And just like that the Fifth Avenue Rebels series comes to an end with the story of Nellie and the Duke of Lockwood. Fair warning: you should REALLY read the first three books to fully enjoy this HEA.

Fast and quick summary:
Here is what we know from the first 3 books: Nellie is is the heiress that lives her life by her own set of rules-- screw what society may think of her. Andrew Talbot, The Duke of Lockwood, is in DIRE needs of an heiress after being snubbed twice by none other than 2 of Nellie's friends. The animosity and tension are high whenever they come into contact. Here is what we didn't know: Before the fated house party in Newport (Book 1) Nellie and Andrew met by chance under the cover of darkness for a spicy midnight swim. Their chemistry is undeniable and they both agree to meet again......until.....in the light of day they realize he is trying to marry her best friend and she is a scandalous heiress who has NO interest in marrying.

This was a great series ending, with plenty of cameos from characters of the previous three books. Nellie and Andrew are just perfect together and you are rooting for them the whole time! There are quite a few things that keeps them apart...well mostly keeps Nellie from taking the plunge.. However, I liked how the ending played out. It was not the normal "i'll run to the boat and stop you from leaving". Without giving too much away, it felt like the ending stayed true to who Nellie was.

It was a great read. However, it did not surpass my love for her previous book, The Bride Goes Rogue.

I really enjoyed this story about Nellie and Andrew (Lockwood). This was quite different than the usual historical I have read and quite a surprising story. I loved every bit of it. Didn’t realize that Lockwood was in prior books since I hadn’t read them. Will do so now for sure.
Nellie was a Fifth Avenue heiress with lots of issues. She ran around and slept around as well. Lockwood was a Duke in need of an heiress to marry as he was destitute and in danger of losing his family estates. One look at Nellie and he was smitten. She thought he needed someone pure and capable of being a duchess and knew she was not it. They have an affair anyway and soon hearts are entwined. She tries to deny her feelings as she thinks she is not worthy of him though they gave each other what they needed in so many ways. This was a steamy, wonderful love story and I could not put it down. My first by this author. Will be reading more of her work. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

What a fantastic romance novel.
I loved Lockwood and Nelly, and couldn't put it down. I haven't read a lot of Joanna Shupe before and this will definitely get me started on more.

I’ve been waiting for this one, turn it up! And turn it up Joanna Shupe did. No one is playing the historical romance game like Joanna Shupe and I have been waiting to see what she would do with Nellie and the Duke for this entire series. Their story did not disappoint; it was heartfelt, it was steamy, and I loved every minute. Fantastic straight laced vs. chaos demon dynamic. I can’t wait for Joanna Shupe’s next series!

I owe my life to Avon and NetGalley for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review. :)

Review posted to Goodreads (9/18/22): https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4804554008

There is so much to love about Joanna Shupe's,The Duke Gets Even.
O.K. Yes!
Besides the fact that its the Duke of Lockwood's story!
Finally!!!
And that there is a sexy midnight trist that involves people in various stages of undress and a large body of water.
And that there is a serious opposites attract.
But we can't fight the feeling!
But oh we must for money and country!
But we can't fight the feeling!
But I can never be the one for you!
But you are the one for me.
And we're running out of people that we can actually be paired with and not have to start another series, HEA!

Nellie, is of course, that perfect blend of brash bravado and sensitive, pained, damaged soul. Looking for solace and understanding in a world built for anything but.
But then the same can be said for her brooding and straight laced leading man.
But wait?
Is he as straight laced as he appears?
Hmmmm...
But wait...
There's more!
Yep!
There is Nellie's oh so relevant crusade against the injustice of the Comstock Act; and its effect on women's reproductive rights.
Oh yeah!
Now we're talking!
A love story to remember.
A leading man and lady that set the pages afire.
And...
Socially relevant, emotionally sensitive, and intellectually appealing commentary!
Sign me up for the full ride.
I'm in!
As you will be too.
Come January 2023!

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

The fourth book in the series this can be read entirely as a standalone

CW: death of a parent (past), grief, violence, domestic violence (off-page, side character), sexism, slut-shaming

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

-m/f historical romance
-an anonymous hookup
-forbidden relationship elements
-let's bang it out of our systems
-horny swimming
-just a hookup
-we both like it rough

I have been so hyped for Lockwood and Nellie's book. The Duke who needs a wealthy heiress to save his family's estate and title vs Nellie, fiercely independent and judged for it. I love how this book gives us a glimpse at how it started between them, a swim in the ocean. Setting them up to collide throughout the series.

I've been wanting a closer look at Lockwood who just kept getting knocked around in previous books, trying to find the heiress who would rescue him. Resigned to the fact that love wasn't in the cards for him. Rocked by a hookup with Nellie. And then finally giving into the temptation as they stayed in each other's circles.

