This was my first novel by Joanna Shupe. I am also fairly new to historical romances, some I have loved and some I have not. The Duke Gets Even was paced very well. The spicy scenes were hot as hell and created good tension. My only complaint about the book was that the characters sometimes had traits that did not totally make sense given other aspects and the relationship seemed largely to be based on sex with just too little development of their emotional intimacy. It was there, but not enough for a really great book to me. The main character, Ellie, had this wonderful feminist pursuit, yet, at times she seemed to have a "not like other girls" attitude. That didn't totally align to me. Overall, this was an enjoyable read, but maybe not one I return to.

Yet another rendition of the uptight duke falling for the scandalous lady. Fun and low stakes and way more sexytimes than most historicals.

This book if hot and steamy! The best historical this year! I mean the strong characters and fast moving story made it entertaining to the point you don't want to put it down. There are parts that are serious but mostly a fun read. Highly recommend this book

THE DUKE GETS EVEN is one of the few books I wish I could give more than 5 stars to. Sweeping, sexy, and smutty as hell, the final novel in Shupe's THE FIFTH AVENUE REBELS series perfectly wraps up a stunning universe full of friendship and fresh takes on beloved tropes. This is one of only a handful of ARCs I've gone back to reread practically every other week. The swimming pool scene? Come on now!

I'm speechless. This is so much better than I thought it would be and my expectations were sky high. What a narrative Shupe has wrought from this couple! Will 100% be shouting from the rooftops about this one.

DELIGHTFUL??? What a charming little end to the Fifth Avenue series and oh my GOD Lockwood 🔥🔥🔥

Charming and fun and I’ve needed a historical romance in my life so I am quite happy I decided on Joanna. Who is a treasure. And excellent at writing some charming and funny banter. Like always.

(Thank you to netgalley and valentine for my review copy!!)

“Love isn’t pretty. It’s a terrible, terrible thing that tears you up inside. But it can also be wonderful. It’s the source of life’s greatest happiness, to have that one person who understands you better than anyone else.

Having read the previous books in the series, I was really excited for Lockwood to finally get his happily ever after. This book didn’t disappoint! Honestly this book was my favorite of the series. I was immediately captivated by Nellie and Lockwood’s story. Not to mention, the spicy moments throughout this book were so darn good! For me this story had the perfect blend of romance and spice.

The banter and sexual chemistry between these two were some of my favorite parts in this book. Plus, Nellie was such a wonderful, strong and fierce female character. It was refreshing to see a free spirit like her because you don’t see them often in historical romances. I also loved how Lockwood treated Nellie. He wasn’t intimidated or put off by her independence or free spirit. He loved and admired her for who she was. It just made me love these characters even more. This book also had a little bit of everything. It was filled with humor, heart and plenty of spicy goodness. In my opinion, The Duke Gets Even is one of the best historical romances that I’ve read this year!

What a fun romance!
The Duke of Lockwood is in New York in search of a wife, more specifically, an heiress who can save the duchy's reputation with her charm and impeccable reputation and the estates with cold, hard American money. The problem is that he's fallen quite hard for the rather rebellious Nellie Young, perhaps the biggest heiress in all of New York but also the one with quite possibly the worst reputation. Meanwhile, Nellie has decided that she's not going to marry and is going to instead spend her time taking care of her dad, her mom's plants, and the education of women on forms of contraception, which just happens to be incredibly illegal. They're technically completely wrong for each other, but the reality is that they complete and complement each other in downright magical ways. Every single scene they share is a gorgeous example of crafting scenes that show the characters growing as individuals and as a couple.
There's also the fact that Shupe includes some very fun scenes and characters that help expand the world Lockwood and Nellie inhabit in such a way that it truly feels like you're reading someone's story.
It's fun, romantic, and different from most historical romances in that it includes some very modern topics set expertly in the era. I highly recommend giving this one a read.


Very happy thanks to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for the excellent romance read!

Well, this was a fun edition to the series.

Nellie’s character was probably one of the strongest, in the sense that she did what she wanted, when she wanted, and with whom she wanted. And she didn’t think twice. She was in control of her life. Yes, her dad gave her the financial stability to do so, but there were still many ways she could’ve handled such freedom.

But of course things changed when the Duke stepped into her life. She knew what she wanted but when true love is pushing down on you, it causes you to rethink everything you THOUGHT you wanted. Especially if it leaves you alone.

