title: The Gilded Rose
author: Joanna Shupe
publisher: Avon
publication date: October 13, 2026
pages: 368
peppers: 3 (on this scale)
warnings:
- marital rape and brutality
- violence
summary: Rare book expert Caroline thinks she's lucky to marry Orson, who is stunning and woos her well...until she's actually married to him and discovers his brutality and misogyny. Since the only way she can divorce him is if he's unfaithful, she follows him out the door at a ball, only to lose track of him and meet the reclusive Zane Bishop, whose library she ends up sorting for charity.
tropes:
- I'm not good enough for him/her
- super rich and self-made
- he's not what I thought
- learning what love can be
- self-blame (for things that aren't their fault)
- secret pining
what I liked:
- the servants
- Zane's history and baggage
- both characters' baggage
what I didn’t like:
- n/a - Shupe knows the job
overall rating: 5 (of 5 stars)
As always, you can click on the photo above if you want to buy the book.