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A review by books_ergo_sum
The Duke Gets Even by Joanna Shupe
emotional
medium-paced
5.0
I loved this book!
The first bit of magic was the way Lockwood and Nellie were just as reserved (him) and scandalous (her) as I expected them to be—having seen them as the star side characters of the whole series. And then, I loved how much complexity and vulnerability they gained as MCs. Plus, I loved their arcs.
The second bit of magic was how hawt this was 🥵 The sadomasochism? And the fact that they’re both switches? It made total sense that these two got so obsessed with each other, switch-y sadomasochists gotta stick together. I just loved their compatibility. Loved that our duke was a bossy boots in the bedroom but was also a masochist—why do we always associate masochism with being a sub? Masochist doms exist, so let’s read about them!
Loved the hint of forbidden vibes (he *did* try to marry two of her best friends) and the ‘he falls first and hard’ goodness. Loved how the things that were holding them apart were so internal and subtle (and dare I say miscommunication-adjacent?)—I was feeling all this angst. I wanted to reach into the book and bonk their heads together, in a good way. I felt really invested, their building intimacy was compelling, and I just loved all the tension.
And then the cherry on top: this author’s excellent world building. Shupe’s Gilded Age New York is unmatched and I loved all the different settings we had for a scene.
What a satisfying final book in an all-time favourite series 🥰
The first bit of magic was the way Lockwood and Nellie were just as reserved (him) and scandalous (her) as I expected them to be—having seen them as the star side characters of the whole series. And then, I loved how much complexity and vulnerability they gained as MCs. Plus, I loved their arcs.
The second bit of magic was how hawt this was 🥵 The sadomasochism? And the fact that they’re both switches? It made total sense that these two got so obsessed with each other, switch-y sadomasochists gotta stick together. I just loved their compatibility. Loved that our duke was a bossy boots in the bedroom but was also a masochist—why do we always associate masochism with being a sub? Masochist doms exist, so let’s read about them!
Loved the hint of forbidden vibes (he *did* try to marry two of her best friends) and the ‘he falls first and hard’ goodness. Loved how the things that were holding them apart were so internal and subtle (and dare I say miscommunication-adjacent?)—I was feeling all this angst. I wanted to reach into the book and bonk their heads together, in a good way. I felt really invested, their building intimacy was compelling, and I just loved all the tension.
And then the cherry on top: this author’s excellent world building. Shupe’s Gilded Age New York is unmatched and I loved all the different settings we had for a scene.
What a satisfying final book in an all-time favourite series 🥰