✨ALC Review✨

This was a perfectly fine Gilded Age NYC era romance. Was it a little disappointing because I normally love Joanna Shupe and found this to be a little lacking? Unfortunately yes.

There is nothing wrong with a three star book, okay? It was fine. I’m not sad I read it. I’m not mad. I don’t consider it a waste of time. But will I be thinking of it next week? No. Will it make into my recs when I’m enthusiastically telling everyone to read Joanna Shupe? Also no. But it was totally fine.

Here we have Leo, a confidence man, with a revenge plot in mind for the family who fired his father with no severance and no letter of recommendation- a huge deal for servants in that era. You can consider it like blacklisting. No one would offer him work. That family? The Pendletons. Their baby girl went missing during a huge party and they’ve never found her despite a huge reward and every private eye in the country looking for her.

Eighteen years later, Leo spots Josie singing on a street corner in Boston and sees a resemblance to Mrs. Pendleton. He decides he’s going to scam them into thinking Josie is their missing heiress. But first, he has to convince an unaware Josie to accompany him to NYC. He does this by pretending to be a talent manager. He’s gonna make her a star!

Well, he starts to catch feelings and what’s he going to do? How can he get revenge for his father and still have Josie love and respect him? It’s a conundrum. Honestly, the reason this book was just perfectly fine is that everything went exceedingly well for Josie. Of *course* everyone who hears her sing thinks she’ll be a star. And could she really be the missing heiress? Maybe!

The audiobook was also okay. Aaron Shedlock sounds too modern to me here. Eva Kaminsky, on the other hand, is a dream as ever.

I’m not recommending this book, but if you want to read a fantastic freaking series by Joanna Shupe, start with the Uptown Girls series. The Rogue of Fifth Avenue is the first, but The Devil of Downtown is my absolute favorite. Jack and Justine are perfection.

I received this ALC via #netgalley and @harperaudio. All thoughts are mine alone.

historical romance | romance novels | the gilded heiress | Joanna Shupe | book recs | book reviews | bookstagram | audiobooks

We were told we were getting an adult Anastasia retelling, and by George, we got it! This was an absolute treat to listen to and I binged it in a day. It’s been a minute since I’ve read something by Joanna Shute, and as usual, I now want to binge her entire bibliography again. I love her writing style. It flows well while also not being overly flowery or complicated. Nice, easy, page turners. I also LOVED the narrators. They did so well with the different voices, accents, and emotions. They made it a very immersive experience, and I honestly will probably look them both up for future audiobooks!
The relationship between Leo and Josie is full of tension and honestly just perfection. You can very much feel the Anastasia inspiration throughout the story which almost makes it like rereading a favorite book. Yet, there is also enough difference that it is not truly the same story. The spicy scenes were delicious but the slow burn and tension was my favorite.
In short, this is a great retelling and a fun read all around!

A retelling of Anastasia! Set in the late 1800’s, this book gave me all the nostalgic vibes of my favorite childhood movie, but sprinkle in some great spice and this book was delicious! The audio book was top tier! I gave both narrators a five star rating, they both did amazing with their accents, their emotion, and various characters.

DNF@7%
Thank you Netgalley and HarperAudio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm bowing out early because I can't get behind this because of Leo. I already do not like MMC because he feels slimy in his personality and how he talked to the FMC in their first convo. The way he was like " I'm basically in sales so it's different if selling shoes, you, or hats" which is the reason why I am dnfing it. I understand this is a time where women don't have the right to vote when they are expected to look cute and get married but to have the MMC straight say that in her face when he is trying to become her manager and con her?? Yeah No I'm out.

Dimitri from the movie Anastasia was not slimy towards Anna but just a con artist that Anna's fierce personality got under his skin. During the course of the movie, they tried to one up the other with that tension turning into mutual respect and then into love. With this, I can't see that happening with him already feeling like he disrespected and objectified her. How he described her features while she was singing and we weren't properly introduced to her yet. Also I believe it is a 10 year age gap which is also not needed. We can easily have her being 23 and him 25 and call it a day but 28 and 18 is pushing it.