I adored Nellie. Always speaking her mind, soft for her dad, fiercely loyal for her friends. Trying to figure things out as her friends all seem like their moving on, getting engaged, married, likely having kids. And everything she wants seems so conflicted with that. But she also wants Lockwood, who is looking for everything she feels like she can never have, so of course the answer is to hookup with no feelings involved.

This book was steamy, and I don't think I'll ever be able to look at a body of water again the same way. I love how these two gave each other what they needed in so many ways, without judgement, with care, and just a bit of a push. This was high steam goodness as these two stopped with their brains and let their hearts take over.

Steam: 4

4.5 stars!
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC! Nellie and Lockwood are here! I was beyond excited when I received the ARC for this story! This is such a great series and I was so ready for Nellie and Lockwood to get their story (I’ve been anticipating it since book 2!). The chemistry was so good (there’s one scene in particular that I can’t stop thinking about!). I’ve always loved Nellie and this book made me love her even more. I didn’t know too much about Lockwood from the other books so it was fun getting to know him! I really appreciated the discussions of contraception, reproductive rights, and bodily autonomy. Anyway, this was an amazing ending to the series! I'm going to miss the fifth avenue rebels so much.

The Duke Gets Even is fourth in a historical romance series by Joanna Shupe, and features--full disclaimer--one of my favorite tropes: starchy uptight hero and the more free-spirited heroine. In this case it's a clash between an impoverished duke who is transparently trying to find a rich American heiress to wed to bail out his estates (that of course his spendthrift father ran through). He collides in an accidental midnight tryst in the waters with the rich daughter of a robber baron, where they immediately spark. It doesn't occur to him that she is not an impoverished servant, though somewhat understandable because of her very forward ways, which are enabled by her indulgent father. Shupe adds layers to what admittedly are very commoncharacters by giving both hero and heroine some complexity--spoilers! The duke has a heart condition, and the heiress grieves still the loss of her mother, and also struggles mightily against the double standards and unfair restrictions placed against women, but not in a way that screams ahistorical (I'm looking at you, last few books from Sarah Maclean).. Honestly, I loved this book, as measured by the fact that I stayed up until 1 am to read it. The chemistry jumps off the page, and the writing was quite hot. The only caveat is it would definitely benefit to read the other books in the series, though I have to say that I rated the first book very low--those characters were my least favorite. However, the series has improved steadily, and it was worth it to get Lockwood and Nellie's story.

Thank you to Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Jaysus,Mary and Joseph this book is 🔥
I was so excited to read Lockwood and Nellies story and it was well worth the wait. The entire Fifth Avenue series has been phenomenal Every new novel built up to this story. Lockwood finally has his chance and we got an opportunity to look at their story behind the scenes of each prior novel. Lockwood is looking for an heiress to save his struggling dukedom and finds love with a spitfire American who isn’t impressed with titles. I admire Nellie for staying true to herself and being such a strong advocate of women. Lockwood is the perfect hero. Beautifully written and well worth the wait.!

Everyone needs to prepare themselves for the historical romance of 2023. This book was everything I could have ever hoped for, but never knew I was missing it. Sheer perfection.

The character development in this book is just so subtle, but so sweet and endearing. Nellie (MMC calls her by her full first name of Eleanor) is headstrong, sexy, vibrant, and oh-so compassionate. She fights for women's reproductive rights and teaches the women of her local community about contraceptives and their proper uses. (yes, Queen.)

Lockwood (how he is mainly referred to, but his real first name is Andrew), is just SO SWOONWORTHY. He is a handsome, SBD, (oh yea, and he's a Duke) with a crumbling estate thanks to his daddy's mismanagement. Now, seeking a wealthy American heiress, he must decide whether to follow his head or his heart.

The scenery in this book is really top notch. Midnight swims, poolside romance, carriage conversations, and steamy hotel scenes. The relationships outside of the MMC/FMC are also just so beautiful. The strong bond between Nellie and her father had me in tears. The relationship between Nellie and her Aunt, as well as Nellie and her friends was so powerful and felt very poignant to me.

Lastly, the steam. OH THE STEAM. 4/5 peppers. There is some top-notch steam in this romance, everyone.

While this is the 4th book in a series, it can definitely be read as a standalone.

BONUS: Lockwood FINALLY gets his HEA, and we even get an Epilogue.

CWs for this book: off page death of parent, MMC w/heart condition

My only complaint is that this is the conclusion to the series, and I just don't want it to end! I can't wait to see what Joanna Shupe comes up with next.

Thank you so, so much to @NetGalley, @HarperVoyagerUS & @AvonBooks for the e-ARC!

This was INCREDIBLE and UN-PUT-DOWNABLE!! I've been waiting for this conclusion to the series - and so curious as to how Nellie and the Duke would come together.

