I really enjoyed this book! I’m a big fan of retellings, and I love Jewish historicals, so Marry Me by Midnight was practically written for me. Isabelle is a great character, and I loved how vivacious and full of life she is. She’s a force of nature, and doesn’t change that about herself. She is an extraordinary person, and she doesn’t allow anyone to dim her light. I also loved her grandmother and Pena, her de facto step-father and general factotum. There is a really great cast of supporting characters in this book, who are fleshed out very well.

I also enjoyed the way Isabelle resolves her dilemma in the end – no spoilers, but I like that she recognizes where she might have made mistakes, and tries to mend fences. Isabelle certainly has a meatier arc than Aaron, but his journey is equally important. While Isabelle is assured of her self-worth, even if others value her for what she is and not who, Aaron is pretty down on himself at the beginning. Since he is without family and connections, or a profitable trade, he sees no path to independence or a family of his own. It takes Aaron time to realize that he is entitled to some happiness, even if he is a poor synagogue custodian (if you know, you know.) I also really enjoyed how difficult it was to see a resolution to the problems facing the couple. Even as I approached the end, I wasn’t sure how they were going to work it out! I like to be surprised, and I love even more that Isabelle gets to rescue herself.

The pacing could have been more polished, and several scenes didn’t get as much page-time as I wanted; for instance, we don’t get to see the festivals which are a huge part of the plot. As a reader, I loved getting Isabelle and Aaron’s thoughts, but I wanted to see what was happening rather than have it summarized for me. Still, I can’t complain too much, because I breezed right through this, and literally did not put it down.

Marry Me at Midnight is a must for anyone who loves historical romance, but I recommend it particularly for those who love reading about Jewish characters.

This novel is my introduction to the author’s work, though I have been aware of her through social media as a passionate reader with strong opinions; it is also the beginning of a new series, Once Upon the East End, set in London in the 1832s.

The first scene establishes Isabelle as an intelligent young woman who finds herself powerless in the face of convention: women need men to speak for them. She’s an heiress from a powerful family–however, the only man in said family is dead, and that leaves Isabelle and her grandmother powerless, which in turn risks some of the wealth involved.

Her problem is how to vet potential husbands until she find the one who meets all the class and wealth requirements, not just for her but for her father’s erstwhile partners, one will also be loyal only to her and whom she can influence.

Enter, Aaron, who can glean much information by being, essentially, invisible to those same candidates.

Isabelle is left in an impossible position: her father trusted his partners, the Berab brothers, to follow his wishes after his death, and to allow Isabelle a seat at the table, so to speak. Instead, as soon as they can, they start threatening her: either she marries one of them–or someone else they approve of–or they’ll dissolve the company, taking all their Gentile clients with them, which will likely also persuade most of the Jewish clients to go too.

This would not only affect Isabelle’s financial security (and that of whoever they employ or otherwise indirectly support), but also ruin her. Because her position withing the community–and therefore her and her grandmother’s safety–is tied to the company.

The solution is self-evident: marry someone the Berabs can’t disapprove of, but who Isabelle can manipulate, one way or another.

It is during Aaron’s and Isabelle’s first meeting that the shortcomings of Isabelle’s plan first becomes apparent to her; his dialogue provides such a concise description of privilege:

“This is what happened when a person wasn’t exposed to their limits–they believed themselves invincible.” (Aaron, considering Isabelle, Chapter 2)

Ignorance of Jewish history may make it a bit harder to follow the distinctions between Ashkenazi and Sephardim communities and how this affects Isabelle’s and Aaron’s relationship; in a nutshell: regardless of the differences and competition between the two groups, at this point all Jews keep themselves mostly to themselves, which both protects them from aggression and isolates them from the general population, which in turns also endangers them.

“Someone should wake Shakespeare from his grave, because Isabelle Lira made Lady Macbeth look downright apathetic.” (Aaron, Chapter 5)

Aaron is a very kind person; one of the kindest characters I’ve read in a long while. He also has a lot of trauma because, being an orphan, he has no social standing. The community keeps him safe, but also down: he’s there to remind everyone else how blessed–and deserving–they are, and how much he’s…not.

