NOTE: I don't mind the cartoony romance covers that are currently popular, but as someone raised on Johanna Lindsey, this cover worked for me.
This book is the third book in the Uptown Girls series, in it we get some scenes with Justine (our MC) and her sisters who were the main characters in the other two books. You don't need to have read any other books to enjoy this one, but if you like Romance or Historical Romance, you will most likely enjoy the other two books.
This is my first time reading Joanna Shupe's work and I get why she is award-winning. This book takes place in the 1890s in New York City. Justine comes from a wealthy family but she is an advocate for women and children. A Feminist in the best sense of the word. She tracks down deadbeat dads and tries to get them to support their families. She does this in a system that doesn't think men should have to take care of their own children and who don't see women as equals. She is a force to be reckoned with in this story. The male lead is Jack Mulligan, a top-tier rough-around-the-edges character. The main conflict to their becoming a couple is that Jack is a gang leader in NYC.
I'm not one for gang-related romance, but in the context of late 19th Century New York, it's more tolerable. It's clear throughout the book that if Justine and Jack are to find a HEA together one of them needs to give up their current livelihood. It is obvious which one of them needs to make better choices, the tension throughout the book lies in how we get to the right conclusion, and this is done very well.
Joanna Schupe makes sure that Justine clearly consents as the romance unfolds, and I loved that while Justine was a virgin, she wasn't ignorant about sex or about pleasuring herself.
5 Stars