I know this is supposed to be " spicy" ( which nothing is wrong with that because I like some spice) but having your MMC having a threesome at a brothel in the second chapter where we are barely into the story and we haven't been introduced to the FMC is just a put off to me. The premise is interesting to have Anastasia retelling in the Gilded Age with her being a long lost heiress since the show Gilded Age is a big hit. However, If I can't get behind the MMC which you are supposed to be building a romance with since this is supposed to be Historical Romance.. I'm not wasting my time.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperAdult Audio, Avon and Harper Voyager & Joanna Shupe for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a great Anastasia retelling. As a historical romance- it translated SO WELL. The themes, the characters, the banter, the conflicts. It was all really just well done!

Narration was incredibly well done. I would definitely listen to this narrator again!

Characters 10
Atmosphere/Setting 10
Writing Style 10
Plot 10
Intrigue 10
Logic/Relationships 10
Enjoyment 10
10
CAWPILE rating method used. All credit to creator Book Roast on YouTube!

I am still early in my historical journey, and this one didn't work for me unfortunately. I didn't like the romance setup. I struggle with a rake trope, and I felt icky with how I saw this romantic storyline going. I also was not a fan of the brothel scene in the very beginning of the book. I think I also struggled with the first person narration. It just didn't work for me, and I didn't find myself wanting to listen to this, so I've decided to move on.

I received this audio from NetGalley to review.
It is a historical romance set in 1880 and 1890's.
In 1880 a baby is stolen from a prominent family in New York. They assumed one of their help did it but had no proof so they fired him.
20 years later a young woman is heard singing in the streets, by the son , of the man who was fired. He sees a resemblance to the mother of the baby and since he is a swindler he is going to use this to get the money for the reward. He didn't plan on falling in love with her.
Leo was the kind of person who stole for his family. So he decides to be Josie's manager.
I enjoyed both of these characters even if he was a thief. The narrators did a great job on this book.

I really wanted to love this as much as I loved the Uptown Girls series but I just could not get into it. It could have been the narration but Josie felt immature & I was having a hard time liking Leo. I also didn't feel the chemistry between them. I found myself putting off listening to it & reluctantly DNF at 40%

3.5 ⭐️

This is billed as a spicy Anastasia retelling and spicy it was. I love some good spice but sometimes the use of words were a little cringey. However, that was only a small issue for me and may be a nonissue for someone else.

The pacing was great and kept me intrigued and entertained the entire time. I would have liked a little more to the story. The ending felt a little lackluster but it did tie everything up nicely.

I did a tandem read between audio and e-book for the first time and thoroughly enjoyed the experience! The narrators were fantastic and did a great job of keeping you interested in the story. They had great inflection and never felt like they were droning on and making the story drag.

I will definitely try some more books from this author in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult | Avon for advanced listeners copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

Am I glad I got my hands on this one? Yes, yes I am. Do you love a good scoundrel meets orphan tale, ala Anastasia? Me too!! PICTURE IT! Boston, 1896! A man with a large family of sisters is just trying to make an HONEST living! But then the coppers gotta run him down right after he sees a woman with a vaguely familiar face and the voice of an angel. From that point plans are made and words twisted. But our guy, Leo, he has RULES. Rules to get him through and keep him out of jail and able to support those he has to. But our gal, Josie, has made him think and feel a lot of things his rules tell him he's not supposed to. There's plans, plotting, lessons, secrets, MORE secrets, a trip to New York and fame on the big stage to be found! And of course, money to be made.
I really enjoyed this book. Our characters have that sort of instant attraction but, Josie doesn't trust a pretty face. Being an orphan with a heart of gold she's seen her fair amount of hardships and doesn't want another one. Luckily, every woman Leo seems to know that meet Josie, is one HER side and warns her. Heck even the men along the way are out to protect her. Leo just can't catch a break in terms of allies.
He still manages to get under her skin, and honestly she's been under his since first sight. The banter between these two is so much fun, and the fact that she manages to call him out almost every time he tries to BS her is wonderful.
There are two little mini mysteries going on during this book as well. The primary one being IS Josie really who Leo is trying to pass her off as? The second being WHO stole a baby from their nursery almost 19 years ago?
I will not answer these questions, because spoilers. (it was me, no no it wasn't!)
In the end these two find their happiest of HEAs getting the things they wanted, and maybe didn't realize they wanted.
Conclusion, as I said I really enjoyed this book. But I admit I also have loved all of Shupe's work in the past. The story was well worth it and that spice was spicing.

