January 9, 2017
Shupe follows her stellar first two Knickerbocker Club novels (Magnate and Baron) with a weaker third entry. Calvin Cabot, the publisher of three New York newspapers, is one of the reigning titans of the Gilded Age. Information is his business, but even he is caught by surprise when his ex-wife, Lillian Davies, stalks and kidnaps him, demanding he find her brother. Intensely loyal and proud Lily is mismatched with aloof Calvin, who doesn’t trust easily, but they were passionately in love when they eloped. Faced with Lily’s father’s ire at the elopement, Calvin buckled and gave her up, and four years later, Lily is still bitter about his abandonment. The dialogue is engaging and sexy, their chemistry is still red-hot, and their torrid affair is inevitable. The passionate interludes feel worlds apart from the very serious threats posed by a local mob boss, but each intimate moment is powerful and engaging. Lily is determined to have an equal partnership with Calvin and is willing to walk away if he can’t give it to her. Calvin’s love for Lily is never in doubt, but his actions don’t inspire confidence that he understands what she needs. Readers who’ve seen the previous series heroes give up their empires for love will find the theme has grown a bit stale. The inclusion of a tie-in novella is a nice perk, but Calvin and Lily’s story could have made better use of those pages to bolster a thin plot. Agent: Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary.
February 15, 2017
Lillian Davies had never planned to kidnap anyone, let alone her former husband, powerful newspaper publisher Calvin Cabot. But when her brother, Tom, goes missing, Lily knows Calvin is the only one who can help. When he ignores her letters, she has no choice but to pluck him out of an opium den and take him home with her. Tom has run afoul of a relentless, deadly enemy whose web of crime and corruption goes deep. As Calvin and Lily are drawn into the morass, they must put their antagonism aside and work together--and the results are most surprising. Shupe (Baron) winds up her steamy "Knickerbocker Club" escapade through the varied social strata of New York's glittering Gilded Age with a complex, danger-filled story that dips into the murky depths of the Chinese underworld. VERDICT An independent pair kept apart by lies and a dismal lack of communication come to terms with their feelings in this intricately plotted tale that is awash in secrets and peppered with sassy dialog, erotic sex, and a fascinating bit of history. A print version of the series-related e-novella Tycoon is a delightful bonus. Shupe lives in South Orange, NJ.
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