Scan barcode
bibliozabs's review
Skimmed so I could get a sense of the set up for the following books bc the reviews were bad for this one.
And yeah, those reviews were right. This is a rare miss for Joanna Shupe. It’s bad. Controlling, lying, unredeemed MMC. Inconsistent actions by both MCs. Weird pacing.
But embarking on the following books regardless.
And yeah, those reviews were right. This is a rare miss for Joanna Shupe. It’s bad. Controlling, lying, unredeemed MMC. Inconsistent actions by both MCs. Weird pacing.
But embarking on the following books regardless.
hrhkatherine's review
1.0
I can’t even begin to discuss what a crappy communicator Harrison Archer (any relation to Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor?) is. Like honestly the dude didn’t care about her at all and it was the most slimy tale of “love” ever ugh this is going in my donate pile
dylor's review
2.0
The last three chapters I basically skimmed through because I was annoyed with the storyline and the main characters. The only good part I enjoyed in this book was the interaction between the friends.
amandalikestoread13's review
3.0
Audiobook and Physical. Audiobook from library and physical I own. Started in print and finished on audio. 3.5 rounded down.
desiree_mcl's review
4.0
It's been a long time since I've read 2 historical romances, so close together. I've been in a serious non-historical romance mood these last couple years, mainly because a lot of new historical romances, IMO, have felt more like contemporary characters just set in 1800's (or whatever century is being written), which is not something I want to read when I'm craving historical's.
I listened to this on audio and the narration was really great. Justine Eyre is one of my favorite historical romance narrators.
Maddie and Harrison were/are best friends and have known each other since childhood. Harrison would always be at Maddie's house and love to be around her, and he developed feelings for her and at one point during her debut he was going to ask to court her. But he overheard something from Maddie that made him essentially flee for a few years without talking to Maddie where he was sowing his wild oats. Now he's back, Maddie is a very good tennis player, has dreams of making it big, and she's also betrothed to a duke, Harrison is not about to let that happen but he also has another agenda while he is pursuing Maddie.
I loved how much Harrison wanted Maddie and how he was determined to make her his wife. I do love a hero who knows who he wants. It did bother me that he took an overheard comment and made a huge life altering decision, without even speaking to Maddie. I understand he was hurt but there are things that people say to other people to mask their own feelings or because they don't want to tell someone who isn't the person their speaking about. While I do believe Maddie said exactly what she felt she did at that time, Harrison didn't even give her the opportunity to explain.
I enjoyed Maddie for the most part as well, I loved that she wanted to focus on tennis and tennis was a passion of hers. And whether she was alone, marrying a duke, or marrying Harrison, it was a part of who she was. I didn't love what caused the third act break up. While I understood her anger at Harrison not being up front with her and telling her what was going on, they were married, and she was in the camp of, one fight, one mistake, one slip up in their communication and it's over? What? I also didn't like
So this was an enjoyable read, I loved the narration, I really enjoyed the romance despite a couple of hiccups for me and I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series. I'm excited to get to the Duke's story, which I think is book 4, that seems like it's going to a hoot with who his heroine is going to be.
I listened to this on audio and the narration was really great. Justine Eyre is one of my favorite historical romance narrators.
Maddie and Harrison were/are best friends and have known each other since childhood. Harrison would always be at Maddie's house and love to be around her, and he developed feelings for her and at one point during her debut he was going to ask to court her. But he overheard something from Maddie that made him essentially flee for a few years without talking to Maddie where he was sowing his wild oats. Now he's back, Maddie is a very good tennis player, has dreams of making it big, and she's also betrothed to a duke, Harrison is not about to let that happen but he also has another agenda while he is pursuing Maddie.
I loved how much Harrison wanted Maddie and how he was determined to make her his wife. I do love a hero who knows who he wants. It did bother me that he took an overheard comment and made a huge life altering decision, without even speaking to Maddie. I understand he was hurt but there are things that people say to other people to mask their own feelings or because they don't want to tell someone who isn't the person their speaking about. While I do believe Maddie said exactly what she felt she did at that time, Harrison didn't even give her the opportunity to explain.
I enjoyed Maddie for the most part as well, I loved that she wanted to focus on tennis and tennis was a passion of hers. And whether she was alone, marrying a duke, or marrying Harrison, it was a part of who she was. I didn't love what caused the third act break up. While I understood her anger at Harrison not being up front with her and telling her what was going on, they were married, and she was in the camp of, one fight, one mistake, one slip up in their communication and it's over? What? I also didn't like
Spoiler
how quickly Harrison got in touch with his former mistress to get back together when they were going to break off their marriage. Nothing happened because he didn't make it back to France before he and Maddie were back together but I still didn't love it.So this was an enjoyable read, I loved the narration, I really enjoyed the romance despite a couple of hiccups for me and I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series. I'm excited to get to the Duke's story, which I think is book 4, that seems like it's going to a hoot with who his heroine is going to be.
bandherbooks's review against another edition
3.0
So I think I read this in a not great mood. It was hard to get lost in a world of the rich, especially after falling so in love with Shupe's previous series which had a thread of social justice woven into the stories. Here, we have a rich heiress tennis player who must marry her childhood friend or be ruined (and ruining her engagement to a British Duke). Harrison Archer, our scoundrel, has been pining for Maddie forever, but after hearing her say something that devastated him at her coming out ball, he left to cat it up in Europe, but has now returned determined to make her his wife. Oh, and to ruin his family along the way.
