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The Knickerbocker Club #3
Sündig wie Silber
New York 1889. Eine Stadt im Umbruch. Lügen sind hier eine Währung und Liebe nur ein Spiel. Doch ein Spiel mit hohen Einsätzen.
Calvin Cabot genießt die Macht, die er als Zeitungsverleger über die Reichen und Schönen hat. Kein Geheimnis, egal wie schmutzig oder wie gut verborgen, ist vor ihm sicher. Und wie viel süßer wird dieses Spiel noch, wenn es um Lillian geht, die einzige Frau, die ihm je das Herz gebrochen hat? Doch aus seinen genüsslichen Racheplänen wird bald etwas ganz anders ...
Calvin Cabot genießt die Macht, die er als Zeitungsverleger über die Reichen und Schönen hat. Kein Geheimnis, egal wie schmutzig oder wie gut verborgen, ist vor ihm sicher. Und wie viel süßer wird dieses Spiel noch, wenn es um Lillian geht, die einzige Frau, die ihm je das Herz gebrochen hat? Doch aus seinen genüsslichen Racheplänen wird bald etwas ganz anders ...
401 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 31, 2017
161 people are currently reading
974 people want to read
About the author
Joanna Shupe
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http://www.joannashupe.com/newsletter/
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.
http://www.joannashupe.com/newsletter/
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 196 reviews
March 21, 2017
I've given this a B- at AAR, so that's 3.5 stars.
I’ve read and enjoyed all the books in Joanna Shupe’s Knickerbocker Club series, so I was eagerly looking forward to Mogul, the last book in the set. I like second-chance romances and the pairing of the self-made media mogul and the society beauty who were married but quickly separated intrigued me, so I settled in to read with reasonably high expectations.
Unfortunately however, they were not met. While there’s certainly an intriguing storyline that is linked with hero Calvin Cabot’s past and an inviolable promise he made some years earlier, and there’s no question that he and our heroine, Lillian Davies, are still deeply in lust with one another, plot holes, uneven pacing and unclear motivations lead to a less than cohesive whole.
Four years ago, and following a whirlwind romance, hard-working, dedicated reporter Calvin Cabot eloped with and married Lillian Davies, the daughter of a wealthy industrialist. They’re confident they’ll be able to talk Warren Davies around, but he threatens to cut Lily off without a penny and also to expose Calvin as a bigamist, because he’s already married to a woman he met while he lived in China. Believing that staying married to Lily will do her a massive disservice – she’s been brought up in the lap of luxury and Calvin certainly won’t be able to keep her in expensive dresses and jewellery – and because of a promise given to his closest friend, Calvin gives into her father’s blackmail, leaves and the marriage is annulled.
Lily has picked up the pieces and got on with her life, now believing that Calvin was nothing but a fortune hunter. Her father has since died, and she has taken over as president of Davies Mining, something she hopes is an interim measure until her younger brother, Tom, can take over. But Tom is missing, and the only clue she has to his whereabouts is a note written in Chinese, which has both Tom’s and Calvin’s names written in it. Lily has no alternative but to approach Calvin, who by now, owns three newspapers and is one of the most influential men in the country. He spent several years living and working in China and knows the language; and while it galls her to have to ask him for help, Lily puts aside her personal feelings and concentrates on trying to help her brother.
At first, Calvin wants nothing to do with Lily or Tom, but he translates the note for her, which says that Tom has taken something of value belonging to Wah Lee, the man who pretty much controls the whole of New York’s Chinatown. Calvin reluctantly agrees to do a bit of digging to see what he can find out, but in reality he knows more or less exactly what is going on.
Calvin’s Chinese wife isn’t his wife at all, but is actually married to his friend Hugo, a freed slave who saved Calvin’s life more than once when they were both working in China. The plan had been for Shin-yee to join Hugo in the US, but the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed before she could do so and with no legal way of getting her into the country, Calvin asked Lee for help, telling him that Shin-yee was his wife. After almost five years and no sign of her being able to come to the US, Calvin has begun to get impatient and has started to do a bit of sabre-rattling in his newspapers, running a series of articles about the extent of the corruption in Chinatown. And to make a bad situation worse, it seems that the “something of value” that Lily’s brother has taken is Lee’s daughter, Ming Zhu.
The stage is set for a gripping story of move and countermove as Calvin tries to protect Lily and Tom from the danger presented by Lee while also fulfilling his promise to reunite Hugo with his wife. This plotline is fast-paced and well-executed, with plenty of twists and turns and moments of danger and peril; but Calvin’s almost pathological need to keep secrets from Lily is frustrating, and the many misunderstandings between them seem to be thrown in simply to add complications to a story that already has quite a lot going on.
The sexual chemistry between Calvin and Lily is undeniably strong, but I never felt these were two people who have changed very much or grown over their four years apart; their relationship seems still to be built on the all-consuming lust that drove them together in the first place. Calvin agreed to walk away from Lily in part because he felt she wouldn’t be happy without her high-society lifestyle; yet I had to ask myself why on earth he didn’t think of that before? The other reason was because of his promise to Hugo; if it got out that Shin-yee was married to a former slave, it would make it even harder to bring her to the US, so Calvin allowed Lily’s father to believe him a bigamist rather than tell the truth or ask for help.
The thing is that I can’t quite buy either of those things, and given they’re the reasons behind the break-up that provides the impetus for the story, it leaves the whole thing on shaky ground. While the thriller plotline is very well executed – it’s the best thing in the book – and Ms. Shupe has clearly researched the situation regarding the Chinese immigrant community and the restrictive immigration laws very extensively, the other elements to the story aren’t as strong. The explanations for Mr. Davies’ interference, and how Calvin acquired his first newspaper are overly convenient, and towards the end, Ms. Shupe lobs in a last-minute threat to Lily’s position as president of Davies Mining and a sordid, kinky secret kept by her boring would-be fiancé which Calvin, naturally, digs up in order to run him outta town; both of which make the ending feel rushed and the reader feel that the bow tying everything up is just a bit too neat. And I am not a fan of romances where it’s left to other people to point out to one or both of the protagonists just how much in love they are, or how much in love the other person is with them. It’s not uncommon in a romance for one character to need a little push, but this is no little push – it’s several very forceful and completely unsubtle shoves.
It’s common practice these days for ebooks to contain taster chapters and teasers for other books by the author, but in the case of Mogul, the final quarter is actually given over to Tycoon, the prequel novella to the series. This meant that the story actually ended at around the 76% mark on my Kindle, so this is not the 352 page novel it’s billed as. I was not aware of this when I picked up the book, although there’s a flash on the front cover claiming “free bonus novella!” If you’ve already bought Tycoon, you may feel it’s a bit of a cheek to use it to pad out the pagination of another book and ask you to pay for it again; potential readers, be aware that Mogul is considerably shorter than advertised.
It pains me to say that Mogul – which I’d anticipated being the best of the series – is actually the weakest. I’d give a strong B/B+ to the thriller, but a C to everything else, so I’m compromising with a B- as a final grade. It’s a bit of a whimper to the end of what’s been a thoroughly enjoyable and well-written series set in a time and place that doesn’t often feature in historical romances. For that, if nothing else, Ms. Shupe deserves praise, and even though Mogul didn’t live up to my expectations, I will definitely be picking up whatever she comes up with next.
I don't know what planet the designer was on when he/she came up with the cover for this book, but the female model looks NOTHING like Lily, who described as being blonde and curvy.
I’ve read and enjoyed all the books in Joanna Shupe’s Knickerbocker Club series, so I was eagerly looking forward to Mogul, the last book in the set. I like second-chance romances and the pairing of the self-made media mogul and the society beauty who were married but quickly separated intrigued me, so I settled in to read with reasonably high expectations.
Unfortunately however, they were not met. While there’s certainly an intriguing storyline that is linked with hero Calvin Cabot’s past and an inviolable promise he made some years earlier, and there’s no question that he and our heroine, Lillian Davies, are still deeply in lust with one another, plot holes, uneven pacing and unclear motivations lead to a less than cohesive whole.
Four years ago, and following a whirlwind romance, hard-working, dedicated reporter Calvin Cabot eloped with and married Lillian Davies, the daughter of a wealthy industrialist. They’re confident they’ll be able to talk Warren Davies around, but he threatens to cut Lily off without a penny and also to expose Calvin as a bigamist, because he’s already married to a woman he met while he lived in China. Believing that staying married to Lily will do her a massive disservice – she’s been brought up in the lap of luxury and Calvin certainly won’t be able to keep her in expensive dresses and jewellery – and because of a promise given to his closest friend, Calvin gives into her father’s blackmail, leaves and the marriage is annulled.
Lily has picked up the pieces and got on with her life, now believing that Calvin was nothing but a fortune hunter. Her father has since died, and she has taken over as president of Davies Mining, something she hopes is an interim measure until her younger brother, Tom, can take over. But Tom is missing, and the only clue she has to his whereabouts is a note written in Chinese, which has both Tom’s and Calvin’s names written in it. Lily has no alternative but to approach Calvin, who by now, owns three newspapers and is one of the most influential men in the country. He spent several years living and working in China and knows the language; and while it galls her to have to ask him for help, Lily puts aside her personal feelings and concentrates on trying to help her brother.
At first, Calvin wants nothing to do with Lily or Tom, but he translates the note for her, which says that Tom has taken something of value belonging to Wah Lee, the man who pretty much controls the whole of New York’s Chinatown. Calvin reluctantly agrees to do a bit of digging to see what he can find out, but in reality he knows more or less exactly what is going on.
Calvin’s Chinese wife isn’t his wife at all, but is actually married to his friend Hugo, a freed slave who saved Calvin’s life more than once when they were both working in China. The plan had been for Shin-yee to join Hugo in the US, but the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed before she could do so and with no legal way of getting her into the country, Calvin asked Lee for help, telling him that Shin-yee was his wife. After almost five years and no sign of her being able to come to the US, Calvin has begun to get impatient and has started to do a bit of sabre-rattling in his newspapers, running a series of articles about the extent of the corruption in Chinatown. And to make a bad situation worse, it seems that the “something of value” that Lily’s brother has taken is Lee’s daughter, Ming Zhu.
The stage is set for a gripping story of move and countermove as Calvin tries to protect Lily and Tom from the danger presented by Lee while also fulfilling his promise to reunite Hugo with his wife. This plotline is fast-paced and well-executed, with plenty of twists and turns and moments of danger and peril; but Calvin’s almost pathological need to keep secrets from Lily is frustrating, and the many misunderstandings between them seem to be thrown in simply to add complications to a story that already has quite a lot going on.
The sexual chemistry between Calvin and Lily is undeniably strong, but I never felt these were two people who have changed very much or grown over their four years apart; their relationship seems still to be built on the all-consuming lust that drove them together in the first place. Calvin agreed to walk away from Lily in part because he felt she wouldn’t be happy without her high-society lifestyle; yet I had to ask myself why on earth he didn’t think of that before? The other reason was because of his promise to Hugo; if it got out that Shin-yee was married to a former slave, it would make it even harder to bring her to the US, so Calvin allowed Lily’s father to believe him a bigamist rather than tell the truth or ask for help.
