A OKay rom com with some twists and unexpected situations.
A little slow at start but ended uo to be a fairly good story.
Voluntarily Reviewed.

This was a light read. It could get a bit confusing in some parts but if you stick with it, you will like it.

Unfortunately, I was not able to complete this book and because of this reason I cannot provide a rating. I got lost on the character names (I didn’t quite get it the first time if the main character is Rake or Blake), then I got lost between the funny lines and the interior dialogue our main character RAKE has with his brother.

I did enjoy the premises and the banter between the characters, but I still struggled with it. I may be giving the book another chance at some point, because the blurb makes it for an interesting read. For now, I will refrain from rating it, as I do not want to influence the other readers.

Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC copy.

Rake Tarbell wakes up in a Venice canal with no clue how he got there. His wallet is gone, he smells like a sewer, and then he is accosted by a bossy stranger who seems to know a lot more about him than she should and seems intent on telling him what to do. Not to mention she has a little girl in tow who she seems to think is his daughter. Is this all some elaborate con to rob him of his millions? Or are Delaney and Lillith actually the missing pieces to his lonely life?

I'm not really sure what to say about this book. I liked the premise and there were moments where I laughed out loud, but for the most part I was completely lost throughout. The plot was hard to follow and confusing, and while I understand that the main character was supposed to be in the dark about what was really going on, the reader shouldn't feel just as clueless as Rake is. I found it really frustrating because while I liked some of the banter between the characters as well as some of the inner monologues, the plot just didn't make sense and that made it impossible to really invest in the story or the people in it.

This one really didn't work for me. However, it could be a better fit for a reader who enjoyed having a lot of questions throughout that do end up being answered in a kind of roundabout way.

**Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.**

This works for some COVID-19 escapism. The characters are likeable, especially the precocious polyglot child, and it moves fairly swiftly. I didn't like how long the initial state of confusion went on--a few chapters in the dark can be fun and cinematic, but too many and you might lose the reader. Also, the author does footnotes where she breaks the fourth wall to tell you that you can really buy the character's shirt on Etsy or that you should read her other books, which took me right out of the story. But for a romantic caper in a country we won't be able to visit for so e time, it's worth checking out.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for a digital ARC for the purpose of an unbiased review.

I was looking for a cute, light romcom to read on a rainy day and this turned out to be the perfect choice. Claire travels across the world to Italy to reunite her young daughter with her long-lost bachelor father, Rake. It was a quick, easy read that lacked true depth of characters and storyline but provided good entertainment. It is full of hilarious twists, funny circumstances, and witty dialogue that make reading it easy. However, some of the over-the-top ideas in the book make it too unbelievable and not realistic to truly care deeply for or about the characters.

I loved both her Undead and Fred the Mermaid series so I was excited for a new title. As always her characters are quirky and the plot has many twists and turns that you would not expect. The author's usual wit and sarcasm was there as expected.

However, I thought Rake could have been developed more though. He seemed somewhat flat throughout most of the book. I wanted to love this book but I think it would benefit from some more editing.

I was familiar with MaryJanice Davidson from her "Undead" series, so I suspected I would like "The Love Scam", which I did. It was a somewhat odd, but also highly amusing book. Rake Tarbell, millionaire playboy, awakens in a strange hotel room with a bad hangover, neither of which is especially unusual, but I also no real recollection of how he got there or where exactly he was. He stumbles out of the hotel and ends up falling into a canal; a thoroughly unpleasant experience, but at least it answers the question of where he is -- Venice. After getting out of the canal, he is approached by a vaguely familiar woman with a nine-year-old girl and the woman tells him that the girl, Lillith, might be his daughter; which comes as quite a shock. She introduces herself as Claire Delaney, but provides little additional information before disappearing. Rake's phone is in the bottom of the canal, his wallet has somehow been lost, he is wet and in desperate need of a bath, and he has been left with this strange girl. When he finds someone willing to let him borrow a phone, he discovers his bank account is empty, leaving him a penniless American tourist with no real means to help himself or obtain assistance (visiting the U.S. Consulate or the Venice police are not options, for reasons explained in the book). He and Lillith head to the hotel where Delaney said she was staying and Rake finds Delaney and a group of women doing charitable work. He finds the whole situation strange and Delaney is not exactly forthcoming with information, but he has no choice but to stay with her and Lillith until he can find a way to contact his twin brother, Blake, and borrow so money so he can leave Venice and return to his home in Vegas. He soon learns that Lillith might be in danger and that Delaney is involved in something rather strange. As they try to sort things out, and as Rake begins assisting with some of the charity work, a number of amusing situations arise, which further complicates the situation.

