This was my first Joanna Shupe book and I was hooked from the first chapter! I love that this book features an independent, strong-minded woman who acts in ways that women during the Gilded Age were not supposed to act. I love a woman who admits out loud that she loves men and just wants to have as much fun as possible.

I will definitely be checking out the rest of this series, and more of Ms. Shupe's books.

Joanna Shupe has quickly become one of my favorite authors thanks to this series! I’ve loved every book and this was no different. I think we’ve all been waiting for the Duke’s story after seeing his appearance in previous books.

I loved getting to see his perspective. He and Nellie had such a connection that they both initially tried to deny. I love that he really committed to their relationship first and worked to convince her. Nellie was such a strong, wonderful woman and friend. Just as we saw the Duke in all 3 previous books, we saw her as a friend to Maddie, Alice, and Katherine. It was so great for her to get to be herself and fall in love. This of course had plenty of passion and steam!

I will read anything Joanna Shupe writes and I can’t wait to see what will be next.

One of my most anticipated releases of 2023! I've been craving the duke's story since we met him in second book of the series, The Lady Gets Lucky.

This story of star-crossed lovers did not disappoint and lived up to every one of my expectations.

Some of the things I loved the most:
1. A strong, uncompromising heroine who fights for self-determination and forges her own path with reckless courage.
2. A nobleman with the grit of a warrior - he's had to fight tooth and nail to keep the creditors at bay and wants nothing more than to secure the safety and happiness of his sibling. He resents going hat in hand to wealthy Americans, but is willing to sacrifice his own chance at happiness to ensure those he loved are protected and cared for.
3. This duke is a delicious dirty talker who is anything but polite in the bedroom.

Full review to come on my blog on release day!

Love when characters from the other books in a series are finally fully revealed. Poor twice-jilted Lockwood is so bound by duty that he has decided he must sacrifice his own happiness to fulfill his responsibilities. We find out he’s on the clock to get things done. Nellie always seems so confident in her lifestyle & opinions. It’s interesting to have insight into her life, including her insecurities & fears. I think the relationship she has with her father is amazing.
The opening scene where their attraction blooms is so important, because I’m not sure either would’ve let any attraction grow if they hadn’t met before their formal society introduction.
This era in NYC (& worldwide) is always interesting to me. In some ways society was so stuck in its rigid ways, but there were also wealthy powerful people trying to change the world with their inventions, self expression, & pushes for equality. Lockwood & Nellie are perfect for a story bridging ideologies.
This series is so fun, & this story makes me want to go back & reread the previous books. I am happy to be able to read & review an advance copy via NetGalley.

This is the first book I've read in the series, and I might have gotten more out of it if I had read the previous books. Even so, the story was delightful on its own. I loved the opening scene in the ocean. That was different from anything else I've read in the genre. It was well done and set up the story perfectly. I adored Nellie, the headstrong, rebellious young socialite who advocates for women's empowerment even if it puts her life in danger with the law. She never backs down from a challenge, not even when she finds the handsome man from her ocean swim is none other than the boring and predictable Andrew, the Duke of Lockwood.

Lockwood was groomed from birth to be a duke and to act ducal at all times. He's tired of always being polite and just wants to break free of all his responsibilities trying to rescue his bankrupt duchy. He thinks he wants a malleable heiress whose dowry will save the duchy, that is, until he meets Nellie. Throwing caution to the wind, Lockwood sets out on a course to make the gorgeous heiress his own except Nellie has other ideas. Can these two reconcile their different paths in love and live happily ever after, or are their difference too much to overcome?

Joanna Shupe's books are, in my experience, always a good time, with plenty of spunky heroines and Gilded Age glamor. The Duke Gets Even is that to a tee, with plenty of spice on the side.

