Review: How to Fake It in Society
How to Fake It in Society by K.J. Charles
My rating: 4/5
Synopsis:
It is 1821 and Nicolas-Marc, Comte de Valois de La Motte is making a splash in London Society. The son of Jeanne de Valois de La Motte, infamous for stealing a priceless diamond necklace meant for Marie Antoinette, Nico hopes to restore his wronged mother’s reputation, if only he can raise the funds. But he must operate with great secrecy, because the Bourbon dynasty murdered his mother, and he fears for his life.
At least, that’s what he tells Titus Pilcrow. Titus was a simple shopkeeper, making and selling artists’ paints, when he found himself suddenly married to an immensely wealthy woman who wanted to disinherit her nephew on her deathbed. As word spreads of his fortune, Titus finds himself a target of every scammer and beggar in London…including one Nicolas-Marc, Comte de Valois de La Motte.
Nico is on his last legs, out of money, and on the run from some terrifying gangsters. When Titus offers Nico a space in his household, it’s the perfect chance for him to exploit London’s newest golden purse–until he falls in love with the man he needs to cheat. Still, Nico is sure they can have a happy ending together. If he can just find his way out of his own web of lies…
Review:
[I received a copy of this book through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]
An entertaining and engaging read, where romance felt well-integrated with the plot, both working together with what I’d consider proper balance. The story follows Titus, a paint maker whose shop is threatened after he’s had a falling out with his landlord (who was also his lover), and who finds himself able to get out of his conundrum by accepting a sudden and much unexpected marriage offer… An offer that attracts unwanted attention, from more or less savoury characters. Among the more savoury ones, we find Nicolas de la Motte, officially an exiled French nobleman… and officiously a scammer.
Titus, now finding himself a target, doesn’t realise Nico is playing him, and begins to trust him, and more. Nico plays his part well, including roping in his cousin Evie (who happily cross-dresses as Titus’s new valet, and has her own sights on some of the house’s personnel)—but, as you can guess, keeping a proper emotional distance from his mark turns out easier said than done.
As mentioned above, I found this a pretty entertaining story. It sometimes borders on the romp, but while not taking itself so seriously that this would jar, and the plot, in the end, holds together well. Titus and Nico have a strong and fun dynamics, each of them ending up baring themselves (in more ways than one…) more than they’d ever have expected to, at the same time they complement each other well. Titus is grappling with his own past, his family, and how this all shaped him into someone who can’t say no, can’t speak up for himself; not to mention he has no idea how to behave in society, having been propelled from a man struggling financially to one who can now buy what he wants—something Nico is all too happy to advise him about, with a helping for himself along the way. While Nico… Nico realises that with Titus, he could be something else than rogue (though he is, for all intents and purposes, a loveable one), only he has to figure out first what to do about, well, all the lies.
To be fair, I did guess some of the twists fairly quickly, as they were quite predictable. I’d say your mileage may vary on this: there are times when predictable is what we want, is exciting, and overall, this was one of those times for me.
Conclusion: A solid 4* for me. And yes, I did enjoy the (quite wholesome) romance.