Excerpt from THE GILDED ROSE by Joanna Shupe:
March, 1898
I could hear my father’s excited voice straight through the heavy wooden door of the library. “The boy is smitten, I tell you!”
As the door opened, I glanced up from the book I was evaluating for a wealthy collector—a 1608 third edition of book one of Don Quixote. This was the version Cervantes amended to fix earlier mistakes, and it had been bound in the late 17th century along with the 1615 edition of book two, which made the work quite rare. The book had been in the hands of a Yorkshire family until only a few years ago, when it was sold to a Pittsburgh railroad tycoon who hired my father—and me—to evaluate its worth.
A beautiful floral bouquet filled the doorway. I couldn’t even see my father’s head. “Goodness,” I breathed. “Has it just arrived?”
“Indeed, it is the second one today.”
That made it the sixth bouquet in four days. My cheeks heated as my father brought the flowers over to me. This was all so flattering, so overwhelming. Men had tried to woo me before, but not quite like this. Orson Grey, widely considered the biggest catch on the New York marriage mart, seemed determined to court me. We met a week ago at a ball, where he asked me to dance and declared I was the “most beautiful and hardest to win” woman in Manhattan. Every day since, flowers and heartfelt letters, not to mention presents, arrived, more than I could possibly keep up with. My heart fluttered merely thinking of how sweet he’d been to me.
“Was there a note?” I asked.
Papa set the vase of red carnations and white lilies on the desk. The symbolism was not lost on me. The bloom choices spoke of purity of heart and a devoted longing. I bit my lip, warmth settling in my chest.
“Here.” Papa held out a small piece of vellum.
Standing, I picked up the rare book I was working on and placed it on another table. I wouldn’t risk even the hint of water ruining these precious pages. Then I removed my gloves and accepted the paper. Orson’s careful scrawl filled the paper:
I love thee to the level of every day’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
A grin tugged at my mouth. He’d copied a portion of Browning’s Sonnets from the Portuguese, Number 43. Clever to use the middle, rather than the opening, which nearly every person on both sides of the Atlantic could recite. This section was more intimate, more cerebral. More meaningful to me.
The letter continued with a personal note.
I beg you to walk with me this afternoon.
It has been far too long since I have seen you.
I will ring the bell at three o’clock, in the hopes you will rescue me from the shackles of my misery.
Yours,
OG
I nearly fanned myself. This was the most ardent missive to date. And it had only been a day and a half since I last saw him.
“A romantic, this one,” Papa said, fingering the petals of the bouquet. “Like your own Sir Lancelot. I admire his persistence.”
“You think I should marry him.”
“Caroline.” He reached over to clasp my forearm. “I think you should decide. Clearly, the boy is in love with you—and why not? You’re beautiful and smart, well-read. Men have been knocking down our door since you debuted. Perhaps it is time you allow one catch you.”
“But I don’t wish to leave you—or our work together.”
Papa’s smile, fond and familiar, was like the warmest comfort on a bitterly cold night. “My dear, we will always have one another and our books. But you need a family of your own, a husband who loves you. Your life cannot forever be in a library, surrounded by stories of the past.”
“I like libraries,” I muttered. “And stories set in the past.”
“I know.” He released my arm, then patted my shoulder. “But it’s time for you to write your future. I won’t always be here and I’d like to see you settled before I join your mother on the other side.”
“Do not talk about dying.” I would start weeping, if he did. “You’re all I have left.”
He held out his hands, as if this illustrated his point. “The Greys are one the best families in the city. Orson is rich and handsome, never had a scandal attached to him. Women nearly swoon when he walks by and all the gents invite him everywhere.”
Papa wasn’t one for gossip or clubs. Though we were considered high society, his regular social interaction was mostly limited to a weekly literary salon in the bar of the Hoffman House. So, I was more than a little curious how he’d come by this information. “How do you know all this?”
“I asked some of men around town. Do you think I would trust my only child to anyone? And it’s clear you fancy him, too. I wanted to be sure.”
“I do . . . like him,” I said quietly, trying to keep the depth of my feelings safely locked inside me. It was almost embarrassing how giddy I became in Mr. Grey’s presence. “But you need me here.”
“Do not use me as a shield, daughter,” Papa said, wagging his finger at me. “I want you to be happy. If that is here, so be it. If that is with Orson Grey, so be it. Live your life for yourself, not for me.”
I liked my life. Perhaps it was a little boring. My two closest friends, members of the rare book trade, lived downtown with their own busy lives. A little excitement might be good for me.
Excerpted from THE GILDED ROSE by Joanna Shupe. Copyright © 2026 by Joanna Shupe.
THE GILDED ROSE by Joanna Shupe
Narrator: Aaron Shedlock, Eva Kaminsky
A Novel – A USA Today Bestselling Author’s Dark Romance of Resilience, Passion, and Transformative Love in Gilded Age Manhattan
USA Today bestselling author Joanna Shupe returns with an angst‑filled retelling of Beauty and the Beast, set against the excess and opulence of Gilded Age New York.
Love isn’t always a fairy tale.
Charming and popular, Orson Grey is the most sought‑after bachelor in Manhattan. When Caroline pledges to spend her life with him, it feels like the beginning of a fairy tale.
The fairy tale quickly turns into a nightmare.
Behind closed doors, Orson is controlling and cruel. Trapped by laws that prevent women from leaving unhappy marriages, Caroline has no choice but to endure her husband’s behavior. Each day grows more intolerable, and her frustration and resentment mounts. Even her passion for rare books is stifled, leaving her isolated and lonely, a fading rose trapped under glass.
When Caroline is offered the opportunity to catalogue a private library, she seizes it like a lifeline. Exploring the literary treasures, she discovers a friend in the library’s owner, Zane Bishop—a brilliant, wealthy recluse who was disfigured in an explosion years ago.
Thoughtful and kind, Zane is everything Orson is not. As their trust builds, Zane realizes that Caroline’s pain runs much deeper than she lets on. He suffers with her, knowing precisely of Orson’s cruelty firsthand. Zane will stop at nothing to set Caroline free, even if it means risking everything.
The Gilded Rose is a story of resilience, passion, and the transformative power of love.
Romance Historical | Romance Dark [ Avon, On Sale: October 13, 2026, Paperback / e-Book / audiobook, ISBN: 9780063310353 / eISBN: 9780063310360 ]
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About Joanna Shupe
Award-winning author JOANNA SHUPE has always loved history, ever since she saw her first Schoolhouse Rock cartoon. While in college, Joanna read every romance she could get her hands on and soon started crafting her own racy historical novels. In 2013 she won Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Golden Heart® Award for Best Historical. She now lives in New Jersey with her two spirited daughters and dashing husband.
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