True Pretenses

True Pretenses

Rose Lerner2017
Something borrowed... Through wit and sheer force of will, Ash Cohen raised himself and his younger brother Rafe out of the London slums and made them (in his unbiased opinion) the best confidence men in England. Ash is heartbroken when Rafe decides he wants an honest life, but he vows to give his beloved brother what he wants. When Ash hears of a small-town heiress scrambling to get her hands on the dowry held in trust for when she marries, he plans one last desperate scheme: con her and his brother into falling in love. After all, Rafe deserves the best, and Ash can see at once that captivating, lonely Lydia Reeve is the best. Lydia doesn't know why she instinctively trusts the humble stranger who talks his way through her front door and into her life. She just knows she's disappointed when he tries to set her up with his brother. When a terrible family secret comes to light and Rafe disappears, Lydia takes a big risk: she asks Ash to marry her instead. Did Ash choose the perfect wife for his brother...or for himself?
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Reviews

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Kate@ifibewaspish
5 stars
Dec 6, 2021

The ending was a little rushed and disappointing (maybe because I was super tired?) but overall this is exquisitely written, the characterization is amazing, the world-building and setting are so unique and developed for a Regency, and it is just stellar. Also there is a moment with Yiddish in this book that KILLED ME. Neither of the characters are particularly similar to me (they're both good at lying, in different ways, and I am patently awful at it), but they are so well-written that I felt for and with them immensely. I didn't always like them, but I wanted to like, take them into my arms and heart and make them happy and comfortable forever. Fair warning, both this and Sweet Disorder can be melancholy and even unsettling, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's pretty much the opposite of what I'm usually looking for when I read romance. This book is sweet, and romantic, but it's not light.

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Natalie@gigameow
4 stars
Oct 17, 2022
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Angela Guilherme@landslide
3 stars
Mar 24, 2022