MY KINGDOM FOR A GILDED AGE ANASTASIA LINDBERGH BABY ROMANCE!!!!

I have so many feelings SO MANY FEELINGS but the foremost one is THANK YOU JOANNA SHUPE!

I'm an absolute sucker for Anastasia retellings and this one was no different in terms of how happy it made me, but VERY different in its execution, which, as per usual for Shupe, was a MASTERCLASS in setting, motivation, and character building truly making something new out of a very familiar premise.

JUST READ IT. IT'S SO GOOD.

Thoroughly enjoyed--Joanna has a gift for historical setting and her characters always jump from the pages.

4/5

Joanna Shupe is easily one of my favorite historical romance authors. Her Fifth Avenue Rebels series is one I reread endlessly and I eagerly awaited her next project, The Gilded Heiress. Retelling Anastasia but set within Gilded Age New York, Shupe brings together a delightful romance between an orphaned singer with no memory of her past and the too good to be true swindler who promises her a chance of fame and fortune. The Gilded Heiress is a phenomenal romance that hits the beat of traditional historical romance and the Anastasia story while still staying true to Joanna Shupe’s narrative voice. Framed by a compelling romance with a journey to discover one's past, Shupe’s latest historical is an original and hot romp through the Gilded Age that never feels contrived. I’m unsure if this will be a series but there certainly is ample opportunity within this world and I’ll be waiting in the wings for more books from Joanna.

Josie Smith and Leo Hardy make their living on the streets of Boston. Josie is an orphan and aspiring singer. Leo is a con man trying to support his family. But both hide deeper secrets. Leo's father worked as a gardener for a wealthy family in New York. After his father was unfairly fired, he drank himself to death. Leo has vowed to get revenge against the wealthy Pendleton family.

Josie doesn't know who her family was. But she bears a striking resemblance to the Pendleton family. Leo decides to pull a fast one on the family. He'll present Josie as the Pendleton's missing child and claim the reward. But things don't go as planned. Starting with the fact that Leo and Josie fall in love.

The characters were well-written and intriguing. I could have done without some of the graphic sex scenes. But that's just me. All in all, this was an enjoyable, historical novel.

Set in the Knickerbocker High Society era of New York, Josie Smith is an orphan who dreams of making it big and singing on the stage. In walks Leo, a “confidence” man, who decides to help her fulfill her dreams, and his, by making it in NYC while also pulling a scam. He secretly hopes to swindle the Pendletons out of a bit of reward money - their daughter was kidnapped years ago and never turned up again - and he sets Josie up to be the unwitting daughter who has gone missing. What happens next will surprise both Leo and Josie.

This was a spicy historical romance set in my favorite time period of New York, so I truly enjoyed this story! I loved the intrigue - the missing girl who may actually be the orphan a la Anastasia - and Leo and his turn from con man to straight man is a nice trope. I feel like there were a few plot holes, especially at the end, but the entire experience of the novel was comfortable, relatively compelling, and original (even with it being a retelling).

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Joanna Shupe’s new historical romance book ‘The Gilded Heiress’ is sure to delight fans. Well-written and relatable characters will make you root for them from the start. Enjoyable book.

This book was refreshingly different. It was about the Gilded Age but not about gilded people.

Unlike other Shupe books, the MCs are “real” people, not part of the upper classes or those with money.
Josie and Leo are clever, street smart, and live by their wits. With Josie definitely having Leo’s number.

The cover is beautiful and unexpected since it is not a clinch and also not a woman in a gorgeous gown.

There is series potential here with Josie’s BFF or Leo’s numerous sisters.

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

I thought this was a good historical romance. The one drawback would have to be the cover. I would have loved to see something more contemporary. I know that judging a book by its cover is a no-no, but I almost did not pick up this book because of the cover.

Another home run by Joanna Shupe, ensuring historical romance readers will start a new obsession with the Gilded Age. Shupe writes interesting and complex characters that immediately invest the reader in their journey. But, really, what do readers really want to know? Is it spicy? And the answer is a resounding, "Yes!".

My first 5-star of the year!!! I loved this book so much. The animated Anastasia is my absolute favorite movie and the whole Anastasia lore has been my favorite historical niche interest for so many years now. My enjoyment of this book mainly came from that nostalgia, but also I cannot deny that Josie and Leo were just truly so hot and so amazing together. Every moment they shared was perfect and I never wanted this book to end.

I've been stuck in bed with a cold and recently binged The Gilded Age and was in the mood for something undemanding set in that period, so this was just what I was looking for. It definitely has some fairy tale retelling vibes--in addition to being a lost princess story based on Anastasia, there are shades of Cinderella and a little bit of Pygmalion too--and the cover is appealing and smart in the way it leans into a romantasy-inspired look in line with recent trends while still making it clear this is historical romance. I also always enjoy stories where a charming con man falls for his mark, and while Leo and Josie did fall in love a little fast, I appreciated that the pacing didn't drag and the sex scenes were hot. The two of them are likable characters who have both experienced adversity and loss in their lives, so they do have the kind of issues you'd expect based on their histories, but only enough to make the story touching without it ever becoming too dark or angsty for a fun escapist read. And I'm delighted to see that Joanna Shupe is publishing novels again as it's been two years since her last book with only a couple of novellas since; hopefully this one will herald a return to a more frequent publication schedule.

The historical setting is lush and atmospheric, drawing you into a world where the glittering facades hide dark secrets. But the real heart of the story is in the complex, evolving relationship between Josie and Leo. As they get closer to their shared goal, the lines between love and manipulation blur, and you’re left wondering what each character truly wants. It’s the kind of romance that keeps you turning pages; secrets unravel, hearts get broken, and in the end, you’re left with a story that’s as thrilling as it is emotional.