An Amazon Best Book of the Month“I am adding this book to that list of books I would take to a deserted island with me. God, I love this book. Go read it now. I promise you won’t be disappointed.” –Sarah MacLean, New York Times Bestselling AuthorIn the second novel in Joanna Shupe’s the Uptown Girl series, a ruthless casino owner bent on revenge finds his plans upended by a beautiful woman who … plans upended by a beautiful woman who proves to be more determined than he is–and too irresistible to deny.
Powerful casino owner.
Ruthless mastermind.
Destroyer of men.
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.
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NYC 1891
A ruthless, powerful man, Clay Madden ran his casino with no mercy for those who tried to cheat him.
He had pulled himself from the bottom up and now he was the ruler of all gambling activity in town.
So when Florence Greene, kept coming to his casino, one where women were not allowed, he determined to put her in her place.
Florence’s plan seemed to be working when she was finally summoned to Clay’s office. When she put her proposal before him, to mentor her in the casino business so she could open one for women, he finally relented. But he had conditions and he told her he seeked revenge against her father.
I was totally enthralled from the beginning of this story. I was looking forward to seeing how this couple came together due to each of them being strong forces, not backing down from one another. Each thought the other attractive from the beginning but the journey for them was riff with high emotions, distrust and feelings that could be hard, especially from the hero.
Prepare to be mesmorized and not able to put this one down once you start.
With Romance I usually fall for the hero first but with this series it’s the heroines who have my heart a-twitter, don’t get me wrong I love the heroes but the heroines are something extra special. I loved The Prince Of Broadway. It hit all the buttons for me in terms of things I enjoy but there were things here and there that I wasn’t fond of. However, those things didn’t ruin my overall reading experience. I highly recommend this book and series.
Copy provided provided by publisher through Edelweiss
The Prince of Broadway by Joanna Shupe is book Two in the Uptown Girls Series. This is the story of Florence ‘Flo’ Greene and Clayton ‘Clay’ Madden. I have read the previous book which did add to my enjoyment of this one but I did feel you could make it a standalone book if you wish to do so.
Clay learned young you have to fight for everything you had after his family was left with nothing. Clay fought his way up to be a successful casino owner but he has held out a wish for vengeance to those that wronged him. So when Flo presents him with a request to show her how to run a casino he ends up helping her with that request and he is up front with her about his revenge towards her father. Flo isn’t a innocent and has no plans to marry but does want to open an exclusive club to women and plans on keeping things professional with Clay. Flo also doesn’t take to much consideration in his revenge plan toward her father it would seem.
Clay does play very harsh with Flo when he starts to struggle with his feelings for her and his wish for revenge.
“The rogue and the debutante” pairing usually works for me, this one was quite entertaining. The difference in their personalities and stations in life heightened the tension between the main characters.
The combination of Clay’s dark moods and Florence’s determination to succeed on her own made for interesting moments. I liked Florence’s feistiness, she kept Clay on his toes, the only damper was the ebbs and flows of their relationship felt forced at times.
Overall, this series has been good.
What I like about this book is Clayton. He is a gambling hall owner, a bit rough around the edges and a bit vulgar. You know what I mean…love that about heroes. What I did not care for so much was Florence. I loved her in the previous book but in this story she comes across as a bit naïve and young for her age. She thinks she is worldly but actually she is not. The scenes where Clayton is teaching her about the casino are great. Also the scene at Mulligan’s where Florence decides to go on the stage and perform in amazing. I thought in that scene she was showing her self-confidence. The “epilogue” is not one I cared about – Florence makes a decision without discussing it with Clayton that I think was wrong. However, as with all of Ms. Shupe’s books, the storytelling is fantastic and flows so well you feel as though time has flown by you when you get to the end.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through Edelweiss.
Florence Greene has never quite fit in with New York City’s high society. Her parents certainly don’t understand her and she knows her father will soon start pressuring her to marry. She must take steps now to ensure her future independence and work toward her dream of opening a casino for ladies, which means seeking lessons from one of the most mysterious and dangerous men in New York.
Clayton Madden hustled his way up from ruin to become one of the most powerful and wealthiest men in the city. From his upscale casino, The Bronze House, he controls the fortunes of the city’s wealthiest and most prominent individuals. But his ultimate goal is to bring ruination upon the man who ruined his family and inadvertently caused his brother’s death: one Duncan Greene. So when Greene’s daughter sneaks into his club seeking his mentorship, Clay agrees, eager to annoy her father by bringing Florence into the seedier sides of the glitzy city. Clay is always a step ahead of everyone, but even he isn’t prepared for the allure of Florence or the long-dead feelings she dredges up in him. Soon Clay has to decide which is more important to him: the revenge plan that has been twenty years in the making or the terrifying feelings of love he’s afraid to acknowledge.
Some potential spoilers ahead.
