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MaryJanice Davidson
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The Love Scam Kindle Edition

by MaryJanice Davidson (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 136 ratings

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 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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  1. Book 2 of 2
    Danger, Sweetheart
  2. Print length
    308 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    St. Martin's Griffin
  5. Publication date
    August 4, 2020
  6. File size
    1.3 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Over-the-top humor and outrageous situations...have made her a best-seller. ―Booklist on Me, Myself, and Why?

Wacky, witty and wonderful! ―RT Book Reviews on Me, Myself, and Why?

Laugh-out-loud funny. ―Romance Junkies on Me, Myself, and Why?

About the Author

MaryJanice Davidson, a New York Times bestselling author, has been credited with creating the paranormal chick lit genre. She made the USA Today and the Wall Street Journal bestsellers lists for her popular Undead series, which Booklist calls "bubbly fun." She lives in Minnesota with her family.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0818MSXVQ
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ St. Martin's Griffin (August 4, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 4, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.3 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 308 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 136 ratings

About the author

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MaryJanice Davidson

MaryJanice Davidson

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MaryJanice is a NYT and USA TODAY best-selling author published across multiple genres, including the UNDEAD series and the FOSTERWERE trilogy. Her books have been published in over a dozen languages and have been on best-seller lists all over the world. She has published books, novellas, articles, short stories, recipes, reviews, and rants, and writes a bi-weekly column for USA Today.

A former model and medical test subject, she lives in St. Paul, MN, with her husband. You can reach her at mjd@maryjanicedavidson.org, find her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/maryjanicedavidson, follow her on Twitter and Instagram (https://twitter.com/MaryJaniceD; @ maryjanicedavidson), and check out her website at maryjanicedavidson.org.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
136 global ratings

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This was a highly entertaining read, so much so, that I sped through it on a single afternoon.
4 out of 5 stars
This was a highly entertaining read, so much so, that I sped through it on a single afternoon.
I was lucky enough to win an advanced copy of this from the author herself, as I follow (read: stalk) her Facebook page on the regular.It's clear that anyone who rated this lower than 4 stars, especially based on the writing style or comedic characters, has never read a book from MaryJanice Davidson before. She has the uncanny ability to create characters that I'd want to throttle if I knew them in person, but can't help but love and laugh at on the page.This was a highly entertaining read, so much so, that I sped through it on a single afternoon. I was desperate to figure out the mystery of Rake's misfortune, Lillith's parentage, and Delaney's motivations. It was a slow, and hilarious, crawl to the burn between Rake and Delaney, and the payoff was sooo worth it. I loved their interactions, both between each other and little miss Lillith, and felt the story tumbled at a great pace before its grand reveal at the end.Predicable? Absolutely. Loved every minute of it. But I also shamelessly binge her Alaskan Royals trilogy whenever I need the comfort of a good, clean and contented laugh.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Pamela Twombly
    5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome
    Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Well written with super dialogue. Fun read! Hooked from the first page even though I don't speak any language other than english
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  • Shirin Rasheed
    5.0 out of 5 stars Romantic and Hilarious Read!!
    Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2024
    The Love Scam by MaryJanice Davidson is Romantic and a Hilarious Read. I enjoyed reading it a lot. It was just what I needed to read this time.

    A Five star read and Highly Recommended.
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  • MK French
    4.0 out of 5 stars Fun with romance novel tropes
    Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2020
    Review first posted at Girl Who Reads. A free copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

    Rake Tarbell woke up in Venice, Italy with no wallet or phone, and apparently no way to get hold of the fortune he normally has access to. That leaves him with Claire Delaney, the woman acting as a private investigator who has a young girl in tow that might be his daughter. He has to help Claire with her endeavors to earn enough money to get a phone, and somewhere along the way Claire and Lillith both grow on him. That’s good for all three because there are men following them in Venice, and too many secrets to determine who those men work for.

