A review by topy_loving_books
The Bride Goes Rogue by Joanna Shupe

5.0

This book is why I LOVE Shupe's writing. She has yet to disappoint me. She doesn't brag about kick-ass independent heroine or making promises, but she damn delivers on both levels. This book  is 🔥🔥🔥 (you are not ready guys). I love my HR hot but with this book Shupe might make me blush. Lol It's like her novella My Dirty Duke level of heat. Which is the greatest compliment I could give her. Also I appreciate her non-floral vocabulary to describe sex scenes and body parts. Enough of the little bud we see too often. Clitoris, cock and co.  can run freely over here. It felt like a contemporary at times. I loved that.

Shupe writes about amazing independent heroes especially the FMC having more agency than we are used to see. The heroes are bold and don't follow the rules that we usually see in our historicals. And the Guilded Age ambiance is the ice on the cake. I loved Katherine and Preston already when I discovered them in the previous book, The Lady Gets Lucky, so I knew I would love them in their own book. The summary and the sexy cover only cemented it.

I love Katherine and how she takes confidence into herself and what she wants. Even at the beginning when she doesn't know how to act, and ask him to pleasure himself in front of her, worshipping it with her eyes. She was a queen in multiple times through the book (when she fired the misogynist architect or through sex that she usually is initiating because she is angry or to regain control in her life). She find solace and confort with him. 
Kat's reaction when she realized Preston punch someone to defend her honor was refreshing. Usually the lady is outrage but Kat teasing him was so funny and him looking for hours at the painting (identical to those in his office) was adorable!!! 🤩
My only complaint would be about Katherine repeating how she lost one year of her life. Get over it girl, some spinsters lost way more years. So I thought her reaction a bit much.

What a hot ride this book was. But also an emotional one. when Katherine said "I lose at every turn with you. The betrothal agreement, the property. Even my heart. I keep losing and losing. Eventually I need to put myself first or else I fear there'll be nothing left." was so powerful! We don't see our heroines often putting boundaries and thinking about themselves first. Too often it's the opposite, and they forgive too easily, like with The Rakehell of Roth by Amalie Howard. I hated how he barely grovel and she forgave him.
Here Preston had to do extra gestures to get her back, but part of me wished he groveled even more and longer.

The dad's actions can be questionnable but I don't think he's an evil dad. He tries to do good but other things got in the way. But I think he should have talk to Kat first, especially after the first time during the promenade where he saw how it hurt her. But I understand his decision with Preston's dad in the past, to protect himself and his own family. About the deed, I wish we saw more of this side of him. Because for once it wasn't an evil dad. He had good intentions for his daughter but was just terrible acting on them.