Joanna Shupe

“Nothing makes me happier than a new book from Joanna Shupe!”—Sarah MacLean The final novel in Joanna Shupe's critically acclaimed Uptown Girl series about a beauitful do-gooder who must decide if she can team up with one of New York's brashest criminals without losing something irreplaceable: her heart. Manhattan kingpin. Brilliant mastermind. Gentleman gangster. He’s built a wall around his heart... Orphaned and abandoned on the Bowery’s mean streets, Jack Mulligan survived on strength, cunning, and ambition. Now he rules his territory better than any politician or copper ever could. He didn’t get here by being soft. But in uptown do-gooder Justine Greene—the very definition of an iron fist in a velvet glove—Jack may have met his match. She wears hers on her sleeve... Justine is devoted to tracking down deadbeat husbands and fighting for fair working conditions. When her mission brings her face-to-face with Jack, she’s shocked to find the man behind the criminal empire is considerably more charming and honorable than many “gentlemen” she knows. Forming an unlikely alliance, they discover an unexpected desire. And when Justine’s past catches up with them, Jack may be her only hope of survival. Is she ready to make a deal with the devil...?

Uptown Girls

The Devil of Downtown

Olivia

** spoiler alert **
           what worked for me:
•I found the dynamic between justine and her sisters (maime and florence) was sweet with how protective and loving they were of her, and it also created the familial tension needed within the book. Not only that but I loved getting to see Frank and Clayton again!

•jack is unbelievably swoon-worthy and I have been dying for his book ever since “the prince of broadway”. he’s the perfect mix of cockiness and angst, my two favorite combinations in a hero. I also adored Justine and her more quiet and reserved type of strength than compared to maime and florence. She’s a heroine that might not be brash or combative but gets the job done with her determination and steady resolve.

•I loved Jack’s love for Justine and the trust he puts in her. He shares things with her that he hasn’t shared with anyone else and any of his past lovers and that trust and bond was what made their relationship so special.

what didn’t work for me:
•I didn’t like how Jack had to give up his empire for Justine. It was the ultimate show of love, but it also felt unfair that he had to give up so much for her and she gave up nothing. Not only that but I didn’t understand her staunch disapproval for the way he got things done seeing as how even the police force that she revered was corrupt. He did bad things, yes, but it seems that he used his power and status more for good than he did for bad.

•it didn’t make sense to me how Maime and Florence were so adamantly against Jack when they themselves did some dangerous and questionable things in their books that Justine never commented or condemned them for. Not only that but both Clayton and Jack were involved in some shady stuff and yet it’s only ok for Florence to be with Clayton but not Justine with Jack?

verdict:
I fiercely love Jack and Justine, and overall this was a phenomenal ending to the series! The problems I do have with it though make it hard to love it as much as I loved “The Prince of Broadway” (my favorite in the series) and I was a tad disappointed by that. Overall this was a great book though and I recommend this series and book to anyone who is looking for a good read! I’m sure that others will love it more than I did as these are just my opinions! Don’t let my issues with the book dissuade you from reading it, I still love this book!

b.andherbooks

God I adore this series. Is it wrong to want more? Watching Jack Mulligan slowly lose his heart to the quiet but never meek and never weak Justine was fan-fucking-tastic.

I adored how Jack was as fastidious about his appearance (manicures, perfect bespoke suits) as he was filthy mouthed in bed. I loved how learned consent and good bed manners from his mother and the other sex workers he grew up with and how he always made sure Justine was 100% on board with every touch and kiss. SWOOOOOOOON.

Where Florence stole my heart in The Prince of Broadway, Jack for me was the star of this book. I love Justine too, Jack's character was just riveting.

Pour me a glass of cold lager, I need it to cool off.

I received an ARC for review from the publisher and Edelweiss+. Thank you!

I'll be re-reading and posting a more coherent review closer to the pub date, but this is definitely a must!

window

This is very much an opposites attract story - our h is a kind-hearted do-gooder (as H calls her), spending most of her time advocating for the poor and doing charitable work. The H is basically a criminal running what is basically a crime syndicate. While the ending requires a stretch of imagination to believe, overall this was a good read.

Jo H

Well. This was an experience, a great experience. I didn't think that Justine could top Florence... I was so wrong. 

At the start, she was very much a more insular character and less outrageously defiant than Florence and even Mamie from book 1. What she is, however, is a lot more sly and underhanded in how she is breaking free from the constraints of her highly privileged background. Justine is a very different personality type to both of her older sisters, much quieter and more reserved and this was one of the surprises and ultimate wins of this trilogy for me, because, from the initial summaries, it seems that all they are all so very alike and even though both Mamie and Florence are much more outgoing, they are also very different from each other. 