I like the cameos from the past books. And I LOVED seeing Nellie’s extended family. I’d love to read more about them.

I was really looking forward to finally getting Nellie and the Duke of Lockwood’s romance in this book because it had been teased since the beginning of the series. Ultimately, I walked away from this book with a general attitude of “it’s good, but just not quite what I wanted,” if that makes sense? Nellie is a scandalous lady in the sense that she gives zero thought to society and just does what she wants, but she suffers some consequences to that like being touched by creepy older men who think that because she’s shared her body with people of her own choosing, they should also get to have her. In some ways, this book felt like it was in conversation with Scarlett Peckham’s The Rakess and my issue with both books is that sometimes I just want a historical romance with a woman who goes after what she wants to have a woman who just… gets to have her cake and doesn’t have to deal with things like sexual assault. Is that asking too much? Apparently.

That said, I really did enjoy the friendships in this book, Nellie’s family, and even the way the third act conflict resolved itself, though I could have been happier, I think, with a few more pages before being thrust into the epilogue. It’s always difficult for me when the resolution comes so late in the book. But all in all, I loved the way Lockwood fell for Nellie and how he cast off this desire to have a duchess who would be above reproach. I mean, what is the point of being a Duke if you can’t marry who you want, honestly? But also, I sort of wish that we got more of the two of them together after the fact. Because there’s talk in this book about how being a scandalous duchess wouldn’t be a fun time, but we don’t see that. Basically, I wanted a lot out of this book and I got a great story that just didn’t focus on all the things I wanted. I hope that is helpful to you in deciding whether or not this book could be for you!

I really enjoyed this book! The friendship was fun to watch grow. I love that Lockwood finally got his HEA. I was curious to see how everything would work out, considering the two different countries and responsibilities. It worked out beautifully, even adding Paris! I'm glad to see Nellie feeling settled within herself and happy. Now, Lockwood better live forever....looking at you JS.

Joanna Shupe is one of my favorite authors. She is my go to for historical gilded age romance. This book has been the most anticipated book of the years. The Duke and Nelly. These two character jump out of the page since there first scene together in book 1. Nelly is a modern women living life to the fullest and The duke is a man who need a woman with money to help his estate. When these two meet they had a chemistry that was undeniable however, when Nelly find out that the duke proposed to her friend all bets are off. These two enemies however their attraction is fire. I’m so excited for everyone to read this book. I can’t wait to see what Joanna writes next.

This book had an amazing start and end, but with a super long middle in my opinion.

I initially loved Lockwood and Nellie's meet-cute and loved Nellie's unique personality in the HR world. And their chemistry was off the charts.

Nellie is a wildcat! Despite the strict confines expected of women in New York Society, she is her own person - advocating for women’s rights. The Duke of Lockwood is in dire straits and doing what many landed aristocrats did when they needed money: looking for an American heiress. And he has every intention of finding the perfect duchess: money and a spotless reputation. But then he meets Nellie and she turns his world upside down. They clearly have chemistry and they find it increasingly hard to stay away from each other. But is their chemistry more? Is it enough to overcome all the obstacles in their way?

Shupe has done a great job - I was invested in Nellie and Lockwood. I loved how Nellie was such a supporter of women’s rights and I just adored her father (not the usual father in these books, that is for sure!) A great historical romance - steamy and fun!

Wow! This book is SO GOOD! It is romantic, witty, heartbreaking, full of hope, heartwarming, and quite steamy at times! Whenever I picked up "The Duke Gets Even", I was whisked back in time, and went on such an emotional journey with this story.

Joanna Shupe is such an incredible author! Her writing style is visceral, vivid, detailed, and her characters feel like such real people. Their relationships to one another are so clear, and I truly found myself pulling for Nellie and Lockwood to find their happiness with one another.

Nellie is such a strong, caring, brave, and intelligent woman. She stands up for what is right, and does not back down! When she meets Lockwood, never could she have imagined how this moment will change her life. Lockwood is such a caring and smart man who does not care what society may think of him. Never could he have imagined how meeting Nellie will change his life, and allow him to find true love.

