I loved the premise of Wake Me Most Wickedly and the fact that it was all about Jewish culture and featured Jewish characters. I also loved that the main characters were an older woman and younger man. However, I found it slow and repetitive. I want to know what happens and how they overcome the obstacles before them but I'm really struggling with the pacing which is why I'm dnfing at 31%.

It was really hard to get Into. It felt slow and like the plot really wasn’t progressing much. I would of loved more romance, but I’ll give it a solid 3 stars.

Wake Me Most Wickedly was such a fun read! Given the diverse perspective of a Jewish romance (which I haven't read much of), my interest was peaked as I dove headfirst into 19th-century life for the Jews amongst Gentiles in London!

THOUGHTS:
- Our heroine, Hannah, is the type of girl you want to be friends with!! She would do anything for those she loves and works so stinking hard!!
- There's a lot I don't know about Jewish culture, but that didn't take away from my reading at all. I think it made me more interested because religious groups with their own insular cultures are still alive and well today, so it felt familiar. However, it was still something new and a break from traditional regency/Victorian Era romances.

**Thank you to Forever & NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤

Wake Me Most Wickedly by Felicia Grossman is a romantic, clever, and irresistibly charming novel. I was captivated by the fiercely feminist heroine and her sweet cinnamon roll of a hero as they navigate the complexities of family, community, loyalty, and love. Prepare to be swept off your feet by this enchanting tale.

Last year I read the first book in the “Once Upon an East End” series by Felicia Grossman; I enjoyed the Jewish historical romance, thought about it a lot, and I was pleased to receive an ARC of “Wake Me Most Wickedly”, which will be published April 9, 2024.

The series re-imagines fairy tale stories – Cinderella in the first, and Snow White in the second. I love how Grossman gender swaps the traditional damsels in these books. Solomon Weiss does fall “asleep” like Snow White and is helped by strangers, but the ode to the original story does not strain credibility.

Instead of fairy tales, “Wake Me Most Wickedly” owes more to the caricature of the villainous Jew of historical tales. Grossman’s excelled note at the end of the story discusses Fagin in “Oliver Twist” and the pawnbroker in “The Grand Sophy” as two such examples.
Grossman also highlights the biography of Isaac Solomon, a pawnbroker and ‘fence’ in regency England, who is often cited as the inspiration behind Fagin. More importantly, Grossman notes the easy scapegoating of Jewish people during a period of great social change in England rather than focusing inward to the real sources of such change and unease.

Hannah Moses runs a pawn shop with her sister, Tamar, after her parents are convicted of handling stolen goods. Hannah was also convicted of lesser crimes and continues to take less than honest work to secure a dowry for her sister. The family is ostracized for being “bad Jews” and bringing negative attention to London’s Jewish community; the fact that the family is Ashkenazi rather than Sephardi is another source of tension to navigate.

Hannah protects Sol one fateful night and the two are drawn to each other even as Sol is tasked with making an advantageous marriage by his older, half-brother who raised him since childhood.

I thought this was an excellent sophomore entry into this series. By exploring goyishe stereotypes and the racist tension Jews faced in 1832 (the lack of legal protections, voting rights, etc.), a nuanced portrait of English society emerges. Hannah and Sol each face pressure to either conform with and stand equal to community’s expectations and the scrutiny of the peerage or potentially be ostracized. The villain and HEA are the stuff of a perfect fairy tale.

An engaging historical romance, unique in scope and near flawless in execution. 4.5/5

This is a different type of historical romance.
Set in the Jewish community in London in the 1830's, Hannah has taken over her parents' pawn shop and the care of her sister. She lives on the fringes of society and will do almost anything to keep her, and her sister fed and housed.
When she rescues Sol from attackers, there is an instant attraction, but both know that they are from different classes within the community and that it will never work.
This story has a lot of twists and turns and is somewhat violent.
I found it an interesting story.

This is an entertaining, fun read. Sol and Hannah are interesting, complex, intriguing, relatable, entertaining characters. I enjoyed them as individuals and a couple. Their romance, with all its twists and turns is entertaining to read. The mystery subplot is intriguing and entertaining. I wish there had been more consequences but what we got was good. The secondary characters added to the fabric of the story and my enjoyment. There was one subplot that I wish had been wrapped up, but being a subplot, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story. The story is easy to read and get into.

