Heat Index: 6.5/5.

—Anastasia (the movie) but make it Gilded Age

—the bright lights of Broadwaaaay

—diamond in the rough/mentor

The Basics:

When con artist Leo Hardy finds orphan Josie singing on the streets, he comes up with his boldest scam yet: He'll pass Josie off as the Pendelton Baby, stolen from a wealthy family years ago and never returned. Not only can he collect the reward money—he'll also get his long-desired revenge against the Pendeltons for ruining his father (and by extension, Leo's own life). But the more time Leo spends with his ingenue, the harder it becomes for him to commit to the bit...

The Review:

Anastasia (1997) is a longtime favorite movie of mine, and in retrospect, Dimitri was for sure an early crush (and Dimitri and Anya were a formative couple). So when one of my favorite authors announced an Anastasia-inspired book, I was thrilled. And to be very clear, this owes MUCH more to the animated movie, and perhaps the Ingrid Bergman movie that in turn inspired aspects of the animated movie, versus the history of Anastasia. To me, that means it has a lot to live up to. Fortunately, Shupe does a great job—not that I ever doubted her.

While I really enjoyed our heroine, Josie, this is a more hero-forward book, and that's not a bad thing. Leo Hardy charmed me from the jump. He's a con artist, he's a smooth talker, he's got a truly tragic past that gives him something of a "secret little boy lost" heart. But it never feels like any of that is used to handwave what he's doing. I'd say this is overall a less angsty book on the Shupe Scale, but she really relishes in the conflict of Leo falling for Josie, feeling so much guilt over the fact that she's a pawn in his game, and building toward the inevitable emotional fallout of her finding out.

Possibly my favorite part of the animated Anastasia is the moment when Anya finds out that Dimitri has been running a con, and he's trying to desperately explain himself, and she's backing him into a corner, all "YOU LIED TO ME!" before backhanding him, essentially. It's very "I was half a virgin when I met you" but an animated children's film, and it is delicious.

All I can say is... this book follows through on the sense of betrayal. The punches? They are not at all pulled. And I! Was! About it!

For all that Leo is who got my heart here, you totally see why he's obsessed with Josie. She's not quite an innocent, but she does have a naivete that comes off as fresh and sweet. I really appreciated, too, that Shupe portrayed an ingenue type in a historical who's not actually a virgin. I feel, often, that romance—maybe especially historical romance—portrays women who aren't virgins as automatically vastly experienced and jaded. That's not Josie. Sure, she's had sex, and she's experienced enough as an orphan to have some degree of street smarts, but she's not a Woman of the World. Which, again, adds to the guilt as Leo leads her into this scheme.

(And does that set you up for a grovel? I mean. You tell me.)

Shupe really dives into the glitz of the Gilded Age stage here, because Josie thinks she's just on her way to be a staaar. You get a bit of real history here, the world feels completely tangible, and there's that sense of being swept away that a really good historical provides. Because Joanna Shupe writes a great historical, dude. She knows what she's doing.

Now, elephant in the room—yes, there's a dual first person POV here. Which is very unusual for historicals. It's not the first time Shupe has done this. She's written a couple of indie historical novellas with this angle, The Gangster's Prize and The Scandal of Rose, both of which I'd highly recommend. She writes fabulous mafia romances under the name Mila Finelli, all with this perspective. Personally? It really worked for me. I think that a lot of this was because Leo in particular thinks in this very slick way that brings the character further to life. I love her third person books, but she's really skillful with first person as well, and here it added a bit of freshness that fit the story.

The Sex:

While very hot, this is a little more of a slow burn than some of Shupe's other books, and as a result, there isn't quite as much sex on the page as her usual. But what we do get is excellent, explicit, and looooong. You don't get a carriagebang, but you might get a sleighbang.

And there's also a lot of humor derived from the fact that Leo is clearly panting after Josie, while she remains blissfully ignorant. Several times throughout this story, people are like "DO. NOT. FUCK. THAT. GIRL." and he's like "oh my god why do people keep telling me that" and it's because he's basically licking his chops whenever they're together. In front of people. I LIVED.