(Possible Spoilers!)
OH MY GOODNESS! The chemistry between Nellie and Lockwood from the first moment they meet is INCREDIBLE! These two truly bring out the best in one another, and truly understand and come to care for each other on such a beautifully deep level. Both are, understandably, hesitant to open and share their hearts, but, as they get to know each other more, they begin to trust. Their love story is so touching, and I am so glad they truly are one another's perfect happily-ever-after! Also, I absolutely adore Aunt Riona. She has such a heart-of-gold, and the scene toward the end of the book between her and Nellie had me in tears.

If you enjoy Historical Romance, I highly recommend this book! I so look forward to Joanna Shupe writes next!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC of this book, and to Avon for sending me a beautiful finished copy as well, it is incredible! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

✨THIS WAS SO WORTH THE WAIT!✨

I have absolutely loved this entire series and I was VERY excited to learn that the next book would have the beleaguered Duke of Lockwood, whom we’ve seen thrown over in pretty much every other book. It was time for him to get his HEA and let me just say Nellie was so incredibly perfect for him.

I honestly cannot think of a single thing I disliked about this book, so let me just list what I ✨did ✨ like.

1. The midnight meeting in the ocean 🌊 🔥
2. The palpable tension and longing between these two imperfect people who can’t seem to figure out how they could make a future together work.
3. Anything and everything having to do with being in water. 🥵
4. Nellie’s bad ass feminism that was just… perfectly done. Everything about Nellie was just cool and perfect and I would totally want to be her friend in real life.
5. The. Ending. It was just so refreshing to see a heroine who knew she messed up and was willing to fix it. Absolute 😚👌🏻

There isn’t much more I can say other than this book is historical romance perfection and you cannot convince me otherwise.

Rating: 3.5 Stars (rounded down)

CW: domestic violence; domestic abuse; chronic illness

I so desperately wanted to love this one as I adore Joanna Shupe and have been dying for Nellie and Lockwood’s story since I read The Heiress Hunt. Unfortunately, this fell short of my expectations. I felt something was missing from Nellie and Lockwood’s relationship that stopped me from falling head over heels in love.

Nellie Young purposely ruined her reputation a long time ago to escape the shackles of marriage. She kisses who she wants, when she wants, including a handsome stranger in the ocean under the moonlight. To save his estate, the Duke of Lockwood must marry the perfect bride – wealthy and with an unblemished reputation. He plays the perfect gentleman while repressing his darkest desires. And after a few failed engagement efforts, the last thing he needs is another scandal. But Nellie sees through his charade to the man he is beneath – and she cannot resist him. When they agree to an affair, it’s far more than either of them expected.

Now don’t get me wrong, this book is hot. This might be Joanna Shupe’s hottest and horniest book yet, and I absolutely loved that. I did think the chemistry between Nellie and Lockwood was fantastic – no one writes sexual tension quite like Joanna Shupe. From their first meeting, I couldn’t wait to see these two circle around each other, as the tension was delicious.

But, as much as I loved the chemistry and tension, I felt like the romance was missing for me. I wanted to see more progression from Nellie and Lockwood’s relationship than we got. The timeline and pacing of this book are a little wonky as it spans all the previous books and we get a lot of small chance encounters between Lockwood and Nellie. I found that hampered the relationship progression as they didn’t spend much time together. I wanted more moments of them getting to know each other one-on-one, especially as their relationship starts out contentiously. I wanted to see the feeling and relationship be developed and teased out more before jumping to them both start thinking, “I love you.”

The book did take a bit of a turn towards the end to focus on sexual reproductive freedom, which I was not expecting but ended up loving. Shupe would have written this book before Roe v. Wade was overturned in June 2022, so little did she know how relevant this discussion would become. The parallels between 1895 and 2023 are eerie. I was so sad and frustrated that over 100+ years later, women are still fighting for the same fundamental right to autonomy over our own bodies. The Comstock Laws are eerily similar to what people are trying to push today, and the Comstock Laws are still being cited today to prevent women from gaining access to contraceptives. I think Nellie says it best with my feelings on this matter:

“Women have the right to decide when to start or expand their family. These unjust laws would rather keep us ignorant, forbid us to any control whatsoever on reproduction. I won’t stop until Mr. Comstock’s restrictive policies are revoked, and contraceptives are accepted as decent and necessary for all people.”

