The Heiress Hunt had all the elements I usually love in a novel, but it never quite hit the mark for me. The novel started off wonderfully and I couldn't wait to see how things would unfold, but slowly the story started to unravel and I found myself not really liking either of the main characters. The reason for the separation grated on me and it was hard to believe that Maddie would be so oblivious to Harrison's feelings. I loved the shared history between them and am a huge friends to lovers trope fan, but I just wasn't convinced of their love and devotion to each other. The writing was enjoyable, but the plot was fairly predictable. The final drama and push away only painted both characters in an even worse light because of their rash decision making skills and inability to speak openly with each other. These two are supposed to know each other better than anyone else, but they never bothered to actually tell the other the truth when it really mattered. Harrison's decision to head to Paris for a debauchery filled future was especially problematic to me and the mention of Esmee made my blood boil. I liked that the story came full circle, but the ending itself felt a bit rushed.

The narration by Justine Eyre kept me listening and I really enjoyed her performance. She voiced all the characters very well and her male voices were quite convincing. She really was the perfect Maddie. Even though The Heiress Hunt didn't quite work for me, I enjoyed Joanna Shupe's writing and look forward to reading more of her books in the future.

Audiobook Review
Overall 3 stars
Performance 4.5 stars
Story 2.5-3 stars

*I voluntarily read and listened to an advance review copy of this book*

I liked the premise of the child hood friends to lovers. I just loved seeing Harrison and Maddie's relationship develop. This story was a bit different, and I love how Joanna takes real life history to weave into this story, i.e. tennis. Harrison sure does have a nasty family.
Love this cover too. I think what could be worked on is the pacing of this story.

I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This one was just ok for me and it really came down to Harrison's character - I just never felt that he redeemed himself! I also wished the pacing had allowed us to see more of his feelings for Maddie as a person and not just a prize he needed to win. That said, I do enjoy Joanna's books and I'm excited to see where this series goes in the future.

I've been a fan of Joanna Shupe for years, but it wasn't until the Uptown Girls series that I felt like she had really hit her stride. That series did a great job of embedding the characters in a place and give them solid motivations for their actions from their reformer work to running gambling halls. The sex scenes were also great at advancing the relationships, plots, and character development. Some really really great work. And so my expectations for this new Fifth Avenue Rebels series were quite high. And I feel like The Heiress Hunt fell a bit flat.

I'll start with what I liked. I liked that the book took place in a new 'part' of Gilded Age New York. I'm a complete sucker for unusual historicals and I love that Shupe is commanding so much attention for this time and place. I was so excited to get to see Newport. Next. I loved the setting up of the future heroes and heroines. I'm already dying for Alice and Kit's book in October (scoundrel meets wallflower is such a great trope!). I also am intrigued by the mystery of Forest and what happened to Nellie with the Duke. And the tension between Preston and Delafield seems like that's going to be great too. But all this shows I"m actually more excited about what's to come than I was about this first in the series (although I know the first has a lot of leg work to do and I never judge a series by the first book). I did appreciate the friends to lovers and second chance aspect. I'm really drawn to stories where the H and h have to separate and grow on their own to come back to each other, especially when they've known each other for a long time. I do think that Shupe did a good job of showing how much it would hurt to discover that Harrison was stuck with unrequited love at the beginning.


But ultimately, although I enjoyed the book just fine I thought it really was only just fine. Although we were ostensibly in Newport, there was never a description of the environment, or solid descriptions of the houses and how they were all related to each other in space which left the characters feeling weirdly without a setting, like they could have been just about anywhere doing anything. I missed being grounded. This would have been more fine if I felt like the character motivations were more solid. But why Mads likes tennis - how she came to love it, what it was like playing as a woman during the turn of the century, what tennis even looked like (how did spectators watch, what was the clothing, court materials, ball materials, racket materials), etc - were missing. And this is supposed to be the center of her life. The major motivation of Harrison, ruining his family, also doesn't have the tension or culmination moment it deserved. One conversation was all we got. Where was the board meeting? The groveling of the brother asking for a job? What happened to his mother? Again, it was like the core of the character was underdeveloped and as a result, left the story underdeveloped.