The thing is that I can’t quite buy either of those things, and given they’re the reasons behind the break-up that provides the impetus for the story, it leaves the whole thing on shaky ground. While the thriller plotline is very well executed – it’s the best thing in the book – and Ms. Shupe has clearly researched the situation regarding the Chinese immigrant community and the restrictive immigration laws very extensively, the other elements to the story aren’t as strong. The explanations for Mr. Davies’ interference, and how Calvin acquired his first newspaper are overly convenient, and towards the end, Ms. Shupe lobs in a last-minute threat to Lily’s position as president of Davies Mining and a sordid, kinky secret kept by her boring would-be fiancé which Calvin, naturally, digs up in order to run him outta town; both of which make the ending feel rushed and the reader feel that the bow tying everything up is just a bit too neat. And I am not a fan of romances where it’s left to other people to point out to one or both of the protagonists just how much in love they are, or how much in love the other person is with them. It’s not uncommon in a romance for one character to need a little push, but this is no little push – it’s several very forceful and completely unsubtle shoves.
It’s common practice these days for ebooks to contain taster chapters and teasers for other books by the author, but in the case of Mogul, the final quarter is actually given over to Tycoon, the prequel novella to the series. This meant that the story actually ended at around the 76% mark on my Kindle, so this is not the 352 page novel it’s billed as. I was not aware of this when I picked up the book, although there’s a flash on the front cover claiming “free bonus novella!” If you’ve already bought Tycoon, you may feel it’s a bit of a cheek to use it to pad out the pagination of another book and ask you to pay for it again; potential readers, be aware that Mogul is considerably shorter than advertised.
It pains me to say that Mogul – which I’d anticipated being the best of the series – is actually the weakest. I’d give a strong B/B+ to the thriller, but a C to everything else, so I’m compromising with a B- as a final grade. It’s a bit of a whimper to the end of what’s been a thoroughly enjoyable and well-written series set in a time and place that doesn’t often feature in historical romances. For that, if nothing else, Ms. Shupe deserves praise, and even though Mogul didn’t live up to my expectations, I will definitely be picking up whatever she comes up with next.
I don't know what planet the designer was on when he/she came up with the cover for this book, but the female model looks NOTHING like Lily, who described as being blonde and curvy.
February 7, 2017
I finally finished this. I have been so busy and distracted, it took forever. However, I enjoyed this a lot. Sexy for sure and with memorable characters and welcome diversity. If you like American Victorian historicals, check out the Knickerbocker series.
Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine. http://affairedecoeur.com.
Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine. http://affairedecoeur.com.
October 24, 2022
Mogul is the last book in Joanna Shupe’s Knickerbocker Club series and was the very last book I had to read to be caught up on her entire backlist. JS is one of my favorite historical romance authors and her Knickerbocker Club series is definitely underrated and so good! This one is a second chance romance filled with lots of angst and action!
The story starts out with Lily, a socialite and mining heiress, desperately looking for her missing brother. She also finds she needs the help of Calvin Cabot, owner of multiple newspapers, and her former husband! When she receives a letter from a man in China Town about her brother and it mentions Calvin as well, Lily is desperate to have Calvin help her. Lily and Calvin were wed 4 years ago briefly and have a lot of hurt on both sides from how that all went down. The first chapter really comes in swinging and this book didn’t let up, it was so fast-paced!
I loved the angst and tension between Lily and Calvin, it was apparent in every scene they were in. Lily is a strong, badass heroine and I loved her energy. She kidnaps, shoots at, and holds Calvin captive to help her locate her brother. She’s also been running her father’s mining business since he passed and is almost-engaged when Calvin comes back in her life. This book was just so good, the steam between these 2 was so hot! The bathtub scene when he watches 👀🔥😮💨! We do get to see the heroes of the previous books in the series make appearances (Ted Harper, Emmett Cavanaugh, Will Sloane) as they’re friends with Calvin. This book centers a lot around The Chinese Exclusion Act. Calvin and Lily did drive me bonkers at time with just how much they keep things from one another, over and over again throughout the book. I was just ready for these 2 to be together again cause they were electric!
The story starts out with Lily, a socialite and mining heiress, desperately looking for her missing brother. She also finds she needs the help of Calvin Cabot, owner of multiple newspapers, and her former husband! When she receives a letter from a man in China Town about her brother and it mentions Calvin as well, Lily is desperate to have Calvin help her. Lily and Calvin were wed 4 years ago briefly and have a lot of hurt on both sides from how that all went down. The first chapter really comes in swinging and this book didn’t let up, it was so fast-paced!
I loved the angst and tension between Lily and Calvin, it was apparent in every scene they were in. Lily is a strong, badass heroine and I loved her energy. She kidnaps, shoots at, and holds Calvin captive to help her locate her brother. She’s also been running her father’s mining business since he passed and is almost-engaged when Calvin comes back in her life. This book was just so good, the steam between these 2 was so hot! The bathtub scene when he watches 👀🔥😮💨! We do get to see the heroes of the previous books in the series make appearances (Ted Harper, Emmett Cavanaugh, Will Sloane) as they’re friends with Calvin. This book centers a lot around The Chinese Exclusion Act. Calvin and Lily did drive me bonkers at time with just how much they keep things from one another, over and over again throughout the book. I was just ready for these 2 to be together again cause they were electric!
October 13, 2017
HRBC Buddy Read with Ally and Jan.
I just finished. I read the kindle edition from the library and the story ended at 76%!
I accept Joanna Shupe’s idiosyncrasies (convoluted, the conflict/misunderstanding goes on for too long, rushed ending etc.) because everything else was far, far better than Julia Quinn’s horrible book she published last year. The good part of the book was outstanding. Loved the MCs.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and this series.
My ideas/qualities of a strong heroine probably don’t line up with most HR readers. The heroines in all 5 of the installments of this series were one of my versions of strong heroines.
It is here at the fork in the road that Joanna Shupe and I must part ways as her new/current series is with another publisher. I can’t bear to see what they’ve done toruin improve her work in their image.
Farewell Joanna Shupe, it’s been nice knowing ya.
I just finished. I read the kindle edition from the library and the story ended at 76%!
I accept Joanna Shupe’s idiosyncrasies (convoluted, the conflict/misunderstanding goes on for too long, rushed ending etc.) because everything else was far, far better than Julia Quinn’s horrible book she published last year. The good part of the book was outstanding. Loved the MCs.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and this series.
My ideas/qualities of a strong heroine probably don’t line up with most HR readers. The heroines in all 5 of the installments of this series were one of my versions of strong heroines.
It is here at the fork in the road that Joanna Shupe and I must part ways as her new/current series is with another publisher. I can’t bear to see what they’ve done to
Farewell Joanna Shupe, it’s been nice knowing ya.
February 5, 2017
3.5-stars
Lily, a daughter of a silver magnate, doesn’t really live a life pampered with boundless parties, impressive yachts, and exotic getaways as described in the blurb. And Cabot, an owner of three influential newspapers, is a charmer with hidden secrets that can ruin his second chance at love.
This story started off with a glimpse of how their elopement came to an end, and I must say, I was really on the fence with the insta-lust setup in the beginning. But the storyline quickly moved to their reunion, and the interactions between them were contentious, entertaining, and everything in between.
How did the two get along four years after their annulment?
“You shot me!”
“To be fair, he shot at you.” She pointed to the man on her right. “I wasn’t certain I could force myself to miss.”
Despite some of what MCs did got me shaking my head, their miscommunication didn’t tune me out. Lily was headstrong, determined to take on the legacy her father had left behind. Cabot seemed to have a tendency of telling only half-truths but he had his heart in the right place.
The author blended this second chance HR with the Chinese Exclusion Act as a center plot point. It was the strictest immigration regulation signed into law in 1800’s and lasted for sixty years, an intolerance of an entire group of people based on skin color and birthplace.
Mogul is a fast-paced, a bit chaotic read with a rush ending (around 76% of my kindle). Nonetheless, it is an excellent addition to this series set in nineteenth century NYC with a view into the Gilded Age.
ARC provided via Netgalley. Thank you!
Lily, a daughter of a silver magnate, doesn’t really live a life pampered with boundless parties, impressive yachts, and exotic getaways as described in the blurb. And Cabot, an owner of three influential newspapers, is a charmer with hidden secrets that can ruin his second chance at love.
This story started off with a glimpse of how their elopement came to an end, and I must say, I was really on the fence with the insta-lust setup in the beginning. But the storyline quickly moved to their reunion, and the interactions between them were contentious, entertaining, and everything in between.
How did the two get along four years after their annulment?
“You shot me!”
“To be fair, he shot at you.” She pointed to the man on her right. “I wasn’t certain I could force myself to miss.”
Despite some of what MCs did got me shaking my head, their miscommunication didn’t tune me out. Lily was headstrong, determined to take on the legacy her father had left behind. Cabot seemed to have a tendency of telling only half-truths but he had his heart in the right place.
The author blended this second chance HR with the Chinese Exclusion Act as a center plot point. It was the strictest immigration regulation signed into law in 1800’s and lasted for sixty years, an intolerance of an entire group of people based on skin color and birthplace.
Mogul is a fast-paced, a bit chaotic read with a rush ending (around 76% of my kindle). Nonetheless, it is an excellent addition to this series set in nineteenth century NYC with a view into the Gilded Age.
ARC provided via Netgalley. Thank you!
April 1, 2022
This is the best of the series when it comes to how likable the male lead, Calvin Cabot, is. He’s still a manipulative liar…he’s just not as horrible as the men in the previous books. Lily, the female lead, is a heroine you can get behind.
The plot is a bit convoluted in this one, but it’s almost refreshing after the somewhat unbelievable storylines in the other books. Calvin grew up in China with missionary parents. He became friends with Hugo, an American who had been enslaved prior to arriving in China. Hugo takes Calvin back to the US when Calving has malaria (unclear why) and thinks he’ll send for his Chinese wife when they get there. The US passed a law prohibiting Chinese women from immigrating and Calvin decides to use his clout to get the women into the US, but decides it’s best to pretend she is his wife.
That’s all before the book even starts. See how complicated this is?
Anyway, Calvin meets Lily while they are still trying to get Hugo’s wife to the US. Calvin and Lily elope, but her father forces Calvin to sign annulment papers and then breaks his daughter’s heart by telling her Calvin was only after money. There’s a lot more…
I enjoyed the slow reveal of the different layers of this story. Calvin is trying to do the right thing. Lily is ignorant about most of what is going on, but she slowly realizes how horrible her father was and that she loves Calvin.
Emmett Cavanaugh, Will Sloane, and Ava Sloane make an appearance. There seems to be a set up for Lily’s coursing Cora to get a book and maybe for Cavanaugh’s friend Kelly to be in there, but this is the last book in the series.
The plot is a bit convoluted in this one, but it’s almost refreshing after the somewhat unbelievable storylines in the other books. Calvin grew up in China with missionary parents. He became friends with Hugo, an American who had been enslaved prior to arriving in China. Hugo takes Calvin back to the US when Calving has malaria (unclear why) and thinks he’ll send for his Chinese wife when they get there. The US passed a law prohibiting Chinese women from immigrating and Calvin decides to use his clout to get the women into the US, but decides it’s best to pretend she is his wife.
That’s all before the book even starts. See how complicated this is?
Anyway, Calvin meets Lily while they are still trying to get Hugo’s wife to the US. Calvin and Lily elope, but her father forces Calvin to sign annulment papers and then breaks his daughter’s heart by telling her Calvin was only after money. There’s a lot more…
I enjoyed the slow reveal of the different layers of this story. Calvin is trying to do the right thing. Lily is ignorant about most of what is going on, but she slowly realizes how horrible her father was and that she loves Calvin.
