Love & Other Scams

Description

She wants to steal the ring. He wants to steal her heart.

You are cordially invited to a crime extravaganza: two con artists join forces to pull off a huge scam, posing as a couple at the poshest wedding in town.

Single, broke, and about to be kicked out of her London flat, Cat feels out of touch with her friends, who all seem to be getting married, having kids, and generally moving on with their lives. Driven to desperate ends by a recent spate of expensive destination weddings, Cat has turned to picking the pockets of her fellow guests—but only if they get handsy or otherwise deserve it. And no one is any the wiser, except for bartender Jake, who has his own less-than-legal side hustle.

When her best frenemy Louisa announces her engagement to one of the wealthiest men in London, Cat is of course invited to attend. Newly unemployed, she can’t help but notice that Louisa’s priceless engagement ring sure would solve a lot of her problems. But a jewel heist is bigger than anything she has ever attempted, and so she recruits Jake to be her plus-one. 

From a lavish engagement party on the Thames to a bachelorette weekend in Palermo, Cat and Jake play cat and mouse with each other and their marks in a romantic charade for the ages. But who’s to say what’s real and what’s fake, when love and money are on the line?“With a sharp eye for detail and some of the funniest dialogue I’ve read in a long, long time, Philip Ellis has managed to give me the debut didn’t know I needed: a heisty romp of rom-com that brilliantly skewers marriage, class, and love. He’s the real deal, and so is his brilliant book.” —Grant Ginder, author of The People We Hate at the Wedding and Let’s Not Do That Again

“Two con artists. A scam. A cat-and-mouse game. And yet the real heist here is debut author Philip Ellis’s ability to so fully capture a reader’s attention with vibrant characters and the seasoned skill of a pro. I was laughing from page one and I already can’t wait to read what he writes next.” —Steven Rowley, author of The Guncle

“A blast from start to finish, reminding me of some of my favorite things—the movie Heartbreakers, Sophie Kinsella novels, and finding someone you can talk trash with at a wedding. By some sleight of hand, Ellis had me increasingly invested in Cat and Jake’s relationship even while I was legit laughing out loud at their hijinks. I loved every minute of it!” —Alicia Thompson, author of Love in the Time of Serial Killers

“If you’ve ever had your weekend ruined and your budget broken by a so-called friend’s over-the-top wedding, Love & Other Scams is the book for you.” —Katherine Heiny, author of Early Morning Riser and Standard Deviation
 
“I went into Love & Other Scams expecting a fun, witty, sharply-observed romp. Not only did it deliver on all fronts, but it also packs an emotional punch, with a pair of complex main characters I cared for deeply. This book stole my heart!” —Ava Wilder, author of How to Fake It in Hollywood

“The definition of a rollicking romp! Ellis’s sharp wit and masterfully drawn characters completely sucked me in from the first page. A true rom-com in every sense of the term, this book is full of hilarious hijinks, yet also tugged every one of my heartstrings. It’s a pure delight!” —Falon Ballard, author of Lease On Love and Just My Type

“Fresh, fast paced and funny with a wonderfully warm cast of characters—everything you want and more from a book about diamonds, deceit, and desire. I adored it.” —Laura Kay, author of The Split and Wild Things

“Mischievous, magnetic, touching and heaps of fun. No matter how you’re feeling, the pages instantly cheer you up.” —Emma Gannon, author of Olive
Philip Ellis is a contributing editor for Men’s Health, covering relationships, pop culture, and LGBTQ+ issues. His work has appeared in British GQ, Teen Vogue, and Repeller, and his short fiction has been long-listed for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. He lives in Birmingham, UK. Follow him on Twitter @Philip_Ellis and Instagram @philipellis.US