Because he has internalized a lot of this, Aaron struggles with a deep feeling of inferiority; the community values connections as much as wealth, so as a poor orphan he’s lacking on every thing that might give him a position. His only ambition is to have a family to care for; while almost unbelievably sweet, he’s also a realist (see when he explains to Isabelle that once married she would be stuck with her husband, even if theoretically Jewish law would give her a divorce (get), reality is something else entirely).

Speaking of this: Aaron uses more Yiddish in his speech than Isabelle–another difference between the two groups; most of the Yiddish words are not only easy to glean from context, but also not obscure, if one looks them up online.

“However, I do not want to consider that part of the equation unless or until I know if he’s suitable”

“Ah. So you can guarantee you aren’t attracted to the wrong person.” Someone like me. The reminder was like a dash of cold water on his senses. This was no story, after all. Here’s paupers were never princes. (Isabella and Aaron, Chapter 7)

For her part, Isabelle is very aware that she’s beautiful, but she’s also conscious that her main attraction is her name and fortune; her value as a person is diminished in comparison. Between this awareness and the mounting pressure from her late father’s partners, she’s between a rock and a hard place; this is why she’s rather put out when Aaron first points out the dangers in, and flaws of, her original plan. Being intelligent and resourceful, she determines then and there that he can help her by vetting the obvious candidates in ways she can’t, and in exchange offers him enough money for him to, essentially, buy the position in the community he lacks, which in turn, would allow him his heart desire: to be eligible to marry.

The first couple of chapters were actually fast for me, as they set up the world these characters inhabit–London, a few short years before Victoria becomes queen, but not from the perspective of the white, British aristocracy and landed gentry with hundreds of years of privilege; this is the world of the Jewish communities who have seen their fortunes and their very lives rise and fall at the whim of Gentile society.

And, always essential for me when reading a genre romance, I liked these two; Aaron is so kind and so sweet, but he’s neither naïve nor unaware of how the world works, and Isabella is self-aware, if a bit spoiled (see the bit about privilege above).

The problem is that after a few chapters nothing really happens. A few other characters are introduced–Isabelle’s grandmother, her best friend, her father’s loyal manservant, the villains–but by the time I reached 30% in my ARC it felt like a slog.

I don’t know whether I’ll give this another chance; if I do, I’ll revise this review accordingly. But right now, it’s been two weeks since I read a word of this book, and I just can’t make myself pick it up again.

And so, reluctantly, Marry Me by Midnight is a DNF for me.

This was a fun twist on the classic Cinderella story. The combination of a little bit of fantastical with the historical romance setting was really interesting and kept me engaged. There were a few moments where the story felt a little all over the place and it threw me, but it was still a really great read!

Marry Me By Midnight is an enchanting romance novel that twists the pattern of a Cinderella story. Isabelle Lira, a Jewish heiress living in London, 1832, is looking for a husband. Because her father, a prominent businessman who occupied a seat on the community Commission, has recently passed away, Isabelle must find a partner who will allow her to retain control at work. Instead of relying on a matchmaker as her family tradition dictates, Isabelle decides to host a series of festivals that announce her desire to marry and invite all eligible Jewish bachelors. When she meets Aaron Ellenberg, a poor synagogue custodian, she enlists his help to spy on her potential matches to ensure she will find a husband she can “control at work and enjoy in bed.”
The romantic tension between Lira and Aaron fuels the plot of the book. Both characters are much deeper than their surface images imply, and their dynamic and spicy relationship will keep readers turning the pages.

Grossman manages to both recreate and subvert a Cinderella tale by giving readers a poor and mysterious man and a woman who longs to be a prince because “princesses are gazed at and act as ornamental element of desire.” Lira and Aaron’s relationship is a traditional one, but they manage to come together as equals despite their gendered and economic differences.

