USA Today bestselling author Joanna Shupe returns with another sexy historical romance set against the dazzling backdrop of Gilded Age New York.

Love isn’t always a fairy tale.Once upon a time, in the glittering land of New York City, there lived a Knickerbocker beauty—generous, kind, and raised to believe the world was as lovely as it appeared. But beauty can often hide the most hideous of hearts, with monsters lurking behind handsome smiles. In a society that worships wealth and the men who make it, these monsters remain privileged and protected. And so the Knickerbocker heiress quickly finds herself ensnared in a gilded prison, nothing more than a fading rose trapped under glass.Orson Grey is the most handsome—and most sought-after—man in all of Manhattan. When Caroline vows to spend her life with him, it feels like the beginning of a true fairy tale.That fairy tale, however, quickly turns into a nightmare.Behind closed doors, Orson is controlling and cruel. But now, trapped by laws and conventions that prevent women from leaving unhappy marriages, Caroline has no choice but to endure her husband’s behavior. Even her passion for evaluating rare books is curtailed, leaving her isolated and lonely.So when she is offered the opportunity to catalogue a private library, Caroline seizes it like a lifeline. While exploring literary treasures, she finds a friend in the owner, Zane Bishop—a brilliant, wealthy recluse who was disfigured in an explosion years ago. Thoughtful and kind, Zane is everything Orson is not. And as their trust builds, Zane realizes that Caroline’s pain runs much deeper than she lets on. He can’t stand to see her suffer, especially considering he knows Orson’s cruelty first-hand.Zane will stop at nothing to set Caroline free, even if it means risking everything.A darkly romantic reimagining of the timeless fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, comes a story of resilience, passion, and the transformative power of love.TropesGilded AgeFairytale retellingFriends to Lovers