I've never read anything like this and I mean that in the best way possible. A gender bent Jewish Regency era Cinderella retelling? Shut up and take my money. I feel like I just read my very first historical romance again because this is such a fresh way to experience Regency era London.

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.

Very cute Jewish historical romance! I read this for my book club and it made for such an interesting discussion. I would definitely recommend this one, as I think Jewish representation in this genre is extremely rare, which made this such a unique and enjoyable reading experience.

Marry Me by Midnight by Felicia Grossman is such a fun unique historical romance novel that I really enjoyed.

What do we have here? A gender-swapping Cinderella retelling with the backdrop of the Jewish community in London in the 1830's.

This is a book that delivers on all elements. The layers and layers of complex descriptions of the Jewish community during this time period was so well written. The fact that this community was kept isolated and separate from the English community was in it of itself telling of the time period and the discrimination against the Jewish people.

Isabelle and Aaron were dynamic characters that left me guessing where the story would go.

I really enjoyed this historical romance and look forward to more books by this author.

I really wanted to like this novel! I'm thrilled to see Jewish characters in a historical romance. The story did not hold my attention and I did not connect with the characters, and I ended up not finishing it. That said, it is well written and I do plan to recommend it during readers advisory to patrons that I know will appreciate it more than I do.

Heiress Isabelle Lira is determined to save her deceased father's business from the clutches of his evil former business partners who don't take her seriously as a woman. Unfortunately, the only way to get power over the business that's rightfully hers is to marry and have her husband do it for her. To secure a husband quickly and create a spectacle of her decision, Isabelle decides to hold three balls, intending to announce which man she'll marry at midnight of the last one. She enlists handsome custodian, Aaron, to spy on her suitors, but didn't anticipate the sparks that fly between them.

This book ended up being a pleasant surprise! I had originally been quite excited by the gender-swapped Cinderella retelling concept (plus Jewish rep), but found it difficult to get into the first chapter and not sure I was feeling a historical romance at the time. But I put the book aside and came back to it another day, and, boy, am I glad I did! It ended up being so, so good, with the perfect amount of sexual tension and clever reimagining of the original fairytale. It didn't fear straying from the source material, yet the callbacks were clear enough that it was a fun read. I'm curious to see what fairytale the author will tackle next!

Thanks to Forever for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 9/10

Sadly this book just didn’t grab as much as I hoped it would. I put it down and picked it up multiple times but I just couldn’t connect with it. Super bummed The romance wasn’t what I was hoping for.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

CW: death of a loved one (past), grief, kidnapping, antisemitism, blackmail

I would recommend if your'e looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f historical romance
-cinderella gender swapped retelling
-forbidden romance
-insta attraction
-jewish rep

I am trash for a fairytale retelling and this was such a lovely one. So many easter eggs and fairytale nods. Isabelle is being forced to marry in order to save her recently passed father's business. The weight of the Jewish community on her shoulders to make a specific match.

Isabelle was fierce, driven, and so self-sacrificing, not truly believing that love was something she would every find. But in walks Aaron, orphan, working for the local synagogue and roped into Isablle's plan that she'll find the best marriage by figuring out who would be best to blackmail. I loved the banter and just chemistry between these two. The tension of just touching a wrist, a piece of skin. This was breathless historical romance at its best and I enjoyed every moment of it.

I cannot wait for Felicia's next fairytale retelling.

Steam: 3.25

Just not my ham, struggled to get through it. I’m trying to read with more representation and I did like the Jewish representation as well as the amount of history and detail, enough to make me realize this is a culture I’m not used to but so not so much I felt like a compete outsider as the audience. The plot itself though is just so not one ok that interests me. If others enjoy the “searching for a husband and fall for the one you shouldn’t” plot then I’m sure they’d love it. The writing was solid and descriptive in a way I really enjoyed.

I liked this book but wasn't always clear about the chemistry and build up between the two leads but I liked the sotry, the history and the family and characters around the couple

So this was described as a gender-swapped Cinderella retelling with a twist and has Jewish main characters in a historical romance setting in 1830s London. I feel like I say this often, but I seem to always forget until after the fact, but Cinderella retellings are just not my fav to read. They always sound so good, but when it comes down to it, I just have a hard time with the trope. It’s something about one of the characters feeling like they’re less-than, or being treated that way, that really rubs me the wrong way. In this case we have the hero being the character of feeling unworthy. While the heroine is constantly being almost matchmakered…matchmade?…basically a matchmaker trying to set her up lol

I did love the representation of the Jewish characters and culture of the time, you definitely get a great sense of that. The romance was okay, but the plot did meander a bit and I had a harder time with. All in all, there were moments I think were good, and maybe it’s just me that this Cinderella vibe didn’t work for.

I received a copy from the publisher, all thoughts in this review are my own.

"Marry Me By Midnight" by Felicia Grossman is a charming Jewish historical romance set in 19th century London, where Isabelle Lira, a strong-willed woman facing the threat of losing her family's business, embarks on a mission to find a suitable husband outside her family's circle. She hosts a series of festivals to attract eligible Jewish men. Aaron Ellenberg, a synagogue custodian with his own dreams and struggles, is presented with a tempting offer by Isabelle. As they work together to ensure her suitors have no hidden loyalties, unexpected feelings ignite between them. However, societal constraints and challenges make their future seem impossible.

