The Love Scam is a sweet and sassy romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author MaryJanice Davidson. Rake Tarbell is in trouble. When the fabulously wealthy and carefree bachelor wakes up horribly hungover in Venice, it’s not something that would normally be a problem…except he has no idea how he got there from California. Or who stole his wallet. Or who emptied his bank account of … who emptied his bank account of millions. Or who in the world is Lillith, the charming little girl claiming to be his long lost daughter. For the first time in his life, Rake is on his own and throwing Benjamins around aren’t going to solve his problem. Now if only the gorgeous, fun, and free-spirited woman who brought Lillith into his life was willing to help the situation…
Claire Delaney finds Rake’s problems hilarious and is not in the least bit sorry of adding to them by bringing Lillith into the mix. A pretty Midwestern girl with a streak for mischief, Claire isn’t the type to hang around with a guy like Rake. Even if he is drop-dead handsome and charming as all get-out. Even if he needs help and she has all the answers. But if this helps Lillith, she will go out of her way. And with a guy like Rake, she’s willing to bend her rules a bit for some fun.
But when adventure-filled days turn to romantic nights as they search for answers, and someone starts following them through the streets of Venice, Claire realizes she’s playing more than just a game. And maybe, just maybe, she isn’t willing to let go of Rake or Lillith just yet.
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This book had me laughing in many places as I watched Rake stumble through the book not knowing what was going on…or did he? Maybe he was smarter than we give him credit. The rest of the characters are multifaceted and show you want they want you to see. Delaney is a tough cookie but has a softer side that she lets very few people see. Lillith is very precocious and smarter than anyone can even imagine. There is a slew of other characters that help round out the story and bring in some interesting aspects.
Besides the romance and comedy, there is a little bit of mystery. Who are these men that keep following Rake and Delaney? Why are they following them? What do they think that Rake and Delaney know and are keeping a secret? The answer is intriguing and the ensuing events are somewhat comical.
There are references to another book, Danger Sweethart. I have not read this book so was a bit lost on those references, but since I have read the synopsis of that book, I realize it is Blake’s story that we discover a smidgeon of in this book. Let’s just say, Nonna Tarbell is sticking her nose into their business.
It is very important that if you read this book to read the author’s notes at the beginning. Otherwise, you might be confused while reading this book. There is a lot of sub-dialogue (inner thoughts) and it can be a little confusing until you realize to read the part in parentheses after the sentence is finished. It is this inner dialogue that cracked me up the most.
I enjoyed this book and now want to go back and read Danger Sweethart to discover Blake’s story.
We give this book 4 paws up!
Rake wakes up not knowing how he got to Venice or where his wallet is as he falls into a canal. Claire has the answers to Rake’s questions but she’s not willing to tell and he also has a daughter named Lilith. This is a crazy, sarcastic read that I didn’t care as much for as I had hoped, some may find it interesting.
I received a copy of this book via Netgalley and am leaving a review.
Super fun read that had me in tears with laughter. I loved each character and have to commend the author in how she slowly revealed each of their backstories as the story progressed adding to the suspense and giving depth to each character. This really was the perfect combo of romance and mystery with the perfect amount of steaminess.
Hmm…this book gave me mixed feelings – it was like it was written by two people. The beginning didn’t do much for me but as the story starts to unwind it got better and i did enjoy myself by the end of it.
The plot it self was good; it had a lot of mystery, surprises and funny banter between all the characters.
For my first read i wasn’t wowed but i’ll probably try this author again. This story gets 3,5*.
Review copy received by NG for an honest review***
I really enjoyed this cute and fun RomCom.
Rake starts out confused and out of sorts with his surroundings and stays that way for much of the story. Claire seems to know more than she lets on, but isn’t ready to give away her secrets.
I think as the reader I sometimes felt just as off balance as Rake, but I enjoyed the ride. Definitely not the usual predictable story and not told in the usual way.
“I wouldn’t have said no to another kiss, though. You’re the best kisser.” He saw the unwilling smile bloom. “You are! You fiend, you knew it all along.”
