The Gilded Rose

by Joanna Shupe

USA Today bestselling author Joanna Shupe returns with an angst-filled retelling of Beauty and the Beast, set against the excess and opulence of Gilded Age New York.

Love isn’t always a fairy tale.

Charming and popular, Orson Grey is the most sought-after bachelor in Manhattan. When Caroline pledges to spend her life with him, it feels like the beginning of a fairy tale.

The fairy tale quickly turns into a nightmare.

Behind closed doors, Orson is controlling and cruel. Trapped by laws that prevent women from leaving unhappy marriages, Caroline has no choice but to endure her husband’s behavior. Each day grows more intolerable, and her frustration and resentment mounts. Even her passion for rare books is stifled, leaving her isolated and lonely, a fading rose trapped under glass.

When Caroline is offered the opportunity to catalogue a private library, she seizes it like a lifeline. Exploring the literary treasures, she discovers a friend in the library’s owner, Zane Bishop—a brilliant, wealthy recluse who was disfigured in an explosion years ago.

Thoughtful and kind, Zane is everything Orson is not. As their trust builds, Zane realizes that Caroline’s pain runs much deeper than she lets on. He suffers with her, knowing precisely of Orson’s cruelty firsthand. Zane will stop at nothing to set Caroline free, even if it means risking everything.

The Gilded Rose is a story of resilience, passion, and the transformative power of love.



Tropes

Gilded Age

Fairy tale retelling

Friends to lovers

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Retellings, Fairy Tales

368 pages, Paperback

Expected publication October 13, 2026

About the author

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USA Today bestselling author JOANNA SHUPE has always loved history, ever since she saw her first Schoolhouse Rock cartoon. Since 2015, her books have appeared on numerous yearly “best of” lists, including Publishers Weekly, The Washington Post, Kirkus Reviews, Kobo, and BookPage.

She currently lives in New Jersey with her two spirited daughters and a dashing husband.

Reviews

[Liana Gold]

A beauty and the beast retelling set in the 19th century.

Genre: historical romance




Many thanks to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager and the author, Joanna Shupe for an early ARC!

Publication date: October 13, 2026

[Jessica White]

This is GREAT storytelling. This is the kind of book you begin reading and are hit with a WHOA, that got heavy really quickly, but know you need to keep reading because you trust the author and trust her purpose. So let me say that the prologue and other points of this book may be difficult for some readers. Marital trauma is a key plot point and it is very much on page. Skip the prologue, the second half of chapter 1, and Caroline’s perspective in chapter 6 if you have triggers.
As I mentioned, this storytelling hooked me and could not put it down. It’s a Beauty and the Beast retelling imagined in the Gilded Age of New York where our Belle (Caroline), has been hoodwinked by Gaston (Orson Grey) into believing hers will be a marriage of love. With the help from the fire-scarred Beast (Zane Bishop), Caroline will find an escape and possibly freedom from her brutal marriage. You will HATE Orson. His character is so irredeemable that it would be easy to see Zane as the white knight, swooping in to save Caroline (and believe me, he wants to), but Shupe carefully lays the ground for Caroline to make big decisions for herself and to have the autonomy to learn what it means to have her own voice when society and limited womens’ rights aim to stifle it.

As dark as this book is, it is also deeply sensual and fans of Finelli’s dirty talking mafiosos will be thrilled to see that voice liberated here. Despite the rocky sexual beginnings, The Gilded Rose is a book that amplifies female sexuality from the use of prophylactics (ladies, you can’t count on anyone except yourself) to a hero adamant about the pleasure of a woman being first and foremost. He relishes in giving pleasure to our heroine so much that he is barely able to restrain himself from setting up residence and making her nether regions a new zip code.

I devoured this book, reading it in a weekend. It’s not exactly the Joanna Shupe of yore; this has a grittier feel and is just as much an exploration on divorce law during 1898 as it is a love story. Yet the setting of New York in the Gilded Age brings out the extravagant opulence of the wealthy, the expectations of wives and husbands, and the constraints of marital law which romance readers will still gobble up. Thank you to Avon for my gifted copy. All thoughts and expressions are my own.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Please see the author’s note containing all CWs—I suggest you come into this with open eyes.

[lost in epilogue | ཐི༏ཋྀ​​݁ ₊ ݁ .]

I went through a major Joanna Shupe phase last year and loved her books, but unfortunately this one wasn’t for me.

I do give her credit for the clear effort of researching marriage rights and laws of the time, and for her tackling a sensitive topic. There is a lot of triggering occurrences on page though. While I had seen this was a darker romance of hers, I’ve been faked out a few times w books saying that which ended up not being very dark at all, but this was a bit much for my taste personally (please check tw’s).

I love the initial concept of a beauty and the beast retelling where Belle makes the mistake of marrying Gaston. However, I really didn’t like 1st person POV. It’s not my preferred in general but I especially didn’t like it for hisrom.

Also not a fan of dual POV usually, it tends to ruin the mystique of MMCs for me. I didn’t like how Zane’s “yearning” became very physical. I enjoy smut, but I need a real yearner where it comes from the soul! It felt like the emotional romancing got dropped too quickly.

Overall it was a very ambitious endeavor that she did some good work on, it just wasn’t for me.

An honest arc review <3

[GigiReads]

TENSION! STAKES! This is all my HR loving heart desires and Joanna Shupe delivered with this dark retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

What if Belle had married Gaston? It's as disastrous as I imagined but it makes for a dark, delicious forbidden love between beautiful Caroline and Zane the beastly reclusive zillionaire with the amazing library. About half of the story takes place while Caroline is married to her handsome but abusive husband ( there's no cheating ) so it's very much a slow burn which is usually a no go for me. But the tension and the lovely angsty feelings while waiting for them to finally get together and bang some headboards was *chef's kiss* . Needless to say, when they finally give in to their pants feelings, it is glorious. This author knows how to write a steamy scene and a MMC that loves to dine in parts south ( this book has one of my fave microtropes: he *arrives* from the excitement of finally getting to pleasure her) There were some heavier issues at play that were weaved perfectly through the story like the horrific marriage laws that made it impossible for women to leave abusive marriages. While first person dual POV will never be my favorite in HR, I was able to overlook that here because I was so invested in the MCs and the romance. Highly recommended for lovers of angsty, darker throwback HRs.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
🔥🔥🔥/5

Tropes:
BatB
Forbidden Love
Close Proximity

I received a copy from Netgalley for review. All opinions are my own.

TW: domestic abuse, violence

[Jody Lee]

This beauty and the beast retelling puts the lore in the Gilded Age. Our story starts with the gift of a cursed rose, and we have to most Gaston-coded villain ever, giant and uncouth and "I've always been popular with the ladies." Our heroine is book obsessed, with a book obsessed father. Our beast ticks all the boxes, scarred and solitary with poor eyesight, living in a closed-off castle with an enormous library, staffed by meddling and matchmaking servants. Sidebar, I loved how Shupe never really describes Zane's injuries. We know they are horrific enough to make children cry, and he talks about lack of sensation on his face. I really think it is less "here is my one saber scar" of other retellings and more "absolute burn victim pre the reconstructive surgery era."