One of the reasons I loved Nellie was her devotion to fighting for women’s reproductive rights and freedom. She’s incredibly independent and flouts the expectations for high-society women of the time, and I admire her for that. She’s her own woman and won’t let anyone try to change that. She always reads a little older than her 22 years to me because she is confident and self-aware. I also adored her relationship with her father – he might be one of my all-time favorite dads in historical romance, as he was so loving and supportive.

With Lockwood, I wanted to know him better than I did. He’s always been a bit of an enigma in the other books in the series. While we learn more about him and his history, I still felt I didn’t actually know him all that well. Some of his reasoning for his actions kept making me scratch my head. But if you like a starchy, proper Duke who comes undone in the bedroom with a filthy mouth, Lockwood delivers on that. I also adored his devotion towards Nellie – this man worships her, and we love to see that.

The Duke Gets Even is one of the books that have fallen victim to sky-high expectations. I hyped this book up so much in my mind, and it failed to deliver exactly what I was looking for. Now, that’s not to say this is a bad book. I still really enjoyed it, but it didn’t blow my socks off, and I wanted more. I can see my thoughts potentially changing on a reread of this book, but on the first read, it didn’t deliver what I expected.

Thank you to Avon/Netgalley for the ARC. All thoughts, ideas, and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I did not do a very good job with reading the description of this book. First, I jumped into book FOUR in a series (which I never do). Second, I did not read that it was a Gilded Age romance. I am more of a Regency England fan. BUT, it was a really good book. It can be read as a stand alone and I was ok leaving England for the shores of the east coast. The two main characters were great! I thought Nellie Young was an amazing heiress. I think because she was in the US, she got to be more bold and daring. She was a big naughty in terms of kissing men and just having a good time flirting. In walks the uptight British aristocrat. Handsome but poor, so he is in New York looking for a wealthy bride to bring back to his estate. He is most definitely trying to avoid any sort of scandal, which is why running into Nellie was not conducive to his plan. Nellie is a strong feminist, she is bold, she has lots of money and doesn’t need a husband. She also believes in social change for women. (I learned a lot about the Comstock Act.) However, the author stays true to the time period and life is not easy for most women.

Nellie and Lockwood have a secret affair and it is HOT. They were not expecting the physical attraction to each other and as they got to know each other for real, they found that they were a pretty good match ;) They have a lot of choices they have to make. Both have relationships that are changing in their lives and they have to decide if they want to support each other through what life is bringing them. I’m glad I picked up this book. It was fun to read a time period and setting that is different from what I normally pick up. I love Joanna Shupe’s writing and am a big fan of her other books. This one did not disappoint.

Lockwood and Nellie have been circling each other for three books and we finally! get their story. Lockwood is a duke who needs money to prop up his crumbling estate in England, and Nellie is the rebellious, sensual American heiress, with a reputation in tatters, who has to resist him for both of their sakes.

Highlights:
I love to see feminist characters in historical, and the American setting feels fresh and seats these two in a believable quandary. Joanna is a master of this setting, and brings New York of the 1800s to life brilliantly in all her books. Nellie is a champion of women's reproductive choices, going so far as to provide protection and education illegally, and it's so resonant in this post Roe world. We all need a little more Nellie in us.

Lockwood is such a stern brunch daddy, I loved his starchy exterior coupled with a wild side that only Nellie gets to see. He is half-feral in bed, and it's so perfect. He also falls first, which is always a treat.

We get lots of cameos from previous characters in the series, and I found myself wanting a whole series revolving around Alice's supper club.

Overall, this was a satisfying and timely read.

Finally a happy ending for the Duke of Lockwood! After loving and devouring The Bride Goes Rogue last year, I was SO excited to get Nelly’s story and let me just say, it did NOT disappoint. This has one of maybe my favorite beginnings to a romance ever (and I guess we have Sarah MacLean to thank and let me just say THANK YOU) because woah…super hot and great and everything.

Nelly is just an absolute firecracker and her chemistry with Lockwood leaps off the page. I loved the internal struggles they both face in this book as well as the knowledge that they are basically perfect for each other if they are just willing to make themselves vulnerable. Nelly was just such a joy to read. I love her friendships and her social crusade which had frightening parallels to our own times. Nelly is fierce and fabulous and her and Lockwood are just magic on the page together.

This book was hot and fun and I absolutely adored it.

Thank you so much to Avon and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.