In addition to being a fun romantic fairy tale retelling, Marry Me By Midnight offers excellent representation of the Jewish culture in 19th century England. Fans of historical romance, the Regency era, and fairy tale retellings will find much to love in this gem of a book! I enjoyed it!

Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

This was a very interesting Cinderella retelling. I liked the characters and learning their different motivations and concerns. I liked that the the male main character, Aaron, was our Cinderella and Isabelle our princess, well empress if you ask her. There were definitely little hints of the Cinderella story throughout like the little mice friends and Aaron having a non-magical fairy godmother of sorts. It also felt very Disney’s Aladdin at times as Isabelle enlists Aaron to do some reconnaissance on her possible suitors and also gets in a couple of fistfights throughout.
My main concern is that the first portion of this book drags on just a bit. It was nice to get the description of their world and how it is different than gentile society at the time and their own customs. There were just too many sections of Aaron and Isabelle just thinking about each other and what they need to do instead of actually doing anything. Their relationship was developed, they spoke to each other on a deep level which was excellent. I could have done with just a fewer scenes of Isabelle thinking about her business and going over again the same thing she just went over a few pages before. I also wish we would have spent more time with Aaron while he spied on the suitors. Just swap those scenes in for the multiple of Isabelle just worrying over her business while not doing any business really. That would have given us a bit more action in the first part rather than just hearing it second hand when he goes to tell Isabelle about what he learned. The other problem I had is that these two are so obsessed with being discreet but are out in the open doing scandalous things?? Like sure Isabelle gave everyone in her house essentially sleeping medicine, but did she forget that other people also live there?? Yes this does come up at one point in a scene, but it didn’t make a ton of sense for it to have happened in that way, at least to me.
Luckily once the story picked up the pace around the 60% mark I was really enjoying it! I liked the way the story ended and the different reveals we got while reading.
Overall, I liked the book, just wish the pacing was a bit better in the beginning. I am excited to see what’s next! I think maybe Rebecca will get a match with a certain someone, which I would like to see.
3.5 stars but only bc the pacing in the beginning was so slow

Stopping my read at 34%. As I DNF'd, I leave it four stars and don't post my feedback anywhere except NetGalley.

I wanted to love this book. "Independent heiress sends boys running in an inverse Cinderella story"?? Yes please! That said, I found the execution didn't work for me. Historical fiction DOES have bounds the author chose to ignore rather than address or work with in an interesting way, leaving the story disingenuous to the time. This would have worked better as a fantasy set in the far-off land of a made-up country without a specific time period or as a romance in a contemporary setting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC.

Isabelle Lira is perfectly capable of looking out for herself but she’s being boxed into a corner by her late father’s business partners who are trying to push her out of his surety company. They leave her little choice but to marry quickly to someone who can be an ally to her outside the powerful Berab family’s wide network of influence. But finding the right man won’t be easy, so she’s decided to host a series of elaborate festivals, inviting every eligible Jewish man in the city to attend.

Aaron Ellenberg has long dreamed of having a family of his own, but he ekes by as the synagogue custodian and knows he’s not exactly anyone’s definition of a catch. But when beautiful Isabelle offers him funds in exchange for quietly investigating her suitors, he sees his chance at starting a new life.

Unfortunately for Aaron, working for Isabelle stirs up caring and passion between them that neither expected. A future for them is impossible given their disparate stations and the fact that they live in the real world, not a fairytale, but if Isabelle can be courageous in standing up for herself, the possibilities may be more endless than she believes.

I’ve got some mixed feelings about this book, but the last quarter or so picked it up for me and left me satisfied with the ending. The narration was also excellent and helped keep me invested in the story. I did have a hard time keeping all the characters and their different factions straight, but it was very interesting to get a glimpse into a culture that is different from my own and one I know fairly little about. It also didn’t help that quite a few of Isabelle’s conversations, especially those with Aaron, seemed to be had in riddles, so I was sometimes a bit confused, especially as I was listening to this story while doing other things.