Shupe is a fantastically talented writer, who writes with emotion and humor. Her books are filled with supportive female friendships and side characters who keep the MMC grounded. She also writes with deep anger about the situation for women during this time period, with the lack of choices and body autonomy and unfair laws. I would compare her to peak Beverly Jenkins, where there is some edutainment happening, but it only serves to provide context and enhance a wonderful story.

Caroline is lovebombed by Orson with gifts and promises and poetry. They marry after six weeks and he immediately drops the mask. He is obsessed with eugenics and merging their attractiveness into children, and to that end insists on nightly abusive marital congress, against her will. She realizes she is linked for the rest of her life to a terrible man, with no out.

Shop is quite explicit driving home the point of the societal constraints that put women in a powerless and untenable position. Caroline is trapped in this marriage, without recourse. It is quite clear that Orson is within his rights to abuse her and SA as her husband. She is his possession, and as such has no possessions of her own. "Yes, my father was wealthy. Orson was also wealthy. But I hadn't a penny to my own name. The government saw to that with the rules surrounding married women and coverture." Having made this point, Shupe continues to drive it home throughout.

Caroline leaps at the chance to catalogue a library of rare books for charity "Alone. With books. I nearly giggled. It was like a dream. A wonderful, magical dream." The library belongs to reclusive tycoon Zane, who skittishly starts to connect with Caroline. Shupe does some great stuff here of their coming together and both thinking they are damaged goods (because of her terrible choices and trauma, and his terrible scarring).

I loved the work both of them put into the relationship. They are together out of context from society at one point, and use this setting to pursue each other, pushing forward, and refusing to accept withholding. The past trauma and specter of Orson is always present, but they do what they can to overcome. Caroline in particular has only associated intimacy with pain and coercion, and Zane makes a compelling case for the scalding hot nature of constraint and consent. She is always touching him, during intimacy but also small touches, casually given. He's been closed off and alone for years, she has been for months, but they can be together.

Which does make it frustrating for the reader when they constantly think the other deserves better with a future hypothetical partner than with the very real person who is gentle and loving and showing it everyday. But Zane is very limited in how much he's willing to partake of society because of his appearance. And Caroline can't trust herself after her horrific misjudgment with Orson. This an emotionally fraught situation and one that needed some breathing space, but take yes as an answer my friends!

Shupe loves to have the action build to a big finish in her book. In this instance, I did feel like a LOT happened in the last ten percent, and I wish there had been some breathing room for the HEA and plot resolution to land. This is 4.5 stars rounded up to five for me, mainly because of the rushed and packed last ten percent.

CW: Listen, Shupe is very explicit that the Orson stuff is rough. There is physical abuse and marital SA, it happens but isn't detailed on page, but watch your triggers. I thought she handled it well, where it lets the reader know how terrible Caroline's situation was, but didn't linger on the abuse. Ironically, the Harlequin Historical I read immediately after this thinking it would be a nice soft contrast also just threw in a years of marital SA in pursuit of an heir storyline (what are the odds) but of course in the olden days they didn't warn a reader.

Thank you to the publisher for an arc.

[Aaliyah]

5☆!!!!

If you're a whore for Beauty and the Beast retellings like me, then you have to read this book!!!! This is a historical romance that takes place during the Gilded Age in New York. In the beginning, our heroine Caroline ends up getting love bombed by a man named Orson, and they marry just six weeks later. After the marriage, he becomes a completely different person, showing his true character and how little regard he has for her. In fact, he really only wants to be with her for status and so his offspring can be attractive. The book does deal with dark topics such as verbal, physical, and financial abuse, as well as marital rape. I believe it is crucial for these topics to be discussed since, in that era, divorces were rare and could only happen with evidence of infidelity.

Our heroine is an expert at evaluating books and determining their worth, so the hero's sister hires her to assess his extensive book collection. It is extremely hard to convince her husband to agree, but he allows her to go for only two hours a day. There, in the large mansion, she meets Zane Bishop, the scarred grumpy hero who never really leaves his house and is very touch-starved🫦. It takes a while for Zane to even show his face to Caroline because he is deeply insecure about his appearance, but even though he looks "beastly" on the outside, he has an absolute heart of gold.

They start off conversing as friends, but Zane falls hard and fast. When he discovers the atrocities of her marriage, he is filled with rage. He goes to the ends of the earth to protect her and help her get an annulment. He is so gentle with her and treats her like his equal!!! The longing from him was INTENSE; when they share intimacy for the first time, he 💦 in his pants while eating her out!!!!!! I seriously could not recommend this enough; my only complaint is that the ending was so abrupt. I would have appreciated an epilogue to see how the characters are doing. I adored their story, and now, every time I see strawberry macarons, I will think of them!!

Releases October 13th, 2026!! Thank you to Netgalley for the E-ARC!!!

[emily]

i feel like there’s been a marked shift in joanna shupe’s works with this series. i’m not sure if it’s her own choice to evolve her style or if it’s a recommendation from a publisher/editor/etc but unfortunately it is not to my taste. the use of first person, the wildly broad age gaps (19 and 31 in this book!), the reliance on tropes and retellings instead of fully realized characters and relationships… idk! this one was better than the first book but not by much. it was also VERY heavy so definitely mind trigger warnings. full rtc

[triviareads]

Rating: 4.5/5
Heat Level: 3.5/5
Pub Date: October 13th

My review:

JOANNA SHUPE IS BACK. This might be the perfect Beauty and the Beast retelling for 2026, because not only is it swoony and consent-forward, it also tackles the (horrifyingly) timely subject of no-fault divorce and answers the question "but what if Belle married Gaston first?" with chilling accuracy.

Caroline marries wealthy, popular Orson Grey, whose facade immediately drops after their wedding— he's abusive, controlling, and repeatedly assaults her— all of which is upheld legally as they are married, and it is not grounds for divorce in Gilded Age New York. Reading this, along with the gaslighting Orson engages in... you really feel yourself mentally flailing and chafing against the limitations of the plot by way of the time period, similar to say, if you've read the portion of Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale when Jervaulx is forcibly institutionalized— Shupe conveys a similar horror all too well.

BUT. Shortly into Caroline's marriage, she catches the eye of reclusive Wall Street tycoon Zane Bishop. Zane is instantly attracted to her, and is willing to do anything to anything to help her by kinda shady means but like, whatever, right? Caroline catalogs rare books with her dad, so being able to catalog Zane's collection is a DREAM, even if she has to engage in subturfuge to work, and the homeowner skitters around his own home like an oversized rat and refuses to show her his face.

I love how Shupe writes her self-made ex-gutter rat heroes because for the most part, they have no qualms about doing the dirty work it takes to get to the top and get their girl, but every so often they HATE THEMSELVES because they're so *unfit* to put their *filthy paws* on the more genteel heroine, and I appreciate that. Zane is a perfect beast-coded hero, beyond his scars, because he is obsessed with Caroline— getting his P.I. to follow her, bringing her macarons, sniffing her pillow, engaging in literal balls-crushing— even as he tries desperately to stay away from her. That tension is particularly well-done here because Caroline needs the time to heal and decide for herself that she wants Zane, and ultimately, SHE makes the first move.