I think it's likely that this series will find it's stride in the second and third books, and the fourth will wrap it all up nicely. But this first book seems like it's two distinct halves - the chase, then trying to wrap up everything that supposedly drove the chase. It was like the HEA happened at the 60% mark, but that ending it there would have created major plot headaches moving forward. I think this book would have worked better as a .5 novella to introduce the future characters. I think it could have been simplified and ended at the house party and that doing this would have resulted in a less bloated first book.

A short review of this book - what's it about, the tropes, who would like it - appeared in the Biggest Little Library Spring Release Guide. A longer review will appear on the goodreads page one week before release and the book will receive a long form review and an appearance in a blog post or other BLL content.

4/5 Stars

** I received this as an E-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review, Thank you!**

I really enjoyed this book. This is a friends to lovers romance. I enjoyed watching Harrison and Maddie come to terms with their feels for each other. While I did Enjoy Harrison, I will admit he has more of a tendency to act first and ask later. I know that the romance suffered because of it. I also wasn't the biggest fan of the reason they had to get together in the first place. Everything felt a little rushed. I wanted to take some time and just enjoy the characters being after realizing their feelings. Overall I still enjoyed it and would recommend it.

Harrison Archer had a terrible childhood with abusive parents and older brother. The only bright spot in his life was the time spent with his neighbor, Maddie Webster. On the night of her debut he was prepared to declare his love and begin a courtship until he overheard her tell her friends he was like a brother to her. Devastated, he returned home early only to find his father raping a maid. He called the police but his father paid off the police and disinherited Harrison. So, with a broken heart and no money, he leaves for Paris. Three years later he returns with a vast fortune and a scheme to ruin his family. Meanwhile, Maddie had no idea why her best friend left without a word for three years. She is training to be a world-class tennis player and has qualified for the U.S. National Championships. She is also about to marry a Duke. Harrison sets out to ruin these plans and marry her with a ruthless obsessiveness worthy of any Lifetime psycho movie. Sitting here snowed in after a year of quarantine a little psycho obsessiveness must not bother me too much because I give it four stars.

I love Joanna Shupe, her books are always such sexy fun and her knowledge of Gilded Age New York and now Newport shows through in all of her books.

There are so many great characters from both Harrison’s friends and Maddie’s friends that there are a lot options to choose from for the rest of this series. I’m really looking forward to reading them.

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

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

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

-m/f historical romance
-childhood friends to lovers
-marriage of convenience
-a Bachelorette style house party
-a naughty game of hide and seek
-a piney hero
-a tennis star heroine with a plan

Maddie. Maddie was definitely my favorite part of this book. Fiercely independent she had a career as a tennis player that she was dedicated to. Even her marraige she planned for, fighting for as much independence as she could have. She wants to be someone's partner, an qual and will accept nothing less. Never a wallflower in this book she pushed Harrison, calling him out and never just letting things go. I loved her strong friendship with Lottie who I hope to see get her own HEA.

Harrison was returning home for some destruction, but also determined to get Maddie. His blinders made him make a few dumb decisions, but I do love a good piney hero, who is all about his partner and making them happy at whatever cost.

This was a fun read on a rainy Saturday that I really enjoyed. My first Joanna Shupe I will definitely be reading more.

Rating:: 4
Stea,: 3.5

I had really enjoyed Shupe’s earlier Gilded Age novels, but I found this one disappointing. The hero, Harrison Archer, had always loved the heroine, Maddie Webster, since they were children. But he fled to Paris and in three years, he became a multi-millionaire. Sure. Now he’s returned dedicated to destroying his selfish family who were so cruel to him his entire life. He never communicated with Maddie, but now he’s going to deceive her into setting up a party at her Newport home to ostensibly find him a bride. He’s duplicitous about his goals and, when he finds out that she’s going to be engaged to a duke, he does his best to seduce her into changing her mind. That works and they get married and then complications ensue when he, predictably, deceives her again even though she’s warned him that that is the one thing she won’t stand for.

It was all rather too predictable and I didn’t find the hero all that likeable. Their deep love wasn’t motivated much beyond that they had been close friends every summer for a few weeks out of the year and had the hots for each other. I would have liked more background and more information on his rise to wealth and his efforts to destroy his family and take over the family business.

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.

*UPCOMING RELEASE FEATURE*

We all have that person that tickled our hearts growing up. That inevitable crush that kept your mind running and the rest of you longing. For most of us, it is just a catalyst for new feelings and that is where it ends. For some it can be a foreshadowing to the future.

