If you grew up obsessed with Anastasia, the 1997 animated movie, not the Romanov history lesson, you’re going to clock the DNA of this one instantly. The Gilded Heiress by Joanna Shupe is basically an Anastasia retelling dressed up in Gilded Age vibes. A street singer with a secret past, con man with too much charm, and enough glittery ballrooms and betrayals to make you feel like you’re sneaking into high society yourself.

Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. This post contains affiliate links. That means we receive a small commission at no cost to you from any purchases you make through these links.

What is The Gilded Heiress by Joanna Shupe all about?

The Gilded Heiress by Joanna Shupe is the story of Josie, a tough survivor who grew up in a children’s asylum and sings her way through rough streets dreaming of a better life, and Leo Hardy, a smooth hustler bent on revenge for the family who ruined his own. When Josie shows an eerie Pendelton resemblance, Leo plots the ultimate swindle: a Broadway‑bound masquerade and maybe, for real this time, the greatest con he never meant to pull.

The Gilded Heiress by Joanna Shupe Tropes

• Gilded‑Age romance
• Con artist MMC
• Street singer FMC
• Insta‑lust
• Redemption arc
• Missing heiress trope
• Spicy historical
• NYC high society
• Revenge to romance

The Gilded Heiress by Joanna Shupe Book Review

The Gilded Heiress by Joanna Shupe takes the Anastasia 1997 animated movie blueprint and drops it right into the 1890s. Josie grew up in a children’s asylum, left to scrape together a life for herself after being abandoned as a baby. By the time we meet her, she’s hustling as a street singer in Boston. She’s scrappy, ambitious, and dreaming of something bigger. Our hero Leo Hardy is a con artist with charm to spare and way too many mouths to feed at home. His family lost everything when his father was fired as the Pendeltons’ gardener after their baby disappeared. Leo’s been carrying that grudge for years, and when he spots Josie, who looks uncannily like Mrs. Pendelton, the idea clicks: pass her off as the long-lost heiress, score the reward money, and finally even the scales.

“Men don’t turn over new leaves, they just find pots with fresh dirt to ruin”

That setup works really well because you understand both sides, Josie chasing her dream of being adored on stage, and Leo convincing himself this scam is justified. It’s a dual first person POV, so you get all of Leo’s self-justifications as he falls for her, even while he’s lying through his teeth. Josie, meanwhile, is mostly focused on survival and chasing fame, blissfully unaware that she’s in the middle of someone else’s long game.

The romance leans hero-forward. Leo thirsting after Josie right away, is a weird mix of insta-lust but also slow burn. While the spice is there, it’s milder than some of Joanna Shupe’s other books. The dynamic is very “smooth-talking con man meets guarded good girl,” and when it works, it’s genuinely fun. My favorite part was watching Leo start to crack. He wants revenge so badly, but his feelings for Josie complicate every step until he can’t pretend it’s just a scam anymore.

That said, I had higher expectations. The betrayal setup had room for more delicious angst, but things tied up a little neater than I wanted. It’s still satisfying to watch the truth unravel, though, and we get Leo’s messy redemption arc in a way that makes the ending feel earned.

The Gilded Heiress by Joanna Shupe is a glitzy, revenge romance that flirts hard with ambition, comfort, and the lies we live to survive. It’s not perfect, but it gives us that intoxicating mix of hustle, heart, and hope. How would you play it if you found your way back into the world you never knew you’d lost?

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