Magnate

Joanna Shupe

May 2016 · The Knickerbocker Club Book 1 · Zebra Books

About this ebook

For fans of HBO’s The Gilded Age, explore the dazzling world of America’s 19th century elite in this lush series of sparkling, page-turning love stories…

New York City's Gilded Age shimmers with unimaginable wealth and glittering power. The men of the Knickerbocker Club know this more than anyone else. But for one titan of industry, the business of love is not what he expected…

Born in the slums of Five Points, Emmett Cavanaugh climbed his way to the top of a booming steel empire and now holds court in an opulent Fifth Avenue mansion. His rise in stations, however, has done little to elevate his taste in women. He loathes the city's "high society" types, but a rebellious and beautiful blue-blood just might change all that…

Elizabeth Sloane's mind is filled with more than the latest parlor room gossip. Lizzie can play the Stock Exchange as deftly as New York's most accomplished brokers—but she needs a man to put her skills to use. Emmett reluctantly agrees when the stunning socialite asks him to back her trades and split the profits. But love and business make strange bedfellows, and as their fragile partnership begins to crack, they'll discover a passion more frenzied than the trading room floor…

Raves for The Courtesan Duchess

"Original and alluring." —Publishers Weekly

"Riveting." —Sabrina Jeffries

"Passionate and seductive." —RT Book Reviews

"Captivating." —Booklist

Ratings and reviews

Elizabeth Sloane – Lizzie – loves trading stocks, but being a woman, she has been able to indulge in her passion only as a hobby. Her own brother, Will, refused when she came to him for help to start her own business. Lizzie also suspects the family business’ finances are not what they once were, but no one will tell her anything. After having had every door shut in her face, Lizzie knocks on Emmett Cavanaugh’s door, but she never imagined this financial giant to be so handsome! Emmet doesn’t laugh at Lizzie’s proposition, he’s a businessman who started out with nothing, and he is quite taken with the socialite’s spunk. They strike a bargain: he will partner her business if she will have dinner with him. Joanna Shupe’s extensive research into the business world of the late nineteenth Century really pays off, because everything that has to do with the cutthroat world of finance is totally captivating and feels authentic. We also get a view of the chasm between new money and old money in America; the snobbishness is painful to witness. But Emmett is used to it: he is ruthless, driven, still quite rough around the edges, and doesn’t really care what Society thinks of him: he wants as much money as he can make so he never goes hungry again. Emmett is not nice! He doesn’t want to give in to his intense attraction to Lizzie, because no good can come out of it. MAGNATE is everything but predictable! It is not your average type of romance, and I don’t believe I’d ever seen a character quite like Emmett, and I loved Lizzie! Underneath her polished exterior and impeccable manners, she is just as determined to succeed as Emmett, in spite of seemingly insurmountable obstacles, mainly her gender. MAGNATE is a much multilayered story, and Ms. Shupe’s attention to historical is again astounding: MAGNATE is nearly as good as time travel. I loved that, even given their initial mutual attraction, it’s a long and difficult road before they act on it. I also liked Emmett’s brother Brendan, and I hope to see more of him in the future. The reason why half a star is missing from my review is that I thought there was a tad too much sex – or maybe because the scenes happened too close to one another – and Emmett was still a little too much of the thug he had once been, but I’m sure none of this will matter to most readers! I actually give 4 ½ stars. I receive a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I can't even open it to read!

About the author

Award-winning author JOANNA SHUPE has always loved history, ever since she saw her first Schoolhouse Rock cartoon. While in college, Joanna read every romance she could get her hands on and soon started crafting her own racy historical novels. She now lives in New Jersey with her two spirited daughters and dashing husband. Please visit Joanna at www.joannashupe.com or on Twitter @joannashupe.