Harrison reminded me a bit of Jay Gatsby, and not in a great way. There were a lot of loose threads and plot points, including a mystery about who is trying to throw Maddie off her tennis game, and ultimately this book read more soapy than romantic to me. The characters get married quite quickly in the early parts of the novel and the story swerves to focus on the revenge plot, and lies, to move forward.
That said when Harrison and Maddie are exploring their attraction to each and are on page falling in love, those scenes sent me. And the scenes were he's trying to seduce her. Wowser meowser.
Uneven, but I still devoured the whole thing because I'm an avowed Shupe fangirl.
Thank you to Avon for the ARC
Harrison reminded me a bit of Jay Gatsby, and not in a great way. There were a lot of loose threads and plot points, including a mystery about who is trying to throw Maddie off her tennis game, and ultimately this book read more soapy than romantic to me. The characters get married quite quickly in the early parts of the novel and the story swerves to focus on the revenge plot, and lies, to move forward.
That said when Harrison and Maddie are exploring their attraction to each and are on page falling in love, those scenes sent me. And the scenes were he's trying to seduce her. Wowser meowser.
Uneven, but I still devoured the whole thing because I'm an avowed Shupe fangirl.
Thank you to Avon for the ARC
ellbo_oks333's review
3.0
this male protagonist just seemed to real for me in this romance novel, like all of the qualities i don't want in a man. he would just say he was trying to love her while completely disregarding her requests to be in a partnership. i didn't like how the direction of the book went seemingly friends to lovers, but just feels like a man who she became attracted to because of the lust and how much he's 'changed' in his attitude (?)
amelie5m's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
amberreadsromance28's review
3.0
I wasn't sure how to rate this, I decided to rate it 2.5 stars and round up to 3 for goodreads.
This is my first book by Joanna Shupe, and I wanted to start with this series because I heard a lot about The Lady Gets Lucky. I saw a lot of bad reviews for this book, but I always have to read the series in order. I hate to start with a bad rating, but this was a huge disappointment for me. Joanna Shupe's writing was good. However, I disliked both of the characters.
This started out as an interesting childhood friends to lovers. Harrison has been in France for a few years and has now returned to New York. He asks his childhood friend Maddie to help him find a heiress to marry to save his family from ruin. He actually has a plan of revenge against his family and is just using this as a way to get close to Maddie and woo her.
Maddie throws a weekend party at her families home in Newport. This was a good introduction to the friend group, and I think this party will be the kickoff point to the other books as well.
I know a lot of people didn't like Harrison, but I could not stand Maddie more. He did some underhanded things and kept things from her, but Maddie was really unlikable. Harrison was pining for her for years, and she just viewed him as her brother. This poor guy was completely friend zoned. She came off as very cold and distant. I could not buy into their connection. She was a complete bitch. She kept pushing him away and acted so meh towards him.
Once we got to the 50% mark, I was checked out. The last half just did not grab me, and the 3rd act conflict was stupid.
The one redeeming thing in this book was Kit and Nelly. I am excited about the other books.
I am currently doing a vlog on reading Joanna Shupe for the first time. More thoughts will be on that video.
This is my first book by Joanna Shupe, and I wanted to start with this series because I heard a lot about The Lady Gets Lucky. I saw a lot of bad reviews for this book, but I always have to read the series in order. I hate to start with a bad rating, but this was a huge disappointment for me. Joanna Shupe's writing was good. However, I disliked both of the characters.
This started out as an interesting childhood friends to lovers. Harrison has been in France for a few years and has now returned to New York. He asks his childhood friend Maddie to help him find a heiress to marry to save his family from ruin. He actually has a plan of revenge against his family and is just using this as a way to get close to Maddie and woo her.
Maddie throws a weekend party at her families home in Newport. This was a good introduction to the friend group, and I think this party will be the kickoff point to the other books as well.
I know a lot of people didn't like Harrison, but I could not stand Maddie more. He did some underhanded things and kept things from her, but Maddie was really unlikable. Harrison was pining for her for years, and she just viewed him as her brother. This poor guy was completely friend zoned. She came off as very cold and distant. I could not buy into their connection. She was a complete bitch. She kept pushing him away and acted so meh towards him.
Once we got to the 50% mark, I was checked out. The last half just did not grab me, and the 3rd act conflict was stupid.
The one redeeming thing in this book was Kit and Nelly. I am excited about the other books.
I am currently doing a vlog on reading Joanna Shupe for the first time. More thoughts will be on that video.