Emmett Cavanaugh, Will Sloane, and Ava Sloane make an appearance. There seems to be a set up for Lily’s coursing Cora to get a book and maybe for Cavanaugh’s friend Kelly to be in there, but this is the last book in the series.
July 19, 2021
“Mogulul” ne dezvăluie povestea lui Calvin Cabot, patronul a trei ziare importante, este hotărât și are puterea de a-i aduce pe mulți la picioarele lui.
Lilian Davies este o fată bogată ce duce o viață de petreceri și plimbări.
Dar, atunci când fratele ei dispare, singurul căruia îi poate cere ajutorul este nimeni altul decât fostul ei soț, pe care nu și-ar dori să-l mai revadă.
Lilian și Calvin au fost căsătoriți dar căsătoria lor a fost anulată când secretele bărbatului au fost pe punctul de a fi făcute publice...
“Mogulul” ne poartă prin lumea interlopă a New Yorkului, o lume periculoasă, plină de corupție și secrete.
Calvin și Lilian se văd implicați în probleme grave datorită acțiunilor fratelui acesteia, care s-a îndrăgostit de fiica unui interlop, fiică cu care a fugit.
O acțiune alertă, cu mult suspans, cu secrete care sunt păstrate, cu răni din trecut care încă nu s-au vindecat.
Avem parte de o poveste de dragoste pasională, plină de piedici ce amenință să îi îndepărteze definitiv pe cei doi îndrăgostiți.
Joanna Shupe ne-a ținut cu respirația tăiată pe tot parcursul cărții, luându-ne prin surprindere de fiecare dată când acțiunea suferea o nouă răsturnare de situație.
O lectură care ne prinde în mreje de la început, ne confruntă cu personaje curajoase și încăpățânate, care nu se dau în lături de la nimic pentru a-i ajuta pe cei dragi. Chiar și atunci când asta înseamnă că riști să pierzi ceea ce iubești cel mai mult.
“Mogulul” o lectură de neratat!
Lilian Davies este o fată bogată ce duce o viață de petreceri și plimbări.
Dar, atunci când fratele ei dispare, singurul căruia îi poate cere ajutorul este nimeni altul decât fostul ei soț, pe care nu și-ar dori să-l mai revadă.
Lilian și Calvin au fost căsătoriți dar căsătoria lor a fost anulată când secretele bărbatului au fost pe punctul de a fi făcute publice...
“Mogulul” ne poartă prin lumea interlopă a New Yorkului, o lume periculoasă, plină de corupție și secrete.
Calvin și Lilian se văd implicați în probleme grave datorită acțiunilor fratelui acesteia, care s-a îndrăgostit de fiica unui interlop, fiică cu care a fugit.
O acțiune alertă, cu mult suspans, cu secrete care sunt păstrate, cu răni din trecut care încă nu s-au vindecat.
Avem parte de o poveste de dragoste pasională, plină de piedici ce amenință să îi îndepărteze definitiv pe cei doi îndrăgostiți.
Joanna Shupe ne-a ținut cu respirația tăiată pe tot parcursul cărții, luându-ne prin surprindere de fiecare dată când acțiunea suferea o nouă răsturnare de situație.
O lectură care ne prinde în mreje de la început, ne confruntă cu personaje curajoase și încăpățânate, care nu se dau în lături de la nimic pentru a-i ajuta pe cei dragi. Chiar și atunci când asta înseamnă că riști să pierzi ceea ce iubești cel mai mult.
“Mogulul” o lectură de neratat!
August 8, 2022
Lo sportello si aprì e Lily cominciò a scendere. Con un piede sulla scaletta, si fermò un istante a dirgli sopra la spalla: — Sono stata ingenua perché per tanto tempo ho creduto che saresti tornato.
A lettura finita, posso confermare l'apprezzamento per questa trilogia ambientata in una frenetica New York di fine ottocento, tra vecchia borghesia americana e nuova ricchezza proveniente da industriali e banchieri, con una metropoli che si espande senza freni, tra immigrazione sempre più disperata e sobborghi trasbordanti di povertà e violenza.
In questo volume, peraltro, viene aggiunto un fatto nuovo: la presenza sempre più massiccia della comunità orientale, nonché il razzismo crescente nei suo confronti, sino all'adozione del famigerato Exclusion Act del 1882, che per decenni frenò i flussi dei lavoratori cinesi e impedì il ricongiungimento di migliaia di famiglie.
La storia parte dalla fine di un matrimonio, se vogliamo.
Calvin Cabot, giornalista rampante, e Lily Davies, giovane ereditiera di un magnate del settore minerario, hanno appena compiuto una fuga d'amore. Non hanno ancora trent'anni, sono pieni di speranza e sogni. Ma il padre di lei li trova e con un abile gioco di ricatti e menzogne riesce a far annullare le nozze.
Quattro anni dopo, Calvin e Lily sono divenuti due estranei, per quanto si siano reciprocamente tenuti sotto controllo, odiandosi in silenzio. Finché la famiglia di Lily non si ritrova a confrontarsi con il mondo di Chinatown, un territorio dove soltanto uno come Calvin può muoversi, grazie al suo passato.
Come detto altre volte, prima di questa serie non conoscevo la Shupe, ma si è subito imposta tra le mie autrici favorite. I suoi personaggi sono tutti forti, ben delineati, con tante sfaccettature positive e negative. Anche Lily e Calvin risaltano a tutto tondo, senza essere perfetti. Entrambi hanno sbagliato, continuano ad accumulare errori, ma perché ci credono e lottano con le loro forze, senza restare inerti e subire il destino.
Questo romanzo è ricco d'azione e di scene di passione (bollenti, ma perfette, a fronte del carattere impetuoso dei due), con ambientazioni credibili e accurate (mi è capitato di mangiare la Baked Alaska ed è davvero un dolce strepitoso), in cui la narrazione scorre veloce e ipnotica. Mi è piaciuta ogni singola pagina: e come bonus tornano pure alcuni dei protagonisti dei volumi precedenti.
A lettura finita, posso confermare l'apprezzamento per questa trilogia ambientata in una frenetica New York di fine ottocento, tra vecchia borghesia americana e nuova ricchezza proveniente da industriali e banchieri, con una metropoli che si espande senza freni, tra immigrazione sempre più disperata e sobborghi trasbordanti di povertà e violenza.
In questo volume, peraltro, viene aggiunto un fatto nuovo: la presenza sempre più massiccia della comunità orientale, nonché il razzismo crescente nei suo confronti, sino all'adozione del famigerato Exclusion Act del 1882, che per decenni frenò i flussi dei lavoratori cinesi e impedì il ricongiungimento di migliaia di famiglie.
La storia parte dalla fine di un matrimonio, se vogliamo.
Calvin Cabot, giornalista rampante, e Lily Davies, giovane ereditiera di un magnate del settore minerario, hanno appena compiuto una fuga d'amore. Non hanno ancora trent'anni, sono pieni di speranza e sogni. Ma il padre di lei li trova e con un abile gioco di ricatti e menzogne riesce a far annullare le nozze.
Quattro anni dopo, Calvin e Lily sono divenuti due estranei, per quanto si siano reciprocamente tenuti sotto controllo, odiandosi in silenzio. Finché la famiglia di Lily non si ritrova a confrontarsi con il mondo di Chinatown, un territorio dove soltanto uno come Calvin può muoversi, grazie al suo passato.
Come detto altre volte, prima di questa serie non conoscevo la Shupe, ma si è subito imposta tra le mie autrici favorite. I suoi personaggi sono tutti forti, ben delineati, con tante sfaccettature positive e negative. Anche Lily e Calvin risaltano a tutto tondo, senza essere perfetti. Entrambi hanno sbagliato, continuano ad accumulare errori, ma perché ci credono e lottano con le loro forze, senza restare inerti e subire il destino.
Questo romanzo è ricco d'azione e di scene di passione (bollenti, ma perfette, a fronte del carattere impetuoso dei due), con ambientazioni credibili e accurate (mi è capitato di mangiare la Baked Alaska ed è davvero un dolce strepitoso), in cui la narrazione scorre veloce e ipnotica. Mi è piaciuta ogni singola pagina: e come bonus tornano pure alcuni dei protagonisti dei volumi precedenti.
September 16, 2017
The third book in Joanna Shupe's 'Gilded Age' series. Out of the three, I enjoyed #1, Magnate the most, although I have liked the other two as well, just not as much.
Calvin Cabot is a self-made man who had an interesting childhood, growing up in Christian poverty as the only child of peripatetic missionaries. He spent much of his early life in China, where he learnt to speak the local language, but also caught malaria, a disease that still revisits him from time to time. Now living in New York, Calvin has made himself into a highly successful newspaper mogul, owning and managing three big newspapers.
A few years earlier, when he was still a humble reporter, Calvin met Lillian Davies, only daughter of a rich man who had made his fortune in silver-mining. The two of them hit it off immediately, even though at first they know almost nothing about each other. But their attraction burnt hot, and they soon eloped. During their passionate honeymoon, The reasons Calvin agrees to it are complicated, and the rest of the plot hangs on those reasons.
The story opens a few years later. Lillian and Calvin have seen little of each other in the interlude, but both of them had struggled deeply to try to get over it and forget the other. Lillian was made to think (by her father) that Calvin is a money-grubbing b*stard who just used her, but deep inside she still actually loves him and wants to forgive him.
Part of this story involves Chinatown and the mafia-like society of 'Tongs'. This was an interesting aspect of the story for me. And I did like both Lillian and Calvin as MCs. But about half-way through the book, my interest started to flag a little. I actually put the book down for a couple of months at that point. I picked it up again recently as a part of a buddy read, and decided to start from the beginning again. It didn't actually take me long to read the whole thing this time.
I think my main problem with the book was the overly complicated plot that was resolved just too neatly and quickly. I also did not like the way Calvin had lied to Lillian repeatedly and over a long period of time (although he did have reasons), but at the end she suddenly forgave all, and everything was smelling of roses. It was too pat and not convincing to me.
The whole ending section seemed rushed. It was fast-moving and dramatic (I guess that's what the author was aiming for), almost filmic in fact. But then suddenly it was all over. What??? And There was no lead-up to some of these events - they seemed to pop up from nowhere. I was left with unanswered questions. How would Tom and his wife deal with the prejudice? Why hadn't the police raided Mr Lee before? How would Lillian deal with
So, I like Joanna Shupe's writing overall. Her characters and settings are great, and she can write a hot sex scene. But the plotting isn't always as good - overly complicated at times, then too easily resolved. Still, I will continue to read her books.
Calvin Cabot is a self-made man who had an interesting childhood, growing up in Christian poverty as the only child of peripatetic missionaries. He spent much of his early life in China, where he learnt to speak the local language, but also caught malaria, a disease that still revisits him from time to time. Now living in New York, Calvin has made himself into a highly successful newspaper mogul, owning and managing three big newspapers.
A few years earlier, when he was still a humble reporter, Calvin met Lillian Davies, only daughter of a rich man who had made his fortune in silver-mining. The two of them hit it off immediately, even though at first they know almost nothing about each other. But their attraction burnt hot, and they soon eloped. During their passionate honeymoon, The reasons Calvin agrees to it are complicated, and the rest of the plot hangs on those reasons.
The story opens a few years later. Lillian and Calvin have seen little of each other in the interlude, but both of them had struggled deeply to try to get over it and forget the other. Lillian was made to think (by her father) that Calvin is a money-grubbing b*stard who just used her, but deep inside she still actually loves him and wants to forgive him.
