Felicia Grossman continues to nail the fairytale vibes with her second book. Although who is rescuing who in this himbo golden retriever and black cat romance.

I enjoyed seeing the characters from the first book in this series living their life. The way they were seamlessly integrated into the plot makes me comfortable saying this book would also work as a standalone. For readers who like to bounce around.

So much fun seeing how a retelling of a classic story in a historical Jewish setting, from the evil queen to the dwarves and the poison apple! Looking forward to the next books in the series.

I discovered Felicia Grossman through an online book club reading books from a different series that is still a Jewish series. It was such a treat for me to find a Jewish historical fiction writer. I received this book from Netgalley, so I am reading it out of order. I do plan to read the first in the series.
I truly did not know where the author was going with this book. Our heroine Hannah was a pawnshop owner whose parents were arrested, so she was quite the outcast. Yet, when she saves the life of Solomon Weiss, he is immediately smitten with her. But he is the brother of a respectable banker brother, who has converted and is engaged to the sister of a Viscount.
In an author's note, Grossman explains some Jewish history that non-Jewish readers might not know.
Dicken's Fagin was purportedly based on an actual person but very misrepresented. One of my favorite authors, Georgette Heyer, has a wicked Jewish pawnbroker in my favorite book of hers, The Grand Sophy, and I always warn people when I recommend it. England has a long history of antisemitism and this series has sad examples.
The book played out in a surprising direction and had a very happy ending. I will look forward to the next in the series.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the EARC. I now have a new author to follow.

Hannah has accepted that she will forever be shunned by the community she grew up in, but she's working hard to ensure that her sister has a dowry big enough to open doors for her. Not everything is always completely legal, but she's learned to stay safe and avoid danger. Sol is the youngest son of a family that's worked hard to regain their fortunes and he takes the responsibility of refilling their coffers and keeping a respectable facade seriously. They've both serious in their determination until they meet when Hannah rescues Sol in an alleyway and the undeniable connection makes both of them take risks that will put them in sight of dangerous men.

I really enjoyed this one. It's not often you get romance with Jewish leads, much less historical that's not during WWII, and I liked the way Grossman weaves the sad truths of how awfully they were treated along with the romance and other elements so that it's a big part of it but not the sole focus.

Both Hannah and Sol are super interesting characters and I liked spending time with them. The fact that the story goes beyond them and includes characters and situations apart from them makes the overall story feel more complete and enjoyable.
Overall, it's a very enjoyable romance with elements that make it a stand-out page-turner.

Delighted happy thanks to NetGalley and Forever for the exciting and romantic read!

I loved this book- absolutely enchanting! It's definitely my favorite so far in this series and from the author.

I loved the tension between Sol and Hannah, and this as a fairy tale retelling worked really well for me. I love the gender flipping, and I love Hannah being older than him. In general, I enjoy the romance being across economic brackets, it gives it that element of being forbidden and impractical. Both of them need money, and both of them lack the power to do a lot of what they want to do.

Hannah and Sol both have a lot of internalized guilt about things that are not their fault, or at least, they have less culpability for than they assume. Hannah puts her sister first to the point of self flagellation, and blames herself for her family's downfall. She thinks she cannot have her own family or a life of her own, so she lives for her sister's prospects. Tamar, her sister, rejects this framing and does want Hannah to have a good life, and knows she deserves love. I liked that their relationship is loving and understanding, though they are very different people. I love the journey of Hannah accepting that she can be loved and have a good life, if an imperfect one.

Sol, on the other hand, feels as if he is a burden to his brother, who raised him after their father died and took responsibility for their family's bank. I liked the contrast between Hannah as a world-weary type and Sol believing in happy endings. Sol is so sweet, while also being smart and a planner. I love a planner! I also love the resolution being a team effort, with other people who care about both protagonists resolving matters together. This book is an absolute gem, and I adored every minute reading it!