The Conclusion:

So glad to read a new historical from Joanna Shupe, and as per usual, it's great. This is an author who knows her craft, who knows how to knock a historical romance out of the park, and who's also trying new things. Trying new things is what people in this subgenre are going to have to do in an increasingly difficult market. That's just the reality. And I think that if you haven't read a historical romance before? This would be a great starting place.

Thanks to Avon and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In the hundreds of HR books I’ve read, I’ve come across endless Cinderella and Beauty & the Beast retellings. However, I’ve never personally come across a respun version of Anastasia before…and, left in the artful hands of Joanna Shupe, you know you’re in for a treat!
The Gilded Heiress kicks off with the kidnapping of a baby from a 5th Avenue mansion. Fast forward a number of years, we meet Leo, our morally grey, MMC who is a self-professed confidence man residing in Boston. Leo finds his mark: the lovely and talented singer, Josie. He decides to bring her to NYC, convincing her it is to land a role on Broadway, but ultimately to pass Josie off as the missing heiress and, not only claim the reward money, but claim justice for his father (who was ruthlessly dismissed from employment from the previously mentioned 5th avenue mansion). Any experienced HR reader can begin to fill in the blanks from there…

I’ve read all of Shupe’s historical works but this one felt *different*…but I’ll leave it to you on whether different is a good or bad thing. So how was it different?

This is the first historical story I’ve read by Shupe that (almost) entirely takes place within the working classes. This story brought far more intrigue, a few surprising twists and a big redemption arc, while also delivering the romance. There was certainly steam, but it felt like less than her previous works (especially since the last full length HR release had the Duke of Lockwood finally meeting his match in Nellie Young).

Joanna Shupe is incredibly well-versed in history (don’t believe me? Subscribe to her newsletter!), so I’m sure all of the choices and vernacular were correct. But aside from the minimal mention of a carriage or corset, the story felt a bit more modern (almost like the story was taking place 30-40 years later?).

Overall, an enjoyable read. This is a standalone story (at least as of now) so no prerequisites before opening its cover. Not precisely a trigger warning, but if you have hangups with trust issues, this may not be the book for you. Releasing on Aug 26th – make room on your TBR now!

The Gilded Heiress by Joanna Shupe book review

4/5 stars

Thank you Jessica Cozzi, NetGalley, and Avon for this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Synopsis: The Gilded Heiress takes places during New York’s Gilded Age. In 1880 a baby was stolen from the Pendelton’s mansion. Ransom was never demanded and the baby was never found, and the reward for finding the baby became something of legends that many people have tried to lie their way into getting. Leo Hardy has had a tough life helping keep his family afloat after his father died. His father used to work for the Pendelton’s but was fired under mysterious circumstances two years after the kidnapping. Leo plans to take revenge on the Pendelton’s for ruining his families life by pretending that Josie, an orphan who grew up at a children’s asylum, is the long-lost heir. Leo poses as a manager after hearing Josie sing to get her to go to New York City so he can swindle the Pendelton’s to get the reward money. But what happens when the two grow close and Leo’s lie starts to build up?

I first came across this book when Avon posted snippets from the book and I knew I had to read it! I haven’t read many historical romance books but this book makes me want to read more of them! I throughly enjoyed reading this book! If you loved the movie Anastasia, you’ll love this spicy retelling of it! And let me tell you, this book is SPICY and I loved every second of it! I’m a sucker for the trope “scoundrel turned yearning man” and this book delivered on that! I loved watching Leo become so down bad for Josie! And the mouth on Leo? LOVE IT! 🥵 AND he has a term of endearment for her! There are so many scenes where I was giggling and kicking my feet! I know my kindle was sick of me highlighting all those parts! I also love watching Josie become a more confident woman! Her journey was so well-written and I loved her character!

If you love:
💋 Spicy books
💛 Scoundrel turned yearning man
🤫 Secrets and beytral
👑 Anastasia retelling

Then you’ll love The Gilded Heiress, which comes out August 26th!

I saw this book recommended as a Gilded Age Anastasia retelling, and I was immediately interested. However, it wasn’t for me. Although I liked Josie’s character and her strength and independence, I struggled to like Leo. A lot of the dialogue and writing felt too modern for being set in this time, making it hard to immerse in the story fully. Overall, it was a nice, quick read. If you are looking for a spicy Anastasia retelling, give this a try!

