I've been wanting to read this series for a while. I love the idea of setting stories in the Gilded Age. I really loved Elizabeth's determination to make her own way and be more than the role society set out for her. I also appreciated Emmett's determination to take care of his family and to transcend his past. I thought the two together had great chemistry and I enjoyed their sparring.

The one fault I found in the book was the incident that brings about the final reconciliation. It feels out of nowhere. Thankfully it wasn't enough to ruin my enjoyment of the book.
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Such a refreshing change from all the London Regency historicals.

Loved the heroine AND the hero. Heroine is smart and not entitled as many aristocratic heroines are. Hero is believably damaged but grovel is sufficient.

Checks all the boxes: banter, sexy times, well-crafted, carefully drawn setting.

Read it. ( )

3.5 stars. A little too much back and forth on some issues but ultimately I liked this and found it fun.

When I was taking U.S. history in high school the gilded age was my favorite period so I always like reading books with that setting, though there aren't very many. We didn't get as much of the New York setting as I wanted but I do still like the change of pace of being in America, even if a lot of the customs seem the same as the England based ones, excite rather then nobility there are new money people vs old money people.

Our leads are Lizzie and Emmett. Emmett is a new-money self-made hero with a tragic past and Lizzie is a old-money blue-blood who want to trade stocks. This is an interesting set up and I did like it for the most part. I wanted more stock trading than we got and I never felt like I got the sense of what Emmett did to make money beyond owning a company. I did like the way that Emmett's background and customs allowed Lizzie to have more freedom and I thought the conflict between Lizzie and her brother Will was interesting but a little underdeveloped and never reached a good conclusion.

My main problem with the relationship is the cyclical conflict. Lizzie and Emmett get married to save Lizzie's reputation because they were caught kissing. This leads to Emmett having an inability to trust Lizzie because of this past and Lizzie can't believe he wants to be married to her. It felt like these same problems were resolved and them emerged again over and over. It left me feeling like I couldn't believe they were actually happy at the end because every time they seemed to have resolved their differences the exact same problem came back. I think it makes a book more interesting when there are multiple external and internal conflicts but I want to see some development in the conflict and I didn't here.

The external conflict I really enjoyed. There is the stock trading plot thread, that I wish had lasted a bit longer, a snow storm, and some jealous other man things happening. It really kept the plot moving forward and added to the drama. I really want some external drama in order to enjoy a romance and we got that in spades here.

Even though I had some problems with this romance, I still definitely want to continue on with this series. I'm really enjoying Shupe's writing and I'll probably check out some of her other American historicals.
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If you like the jaw-clenching jealous type but oddly supportive of a career woman hero, this is the one for you. But really, I didn't get a read on him or her much at all other than that. I preferred the novella, and will likely be stopping the series ( )

Magnate
4 Stars

Set in New York during the Gilded Age, an atypical setting in this genre, Magnate incorporates many of the historical, social and financial aspects of the time, including the great blizzard of 1888 as well as the conflicts between the old money Dutch Knickerbocker families and the nouveau riche, who acquired their fortunes through industry and technology. These together with the backdrop of the rail networks and the New York Stock Exchange successfully immerse the reader in the time period.

The heroine, Elizabeth Sloan, is wonderful. Her determination and tenacity in achieving her goal of establishing her own investment firm is admirable as is her standing up to those members of her social circle who believe women should be nothing more than adornments for their husbands.

The hero, Emmet Cavanaugh, a self made billionaire who fought his way out of the slums of Five Points to become a force to be reckoned with in New York society, is just as appealing. Shupe thankfully refrains from romanticizing his origins and creates a deeply flawed hero who is likable despite his many faults.

Emmet and Elizabeth's romance is emotionally and physically intense and their chemistry is off the charts. Readers who enjoy well written and hot sex scenes will not be disappointed.

Now to the most significant problem with the book .... there are far too many silly misunderstandings scattered throughout the story. Just as one is resolved another comes up to interfere with the lovers' fragile trust. Each of these could have been easily resolved if Emmet and Elizabeth had looked past their personal biases and had a proper conversation. This type of contrived obstacle gets very old very quickly and puts a damper on an otherwise excellent story.

All in all, an enjoyable romance despite the annoying trope mentioned above. Looking forward to the next book in which Elizabeth's strait-laced brother meets his match. ( )