Book Description 

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…

My Review 

I have been a KJ Charles fan for years, so I was extremely excited about this latest book. Charles already has a 1920s-set trilogy about an Everyman romantically mixed up with a slippery sort, so I was intrigued by this trope playing out a hundred years earlier. 

Pigment-maker Titus is saved from impoverishment and destitution when he accepts the desperate marriage proposal of a wealthy woman who is about to die and does not want her nephew to inherit her money. Titus hardly knows what to do with his new fortune, but fortunately (pun intended), Nico is there to help him.

Now, Nico was supposed to marry the aforementioned wealthy woman, but he was out of town when she found herself unexpectedly on her deathbed and then Titus showed up (literally!) on her doorstep. Initially, Nico feels resentment towards Titus for what he perceives to be the theft of what was supposed to be his life changing fortune, but as he ingratiates himself into the household, he begins to see that Titus is not what he expected. 

To complicate matters, Nico needed that money to pay off debts, and for some reason (plot), he doesn’t want to simply ask Titus for help. 

Oh, and lest we forget, the nephew who was supposed to inherit is none too pleased with not inheriting. 

And then there’s poor Titus, who went from not being able to afford the rent on his humble shop, to more money than he knows what to do with, not knowing who to trust, and having all sorts of people coming out of the woodwork asking for money. 

The chemistry between Titus and Nico is lovely, and since neither of them has ever truly caught feelings for another person before, it is a new experience for them both as they come (no pun intended, seriously) to the realization of what they had been missing in prior encounters. 

I would absolutely recommend How to Fake It in Society. Charles is one of my favorite authors and I am definitely going to be picking up this book in paperback and audiobook as well. 

I received a digital ARC of this book from Tor/NetGalley.