Marry me by midnight

Grossman (Dalliances & Devotion) spotlights Victorian London's Jewish community in the enchanting romance that opens her Once upon the East End series. After Isabelle Lira's father dies, she inherits his surety company, much to the chagrin of his greedy partners, the Berab brothers, who question her business acumen. To keep her position, Isabelle must find a husband fast, ideally one approved by the Duke of Sussex, whose patronage her family seeks, and who the Berabs cannot control. Unfortunately, the man she's most attracted to is penniless synagogue custodian Aaron Ellenberg, who agrees to help her vet possible candidates. A more viable suitor emerges in Solomon Weiss, but Isabelle can't shake her growing feelings for Aaron. Which will win out, her head or her heart? Grossman brings an air of authenticity to the prejudices and obstacles faced by the Jewish community in 1830s England. This unique focus, combined with the sweet forbidden romance--a gender-swapped Cinderella story--at the novel's center, makes this a charmer. Historical romance fans should snap it up. Agent: Rebecca Podos, Rees Literary. (Aug.)

Grossman ("The Truitts") introduces her new series with a scintillating Cinderella swap set in 1830s London. Heiress Isabelle Lira wants nothing more than to run the business her late father left behind, but her Jewish community, and the gentiles they trade with, demands that she first find a husband. To select the perfect partner, she decides to host a series of soirees to which she invites every eligible gentleman. In case the marriage-minded men are only after her fortune, she hires custodian Aaron Ellenberg as a spy to uncover their motivations and help her make the best choice. Can Aaron convince her that love is more important than a legacy, or will time run out on their romance? Grossman's writing is inviting and immersive and includes abundant Hebrew and Yiddish turns of phrase. She delivers a well-developed and diverting cast of characters, both playful and provocative. VERDICT This novel will appeal to readers seeking a steamy historical romance about reputation and representation, with a fresh fairy-tale twist. Recommended for fans of Charis Michaels and Eva Leigh.--Lauren Hackert

A gender-swapped "Cinderella" about an heiress and a custodian in 1832 London. After her father's untimely death, Isabella Lira must marry to secure her family's business and standing. Her father sat on the London Commission of Delegates, an organization that works with the Crown for the safety and security of the entire Jewish community in England, while also co-owning a business with the powerful Berab brothers. The three brothers each offer to marry her, hoping to secure total control of the shared business. Isabella wants to preserve her own influence in the company, so she hatches a plan to find another suitor--one outside the sphere of the Berab family. She's going to throw three festivals in three weeks, between the holidays of Passover and Lag b'Omer, and she enlists the help of Aaron Ellenberg, an unlikely ally. Aaron exists in a strange liminal space in the community: He's a kindhearted and gentle man who has never successfully found a job or home of his own. The community supports him by providing work as a custodian in the synagogue. He has become expert at observing everyone and everything while remaining invisible in the background. Isabella asks him to spy on prospective suitors at her parties to help her find one who won't try to control her--a man with a secret that Isabella could hold over him. In return, she offers Aaron 200 pounds, enough money for him to have a home and family, which had always seemed like an impossible dream. Isabella and Aaron should have nothing in common, but while working together they learn to respect and love each other despite their differences in status and the many obstacles in their way. It's an engaging and sexy romance, almost old-school in its complexity, complete with genuine conflict, delicious tension, and dense, meaty subplots. A masterful, original take on a beloved fairy tale is sure to please romance readers. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.