GENERAL INFO

Wake Me Most Wickedly- Book #2 Once Upon the East End

Publication date: 4-9-24, Read 4-6-24

Format: eBook, 358 pages kindle

Source: Thanks to NetGalley and Forever/ Hachette Book Group for this ARC💛 !  I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.

Setting: London 1832

Genre: Historical Romance, Adult Fic

Tropes: fairytale retelling(Snow White), Jewish rep, , forbidden romance, age gap

 HEA/HFN ending: HEA

Epilogue Included: yes
 
BOOK DESCRIPTION

Synopsis/Plot Summary: Hannah has raised her younger sister Tamar outside London's underbelly. She runs her family's pawn shop but has been shunned by the Jewish community. Her family was arrested and tried for stealing, which caused a stain on them in the eyes of the Jewish community. Solomon Weiss didn't marry the heiress Isabella Lira, so his half brother Frederick wants them both to marry well. Unfortunately he can't get Hannah out of his mind after she saves him from a robbery. He is torn between his loyalty to his brother who pursues wealth and acceptance, and his deep attraction for Hannah.

M/F-M/M-M/M/F-etc: M/F

Flashbacks: Hannah remembers all the sacrifices, her time in jail, and her parents' trial.

Amount of Sex In The Book: a few scenes, neither h/H virgins

CHARACTER DESCRIPTION

Solomon "Sol" Weiss-26, a Jewish male banker. Torn between loyalty to his brother and attraction to criminal outlier Hannah.

Frederick Weiss-Sol's half brother who raised him after their parents died. He wants money, power, and influence by distancing himself from Jewish culture. He wants Sol to be on his best behavior in his quest to marry Viscount Penrose's daughter Drucilla-a gentile.

Hannah Moses-32, works in her family's pawnshop and steals objects to sale for her sister's dowry. She also does information hunting, but hasn't heard from parents in 12 years, believes they are dead.

Tamar Moses-20, Hannah's younger sister. Hannah wants her to marry well

The Berab brothers-Roger + David both business partners w/ Isabella

Isabella Lira and Aaron Ellenberg-a wealthy heiress and custodian who marry for love. MC from book #1

H /h RELATIONSHIP INFO

OW/OM/Exes: Sol wanted to marry Isabella Lira from book #1, Hannah had a lover and was made to trade sexual favors to Ned.

AUTHOR OVERVIEW-Felicia Grossman- I read book #1 and gave it 4

PERSONAL OVERVIEW

Overall Rating: 5/5

Do You Recommend This Book: yes

Will You Re-read This Book: yes

Would You Read More Books by this Author: yes

COMMENTS/NOTES

I loved the gender reversal again in this Snow White retelling. Solomon is betrayed and Hannah has to rescue him. I loved Hannah's devotion to Tamar but she should have told her what was going on. Tamar had the right to decide if all the danger was worth it.

Wake Me Most Wickedly is book two in the Once Upon the East End Series by Felicia Grossman.
After reading book two I’ve got to get my hands on Marry Me by Midnight.
This was a compelling Regency Jewish retelling of Snow White.
And my oh my was I hooked once I started!
Hannah and Sol are fantastic together. They have great chemistry and compliment each other so well.
Slap full of romance, passion, and swoon worthy moments.
This story has wonderful world building, the characters are multifaceted and easy to connect with, and the writing is well-paced- all of this makes for a story that is easily read and enjoyed.

Thank You àNetGalley and Forever for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

4.5/5 stars

I didn't love the first one in this series, but wanted to give this one a go since the author will be at an event near me soon and I am so glad I picked this one up! IT WAS SO GOOD?!

Felicia Grossman effortlessly weaves in so much Jewish culture and history into her books and her characters' lives (make sure you read the author's note at the end) and this also is a Snow White and the Huntsman retelling. Everything is done so well! And the stakes are so high and the chemistry is on point? AND Hannah is an older sister doing everything for her younger sister? Truly amazing at how she was able to blend all of this into such a good story because that is a lot.

I had such a good time reading this one and can't wait to see what she writes next!

A sweet story, chock full of Jewish rep (and terms) and swoony scenes, this book is a lovely historical romance.

Solomon is such a dandy, and Hannah seems like a terrible fit for
him at first, but he finally convinced her she is worthy of his love. I got frustrated with her, but she was just playing the hand she was dealt.

I wish there had been a bit more between them, but I couldn’t put my finger on what was missing. I’m very glad I read it though!

This was an enjoyable historical romance. It was a nice change to read a historical romance about two Jewish characters in 1800s England. I really liked the romance between the two main characters. While it did feel like the MMC feel in love quickly it worked for this story.