Arguably, this book is an enemies to lovers setup, but really it's more of a two people who like to snipe at each other but are also deeply attracted to each other to lovers situation. Nellie and Lockwood's story starts with a steamy midnight ocean encounter and the tension - and pining - basically ratchets up from there. They're both bold, take-charge characters, and watching them bounce off of each other - both as they argue and as they flirt - is a great time. There are other characters orbiting around them - past couples from earlier in the series, Nellie's assorted family members - but Nellie and Lockwood are the real stars, keeping all the attention for themselves.

To be honest, my main takeaway from this book was the steam level. Neither Nellie nor Lockwood is afraid to ask for what they want in the bedroom, and the book doesn't shy away from showing the two of them having a good time. (What else could be expected from a book with an ocean almost-hookup in Chapter 1, though?)

There aren't a ton of weaknesses to this book, although the sequence of events leading up to the ending felt a bit thrown together. All in all, a great, spicy historical romance!

4/5

I really enjoyed the first few Gilded Age romances by Joanna Shupe. The clashes of the new and older wealthy classes in that period of America make for a great background for a novel. Add in romance and the desire of independent-minded women seeking to make their own lives in a period where women had few rights and it’s a great foundation for interesting romances.

Shupe sets up a good foundation for a romantic novel here with the handsome, but penniless Duke of Lockwood who is searching for an American heiress who would be moderately tolerable to provide the funds to save the estate that his reckless father had bankrupted. He has appeared in earlier novels courting the heroines who eventually chose their own spouses and left him as a jilted duke.

Enter the beautiful and extremely wealthy heiress, Nellie, who has been given the latitude by her father to choose her own husband. She has decided that she doesn’t want to marry and has guaranteed that she wouldn’t be sought after by gentlemen by engaging in all sorts of scandalous conduct.

It’s an interesting set-up, but after the foundation is laid for the reader, the book basically becomes a series of sexual encounters between the Duke and Nellie with a few pages of plot and character development thrown in between. Insta-lust becomes love, complicated by Nellie’s refusal to consider marrying the guy she clearly has fallen in love with while her friends try to convince her otherwise.

It just felt too formulaic with more depth given to their sexual encounters than the rest of the story.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

A terrific finale to this series. The hints of a slow burn were sprinkled throughout the previous books and it was a lot of fun to read Nellie's have her turn at true love.

I just adore this series. I think they maybe get a little better each book. I think Shupe does a fantastic job of weaving women's issues in with real personal struggles and also brings a steaming hot romance to her readers. This story of Nellie and Lockwood has been brewing in the background of the previous 4 books and the pay off is glorious. It's personal. It's fast paced. It's romantic and pulls your heart a little with each page. I loved seeing the friends all come back together at the end and I adored Nellie so much more than I expected to.

You don't have to read this in order, but you do get so much more out of it if you choose to do so.

The Duke Gets Even is book four in Gilded Age QUEEN Joanna Shupe’s The Fifth Avenue Rebels series. The poor twice jilted and once friend zoned Duke of Lockwood finally gets the girl in headstrong heiress Nellie Young after a few missteps, of course.

Andrew Talbot, the Duke of Lockwood is in New York trying to secure a heiress because his estate is broke. But after failing to marry Maddie (book one), Alice (book two) and becoming friends with Katherine (book three), he is at a loss. During book one he met the red haired mermaid, Nellie, during a midnight swim that she happened to be naked at. Though out the series we have seen these two dance around each other but they finally give in!

There is so much I loved about The Duke Gets Even! The opening chapter in the ocean sets the perfect meet cute for these two unconventional characters, with the added bonus that it’s super hot. Then add in a make out session at an art show and the pool, these two brought the heat. I love the Duke’s strait laced outward personality to his freak in the sheets side. Joanna Shupe brings the dirty talk and the pain kink which Nellie is into too! His indecision about doing what is conventionally “right” vs. what he wants is perfectly crafted and that he is just totally gone for Nellie is perfect. Nellie is an example of a Joanna Shupe heroine. She is strong, passionate and when she is championing women’s reproductive rights and contraceptives it hits home with current times. The side characters of Nellie’s dad, her cousin Finn (manifesting that book) and aunt Riona are adorable.

