Felicia Grossman

He’s her ticket into high society… Banking heiress Ursula Nunes has lived her life on the fringes of Philadelphia’s upper class. Her Jewish heritage means she’s never quite been welcomed by society’s elite…and her quick temper has never helped, either. A faux engagement to the scion of the mid-Atlantic’s most storied family might work to repair her rumpled reputation and gain her entrée to the life she thinks she wants…if she can ignore the way her “betrothed” makes her feel warm all over and stay focused on her goal. She’s his ticket out… Former libertine John Thaddeus “Jay” Truitt is hardly the man to teach innocent women about propriety. Luckily, high society has little to do with being proper and everything to do with identifying your foe’s temptation—an art form Jay mastered long ago. A broken engagement will give him the perfect excuse to run off to Europe and a life of indulgence. But when the game turns too personal, all bets are off… One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise: all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise!

Appetites & Vices

Ok, this is a very chaotic 3.5 stars that I am giving, & full disclosure this rating might change by tomorrow. On the one hand, I LOOOOOOVED the characters!! Ursula and Jay were so adorable & charming, and their “we are scheming teammates to best friends to lovers” fake engagement romance was gorgeously done. The side characters were interesting & since my knowledge of Jewish history is shabby at best, I felt like I learned quite a bit!

On the other hand— the writing regularly confused the shit out of me! Especially in dialogue. It’s like I was always missing a stair in the conversation — topics of discussion would switch abruptly or I’d lose the train of the characters banter. In short, this book needs a really good editor bc this was NOT it.

Anyway, if you don’t mind some (ok, quite a few) writing foibles & are a fake dating fan, this one’s for you!

Sharanya Sharma

Ok, this is a very chaotic 3.5 stars that I am giving, & full disclosure this rating might change by tomorrow. On the one hand, I LOOOOOOVED the characters!! Ursula and Jay were so adorable & charming, and their “we are scheming teammates to best friends to lovers” fake engagement romance was gorgeously done. The side characters were interesting & since my knowledge of Jewish history is shabby at best, I felt like I learned quite a bit!

On the other hand— the writing regularly confused the shit out of me! Especially in dialogue. It’s like I was always missing a stair in the conversation — topics of discussion would switch abruptly or I’d lose the train of the characters banter. In short, this book needs a really good editor bc this was NOT it.

Anyway, if you don’t mind some (ok, quite a few) writing foibles & are a fake dating fan, this one’s for you!

b.andherbooks

A promising debut historical romance !

If only Ursula Nunes could be as sweet as the desserts she craves. Her temper and forthright attitude, along with her her Jewish heritage, have landed her on the outs with polite society. She wouldn't care, but the one man she'd even consider marrying cannot even consider proposing to her because of the fear of his family's unacceptance.

Free copy received in exchange for a fair review!

But, what if Ursula could show society she is in fact worthy of entrance to their ranks? Being seen on the arm of one of society's darlings may just be the key.

John Thaddeus “Jay” Truitt is back in society after battling some demons, demons that continue to tempt him. Despite his fear his past addictions will ruin him, Jay agrees to fake an engagement to the beguiling Ursula who he's known since childhood.

As Jay squires Ms. Nunes around society, he sees a woman who is strong in her convictions and may just be a worthy match for himself, if only he can convince her he is worth it.

I adored the setting of this historical, America in the late 1800s, and a refreshing change of pace from Regency/Georgian England and seeing how Ursula struggled and triumphed with her heritage in a place where she often met with ignorance. I'm excited to see how this author builds this series!

Appetites & Vices

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