Part of this story involves Chinatown and the mafia-like society of 'Tongs'. This was an interesting aspect of the story for me. And I did like both Lillian and Calvin as MCs. But about half-way through the book, my interest started to flag a little. I actually put the book down for a couple of months at that point. I picked it up again recently as a part of a buddy read, and decided to start from the beginning again. It didn't actually take me long to read the whole thing this time.
I think my main problem with the book was the overly complicated plot that was resolved just too neatly and quickly. I also did not like the way Calvin had lied to Lillian repeatedly and over a long period of time (although he did have reasons), but at the end she suddenly forgave all, and everything was smelling of roses. It was too pat and not convincing to me.
The whole ending section seemed rushed. It was fast-moving and dramatic (I guess that's what the author was aiming for), almost filmic in fact. But then suddenly it was all over. What??? And There was no lead-up to some of these events - they seemed to pop up from nowhere. I was left with unanswered questions. How would Tom and his wife deal with the prejudice? Why hadn't the police raided Mr Lee before? How would Lillian deal with
So, I like Joanna Shupe's writing overall. Her characters and settings are great, and she can write a hot sex scene. But the plotting isn't always as good - overly complicated at times, then too easily resolved. Still, I will continue to read her books.
February 10, 2017
Also posted
HERE
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Despite what the cover tells you, this book is NOT about a young scullery maid going through her awkward, mousy teen phase. And the heroine certainly didn’t wear gowns that make her look like a kid playing dress-up with her mother’s stuff! It isn't the model's fault; it's the people who dressed - and miscast- her like that!
Here is how the book describes the real – BLOND – heroine:
Moving on… I love this series to bits, and each book is a complete work on its own, exploring a different aspect of New York in the late nineteenth century. I like that there is “New York royalty”, but because there is no aristocratic system in the US, characters move between different classes, and build themselves up from nothing.
This instalment deals with a man who has come from nothing to run a newspaper empire, and a woman who goes from society princess to having to take over the family business when her father dies.
They elope at a young age, but are found and the marriage is annulled.
Reunion stories are my favourites, so of course I liked this one. I liked both hero and heroine, and liked that they managed to be a little unconventional at the same time as fitting into the social rules of the day.
The storyline relies heavily on the Chinese immigrant community, and the laws and crimes surrounding the subculture, and the research was fantastic. Yet again a book in this series goes a lot deeper into the life and culture of the past than most in the historical romance genre.
I have been enjoying this series more than almost any other for a while now. I hope both this author and other authors make use of this time period and setting in the future.
Review copy provided by NetGalley.
Despite what the cover tells you, this book is NOT about a young scullery maid going through her awkward, mousy teen phase. And the heroine certainly didn’t wear gowns that make her look like a kid playing dress-up with her mother’s stuff! It isn't the model's fault; it's the people who dressed - and miscast- her like that!
Here is how the book describes the real – BLOND – heroine:
Blond hair streamed over the cream sheets like a streak of sunshine.
A familiar statuesque, blond-haired vixen stormed in.
She’d filled out in four years, her body more rounded, more womanly.
Moving on… I love this series to bits, and each book is a complete work on its own, exploring a different aspect of New York in the late nineteenth century. I like that there is “New York royalty”, but because there is no aristocratic system in the US, characters move between different classes, and build themselves up from nothing.
This instalment deals with a man who has come from nothing to run a newspaper empire, and a woman who goes from society princess to having to take over the family business when her father dies.
They elope at a young age, but are found and the marriage is annulled.
Reunion stories are my favourites, so of course I liked this one. I liked both hero and heroine, and liked that they managed to be a little unconventional at the same time as fitting into the social rules of the day.
The storyline relies heavily on the Chinese immigrant community, and the laws and crimes surrounding the subculture, and the research was fantastic. Yet again a book in this series goes a lot deeper into the life and culture of the past than most in the historical romance genre.
I have been enjoying this series more than almost any other for a while now. I hope both this author and other authors make use of this time period and setting in the future.
Review copy provided by NetGalley.
March 21, 2017
3.5/5. Frustrating read at times, with the hero being rather ineffective and impulsive in his decision makings. He walked away from their marriage without giving the heroine any option or input, and he continued to underestimate his far more clever wife, by keeping facts from her and not trusting in her love and strength, despite her never giving him any reason to doubt her. He never considered the anguish she felt when he walked away from her, thinking in his high-handed way, he was doing her a favour. Why then did he fall in love with her, if he thought her shallow and preferring parties and pretty dresses to being by his side? And then he had the audacity to be bitter and angry at her for resenting him for his callous abandonment of her. And why didn't he think to recruit his powerful friends' help, instead of leaving it to Hugo to do so, while he walked straight into the lion's den without any plan B or C?
November 11, 2018
****3,5****
June 3, 2020
I really liked the plot but the endless circles that Lily and Calvin did where soooooo annoying at the end!
Lily: OHMYGOSH CALVIN YOU LIED! (AGAIN!)
Calvin: Sorry Lily, but I did it because I love/care for you.
Lily: You don't trust me!
Calvin: I do! It's just really super dangerous and it's better if you don't know that there are some a*holes getting ready to kill you or abduct you and use you as a prostitute!
Lily: Well you are still a meanie since you took my daddy's money!
Calvin: Yes, totally! *cough*
Write out this conversation about 15 times with a few new/extra sentences put in and you get what you have going on for a bit more than 300 pages. It's annoying as f*ck. Really liked the rest of the plot, but it was getting too ridiculous at the end for me to give it any higher than a 3 star rating. Had those stupid circles been deleted, probably a solid 4 stars.
Lily: OHMYGOSH CALVIN YOU LIED! (AGAIN!)
Calvin: Sorry Lily, but I did it because I love/care for you.
Lily: You don't trust me!
Calvin: I do! It's just really super dangerous and it's better if you don't know that there are some a*holes getting ready to kill you or abduct you and use you as a prostitute!
Lily: Well you are still a meanie since you took my daddy's money!
Calvin: Yes, totally! *cough*
Write out this conversation about 15 times with a few new/extra sentences put in and you get what you have going on for a bit more than 300 pages. It's annoying as f*ck. Really liked the rest of the plot, but it was getting too ridiculous at the end for me to give it any higher than a 3 star rating. Had those stupid circles been deleted, probably a solid 4 stars.
October 12, 2021
O último livro da série Knickerbocker Club, um livro muito esperado pois finalmente chegou a altura de conhecer a história do Calvin! A personagem que me intriga desde o primeiro livro é ainda mais especial do que poderia imaginar...
Segredos e intriga são o foco deste livro - o Calvin é perito em manter segredos, mas isto é levar isso ao extremo. Sempre soube que ele seria bastante complexo, mas a verdade superou todas as minhas expectativas.
Definitivamente, o livro mais fogoso e surpreendente de toda a saga 🔥
Adorei a relação do Calvin e da Lily, entender o passado em comum de ambos e de que modo isso os marcou; a verdade é que mesmo tendo em conta tudo o que aconteceu, eles ainda se amam...portanto, a questão é - será que é possível voltar a confiar em alguém que nos partiu o coração?
A autora prima pela genialidade de misturar conteúdo por ela idealizado, com conteúdo histórico verídico, conseguindo criar um enredo credível e bastante humano. Este livro em específico aborda uma temática, em específico, que nunca vi abordada em romance de época, a Lei da Exclusão dos Chineses na América. Sem dúvida que é um livro riquíssimo e muito importante.
Uma saga que vai deixar saudades ❤️
Segredos e intriga são o foco deste livro - o Calvin é perito em manter segredos, mas isto é levar isso ao extremo. Sempre soube que ele seria bastante complexo, mas a verdade superou todas as minhas expectativas.
Definitivamente, o livro mais fogoso e surpreendente de toda a saga 🔥
Adorei a relação do Calvin e da Lily, entender o passado em comum de ambos e de que modo isso os marcou; a verdade é que mesmo tendo em conta tudo o que aconteceu, eles ainda se amam...portanto, a questão é - será que é possível voltar a confiar em alguém que nos partiu o coração?
A autora prima pela genialidade de misturar conteúdo por ela idealizado, com conteúdo histórico verídico, conseguindo criar um enredo credível e bastante humano. Este livro em específico aborda uma temática, em específico, que nunca vi abordada em romance de época, a Lei da Exclusão dos Chineses na América. Sem dúvida que é um livro riquíssimo e muito importante.
Uma saga que vai deixar saudades ❤️
September 27, 2018
1.5 stars
This book sadly didn't work for me. I read this kind of books for the romance and this book’s weakest link is the romance. The hero kept secrets for stupid reasons and had to learn not to be an idiot. Yawn. It bored and annoyed me at the same time. I also skimmed quite a few of the pages and that's never good. And on top of that I didn't like the heroine, Lillian Davies. She was just so unlikeable. Well, she was a spoiled rich socialite and she grated on my nerves. I actually liked Calvin Cabot, he was an interesting character. But his romance with Lillian fell flat. This is a second chance romance but even though this is one of my favorite romance tropes, it just didn't work for me.
This book sadly didn't work for me. I read this kind of books for the romance and this book’s weakest link is the romance. The hero kept secrets for stupid reasons and had to learn not to be an idiot. Yawn. It bored and annoyed me at the same time. I also skimmed quite a few of the pages and that's never good. And on top of that I didn't like the heroine, Lillian Davies. She was just so unlikeable. Well, she was a spoiled rich socialite and she grated on my nerves. I actually liked Calvin Cabot, he was an interesting character. But his romance with Lillian fell flat. This is a second chance romance but even though this is one of my favorite romance tropes, it just didn't work for me.
November 8, 2017
eh, not as good as book 2. I liked the concept of Cal, found Lillian kind of a pedestrian, run-of-the-mill character. Overall, fairly forgettable, but pleasant. Certainly not a bad book, by any means.
April 11, 2023
Last book in the series. This one really dove into Cabot’s life in detail almost more than the h Lily’s. The rest of the Knickerbocker Club were only in the book near the end. That was unfortunate as I think it would have been nice to have some social occasions where they were altogether with their respective wives since it was the last book.The sex scenes were hot hot hot and their love for each other kept you turning the pages. The H had trust issues except Hugo his longtime friend. He could have trusted Lily and Mr. Kwan and the Knickerbocker club more to help him.
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October 7, 2022
Ginny Weasley -per RFS
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Ed ecco l’ultimo romanzo di una delle autrici di cui aspetto ogni nuova uscita con trepidante attesa, Joanna Shupe, che finora è sempre stata in grado di coinvolgermi e rapirmi con le sue storie.
I protagonisti sono Lilllian Davies e Calvin Cabot. Lily è figlia di un uomo che ha fatto fortuna dal nulla e che ora appartiene di diritto alla nuova ricca borghesia newyorkese di fine Ottocento. Warren Davies pretendeva solo il meglio per l’adorata figlia, perciò quando viene a sapere che è scappata per sposarsi con uno giornalista senza un soldo accorre per convincerla ad annullare il precipitoso e disgraziato matrimonio. Giunto all’hotel dove la coppia si stava godendo la luna di miele, incontra però per primo Calvin e lo costringe a firmare l’accordo di annullamento, ricattandolo e minacciando di diseredare la figlia. Di fronte alla mancanza di prospettive, consapevole della vita a cui Lily era abituata e della sua incapacità di offrirle uno stile di vita agiato, Calvin si lascia convincere e abbandona Lily senza un addio o una spiegazione da parte sua.