The sex:

The sex is slow-burn, but the build-up in terms of both feelings and consent is VERY necessary for this story, and I will say, once they get started, they do NOT stop. Caroline makes the first moves, but Zane is READY to oblige her, and by oblige her, I do mean eating her out repeatedly— he's an Eater and a sniffer. Line up ladies.

The sex scenes build up to classic Shupe stuff— thorough, rough but tender, with some SOLID dirty talk. Caroline is also re-discovering her body with Zane, and my favorite of these discoveries might be Zane teaching her to masturbate... WHILE HE'S INSIDE HER. AMAZING.

Overall:

In a time of both retellings galore, and more grimly, politicians in the United States coming for no-fault divorce, Joanna Shupe has written something fabulous, swoony and romantic while also refusing to shy away from the darkness. I would HIGHLY recommend The Gilded Rose.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

[tiana ♡]

Beauty and the Beast vibes, New York, and The Gilded Age! 🌹

Thank you so much to Avon, NetGalley and the author for the free ARC of this book. This is my honest, voluntary review.

This book will be published on October 13, 2026. 📖

📚

I love it whenever a story is inspired by or references Beauty & the Beast. While I was reading this book, the inspiration was evident in a positive way. It also reminded me slightly of the show The Buccaneers in terms of the time period and the discussion of women's rights - or lack thereof - within marriage.

I liked both character perspectives in the book: Caroline and Zane's. Certainly, do not take the content/trigger warnings lightly as some of these chapters can be difficult to read. I loved Caroline's character, her profession and love for books and anything book-related. Both her and Zane had a strong sense of determination and following their initial stage of unfamiliarity, they managed to cultivate communication, support, and reliance. I loved how comfortable they both became with one another, how they became each other's safe space. 🥹 Their relationship is a slow-burn and once it starts 'burning', it's trusting, healthy, and unquestionably passionate. This is particularly significant once you consider the overall picture of both of their lives. Experiences can, sometimes, be paralyzing and both characters demonstrate throughout the story tremendous strength and resilience. ❤️ Zane is a yearner and I LOVE yearners! Both his inner monologue and his spoken confessions are highlight-worthy. In fact, I noted so many passages on my kindle from these moments.

Outside the two main characters, the secondary characters are well-crafted and fleshed out. I had several favorites: Camilla, Gertrude, Fletcher, Branson, Caroline's father as they all added so much to the story and I loved their interactions with Caroline and Zane. 🥰

I enjoyed how social commentary was embedded in the story. Reading the author's note at the end highlighted even further why such stories are important. Women's rights in society and in marriage, especially during the Gilded Age, were practically non-existent. Reading about Caroline's journey and experiences was heartbreaking and it made me angry. Thinking about how 'invisible' women were to the eyes of the law and the world will never cease to upset me. This book showcased this well and, to me, it read realistically.

Although it didn't really affect my rating, I would've personally liked an epilogue. Not really a major issue, however I do enjoy reading epilogues and seeing what the couple is up to later on. Other than this, the ending itself worked well for the story and for me. 🫶

Overall, I truly enjoyed this book! Joanna Shupe is a new-to-me author; following this story, I'm ready to navigate her backlist of works and discover more books to love! ❤️

[Nikola]

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this ARC.

This book made me absolutely loathe Orsen. He is the bane of my existence and I wish every pain upon him. I was constantly rooting for Caroline and hoping that she would get out of this abusive situation. I wished that she was more involved with getting out but I understand that this time period makes it difficult for women to leave. I also wished that her dad took more steps or even realized what was happening. He was making me frustrated that he could not see his daughter's struggles nor tried to investigate it or even the rumors that were most likely being said. Zane and Caroline's relationship was cute and I liked how Zane was trying to help Caroline in any way he could even if it meant spending thousands on a hunting trip to get Orsen out of town. Overall, this book was very engaged and I feel like I learned more about 19th century marriages.

[Stephanie]

I adored this book so much. It’s my favorite historical romance of the year thus far! But oh how I yearned for an epilogue, wasn’t ready for goodbye! Full review soon 🌹

[☕️Kimberly (Caffeinated Reviewer)]

Addictive. Full RTC

[Sandy]

Huge warning beforehand, take the content warnings very very seriously. Please take care of your own mental health and make sure you are in an okay space to read this.

I think I might have just read my favorite book of 2026.
I wholly believe that Joanna Shupe just wrote a blueprint for the direction that the trad published Historical Romance genre should take.
If you have read and loved Forever' Your Rogue by Erin Langston and you loved that? Well. You need to read this. Trust me.

Full review to come as I will need time to even write a review for this.
Thank you to Harper Collins and Netgalley for providing an ARC for review

[Nikki (awallflowerreads)]

This Beauty and the Beast retelling took on a super unique spin when the heroine marries the Gaston-character right at the start. And soon realizes his glistening smile and good looks only hide a cruel personality (one that’s also a supporter of eugenics, gross, amongst other pretty terrible actions). Caroline (the heroine and naive innocent, book-obsessed girl) wants nothing more than to escape her marriage. But knowing she has no choice (inserting the importance of no-fault divorce here), she takes any small reprieve she can.

When an acquaintance asks for Caroline’s help cataloguing her elusive brother’s extensive library, she leaps at the chance of a few hours of escape from Orson. And oh boy, is Zane (the hermit, scarred, self-made wealthy man) an excellent embodiment of the Beast character. His coarse and gruff exterior hides a gentle soul, and every moment he gets flustered and runs away from Caroline was a gold-star moment imo. It never got old and felt so appropriate for his character, and Caroline eventually having the courage to continue pursuing his friendship strengthened her character overall.

This one was a bit of a hard read for me due to his very nature and the amount of time we spend with Orson. He’s quite the loathsome villain and it was hard being in Caroline’s shoes during every single reaction. His abuses were atrocious and being in Caroline’s POV as he’s r*ping her was not something I wanted to read. Shupe is very upfront with this in clear CWs right at the start, but go in gently if abusive relationships and assault are particularly triggering for you.

What made all the hard parts worth it were Zane- and I’m so thankful we got his POV in this because I think it’s such a great balance from the dread Caroline constantly feels. Not like Zane is a ray of sunshine, but reading how down bad he is for Caroline and how much effort he puts in for her happiness made my sore little heart happy. The supporting cast were also a delight, particularly Fletcher. I really enjoyed his and Zane’s banter. Camilla was also a breath of fresh air and a great catalyst for Zane and Caroline’s initial purpose of being in proximity.

I really enjoyed this one, even though it took me on quite the emotional rollercoaster. I do think the ending was a bit abrupt, and I would have liked an epilogue to really round this out. But honestly, it’s on par with a lot of this author’s ending so I wasn’t surprised or disappointed. She likes to give an exhilarating last 20% that has you sweating. Zane was perfectly swoony despite his grumbly exterior and he felt like a really great Beast representation. Honestly, such a unique BatB overall with a really strong message about divorce laws. Shupe is one of those who can always blend a great story, solid research, unique characters, and a sexy time into one package. And I think she delivers that here again!

4.5/5
Thank you to the publishers for the eARC and physical galley.