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

At the behest of his older brother who raised him, Solomon attempts to live a respectable life. That is until he encounters Hannah, who is doing everything to raise her sister's station and ensure she is tainted as little as possible by her family's scandal. It proves very difficult for Solomon to stay away from Hannah while grappling with his feelings while Hannah cannot stand to watch Solomon's reputation become muddled by her own.

This is honestly the first historical romance I have ever encountered where faith is at the epicenter of the story. Solomon and Hannah are both Jewish and grapple and both grapple with very different aspects of religion. Hannah has been ostracized by her community as a result of her parents actions and has faith but perhaps not as strong as Solomonès. Solomon is struggling how to continue with his faith while the stigma of doing so endangers his, and more importantly his brothers, acceptance by the gentiles. Its a fascinating take from the perspective of a romance for Jews in the regency era.

I did find some of the early interactions between the two to be sort of contrived. They lived in separate worlds with very separate outlooks so I'm not sure how much I believed in their attempts to stay away from each other yet also ended up on each other's doorstep. Hannah is a streetsmart, no nonsense character. She saves Soloman, and perhaps he needs her more than she needs him. It was a refreshing take on gender roles in a relationship.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an ARC. All opinions are my own.

I have a lot of thoughts about this book.

I thought it was interesting, fun and I just don't know what else to say about this book.

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Wake Me Most Wickedly is the second installment in Felicia Grossman’s fairytale inspired series, Once Upon the East End. It can be read as a standalone, but it’s one of those cases where if you enjoy one, you’ll absolutely enjoy the other, as both books reimagine classic fairytales through a creative lens with a lot of nuance. While the Snow White aspects are not as pronounced, they are still present in rather creative ways. Grossman further unpacks the common stereotypes of Jewish people, this time tackling the caricature of the villainous, con-artist type, as depicted through characters like Fagin in Oliver Twist and (more relevant for historical romance readers) the pawnbroker from The Grand Sophy.
She digs into the roots of this archetype, and subverts it poignantly with Hannah. Her parents were accused of a crime by antisemitic people, and ran away, Hannah is left with no clue of her parents’ whereabouts, trying to pick up the pieces and protect her sister from the stigma of what occurred, and the general seedy environment of the East End, even as they’re shunned from the Jewish community. I truly felt for her and how all this impacted her, with the shame manifesting in self-loathing, and being forced to take on her parents’ pawnshop and being asked to hunt down all manner of things puts her in danger.
Sol is also Jewish, albeit from very different circumstances than Hannah. He was raised by his half-brother, who has distanced himself from the Jewish community, and wants Sol to aspire to success as he has done. Sol, feeling he owes his brother, is determined to follow his brother’s example, but soon finds himself tested when Hannah saves him.
In some ways, this is very similar to a lot of other cross-class romances, but the politics of the Jewish community (Ashkenazi/Sephardic Jewish relations, for example) and how antisemitism and the struggle to survive in a gentiles’ world adds a lot of flavor to the narrative. Their clashing problems feel so rich and nuanced, and I couldn’t help but wonder how it would all work out, especially as the love between them grew.
This was another delightful read, and I’d recommend it to readers interested in historical romance with Jewish leads.

Tropes: grumpy MFC/sunshine MMC; older MFC/younger MMC; class difference
Steam level: 3
Part of a series, but works fine as a standalone.

4.5 stars. This is my first time reading a book by this author, and its strength for me lies less in the romance and more in way it presents insights into Jewish culture during the Regency period, as well as the sheer likability of the MC's. I'm not Jewish myself, so the excellent world-building and period details opened my eyes to the different "tiers" of social acceptance in mainstream society in 1800's England. Not only is tough, streetwise MFC Hannah eking out a dangerous living with her younger sister on the margins of East London, but she has also been shunned by her own people for being the epitome of the "bad Jew." The author does a terrific job of drawing the reader into this world. In contrast, happy-go-lucky MMC Sol lives closer to the upper echelons of Jewish society--yet he still knows that acceptance into the top reaches of the Ton may never be a possibility. The struggles that Hannah faces are dire, but you also feel for Sol, who has been pressured by his older brother since he was a boy to fit into a vicious straightjacket of conformity so they can attain monetary and social success.