I absolutely adored Aaron. He was quite possibly the sweetest, purest, most caring, hero I’ve ever read, and I think this could’ve been showcased a little more. I just kept feeling like he deserved all the love, kindness and acceptance in the world, rather than the machinations he got from Isabelle. It definitely took a long time for her to grow on me. She was incredibly focused on her own problems and how everything would affect her, but she seemed to give no thought at all to what helping her would mean for Aaron and his future. One more disappointment I had was with the steam here. Not that it was absent, but that it was very abruptly curtailed. After some seriously steamy foreplay, dirty talk, begging, etc., we just fade out and skip right over the grand finale. Not gonna lie, I was definitely left feeling shortchanged by this after such a delicious build up, especially given the fact that I had pegged Aaron as a virgin and was looking forward to seeing how that played out and now, we shall never know.

I was rather unsure about this book for a while there given how much I didn’t care for Isabelle’s stubborn, single-minded manipulations. When she finally began to think outside the box and the pacing picked up toward the last quarter or so of the book, I really began to enjoy it. I really loved how thoroughly this was a gender-reversed Cinderella and I loved the small twist at the end. I was left with a positive, warm feeling upon finishing this book and that’s my whole reason for reading romance, so I was very satisfied with this one. This was my first read from this author but now I look forward to continuing this series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I don’t read historical romance often if at all. This may be my first one. I enjoyed this so much. The characters were compelling and their chemistry was on fire. I loved the way Jewish culture and history was entwined in this story and how Yiddish was thrown in there like second nature. I loved it and will definitely be reading the next books. I’m also obsessed with the fairy godmother type character.

*thank you to NetGalley and forever publishing for providing a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review on instagram to come

The premise here is so promising, as well as the close historical attention to the Jewish community of London, but the character work isn't there, the dualogue is odd, and the story doesn't quite capture the magic of a Cinderella retelling.

After her father’s death Isabelle Lira must marry appropriately in order to keep her father’s company in the family. Looking at prominent gentlemen in both the gentile and Jewish communities, she enlists the help of synagogue custodian Aaron Ellenberg to spy on the gentlemen and give her any information on them so they do not deceive her. The problem is the more time they spend together and learn about each other, the more Isabelle thinks about Aaron even though he will never be an option for a husband. Even after being physically and mentally torn down will Aaron be able to convince headstrong Isabelle how much he loves her?

This book had so may aspects that I enjoyed such as learning more about the Jewish faith, how communities were looked down upon by others and both the cultural and social aspects of surviving in a new country.
The only part of the writing I thought could have been better was the mention of the pressure Isabelle feels to marry well and to a prominent gentleman in order to save the company. She says it so many times it became redundant to me as a reader. That being said I really enjoyed the debut historical romance!

Marry Me by Midnight is a historical romance set in London during the Georgian period. It's a Cinderella retelling set in the Jewish community, with a gender-swapped twist.

Isabelle Lira is the heiress to end all heiresses. Since the death of her father, she is the wealthiest woman in London’s Sephardi Jewish community, and quite a marital prize. Unfortunately, her father’s surety company is not entirely within her control. Isabelle is issued an ultimatum by her father’s business partners: marry one of them, or someone else “suitable” or they will move to dissolve the company. Being a woman, and a Jewish one, Isabelle knows she will have to marry advantageously to secure her position against her business partners, the Berab brothers, and she cannot marry one of them. Isabelle is determined to protect her father’s legacy, but when she meets a charming stranger, all of her best-laid plans might come to naught.

Aaron Ellenberg is as poor as a synagogue mouse. Orphaned and alone, he was supported by the Ashkenazi Jewish community and given the opportunity to study and apprentice. Unfortunately, it seems like he isn’t good for much of anything, so he earns his keep as the custodian for the Great Synagogue. When Isabelle overhears him telling stories to children after services one day, he finds himself sucked into her plans to pick the kind of husband she needs: a malleable one. Isabelle’s plans require a partner, but she wants someone she can control, who will not ally with the Berab brothers against her interests. Aaron can be her spy, checking up on the men vying for her hand. In exchange, Isabelle will pay him two hundred pounds. To her, a month of pin money, but to him, a small fortune, enough to enable him to pursue a better life.

