Shupe (the Uptown Girls series) opens her Fifth Avenue Rebels series with this effortlessly diverting Gilded Age romance. When Harrison Archer returns to New York City from France, his estranged and nearly bankrupt family insists he save the family business by marrying an heiress. Harrison has no interest in helping the people who cruelly disowned him--but on their list of potential wives is his childhood friend and rising tennis star, Maddie Webster, with whom Harrison has been in love since she was 15, and he seizes the opportunity to reconnect. Maddie, meanwhile, is being courted by a duke and fears scandal if she gives in to her attraction to Archer, having heard rumors of his wild Parisian lifestyle. But when Archer asks her to throw a house party for him in Newport, R.I., and invite her most eligible friends, she can't say no. Shupe's feisty heroine admirably strives for independence in a male-dominated society, while Archer is appealing not only for his devotion to Maddie, but for his fierce drive to avenge his family's mistreatment of him. Their sexual chemistry and dynamic banter, especially during intimate moments, convey an alluring blend of love and playfulness. This character-driven historical romance is sure to delight. Agent: Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary. (Mar.)

In Gilded Age New York, a tennis champion is torn between a duke and her childhood best friend. Maddie Webster and Harrison Archer grew up promenading on Fifth Avenue and playing in Newport. Although they are both from the same rarefied New York society circles, their home lives couldn't be more different: Maddie's family is loving and caring, fully supporting her dreams of becoming a women's tennis champion; meanwhile, Harrison's family is cold and cruel, always treating him as a worthless second son. Three years earlier, Harrison intended to offer for Maddie but was crushed to realize she thought of him like a brother. Hurt and disappointed in Maddie and furious that his family disowned him when he tried to stop his father's abuse of the housemaid, Harrison fled to Paris. Now his family has called him home. After his father's death, his older brother's gross mismanagement of Archer Industries has left the company in shambles. Harrison's family wants him to marry an heiress to infuse cash into the business, not knowing he's planning to wrest full control of the company by becoming the majority stockholder. Maddie's betrothal to the Duke of Lockwood is all but assured, so she offers to host a house party to introduce Harrison to her friends. Harrison accepts her offer, intending to steal Maddie away from the Duke while he purchases the remaining stock he needs. The individual strands of Shupe's busy plot aren't effectively braided together. Harrison's revenge plot against his family is introduced but then put on hold while he courts Maddie. The late-stage conflict between the lovers seems to be manufactured to elongate the plot rather than an organic outgrowth of their characters. The first book in a new romance series fails to coalesce. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Revenge is a dish best served cold for Harrison Archer. Three years after his family disinherited him, Harrison returns to New York City, where his carefully crafted scheme to seize control of Archer Industries is about to come to full fruition. Part of Harrison's plan involves marrying an heiress, and for help in selecting the right candidate, he turns to his childhood friend Maddie Webster, who agrees to host a house party and invite a bevy of suitable debutantes. Unfortunately, it quickly turns out that the only lady in whom Harrison is really interested is Maddie herself, who is already practically engaged to the duke of Lockwood. Shupe (The Prince of Broadway, 2020) launches her new Fifth Avenue Rebels series, set during the Gilded Age, with great panache, once again showcasing her flair for creating compelling characters, a vividly realized setting that expertly incorporates fascinating period details, and the kind of electric sexual chemistry that can only lead to red-hot love scenes.

Harrison Archer has been in love with Madeline Webster ever since they played together as children at their summer estates in Newport., RI. Now he's grown up and back from Paris, determined to ruin his detestable family and their business, as well as win Madeline's hand. All he needs to do is get rid of the English duke who wants to marry Maddie. Madeline has been building a career as a professional tennis player and is trying to please her family by marrying well. She's annoyed when Harrison shows up looking more handsome than ever, making her feel emotions that disrupt her careful plans. She agrees to help him find a wife by inviting her eligible friends to a house party, little suspecting that it's all a ruse for Harrison to woo her. VERDICT This is friends-to-lovers romance at its finest, with an endearing Gilded Age couple who are clearly made for each other. Shupe ("Uptown Girls" series) fans will welcome this first installment in a new series.-- Kathryn Howe, Saint John Free P.L., NB