Not that this book is overly dark in tone. Despite some harrowing and frankly heartbreaking scenes, there is plenty of humor and the banter between the MC's is witty. The steam is also well-written (although the timing was a bit awkward and unrealistic during one scene). For the most part, there is a nice balance between reality and escapism, with the author pulling off a loose homage to "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves" .

Quibbles: although there is strong tension in the later chapters, I felt that the pacing in the first 60% was occasionally uneven, and there is some repetitive "interior monologue-ing". One of my pet peeves is when the fears a character keeps ruminating over aren't reflected in their actions, and Sol jumped into the relationship with Hannah quite suddenly, after spending so long worrying about how this would negatively impact his and his brother's social standing. I felt that a few pages were needed to bridge his decision to avoid her and then his sudden appearance in her store.

One other issue I had was that "the baddie" is morally bankrupt to the point of being evil, yet the comeuppance was relatively mild. I appreciate that Sol is a sweetheart and that he and Hannah needed to be very careful to preserve their future, but I really wanted fate to be less kind (a true "Grim"-style fairytale ending).

Overall, however, this was a book that keep me reading and at times transcended the standard HR. I highly recommend it.

I read an advanced reader copy of this book and this is my voluntary review. Thanks to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for this opportunity. This book is expected to be published April 9.

I was really looking forward to this book mainly for the Jewish angle. Though not Jewish myself, I wanted to learn more about their struggles in the 19th century. I ldid learn a lot from the book and found Grossman's characters enlightening.

We've got the regency characters, the Jewish characters and Sol's brother who is Jewish but has converted so he can fit in better in business and society and to marry a gentile woman. I struggled with Sol. He was an odd mix of a gadfly and a very serious, hardworking young man. I did enjoy his attraction and dedication to Hannah. While he often seems flightly, he's anything but with Hannah. She's not just a conquest to him. She's the one. Beyond their difficult courtship, she really doesn't want to be courted, is a much deeper story involving violence, attempted murder and unsavory business deals. I always like a strong intrigue plot and this book delivered that. Hannah's struggles as a convicted criminal, head of household, older sister and business owner are many and intense. To have been a woman, basically alone, in that time is so scary and add to that being a member of an often reviled group. Hannah's life is not easy. She's so strong and determined to not only take care of her sister but to provide her the future she's been denied, namely a good marriage. Hannah's been forced to do things she doesn't like and she's unapologetic about it. She'll do whatever it takes to survive and provide for her sister.

The story was intriguing while both touching and emotionally difficult. It was definitely worth the read.

Thanks to the authors publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Hannah Moses, her sister Tamar, are ostersized for a past mistake. Hannah works hard to get enough money for a dowry for Tamar. She does odd jobs to get the money on top of running the family pawn shop.

Ned Phyppers, bad man, gives Hannah the odd jobs.

Solomon "Sol" Weiss, his brother Frederick, own and run a bank. Frederick raised Solomon from the time he was eight which robbed Frederick of his wild youth. This was not a problem until recently.
Lady Drucilla, her brother Lord Viscount Penrose, Frederick is trying to court.

Aaron Ellenberg and his wife Isabelle, friend/companion Rebecca Adler, look out for Solomon. Aaron is also one of his employers.

Isabelle’s grandmother, Mrs Lira, Roger Berab, Minor characters.


While the plot theory is good and the suspense is very well done, the execution of the book is lacking. The first 12 chapters are boring and repetitive. You get some excitement for a few chapters then another dull 4, but the last 6-8 are what I thoroughly enjoyed.

So the pretense is Hannah and her parents were convicted of a crime, being Jewish didn't help. Her parents got deported, Hannah spent some time in jail, when she got out she took Tamar from the orphanage to raisr. However, both were shunned by the community.


Sol is trying to help his brother working at the bank, as well as, trying to make a life outside his brother working at the securities with Aaron. Sol is set upon by thugs while running an errand for Frederick. As he runs away, Hannah grabs him and they tumble into the cellar she was aiming for.