Isabelle is throwing three festivals, ostensibly to choose a husband amongst the eligible Jewish bachelors. Aaron will gather information, and Isabelle will socialize, but neither plans on the most interesting part of those evenings being each other.

I really enjoyed this book! I’m a big fan of retellings, and I love Jewish historicals, so Marry Me by Midnight was practically written for me. Isabelle is a great character, and I loved how vivacious and full of life she is. She’s a force of nature, and doesn’t change that about herself. She is an extraordinary person, and she doesn’t allow anyone to dim her light. I also loved her grandmother and Pena, her de facto step-father and general factotum. There is a really great cast of supporting characters in this book, who are fleshed out very well.

I also enjoyed the way Isabelle resolves her dilemma in the end - no spoilers, but I like that she recognizes where she might have made mistakes, and tries to mend fences. Isabelle certainly has a meatier arc than Aaron, but his journey is equally important. While Isabelle is assured of her self-worth, even if others value her for what she is and not who, Aaron is pretty down on himself at the beginning. Since he is without family and connections, or a profitable trade, he sees no path to independence or a family of his own. It takes Aaron time to realize that he is entitled to some happiness, even if he is a poor synagogue custodian (if you know, you know.) I also really enjoyed how difficult it was to see a resolution to the problems facing the couple. Even as I approached the end, I wasn’t sure how they were going to work it out! I like to be surprised, and I love even more that Isabelle gets to rescue herself.

The pacing could have been more polished, and several scenes didn’t get as much page-time as I wanted; for instance, we don’t get to see the festivals which are a huge part of the plot. As a reader, I loved getting Isabelle and Aaron’s thoughts, but I wanted to see what was happening rather than have it summarized for me. Still, I can’t complain too much, because I breezed right through this, and literally did not put it down.

Marry Me at Midnight is a must for anyone who loves historical romance, but I recommend it particularly for those who love reading about Jewish characters.

I was really looking forward to this book for the Jewish rep and the reverse Cinderella story aspect. However, I have realized that historical romance just isn't a genre I enjoy reading. The story has so much wonderful Jewish rep and I did like that. So while this book was not for me, it will be loved by many who enjoy that genre.

If you’re looking for a Cinderella retelling set in regency London with an amazing Jewish history, then you better check this one out!

I really enjoyed this book. Isabelle is no damsel in distress, she takes control of the situation and tries to make everything work in her favour. Aaron is a sweet man who takes care of helpless animals in alleyways, and who would do almost anything for Isabelle.

I loved how they interacted with one another, and I also really loved how you could feel the Cinderella story inside of this book. Plus all I learned about Jewish heritage during that time in England? So cool!

This review was made possible via an ARC through NetGalley.

This was, to my knowledge, my first Jewish Historical Romance and I genuinely really loved it. I loved learning more about the East End in London during the tail end of the Regency/Georgian period, I loved the details, and I loved the MCs. Aaron is a sweet, kind, smart man who is the real Cinderella in this very loose reimagining while Isabelle is the prince.

Isabelle's motivation of trying to maintain her father's legacy felt real as did Aaron's desire to get more respect in the community. Pena was my favorite side character and I loved that he and Isabelle's father were a couple and it's treated as just an aspect of life while also recognizing that it's still not easy for Queer people during that time period.

I'm almost positive that this is the first in the series and Felicia Grossman is now on my radar. I look forward to where she takes this series.

Thank you so much to Forever and Netgalley for providing an advanced copy of this! All thoughts and opinions are still my own.

I am not a big historical romance reader, but when I saw that this was Jewish, gender-bent Cinderella retelling, I knew it was one I needed to pick up! And I'm so glad I did. This was so different than any other Victorian(ish) era historical I've read and I loved the all the culture and history elements throughout.