Also, and it has to be said, Jack is the ✨ male of the show for me. He is Alpha, he is a hardened gangland boss, but. And this is a BIG BUT. He has the polar opposite to Clay from book 2. He has a lot of heart and is a bit 'metrosexual' and I don't say that to be derogatory in any way - quite the opposite. I like a man who makes an effort to look good, even if it means he has a weekly manicure 🤣. And he is a dirty talker... and it was 🔥🔥🔥! And yet, at the same time Jack is not afraid to mess up his neat nails (and clothes) and get his hands dirty when needs must... whilst also being a big softie at heart. Criminal kingpin he may be, but he actually cares for the people in his community... albeit it somewhat reluctantly in some ways and doles out punishments to those he considers deserving on the other side of the coin. 

Jack also has a couple of close underling/friends who are not afraid to call him out when they see fit and when they think he needs it. That is a sign of a ruler that commands respect rather than just plain fear and is what makes a true Alpha in romance to me. And I love the fact that he is a beer not a hard liquor drinker and has a side hustle that is actually on the straight and narrow. This male character was someone who I was instantly interested in when he was originally introduced in book 1 and was eagerly awaiting his story which more than lived up to my expectations. He also seems to have a lot of respect for women and I loved the fact that the author made the choice to let it be known that he refused to run any sex work as part of his enterprise having been brought up in a brothel by a prostitute mother who he held immense respect for before her death at an early age. 

As much as he continually referred to Justine as a do-gooder, it clearly was not meant to be as an insult and is much more of a term of endearment. He is never rude or nasty to her just because he could be. There was one line he said to Justine at the inevitable third act conflict/break up stage that I thought was so cruel... but I know that he only said it because he himself was hurting so much that I could forgive him that one sin despite the effect his words had on Justine. 

And back to Justine. She wanted to become the first female detective in the NYPD. HECK YEAH. And this was no copagander either. It is shown quite plainly through the entire trilogy the corrupt nature of the police, however, it was something that Justine was really unaware of and had to learn the hard way throughout her journey with Jack. I have immense respect for the author for including that type of narrative in an historical romance and in the organic way she did. It was quite heartbreaking in a way to see Justine come to grips with the fact that actually, becoming one with the authorities was not the way for her to go. Also, I have to give her props because she finally saw the error in her ways when I didn't because I as the reader was blinded by my admiration for Jack. She saw that she was becoming a person with whom her morals were becoming more ambiguous because of her feelings for Jack and when he tried to give her something she felt was undeserved she turned him down. 

I see that in stark contrast to Florence from book 2 who didn't at any time consider the other side of running an illegal gambling institution -other than bribing corrupt police and other officials that is! -that of having to chase down the debts that remain unpaid and how exactly that works... As much as I loved how selfish she was in her ambitions because we don't often see that from the non-villainous women in romance, I think that Florence was more balanced in her response to what she saw and unwittingly became party to. Eventually, after some heartache on both of their sides, and some consideration on his side, this rubbed off on Jack too with another grand gesture to rival that made by Clay towards the end of book 2.

I have to also add that in some ways, both this and book 1 could be considered White Savourism in the ways that both Mamie and Justine flout the rules of polite society to help the less fortunate and especially when it includes POC as if they were unable to help themselves. Yet I never got that impression from how these books were written. It seemed that casual inclusion - or perhaps more nods towards historical accuracy - was the name of the game, without speaking over and above people that are marginalised (then and now) and tokenising any individual characters or trying (not very well) to tell their lived experiences. 

Early on I really didn't think that Justine would be that interesting, because she really is the total opposite of Florence and is somewhat dowdy and buttoned up. Also, I did kind of think that despite that, she was being extremely irresponsible in the ways that she went about her business. However, upon reflection, I actually think that she much more savvy and streetwise than either of her sisters. And the conflict at the end where SHe is the one to play hero just had me cheering or her even more than her sister simply because I'm sure that it was much more of a challenge for her to rise up to save her man. And the fact that it happened at a time when they were not actually together, and that Jack didn't actually scream at her for her 'stupidity in the way many Alpha men do in romance just had me. 

She very much had a quiet strength, a backbone of steel rather than the outward balls that the other two and especially Florence had and more than proved that she was not the naive and simpering little girl they treated her as. Also, THIS is how I like a female virgin to be written. She is not utterly ignorant of all things sexually, and there is absolutely no glorification of her 'purity' and Jack being glad that 'he was the only man to have touched her'. And a well deserved first time where it didn't hurt and then she came millions of times once his magical dick entered her honey pot!!! Sorry to get so graphic, but those are both scenarios in romance that I HATE WITH A PASSION and still occur far to often. It could not happen sooner if both were to die a death as far as I'm concerned. (ok, deep breath... micro rant over).

Ok so this review is kind of all over the place, but these are all things that I appreciated so much in this trilogy so it needed saying. I read the Rogue of Fith Avenue back last year and whilst I did enjoy it immensely, these last two just turned up the stakes by leaps and bounds. 

More Joanna Shupe to come for me for sure.

Lacey

I’m so happy I got to binge read this series this year! It’s now one of my new favorite historical romance series and I cannot WAIT to see what Joanna Shupe has in store for us next.

The Devil of Downtown Uptown Girls

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