In Joanna Shupe's The Heiress Hunt, the mischief starts for Harrison Archer and Maddie Webster at a young age and grows into a natural friendship. Harrison starts to realize that the mischief has matured into a crush but is left with a broken heart. After a series of events that turn his world upside down, he leaves without offering much of an explanation to Maddie.

Eventually, Harrison returns and what ensues is a volley of passion, friendship, wit, and of course mischief with Maddie. Before they know it, the age old debate of destiny versus desire is at the center of the questions they have been asking themselves for years.

There was a lot that I loved about this book. That is saying a lot considering I don't read that much historical romance. I read a lot of historical fiction and a lot of contemporary romance, so this dive into the genre is as exciting as it is out of my comfort zone.

That being said, I loved how Maddie's character was not just limited to being an heiress. It was pretty typical for women of her social standing to relish in just that - their social standing. Maddie is different though in that she is an athlete and a star. Although her situation in life may not be relatable to everyone, a woman making it in a predominantly male world is something many CAN relate to.

Furthermore, I loved the friendship to love trope. This was the perfect pivot for me that prevented a reading slump. The development of the characters in this and how much they had grown in their time apart kept me turning pages deep into the night. This left me wanting more Joanna Shupe, more of this setting, more of this time, more of the steam, and of course most of all...more of the love!

This title will be available on March 9th, 2021. Be sure to pre-order your copy today - I will have it linked in my stories for you!

Thank you to @Avonbooks, @HarperVoyagerUS, and @Netgalley for this advanced reader copy.

YES!!! This was another hit from Joanna Shupe. Harrison was single minded in his desire for Maddie. Maddie didn't know what she wanted until it was almost gone.

This friends to lovers story had a lot packed into it, at times bordering on too much. I enjoyed the story but at times wondered where it was going. You think the h/H have reached a turning point and then something else would happen. We eventually got to an HEA but had to work hard for it.

Harrison and Maddie were best friends as children, with lots of history, secrets, and mischief shared between them. When Maddie comes of age Harrison is ready to make his move in her first season out. When he overhears her refer to having feelings for him akin to a brother he leaves, heartbroken, abd heads to Paris to live a life of debauchery and make his fortune.

When Hartison's family lands on hard times it is up to him to save the family by marrying a wealthy heiress. He returns to Maddie to seek her help in finding a bride while secretly planning to win her heart for himself.

This book initially drew me in really quickly. Joanna is excellent at building quick paced plots, intriguing characters, and the threat of scandal that could ruin them at any moment.

I loved the first half of this book, but halfway through things started to fall apart for me.

The love between the couple felt like it was already established, like we walked in on them already being in love but no build up or showing us how that happened.

The hero was so lovestruck, and had pined for Maddie for sooooo long, but he forced his choices on her over and over again. Taking her agency and never learning TO STOP doing that.

The ending was wrapped up way too quickly and it seemed to be the heroine giving in to what the hero wanted too quickly.

The side characters in this were fabulous however and I can't wait to get to their books.

This was overall a decent read, but a bit forgettable and slightly disappointing.

Arc provided by Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Joanna is a friend, and I loved this book. I spoke about it on her IG Live @authorandiej. Friends-to-lovers is so hard to pull off, and Joanna did an amazing job.

I am a huge Joanna Shupe fan, but I've found it hard to get into her last few releases. The pacing and characterization don't match up to earlier works, even if I may appreciate the themes Shupe explores. I liked this one well enough, but I don't care to reread or recommend it.

As much as I was looking forward to this new series, the hero's "I want it, so it shall be" attitude didn't sit well with me. It essentially eliminates the heroine's agency and really dragged down my enjoyment of the story. (And yet, I ripped through 2/3 of the book in one night).

Back in the States after 3 years in Paris, Harrison Archer enlists the help of childhood friend Maddie Webster to find him not just a wife, but an heiress. But little does Maddie know, Harrison's sights are on her, and if they marry, it'll kill two birds with one stone for him -- he gets the girl, and is able to get revenge on his family. In the 3 years he's been gone, with nary a word or letter, Maddie's been focused on building her tennis career with plans to play in the Nationals.

