Cons, scams, heists – if there’s a story with a stylish crime in it, I’m in. And my 2022 was full of weddings, which can get tiring after a while. So I was excited to get a preview of Love and Other Scams by Philip Ellis, which follows two con artists who try to pull off a con / heist at a Very Fancy Wedding. (Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the gift copy!)

I’m not a frequent reader of romance novels (though I frequently peruse cozy mysteries, which can be a similar vibe). I often find that my tastes for romance are satisfied in my other reading – built into the action and adventure. I hoped that Love and Other Scams would offer enough heist action (and wedding drama) to keep my interest. Read on for my thoughts…

Come for the scam…

When I first picked up Love and Other Scams, I was most intrigued by the idea of a scam-based romance. While plenty of scam stories contain a romance element, they’re often not the main attraction. They also tend to feature criminals in long-extant relationships, rather than new ones. While these teams can have great chemistry, I was interested in reading something akin to an origin story.

The story started off somewhat promising, with a pickpocketing heroine, Cat. Cat’s facing some financial (and life) challenges, and when she’s invited to the wedding of an obnoxious college friend, she realizes that she could try to snag the gigantic diamond ring. But it’s a two-person con, so enter Jake the bartender (and three-card Monte hustler). Jake’s initially reluctant to work with a partner, but Cat is able to persuade him that this payout is worth it.

And thus begins the scam – which, unfortunately, is not all that clever. Cat puts herself in charge of the scam plan, which limits the team to her resources. Since she’s an unemployed freelance designer, that’s a pretty large constraint. This is particularly frustrating in light of Jake’s connections to the criminal underworld. It’s even worse when those resources are used in a kind of wonky way: technology is used to solve problems that probably do not work. (I’ve learned through this blogging process that I’m a little annoying about technology working the way it should.)

…but stay for the rich-people shenanigans

BUT. For a scam to work, you need a victim, and the victim in this case is particularly delicious. Louisa is a truly entitled bridezilla with access to truly insane levels of wealth. The engagement party is on a yacht; the bachelorette in a private Palermo villa; and the wedding itself in the National Gallery. In exchange for these exclusive experiences, Louisa expects absurd amounts of control over her friends’ lives, and blithely insults them in public. Not that anyone should get scammed – but Louisa’s on the more deserving end.

The wedding elements of the novel give me Crazy Rich Asians-lite vibes. It’s kind of fun to gawk at the celebrations that Philip Ellis imagines, and to explore the drama of these rich peoples’ lives. Somewhere between the divorced parents, the friends’ flailing marriages, and the business shenanigans, Ellis establishes that money cannot buy happiness. It’s not a new message, but still a satisfying reminder to judge others’ lives on their true merits – not just what you see on Instagram.

Reader’s notes & rating (⭐⭐⭐)

Love and Other Scams is a cute little romance novel with a lightweight con skin. The set-up is fun and the scenes of obscene wealth are entertaining, but the ending fell a little flat for me. I had a great time while reading, and would recommend this as a light vacation read. It’s a great book to pick up from the library, but not one I’d feel the need to keep on my own shelf.

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Love and Other Scams was a fun foray for me into the contemporary romance novel. It will be published in the US on March 14, 2023 (Pi Day!). And I’ll be back soon with more cozy reads.

Until then – stay cozy, and stay curious!