While the pacing could have been more polished, and some scenes deserved more page-time, the characters' thoughts and feelings are well-developed. However, it would have been even more enjoyable to witness key events rather than having them summarized. Despite this minor flaw, the book is a page-turner, and I couldn't put it down.

One of the book's strengths is the likability of the main characters. Aaron's kindness and awareness of the world make him a charming hero, and Isabella's self-awareness adds depth to her character, despite her privilege. Overall, "Marry Me By Midnight" is a compelling read that will make you believe in the power of love, even in challenging circumstances.

I didn’t realize how badly I wanted to read Jewish historical romance until I had this book in front of me. A delight!

I've been waffling between 3 & 4 stars for this one, and ended up rounding up to 4 because I realized my issues were less with the book itself than with my expectations. The story - a bit of a "reverse Cinderella" - is good. The writing is good. I liked both main characters. But somehow I kept feeling like I was missing something. There would be hints that there was more to Aaron's background that I was getting, and I looked forward to hearing more about his background but it never came. I admittedly also missed out on some of the references to certain Jewish traditions - I'm a southern girl raised a Methodist and despite the fact I've lived in other parts of the country (and the world) I'm just not familiar with many of them. I love that the author "went there" and introduced some members of her audience to traditions that might not be familiar, while providing other members a familiar aspect that's missing from much of the historical romance genre. The fact that I didn't keep grabbing my phone to look things up is probably a testament to the fact that I didn't want to interrupt my reading! In retrospect I wish I'd highlighted some of those references to research later. I enjoyed Isabelle and Aaron's journey to their happily ever after, and will be keeping an eye out for book #2 in this series. I definitely saw an interesting possibility for the next heroine.
Thanks to Netgalley and Forever/Grand Central Publishing for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

I wanted to love this book, unfortunately it just wasn’t for me. I would say it’s a reverse Cinderella which is super exciting! It has some spicy scenes in it if you’re looking for that.

This was new author for me & I absolutely adored her! I enjoyed this book and can’t wait for the second one! This was a Cinderella inspired story but gender bent. I love that! The story also revolves around Jewish culture(while I’m not Jewish, I really enjoyed learning more!). The main character Isabelle comes from a family with money but they’ve worked hard to get where they are at. She’s outgoing and bossy too! I 1000% related to her personality! Aaron is a janitor at the synagogue. He comes from nothing but works hard. He’s caring, sweet, and wants a family one day. I loved that these two complimented each other so well. They also worked well together when Isabelle hired Aaron to help get information on possible husbands! I loved the twists and turns this book had, along with steamy stuff! Such a wonderful read!

I had high hopes for Marry Me by Midnight and loved the Jewish representation placed throughout. However; I found the plot to be like going on a rollercoaster. The beginning and middle were slow moving and then you hit the end and everything happened in a fast pace. Overall, this wasn't a story that I fell in love with but now others may! I look forward to trying Felicia Grossman's next in the series, which looks to be a historical romance Cinderella retelling.

A fantastic historical focusing on the Jewish communities within England at the time! A reverse Cinderella story with so much heart, and quite a bit of steam! I deeply value how topics such mourning and self value are explored through different characters. I would also love to get my hands on a prequel of her late father's romance!

Do I usually reach for Cinderella retellings? No. Do I usually reach for retellings with a regency romance twist? Also no, however- I will be reaching for them way more often now. Felicia Grossman, may I just say Im very surprised. Honestly I didn't even put it together that retellings really were a thing for regency and now I'm going to need you to just go down the list and release more ASAP.

See, while the plot did get frustrating for me at points mainly due to the drawn out 'set-up'- that's probably a me and pacing issue? I adore the premise and it held my attention. I'm a sucker for regency romance and this checked all the boxes for what I enjoy when in the genre. The only box I'm missing is I was genuinely a little surprised at the very tame spice (or lack of for my taste). It's a brilliant storyline and these characters really drive home the show- seriously, tell me the mice couldn't carry the entire thing on their own, I dare you.

Isabelle needs to find a husband, and fast, to secure her place in her late father's company. She decides to throw a series of parties to secure a Jewish husband who will be loyal to her rather than the other partners in the company, whom she mutually views as rivals. When she meets Aaron, the synagogue custodian, she's enamored by his kindness and decides to offer him a position as a spy to help find leverage she can use to ensure her future husband will be loyal to her. Despite the fact that Aaron is not an ideal husband - he's poor, unskilled, and Ashkenazi rather than Sephardic (which won't please the gentile politicians she works with) - Isabelle is extremely attracted to him. The two decide that they can work together while giving into their desire for one another, but romantic feelings quickly develop.

Isabelle is a difficult character, but also lovable. She's selfish, vain, and gruff, all of which helped to land her in the rivalry with the Berab brothers who also own the company. However, one can't help root for her - she's ambitious with a big heart. It's refreshing to see her turnaround at the end of the story, when she realizes she's the one who made her bed, and the only thing keeping her from love is her own stubbornness. The reader can't help but root for her to not only work things out to truly be with Aaron, but grow as a person in order to "deserve" him.

Aaron, on the other hand, is self-effacing after years of being looked down on in his community. However, he has wonderful empathy and interpersonal skills, which he comes to realize and have confidence in towards the end of the book.