First person dual POV, scarred hero, BatB retelling but she married Gaston, cruel husband, antique book expert, wooing a girl with your library, found family, meddling staff, 19th century divorce laws, NYC Gilded Age

[Finger Pages]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
3 Spicy

The Gilded Rose is a deeply emotional Beauty and the Beast retelling but set into the early 1900's New York. It has heavy themes of marital abuse, both emotional and physical with on page rape in more then 1 chapter. Women in the early 1900's often faced emotional abuse, including control, humiliation, isolation and being treated as though they had little say in their own lives and bodies.
The abuse often had no ramifications in the legal system and women could not divorce their husbands. While hard topics in The Gilded Rose Shupe did a masterful job of showing these experiences and how women could be trapped in harmful relationships and expected to endure mistreatment in silence. The story highlights the fear, pain and the loss of independence that abuse could cause while showing the importance of women, in this case Caroline, finding strength again. For those with triggers proceed with caution.

While dark this book is also very romantic and sensual. Caroline and Zane both have traumatic pasts yet the yearning for each other..... The writing of the scenes with them together healed my heart for them both piece by piece.

HEA approved.

Tropes
✨ Beauty and the Beast Retelling
🥀 Traumatic pasts
✨ Hurt/ healing/ comfort
🥀 YEARNING!!!!!
✨ He falls first and harder
🥀He shows her pleasure
✨ Regency New York setting

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Avon Harper for both my eARC and gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
#TheGildedRose #NetGalley #avonharper

[Lisa]

Ah this felt more like classic Joanna Shupe. I was not at all a fan of Gilded Heiress so I was hesitant to start this one, but I needn’t have worried. Whereas the former felt like a direct take from Anastasia this book has some similarities to Beauty & the Beast but it feels varied enough that I might not have noticed if it hadn’t been marketed that way. (Also honestly can we stop marketing with “This is like this!” It is reductive and uninteresting. This story is tough at times- there is quite a lot of trauma that poor Caroline has to go through and also live in the aftermath of that it feels like the couple ONLY exists in a rather sad state. I’m not sure we go more than a few pages without hearing about her dirtbag abusive husband which can make it hard to sink into the love story trying to grow. I do think it was realistic in how Caroline managed everything, and her hesitancy to experience things with Zane, but it also made me sad for her. I did blaze through this quickly so it moved nicely and I desperately wanted to know what was next. It is certainly what mainstream romance considers a slow burn, as our characters wait more than half the book before making a move. I almost want a whole other book to just focus on these two and building a life together honestly, we didn’t get to delve into that much. This is first person POV and while it is not my preference it worked well here. Overall a solid new work from Joanna Shupe. Thank you to Avon for the advanced reader copy.

[Dhaaruni Sreenivas]

I really loved this book. Joanna Shupe is one of my favorite historical romance authors in general, but this book really hit the mark in a way that few have. The Gilded Rose reminded me a bit of one of Shupe's earliest works, The Harlot Countess, which is one of my stealth favorite romance novels of all time. Shupe adeptly balances between sweeping romance and the very frank and honest discussion of domestic abuse and how it impacts victims, and those who love them.

Caroline was a wonderful heroine, strong and vulnerable, beaten down but still cleaving to whatever agency she could. Similarly, Zane had strength to him beyond the physical, but also an openness that made him the perfect match for Caroline, and they learned to carry their shared baggage together. I can imagine them spending the rest of their lives together, bickering domestically and drying each other's tears and being truly deliriously happy, and that's beautiful to me.

And of course, nobody writes a good sex scene like Joanna Shupe, and they didn't disappoint here. It bugs me so much that romance novels published in the last five years are so utterly terrified of sex scenes which are open door but don't like, push people's boundaries or seem to mock the reader for their prudery if they're like, "okay but this doesn't even seem fun?" Shupe really knows how to write an erotic and emotional love scene that doesn't feel like it's trying to shock and offend, and that's the highest compliment I can give a romance author.

[Ruthie]

This story starts off really crazy make sure you take the trigger warnings seriously before you start. We are introduced to Caroline and Orson. She’s seems perfectly fit in society is a book authenticator and is the picture perfect bride. Then we have Orson he seems like the perfect smitten gentleman. Boy does this book take a turn but our hero, a mysterious man who resembles The Beast and whose life is intertwined with Orson which will have you in shock and wanting to know more. A lesson learned from this book is to count my blessings we live in these times, that words can just be that words, and never let a man treat you as a tool. I felt anger and hurt and empowerment during this book read. I highly recommend this book.

[Michaela Emrich]

A beauty and the beast retelling set in the gilded age in New York….Yeah I ate this up. There are some heavy topics in this, but it’s very well done. As are the spicy scenes. Was it a bit insta love-y? Maybe. But ya know, I’m not mad.

[Caroline]

Releases 10/13/26. 4.5/5.

Heat Index: 7/10

Another Joanna Shupe banger—and, like her books usually do, it packs quite a punch. Where it really stands out for me—similarly to The Duke Gets Even, which remains my favorite of her works and one of my favorite books of all time—is the way she skillfully entwines a beautiful love story and a sharp eye for politics and women's rights. Does it scare me a bit to see how the USA is reeling backwards toward the Gilded Age (and I'm not talking about the gorgeous clothes)? Absolutely. But it's necessary, and I hope it reaches some people who maybe aren't expecting that kind of message from a romance novel.

But the thing is—great romances have always been smart and savvy, reflecting our current world whether they're set in the 21st century, the 16th, or a fantasy setting. And The Gilded Rose is great. While you're aware from the jump that Caroline is in danger and suffering from abuse at the hands of her horrendous husband, Orson, she isn't a symbol. She's a full-hearted, well-developed heroine who goes through quite a journey. A lot of romance novels swing wildly between a super strong heroine or a sweet one. Caroline is allowed to be both, with her sweetness expressing her strength. Even when the world is absolutely horrible to her, she still shows compassion to those around her—especially Zane. She's perfect on the outside, but the ways in which society deems her "imperfect"—namely her love of an outcast, her lack of airs, and her value for things everyone else overlooks—are exactly what make her so lovable.

It kind of doesn't matter if she's lovable or not, though—something the book makes a point of. Because nobody should have to go through what she does. Won't lie: The scenes of domestic and sexual violence in this novel, though not gratuitous by any means, are at times hard to read. Joanna is very smart about how she depicts this; it's by no means the defining part of the story, but it makes an impact. And the thing is, Caroline isn't the only person victimized by Orson, or what Orson represents. Zane is too, by merit of not being the "right" class. He's further hurt by society because of their superficiality and alienation of him due to his scars. Which wouldn't exist if not for Orson!

Have to call out what I do not know but do suspect was a purposeful move... It's been a bit of a trend—not always seriously, but sometimes, yeah, kinda seriously—for people online to say that Rose (as in Titanic's Rose) should've chosen her abusive, rich, handsome fiance over poor, "you stay on the door while I freeze to death because I love you more than anything", artist Jack. (Who's also handsome, being played by Peak Leonardo and all.) Orson reminded me a lot of Cal. A big reason why Cal wanted to marry Rose was his obsession with appearance, which mirrors Orson's desire to be with Caroline and procreate with her to create the perfect kids. Cal was played by Billy ZANE (who, while playing a twat, does have the best line readings maybe in the history of cinema). Zane Bishop is the hero of this novel.

