly described and the phrasing she uses will draw you right into the story.

My only disappointment- I’m not exactly sure why Kit’s friend Forrest was a part of this story. To include such a heartbreaking tragedy just felt completely out of place in my opinion. If we are to believe what occurred was the catalyst that changed Kit’s ways I think it could have been approached in a less gruesome way. TW: Alcoholism

Overall this was an enjoying read I wouldn’t pass up. The growth achieved by both main characters and the slow building of their love for each other was beautifully done.

I was really intrigued by Kit after meeting him in The Heiress Hunt and was so happy to see him find his own HEA in The Lady Gets Lucky. I loved seeing this (reformed) rake have his world turned upside down by the sweet wallflower. Kit and Alice were an unlikely pair, but that's why it worked so well. Their lessons in seduction were so delicious and the sexual tension built up so wonderfully. Seeing Alice come into her own and then take charge of her sexuality and life were the best parts of the novel for me. She challenged and supported Kit in a way that no one ever had and I loved their connection. The story was also very emotional at times, with both main characters trying to overcome years of toxicity from their parents. My heart broke for both Kit and Alice as they struggled under the weight of all that negativity. I felt the angst was drawn out a bit too long in the book and I would have preferred Kit have recognized his feelings on his own. He had some good groveling, but I wanted more since I'm not sure he would have come to his epiphany if not for his personal tragedy and Nellie's influence. The ending was very sweet though and I now have a craving for Babka!

Although it's not necessary to read book 1 to enjoy The Lady Gets Lucky, I think readers will have a more fulfilling experience if they have. The book follows the same timeline as The Heiress Hunt for the first half of the book, so it will give more depth to those events. I really enjoyed seeing what other characters were doing while those events unfolded in book 1 and it was a great way to set the plot in motion. I'm looking forward to Preston's book next, but I'd love to see a book for Nellie in the future too!

CW: death of friend, alcoholism, grief, death of parent, parental abandonment, fat shaming, toxic parental relationship - emotional and mental abuse

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

Joanna Shupe returns with her second book in her series set in the Gilded Age. Alice is a shy woman who is ready to break out of her shell to find her perfect match. To do this she enlists Kit, the epitome of a scoundrel, to tutor her in the art of seduction. Kit is shocked to discover that Alice is a very quick learner and he ends up in a situation that is much more than he bargained for!

This book was perfect escapism for me during a very busy time in my life. “Tutor me” is one hundred percent my catnip! I loved Alice and her development into standing up for herself in everything that matters. While Alice is the one who approaches Kit for help, Kit is the one who needs healing and learns more from Alice than he could have ever expected. One of my favorite parts is when Alice takes her final stand for herself with not only her parents, but also with Kit! If you love to read good food porn and a wallflower coming into her own, you should definitely read this book!

Alice Lusk needs help to become a siren. So that she can marry for love and not solely for fortune. And she loves to cook. Kit Ward is getting ready to open a supper club. But he needs a chef. So they both decide to help each other out. The Lady Gets Lucky was definitely entertaining, great characters and a page turner. Alice's mom was a piece of work. Great story I enjoyed reading it! I received a eARC copy from Netgalley,Harper Voyager and Avon for my honest opinion.
#TheLadyGetsLucky #JoannaShupe #NetGalley #HarperVoyager #Avon

The Lady Gets Lucky was quite a treat. I enjoy the trope of one character asking for love lessons from the other. I got the exciting tingles in my stomach just looking forward to reading more. The characters are well fleshed out. The story always kept my interest. Sign me up for the next book.

I voluntarily read an early copy.

I…did not know I expected from The Lady Gets Lucky, but what I got was so much better than my wildest expectations.

Miss Alice Lusk is in need of a miracle. It’s the only way she’s going to be able to marry for anything resembling the potential for love. Shy and in possession of the world’s worst mother, she wants to marry someone, anyone, who will love her for herself and not just her dowry.

Enter Kit Ward, renowned scoundrel and flirt. He wants to be seen as more than a pretty face and a good time, but all that he has to offer is his charm until he can open his supper club.

Alice sees an opportunity and seizes it — striking a bargain for lessons in how to entice a man in exchange for her knowledge of recipes from the best chef in New York. But when these lessons become more, will they be able to get what they need without a little luck?

Alice and Kit are ADORABLE together and I’m a sucker for “sex lessons” tropes, especially when the master of love is mastered by an ingenue. The addition of the chef subplot is divine and I just ate this book up like a fresh babka…which, incidentally features quite prominently in the text.

A solid 4 stars for this read and I can’t wait for more.

The Lady Gets Lucky by Joanna Shupe is the second book in The Fifth Avenue Rebels series, but works really well as a standalone book. This book centers around Alice Lusk, a shy heiress with a dreadful mother, who wants to marry for love. At a house party, she sees Christopher “Kit” Ward dynamically charm everyone he meets. She sneaks into his room and begs him to teach her how to charm a man so someone can fall in love with her. Initially, Kit sends her away, but he learns of her connection to a renowned chef and agrees to help her in exchange for some world famous recipes.

