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How to Fake It in Society

by KJ Charles

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Our take

Nico poses as an aristocrat chasing his mother's stolen reputation. What he's actually doing is scamming a shopkeeper who just inherited a fortune he doesn't know how to handle. The con works perfectly right up until Nico falls for the man he's supposed to be fleecing, which complicates every lie he's already told. Reviewers keep praising the historical detail and character chemistry, calling it both funny and genuinely romantic rather than just plot-clever. A queer heist-adjacent romance built on two people slowly realizing they'd rather be honest with each other than keep winning, this earns its happy ending.

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Publisher's description

Bridgerton meets The Goldfinch in How to Fake It in Society, a stunning queer romance by rising genre star KJ Charles.

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...

Publisher
Bramble
First published
2026

Available formats

  • Print320 pages · ISBN 9781250395917

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