CHECK AND MATE.

And on another nerdery—please note that Orson's obsession with creating those perfect kids is definitely because he's into eugenics, much like Charles Lindbergh. Joanna Shupe's previous novel, The Gilded Heiress (excellent book) is based in part on the Lindbergh Baby case. IT'S ALL COMING TOGETHER.

Back to the romance. Zane is such a great hero. He will make every girl who ever had (or still has) confusing feelings about the Beast, pre-transformation-back-to-his-human-form, swoon. Yes, he's rich, yes he's amazing in bed, yes he'll do anything for Caroline, yes he believes women should have rights and shit. All that's great. But he's so... DORKY? In the best possible way. He lurks in the shadows watching her, only a little creepily. He gets aroused by her mere existence (and especially her indulgence in baked goods). He bolts out of every awkward situation with grumbled apologies, he does his best to flirt but he's kinda rusty and also flirting with a woman who has NO idea what that is. It's hilarious, charming, and completely adorable without making him seem like the Nice Guy romance heroes I've been so annoyed by lately.

Some of this does stem from legitimately terrible trauma. Zane is so wounded, and it goes far beyond the scars. Orson has robbed him of his identity and made him feel completely separate from society (which Shupe uses to an incredible effect when it comes to his development and grand gestures). As cliche as it is to say, Caroline really does wake him up. When he falls, he falls HARD. It's borderline pitiful, until it isn't because he's RAILING this woman.

But to be clear: There is a lot of hurt/comfort in this book. Physically, it's quite a slow burn, and it should be. Caroline needs time to heal. So does Zane, frankly. And he needs to gain her trust. She doesn't have any positive experiences surrounding sex. There's a perfect balance of tenderness and heat here. Also—Zane is so insanely turned on by this woman that by the time things start going, he is OVERWHELMED. It's both sexy and, again, kinda hysterical in the best possible way. I really love how much Shupe heroes love their heroines. It's incredibly satisfying to read. Their rough edges aren't sanded down. They just add to the satisfaction of them showing their feelings.

The only thing I could critique about this book is that the ending is a little abrupt, and I would've loved an epilogue. Nonetheless, it's still quite a satisfying crescendo. And frankly, these two go through so much to be together, I was kind of breathing a sigh of relief in the end. Which is good! I was invested.

The Gilded Rose is the Beauty and the Beast retelling you've been looking for, sliding in a message about equality—and specifically no-fault divorce—we all need. It's incredibly sweet, while maintaining a ton of sex appeal and intelligence. Joanna Shupe is just a cut above.

Thanks to Avon and NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Molly]

Thank you to Avon Books, NetGalley, and Joanna Shupe for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

As a pitch-black retelling of Beauty and the Beast, Joanna Shupe's The Gilded Rose takes a critical look at the rot and ruin hiding behind high society in the Gilded Age. Both a blistering critique of the many cages of patriarchal society and a cautionary tale of judging appearances, this dark romance novel offers intrigue, heartbreak, and yearning.

First and foremost, this novel comes with several trigger warnings that should be carefully considered before reading. This is a dark and heavy read despite its happy ending, with frequent on-page violence including sexual assault.

The story follows Caroline, a young woman whose beauty, poise, and education catches the immediate and besotted attention of Orson Grey, a sugar mill tycoon whose own attractiveness (and financial resources) makes society ladies swoon. Grey courts Caroline aggressively, love-bombing her with poems, gifts, and promises of a perfect life with the two most beautiful people in all of New York.

Those promises, Caroline quickly learns, were nothing but a fetid illusion. Shortly after they wed, Caroline learns the dark truth about Orson: he's a cruel, narcissistic, arrogant man who sees her as little more than a breeding prospect. Quickly he imposes restrictions on everything from where she goes to what she eats, essentially keeping her trapped in a gilded cage.

By pure chance, Caroline meets Zane Bishop, a social pariah with several significant scars on his face. Zane is the only person to speak honestly about Orson with Caroline, and soon their chance meeting evolves into a more meaningful connection as Caroline is tasked with cataloguing his expansive personal library.

As one might expect, Orson does not approve, as the shackles placed around Caroline tighten, she soon realizes that she could be in far more danger than she ever anticipated.

What I liked about this book:

--The atmosphere. The author does an excellent job of bringing the glittering world of the Gilded Age to life, not only through the opulent surroundings of the upper class, but in reflections on how those society members view their working class counterparts. Shupe makes you feel like you're walking through bustling, crowded streets one minute and then attending an elegant ball in the next.

--The critique of women's rights and responsibilities. Make no mistake: there were lots of sections in this novel that were so brutal and violent, they were hard to read. That doesn't make them any less real, and I believe that these stories need to be brought to life and told, even within the realm of fiction. Seeing Caroline, a competent, educated, vibrant woman, being brought low simply because of her gender and the viewpoints of the age filled me with rage, a credit to the author's ability.

--The yearning. When we first meet Zane, he is the textbook broody curmudgeon: reclusive, acerbic, and unwilling to yield on even the simplest issues. We know that this is, in part, because of the cruelty he experienced because of his physical appearance, but when Caroline shows him kindness and openness, we see that hard shell start to crack. We see him pay careful attention to her wants, needs, and wishes, and when that evolves into a fierce protectiveness, we can almost forgive him for his misguided approach to "solving" her problems. Some of my favorite scenes in this novel were the quiet moments where he showed her the simplest, purest kindnesses (the strawberry macaron scene was excellent!) even when we can clearly see him struggle to be vulnerable.

This was my first Joanna Shupe novel and I found her writing style to be engaging and easy to breeze through, with a smart focus on building scene and setting. I'll be interested to go back and check out her earlier works. Overall, I enjoyed this book even through its difficult subject matter. As a standalone in a series of individual fairy tale retellings, it works well. The ending seemed a bit rushed to me; I think it could've benefitted from an epilogue or a bit more work in the denouement of the story. I think if you're a fan of historical romances, enemies(ish; they're not quite enemies but they're certainly at odds)-to-lovers, and slow burn, this may appeal to you, especially if you're a fan of Beauty & the Beast.

[Jaclyn]

⭐ 3.75 | ❤️ 4/5

The Gilded Rose uses the Beauty and the Beast retelling as a vehicle to examine the dark reality of being a married woman in the Gilded Age (1890s) of New York. It’s a very well researched book and really opened my eyes to how fortunate we are to live in contemporary times; until reading this book, I hadn’t thought deeply about what the day-to-day of a woman trapped in an abusive marriage would be like and what choices or lack thereof she would have.

As a dark romance reader, I found that the romance itself between the leads is sweet but exists within a dark environment. This includes on-page rape, domestic violence, and emotional abuse, but I didn’t find it to be gratuitous nor was it glorified. The depiction of the marriage felt realistic and within realm of possibility (although definitely on the worst side) for a loveless marriage. I found this book hard to put down in spite of the feelings of sadness and anger that it was bringing out in me, but I also felt hope.