The author has created interesting and amusing characters and a somewhat silly, somewhat serious, but rather amusing plot. As they spend more time together, Rake starts putting some of the pieces together regarding Delaney and the situation he finds himself in, but keeps these revelations to himself. He also begins to bond with Lillith, who is one of the most fun characters in the book, still retaining her childishness, but also wise beyond her years. Delaney begins to question her role in Rake's situation, although ultimately her role will earn her enough money to pursue her childhood dream, so she cannot come clean and tell him the truth.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

I liked this book. The premise is okay but I expected more a little more romance than I got from a book titled The Love Scam. This book has a lot of comedy which I appreciated. There's a lot going on in this book. Part of that could be attributed to Davidson's writing style which seems zany and hyperactive -- this took some getting used to and I feel like there's a lot of things I missed because of it. The characters are likable, some more than others, but are very funny and heartwarming. Overall, if you're a fan of feel-good women's fiction with a splash of romance, you'll enjoy this one!

I enjoyed this book cause it takes you on quite voyage with an unique cast of characters. This story had me laughing and kept me guessing what would happen next cause it wasn’t like the normal romance story I had read before and I enjoyed it. Rake is a bachelor to the extreme and he wakes up hungover and finds himself in Venice with a woman named Claire. He has no idea how he got there, Rake is a complete hot mess and the woman leaves. He tries to chase after and finds himself falling into the Venetian Channel and throwing his wallet in there. It’s a huge scene and he gets into trouble and now he stinks upon other things. Rake is also hearing the voice of his twin brother in his head constantly criticizing his every move. Claire eventually finds Rake and advises him about how he has a daughter and he is the father that is why she was there this morning and not why he thought. The book is a whirlwind of Rake and how he must try to get Claire to help him and get to know a potential daughter and fix his crazy life. I enjoyed this book cause it was nothing like I thought it would be and I thoroughly enjoy a good change. Excellent writing and the characters will keep you laughing. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

This book was a fun read at times with some humor and quirky characters. I did get bogged down in places and felt like I had missed part of the story. All in all, the plot was good.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I’m giving this book a 3 star because it didn’t knock it out of the park for me. I chose this book based off of the photo. It looked cute and Whitty. The writing style wasn’t one I enjoyed. Thanks for letting me read this book. Sorry I couldn’t get in to it.

Thanks NetGalley and St Martins Press for the ARC.
I request books based of the covers and the small description given of the book and --and from those 2 things I was really looking forward to a fun read.
This one fell flat for me. Trying to get into this one was difficult but I pushed through and ended up liking this novel. The characters were a for the most part unbelievable and the story outlandish.
I did find the ending fun..

Received in exchange for a honest review.

I liked and didn’t like. There were aspects that I just couldn’t wrap my head around. For instance the little scheme Claire has cooked up and yet she has her friends there miraculously to do some volunteer work and some of it seems shady (the kitchen scene). Rake not having a clue about anything that occurred? Not even remembering how outrageous he was. Although entertaining, I didn’t quite get that whole thing.