Once Sol learns who she is, he finally gets to thank her. However, Hannah will not accept the thanks graciously. As sparks fly between them, Hannah tries to maintain a distance. As more danger be falls Sol, Hannah tries to break things off. When Sol goes missing, Hannah tracks him down, but they piece together that someone wants to end Sol's life.

This is where it gets good, who, why, and the justice are what grabs you in the last part. This will make it worth reading. I was surprised as to the who, disappointed in the why, but the satisfaction in the justice was awesome.

There are some surprises with these two. The age difference was not an issue for me, but the banter they shared is comical.

What a wonderful love story set in a complicated world! "Good" Jew versus "bad" Jew. Gentile versus Jew. Upper class versus lower class. Older woman and younger man. Sol aims to become a better member of the Jewish community to improve the family business while his older brother Frederick cuts himself off from that community to be part of the Gentile society. It does not help brotherly relations when Sol falls for a woman of dubious past who runs a pawn shop. Hannah does whatever she can to set money aside for her younger sister's dowry. She wants her sister to have the life that Hannah cannot have. Sol's attentions are really complicating her life!

Wake Me Most Wickedly by Felicia Grossman is a reverse retelling of Snow White. Sol and Hannah must navigate the perilous of antisemitism in 1830's London. Hannah is shunned by her community, but will do anything to get her sister the life Hannah believes she deserves. Hannah does not believe she is deserving of love and affection. Sol disagrees. His open heartedness reaches Hannah in her purest heart. The story is also a fascinating glimpse into London Jewish culture at the time. It is refreshing to read stories of folks that have different struggles than the usual upper society folks. It was a good read. (I read an ARC)

"wake me most wickedly" is a regency snow white reimagining with plenty of spice and a great forbidden (ish) romance. hannah moses is a pawnshop owner and an outcast within the jewish community of london, whereas solomon weiss is from an upstanding family and is expected to find a respectable wife. a chance encounter where hannah saves sol's life has him falling for her fast and hard. despite her insistence that they can never be together, hannah's resolve weakens with every clandestine meeting. if you like period romances, feisty heroines and golden retriever mmcs, this is certainly the book for you. bear in mind the period-typical anti-semitism, which has a big role in the story but is handled delicately in my opinion.

Romantic and exciting, Wake Me Most Wickedly Truly delivered! I am not a Historical Romance reader, and yet, Felicia Grossman manages to write stories that captivate me. In this Snow White retelling, I swooned over Hannah and Sol's romance. The two have wonderful chemistry and banter. Danger lurked just beyond every corner and it was so well written that I constantly felt anxious about the wellbeing of these fictional characters.

I am obsessed with the cover, as well as the Jewish representation throughout. Grossman did a phenomenal job of highlighting the prolific antisemitism Jews experienced in 19th Century London. It was a society where some renounced their Judaism to get ahead or be accepted and "good" and "bad" Jews were pitted against one another as gentiles only welcomed the "right type" of Jew. Reading this story given the current rise in antisemitism globally and tokenization of the "right type" of Jew really struck a chord. The struggles Hannah and Sol suffered for being too Jewish made the Epilogue oh so sweet, a balm for my soul. I loved the glimpse of the pair committing to live proudly Jewish and SPOILER ALERT raising the next generation Jewishly. It filled me with hope.

Grossman's Author's Note explains the relevant history of antisemitism and should be required reading for all. She concludes with this powerful and inspirational thought: "And yet, still, like Hannah and Sol...we will march around with the Torahs and wave our flags for Simchat Torah...with [the] message that our work is not done so we will continue it forward, generation after generation, that we will keep striving to be guided to create a better world, and that we, as a people, will persevere, and outlive all who want our lights to go out."

If you're looking for a unique voice in Historical Romance I highly recommend this book. Better yet, start with the first in the series Marry Me By Midnight. And I can't wait to see which retelling we get from Grossman next!

4.5 Stars

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the ARC. Wake Me Most Wickedly will be out 4/9, so add it to your TBR now!!

Felicia Grossman is a new to me author and I’m glad NetGalley allowed me to discover her writing. This romance is all about Solomon and Hannah and all they must go through to be together. The story is packed with amazing detail with strong characters that are drawn to each other. This is such a clever and fun twist on Snow White. So creative. A wonderful adaptation as they work past differences and their own selves to discover each other. Your going to love this adventure.