Wake Me Most Wickedly is a fantastic historical romance. Not only does it feature well-researched Jewish characters, but Felicia Grossman’s fairytale inspired romance is filled with engaging characters and storylines.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Hannah Moses has been running her family’s pawnshop and taking care of her younger sister Tamar since her parents were arrested. She manages to take care of them while mostly staying on the straight and narrow, but the rest of the Jewish community looks down upon them. Except for Solomon Weiss. Once he meets Hannah, he can’t stop thinking about her. But an association between them can only hurt his employment prospects, as well as his older brother’s courtship of a wealthy gentile woman. But can a pair with this much chemistry actually stay away from each other?

Hannah and Sol are such wonderful characters; while both are likable, both have their flaws and blind spots. The attraction between them is evident from the beginning, and it’s fun to watch them together. And the gender swapped nods to Snow White are simply a bonus.

The detail and amount of research that went into this book is impressive. I personally didn’t know much about Jews in England during the regency, but Grossman creates three dimensional characters who embody their time and place. From the hierarchy within the Jewish community to the Yiddish words sprinkled throughout the dialogue to Sol’s brother’s attempts at assimilation, it all rings true of 1830s London. Life here is a little grim, and it’s not all regency balls and parties, but it doesn’t make the story any less enjoyable.

Wake Me Most Wickedly is a wonderful, satisfying historical romance. Not only is it a fantastic, fairytale inspired story, but the Jewish representation is impressive. Don’t miss out on this creative and engaging series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved "Marry Me at Midnight" by Grossman before however, with this book I decided to DNF at 42%. I did not feel any chemistry between Hannah and Soloman and didn't particularly love either of their characters. I liked learning more about the Jewish community in this period as we did in the first book, but that wasn't enough to keep me entertained.

My first Jewish romance! Also set in London! A likable FMC which is to be expected since this is a Snow White retelling. I think historical romances with a fairytale spin or aspect is a new favorite genre of mine.

Hannah Moses is not a good person. She’s a fence, the daughter of two convicted thieves, and she lives her life at odds with both the Jewish and gentile communities. She’s stubborn and sharp-tongued and wary and has no business even talking to our hero, Solomon Weiss.

Solomon is the sheltered but saucy scion of a once-wealthy Jewish family trying to brush off the cobwebs of debt and disgrace. Raised by his strict older brother, Frederick, who has been baptized and is courting a non-Jewish woman, Sol knows he’s supposed to be on his best behavior at this critical moment. He’s meant to marry whomever Frederick chooses for him, but he can’t stop chasing the dark-haired, velvet-voiced pawnshop owner he has no business speaking to, let alone falling for.

Based on “Snow White,” a fairy tale all about trust and betrayal, “Wake Me Most Wickedly” thrives in the space between what people hide and what they reveal. Threats and circumstances force both Hannah and Solomon to guard their tongues, to tamp down their riotous hearts and put others’ needs before their own. It’s difficult for Hannah to trust that Sol means what he says when he confesses his love. Meanwhile, Sol has to learn the hard way that people who insist they mean well — people he’s close to, people he depends on — may, in fact, be lying to him. Rich and complex and a little discomfiting, this book prefers difficult questions and nuanced truths to comfortable reductions. Grossman will be writing two more books in this series, and I cannot wait to see what else her world will bring us.

Wake Me Most Wickedly is book two in the Once Upon the East End series. This was a new to me author and felt this could be read as a standalone.

This was an enjoyable story that had me enthralled to find out how Sol and Hannah could have a HEA. The MC were full of grit and perseverance as they fought to make it through each day and remain hopeful that what they were going through had purpose. I liked that this was a different HR, characters aren’t part of the aristocracy (for the most part) but were mainly Jewish. I liked getting to read about diverse characters in this time period but also how much grit they had.

Both MC were likable and were similar in that they felt they owed their siblings. Sol was endearing in his positive outlook and steadfastness in pursuing Hannah. It was nice to see his frustrations on their relationship at one point to show him with varying emotions. Sol is clever but was also too trusting. I don’t think there’s ever been a more resigned FMC to her lot in life than Hannah. It was understandable given what she’d experienced but it was a bit frustrating that we didn’t see a transformation sooner. I enjoy a forbidden romance and felt like this one delivered.

I also enjoyed the author’s note at the end. There were three detailed encounters that were steamy.

Content warning for the book is offered in the beginning.

I received an advance ecopy of this book from Forever publishing via Net Galley. All opinions are my own.

I found this installment in Grossman's ONCE UPON THE EAST END series more engrossing than the first. The really brilliant thing she does here is destabilize the assumptions of the regency genre by making these things framed as a certain subset of society, not it's standard. I do, however, wish her characters spent more time together earlier in the books!