I would be remiss if I skipped the fact that I got the audiobook of this little beauty. Both narrators are, for lack of better term, pros. (Duh, AB. Yeah I know) They both have very smooth voices and there weren't any over the top accents or dialects. Even the one character that would have been justified, it was still subtle enough to not be deemed comical. It's so hard to overact a southern dialect. Trust me, being from the south originally I even think native speakers overact it.
Eva Kaminsky, voicing our FMC chapters is a voice, according my reading history I haven't heard. BUT she sounds so familiar, in a good way. She has a voice that makes me comfortable and just makes me want to keep listening.
Aaron Shedlock, reading our MMC chapters IS a voice I've heard before. He is also quickly becoming one of my comfort narrators.
Both narrators had good pacing, excellent diction and neither has an annoying falsetto or chest voice. I would and will definitely look for other audiobooks with either of these narrators.

I’d already enjoyed this book in ebook form, and then Harper Audio went and handed me the audiobook, and honestly? Game changer. Eva Kaminsky and Aaron Shedlock turned Josie and Leo into a whole new obsession. Same story, but different vibes. If you get the chance, hit play.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Audio for the advance ebook and advance listening copy.

I love the guided age which is the reason I picked up this ARC. It is billed as a spicy Anastasia retelling mixed with the gilded age, and I felt like it delivered. This book was definitely spicy, but I didn’t think that the spice overwhelmed the plot. The story sucked me in with a missing baby from the jump. I loved the time-period featured and the orphan to Broadway storyline really sucked me in. I finished this book in one day! I loved Leo’s story arc and moral redemption. His confidence man persona, really added a layer to the book which ratcheted up the tension for me. Although, I thought I had figured out the mystery, and I didn't figure out the how or why which kept me engaged the entire time. All-in-all an entertaining and well-done Anastasia retelling that had me blushing in parts.

I also received an advanced listening copy, and I enjoyed the dual narration of the two main characters alternating POVs. I thought both narrators helped you really submerge into the story which is nice. I would have loved more even sound quality though. There were parts that I had to turn way up to be able to hear the dialogue and then turn back down again because it go too loud.

Im really sad this was just okay for me. I did enjoy parts but I just didn’t connect with these characters. Of course the Anastasia retelling premise was going to suck me in and it did…initially but I kind of felt like it was anti-climatic. Josie’s singing dreams and the Broadway scenes were much more interesting and I felt like it was an either/or situation. Either we focus on the Anastasia drama or her singing but not both. Leo’s grovel was decent but I felt his redemption arc was a little abrupt and then there was just too much back and forth once he said his peace.

The first-person dual POV made the tone feel too modern for a historical. While I appreciated the emotional access to both characters, it pulled me out of the setting.

Still, the book had great pacing, the setup caught my attention and kept it regardless of the flaws, and there’s heart in the characters’ journeys. And the spicy scenes were delicious and thoughtful. Not my favorite Shupe but still a fun retelling!

I listened to part of this on audio (narrated by Eva Kaminsky and Aaron Shedlock) and thought the narration was overall clear and engaging. I’ve always enjoyed Eva’s narration, and she definitely captured Josie’s guileless charm. I guess between it being American combined with the first person POV it sounded so contemporary it was hard to stay in the historical mindset to the point I had to switch back and forth to reading to get back in the gilded age vibes.

Thank you to Netgalley, Avon and Harper Audio for the ARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review.

ALC Review: The Gilded Heiress by Joanna Shupe
Pub Date: August 26, 2025
Narrated by; Eva Kaminsky and Aaron Shedlock

Thank you to Harper Audio for the ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Josie grew up in an orphanage and is now hustling trying to make it as a singer. She hasn't gotten further than singing in the streets when confidence man Leo Hardy finds her and is entranced. After finding out more about her background, he also thinks that she shares enough similarities with the heiress who was kidnapped as a baby that he plans to introduce her to The Pendleton's and collect the reward so he can support his mother and sisters. What he doesn't account for is getting to know Josie more and wanting to set his schemes to the side just for her.

I really did enjoy this Anastasia retelling set in the Gilded Age in New York and Boston from a historical romance author that I absolutely love! While this one certainly does have a romance, there's also a bit of mystery and it certainly kept me invested. I really liked seeing Leo and Josie's blossoming relationship despite both of their hesitations. There was also more spice than I thought there would be since I thought this was a little more "historical fiction" than romance but I was by no means mad at that!

