Review by Booklist Review
Christopher "Kit" Ward's hopes of successfully launching his new supper club rest solely on having chef Angelo Franconi in the kitchen. Unfortunately for Kit, no amount of money will convince chef Franconi to leave his current position. Fortunately for Kit, heiress Alice Lusk has a possible solution. Alice will use her close friendship with chef Franconi, who once worked for her family and taught Alice to cook, to secure some of his recipes for the dishes Kit needs if, in return, Kit will "tutor" Alice in the art of seduction. However, what starts out as a simple business transaction soon becomes quite personal when it turns out that love might be on the menu for both Alice and Kit. With the latest in her Fifth Avenue Rebels series, Shupe (The Heiress Hunt, 2021) again deftly blends all of the tempting ingredients of her historical romances, including exquisite character development, breathtakingly bold sensuality, and a brilliantly evoked historical setting, into another perfectly composed love story.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Shupe entices with her second Gilded Age--set Fifth Avenue Rebels romance (after The Heiress Hunt). Handsome charmer Christopher "Kit" Ward meets Alice Lusk at a Newport house party. Eager to escape the clutches of her overbearing mother, Alice knows she must marry, but she hopes to marry for love, not the lure of her large dowry. In exchange for "certified scoundrel" Kit's tutelage on how to attract a man, Alice agrees to give Kit recipes from famed chef Angelo Franconi for the grand opening of Kit's supper club, having memorized many of Franconi's dishes when he worked for her family. As Kit teaches Alice the art of flirtation, he finds himself seduced by her intelligence, beauty, and passion for cooking. Though Alice's family discourages her dreams of becoming a chef, once back in New York City, Kit's business partner requests Alice's services for the club's preview dinner, and Alice agrees so long as her identity is kept secret. Meanwhile, Alice garners the attention of the Duke of Lockwood, forcing Kit to choose between taking a chance at love or losing Alice to another man. Shupe enhances the relationship between these candid, intelligent characters with sensual, emotional love scenes. The simmering romantic tension keeps the pages flying. Agent: Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary. (Oct.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge--seduction lessons for recipes--turns into passion, friendship, and love. Shupe returns not just to the Gilded Age, but to the specific house party in Newport featured in The Heiress Hunt (2021), the first book in the Fifth Avenue Rebels series. In this installment, the focus shifts to heiress Alice Lusk and scoundrel Kit Ward. Alice yearns to get out from under the thumb of her controlling, cruel mother, but she doesn't want to marry just anyone. She wants to find someone who cares for her, not her sizable dowry. While attending a party spanning several days, she enlists the charming Kit to teach her how to seduce a man. Kit aspires to open a supper club in New York City and can use Alice's detailed knowledge of recipes from a famous chef who used to work for her family. The two are surprised by their delight in each other and start to cherish their time together, but with differing goals, they are set to go their separate ways unless they can reevaluate their priorities. The "kissing lessons" trope is carried off excellently here because it's paired with rich, developed characters. Alice and Kit both have self-esteem issues stemming from their relationships with their parents, but it affects them differently. The way they each find confidence because of their connection is moving, while their physical chemistry is sizzling. Pacing issues and forced obstacles beleaguer the second half of the book, but there's enough heart and heat to sustain the reader's interest. Not quite chef's kiss perfection but still pretty dang delicious. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