This book was an easy and quick read. I loved watching the characters fall in love with each other. The reader can really feel the tension and romance between Alice and Kit. This book was quite steamy. Alice is a fantastic heroine. She aspires to be a chef and I loved the way her HEA played out. I felt like the author was very true to her character. Although she wanted to fall in love, she also wanted to follow her dreams. The epilogue especially had a fun little twist that I didn’t see coming.

I also think it's important to note that this book deals with some heavy issues. Both Kit and Alice have abusive parents. We see the verbal abuse that Alice is put through during most of the story. Her mother is absolutely awful. However, I think it’s interesting that a book that covers such heavy issues can still feel as light and romantic as it did. My heart broke for Alice when she was with her mother, but it was so gratifying watching her break out of her shell. Other characters in the story helped her realize that her mom’s abuse wasn’t her fault and that it is ok to remove toxic people from your life if they do you harm. I think the author handled this all very well.

I haven’t read the other book in this series, but I definitely will. I hope the author writes a book about Nellie and/or the poor Duke, who’s wife hunt has already been thwarted twice in this series.

I was invited to read an ARC of The Lady Gets Lucky, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #TheLadyGetsLucky

The Lady Gets Lucky is the second book in Joanna Shupe's Fifth Avenue Rebels series. I never read the first in the series, The Heiress Hunt, and did feel like I was missing a little bit that was going on with secondary characters, Maddie and Harrison. Using context clues, I could kind of hobble together some things that had happened and it didn't take away from the main storyline.

American heiress, Alice is a shy wallflower with an overbearing mother. She attends a house party where she meets Kit Ward a known scoundrel. Alice knows that to attract a love match she must come out of her shell and learn to flirt. She strikes a deal with Kit to provide him access to recipes he wants for his new super club. In return, Kit will teach Alice how to attract a man and feel more confident in flirting.

Alice was not your average wallflower. I loved that Shupe made her have ambition. She had such a passion for cooking and food and it was refreshing to see a woman in a historical choosing a blue collar career. Kit was so supportive of Alice's cooking from the very first time he learned about it. Alice's friend Nellie is also a breath of fresh air. She's a spitfire who doesn't care for her reputation and is fiercely loyal to both Alice and Kit. I'm hoping she gets her own story next in the series.

CW: I was completely surprised by the death of a secondary character. Having had an extended family manner die in the same gruesome manner made this scene very jarring for me. I couldn't predict it coming. I understand the author used it as a way to show Kit's character development but it was too much for me personally.

A note about Alice's mother. She is horrendous, verbally abusive, and self absorbed. She has no redeeming qualities and unfortunately doesn't get quite the comeuppance that she rightfully deserves.

Overall, this book is for you if you love: kissing lesson tropes, tons of pining, babkas, supportive partners and friends, egg hunts, and undeniably steamy chemistry.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, Harper Voyager, and Joanna Shupe for giving me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Shupe continues her new Fifth Avenue Rebels series with a scandalous romance about a good girl desperate to rebel and the rebel desperate to corrupt her.
A first-rate scoundrel.
A desperate wallflower.
Lessons in seduction.
Shy heiress Alice Lusk is tired of being overlooked by every bachelor. Something has to change!
Christopher “Kit” Ward plans to open a not-so-reputable supper club in New York City, and he’s willing to do whatever it takes to hire the best chef in the city to guarantee its success. Even if it requires giving carnal lessons to a serious-minded spinster who has an in with the chef.
This gilded age romance is amazing.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

Title: The Lady Gets Lucky
Author: Joanna Shupe
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥/5 (Hot on the Smut-O-Meter)
Series: The Fifth Avenue Rebels #2
Tropes: Historical - American Gilded Age, Upper class marriage market, Seduction tutor, Reforming a rake, Food as seduction
Content Warning: Death of friend, Addiction - alcoholism, Emotionally and verbally abusive parents, Past death of a parent, Feeling of unworthiness, Minor injury - sprained ankle

In Shupe’s second installment of the Fifth Avenue Rebels series, shy heiress Alice Lusk is at the summer home of Maddie Webster (MC of The Heiress Hunt) when she meets notorious rake Christopher “Kit” Ward. She’s desperate to marry to escape her abusive mother, but wants a true husband not a fortune hunter. When Alice overhears someone say Kit could “turn even the shyest woman into a vixen” he becomes her solution. She proposes seduction lessons. While he refuses at first, eventually they make a deal and he begins showing her how to lure a man’s attention. Of course, in the process, they are seducing each other.

I’m trash for the “teach me” trope and this book did not disappoint. While the timeline of the book is fairly short, each seduction lesson feels lavish and unrushed. I loved Alice’s hidden fierceness and her journey of self-discovery. Not only is Kit contributing to her growing self-confidence but the other heiresses she meets at the Websters. Plus her love of cooking and interactions with her various teachers were lovely.

Kit is on a journey to find his worth beyond his handsomeness and wealth. He has his own baggage around his parents. We also have some of the darkest moments of the book during his interactions with his friend, Forrest. Shupe crafts a heart touching and sexy Gilded Age romance that makes me want to dive into her impressive backlog before the next installment of the Fifth Avenue Rebels is released.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for providing a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.