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon for this ARC!

Well written, full of drama, intrigue,mystery, action, kidnapping, thieves, history, steam and the Gilded Age. Josie is a young woman who sings on a Boston corner for money. She and her roommate , Pippa, live in a small apartment, both are friends since they met at the orphanage. Leo is a con man who hears her sing and decides that she could make a go of it in New York City. But he has another reason. She looks like a Lady that his father had worked for in NYC. There's a mystery as to why his father was fired from his job as head gardener at the mansion. Leo comes up with a scam to get Josie to NYC and have her meet these rich people who had a young daughter kidnapped a long time ago. Josie gets a chance to audition as a singer but then Leo's old friend in the scam business comes back and causes trouble for them both. Lots of answers need to be found but also they find love. Between them there are some steamy scenes. A little slow to start but does pick up nicely. Both get their happily ever after. Would recommend to everyone.
I received this story and leave this unbiased, honest review.

I was excited to read this book because I’ve enjoyed other books by Joanna Shupe, but I didn’t enjoy this one. I thought the Anastasia retelling was promising and loved that the main characters were not the wealthy characters that you often see in historical romance. The writing felt flat to me, though, and I DNF’d the book.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. There were elements of this book that I really enjoyed. I could see the connections back to Anastasia, and I enjoyed the backdrop of late 19th century New England. I also felt like Josie and Leo were likable enough characters. Unfortunately, that's where the positives of this text end. The plot was extremely predictable to the point that I felt like I could have skipped over half the book and been able to pick up in the last 30 to 40 pages and known exactly what was going on. Additionally, I felt that the characters and their dialogue felt far too modern and not true to the setting of the story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! Shupe is a legend so I was excited about this but it did not quite hit for me. The mystery element felt forced.

Josie Smith has been having to fend for herself since she was an infant. Left at a children's asylum when she was 2, she hasn't known the love of any family in her life. She dreams of making it big as a singer some day and she can count on no one but herself to make it.

Leo Hardy is a confidence man he knows how to get around and make some quick money while he's at it. Being the sole provider for his mother and sisters since his father died young, Leo finds inventive (hint not so legal) ways to make his earning. When he catches sight of Josie Smith he immediately thinks of a scam that will make them both rich. A baby was stolen years ago from the Pendleton's years ago, yet they've never given up trying to find her. Josie looks strikingly like Lady Pendelton and this is where Leo gets creative. He's going to try his best to have them intervene and make it look like Josie is their long lost daughter - in return he collects the reward! Except the more Leo and Josie spend time together the harder it is to separate their feelings from one another. Can Leo still pull of the heist without hurting Josie?

The Gilded Heiress is an Anastasia retelling and I feel like Joanna Shupe did a good job as a retelling with putting her own spin on things. At times Leo was a really difficult character to like, but I think that was the intention - to let us see how he operates and gets by. Both Josie and Leo's lives weren't easy and I like that we are shown the struggles they go through.

I couldn't stop reading the book once I started. I will say the last quarter or so lost me a bit - because there was so much going on. While it is a spicy book - I feel it was tamer than some of Joanna Shupe's other books.

Overall, I enjoyed this spicy Anastasia retelling.

I was so excited for this Anastasia retelling, but this book was not for me. This books seemed to follow the story of Anastasia to a T. There was nothing new or exciting to reel me in. I also found the writing style stilted and hard to get through. While the setting was in the late 1800s, there was some vocabulary and slang that is often used today and didn’t seem appropriate. I was not drawn in to care about the characters or if they met their goals. Overall, I was disappointed with this story.

I love Anastasia, and I love Joanna Shupe’s retelling. It was my first Joanna Shupe novel, but I will definitely look to buy it when it comes out/read more of her stuff!

Leo Hardy is a loveable rake who is a little predatory in nature. He cons people for a living, and yet he has connections and friends for favors. He hustles to support his five sisters and in a determination to avenge his family. He is the definite impression of a gray hero.

I loved him and Josie! I love that Josie didn’t take any of his nonsense.