Even after Maddie calls him on his lies and his inability to listen to her, he persists saying he's just trying to protect her. I had to throw my hands up with this guy. Joanna Shupe's heroines are usually smart and progressive, but Maddie just has a big old blind spot when it comes to Harrison. You know they're headed for HEA, but I just wanted Maddie to walk.

While I usually really enjoy this author's work, this is not one of her best books. There seems to be more emphasis on Gilded Age tennis details than there is on the relationship. The characters are interesting and well-drawn, but somehow the total effect of the book felt a bit flat.,certainly compared to the author's other books.

Hot, fun, fast-paced with a medium burn that leads up to the BEST first time sex/sexual debut I've ever read. With a dash of exhibitionism sprinkled on top. YES to this trend of historicals incorporating some light kink (enjoyed this in Eva Leigh's Would I Lie to the Duke as well).

Friends to lovers isn't typically my go-to trope but I love anything by Joanna Shupe, especially set in Gilded Age (split between NYC and Newport, RI) so I had to give this one a go. Overall, I wasn't disappointed though I probably wouldn't read again.

She's a badass tennis champ at a time when women weren't really *allowed* to play sports. She knows what she wants and goes after it with gusto, whether that's winning matches or getting it on. And she isn't afraid to hold the people in her life, including the hero, accountable for their actions. YES. He's a stubborn alpha who's out for revenge against his shitty family but is always tender—if not overbearing—with her, his BFF who he's been in love with since, well, forever. Together they stumble....multiple times...and reorient themselves.

I especially love that the conflict gets resolved as a result of him taking responsibility for his actions, learning from his errors, and DOING BETTER. Though the ending was a bit *too* neat and tidy. I prefer when it's more drawn out.

Lastly: good supporting characters and friends, hot sex scenes, and enough tender moments that really make this one believable. Looking forward to the next one in the series!

xo

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon book for the ARC.

Can childhood friends come to love each other?

Can a scoundrel of the first water prove he is different from the rake he is thought to be?
Is it too late for true love to flourish?
Harrison and Maddie are childhood friends. Harrison has been in love with Maddie for almost all of his life. Does Maddie feel the same?
This is a heartwarming tale, funny at times and poignant.
Joanna Shupe has done a remarkable job with this story.
I received a complimentary copy of this tale from Netgalley and Eidelweiss and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Harrison is out for revenge on his family and he would like to finally win over his childhood crush Maddie. Harrison’s plan is to ask Maddie to help him find a wife, while actually using their time together to woo Maddie. Maddie is a competitive tennis player who carries her desire to win into all aspects of her life, which is why she is determined to marry the best and land a Duke. When Harrison returns she is confused by all of the romantic feelings she suddenly has for her best friend.

This is the first book in a new series and it is a lot different than Shupe’s last series, so please don’t come in with the expectation to read something similar. BUT, it’s a Shupe novel, which means it is positively delightful! I loved Harrison and Maddie’s love story. Harrison comes from a horrible family, so Maddie has always been the light in his life. While honesty could have gone a long way for Harrison, I understood his motivations in not being up front with Maddie, because at one point, she inadvertently broke his heart. I really related to Maddie. She is a fierce competitor and has pushed boundaries in playing tennis competitively, but she isn’t as brave in every aspect of her life. Who is?

I often feel like the first book in a new series is a primer to the new world the author is building, so I am really excited to see where Shupe takes us! (I need Nellie’s story as soon as possible!) I love reading books set in the Gilded Age and Shupe continues to be one of the best authors writing historical romance.

I really REALLY wanted to love this book as there are other titles by this author that I adore. There was a lot I LIKED about The Heiress Hunt but there were some pretty big misses. The timeline of the story was really rushed. I know there's a lot of instalove in Romance but this didn't have enough set up to make it work in the plot. Also there were a couple of big plot holes that had to do with the female MC being threatened and I keep going back to see if that was resolved and I missed it or it just was forgotten as the story moved on. But - the characters were interesting and the fact that the female MC was an athlete and a member of society was a refreshing change. The male MC was likeable enough but something just didn't hit 100 percent. A good amount of steaminess which is a plus - but not this author's best work due to some of the elements that didn't quite work in the plot. That being said - my personal thoughts won't stop us from adding it to our romance paperbacks in the library and it will circulate well due to the popularity of the author.