“I did not!”
“You’re always walking around with your lips hanging out, flaunting them, being all oh my God please don’t tickle me again.”
I started it not realizing that it was the second book in the Danger series and there are many references to book one. But that just made me want to go back and catch up on what I missed.
-4.5 Stars-
Highly entertaining, fun and emotionally thrilling journey filled with interesting and engaging charters, witty dialog, heartwarming twists and sweet passion. Was a great read from beginning to end and so hard to put down.
This was my first book by this author. I liked the premise of the book, a spoiled rich guy loses all his money in another country and has to rely on the help of a “stranger” and a little girl to figure out what happened. Rake, wakes up sicker than a dog, and stumbles out of a hotel room that he woke up in, and falls into the canals of Venice. He doesn’t remember how he got there or what happened recently. Delaney comes along and offers to help him and introduces him to a little girl named Lilith. Their adventures and entertaining. I like the way the author writes with humor, but she goes back and forth from the present to what happened previously. She put quite a bit of italian sentences in the dialouge, which doesn’t get explained until the end of the chapters. Took me a few chapters to figure that one out. I didn’t dislike the book, it just took me a while to get into the story.
3.5 Stars! Quirky, cute, and lighthearted!
The Love Scam is an intriguing, edgy story that transports you to Venice, Italy and into the life of the rich, handsome Rake Tarbell who wakes up with a wicked hangover, no phone, no memory of how he got there, and in the unexpected presence of a woman with a hidden agenda and a little girl who may or may not be his daughter.
The writing is creative and witty. The characters are unique, charming, and likeable. And the plot, along with all the subplots, intertwine and unravel quickly into a humourous tale filled with family, friendship, danger, mystique, oddball situations, hilarious mishaps, and outrageous adventures.
Overall, The Love Scam is an intricate, lively, funny tale by Davidson that is a little hard to follow at times with its complex plot and excessive use of internal monologues but is nevertheless extremely entertaining.
High jinks abound in this unlikely romance between a wealthy party boy who’s just lost everything and the quirky undercover ward of his newfound daughter. How this is all happening in Venice eludes him, and he must go on a crazy scavenger hunt of sorts to solve how this all happened, who’s doing it, and how to fix it.
Close proximity makes this mismatched pair partners in uncovering the truth, plus becoming a sudden father to a smarter-than-your-average child makes this crazy story believable. Hold on tight, and pay attention to every word, because this is funny, entertaining, and a joy to read.
**received an ARC from netgalley**
It is not often I get to read this author any more so this one was a delight to get into when I seen it. The humor was exactly what was needed along with the story that comes with it. Poor Rake he does have more and I do mean much more than a plate full of troubles. Another charming addition to this is Lillith who is have that plate tip over. He will have a bit of help from Claire and when the three get together more also comes along on their tail. Romance does help turn the pages but so does suspense with this author knowing how to get our attention for longer than a minute.
Hilarious Action/Adventure/Romance
There is no easy way to label this story. I can honestly say that I haven’t giggled like this over a book in a long time. The long game con is excellent, the mark is truly lovable and the situational comedy will bring a smile to your heart just thinking about it. Both the hero and heroine could have an entire series’ written about them alone, to be together in the current series is unbelievable fun. I could have done without the explicit sex but was able to skip over it with no adverse effects. I plan on going back to read the first book in the series right now. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.
A delicious hot-mess of a romantic comedy! Filled with clichés and tropes (see the author’s note since that was the plan!), a bit of mystery, and an ending that almost came out of left field (ok, it was a bit of a surprise!), what started off as a slow-read quickly picked up speed and ended up being a fun, quirky read that has left me interested in reading more about the Tarbell family!
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book provided by the publisher on NetGalley.