Wake me Most Wickedly is an enjoyable historical romance, and the next installment in the Once Upon the East End. I struggled to believe they were a couple as I liked them separately. The storyline was drawn out, taking effort to progress in the read.

Thank you, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) | Forever

I am a newbie to the romance genre and this was a bit too strong for me 🫣. I love that this book has a Jewish main character - I've not read a lot of books like that and I love the Snow White retelling. Since I'm new to the romance world, this is my first time reading Felicia Grossman, so I didn't know what I was getting myself into - the spice is strong and it starts right away, so this is definitely good for readers who like a lot of sexual content in their books.

Another book proving Grossmann is a skilled author and historical researcher! I loved the view into 1830’s Jewish London, and her descriptions of the infighting and different methods for dealing with anti-Semitism were both insightful and true to the characters.

My only issue with the story is that when the evildoer is revealed, the MC seems to take it all in stride. Shocked, yes, but the likely effects of the betrayal were really glossed over. If you can look aside from that, you’ll enjoy this book very much.

I got a review copy via Netgalley, opinions are my own

Thanks #NetGalley for the advanced copy of #WakeMeMostWickedly by Felicia Grossman in exchange for an honest review.

I am so glad I found Felicia Grossman's books! This is a fabulous series and I love the reverse fairy tale retellings. I've always wondered how you could effectively retell Snow White and Grossman did a great job doing just that. She writes so that you truly feel what the characters are going through. I loved the MCs in this book - they were real in that they had faults but wanted to do what was right. They were selfless in that they would do anything for their siblings but forget to take care of themselves sometimes and that made you want them to learn to take care of themselves as well as others. Looking forward to the next installment of this series.

The second story in the Once Upon the East End, by a new Author to me. Solomon Weiss and Hannah Moses meet when she saves his life. The story is we written and held my interest, a Jewish Regency Snow White retelling. This is a new Author to me. I found the story to be well worth reading. I received a copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

Solomon Weiss is grateful to help his half-brother in his standing as a new Gentile. He promises to marry his brother's choice in a wife, until a woman of low standing saves his life. An older woman, Hannah Moses who sacrifices everything for her younger sister, lives on the edge of the law in her pawnshop. Meeting Sol is the one thing she could have for herself yet, denies she loves him. Unfortunately too many accidents are happening to Sol, or are they really accidents? Hannah suspects otherwise.
Descriptive sex. Physical abuse/violence.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.

I am so disappointed because I loved MARRY ME BY MIDNIGHT and this one simply didn't have the same juice. The romance felt SO insta-love and that is simply not my preferred vibe. I like it when the narrative lets the protagonists have space to breathe and fall in love gradually over the course of a book. This book is the opposite of that. Plus, all the Capital D DANGER!!! storylines were so stressful and kinda unnecessary, tbh. Maybe the problem is that Snow White isn't my favorite fairytale.

I reccommend this book to fans of historical romance. Felicia Grossman's portrayal of Jewish FMC and MMC is groundbreaking, and long overdue to the world of historical romance.
I greatly enjoyed the very in depth historical descriptions of the Jewish community in this era. It was obvious that the authors researched this in depth and meticulously.
The author also avoided boring topes for a fresh new take on romance. I loved how the FMC rescued the MMC.
I would have preferred a lower heat level, however this is a personal preference.
Please publish more historical fiction by the same author! I would love to read non romance stories, or romance stories with a lower heat level, since the history is fascinating, and her characters are vividly drawn.

One comment: Please consider covers with a lower heat level in the next books in the series. I wanted to order a print copy of this book but was embarassed for family members (including my children) to see the cover. I feel the history and research and the community representation deserve a family friendly cover.

Wake Me Most Wickedly by Felicia Grossman is book Two in the Once Upon the East End Series. This is the story of Hannah Moses and Solomon Weiss. Solomon's older brother stepped up to take care of him when they were younger. So Solomon of course feels in debit to him. But when he meets Hannah who is a pawn shop dealer he knows she isn't the type of person he should be interested in but he is.