Historic romance set in a run down East End Jewish neighborhood between two unlikely protagonists divided by criminality and cash flow. He is wealthy and well dressed. She is in rags and arranging a crime when the reader first meets her. He is divinely handsome and she is plain and a spinster. Still, he is intrigued when she saves from an attack by ruffians so when they become accidentally entangled the next time they meet, he is unwilling to let her vanish from his life. An interesting premise for a historical period that normally focuses on an entirely different population.

A social and reverse age gap tale in a Jewish community dealing with racism, surviving being outcasts, etc. And how “birth is not destiny” and the bottom line is, they are enough for each other. Beautiful, steamy, inspiring as well as informative read.

I received an ARC of this book and leaving my review voluntarily.

Love the Jewish community representation in a historical romance. Sol and Hannah were too hot for their own good. The class division between them and how Sol acknowledges that Hannah deserves more than just being hidden away was filled with tension.

I loved the premise of Wake Me Most Wickedly and the fact that it was all about Jewish culture and featured Jewish characters. I also loved that the main characters were an older woman and younger man. However, I found it slow and repetitive. I want to know what happens and how they overcome the obstacles before them but I'm really struggling with the pacing which is why I'm dnfing at 31%.

It was really hard to get Into. It felt slow and like the plot really wasn’t progressing much. I would of loved more romance, but I’ll give it a solid 3 stars.

Wake Me Most Wickedly was such a fun read! Given the diverse perspective of a Jewish romance (which I haven't read much of), my interest was peaked as I dove headfirst into 19th-century life for the Jews amongst Gentiles in London!

THOUGHTS:
- Our heroine, Hannah, is the type of girl you want to be friends with!! She would do anything for those she loves and works so stinking hard!!
- There's a lot I don't know about Jewish culture, but that didn't take away from my reading at all. I think it made me more interested because religious groups with their own insular cultures are still alive and well today, so it felt familiar. However, it was still something new and a break from traditional regency/Victorian Era romances.

**Thank you to Forever & NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤

Wake Me Most Wickedly by Felicia Grossman is a romantic, clever, and irresistibly charming novel. I was captivated by the fiercely feminist heroine and her sweet cinnamon roll of a hero as they navigate the complexities of family, community, loyalty, and love. Prepare to be swept off your feet by this enchanting tale.

Last year I read the first book in the “Once Upon an East End” series by Felicia Grossman; I enjoyed the Jewish historical romance, thought about it a lot, and I was pleased to receive an ARC of “Wake Me Most Wickedly”, which will be published April 9, 2024.

The series re-imagines fairy tale stories – Cinderella in the first, and Snow White in the second. I love how Grossman gender swaps the traditional damsels in these books. Solomon Weiss does fall “asleep” like Snow White and is helped by strangers, but the ode to the original story does not strain credibility.

Instead of fairy tales, “Wake Me Most Wickedly” owes more to the caricature of the villainous Jew of historical tales. Grossman’s excelled note at the end of the story discusses Fagin in “Oliver Twist” and the pawnbroker in “The Grand Sophy” as two such examples.
Grossman also highlights the biography of Isaac Solomon, a pawnbroker and ‘fence’ in regency England, who is often cited as the inspiration behind Fagin. More importantly, Grossman notes the easy scapegoating of Jewish people during a period of great social change in England rather than focusing inward to the real sources of such change and unease.

Hannah Moses runs a pawn shop with her sister, Tamar, after her parents are convicted of handling stolen goods. Hannah was also convicted of lesser crimes and continues to take less than honest work to secure a dowry for her sister. The family is ostracized for being “bad Jews” and bringing negative attention to London’s Jewish community; the fact that the family is Ashkenazi rather than Sephardi is another source of tension to navigate.

Hannah protects Sol one fateful night and the two are drawn to each other even as Sol is tasked with making an advantageous marriage by his older, half-brother who raised him since childhood.

I thought this was an excellent sophomore entry into this series. By exploring goyishe stereotypes and the racist tension Jews faced in 1832 (the lack of legal protections, voting rights, etc.), a nuanced portrait of English society emerges. Hannah and Sol each face pressure to either conform with and stand equal to community’s expectations and the scrutiny of the peerage or potentially be ostracized. The villain and HEA are the stuff of a perfect fairy tale.

An engaging historical romance, unique in scope and near flawless in execution. 4.5/5

This is a different type of historical romance.
Set in the Jewish community in London in the 1830's, Hannah has taken over her parents' pawn shop and the care of her sister. She lives on the fringes of society and will do almost anything to keep her, and her sister fed and housed.
When she rescues Sol from attackers, there is an instant attraction, but both know that they are from different classes within the community and that it will never work.
This story has a lot of twists and turns and is somewhat violent.
I found it an interesting story.