Rake seems to come off to others as over the top and not caring. As a party guy only. Little does anyone know he is smart and kind as well. He pushes his brothers buttons because he can. He is a partier but not as much as many believe. So when he ends up in Italy with no memory of how he got there you wonder where the story is going. Then Claire and Lillith show up and things begin to take a turn for the interesting. Lillith is to adorable for words. She knows more than people realize and is in trouble even if she doesn’t understand why. It has to do with her mom. A mom that Claire grew up with and has made a unspoken vow to. All the while Rake is learning that he has no money and is learning to survive without it. He sees the value of a dollar again. Learns that money isn’t the root to happiness. He shows who he truly is. He grows up more. And he falls in love with Lillith (who may be his) and Claire.

Claire learns that not everything is as it seems. She sees that with Rake especially as she gets to know him. He started out as just a job to help get her dream off the ground and turns into more. Claire is driven and stubborn. She also caring. Seeing her guilt over what she has done to Rake is interesting over time.

The romance starts as two strangers-one who thinks the other deserves the spot they are in and the other making the most out of the situation. Over time they learn about one another and fall for each other. I love the twist at the end and how Rake truly steps up and shows how much he has grown and what is truly in his heart and soul. He shows who he really is at the end and it warms the heart. The story is full of adventure and fun with a bit of romance and family growth as well.

Fun and light hearted romance. Sarcastic banter and word play that is very entertaining. A riches to rags and back again to riches romance. It was a very enjoyable light read. Hacks and hits abound all in the pursuit of the big pipe dream. There is love, growing up and working for your keep. This is not a mushy gushy romance where they are falling all over each other. This romance is mixed with sarcasm, wit, humor and the nuclear option.

I received this book complimentary from NetGalley but all opinions are my own.
I didn’t mind this but I wouldn’t reread or read another by this author. I didn’t like the extemporaneous “thought bubble” parentheses - it was mostly in Rake’s voice to start with so why bother? Plus there was a lot of stereotyping and then how you gonna make a ho a husband in under two weeks timeframe? I get the idea but it was way too short to implement. I also didn’t see a ton of Rake Lillith interaction so I didn’t see how he jumped from no one to dad so damn quickly. This just wasn’t for me. The plot was interesting. I liked the polyglot idea and Lillith is a great character but just didn’t even out for me in actuality. Also, the footnotes being at the end of the chapter is annoying. Bottom of the page or not at all.

I was so excited to get this book. It seemed like something that would be right up my alley. I struggled with the writing through parts, but it ended up being pretty cute.

As sad as I am to say this, I now remember the reason why I stopped reading MaryJanice Davidson so many years ago. I think back in the day, i hated the fact that she wrote one page chapters in mostly all of her Betsey Taylor (the vampire) books. Ohhh those days are so far away. And I recall asking myself why she considered herself a pnr writer if her books were trying more for comedy rather than paranormal.

Well now I ask myself why keep attempting to comedy... *sighs*

I had a vague 'The Hangover' flashback, combined with What Happens in Vegas only set in Venice Italy. Rake was not that much of a strong character if you ask. I failed to see him mature, and that whole daughter plot, its just not truly believable, funny in parts but I wanted more ROMANCE than this whole ordeal. In my humble opinion it lacked that spark, that sweet, sassy and, HELLO: VENICE. And Claire Delaney does not depict any style of midwestern girl I know at least, but that's just my opinion.

Sadly this book fell flat and I had great expectations, thinking that after so many years MJD could come back stronger and better, but, I'm highly dissapointed

A rich playboy wakes up in Venice with the worst hangover of his life! And all of a sudden he has a daughter too.

This one had a lot of inconsistencies and I was confused and not amused during the entire book.

This one just needed a lot of pulling together of facts and plots.

NetGalley/August 4th, 2020 by St. Martin's Griffin

DNF. This was so difficult to read. I wanted to get into this story because I enjoyed the premise. There were so many questions to be answered. But at 30% I wasn’t hooked. The writing was too confusing and things jumped all over the place.