Thank you to Avon and Netgalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. The Duke Gets Even has a publish date of January 24, 2023.

This is my second book by Joanna Shupe, the first one I read was The Bride Goes Rogue, which is the 3rd book in The Fifth Avenue Rebels series. But this author might become one of my all-time favorites because I've loved both of these books and I can't wait to read more from her!!

The Duke Gets Even was so fun, but it also had a lot of underlying feelings that I loved! The two characters were so well-written! I loved getting to follow them and seeing them grow! Nellie, the heiress, isn't afraid of scandal and ruining her reputation, but she's also the mom-friend which was a fun dynamic! I enjoyed that we saw a lot of Nellie's friends and family and that she also had hobbies that played a big part in the story! Also, this book's reproductive rights conversation was so refreshing! I feel like many romance books skip over talk about contraceptives, so reading a historical where the main character is actively talking about and educating other women on them was really cool!

As for the romance itself, I'm OBSESSED!!

Their relationship was so entertaining yet felt so real considering the historical period! I loved how both of them were stubborn and how their relationship was balanced with the give-and-take!

All in all, this book was fantastic and I'd highly recommend it!

Rating: 5 stars

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

For when you're vibing with... Enemies to lovers, duke in the streets/freak in the sheets, Sagittarius-coded heroines, rough sex, and lines so romantic they'll make your heart grow three sizes.

Once upon a time, there was a romance series, and it was a great romance series (one of my favorites, easily). And in the first book, The Heiress Hunt, you got the rare legitimately compelling friends to lovers moment--but who stood between the friends (who became lovers)? The hot, perfectly coiffed, gentlemanly Duke of Lockwood (Fuckwood). Rather conspicuously during this novel, the heroine's best friend, bon vivant girl about town Nellie, was all, "You should not marry the Duke of Lockwood!!! He's the worst!!! Why? I shall not elaborate!!!"

And so, for the next book, The Lady Gets Lucky, Lockwood romanced another heroine in the hope of getting dollar princess dollars. But lo, he was cucked. Again. In the third book he didn't even try, but he still sort of got cucked, because why not? That's hilarious. But throughout the series, you get these little hints and asides that suggest that while Lockwood and Nellie hate each other, they really hate how much they want to absolutely rail the fuck out of each other.

Thus, we get The Duke Gets Even.

Truly, I don't know that I've ever been as excited about a romance release as I am about The Duke Gets Even. I was practically campaigning for an ARC of this book. And I have no regrets, even though I don't think that campaigning mattered much, because I have read this book several times since I got the ARC, and it is glorious.

There's something about a great historical romance series--wherein all the books do stand alone, but when read in sequence, you get these great tidbits of how a happy couple is doing, or who might come next. The Fifth Avenue Rebels has been great in this sense, giving us several parallel stories that all spin off of the same wild Newport house party (and building a core group of friends that I love). But undoubtedly, the couple that Joanna Shupe has been teasing the entire time is Nellie and Lockwood--a spitfire rich girl with a keen sense towards reproductive justice, and a seemingly uptight duke who needs to marry an American heiress in order to secure his estate's future. Reading previous books (which again, isn't necessary but is fun, not least of all because they're just good books) you know that Nellie has actively campaigned against this man getting with any of her friends. Now we see why. And we also get a love story that is less about his worries over her reputation, regardless of what the setup may make you think... and more about Nellie's fears of emotional intimacy and what an uncertain future with Lockwood (government name Andrew, I'll add) could hold. Trust and believe: the man is all in with her quite early in the book--while Nellie's journey really imitates a traditional historical romance hero's journey. God, Joanna Shupe's brain.