    Love romance novel tropes? Then you’re in luck. This novel hits SO MANY of them, there’s even a list of them at the end with notations if the trope was inverted. Normally I don’t like parenthetical storytelling (where thoughts are inserted partway through like this) but it works in this case. The story is told from Rake’s point of view, and frequently he interrupts his own thoughts and statements. He is charming in spite of himself, really, which draws in others. Rake, even with such a suggestive name like that, isn’t one to emotionally compromise others. He’s had his fair share of flings as a handsome rich man fluent in multiple languages that went to different countries around the world, but it was understood by both parties. Claire has her history in the foster care system which means she immediately distrusts his charm and thinks less of him for it. Rake does have a genuine desire to help others at times, even when he can’t actually do anything useful about it, which sets their emotional connection rolling from the start.

    Lillith is a cute and intelligent child and is a great counterpoint to Rake’s wild mood and behavior changes. I really liked her as well as Claire. Rake is our central character, and I found him as annoying and charming as Claire did from the start. As smart as Rake can be, he often prefers to play dumb in order to be liked by random strangers and avoid responsibility. He’s diametrically opposite to Claire, who almost takes on too much responsibility behind the scenes. The story behind her past is gradually revealed, as is Lillith’s parentage and the secrets her mother was keeping. If anything, it’s sad what happened to her mother and to all the young women of their group. That drives them to try to do better for others, which is always a worthy goal.

    As a book that thrives on tropes, yes, it can get a little predictable at points. That doesn’t make this terrible, it’s more that it’s a fun and comfortable type of story so that when the suspense kicks up at the end, we’re more invested in the characters and care about what happens to them.
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  • Jill Nicely
    3.0 out of 5 stars charity begins in italy
    Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2020
    Rake Tarbell is lucky to find himself in Venice. Anywhere else in the world, if he woke up alone, in a strange hotel room, hungover, and he stumbled outside, he wouldn’t have any idea where he was. But since he was in Venice, once he stumbled outside of the hotel and fell into the canal, he knew at once that he was in Italy. But his wallet was at the bottom of the canal. And his phone? Nope. Passport? Nope. And after that last time in Venice, the authorities aren’t really going to be willing to help, as they’d told him not to come back.

    Rake does try to borrow a phone, to call his brother. Blake and Rake are twins, both millionaires, but Blake is the ultra-responsible one, the reliable one, the one to call when you’ve falling into the canal in Venice. But the borrowed phone just tells him that his bank account is empty and Blake can’t help him.

    What’s a confused, lost, hungover, wet millionaire to do now but trust in the help of a beautiful stranger?

    Claire Delaney may have had a rough start in life, but she has come a long way. No longer weak, no longer vulnerable, no longer helpless, now she is strong and in control and has to keep an eye on the irresponsible millionaire. For one thing, it’s her job. And for another, there is Lillith. The daughter of one of her best friends, Lillith may be Rake’s daughter. And since her mother died in a car accident, Delaney is going to make certain that Lillith stays safe and protected, no matter what the cost.

    But when Rake throws himself into helping Delaney and Lillith build Easter baskets for needy kids in Italy, Delaney finds herself warming towards the irrepressible irresponsible Rake. She can’t be falling for him, though. Absolutely not. Definitely not. It would ruin everything. Right?

    MaryJanice Davidson has written a twisty rom com with a little bit of danger and a lot of fun. The Love Scam is a wild ride of a novel, filled with flips and secrets and surprises. The characters are charming (especially Lillith), and the writing is lively and fun.

    But as much as I loved parts of this book, there were other parts that I found frustrating. The author’s voice was mostly bubbly and vibrant, but it’s occasionally intrusive. And the twists of the story that got me interested early on got muddled in the middle, and it was difficult to tell what was going on or why. It does come together again in the end, but it was hard to keep reading some times, when it was just confusing and strange.

    MaryJanice Davidson is not a typical writer. I think she’s more of an acquired taste. It’s not a bad thing, but if I were you, I’d read a few pages before you jump in all the way to make sure you’re comfortable with her writing. If you’re in, then congratulations! You’ve found an inventive author to follow. Buckle up, because it’s going to be quite a ride!

    Egalleys for The Love Scam were provided by St. Martin’s Griffin through NetGalley, with many thanks.
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