Florence was a well-drawn strong heroine, without the shrewishness that so annoys me and is so common lately, but her utter naivete at times was rather trying, especially given her worldly boasts. I found this book to be very hard to rate. I did wind up liking Florence and her determination to be her own person, but I felt like at times she wasn’t fair to Clay and was a bit naive in her understanding of his life, circumstances, and motivations. I was a bit disappointed that she and he didn’t actually get married in the end and her dream came relatively easily while Clay had to give up nearly everything he’d worked for. Though at least this came at a time when Clay was ready to move on to more above-board projects so that made this work for me. I loved how utterly brilliant Clay was and always one step ahead of everyone, though I would’ve liked to see him get one last victory over Bill in the end; the ending emasculated Clay a bit and think my hang up is that that really doesn’t fit with the rest of his character, no matter how much he developed he should never lose that edge of danger. I loved being immersed in this world of ruthless, powerful kingpins, all with their own empires and alliances and I don’t think Clay should’ve lost any of that edginess that was so much a part of his allure and mystique. Regardless, I did love how much Clay grew and overcame his past to finally focus on himself and his own happiness. I just wish Florence had shown a bit more of that same growth, though it must be said they had amazing chemistry.
Overall I found this book to be an engrossing read, though I don’t think I liked it quite as much as the previous book. Nonetheless, this book was very well written and free of errors, with language so descriptive I could picture everything as though I were watching it on screen. I can’t wait for Justine’s story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I was warned about this book but I still needed to read it and I wasn’t disappointed with it. I loved the story line which was so different to your usual historical romance and the characters where just perfect. They were so well written to suit the story and era but I still found the use of the F word a little uncomfortable and there was a lot of sex in it, which this reviewer as usual skipped. As I said I was warned because there was no other way Ms Shupe could have written this book. This is a follow on from the The Rogue of Fifth Avenue but can be read alone. Being the stories of three sisters I am now waiting and looking forward to the next in the series. I received this book as an ARC and was happy to do a review.
The Prince of Broadway
Uptown Girls series #2
Joanna Shupe
https://www.facebook.com/joannashupeauthor/
Release date 12/30/2019
Publisher Avon
Blurb :
Powerful casino owner. Ruthless mastermind. Destroyer of men.
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.
My review:
Can two persons from both sides of the fence have an avenir together.
Even if it is a second book in a series, it can be perfectly read as as standalone, the few details given about the heroine’s sister story reveal hardly anything.
I was quite intrigued by Florence in the first book, she appeared so mature.
Here I saw here at time more like a spoiled brat, playing the petulant one. She shows as the modern woman, but having lovers does not make her a liberated woman, it displayed more her immature side, not really seing where was the true fight.
Even if for the time period, she was not far from wrong, she is quite a misandrist with a vision of the men as the bullies of the world.
After that she wants to succeed all by herself is to be praised but it is also to be rightly planed and scheduled, that her lead investor is not aware of her project appears a little rough. Sometime she is reckless and at time stupidly naive, endangering herself and even her sister to prove she can do as she sees fit. Like a little girl trying to outgrow from her skin to spike her father by shunning society’s rules, no lovers, no outing outside the posh walls.
Out of bravado, she is lucky she did not faced more pitfalls.
Clayton has merged from the slum by fighting hard and being ruthless.
He is a simple man, driven by one exigency, success to extract his retribution.
From the beginning, he is honest, warning Florence of his revenge’s plans.
Sure he didn’t tell her the why and how but she was warned.
So when she discovered his way to get back at her father, she has every right to be furious, but being so unforgiving, not true.
Especially when he proved her how accepting and respectful of her desires he was.
But stubborn persons are often in need of eyes openers to see what was straight in front of them.
At first their relationship was only driven by lust, which is far from my favorite way to conduct an acquaintance, the tutelage was a mean to bring them in close contact as both were attracted to the other. So when feelings were first sensed, Clayton backed down until they found a common ground to be together, even knowing it was doomed from the beginning.
By the way, this read was very much axed on the bedroom time compared to the previous story.
I was wondering about pregnancy risk as it was never discussed but as there is a remark by the very end of the book, I suppose Florence found a mean to protect her from unexpected and unwanted maternity.
It was the 1890s, women were never allowed so much freedom without a price.
Florence resents her family, but in their own way, they accepted her, they might not agreed but she was still free to come and go, even knowing her mistakes.
It was very modern thinking and loving from her parents side.
In all it was a fun read, which enlightened me on the working of the gambling dens, even if it stays a bit obscure for me, with two very forward-looking heroes, aplenty of sensual time and a panel of intriguing side characters.
4 stars
I was granted through Edelweiss by the publisher Avon an advance copy, and prior to it I preordered my own.
Here is my true and unbiased opinion.
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I loved more than anything The prince of Broadway !
When you go on blind for a book that you don’t even read the blurb ( but you’re going for it because your love for the author’s stories has no limits) you never know what to expect. I wanted to read Florence’s story from the minute I’ve finished Mamie’s book.
The haven of vice and sin will always hold a mystery for anyone, but for someone who wants to know everything about it, could be a dangerous place. A place where the players will have to gamble away they hateful and revengeful feelings for a chance at love. Always take the risk ladies as you can never know what fate has prepared for you.