Marry Me by Midnight

Grossman (Dalliances & Devotion) spotlights Victorian London’s Jewish community in the enchanting romance that opens her Once upon the East End series. After Isabelle Lira’s father dies, she inherits his surety company, much to the chagrin of his greedy partners, the Berab brothers, who question her business acumen. To keep her position, Isabelle must find a husband fast, ideally one approved by the Duke of Sussex, whose patronage her family seeks, and who the Berabs cannot control. Unfortunately, the man she’s most attracted to is penniless synagogue custodian Aaron Ellenberg, who agrees to help her vet possible candidates. A more viable suitor emerges in Solomon Weiss, but Isabelle can’t shake her growing feelings for Aaron. Which will win out, her head or her heart? Grossman brings an air of authenticity to the prejudices and obstacles faced by the Jewish community in 1830s England. This unique focus, combined with the sweet forbidden romance—a gender-swapped Cinderella story—at the novel’s center, makes this a charmer. Historical romance fans should snap it up. Agent: Rebecca Podos, Rees Literary. (Aug.)