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Shop nowLove & Other Scams
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Learn moreShe wants to steal the ring. He wants to steal her heart.
You are cordially invited as two con artists fake-date their way into the poshest wedding in town.
Single, broke, and about to be ejected from her London flat, Cat feels left behind by her friends, who are all either married or engaged. At least if she picked a few pockets when fellow wedding guests get handsy, no one's the wiser. No one, that is, except her favorite bartender, Jake, who has his own less-than-legal side hustle.
When she's unceremoniously fired and roped into bridesmaid duties for best frenemy Louisa, Cat can’t help but notice that Louisa’s priceless diamond engagement ring sure would solve a lot of problems. But Cat isn't as skilled a thief as Jake is, so to pull off the scheme of their lives, they'll have to pair up. From an engagement party on a boat to the bachelorette weekend in Palermo, Cat and Jake play cat and mouse with each other in a romantic charade. But who’s to say what’s real and what’s fake, when love and money are on the line?
Philip Ellis is a contributing editor for Men’s Health, covering relationships, pop culture, and LGBTQ+ issues. His work has appeared in British GQ, Teen Vogue, and Repeller, and his short fiction has been long-listed for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. He lives in Birmingham, UK. Follow him on Twitter @Philip_Ellis and Instagram @philipellis.
Reviews
One of Reader’s Digest’s 60 Best Romance Novels You’ll Read in Your LifetimeOne of CrimeReads’ Most Anticipated Crime Fiction of 2023
One of CrimeReads’ Best Debut Novels of March 2023
One of Paste Magazine’s Most Anticipated Romances of 2023
"Here’s the elevator pitch: Romance book meets con artist crime book and they smooch." —Book Riot
"Ellis’ debut is a sharp and entertaining read that puts the con in unconventional romance." —Booklist
"Ellis combines a heist with a romantic comedy and creates something exciting and vibrant. There’s real depth behind Cat’s tough-girl facade, and her snarky comments are laugh-out-loud hilarious. A delightful, fast-paced escapade full of snappy dialogue." —Kirkus Reviews
"Nothing brings two people together quite like desperation and a get-rich-quick scheme….[An] utterly charming new novel.” –CrimeReads
"Consider me hooked." —Paste Magazine
"Readers looking for a zippy caper will want to snap this up.” —Publishers Weekly
"Philip Ellis masters deeply complex characters with a dangerous side….Cat’s sharp and witty personality, Jake’s mysterious and confident demeanor and their clever banter work together to deliver a dynamic and hilarious rom-com." —Shelf Awareness
“With a sharp eye for detail and some of the funniest dialogue I’ve read in a long, long time, Philip Ellis has managed to give me the debut didn’t know I needed: a heisty romp of rom-com that brilliantly skewers marriage, class, and love. He’s the real deal, and so is his brilliant book.” —Grant Ginder, author of The People We Hate at the Wedding and Let’s Not Do That Again
“Two con artists. A scam. A cat-and-mouse game. And yet the real heist here is debut author Philip Ellis’s ability to so fully capture a reader’s attention with vibrant characters and the seasoned skill of a pro. I was laughing from page one and I already can’t wait to read what he writes next.” —Steven Rowley, author of The Guncle
“A blast from start to finish, reminding me of some of my favorite things—the movie Heartbreakers, Sophie Kinsella novels, and finding someone you can talk trash with at a wedding. By some sleight of hand, Ellis had me increasingly invested in Cat and Jake’s relationship even while I was legit laughing out loud at their hijinks. I loved every minute of it!” —Alicia Thompson, author of Love in the Time of Serial Killers
“If you’ve ever had your weekend ruined and your budget broken by a so-called friend’s over-the-top wedding, Love & Other Scams is the book for you.” —Katherine Heiny, author of Early Morning Riser and Standard Deviation
“I went into Love & Other Scams expecting a fun, witty, sharply-observed romp. Not only did it deliver on all fronts, but it also packs an emotional punch, with a pair of complex main characters I cared for deeply. This book stole my heart!” —Ava Wilder, author of How to Fake It in Hollywood
"Ellis’s sharp wit and masterfully drawn characters completely sucked me in from the first page. A true rom-com in every sense of the term, this book is full of hilarious hijinks, yet also tugged every one of my heartstrings. It’s a pure delight!” —Falon Ballard, author of Lease On Love and Just My Type
“Fresh, fast paced and funny with a wonderfully warm cast of characters—everything you want and more from a book about diamonds, deceit, and desire. I adored it.” —Laura Kay, author of The Split and Wild Things
“Mischievous, magnetic, touching and heaps of fun. No matter how you’re feeling, the pages instantly cheer you up." —Emma Gannon, author of Olive
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