Quick Takes:
--Yes, this book is hot as fuck. Yes, he's a bit of a freak. To get it out of the way: Lockwood likes rough sex. Fortunately, Nellie also likes rough sex! He's into biting her and leaving bruises, she's into scratching him and drawing blood. There's a wonderful moment when he promises to ~stick to the outside~ because of previous exertions that lives rent free in my head. While I would say the sex in this book is very intimate and vulnerable and oftentimes emotional, I wouldn't say that it's like... "He parted my tender petals" sex. Which, like--is why Joanna Shupe, in my opinion, writes some of the best sex scenes in historical romance. Easily. The sex Nellie and Lockwood have feels authentic to who they are and their relationship.

--So much water in this book! I love a motif. Nellie and Lockwood meet in the water; swimming is an important part of life for him; they bond over her dad letting him use the indoor pool (Cornelius Young, my brother in CHRIST, setting these two up for naked pool shenanigans... He said "If my daughter's gonna have wild sex in inappropriate locations, I'd rather it be with a gentleman who adores her"). Lockwood's always like "Nellie is a beautiful winsome mermaid, I find that so annoying".

--I love that much of the emotional crux of this book does surround Nellie's love of women and her desire for a maternal figure. She does have one, but the loss of her mother is still acute, and that felt very emotionally authentic to me. Also: there is an amazing undercurrent of being the last single woman in your group of beloved female friends, and how lonely that can be, and oof--I've never read that in a historical in a manner that isn't about the woman wanting to get married, but the woman feeling isolated from her friends, and stunted somehow. Hit me real hard.

--I feel like it's important to say that this book is obviously very timely. Nellie does crusade for women's rights, and she has had an abortion in the past and has zero regrets about it. She distributes birth control to women who really fucking need it (that is: women who don't have the money to get it through illicit channels like Nellie and her friends do). It's very well done, and while I anticipated Nellie's activities putting her into conflict with Lockwood... They really don't? Not in the way you're thinking, at least.

--There is a lot of interesting "here's what a duke actually was in society by this point" shit, which I found hilarious and a great takedown of the "all powerful duke" in historical romance. In many ways, Lockwood is very alpha and take charge and everything you want from a historical romance hero. But also, the conceit of his entire plot since day one has been that he is BROKE. And he's in America! He's basically a fun little party guest! With no money! He came to the States with his title, his massive cock, and a dream.

--The dirty talk in this novel? The amount of times he'd just call her "darling" after instructing her to do a sex thing? "I'm going to cover you in bite marks, darling"???? There's such a fun back and forth in the dialogue between these characters. You definitely get filled in on the time that's passed over the previous three books, and how Nellie and Lockwood have been dealing with their shenanigans in the background of the other love stories. It leaves you with two people who aren't friends but do know each other quite well, and can't resist the urge to dig at one another.

--I love Nellie so much. Easily a top heroine for me. (Who does in fact get on top.) But I will say that Lockwood's inner monologue was just... fabulous. The amount of times this man would just be like "WELP. ONCE AGAIN THE WORLD IS HERE TO SHIT ON ME" when he wasn't just rhapsodizing over Nellie? Honestly, a relatable king.

--There is a thing in this book that did yield a moment and a love confession in which I did tear up, and I'm kind of impressed by how Shupe to chose to leave it. Like, I know how I'm interpreting shit, but--especially considering a recent discussion on romance Twitter--I found it intriguing.

This is just what I wanted it to be--a good dose of enemies to lovers, a man who's butt crazy in love, and a woman who can't deal with it. Also, the kinds of ridiculously hot sex scenes that only Joanna Shupe can deliver. God bless. I couldn't recommend it more.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for giving me a free copy of this book exchange for an honest review.

🏊 Book Review 🏊

The Duke Gets Even by @joannashupe was such a fun read! Thanks to @netgalley and @avonbooks for early access in exchange for my honest thoughts.