I am here to report that it is everything I wanted it to be and more. Their relationship was spicy yet sweet and though both were conflicted due to their family obligations (the Duke) and their idea of their future (Nellie), they came together so well. I love how the Duke respected her.

Nellie's beliefs about women's bodily autonomy and her fight of providing women with contraception hits differently in this 2022 version of America where Roe v Wade has been overturned and people with uteruses suddenly have less bodily autonomy than those who don't.

Overall I think this was the perfect end to this series and I will read anything Joanna Shupe writes.

Also also, I raise your HR bathtub spice to a whole ass pool. Yes, it was great..

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for the eARC! I will absolutely be preordering

Thank you Avon and NetGalley for the ARC!

The long awaited conclusion is here!! I was so curious how Nellie and Lockwood would get together and I enjoyed seeing different sides to them.

I appreciated seeing Nellie’s insecurities and concerns and I enjoyed seeing the real Lockwood under that “ducal” facade. Once that came out of him, them being together made more sense!

Our main characters are in a bind, though, since Nellie doesn’t want to get married while duke really likes her, he needs to find a duchess to save his estate that’s counting on him. But then! SOMEONE catches deeper feelings! 👀

I enjoyed the book as we see these circling each other for months. Nellie is dealing with A LOT and so is the duke! I loved seeing them snipe at each other at beginning and then eventually they grow softer towards each other. Lockwood has a lot in store to surprise us with and the last few chapters kept me guessing on how it was going to end. A good ending to a fun series!

I literally devoured this story, neglecting all my other duties because it was just so incredibly good. I have loved every book in this series and though Alice is the heroine of my heart, Lockwood is THE GUY. The stuffy aristocrat on the surface, he has hidden depth and a penchant for naughtiness in between the sheets. That beginning was absolutely marvelous, the banter is spot-on and the sexy times so hot. While I generally don't enjoy any kind of politics and preaching in romance and I really dislike pushy feminism, the point this book is making is very current and, I think, necessary. I will not say more because I don't want to give any spoilers but definitely read this one. And the other three in the series.

This was an incredible story. I loved how the story was about a strong woman standing up for herself and living her truth. The Duke was fantastic and I just loved the couple and how they flowed through the story. Joanna Shupe is always a delight and this book was remarkable.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Duke Gets Even. I have been so excited to read it since I read the teaser at the end of The Bride Goes Rogue. I loved how stubborn both characters were and seeing their love story unfold on the page. Nellie and Lockwood are strangers who by fate meet at midnight. In the ocean off the coast of Newport. Naked.

After their sensual first kiss they are entranced and enthralled by one another and set up another tryst…until the next day when they meet again at a house party only to find out that Lockwood is about to propose marriage to Nellie’s heiress best friend to save his crumbling Ducal estates. Nellie is naturally a little salty about the whole thing because she doesn’t want her best friend married to an English aristocratic cad who has midnight trysts with strangers while planning to marry someone else…fair. Turns out Nellies friend Maddie is actually in love with someone else and she never actually marries the Duke, but he still needs to find and wed a respectful heiress to be his Duchess and save his family legacy. Nellie is an heiress to an obscene fortune, but with her scandalous party girl reputation she is hardly Duchess material. They have a lust/hate relationship and dance around one another for months until inevitably they dance between the sheets. They can no longer ignore their mutual longing and affection for one another. Can they put their own issues aside and come together and live happily ever after? I sure think so….😉

I LOVED EVERY SINGLE THING ABOUT THIS.

This is exactly everything that I wanted from this book and more. It’s as if the woman was the rake and the scoundrel, and the man the innocent. This takes the base concept presented in the description and pushes it forward—beyond even what is the usual confines of the subgenre that is historical romance. There are no blushing virgins here, and the woman that might be “ruined” in society’s eyes has full control of her agency WITHOUT denigrating those who play be society’s rules. There’s no “not like other girls” syndrome that could have happened with a less skilled hand; instead it’s a celebration of womanhood and agency as Nellie even helps other women present the best version of themselves possible.

The storyline about contraception and controlling women’s body was also timely, and it didn’t feel forced whatsoever. I think it’s because of Nellie’s character throughout—she’s outspoken, she knows her principles, and has the courage to speak on her beliefs even when society may scorn her.

A romance isn’t complete without the love interest, and Andrew Talbot, Duke of Lockwood, is a great counter to Nellie. Andrew is someone who is trying to be want society expects from him, playing by their rules and going for the debutantes deemed suitable for a Duke. But when he encounters Nellie, his world is turned askew. For here is a woman who meets him barb for barb, tit for tat, and shares a passion for activities that he also loves—including in the bed.