I myself am not Jewish, however I am married into a Jewish family, and celebrate Jewish holidays. And therefore am always on the hunt for more Jewish romances.

This was the first Jewish historical I've read it was a time period and history and I knew very little about. I loved getting to see the integration of Jewish culture and persons into upper class London as well as the cultural & community divide between Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jew at that time.

The Cinderella aspect was the perfect balance of an obvious nod to the classic plot and maintaining its own story. I loved the multiple events/balls and getting see the hero pin and sneak moments with the heroine.

The different worlds/classes trope is one of my favorites, and this one did it so well. The hero is reliant on the community thanks to random life circumstances, and wants to find a way to live his life and find love. While the heroine is pragmatic and is determined to choose her groom in a logical way for her family and fortune.

And watching the heroine slowly be undone and softened to the hero was everything. I loved their stolen moments in the garden, the "fairy godmother" neighbor, discussions of the political games/maneuvering that was required, and so much more.

This was just such a fantastic historical romance all around and definitely a series I want to continue with! If you want a want a wonderful romance outside the typical Christian, upper class stories normally found in this genre, pick this one up!

Marry Me by Midnight by Felicia Grossman -- 4.5 stars

Felicia Grossman's fairy tale adaptation of Cinderella is an absolute joy of a romance novel. All the usual accolades apply here: great characters and pitch-perfect use of the romance novel tropes. BUT I also have to commend her setting and characters' cultural backgrounds. I didn't know much about the British Jewish community before reading this book, and while I realize this isn't a textbook, I felt like I learned a lot--Grossman absolutely did her research and it shows. I loved how she flipped the Cinderella fairy tale on its head and managed to incorporate the Jewish community in what felt like a very authentic way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ebook ARC. All opinions are mine alone.

Isabelle is in a bind. Since her father’s death, her father’s partner, the Berabs, has been slowly freezing her out of the business. And he now has given her an ultimatum: Marry or he will take the company over wholly. Backed into a corner, Isabelle decides to throw three festivals. There, she hopes to find a husband who will be more ruthless than her late father’s business partner. When Isabelle meets Aaron, the temple’s handsome custodian, she makes him an offer: Spy on her suitors and let her know where their loyalties lie. If her chosen suitor is not loyal to the Berabs, then she will give him enough money so he can start a new life. But Isabelle and Aaron were not expecting the attraction that they felt towards each other. Isabelle and Aaron must push their feelings aside if Isabelle is to marry. Will Isabelle marry for all the wrong reasons? Will Aaron be able to do what Isabelle wants without his feelings getting in the way?

When I read the blurb for Marry Me by Midnight, I was instantly intrigued. This book is the first Jewish reverse Cinderella Victorian romance I have ever read. I was intrigued enough to download this book from Forever. I am glad that I did because this was a great read!

Marry Me by Midnight is the first book in the Once Upon the East End series. Since this is the first book in the series, you don’t need to do anything I usually tell you to do in this section.

Marry Me by Midnight is a fast-paced book set in the East End of London during the Victorian Era. The pacing for this book did suit the storyline. There was a little lag in the middle (while Aaron gathered intel) and toward the end. But it did not affect how I liked the book.

The main storyline in Marry Me by Midnight centers around Aaron, Isabelle, her need to get married, their bargain, and their falling in love. I found this storyline to be fascinating. As I mentioned above, I haven’t read many books centered around the Jewish religion/community in the Victorian era. So, I was very interested and excited to read it. I found the storyline well-written (a little unbelievable in places, though) and was completely engrossed by it.

Several more minor secondary storylines helped flesh out the main storyline and characters. They were also well-written.

I liked Isabelle, even if I found her slightly too modern for the Victorian era. Victorian England was not woman-centric (women were still considered property at this point), and what Isabelle was trying to do (have a say in the business) was unheard of. Now, saying this, I don’t know if the Jewish community in that era did things differently, so I gave Isabelle a lot of leeway. Regardless, I liked her and was rooting for her character to overcome her obstacles.