[…] Davies si sedette su una poltrona e appoggiò i gomiti sui braccioli. — Ho da darti due informazioni. La prima è che, nonostante io voglia bene a mia figlia, se resta tua moglie la lascerò al verde. Da me non avrete un centesimo. Escluderò del tutto Lily dal mio testamento. Calvin si rabbuiò in viso, costernato. Nella loro impulsiva fuga d’amore allo scopo di sposarsi senza intralci, lui e Lily non si erano preoccupati troppo della questione finanziaria. Calvin era cresciuto nella povertà ed S.p.A era sopravvissuto, ma Lily amava la vita delle ragazze ricche dell’alto ceto, fatta di feste folli, sontuose cene e passatempi costosi. E se da un lato non l’aveva assolutamente sposata per il denaro di suo padre, dall’altro non aveva considerato il fatto che le avrebbe negato uno stile Libri di vita di quel tipo. Lily si sarebbe ridotta a…mangiare striminzite bistecchine anziché pâté di fegato d’oca. A bere birra anziché champagne. A rammendarsi i vestiti anziché comprarne di nuovi. A scordarsi i balli eleganti e gli eventi mondani. Avrebbe dovuto trovarsi un lavoro come segretaria o commessa. Ma come poteva rinunciare a lei e lasciarla andare? (Tratto dal libro)
Sono passati quattro anni da quel giorno, e le cose sono molto cambiate. Calvin è riuscito a far fortuna lavorando sodo e cercando di dimenticare la bella Lily. Ma cosa ha fatto Lily in questi anni? Dopo essere stata lasciata, la giovane si è ritrovata con il cuore spezzato dall’uomo che amava immensamente, lasciandosi convincere dal padre che fosse solo un abietto cacciatore di dote. Il dolore la soffocava fino a non farla alzare più dal letto, non potendo credere che tutto l’amore che aveva condiviso fosse solo una recita ben costruita. Ma dopo mesi senza notizie di Calvin, la giovane capì che doveva rialzarsi e affrontare la delusione e il dispiacere come la donna eccezionale che sapeva di essere. Così iniziò a viaggiare e soprattutto prese in mano le redini dell’impero del padre alla sua morte. Ma un ricatto porterà Lily alla necessità di riavvicinare Calvin, per quanto lo detesti per l’abbandono, e chiedere il suo aiuto. E qui riparte la storia fra i due.
[…] Uno schianto esplose all’improvviso sul muro alla sua destra e una pioggia di frammenti di mattone lo investì in faccia. Calvin si tirò indietro e cercò di coprirsi il volto meglio che poté. — Dio santo! — Il prossimo colpo lo prendi nel sedere — gridò una voce femminile a terra. Calvin sbirciò in basso dietro di sé al di sopra della spalla. Lily era là sotto, in piedi, con accanto il suo cocchiere armato di fucile. — Mi hai sparato contro! — protestò. — Per essere precisi, è stato lui a spararti. — Lily indicò l’uomo alla sua destra. — Io non ero sicura di costringermi a mancarti. E lo farà di nuovo se non torni di sopra, Calvin. — Maledizione, Lily. Sto per cadere. Lascia che mi cali fino a terra e ne parliamo. La risata sardonica di Lily risuonò nel giardino. — Ti S aspetti davvero che ti creda? Nell’istante stesso in cui toccherai terra con i piedi non ti rivedrò mai più. Torna su, Calvin. Muoviti. — Ti prometto che non scappo. Comportiamoci da adulti — Sei venuto meno a qualsiasi promessa fatta in passato. Sapevo che avresti tentato di fuggire. Torna di sopra, caro, arrampicati in fretta, prima che dica a Jenkins di sparare ancora.
(Tratto dal libro)
Devo ammettere che ho adorato Lily, una donna forte, coraggiosa e fiera come una leonessa che ha saputo rialzarsi e crearsi una vita nonostante il grande dolore passato, leale con i suoi amici e famigliari, pronta a aiutare i più deboli. Per quanto difficile, ho compreso anche la scelta di Calvin, la paura di vedere il loro amore dissiparsi di fronte alle privazioni e le difficoltà promesse dal suocero, la volontà di sacrificarsi per permettere a Lily di essere di nuovo felice un giorno nell’ambiente lussuoso che frequenta. Perché se è vero che il vero amore tutto supera, è anche vero che l’amore si può trasformare in odio, soprattutto se non si ha cibo, si hanno figli da mantenere e nessun soldo in tasca.
Questa è una storia di seconde possibilità, di dolore e di nuova gioia, di incomprensioni e segreti finalmente svelati. Entrambi i protagonisti impareranno a confrontarsi a non lasciare che il non detto li divida, ad amarsi per quello che sono, pregi e difetti compresi. Calvin comprenderà la vera forza di Lily dietro la patina dorata, capendo che solo lei può essere la donna adatta al suo fianco, così come Lily capisce che per quanto amasse il padre il suo comportamento l’ha resa infelice per quattro lunghi anni e che bisogna vivere il presente guardando al futuro, lasciando il passato dove si trova.
[…] Divertita, Lily abbozzò un mezzo sorriso. — Mi ami, Calvin? — Più di qualunque altra cosa al mondo. — Prometti di dirmi sempre la verità? Incapace di impedirsi di toccarla, le posò dolcemente le mani sui fianchi. — Senza eccezioni. Anche quando penserò che non la gradirai. Lily gli cinse il collo con le mani, affondandogli le dita nei capelli. — Bene. Risposte esatte. Adesso baciami. — Aspetta un momento — ribatté lui, tenendola ferma. — Prometti di non fuggire davanti ai nostri problemi? Non mi importa dell’eventuale piatto che mi tirerai in testa, ma non puoi lasciarmi, Lily. Facendosi avanti, Lily aderì a lui con tutto il corpo, strusciandogli il naso sulla mandibola. — Prometto di restare. Non fuggirò mai più da te. (Tratto dal libro)
L’autrice coinvolge il lettore con una scrittura piacevole, mai noiosa, ricca di descrizioni particolareggiate, usando l’alternanza dei punti di vista. Questo fornisce la possibilità di percepire i pensieri e le sensazioni dei protagonisti, suscitando in me la curiosità di conoscere la loro storia e scoprire in che modo riusciranno a ritrovarsi nelle avversità.
Ho gradito molto anche l’ambientazione particolare, la sfavillante New York di fine Ottocento, che mi ha intrigato da quando ho visto la serie “The gilded age”, dove viene rappresentato lo snobismo dei vecchi ricchi rispetto ai nuovi parvenau. E che ritroviamo anche in questo romanzo, insieme alla tematica del ruolo della donna in una società che la vede solo accanto ad un marito e mai abbastanza giudiziosa o avveduta da guidare un’azienda.
Ancora una volta vi consiglio di immergervi in questa bellissima storia di grande amore e di seconde possibilità e, nel frattempo, non posso fare a meno di chiedermi quando e se la Shupe scriverà un libro sulla cugina di Lily, Cora, che da ragazza considerata da tutti modesta e noiosa si rivela invece ardita e una scassinatrice di talento. Gran bel personaggio.
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Ed ecco l’ultimo romanzo di una delle autrici di cui aspetto ogni nuova uscita con trepidante attesa, Joanna Shupe, che finora è sempre stata in grado di coinvolgermi e rapirmi con le sue storie.
I protagonisti sono Lilllian Davies e Calvin Cabot. Lily è figlia di un uomo che ha fatto fortuna dal nulla e che ora appartiene di diritto alla nuova ricca borghesia newyorkese di fine Ottocento. Warren Davies pretendeva solo il meglio per l’adorata figlia, perciò quando viene a sapere che è scappata per sposarsi con uno giornalista senza un soldo accorre per convincerla ad annullare il precipitoso e disgraziato matrimonio. Giunto all’hotel dove la coppia si stava godendo la luna di miele, incontra però per primo Calvin e lo costringe a firmare l’accordo di annullamento, ricattandolo e minacciando di diseredare la figlia. Di fronte alla mancanza di prospettive, consapevole della vita a cui Lily era abituata e della sua incapacità di offrirle uno stile di vita agiato, Calvin si lascia convincere e abbandona Lily senza un addio o una spiegazione da parte sua.
[…] Davies si sedette su una poltrona e appoggiò i gomiti sui braccioli. — Ho da darti due informazioni. La prima è che, nonostante io voglia bene a mia figlia, se resta tua moglie la lascerò al verde. Da me non avrete un centesimo. Escluderò del tutto Lily dal mio testamento. Calvin si rabbuiò in viso, costernato. Nella loro impulsiva fuga d’amore allo scopo di sposarsi senza intralci, lui e Lily non si erano preoccupati troppo della questione finanziaria. Calvin era cresciuto nella povertà ed S.p.A era sopravvissuto, ma Lily amava la vita delle ragazze ricche dell’alto ceto, fatta di feste folli, sontuose cene e passatempi costosi. E se da un lato non l’aveva assolutamente sposata per il denaro di suo padre, dall’altro non aveva considerato il fatto che le avrebbe negato uno stile Libri di vita di quel tipo. Lily si sarebbe ridotta a…mangiare striminzite bistecchine anziché pâté di fegato d’oca. A bere birra anziché champagne. A rammendarsi i vestiti anziché comprarne di nuovi. A scordarsi i balli eleganti e gli eventi mondani. Avrebbe dovuto trovarsi un lavoro come segretaria o commessa. Ma come poteva rinunciare a lei e lasciarla andare? (Tratto dal libro)
Sono passati quattro anni da quel giorno, e le cose sono molto cambiate. Calvin è riuscito a far fortuna lavorando sodo e cercando di dimenticare la bella Lily. Ma cosa ha fatto Lily in questi anni? Dopo essere stata lasciata, la giovane si è ritrovata con il cuore spezzato dall’uomo che amava immensamente, lasciandosi convincere dal padre che fosse solo un abietto cacciatore di dote. Il dolore la soffocava fino a non farla alzare più dal letto, non potendo credere che tutto l’amore che aveva condiviso fosse solo una recita ben costruita. Ma dopo mesi senza notizie di Calvin, la giovane capì che doveva rialzarsi e affrontare la delusione e il dispiacere come la donna eccezionale che sapeva di essere. Così iniziò a viaggiare e soprattutto prese in mano le redini dell’impero del padre alla sua morte. Ma un ricatto porterà Lily alla necessità di riavvicinare Calvin, per quanto lo detesti per l’abbandono, e chiedere il suo aiuto. E qui riparte la storia fra i due.
[…] Uno schianto esplose all’improvviso sul muro alla sua destra e una pioggia di frammenti di mattone lo investì in faccia. Calvin si tirò indietro e cercò di coprirsi il volto meglio che poté. — Dio santo! — Il prossimo colpo lo prendi nel sedere — gridò una voce femminile a terra. Calvin sbirciò in basso dietro di sé al di sopra della spalla. Lily era là sotto, in piedi, con accanto il suo cocchiere armato di fucile. — Mi hai sparato contro! — protestò. — Per essere precisi, è stato lui a spararti. — Lily indicò l’uomo alla sua destra. — Io non ero sicura di costringermi a mancarti. E lo farà di nuovo se non torni di sopra, Calvin. — Maledizione, Lily. Sto per cadere. Lascia che mi cali fino a terra e ne parliamo. La risata sardonica di Lily risuonò nel giardino. — Ti S aspetti davvero che ti creda? Nell’istante stesso in cui toccherai terra con i piedi non ti rivedrò mai più. Torna su, Calvin. Muoviti. — Ti prometto che non scappo. Comportiamoci da adulti — Sei venuto meno a qualsiasi promessa fatta in passato. Sapevo che avresti tentato di fuggire. Torna di sopra, caro, arrampicati in fretta, prima che dica a Jenkins di sparare ancora.