The last 25% of the book did slow down a bit for me personally, but I still really enjoyed the journey and was satisfied with the ending.

I really enjoyed the narration from Eva Kaminsky and Aaron Shedlock - I was very immersed in the story and thought their narration was great.

3.5/5 stars

This story swept me into the glittering world of New York high society, combining mystery, romance, and a touch of nostalgia. I really enjoyed this book, and the narrators did an excellent job bringing the characters to life in the audiobook. Anastasia was one of my favorite movies as a kid, so the premise of a lost heiress and a search for identity gave me all the right nostalgic vibes in the best way. The spice in chapter two definitely caught me off guard for a historical romance and took a little time to adjust to, as did the first-person POV—which is unusual for the genre but ultimately worked well for Josie’s character. I loved her storyline and almost wish we had learned even more about her background and emotions throughout the book. I also would have loved to see the parents’ perspective during the investigation, which could have added even more depth to the mystery. On the other hand, I struggled to connect with Leo’s character and didn’t fully feel the chemistry between him and Josie. Still, the intrigue, setting, and strong narrative voice kept me turning the pages. Overall, I really enjoyed this ALC and will be recommending it to friends who enjoy historical romance with a dash of mystery and a unique twist on familiar tropes.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Publishing for providing an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

This historical romance is an Anastasia retelling, clearly also inspired by the Lindbergh kidnapping, and set in New York during the opulent Gilded Age. The first person narration is an interesting and unusual choice for a historical romance. Both audiobook narrators were excellent at bringing the characters to life, which does help with the first person POV. There were some missed opportunities where the author could have addressed politics of this era - specifically the socioeconomic divide - in a way that would be relevant to today's reader, but the author instead chose to blithely ignore inequalities of any sort in favor of a fun and lightweight story. Ultimately I did find this to be a fun read with an entertaining plot.

For anyone who loves the story of Anastasia but wants a happier ending and with a touch of spice ( like half a 🌶️) you’ll love this version set in the gilded age of New York & Boston. It was predictable but still entertaining. The narrators did a great job bringing it to life.

I am always a sucker for a retelling - and when I saw an Anastasia retelling with spice I was all in!

The audiobook version accompanied me on my daily walks and I was flying through the virtual pages. I loved Josie and was routing for her success. Our MMC, Leo, I was unsure of at times but I think it goes to show how well his morally grey side was written. The narrator’s did an amazing job making these characters come to life right down to the 19th century Boston accent.

The storyline and plot was strong and actually kept me engaged and wanting to know what happened next. My only “con” to this book was the writing seemed more in line with a Young Adult novel so the spice scenes seemed to be jarring at times. I think if this was rebranded to be more of a YA/NA novel it would do amazingly (very much Stalking Jack the Ripper type of vibes).

Overall, I am very thankful for the opportunity to have read and reviewed this book thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher.

3.75 stars

Leo stumbles upon Josie singing and is instantly struck—not just by her voice, but by her uncanny resemblance to someone from his past who destroyed his life. In an era when women had few rights or opportunities, he decides to help Josie land a singing contract—not out of kindness, but to use her as a pawn in his plan for revenge.

What Leo doesn’t expect is to fall in love with her.

As Josie uncovers the truth behind his motives, she’s left to decide whether love can survive betrayal.

I was drawn to the story’s concept, especially the mix of romance and historical context. However, at times the pacing felt slow and some plot points were predictable. I would have liked more tension, unexpected twists, and emotional stakes. Still, it was a heartfelt love story that thoughtfully highlighted the struggles of women and the working class during that time.

Joanna Shupe writes about a time when woman are just finding there voice, but yet there are still held back by men and there belief woman can not protect themselves and thrive in the age of awakening. Leo and Josie story starts off slow and grows into a slow burn love story.
The angst that both have from the beginning of there adventure was slow and left me not liking either character. Once in New York and the two start to forge a working friendship, the story becomes more entangled and love takes root.
Trusting a morally grey lover becomes the focus in the end and the story concludes rather neatly.
Thank you Net Galley for the audio arc and I can honestly say I enjoyed the book and can’t wait for Joanne next book.