✔️ Anonymous meet-cute
✔️ Insta-lust
✔️ It's Just Sex

I have read book one (The Heiress Hunt) of this series (Fifth Avenue Rebels) but not books 2 & 3 (tbr). The Duke Even works well as a standalone and it is not necessary to the storyline to read these in order. That said, this one was so good, I'm going back and reading the other two.

I love the gilded age setting in this series and loved the uptown/downtown juxtapositions in this book too.

The main characters are both stellar, but I particularly loved Nellie. I am a sucker for a FMC who eschews the rules society places on women and lives her life accordingly. I also adored her very supportive dad and wouldn't have minded more scenes with him.

I enjoyed Lockwood as a counterpoint to Nellie - a MMC who feels bound to duty and legacy but can't help but be drawn to Nellie's fire.

Definitely pick this one up 4.5⭐️. It publishes Jan 23, 2023.

Steam 🔥🔥
Banter 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️
Swoon 💕💕💕💕

This reviewer supports the HarperCollins Union. I've read and written a review, but won't be uploading it here or on any other platforms until the HarperCollins Union has a fair contract.

“All of us have such a short time to be alive, so grab all the happiness you can with both hands.”

Oh my goodness, swooooooon. I loved every single word of this book. From the moment I read that Nellie was getting her HEA with the Duke of Lockwood, I had to get my hands on this book. We see Lockwood jilted in each of the three previous books in this series, and dang was I ready to see his story play out….and did it ever.

Nellie Young is the daughter of a wealthy railman and an Irish barmaid. Her father has given her immense freedom and she’s vowed never to marry or be a kept woman. After an insanely hot rendezvous with a mysterious man in the ocean one night (who, of course, turns out to be Lockwood), Nellie cannot stop thinking about him. What follows is a seriously delicious affair and a level of chemistry so intense, I can’t ever remember reading a historical romance like it.

I absolutely adored Nellie and Lockwood - both together and individually ideally. The dual POV of this story is fantastic and adds so much depth to each of the characters and their journey, their grief, and their love. They care about each other so deeply and that plays out differently for each of them. Every time they were together on page was steamy and swoony. I also loved seeing all the characters from the other books in the series, including a memorable scene between Nellie and Kit who was my favorite hero of the series before Lockwood. I also absolutely adored seeing more of Nellie’s family. Her aunt and cousin stole the show in my book - the bar scene with Lockwood and Finn was one of my favorites of the whole book. I never wanted this story to end, and indeed hope we get updates on these two in future books!

Content warnings: grief from death of Nellie’s mom, chronic illness/heart disease, domestic violence suffered by a side character off page, violence/fist fights, alcohol

I voluntarily read and early copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

An amazing end to the series! Sweet, spicy, and packed with emotions that will make you laugh, cry, and swoon. Nellie and Lockwood are incredible main characters and it was so wonderful seeing them finally get their happy ending after getting to know them throughout the other books. I also loved that the main characters from the previous books had roles as prominent side characters in this one—it just made the series feel so complete and I loved reflecting on how the friendships have grown alongside the respective romances.

Overall a definite win and I cannot wait to see what Joanna Shupe comes up with next!

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager via Netgalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Joanna Shupe does it again! Her female characters are strong, caring and determined to live their own lives instead of letting Society force them into the accepted role. Nellie and Lockwood are a great couple, he has come to the States to marry a rich heiress, and things have definitely not been going his way. Nellie is determined never to marry, but the attraction is very strong. As always, we have high passion and angst ( too much for me, it detracted from the story) and interesting side characters. 4-1/2 stars

I thank NetGalley and the Publisher for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I highly enjoyed The Lady Gets Lucky, the second book in this series, so I knew I had to read The Duke Gets Even.

Nellie and Lockwood were such a fantastic couple. They seemed so different from each other at first glance, but they just fit so well together. They had an undeniable connection and chemistry, and I adored Andrew's pursuit of Eleanor. He was relentless.

Nellie and Lockwood's shared love of swimming was a fun aspect to the story, and Nellie's conservatory sounded amazing.