I was also really impressed with the authors use of later nineteenth century slang. My only complaint was that it was an arc and I had to put it down to do housework/work. I wished I also had it on audiobook so I didn’t have to put it down. I’ll definitely re-read this. 4.5 stars.

Thank you to the author, Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for the arc.

One thing I truly love about Joanna Shupe's writing is her attention to details and being historically accurate. As a history major in college I adore all of this additional information. Overall, I felt this was a solid book. I adored her previous work in the 5th Ave series. I also love a morally grey characters that Shupe added into this. I felt that the ending was tied up a little too neat though. The idea of them becoming married and moving in with her parents was just...hard to imagine thinking about Leo. But maybe I should have assumed he was okay with this since he was so close to his family.

I was really excited to read this book as I am a huge fan of Shupe’s novels, but unfortunately it wasn’t for me. This is Shupe’s first novel written in 1st person POV and I found it extremely jarring. I struggled to connect with the characters, and didn’t get a good sense of setting and time period like I could with her third person POV writing.
This is an Anastasia retelling, which normally I’d eat up. However I found myself getting bored as the story was too familiar and predictable, adding nothing new to the plot.

3 rounded down to 2.5
Sigh.
I was so excited to read this title as everything I've read by Joanna Shupe I've adored but this one is a miss for me. Billed as a "spicy Anastasia story" it filled the spicy very nicely but the Anastasia-meh.

I liked Josie-our orphan singer who is strong, smart & doesn't put up with BS. I wasn't as enamored with Leo, our conman hero, who thinks he can pass off Josie as the kidnapped daughter of the Pendleton's, the family his father used to work for & was fired by when they thought he might have played a part in their daughter's kidnapping long ago.
The pretense of using Josie's singing talent to get close to the Pendleton family seemed entirely too far fetched even for a genre that frequently uses far fetched ideas within it's pages. I didn't enjoy the story enough to suspend my disbelief, sadly.

There were things I did like but I will say this one isn't one I'd recommend.
I will be waiting to see what her next book is though because every author sometimes has a bad day & not every book is for every reader.

Thanks to netgalley and Avon for a review copy

This book was an unexpected pleasure. It was a bit of a slow burn, but it gave us more time to flesh out the strength of Josie and Leo's characters. This book gave me vibes of the movie It Happened One Night, although I think it was just me. If not, it does not matter. I love that movie, and the plot from that movie lends to the character of this book. That plot aside, the story is engaging, plus the main characters are strong, energetic, and human. This is a highly romantic story, and I had a good time reading this book. I will for sure read this book again. Disclaimer: I received an advanced reader copy from NetGalley for an honest review.

A fun Anastasia retelling. If you grew up watching the Fox film, like it did, I think you will like this book. I did enjoy the banter and the premise. I felt it was a little too instalove for my particular taste, but not bad per se. It’s a bit of a slow burn as far as them getting together, but instantly are attracted to each other. Overall enjoyed my time and loved the time period it took place in. As a lover of historical romances, it’s nice to read outside of regency England.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this eARC in exchange for a honest review.

This was my first Joanna Shupe book and it certainly will not be the last. I love historical romance so I was very excited to read this book.

This is a retelling of Anastasia with Josie are our main character. She’s a singer and catches the eye of con man Leo. He decided to enlist her to swindle a rich family out of money by posing as a lost relative.

This book is spicy with a morally grey MMC and I really enjoyed the writing style.

A super fun Anastasia retelling with sweet main characters and a fun romance! If you want a quick historical romance this is your book.
Overall, this book was more of a "fun, don't think too much" book for me than an intense life changing historical or romance book. The plot and romance felt a bit rushed, I would have enjoyed more time to explore the world and characters (sorry I'm a super long fantasy book reader). The prose was effective but not particularly profound or poetic. Similarly I feel like the author put a lot of time and effort into writing about historically accurate clothing but otherwise the setting was a bit lost on me. The characters spoke in a very modern way and all other descriptions failed to place the book in the time period for me.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I didn't love this one quite as much as Shupe's other books but it was still fun. Like most millennials I'm obsessed with the Anastasia trope but the first person narration really doesn't work for me in historical romances.