(Tratto dal libro)
Devo ammettere che ho adorato Lily, una donna forte, coraggiosa e fiera come una leonessa che ha saputo rialzarsi e crearsi una vita nonostante il grande dolore passato, leale con i suoi amici e famigliari, pronta a aiutare i più deboli. Per quanto difficile, ho compreso anche la scelta di Calvin, la paura di vedere il loro amore dissiparsi di fronte alle privazioni e le difficoltà promesse dal suocero, la volontà di sacrificarsi per permettere a Lily di essere di nuovo felice un giorno nell’ambiente lussuoso che frequenta. Perché se è vero che il vero amore tutto supera, è anche vero che l’amore si può trasformare in odio, soprattutto se non si ha cibo, si hanno figli da mantenere e nessun soldo in tasca.
Questa è una storia di seconde possibilità, di dolore e di nuova gioia, di incomprensioni e segreti finalmente svelati. Entrambi i protagonisti impareranno a confrontarsi a non lasciare che il non detto li divida, ad amarsi per quello che sono, pregi e difetti compresi. Calvin comprenderà la vera forza di Lily dietro la patina dorata, capendo che solo lei può essere la donna adatta al suo fianco, così come Lily capisce che per quanto amasse il padre il suo comportamento l’ha resa infelice per quattro lunghi anni e che bisogna vivere il presente guardando al futuro, lasciando il passato dove si trova.
[…] Divertita, Lily abbozzò un mezzo sorriso. — Mi ami, Calvin? — Più di qualunque altra cosa al mondo. — Prometti di dirmi sempre la verità? Incapace di impedirsi di toccarla, le posò dolcemente le mani sui fianchi. — Senza eccezioni. Anche quando penserò che non la gradirai. Lily gli cinse il collo con le mani, affondandogli le dita nei capelli. — Bene. Risposte esatte. Adesso baciami. — Aspetta un momento — ribatté lui, tenendola ferma. — Prometti di non fuggire davanti ai nostri problemi? Non mi importa dell’eventuale piatto che mi tirerai in testa, ma non puoi lasciarmi, Lily. Facendosi avanti, Lily aderì a lui con tutto il corpo, strusciandogli il naso sulla mandibola. — Prometto di restare. Non fuggirò mai più da te. (Tratto dal libro)
L’autrice coinvolge il lettore con una scrittura piacevole, mai noiosa, ricca di descrizioni particolareggiate, usando l’alternanza dei punti di vista. Questo fornisce la possibilità di percepire i pensieri e le sensazioni dei protagonisti, suscitando in me la curiosità di conoscere la loro storia e scoprire in che modo riusciranno a ritrovarsi nelle avversità.
Ho gradito molto anche l’ambientazione particolare, la sfavillante New York di fine Ottocento, che mi ha intrigato da quando ho visto la serie “The gilded age”, dove viene rappresentato lo snobismo dei vecchi ricchi rispetto ai nuovi parvenau. E che ritroviamo anche in questo romanzo, insieme alla tematica del ruolo della donna in una società che la vede solo accanto ad un marito e mai abbastanza giudiziosa o avveduta da guidare un’azienda.
Ancora una volta vi consiglio di immergervi in questa bellissima storia di grande amore e di seconde possibilità e, nel frattempo, non posso fare a meno di chiedermi quando e se la Shupe scriverà un libro sulla cugina di Lily, Cora, che da ragazza considerata da tutti modesta e noiosa si rivela invece ardita e una scassinatrice di talento. Gran bel personaggio.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2017
I like all of the other books in this series. They're quick, easy to read, and enjoyable. BUT THIS ONE.
I loved Cabot, but good God I wanted to throw my nook every time I had to listen to Lily speak/think/monologue. And her being the main character, that happened quite a lot.
She was whiny, spoiled, and selfish. I found her to literally be insufferable and I was skipping pages to avoid having to read about her. It was the same thing over and over and over again, and for a woman who claimed to be intelligent, she was pretty stupid. Her decisions didn't make sense, and I just couldn't get on board with the "badass" version of her.
Just didn't connect with her at any level, and found it a very bad read from an otherwise amazing author.
I loved Cabot, but good God I wanted to throw my nook every time I had to listen to Lily speak/think/monologue. And her being the main character, that happened quite a lot.
She was whiny, spoiled, and selfish. I found her to literally be insufferable and I was skipping pages to avoid having to read about her. It was the same thing over and over and over again, and for a woman who claimed to be intelligent, she was pretty stupid. Her decisions didn't make sense, and I just couldn't get on board with the "badass" version of her.
Just didn't connect with her at any level, and found it a very bad read from an otherwise amazing author.
October 23, 2020
This book has one of THE BEST first chapters that I have ever read. It set the bar SO high that I was extremely excited to see what would come next. I really loved the fast paced plot, Joanna is great at weaving really interesting plots into her romances. But the romance itself...was lacking. And the resolution between the couple was too fast and a little underwhelming. Overall this was an enjoyable read but it wasn't a favorite.
November 21, 2020
Opinião em vídeo : https://youtu.be/dzIvHLCLYxM
June 24, 2018
I'm not sure how desperate I would have to be to hit up for assistance an ex-husband who'd accepted a pay-off from my father to leave me during my honeymoon, one whom I had to scrape out of an opium den to even get a conversation with, but I'm pretty certain it would require something along the lines of a global pandemic or nuclear winter. Lillian Davies, heroine of Joanna Shupe's Mogul, must therefore have either a much higher or much lower tolerance level than I, because she reaches out to her former husband and media mogul Calvin Cabot the minute her younger brother goes missing.
Four year ago, Lily and Cabot shared a delirious three weeks in a hotel room together after impulsively wedding only two months into their acquaintance. The idyll ends when Lillian's father, a wealthy mine owner, shows up and offers Calvin a choice: take a check and disappear or Davies exposes to Lily Calvin's first marriage to a Chinese woman. For reasons that only look like rational reasons in romance novels, Calvin takes the check and spends the ensuing years working his way up from beat reporter to the owner of three major metropolitan newspapers, building up a network of connections that Lily needs when her beloved sibling vanishes on his way to inspect the family mine.
I was particularly looking forward to Mogul, hoping that Shupe would use Calvin's position in the newspaper world to craft a plot focused on muckraking journalism or the insane newspaper rivalries of the time period. Instead, Calvin's job seems mostly incidental, and Shupe hangs her plot's hat on the Chinese Exclusion Act, which could have been fascinating but instead results in a story that feels like it's trading a bit heavily on racial cliches instead of really digging into the highly dramatic and moving history of the law's impacts on immigrant populations. In fact, the only time Calvin's job really seems important is in the closed-door meetings he has at the Knickerbocker Club with other elites when they decide what stories his papers will and will not run, which feels a bit 1%ish for 2018. And yes, I know the heroes have been meeting together for the entire series for similar purposes. I'm not sure if my new distaste for their backroom shenanigans is an accumulated effect, the result in some kind of idealistic belief in the higher purpose of journalism, or a side effect of having nothing else to focus on since the novel's whole plot basically hinges on the two main characters not having one honest conversation, but suddenly I was a lot less comfortable with these guys running New York from underneath a cloud of cigar smoke.
The edition of Mogul I read also included the novella Tycoon, in which railroad tycoon Ted Harper finds himself with a make believe wife when a woman he's never met takes his arm at Grand Central Station and refuses to let go. Clara Dawson, a shopgirl who's stumbled into Tammany's business, will do anything to get off that platform and out of the city, including kissing a handsome stranger with access to a private car. Initially I thought Tycoon might redeem Mogul for me - I particularly like Shupe's depiction of Ted as an average-looking guy who just works a lot because that's all he knows - but after a promising beginning it goes off the rails into ridiculously high melodrama.
While I generally enjoyed Shupe's Knickerbocker Series, its ending in Mogul feels more like a whimper than a bang, despite the author's inclusion of as many enthusiastic couplings as her characters could stand before chafing set in. (Literally an issue raised in this novel, by the way.) Here's hoping her next novel makes better use of the fabulous and unique historical setting she's carved out for it.
Four year ago, Lily and Cabot shared a delirious three weeks in a hotel room together after impulsively wedding only two months into their acquaintance. The idyll ends when Lillian's father, a wealthy mine owner, shows up and offers Calvin a choice: take a check and disappear or Davies exposes to Lily Calvin's first marriage to a Chinese woman. For reasons that only look like rational reasons in romance novels, Calvin takes the check and spends the ensuing years working his way up from beat reporter to the owner of three major metropolitan newspapers, building up a network of connections that Lily needs when her beloved sibling vanishes on his way to inspect the family mine.
I was particularly looking forward to Mogul, hoping that Shupe would use Calvin's position in the newspaper world to craft a plot focused on muckraking journalism or the insane newspaper rivalries of the time period. Instead, Calvin's job seems mostly incidental, and Shupe hangs her plot's hat on the Chinese Exclusion Act, which could have been fascinating but instead results in a story that feels like it's trading a bit heavily on racial cliches instead of really digging into the highly dramatic and moving history of the law's impacts on immigrant populations. In fact, the only time Calvin's job really seems important is in the closed-door meetings he has at the Knickerbocker Club with other elites when they decide what stories his papers will and will not run, which feels a bit 1%ish for 2018. And yes, I know the heroes have been meeting together for the entire series for similar purposes. I'm not sure if my new distaste for their backroom shenanigans is an accumulated effect, the result in some kind of idealistic belief in the higher purpose of journalism, or a side effect of having nothing else to focus on since the novel's whole plot basically hinges on the two main characters not having one honest conversation, but suddenly I was a lot less comfortable with these guys running New York from underneath a cloud of cigar smoke.
The edition of Mogul I read also included the novella Tycoon, in which railroad tycoon Ted Harper finds himself with a make believe wife when a woman he's never met takes his arm at Grand Central Station and refuses to let go. Clara Dawson, a shopgirl who's stumbled into Tammany's business, will do anything to get off that platform and out of the city, including kissing a handsome stranger with access to a private car. Initially I thought Tycoon might redeem Mogul for me - I particularly like Shupe's depiction of Ted as an average-looking guy who just works a lot because that's all he knows - but after a promising beginning it goes off the rails into ridiculously high melodrama.
While I generally enjoyed Shupe's Knickerbocker Series, its ending in Mogul feels more like a whimper than a bang, despite the author's inclusion of as many enthusiastic couplings as her characters could stand before chafing set in. (Literally an issue raised in this novel, by the way.) Here's hoping her next novel makes better use of the fabulous and unique historical setting she's carved out for it.
August 14, 2022
⭐⭐⭐⭐,5
New York fa da sfondo al terzo volume "Knickerbocker Club", nella Gilded Age, l'Età dell'Oro in cui lo sviluppo e la ricchezza celavano nefandezze e amplificavano il divario sociale. Ho imparato ad amare Joanna Shupe proprio da questa serie ed è con immenso piacere ritrovare, come protagonista di MATRIMONI E AFFARI, Calvin Cabot.
Lily Davies – ereditiera dell'impero di Warren Davies, proprietario di una miniera d'Argento –, fa rapire e torchiare Calvin Cabot. Cerca informazioni che riguardano il fratello Tom, apparentemente scomparso; una lettera pervenuta alla donna vede una sorta di coinvolgimento dell'uomo, per cui pretende che l'aiuti traducendo quello scritto in cantonese. Calvin è proprietario di ben tre giornali e una vecchia ruggine con Wah Lee fa sì che il criminale cinese si vendichi sulla sua ex moglie.
