The Heiress Hunt (The Fifth Avenue Rebels #1) by Joanna Shupe

2*

There’s virtually no plot to this. In a nutshell, it’s about immature love between Maddie, a self-absorbed and selfish female protagonist, and Harrison, the male protagonist, who is plotting revenge on the family that treated him like dirt, and who has been hanging on to a childhood love, thinking he can disrupt her life and coerce her into marriage based on past friendship and scorching chemistry. For a book that has no real plot, it’s amazing how much happens too quickly: Maddie’s forgiveness of Harrison’s abandonment 3 years prior without a word to her before, during or after his absence; Harrison amassing a fortune in just a few years after leaving for France with nothing; the lightning speed of his courtship and proposal; her acceptance of the Duke’s offer of marriage, knowing she had growing feelings for Harrison; and then, just one day later, being found in a compromising position that forces a broken engagement and hasty marriage. Harrison’s plan for revenge is totally anticlimactic, and even the threats towards Maddie have no heat behind them, a storyline that could have introduced tension that this book is sorely lacking. Shupe usually writes engaging, sexy historical fiction that is totally engrossing, usually with some tragedy or threat that propels the story. This one is weak.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Avon through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.