This story is told via dual POV from the POV of FMC Caroline, 19, a naive, highly competent antiquarian (appraiser of antique books), and POV of MMC Zane, 31, a nouveau rich brutish, brutally scarred, self loathing misanthrope. I really enjoyed experiencing this world through Caroline; she is not without flaw, and her thoughts and actions felt believable for a woman of her time and background. I liked Zane as match for Caroline in spite of his over the top declarations of his feelings in his internal monologues (and occasional dialogue), which leaned into hyperbole stated in earnest. I found that his declarations came across corny and not earned.

I really enjoyed the controlled, period-appropriate writing especially in the first third of the book. If the entire book was written like this, it’d be closer to a ⭐ 4.25 for me. Later on, the register occasionally slipped into something more contemporary. The prose was overreaching particularly during Zane’s POVs, but it wasn’t consistently so.

One of my pet peeves is when characters in romances take away the choice of the other character regarding the romance based on assumptions of what’s best for the other, and there was quite a bit of that on both sides.

What pulled me most out of the story was the number of minor inconsistencies, which were primarily around characterization and physical details. Zane notes the scent of Caroline’s perfume early on, and then later on he mentions that he mostly lost his sense of smell and wishes that he could smell her perfume, then in subsequent scenes, goes back to noticing her scent. He is also characterized throughout the book as being very considerate of Caroline in contrast to Orson; one example of this would be that he reacts in disgust upon learning that Orson didn’t undress her when they were intimate, which caused her great discomfort due to her corset, and yet in a later scene, Zane leaves her dressed during an intimate scene. A few minor instances of miscommunication, which is another personal pet peeve, could have been solved with a quickly written note, and one of these instances was inconsistent with Zane’s established characterization of being considerate.

Overall, I recommend this book if you enjoy historical fiction, you want your books to make you feel things including sadness and anger, and you are interested in better understanding what it was like to be a woman prior to women’s suffrage.

CW: rape, domestic violence, emotional abuse, misogyny, racism, classism

This review is based on an ARC provided by Avon via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[books.and.chocolat3]

4.5⭐️ rounded up to 5⭐️

I had never read anything by Joanna Shupe before. I just saw “Beauty and the Beast retelling,” spotted that Read Now button, and clicked on it faster than lightning. One of my favorite tropes? I didn’t need to know anything else.

And I think this might be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made because I absolutely LOVED this book. Like, really, really loved it. And it definitely won’t be my last book by this author.

It’s been so long since I’ve read a historical romance that I genuinely can’t remember the last one, and this made me wonder why I ever stopped. It somehow reminded me of those old vintage romances with the dramatic covers—the half-naked woman and the man behind her 😂—but in the absolute best way.

It’s written in first person, dual POV, which I absolutely loved. The chapters aren’t particularly short, but they’re not long either—they’re honestly just the right length, and I flew through them.

And Zane!!! I loved that when we’re told he’s scarred, he is actually scarred. We’re not talking about one aesthetically placed scar through an eyebrow. He was severely burned and disfigured after an explosion, and I loved how much that was actually part of his character and the story.

Then I discovered there was an age gap completely by accident. It’s never really made into a thing, but once their ages were mentioned, I did some very quick math and realized there are twelve years between them. As an age-gap lover, that was just an unexpected little gift for me.

Caroline is already married when she meets Zane—our Beast—and she’s trapped in an abusive marriage. Please check the trigger warnings because some parts could definitely be difficult to read. I thought it was incredibly well written, though. And for anyone worried about the setup: there is no cheating at all in the book.

But THE YEARNING.

Zane falls so incredibly hard for her. I loved how much he wanted her while struggling to believe that she could ever truly want him after everything that happened to him. Watching them slowly fall in love, watching that attraction grow and finally seeing them allow themselves to kiss and want each other was just beautiful. I could feel the yearning between them, and that’s exactly what I want from a romance.

Honestly, I loved this book from A to Z.

I only have one complaint, and it’s the reason I took half a star off instead of giving it the full five: I needed a payoff.

Payoff is basically my reward at the end of a book. After all the pain, all the yearning and everything these characters have been through, I need to actually see them happy. And I was waiting so badly for that here.

I didn’t need ten chapters of domestic life. Give me ten pages! An epilogue! Anything! I wanted to see Zane living his everyday life with the woman he loves. I wanted to see them together in front of his staff, going outside together, other people seeing that she chose him exactly as he is. Most of all, I wanted to see Zane experience what it feels like to no longer be alone.

Instead, the ending felt incredibly abrupt to me. We get the resolution, they find each other, they kiss and… end. That’s it. The book finishes almost exactly at the moment when my emotional reward should have started.

And after loving these two so much, I desperately wanted just a tiny glimpse of what came next.

Still, I couldn’t bring myself to take a full star away because I loved this book way too much. I flew through it, I constantly wanted to keep reading, and I’m rounding my rating up without hesitation.

This was my first Joanna Shupe, but it absolutely won’t be my last.

[dinithi]

thank you to netgalley for the advance copy of this book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5!!!

joanna shupe is one of my favorite historical romance authors ever. she can truly do no wrong. when i found out she was releasing a beauty & the beast inspired HR, i knew i needed it in my life asap. thank god it was read now on netgalley just a couple days ago so i could get my hands on it early!

⚠️ this book was not an easy read. it deals with heavy, difficult topics such as marital rape, financial control/abuse, and domestic violence. while the author explores these subject with great care and sensitivity, she doesn’t shy away from divulging details—not at all in an attempt to glorify or romanticize such abuse, but to illustrate how harrowing and perilous these experiences are, and to drive the actions of the characters. please heed the trigger warnings and take care of your mental health while reading!

caroline is a beautiful, highly-intelligent blue-stocking with a love of reading and learning. alongside her father, she is a renowned appraiser of rare tomes. she lives the kind of life she’s only ever dreamt of, until she meets the magnetizing orson grey. he whisks her off her feet, showering her in praise and love, seeming for all the world to see like a prince from a storybook, and before she can even blink, she’s married off to him. but the man she married is not the man who convinced her he loved her—he’s cruel, he’s violent, and he wants nothing more than to keep her imprisoned until she begets a child, tearing away from her every pleasure in the world until she fulfills his demands of her. the only person who can help her? a reclusive billionaire whose hatred for her husband is second only to hers.

i really, really enjoyed this book. i loved that it was a subversion of the typical beauty & the beast retelling, wherein belle is bundled off to marry a gaston-esque character, who is ultimately more beast-like, than her savior. it was incredibly difficult to read at times; the scenes where orson abused caroline, whittled her down to a shell of her former self, were so painful and nauseating. i felt such visceral hate and anger for orson, and i know the cultivation of such feelings was why the author depicted such scenes in (not gratuitous) detail.

i felt for caroline. she was so sweet, and genuine, and beyond precious. her character was so authentic, and it hurt to see her mistreated so. more so, it was painful to watch orson’s abuse land—making her question her decision-making capacity, making her feel like she had no one to trust, etc. but while it hurt to read, i think it was so vital that this aspect was explored, because many victims of domestic violence mirror caroline’s thought-pattern. i imagine many people will feel seen in her character, and i think there is so much beauty in that. watching her reclaim her identity, and discover her joy for life anew was so wonderful, especially following the hard-fought battle she had to escape orson’s grasp.

i also adored zane!! he was a reclusive grump, hiding his scarred face from the world, but beneath his “ugly” appearance was a heart of gold. the way he folded for caroline from the start, pulling strings and machinations to give her freedom and joy, to help her escape, etc. was incredible to watch unfold. his backstory was equally as saddening and enraging as caroline’s own experiences with orson, and watching the both of them get vengeance for the ways orson hurt them was so satisfying. the way he LOVED caroline, cares for her, was so tender and attentive to her needs—even the unvoiced ones—was so sweet; but also reciprocated in how caroline cared for him. i secretly love how we got a scene to (loosely) resemble the dining room/soup scene from the disney movie!!

i just have so much love for caroline & zane and all the wonderful, cherished side-characters that helped them fight for their love! 🤍

SPOILERS BELOW!!!

