A Scandalous Deal: The Four Hundred Series

Fabulous! Joanna Shupe captures the spirit of 1890 New York in this fast paced story that I literally started and did not stop until the last page was turned. Lady Eva Hyde has been studying under her father, a famous architect in England since she was young. With her father's failing health and desperate for funds to survive, Eva takes a daring job in America representing herself in her father's stead. Philip Mansfield, a very rich and ambitious developer is waiting anxiously for Hyde to show up with his plans and get construction started on his hotel. When Eva shows up, he almost tosses her off the job. I mean, women did not work well on construction jobs and there is no way she would have the knowledge to oversee the construction. Eva is determined and Phillip decides to give her a chance with some very strict rules and with the understanding her father will show up soon. Of course he father never will come over but Eva hopes to have proven herself to the point it did not matter. What really intrigued me from the start is how Philip and Eva actually met on the ship coming over to America. Neither knew who the other was, yet there were sparks flying between them enough to ignite the ship! Once they get together again, there are so many twists and turns as Phillip tries to resist Eva, but there is no way he can. This story had a little of it all with suspense, secrets and it showed the terrible corruption in this Gilded Age in New York history which I had never read much about. The secondary characters which included a few from the first book in this series A Daring Arrangement were evident and I loved to revisit them. Although this book can be read as a standalone, this first book was as amazing as this one! I cannot wait for more in this series and I hope it continues on forever!!

I haven’t yet read the first in this series – but I’m hoping to remedy that this weekend! This story starts with a touch of deception and a passage to New York from England for our couple. Eva Hyde is an architect, hoping to make her own mark on the world. Her father is both famed for his work, and the one who taught her all she knows, but he’s in failing health with something that feels like a dementia, and is unable to keep working. Unfortunately, Phillip Mansfield has paid (perhaps overpaid) for Hyde’s work, and is determined to make his new New York hotel the talk of the town. But, with Eva claiming the work and designs are her father’s, when in fact they are hers, she heads off to New York on board a ship with Phillip, someone who drew her eye and interest from the start. During the passage, the subtext for the story is built – very much one of equality and a woman’s ability to perform work and tasks that have traditionally been closed to them. But Eva isn’t quite satisfied with her own recognition as a competent and capable woman, and she hopes that the brashness and newness of society in New York will allow her the respect and independence that she craves as an architect who happens to be a clever determined woman, and not as ‘the woman architect’. Subtle differences, but important to progress and Eva. These two are adorable together, and Phillip is incredibly sweet, charming and laid back. Until they arrive in New York: there he is all business, determined to overcome the many obstacles placed in his path: the ‘woman’ sent in his architect’s place, the workmen’s discontent with a woman on the project, political corruption, and even some clear threats to Eva’s life all make the project unstable, with the completion date being pushed further and further afield. But, there’s something about Eva, and the ease of conversation with her, not to mention the attraction between them. But, the list of secrets and deceptions Eva is hiding could scupper the whole deal, and make her family’s precarious financial situation even more dire. Proving herself and her work has never been more important to Eva, both personally and professionally. Breaking through Phillip’s hatred of deception to get him to understand the why behind it is the most important thing, second only to completing the hotel and having him impressed with the design and her ability to bring his concept to life. Steam, tension and plenty of subterfuge kept this story moving as pages turned. Both Phillip and Eva have reasons for their behavior, and the attraction between them could power the whole block! Wholly unique with insets of ‘very American’ brashness, the society, corruption and struggle to make the biggest and best, the lovely moments with Phillip’s mother and even the discovery of the many forces trying to stop the construction’s progress kept me engaged and whipping through – happily smiling in the end. I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via Edelweiss for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

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