I liked Aaron, but I needed help connecting with him. The author mentioned that he left the Jewish community to live among the Gentiles and returned injured and shamed. The author said nothing more on that matter. I would have loved to know what happened to him. I also found him bumbling and rather clueless when getting information for Isabelle. I mean, everyone was onto him. Still, it didn’t affect how much I liked him.

I liked that the author took the Cinderella fairytale and flipped it. I loved who his fairy godmother turned out to be. I did not see that coming at all.

The storyline with Isabelle, the Berabs, the business, and Isabelle needing to marry was interesting and annoying. It was a situation where everything could have been solved by talking instead of people going to the nuclear option.

The storyline with Isabelle, Aaron, and his spying was amusing. As I mentioned above, Aaron wasn’t a good spy. He bumbled his way through everything, and I was surprised that he even got the information that he got (if that makes sense).

The storyline with Isabelle, Aaron, and their romance was sweet. I liked how Aaron tried to hold Isabelle off as long as he could until he gave in. Also, the sex scenes were wild.

I wish the author had gone into more detail about the Jewish community in London. She did an afterward explaining the basis for the fictional community and its history. I wish more details were given about the temple and what happened there.

The end of Marry Me by Midnight was your typical HEA. I liked that the author wrapped everything up and left everything happy. I am also looking forward to book 2.

I would recommend Marry Me by Midnight to anyone over 21. There is sex, violence but no language.

Many thanks to Forever (Grand Central Publishing), NetGalley, and Felicia Grossman for allowing me to read and review Marry Me by Midnight. All opinions stated in this book are mine.

I had never read a book like this and I only want to read more. Felicia Grossman created a compelling story and I am so thrilled that I got to read this. I want to read more of her work (tbh I would read her grocery list)

Money is also an incomplete solution in Felicia Grossman’s MARRY ME BY MIDNIGHT (Forever, 400 pp., paperback, $8.99). This book is fun to describe in list form — a gender-swapped Jewish Regency “Cinderella”! — but it’s even more enthralling to see those magpie elements fused into a dazzling union. Grossman’s voice has always had poetic touches that illuminate in surprising ways, and the simplicity of the “Cinderella” structure lets her focus all that shine on the connection between her characters.

Isabelle Lira, a Sephardi heiress and businesswoman, is on a quest for a husband. To get leverage on her prospective suitors, she enlists the lonely custodian of the Ashkenazi synagogue as an informant. Aaron Ellenberg is about as low in status as it’s possible to get, and without the money Isabelle offers him he’ll have no chance for either a wife or a fresh start in America.

What starts as a financial arrangement quickly progresses to soulful confessions and extremely ill-advised making out. Isabelle and Aaron both adopt personas moment by moment — at some points he’s the henchman to her fairy-tale witch, at others he’s the seducer to her innocent. Isabelle is a charming fairy-tale prince, but also the ruthless prince from Machiavelli. It’s a game but for the highest stakes, a tightrope stretched between two people with a long, dark fall to either side.

A lot of Regency romance ink is spilled fighting back against capital-S Society: petty games played by wealthy people for sport. But it’s a different question when you’re talking about society as community — about mutual help, understanding, tradition and kinship. Community, for the marginalized, is safety, and its views cannot be discarded without cost. Like Slaughter’s Miri, Isabelle is a descendant of generational trauma. She knows that wealth does not make her position unassailable, since it can be ripped away at a whim. A husband who loves her — when she finally claims him — is more than a luxury: He is a lifeline.

I really enjoyed this Jewish regency romance book! I loved the Cinderella retelling and how the author subverted the genre a bit: the prince is the female love interest and Cinderella is the male love interest. I also really enjoyed how Felicia peppered the book with Yiddish. The story was seeped in Judaism and Jewish culture, which was really fun. I found some of the Yiddish words a bit repetitive since the same words were used a lot, but that's the only thing that somewhat bothered me. I think if you don't know Yiddish, though, it won't bother you!