Grossman, Felicia. Marry Me By Midnight. Grand Central Publishing, 2023. 400 pp ISBN 9781538722541 $8.99

*****

In this reverse Cinderella tale, it is the princess (in this case, wealthy heiress) who must marry to save the family’s kingdom (business) and falls for a handsome, kind and impoverished housekeeper (synagogue custodian) who loves to tell stories and makes friends with the mice. Isabelle has yet to celebrate the first yahrzeit (anniversary of death) of her beloved father, a shrewd businessman who co-owned a sureties company with the prominent Bebar family. Because there are two Bebars, and just one Lira; as a women and Jewess, with her father gone, the balance will shift decidedly against her father, and the Bebars are pressuring her to pick a brother to marry. Savvy Isabelle knows marriage to a Bebar will spell the demise of a career she likes and is good at, so even though the calendar is during the counting of the Omer, Isabella is planning a series of three balls to entertain eligible bachelors interested in winning her hand. She employs Aaron as her henchman to get the dirt on her potential suitors, falling for his sweet character, sexy good looks, and their explosive chemistry. The tension stems from the fact that their life circumstances are very different, and also, she’s technically acting as his boss.

Grossman excels at writing detail, describing setting, couture, and cuisine alongside eighteenth-century mores. The plot moves at a great pace, and this was unputdownable. Best of all, Isabelle knows what she wants and speaks her mind, including in the love scenes, a bold, twenty-three-year-old virgin with healthy drives, healthy curiosity, an awareness that Jewish husbands are obligated to provide pleasure to their partners. The actual act is left off the page, but the foreplay is stunningly hot.

Through it all, Grossman weaves in history and culture, particularly around the way Jews are portrayed and regarded. The author’s note at the back is a well-researched and engaging essay that sets in context the fairy tales she draws on. Her clear and direct explanation of the nuances of anti-Semitism in late eighteenth century Europe that should be required reading for every high school student on the planet. I learned so much, and it dovetailed beautifully with the story Grossman she told.

I received a free advance reader’s edition of #MarryMeByMidnight from #NetGalley — I also WON a copy through a Jewish Romance Giveaway.