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my only gripes were:

a) i knew that caroline’s divorce from orson happened too early on/too soon, leaving room for his villainous return, but i HATE that she had to concede to him and be in close quarters with him again after escaping. it made me sick.
b) caroline kept putting herself in harms way! (i’m not at all referring to orson’s treatment of her or saying that she invited his abuse upon herself by marrying him.) but she kept trying to intervene to save zane, which i fully understood, but in such reckless ways.
c) i wish we had gotten a longer, more extensive ending for them. the entirety of the book was zane & caroline falling in love but not being able to *live* in love and bliss bc they were fighting to help her escape orson’s clutches and expose his villainy to the world. theirs was such a hard-won love story, rife with terror and pain (but many, many sweet, tender bright spots), that i wish we got to see more of them living out their happily ever after.
d) the books! which is so so silly, i know. i’m glad caroline and zane survived the explosion, and obviously the books meant sh!t in comparison to their lives, but seeing all her hard work and his hard-earned rise from poverty to wealth beyond measure (represented by the books) quite literally go up in flames made me a bit sad. like the books were what brought them together and they were her freedom from orson, so i was sad to see what they represented be snuffed out, but obviously i’m far more elated that they survived and went on to have a happy, amazing life together!!

[Leesha Latchman]

Beauty and the Beast was my favorite Disney movie growing up, so I will always have a soft spot for a Beauty and the Beast retelling. Needless to say, I had pretty high hopes going into this one, especially knowing it was Joanna Shupe.

I also understand that the heart of this story goes much deeper than the romance. The realities of abusive marriages and how nearly impossible it was for women to obtain a divorce during this time were terrifying. Women had so little control over their own lives once they were married, and I think that historical context is an important part of the story.

But…while I absolutely appreciated the significance of that theme, I’m going to be honest about what stood out to me the most…

Zane.

Because this man was PERFECT. And Joanna Shupe did not disappoint when it came to the Zane.

On the surface, Zane was a grumpy, scarred grizzly bear, but underneath, he was so gentle, kind, and soft. I love an injured/scarred hero, so that was already going to work for me. But what really got me was how genuinely selfless he was. Zane wanted what was best for the FMC Caroline, even when that might not ultimately mean getting what he wanted for himself. I loved watching them open up to each other, and their chemistry was SO good.

This was a slow burn, but once we got there, we GOT there. Very spicy, but I expect nothing less from Joanna Shupe. She writes the best intimate scenes. Not only are they sexy, but emotional as well. Such an amazing balance that creates this whole romantic bubble.

Caroline’s journey after realizing how badly she’d misjudged Orson and her expectations of marriage was another thing I appreciated. It felt very eye opening. She spent a lot of time questioning her own judgment and wondering how she could have gotten things so wrong. I thought that was a realistic part of her healing and very relatable. Rebuilding your confidence in yourself after a bad relationship doesn’t happen overnight.

There were quite a few twists and turns towards the end and while I enjoyed being surprised, the last portion felt a little overstuffed to me. I also found myself wishing we had gotten a little more resolution around the FMC’s feelings about marriage and what her future would look like. I completely understood why she didn’t want to marry again, but considering how different Zane was from Orson, I would have loved to see more of her learning to trust herself. But I’m glad that Joanna Shupe continued to convey how much of a safe space Zane was and there was no question as to their loyalty to each other.

And I REALLY wanted an epilogue! I wanted just a little glimpse into their future after everything they’d been through.

Overall, though, I really enjoyed this book. But if I’m being honest, Zane was the star. Give me a grumpy, scarred hero with a giant soft heart and I’m apparently powerless

[Karolina Books]

Well, Joanna Shupe really looked at Beauty and the Beast and said “What if Belle marries Gaston first?” EXCUSE ME. Because that is basically the emotional chaos we’re dealing with here and somehow it works ridiculously well. Caroline completely broke my heart. She’s intelligent, curious, loves books and has this beautiful passion for rare manuscripts that makes her feel like such a real person rather than just a historical romance heroine waiting around for someone to rescue her. Watching her slowly realize that the man she married wasn’t the charming person he pretended to be was genuinely painful. Her journey toward finding herself again was probably my favorite part of the whole book.

And then there’s Zane. 👀 A reclusive, scarred, grumpy billionaire hiding away in his ridiculously gorgeous library? Joanna, you knew EXACTLY what you were doing. He’s the kind of hero who looks intimidating from across the room but is basically a giant marshmallow when it comes to Caroline. His feelings for her sneak up on absolutely no one except maybe Zane himself. The yearning was YEARning. I especially loved watching her and Zane slowly build trust. There’s something so satisfying about seeing two people who have both been hurt in different ways find a little bit of safety in each other. Zane never felt like he was trying to “fix” Caroline either. He wanted her to remember who she was and I really loved that.

Also… the libraries. The BOOKS. The whole atmosphere. I could practically smell the old paper and expensive furniture through my screen. Give me a mysterious mansion, a giant library, a brooding man with emotional baggage and I will apparently sign away my free time without hesitation. That said, I did have a couple of moments where I felt the pacing drag. The middle started circling some of the same problems for a little too long and by the time everything finally exploded, literally and emotionally, the ending felt a bit quicker than I wanted. I also wish we’d gotten more time with Caroline and Zane after everything they went through. After watching them fight so hard for their happiness, I wanted to sit in their happily ever after for approximately 700 more pages.

This is also definitely not a fluffy Beauty and the Beast retelling. Caroline’s marriage involves domestic violence, coercive control and sexual violence, so please check the content warnings before picking this one up. Those parts were difficult to read, but they gave Caroline’s journey a lot of emotional weight and made her reclaiming her life feel meaningful.

Final Thoughts: I ended up really loving Caroline and Zane. Their romance had tenderness, angst, yearning, books, revenge, emotional damage and enough gothic Gilded Age atmosphere to make me want to dramatically wander around a library in a fancy dress.

Was it perfect for me? No. Did I still get emotionally attached and start acting like Caroline and Zane were personal friends I needed to defend? Unfortunately, yes. This is a darker Beauty and the Beast inspired historical romance with a heroine finding her way back to herself and a scarred, grumpy hero who is absolutely gone for her.

Thank you so much to Avon and Harper Voyager and Joanna Shupe for allowing me to read this eARC ahead of its October 13, 2026 release through NetGalley.

[Teresa]

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC. My review is my own honest thoughts and opinions.

