The Lady Gets Lucky

Shupe entices with her second Gilded Age–set Fifth Avenue Rebels romance (after The Heiress Hunt). Handsome charmer Christopher “Kit” Ward meets Alice Lusk at a Newport house party. Eager to escape the clutches of her overbearing mother, Alice knows she must marry, but she hopes to marry for love, not the lure of her large dowry. In exchange for “certified scoundrel” Kit’s tutelage on how to attract a man, Alice agrees to give Kit recipes from famed chef Angelo Franconi for the grand opening of Kit’s supper club, having memorized many of Franconi’s dishes when he worked for her family. As Kit teaches Alice the art of flirtation, he finds himself seduced by her intelligence, beauty, and passion for cooking. Though Alice’s family discourages her dreams of becoming a chef, once back in New York City, Kit’s business partner requests Alice’s services for the club’s preview dinner, and Alice agrees so long as her identity is kept secret. Meanwhile, Alice garners the attention of the Duke of Lockwood, forcing Kit to choose between taking a chance at love or losing Alice to another man. Shupe enhances the relationship between these candid, intelligent characters with sensual, emotional love scenes. The simmering romantic tension keeps the pages flying. Agent: Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary. (Oct.)