The secondary characters really added to the story as well. I especially loved Nellie's father, aunt and cousin.

I do wish Nellie wouldn't have resisted as long as she did. I was getting a bit frustrated by her stubbornness and inability to see what was right in front of her. Also, her involvement with women's reproductive rights didn't quite seemed fleshed out. She was doing all the things to help women in New York City and something(s) big happened near the end, but then it never seemed to go anywhere from there. (At least not anywhere that really stuck out to me.)

I would have liked to know more about Lockwood's condition: what it was/if they ever figured anything out about it/etc. I was intrigued by it.

All in all, I loved this book, and Joanna Shupe has become an author I'll be keeping an eye out for.

***I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley.***

Big thanks to Avon Romance for the ARC of this book. This review is being given honestly and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Overall 4.5/5 stars rounded up to 5 based on my enjoyment

Okay, Nellie and Lockwood have been on my mind (the ocean scene lived rent free in my head after reading The Bride Goes Rogue) for quite a few months now because not only are they the last two characters to get together but there was SO much tension being hinted at in the previous book. I absolutely loved this book and have very few things to complain about. Will say that this is one book I would recommend reading the other books in the series first (not just cuz I love this series) because the timeline starts in book one and then includes some references (maybe spoilers?) to the other books and couples who are pretty relevant side characters isn’t this one.

I loved how instant their connection was and though it def felt like insta-lust (I mean it def was) I really felt like it was insta-love for them as well. I mean while reading the opening scene I could FEEL everything for them too and and was so heart broken and anxiety ridden when I realized how things were playing out. Like the way Nellie was so disappointed and heartbroken after finding things out made ME feel heartbroken. Though I know this was supposed to be enemies to lovers I kind of actually hated how Lockwood treated her in the beginning, like a lot of what kept them apart was all based on what he said first. I also thought he was a little bitch for <spoiler> wanting to have an affair with her and then publicly court other women because he thought she was too scandalous.</spoiler> But let me tell you when that man finally caught on to his own feelings I was swooning. Though, ngl I was already swooning even when I hated what he was saying/doing 😭 because I wanted to simultaneously breath the shit out of him and fuck the shit out of him because he’s so HOT 🥵 . Absolutely love that he fell first and literally highlighted so many lines from his POV that had me falling in love with him and them as a couple. Also, I loved Daddy Young and the rest of Nellie’s family, like they were awesome and made me laugh.

Okay, now on to the unpleasant side of this, and warning there are spoilers!
First of all, I ABSOLUTELY HATE the ‘I love you so I’m going to leave/hurt you for your own good’ so that absolutely sucked and I hated that Nellie did that. I do think the ending was great but def wish the book was longer/that we got a better look at their future together because his heart condition played a pretty big role in this book and I feel like the ending left it as a plot hole that I was def not satisfied with. Also, again I really hated how he spoke to her in the beginning of this because once he realized his feelings he basically just started treating her decently and I wish he would have groveled (which there really was none). Lastly, I def would have liked to see the sex be spicier because that was the vibe I was being advertised. Like the book was def hot and spicy but there a few scenes that were fade to black AND THEY SHOULDN’T HAVE BEEN! Plus the kinky side of these two should have been showcased a bit more.

Overall, I really did love this book and think this book and The Bride Goes Rogues are tied for my favorite in the series. Absolutely in love with the covers of these books and can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy and truly recommend this book to everyone interested in Historical Romances or someone looking to get into it.

Finally you get Nellie and Lockwood's story and it was worth the wait! Joanna Shupe has left us waiting by weaving Nellie and Lockwood throughout the series and the finale does not disappoint. Nellie is trying to remain independent and keep her roots to her mother's family, while Lockwood is still on the hunt for an heiress but keeps getting distracted by a beguiling freewheeling woman who he needs to set aside. Must read, especially if you read the rest of the series!