Being a major fan of Joanna Shupe, I knew I had to get my hands on her latest novel. The Gilded Rose of course takes place in the Gilded Age and we follow a young woman, Caroline, who is set to marry the biggest catch on the market, Orson. As it turns out, her dream man turns out to be a nightmare. Whilst in this loveless marriage, she meets Zane Bishop, a recluse who is in need of an antiquarian to assess his library to see which of his books are worthy of donating to charity.

To start off, the first half of this book is very good! It starts off very strong and I love the tension between Caroline and Zane while Caroline has to deal with Orson and reconcile with the man who she married because she thought she was marrying a good man. I really love the dilemma Caroline had to go through. It is not pleasant and it is definitely very triggering because the domestic abuse is very much display on the pages so I would be very careful when reading. And Zane is yearning for Caroline from afar and taking care of her when she has very little help is really well written. I thought it was a strong first half.

Unfortunately, something happens at the halfway point and I think after that all the tension was gone, Caroline and Zane start to explore their romantic feelings a little too soon after this event. Despite, Joanna Shupe doing a very good job building their relationship and friendship, I still fell like their relationship is a little rush. This is one of those cases where I feel like the friendship dynamic is better than the romantic dynamic. After the halfway point, the tension wasn't there anymore and I didn't feel any urgency from the characters. Despite the fact the story telling me that there is a tension and urgency, I didn't feel it through the writing. There were a couple of plot points that were introduced but didn't go anywhere and I feel like that really reinforces my critique that Joanna Shupe had a great story build out in the first half but played a little fast and loose with the ending.

The plot overall is also lacking. It is a beauty and the beast retelling essentially and I like the little twists that Joanna Shupe incorporated but overall, I think it was pretty ordinary and just okay. 3.5 stars.

Recommend if you're looking for:
Beauty and the Beast retelling
Forbidden romance
Grumpy MMC
Bookish FMC

Highly recommend taking a close look at the trigger warnings.

[lindsey]

*3.25 stars - please check trigger warnings!

thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for the e-arc on NetGalley! all thoughts and opinions are my own.

using the classic tale of beauty and the beast, joanna shupe is able to convey the difficult story of domestic abuse in a time where women's rights and freedoms are restricted and that real love may come from the person you least expect.

i truly commend joanna shupe for writing this story in the way that she did. i did not find it to be gratuitous or graphic in detail but rather showcased the awful reality of the situation through caroline's thoughts and experiences. you immediately feel for caroline as a heroine. this marriage was filled with false promises that she could never have anticipated, as it is incredibly easy for men to pretend decency and reveal the true monster beneath once they get what they want: a woman to control. he was truly an evil character and i felt so sad for caroline.

zane bishop is the "beast" in this scenario, whose scarred face has kept him hidden from society. i found him to be very charming, especially in the beginning, because he was yearning for caroline super hard. the things he would say to describe the smallest details of her were so sweet. he paid attention to her and cared for her in a way that was quite endearing (the strawberry macaron!!!) honestly i love a pathetic yearner in historical romance, i just wish there was a greater foundation for it. he was declaring his love for her without actually knowing much about her or having thorough conversation. i do think that their romantic development had to take a backseat given the situation she was in with her abusive husband and how it had to be dealt with, which makes sense just ended up affecting the main romance's execution.

this really is more of a story about domestic abuse that highlights how restrictive these historical eras were for women's rights and freedoms. it is harrowing to think of all the women of the past who had no choice but to stay in abusive marriages due to the difficulties of society and divorce for women. i appreciate that it made me think about that in this historical context. as a romance, i enjoyed parts of it, just wasn't as well executed as i'd like. they didn't have much conversation or a spark between them that made me excited for their interactions so i was felt wanting in that regard. overall, i liked this even though it was a more difficult read for me and i think if you can handle this kind of plot it's a very eye-opening and important read.

[M D]

This was an emotionally challenging but captivating historical retelling of beauty and the beast - if Belle had chosen to marry Gaston first, and the Beast became her only escape. A good read - but definitely review the trigger warnings first, as it will not be appropriate for everyone.

This story followed Caroline, a young and naive daughter of an antiquarian specializing in rare books, who has inherited his literary passion. She enters marriage with Orson Grey, a renowed member of high society, after a whirlwind romance - but immediately discovers that she was misled when he reveals his hidden cruelty and possessiveness. She takes an opportunity for temporary escape when offered a job appraising books in a wealthy home's library. Zane Bishop is mysterious, quick tempered, and remains removed from society after horrific injuries from a fire left him brutally scarred. However, he quickly becomes enthralled with Caroline, and when he discovers her terrible situation, will stop at nothing to set her free.

This story was well-written, held my attention throughout, and felt historically accurate/well researched (though I am definitely not an expert in this time period). Zane was my favorite part of this - he has deep scars, emotional and physical, yet is such a truly kind human and I enjoyed watching him blossom as his relationship with Caroline developed. The supporting characters, though not heavily featured, provided some much needed levity at times and were an integral part of Carolines support system.

I struggled at times with the truly disturbing level of cruelty exhibited in Caroline's marriage, and the profound lack of societal support/barriers in place that prevented her from taking action to save herself - but I think this is intentional and important. This story was intended to highlight the profound challenges women faced due to rigid divorce laws of that age, and this should make readers deeply uncomfortable.

Overall, this was an important commentary on women's rights (or lack thereof) in the late 1800s, enmeshed with a beautiful romance and journey of healing for two deeply traumatized individuals.

Thank you to NetGalley, Joanna Shupe, and HarperCollins Publishers for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Desiree Mosley - A Love Affair With Books]

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 Stars

A different spin on Beauty and the Beast, The Gilded Rose takes us into the Gilded Age, where the rules governing women were often just as ugly as the people enforcing them. Marriage could mean giving up your independence, your property, your finances, and essentially your ability to make decisions for yourself. And Caroline learns just how devastating those limitations can be.

Caroline is married to a charismatic and seemingly charming man, but as the story unfolds, we discover that underneath that charm is a truly cruel and ugly human being. Her situation becomes increasingly unbearable, and her only real escape seems to be Zane—a wealthy recluse who has withdrawn from society after being severely disfigured in an accident. He hides away in his enormous home, surrounded by a wonderfully ragtag group of people who have become his unconventional family.

Of course, Zane can't help but fall for Caroline, and what starts as a desire to protect her slowly becomes something much deeper. But this isn't a simple matter of rescuing the damsel and riding off into the sunset. Caroline is trapped by the laws and expectations of the time, and even Zane's wealth can't necessarily give her the freedom she needs.

I really enjoyed the historical aspect of this story and the way Joanna Shupe highlighted just how little control women could have over their own lives. The Beauty and the Beast parallels were also fun, particularly because Zane's physical appearance makes him the obvious “beast,” while the man Caroline is actually married to proves that being physically attractive doesn't make someone beautiful.

That said, this was a three-star read for me. I enjoyed the premise and the characters, but I didn't completely connect with the romance or the story in the way I hoped I would. There were definitely moments I loved, but overall, I found myself more invested in the historical elements and Caroline's struggle for independence than in the romance itself.

Still, The Gilded Rose was an interesting and unique take on a familiar fairy tale, and I appreciated the reminder that sometimes the real beast isn't the one with the scars on the outside. 🥀

Thank you to Joanna Shupe and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.