Altolà, forse mi sono esposta troppo, ma posso fare chiarezza su ex, moglie, quindi matrimonio.
Quattro anni prima, vittime di un colpo di fulmine, dopo una conoscenza in un locale, Lily e Calvin cedono alla passione e convolano a nozze; a voi scoprire, però, la sequenza dei fatti! Lily credendo di ottenere la benedizione del padre non sa che il potente Davies costringe lo sposo ad annullare il matrimonio, con mezzi non del tutto convenzionali... soprattutto intortando i due (ex)coniugi – in sedi diverse – con una serie di inganni.
Eccoci, dopo una separazione dolorosa e la scomparsa di Warren a rimettere in gioco interessi, ricatti e sentimenti.
Cari lettori, so di avervi fatto arrabbiare per non aver detto praticamente nulla; nello stesso tempo so di essermi tradita, certa, tuttavia, di non avervi rovinato la lettura.
Come nei precedenti della serie (Il Barone) o Il libertino della quinta strada facente parte degli Extra Passion, la Shupe si distingue per le trame particolari, con ambientazioni sicuramente lontane dai soliti cliché. Apprezzabile anche per la scrittura avvolgente, accattivante e attinente con il periodo storico, rende la lettura piacevole e accompagna il lettore in ogni saliscendi, dai più avventurosi a quelli più passionali. Ho apprezzato molto anche un "particolare" che riguarda Hugo, che rientra tra le "magagne" che hanno caratterizzato la Gilded Age.
Be', i personaggi della Shupe sono davvero sempre ben caratterizzati e lodevole è la figura femminile, mai sottomessa, anzi... Lily, come Ava di "Il barone" – che ho adorato –, non se ne sta nell'angolo e certe volte ci si identifica talmente tanto nella protagonista(e) che si perde il contatto con la realtà. Infatti, in questo romanzo in particolare, Lily mi è apparsa "moderna" per non usare sempre il termine "emancipata"; ha preso in mano l'attività del padre e si è spesa sempre in prima linea. Prendo un cerotto per tapparmi la bocca, solo dopo avervi consigliato questa bellissima lettura! Ah, salutatemi Will, che non si tirerà indietro dall'elargire consigli all'amico Calvin.
New York fa da sfondo al terzo volume "Knickerbocker Club", nella Gilded Age, l'Età dell'Oro in cui lo sviluppo e la ricchezza celavano nefandezze e amplificavano il divario sociale. Ho imparato ad amare Joanna Shupe proprio da questa serie ed è con immenso piacere ritrovare, come protagonista di MATRIMONI E AFFARI, Calvin Cabot.
Lily Davies – ereditiera dell'impero di Warren Davies, proprietario di una miniera d'Argento –, fa rapire e torchiare Calvin Cabot. Cerca informazioni che riguardano il fratello Tom, apparentemente scomparso; una lettera pervenuta alla donna vede una sorta di coinvolgimento dell'uomo, per cui pretende che l'aiuti traducendo quello scritto in cantonese. Calvin è proprietario di ben tre giornali e una vecchia ruggine con Wah Lee fa sì che il criminale cinese si vendichi sulla sua ex moglie.
Altolà, forse mi sono esposta troppo, ma posso fare chiarezza su ex, moglie, quindi matrimonio.
Quattro anni prima, vittime di un colpo di fulmine, dopo una conoscenza in un locale, Lily e Calvin cedono alla passione e convolano a nozze; a voi scoprire, però, la sequenza dei fatti! Lily credendo di ottenere la benedizione del padre non sa che il potente Davies costringe lo sposo ad annullare il matrimonio, con mezzi non del tutto convenzionali... soprattutto intortando i due (ex)coniugi – in sedi diverse – con una serie di inganni.
Eccoci, dopo una separazione dolorosa e la scomparsa di Warren a rimettere in gioco interessi, ricatti e sentimenti.
Cari lettori, so di avervi fatto arrabbiare per non aver detto praticamente nulla; nello stesso tempo so di essermi tradita, certa, tuttavia, di non avervi rovinato la lettura.
Come nei precedenti della serie (Il Barone) o Il libertino della quinta strada facente parte degli Extra Passion, la Shupe si distingue per le trame particolari, con ambientazioni sicuramente lontane dai soliti cliché. Apprezzabile anche per la scrittura avvolgente, accattivante e attinente con il periodo storico, rende la lettura piacevole e accompagna il lettore in ogni saliscendi, dai più avventurosi a quelli più passionali. Ho apprezzato molto anche un "particolare" che riguarda Hugo, che rientra tra le "magagne" che hanno caratterizzato la Gilded Age.
Be', i personaggi della Shupe sono davvero sempre ben caratterizzati e lodevole è la figura femminile, mai sottomessa, anzi... Lily, come Ava di "Il barone" – che ho adorato –, non se ne sta nell'angolo e certe volte ci si identifica talmente tanto nella protagonista(e) che si perde il contatto con la realtà. Infatti, in questo romanzo in particolare, Lily mi è apparsa "moderna" per non usare sempre il termine "emancipata"; ha preso in mano l'attività del padre e si è spesa sempre in prima linea. Prendo un cerotto per tapparmi la bocca, solo dopo avervi consigliato questa bellissima lettura! Ah, salutatemi Will, che non si tirerà indietro dall'elargire consigli all'amico Calvin.
May 16, 2021
Mogul is the third book in The Knickerbocker Club series by Joanna Shupe. It can be enjoyed as a standalone though characters from the previous books do appear briefly.
Lily Davies is mostly a strong independent woman. She even runs the family mining company after her father dies, much to the anger of the all-male board members. She is doing a good job and it is only until her brother Tom takes over the reins that she intends to do the job. The problem is that her brother has gone missing.
After hiring detectives to look for him and with them having no success Lily has to swallow her pride and ask the only person she is sure will be able to find him. That person is Calvin Cabot, newspaper Mogul and her ex-husband! The reason the marriage ended is complicated and Lily hoped never to have to see him again despite him being the only man she's ever loved. But she's desperate and she asks for his help.
He knows that if he refuses that Lily will go to places she shouldn't in order to look for him herself. He also knows how dangerous that would be. He agrees to help her but he also has his own reasons for getting involved. There are twists and turns in this story. It's extremely moving in parts, suspenseful, and the passionate relationship between Lily and Calvin will have you reaching for your fan! Steamy hot is no exaggeration!
There was never a dull moment to this story, it wasn't predictable, the characters were believable and I couldn't read quickly enough to find out how it would end. I wasn't disappointed.
I enjoyed this story and am more than happy to recommend it and the whole series.
Lily Davies is mostly a strong independent woman. She even runs the family mining company after her father dies, much to the anger of the all-male board members. She is doing a good job and it is only until her brother Tom takes over the reins that she intends to do the job. The problem is that her brother has gone missing.
After hiring detectives to look for him and with them having no success Lily has to swallow her pride and ask the only person she is sure will be able to find him. That person is Calvin Cabot, newspaper Mogul and her ex-husband! The reason the marriage ended is complicated and Lily hoped never to have to see him again despite him being the only man she's ever loved. But she's desperate and she asks for his help.
He knows that if he refuses that Lily will go to places she shouldn't in order to look for him herself. He also knows how dangerous that would be. He agrees to help her but he also has his own reasons for getting involved. There are twists and turns in this story. It's extremely moving in parts, suspenseful, and the passionate relationship between Lily and Calvin will have you reaching for your fan! Steamy hot is no exaggeration!
There was never a dull moment to this story, it wasn't predictable, the characters were believable and I couldn't read quickly enough to find out how it would end. I wasn't disappointed.
I enjoyed this story and am more than happy to recommend it and the whole series.
December 13, 2017
Liked both the hero and heroine. Great plot. Not quite as good as Magnate, but way better than the second in the series. Of course the conflict could have all been resolved with an honest conversation.... regardless, enjoyed it.
October 26, 2017
In between the pages of hot sex, there is a romance and adventure of Calvin Cabot, once a poor but ambitious and talented reporter and now the successful owner of 3 national newspapers, and rich socialite Lillian Davies, whose late father made piles of money, mostly in mining. 4 or 5 years prior to the beginning of this story, they had fallen into severe lust and eloped. Big Daddy found them and forced an annulment which left both H and h bitter and disappointed in each other because there was no Full Disclosure or Communication about the Whys. Mostly, IMO, the onus of the misunderstanding falls on the hero, who is not, IMO, all that heroic.
Now it is some years after the annulment. Lillian seeks out Calvin to help her find her missing 19-year-old brother (who's a bit of a dilettante and deserved to stay lost, IMO). The plot involves the Chinese underworld in NYC, the Chinese wife of Calvin's right-hand man who isn't allowed into the country b/c of the unfair immigration laws, and bits of blackmail here and there. There will be abductions of main characters, some exciting escapes or rescues and lots of sex interspersed.
Now, I do understand having lots of sex in a romance. That's what many readers are looking for. What I don't understand is a heroine so weak that, even when she dislikes and distrusts the hero, she cannot control her impulses to have hot sex with him repeatedly. Lillian comes across this way to me: "I hate you for what you did 4 years ago. Oh, but you're so hot. Let's have sex." This is followed by an intermission of some plot. Next comes Lillian's "I still hate you and I don't trust you. Oh, but you're so hot. Let's have more sex." Intermission of more advancement of plot, followed by Lillian"s "You lie to me and when you're not lying you are cherry-picking the truth. Oh, but you're so hot. Sex, please."
Intermission of more plot and resolution of many Chinese underworld, drug and abduction issues, followed by Lillian's "I can't take your half-truths and lies anymore. I'm off to Paris. No sex for you." Followed by Calvin finally doing something that has Lillian forgiving him and agreeing to an HEA. Whew! You know, instead of all the episodes of hot sex, I would have really appreciated some real conversations between the couple about these misconceptions and misunderstandings. But then this wouldn't have followed the romance trope that most HR authors rely heavily on.
BTW, what is with the cover for this book? The woman on it is a brunette. Lillian is a blonde. Also what is with author Shupe's use of "lanky" to describe the hero and we are supposed to think that's a good thing? Here's my dictionary's definition of lanky: "ungracefully thin and long or tall, thin, lean, gaunt, scraggy, bony". Wow, doesn't that sound hunky?
Now it is some years after the annulment. Lillian seeks out Calvin to help her find her missing 19-year-old brother (who's a bit of a dilettante and deserved to stay lost, IMO). The plot involves the Chinese underworld in NYC, the Chinese wife of Calvin's right-hand man who isn't allowed into the country b/c of the unfair immigration laws, and bits of blackmail here and there. There will be abductions of main characters, some exciting escapes or rescues and lots of sex interspersed.
Now, I do understand having lots of sex in a romance. That's what many readers are looking for. What I don't understand is a heroine so weak that, even when she dislikes and distrusts the hero, she cannot control her impulses to have hot sex with him repeatedly. Lillian comes across this way to me: "I hate you for what you did 4 years ago. Oh, but you're so hot. Let's have sex." This is followed by an intermission of some plot. Next comes Lillian's "I still hate you and I don't trust you. Oh, but you're so hot. Let's have more sex." Intermission of more advancement of plot, followed by Lillian"s "You lie to me and when you're not lying you are cherry-picking the truth. Oh, but you're so hot. Sex, please."