Then the sex scenes? Shupe delivers again. After reading the author’s previous sex scenes in anthologies such as Rake I’d Like to F, I wanted her to go a little more harder than usual and well…Nellie and Andrew definitely do like it rough.

This is definitely something that I would recommend to anyone and everyone, even (and maybe especially) for those new to historical romance.

Joanna Shupe hits it out of the park with this final book of her Fifth Avenue Rebels series. I’m a complete sucker for a stuffed shirt paired with a chaos maniac, and Nellie + Lockwood work so well together; I’ve been hoping they’d be paired together since Book 2. By this point in the series, the characters are pretty well-developed, so while there wasn’t a ton of character-heavy building in this book, I had a sense of who these two were from the series arc. The chemistry between them nearly incinerated my phone as I read. An absolute delight, and a prescient book considering the resurgence of attack’s on reproductive freedoms and liberties.

Special thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager for granting me an ARC via NetGalley. I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Duke Gets Even: ★ ★ ★ ★

Joanna Shupe (The Fifth Avenue Rebels, #4)

"She was everything out loud that he tried to keep hidden away. Bold colors compared to his muted existence."

It's here! Lockwood & Nellie's story was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024 as soon as The Bride Goes Rogue was released, and this did not disappoint. This book had my attention from start to finish & I absolutely could not put it down. Nellie & Lockwood had chemistry for days, making this book a sizzling success.

Lockwood is 50 shades of boy obsessed & I am here for it. “Love doesn’t even come close to describing what I feel for you. I’m a wreck when we’re apart, like I’m missing a limb. I bloody worship you, woman.” The man lived and breathed for Nellie, and my God was it wonderful. I loved the way he wanted to show her off, take her out in public, and didn't care for her reputation at all. He wanted to show her that she was worth it, regardless of what people might say about her. All he did was make her feel empowered, loved, and protected and it was phenomenal.

We always knew Nellie was a strong, independent heroine and that absolutely does not die down in her book. Adamant and headstrong, she is determined to live life the way she wants to, without anyone telling her otherwise. At times, this is her biggest foe. The way she constantly fights against Lockwood and pushes him away positively grated on my nerves at times. Nevertheless, she is an admirable character who supports women's rights & will always put women first. Never afraid to help someone else, Nellie is the kind of friend everyone wants in their life.

The third act conflict in this book was avoidable, if they just communicated better. There was a thin thread of miscommunication throughout the book with both parties thinking the other didn't like them, or didn't deserve them. While there was great communication on Lockwood's part, I just wish I could have seen it from Nellie too. They both deserved her honesty–to each other and to herself.

This relationship is certainly one for the books! And seeing Preston still being so very besotted with Katie was such an added bonus as well. I highly recommend picking up this series if you're looking for a steamy historical romance with drama, strong heroines, and men who will do anything for them.

The Duke Gets Even is an incredibly satisfying conclusion to one of the best historical romance series, penned by an author who excels in writing gripping, heartwarming, and captivating romance.

*ARC kindly provided by Netgalley & Avon for an honest review.

This was absolute perfection.

I've loved Nellie from the first page she walked on and I've been eagerly awaiting her story. She's headstrong and stubborn, passionate and loyal. Lockwood is charming, steadfast, and not nearly as stuffy as his title makes him seem. Together they have animosity that turns to chemistry that grows to more more more.

Plot wise, it's lovely. I really enjoyed that each of the books all come back to the house party and then spiral away. It's delightful seeing the women from the other books, but I legit could have read 100 more pages of these two. Of course, I did get irritated with some of the push and pull, but the ending is fantastic.

Overall, this was exactly what I wanted for these two and this story is definitely my favorite of the series. I know I'll be reading this one again.

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

I have been waiting for this book for literally years and could not wait any longer. I have spent three books watching Nellie and the Duke of Lockwood watch and avoid each other and finally we have their book. The pair met swimming in the ocean at midnight and have been fiercely attracted to each other since, but since then Lockwood has tried to woo Nellie’s friends much to her annoyance. Finally the friends are paired off and Nellie and Lockwood begin an affair but they can’t keep their feelings from entering the equation.

Nellie is a romance heroine that was written especially for me. She is opinionated, loves plants, cares deeply about reproductive rights, and has a sadness to her. I loved how secure she was in herself. I loved how aware Lockwood was of Nellie at all times and always wanted her nearby. I loved the power dynamics of Nellie’s and Lockwood’s relationship. Lockwood is a Duke which in any other book would make him the most powerful, but in New York Nellie is by far more powerful. However, I loved that they saw each other as equals even if the world doesn’t see them that way. I loved that Nellie took Lockwood to her family in the tenements and made sure that he fit right in. I just loved it all!

This is the fourth book in a series and the couples from the first three books do make appearances but this book can absolutely be read as a standalone. I cannot wait to see where Joanna’s next series takes us.