Felicia Grossman continues her reinvention of fairy tales with this flipped Snow White retelling. Hannah's heritage and past has her shunned from her Jewish community, even if it was of no fault of her own. She is seen as The Huntsman. Sol lives to repay his half brother. He is seen as Snow White.

Reading Grossman's novels has opened a whole new world of Jewish Heritage. It is fascinating to learn little tidbits throughout the tale. The characters are likeable and of course, they like each other with such searing heat! This is definitely a spicy book!

I look forward to more retellings with more historical revelations.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

Felicia Grossman's books are easy to recommend for a variety of reasons, but in keeping with the nature of this blog I'll give you my personal favorite because it is a distinctly Jewish sentiment. Sometimes it feels like the world is looking for any excuse to label "good" and "bad" Jews, as a way to let gentiles vent their frustrations on their favorite punching bags. It's a convenient way for those in power to divert frustrations from class, race, or economic policy issues and onto a man made villain that has been demonized for centuries. Grossman shines a light on this age old stalwart of antisemitism, gives it the middle finger, and provides a steamy romance for good measure. What's not to love?

In her latest historical romance, Wake Me Most Wickedly, the heroine/villainess is Hannah Moses, a Jewish pawn broker who does what she needs to do to survive. Hannah blames herself and her temper for getting her parents arrested after a gentile client provoked her as a teen. The trial in which they traded their lives for Hannah's was widely publicized and the Moses' family ostracized by both the gentiles who blamed them for all the ills of London and the Jewish community who are afraid to be tainted by association. Spoiler alert for anyone reading - that never works. If gentiles want to hate Jews, they will do regardless of who we associate with or how many of our own we offer up as sacrificial lambs. Hannah learns that the hard way.

Hannah deals with it all by throwing her resources into building a dowry for her sister Tamar. She is hoping that with enough funds, Tamar, who was too young to be included in the original trial, might might be able to secure a husband that allows her to rejoin the Jewish community that shuns Hannah. She has no such hopes for herself. Instead, she is resigned to taking miserable job after miserable job in the seedy part of town.

During one such night on the job, Hannah saves the life of Solomon Weiss, who readers may recall from the first book in this series, Marry Me By Midnight. Sol is immediately captivated by the mysterious stranger with a sharp tongue and mysterious smile even after learning about her past and how it might thwart his own desire to rejoin the Jewish community. Adding a further obstacle is Sol's brother Frederick, who has distanced himself from Judaism and gone so far as to be baptized in an attempt to integrate himself with the gentile upper crust. Frederick is pursuing a marriage with a gentile widow from the gentry and he fears that Sol's insistence on being so publicly Jewish and associating with characters like Hannah will ruin his chances. Still, Sol cannot help but follow the attraction.

The romance is indeed very steamy and there are multiple explicit sex scenes, but Wake Me Most Wickedly also full of wicked wit and teasing. Unlike Isabelle, the heroine of Marry me by Midnight, Hannah is no innocent. She is also several years Sol's senior. This combination allows Grossman to show off more of her skill set. Wake Me Most Wickedly has tongue in cheek humor and biting acerbic banter along with the passion, and I was definitely into it! The tone is also quite suitable to the original fairy tale it retells - Snow White - which has always struck me as a dark story even in the Disney version.

Wake Me also has an intricate social commentary and meditative take on what it means to be a Jew and why we are such convenient fall guys for ages and ages of other peoples problems. It takes time to build that kind of framework for storytelling, so if the book feels like it starts slow, keep going. Things started to really heat up for me around 30% and by 60% I found myself in some pretty action packed moments. There are perhaps a few inaccurate statements/descriptions about food allergy, but as the author states in the content warning, she is not a physician, much less an allergist, so we can just gloss over that and zoom in on what she is a specialist in - namely dark humor, fun sexy times, and historical accuracy.

Hannah learns that the gentile world is not worth even trying to please, that she is not to blame for the past, and the scene in which she does is deliciously fulfilling. Like biting into a juicy apple - crisp and full of things you feel like you've known forever but have simply been waiting for someone else to articulate. Lucky for us, Grossman is indeed very articulate and she perfectly encapsulates these thoughts for the rest of us. As a Jew, it is the reason I fell so hard for this book.