Review: The Prince of Broadway by Joanna Shupe

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Title: The Prince of Broadway(Uptown Girls #2)
Author: Joanna Shupe
Date of publication: 30 Dec 2019
Genre: Historical romance, Gilded Age
Author links: Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

My rating: 3 Stars


Blurb 

He lives in the shadows...

As the owner of the city's most exclusive casino, Clayton Madden holds the fortunes of prominent families in the palms of his hands every night. There is one particular family he burns to ruin, however, one that has escaped his grasp... until now. 

She is society's darling... 

Florence Greene is no one's fool. She knows Clayton Madden is using her to ruin her prestigious family... and she's using him right back. She plans to learn all she can from the mysterious casino owner—then open a casino of her own just for women. 

With revenge on his mind, Clay agrees to mentor Florence. However, she soon proves more adept—and more alluring—than Clay bargained for. When his plans are threatened, Clay must decide if he is willing to gamble his empire on love.


Review

I loved the Gilded Age are New York Joanna Shupe creates in her books and had high expectations of this one. I liked it OK but I never quite warmed to the heroine's dream of opening a women’s only casino presented as a safe place.

I liked the hero, understood the reasons for his behaviour and desire for revenge. Overall, I found him relatable and appealing - silent, broody and intimidating, determined to achieve success, led moistly by desire for revenge only to find it carries little comfort when you lose the one person that makes you happy. 

The heroine, ion the other hand, I didn’t like her much. I liked her drive for independence, her free spirit but at the same time I was uncomfortable with the message of gambling as empowering for women. All through the story I kept thinking gambling is an addiction and the success of a casino is based on the patrons losing, being more of less cheated of their money (it was very explicitly said in the text). I realise what she did was aimed at wealthy ladies as a form of entertainment but I kept thinking how many poor people are drawn to gambling as an easy way to win money, only to end up losing everything. 

I found her risk-taking too much, bordering on reckless, putting herself in danger only to achieve what she wants. There was also childish disobedience on her part that I didn't like much. 

That said, I liked the romance, liked them as a couple, liked the way her (and his) relationship with her family developed in the end. I got the first book in the series which was on sale and I still plan on reading it, maybe not just right way though.


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1 comments

  1. The first book has a heroine that is much more one that you can relate too. I struggled with this book because of the heroine .. she struck me as spoiled and annoying and I thought the hero deserved better.

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