This was such a fun spicy read. I loved how not only was this a Jewish read, but a historical Jewish read.

The story was so complex in how the author wove together a meet cute with Jewish history. There were so many dynamics at play including forbidden romance, age gap, Jewish identity, gender, fairytale retellings, and Jewish Identity.

I loved both of the characters and how they grew from their interactions and the interactions within their society and the societal norms.

I also have to mention the spice was amazing!

Courtesy of Netgalley, I received the ARC of Wake Me Most Wickedly by Felicia Grossman. This Victorian era historical romance is based on Snow White with role reversals, compelling and complex characters, and complicated Jewish families . Representing different aspects of their community, Hannah Moses and Solomon Weiss are drawn to each other, revealing much about class structures and antisemitism. With steamy liaisons, revelations, and betrayals,this story is captivating!

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Intimate Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Humor: A touch
Perspective: Third person from both the hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? a mix of both, but maybe more plot leaning
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: Very soon in, first chapter
Cliffhanger: No this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, a few years later

Should I read in order?
You could – book 1’s characters are heavy side characters in this one – I’m not sure how much depth you get for these characters in the prior book. I did find myself wishing I had dove into that one first.

Basic plot:
Sol finds himself saved by a mysterious Hannah and can’t stay away even though she is everything he needs to avoid...

Give this a try if you want:
- England 1832
- London setting
- she rescues him
- Snow White retelling (twist – the hero is Snow White)
- age gap with older heroine (heroine is 32/hero is 26)
- pawnshop owning heroine
- Jewish mains
- bit of grumpy heroine/sunshine hero vibes
- class difference
- the sweetest hero
- medium steam – 3 full scenes

Ages:
- Heroine is 32, hero is 26

My thoughts:
There is so much to love about this novel! But overall, I ended up wanting them together more, and the romance got a bit lost for me in all the plot antics.

I love the older heroine pairing, and Sol is so, so sweet. Oh he’s so caring and gentle and loving and I just adored him. I love his optimism. Hannah has been through hell and is a survivor. She tries to protect her heart as well as keep her family safe. So this leads to a lot of push and pull between them that I enjoyed.

Outside forces started taking over this book for me though. We have multiple side characters, and I found Sol spending a lot of time alone or with his brother, and Hannah alone, on the streets, with nefarious side characters or her sister. I wanted them together more. I also wanted more tension between them – I feel like when they were together it was a bit of instalust and then they’d separate and come together again and be glued to each other (but only for a short time because of beforementioned forces)

I enjoyed the second book in this series a lot. It was fun and had some twists. It took me a second to see how the beauty and the beast inspiration happened, but once I saw it it was really obvious. Hannah and Solomon were a passionate couple with palpable chemistry. Historical romance is still not my favorite but I enjoyed this one a lot.

*Thank you forever and netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

With a dash of sweetness, tenderness, and passion, Wake Me Most Wickedly was a new wildly romantic spin on the classic Snow White tale that will have readers falling desperately in love with this new historical romance.

I loved how fiercely the two main characters fell for each other! I couldn’t help but continually root them on and hope for their own happily ever after.

I can’t wait to read more from this author and her fairytale-inspired love stories!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

I really enjoyed this one! Felicia writes some amazing historical romances with a fairy tale twist.

I loved Solomon, he was so much fun and very cheeky. I immediately loved everything about his character. He was a little bit over optimistic with people, and I saw through his brother right away, but those rose coloured glasses stayed in place for him.

Hannah was very independent and would do absolutely anything for those that she loves, even if it hurts her in the end. It was nice to see her take something for herself and try to chase her own happiness.

One thing was that I had no idea it was meant to be a Snow White retelling. There were apple references but I didn’t really see it until closer to the end. Felicia’s first book was clearer with its inspiration.

I still really enjoyed it regardless!