Intermission of more plot and resolution of many Chinese underworld, drug and abduction issues, followed by Lillian's "I can't take your half-truths and lies anymore. I'm off to Paris. No sex for you." Followed by Calvin finally doing something that has Lillian forgiving him and agreeing to an HEA. Whew! You know, instead of all the episodes of hot sex, I would have really appreciated some real conversations between the couple about these misconceptions and misunderstandings. But then this wouldn't have followed the romance trope that most HR authors rely heavily on.
BTW, what is with the cover for this book? The woman on it is a brunette. Lillian is a blonde. Also what is with author Shupe's use of "lanky" to describe the hero and we are supposed to think that's a good thing? Here's my dictionary's definition of lanky: "ungracefully thin and long or tall, thin, lean, gaunt, scraggy, bony". Wow, doesn't that sound hunky?
July 24, 2020
Last books in a series – being it a short and sweet trilogy or a long intense saga – are always tricky. There is a lot of build up and, let’s face it, expectations that this last story would be the perfect one; not only encapsulating the feel of the whole series, but also giving it a proper closure.
And, Mogul , despite its flaws, is good example of that.
The last book in the Knickerbocker Club series is defiantly not my favorite of the three, but I think it was nice story to finish the trilogy with.
I’m not going to pretend the charming almost mercurial newspaper mogul Calvin Cabot did not immediately catch my attention when he appeared as a side character in the previous books. I was immensely curious what kind of heroine would be his equal; how this seemingly aloof character would fall in love.
And although, I wasn’t necessary disappointed with Calvin and Lillian’s romance, I expected more.
The second chance romance trope was a pleasant surprise, and the opening chapters kept me intrigued, but as the story progressed I was more interested with the sub plot mentioning the Chinese Exclusion Act, than our couple mending their broken relationship.
Both main characters were interesting on their own, but together they just didn’t resonate with me. I never quite connected with the heroine; Lilian seemed really chaotic in her dealings with Calvin, and both of them seemed to be stuck in their tumulus past relationship. I liked Calvin, but the more of him there was the more I was infuriated with his behavior.
Lillian and Calvin are older than when they first get together, but they seem to somehow forget about all the experiences they've lived thru after their separation, and promptly act like their inexperienced-selves from years ago. While with Lilian – a heiress living in privilege, even if she did took upon herself to run her father’s mine – it could be somewhat understandable, with Calvin it was weird.
A lot of the drama and misunderstandings between them could’ve been resolved if they communicated better.
The sub plot revolving around Chinatown and Calvin and his trusty sidekick - Hugo’s past abroad was quite interesting; I really enjoyed this glimpse into the Gilded Age tumulus political and social atmosphere.
Last, but not least, both the great chemistry and some amazing banter carried the story and made the book quite entertaining.
Mogul was a good ending to a good trilogy. I’m quite happy I finally started to read full length books by Joanna Shupe, and I’m sure I’ll read more from her.
~3-4/5 stars
And, Mogul , despite its flaws, is good example of that.
The last book in the Knickerbocker Club series is defiantly not my favorite of the three, but I think it was nice story to finish the trilogy with.
I’m not going to pretend the charming almost mercurial newspaper mogul Calvin Cabot did not immediately catch my attention when he appeared as a side character in the previous books. I was immensely curious what kind of heroine would be his equal; how this seemingly aloof character would fall in love.
And although, I wasn’t necessary disappointed with Calvin and Lillian’s romance, I expected more.
The second chance romance trope was a pleasant surprise, and the opening chapters kept me intrigued, but as the story progressed I was more interested with the sub plot mentioning the Chinese Exclusion Act, than our couple mending their broken relationship.
Both main characters were interesting on their own, but together they just didn’t resonate with me. I never quite connected with the heroine; Lilian seemed really chaotic in her dealings with Calvin, and both of them seemed to be stuck in their tumulus past relationship. I liked Calvin, but the more of him there was the more I was infuriated with his behavior.
Lillian and Calvin are older than when they first get together, but they seem to somehow forget about all the experiences they've lived thru after their separation, and promptly act like their inexperienced-selves from years ago. While with Lilian – a heiress living in privilege, even if she did took upon herself to run her father’s mine – it could be somewhat understandable, with Calvin it was weird.
A lot of the drama and misunderstandings between them could’ve been resolved if they communicated better.
The sub plot revolving around Chinatown and Calvin and his trusty sidekick - Hugo’s past abroad was quite interesting; I really enjoyed this glimpse into the Gilded Age tumulus political and social atmosphere.
Last, but not least, both the great chemistry and some amazing banter carried the story and made the book quite entertaining.
Mogul was a good ending to a good trilogy. I’m quite happy I finally started to read full length books by Joanna Shupe, and I’m sure I’ll read more from her.
~3-4/5 stars
January 2, 2017
We met Calvin Cabot in the first and second books of the series and I always thought he was very mysterious. A soon as I saw that his book was next I knew it had to go on my to be read ASAP. The book starts off by showing us the connection between Calving and Lillian and what truly happened all those years ago. I thought this was a brilliant way of starting off the story because we begin to form a connection between the two characters. In addition, we also got to see how their relationship had truly been a loving one.
When they meet up all those years later things have changed. Calvin is no longer the boy that Lillian had meet all those years ago and this time she’s the one that needs his help. Without giving too much away Lillian needs Calvin’s help in finding her brother. He’s disappeared and she’s desperate to find im and through that desperation we get to see her true character. Lillian may be a socialite but she’s definitely not a wallflower and she can hold her own. I really enjoyed reading about a woman with her character strength, especially during the gilded age (perhaps too unrealistic). However, her push and pull of Calvin kept driving me crazy. Then there was Calvin’s big secret which was definitely interesting. But if these two had actually had great communication all those years ago none of these things that happened would have occurred.
One of the biggest reasons I didn’t give it 5 stars is because of the ending. I felt like it was way too rushed and I would have preferred we had gotten more closure, perhaps seeing them a couple of years down the road. I also wished we had seen more of the other male characters from the previous books. I always looked forward to the interactions between them. Overall, I would really recommend this book and I hope Ms. Shupe has more stories stet in these era.
ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
When they meet up all those years later things have changed. Calvin is no longer the boy that Lillian had meet all those years ago and this time she’s the one that needs his help. Without giving too much away Lillian needs Calvin’s help in finding her brother. He’s disappeared and she’s desperate to find im and through that desperation we get to see her true character. Lillian may be a socialite but she’s definitely not a wallflower and she can hold her own. I really enjoyed reading about a woman with her character strength, especially during the gilded age (perhaps too unrealistic). However, her push and pull of Calvin kept driving me crazy. Then there was Calvin’s big secret which was definitely interesting. But if these two had actually had great communication all those years ago none of these things that happened would have occurred.
One of the biggest reasons I didn’t give it 5 stars is because of the ending. I felt like it was way too rushed and I would have preferred we had gotten more closure, perhaps seeing them a couple of years down the road. I also wished we had seen more of the other male characters from the previous books. I always looked forward to the interactions between them. Overall, I would really recommend this book and I hope Ms. Shupe has more stories stet in these era.
ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 23, 2017
as far as romance novels go, this is as typical as the genre gets but with two important things of note:
1) the characters all have very modern sensibilities about race and gender and generally come across like your annoying cousin who wants to keep telling you all the things he now knows about chinese prejudice in america which mostly comes from this wikipedia page he read once
2) the main plot hinges on a mustache-twirling chinese mob boss in "chinatown" if chinatown consisted of one underground gambling den/brothel and one restaurant (although other restaurants are implied to exist) whose only personality traits are "is chinese" and "is evil"
the contrast between really racist stereotypes of the actual chinese characters and the enlightened attitudes of the white characters who totally love chinese people and feel so bad that they can't immigrate to the US at this time and even have chinese friends, look! - it's really jarring and absurd, especially as the main premise involves the two protagonists reluctantly working together to avoid a tabloid scandal of their secret marriage/annulment years before and yet
as a side note: joanna shupe seems really invested in the addition of modern plumbing in this time period, as she never fails to mention the beautiful new bathrooms and running water that all these places have.
1) the characters all have very modern sensibilities about race and gender and generally come across like your annoying cousin who wants to keep telling you all the things he now knows about chinese prejudice in america which mostly comes from this wikipedia page he read once
2) the main plot hinges on a mustache-twirling chinese mob boss in "chinatown" if chinatown consisted of one underground gambling den/brothel and one restaurant (although other restaurants are implied to exist) whose only personality traits are "is chinese" and "is evil"
the contrast between really racist stereotypes of the actual chinese characters and the enlightened attitudes of the white characters who totally love chinese people and feel so bad that they can't immigrate to the US at this time and even have chinese friends, look! - it's really jarring and absurd, especially as the main premise involves the two protagonists reluctantly working together to avoid a tabloid scandal of their secret marriage/annulment years before and yet
as a side note: joanna shupe seems really invested in the addition of modern plumbing in this time period, as she never fails to mention the beautiful new bathrooms and running water that all these places have.
March 16, 2017
Solid 4-star read till the end. It was so rushed, I'm taking off 1 star just because of it.
The enjoyed this intriguing series a lot, the first two books were a lot of fun to read. I had great expectations of this one too and till the very end it was a solid 4 star read till the very end but the very abrupt and rushed ending spoiled it all for me.
I like the Gilded Age NY setting, the abundant historical details built a powerful sense of time and place and brought me deep into the story and really bring into to the story. This story focused a lot of the social/political issues of the period - the situation with the Chinese immigrants and the women entering business.
I found the way the Chinese characters were presented convincing and respectful. There were the main part of the subplot but also central to the conflict in the main plot. I dare say the author created complex diverse characters and focused on their issues even though the main couple were white American.
What I enjoyed the most in this book was the romance itself. It was a second chance, lovers-to enemies-to lovers story that I found absolutely fascinating. The chemistry between Calvin and Lilly was explosive and I appreciate the sex positive attitude the author created by giving us a heroine who acted free and wild and uninhibited with her lover.
The mystery element of the plot worked well for me as well. It kept me invested till the end but never overshadowing the romance.
My greatest disappointment was the ending. I literally tapped my Kindle repeatedly hoping to open the next page. I just couldn't believe the author ended a well plotted, complex love story in such a rushed unsatisfactory way.
The enjoyed this intriguing series a lot, the first two books were a lot of fun to read. I had great expectations of this one too and till the very end it was a solid 4 star read till the very end but the very abrupt and rushed ending spoiled it all for me.
I like the Gilded Age NY setting, the abundant historical details built a powerful sense of time and place and brought me deep into the story and really bring into to the story. This story focused a lot of the social/political issues of the period - the situation with the Chinese immigrants and the women entering business.
I found the way the Chinese characters were presented convincing and respectful. There were the main part of the subplot but also central to the conflict in the main plot. I dare say the author created complex diverse characters and focused on their issues even though the main couple were white American.
What I enjoyed the most in this book was the romance itself. It was a second chance, lovers-to enemies-to lovers story that I found absolutely fascinating. The chemistry between Calvin and Lilly was explosive and I appreciate the sex positive attitude the author created by giving us a heroine who acted free and wild and uninhibited with her lover.
The mystery element of the plot worked well for me as well. It kept me invested till the end but never overshadowing the romance.
My greatest disappointment was the ending. I literally tapped my Kindle repeatedly hoping to open the next page. I just couldn't believe the author ended a well plotted, complex love story in such a rushed unsatisfactory way.
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