The Love Scam is an entertaining comedy with interesting and somewhat silly situations and characters. Twin brothers Rake, the hero, and Blake are nothing alike. Both are intelligent and handsome, but Blake is grounded and practical, while Rake is the silly one. Blake would never awaken, hung over, in a canal in Venice, Italy. Rake did just that and has no idea how he got there. When he climbs from the canal, he comes face to face with Claire Delaney, the heroine. Claire is a sort of private investigator. She has with her a little girl, Lilith, who just might be Rake’s daughter. Now the adventure begins (or continues if you count the canal incident). Enjoy a mystery, snarky dialogue, brotherly love, and a romance in bloom in this filled-with-fun story.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.
Rake Tarbell is the fun twin. His brother Blake is the responsible one. It’s no surprise when Rake ends up hungover with no pants in Venice, Italy. But that is where the predictability ends in this romantic comedy. This story features an adorably intelligent little girl, a band of former foster girls doing the wrong things for the right reasons and nosy relatives. This is a fast paced romp that is part of a trilogy and while it can be read standalone it is better if you’ve read the first book Danger, Sweetheart.
This is a new to me author. I did enjoy the story line but it did take me a minute to really follow and get into the story. There were some funny moments and overall this was a light romance that many will enjoy.
Twin brothers Blake and Rake Tarbell are as different as night and day. Blake the hardworking, never taking time off to relax and Rake, the playboy, always having fun. They know all the buttons to push to get on each others nerves. Within a day, their lives are altered. Rake can’t tell you how he ended up in Venice, Italy. He has no money, no credit cards and now at the mercy of Claire Delaney and a little girl named Lillith. Now Claire Delaney has been hired to do a job. She has had preconceived notion that all Rake does is drink and have fun. Little did she know that he has a work ethic and a very protective nature. When she asked for permission to tell him the truth, the person she works for said no. Rake was always underestimated. He figured it all out but it didn’t change the ending. Love pierced his heart and there was no going back. Love the ending with the twins on the phone.
I was pleasantly surprised by this romance by a new author to me as a reader. I will admit, at the beginning, I felt a out of sorts trying to figure out the flow of the story. The characters share an inner monologue which ended up being enjoyable but it took me some time to find the rhythm with the story. Rake wakes up in Venice, Italy completely hungover with no memory of how he ended up there. To top things off, all his money is gone along with his wallet and phone. He meets Claire who may his daughter with her, a daughter he didn’t know about. Claire has built a tough exterior after growing up in foster care. She takes on jobs to fund her Big Pipe Dream so running into Rake isn’t an accident. She expected Rake to be arrogant and obnoxious but what she finds is a man without a real direction that has a heart of gold. Lillith is a beautiful light in this story having recently lost her mother and really hoping she finds her dad out of all the chaos. Now, this story surprised me at every twist and turn and truly ended up as a fun and wonderful journey. I am really glad I got the chance to experience this author’s talent. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC that I voluntarily read and this is my honest review.
The Love Scam was my first book by author MaryJanice Davidson. I liked the storyline, and while it was funny, I didn’t really feel connected to the main characters. There was a lot going on, and maybe that’s why it was so hard to get into it. I’m sure this will be a big hit with her fans but for me, it was just okay.
I’m kind of right in the middle with this book. Overall I thought the concept for the book was good but I struggled to really get into it and found the flow choppy which made reading it a challenge. I will say that this story had a zany, over-the-top feel to it, which is something I generally enjoy but in this case I found it a bit of a turn off and I think that was because of one thing and that was the inclusion of a child. I can actively embrace wild and crazy scenarios & escapades but not when a kid is involved. As for the characters, the only one I truly and cared about was in fact, Lilith (the child), who seemed more mature than both of the main characters put together. This is my frank, freely posted review.
The Love Scam is a delightfully humorous rom-com. Full of outrageous situations and memorable characters, the story is a wild ride as rich boy Rake is taught his lesson in funny and imaginative ways. Delaney is a strong heroine with an overwhelming sense of justice that leaves you entertained and rooting for her to win over the charming playboy. The story leaves you addicted and itching to get Rake’s twin Blake’s tale on your e-reader. A feel good story with a cheerful happy ending that leaves you feeling warm and gooey inside. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.