Wake Me Most Wickedly

Last summer, I loved reading Marry Me by Midnight, the first in Felicia Grossman‘s Once Upon the East End series. Now she’s back with the second installment, Wake Me Most Wickedly. This book is a gender-flipped retelling of Snow White, but set in 1830s London and starring an all-Jewish cast of characters. If you enjoyed the previous book in the series, this one is a must-read!

Special thanks to Forever and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Summary

Solomon Weiss was raised by his older brother and will do anything to repay him. As his brother pursues a gentile woman, he asks Sol to minimize certain aspects of himself (like his Jewishness) and work on finding himself a respectable wife, too. But one day Sol is in the bad part of town and is saved by a woman named Hannah Moses: a pawnshop owner who’s seen as an outcast in the Jewish community. Indeed, she believes in the idea that she’s a “bad Jew” and sees only her villainous qualities. As much as Hannah and Sol are drawn to each other, she believes a life between them could never work out. And with danger lurking around every corner, Hannah doesn’t want to add to Sol’s growing list of issues.

Review

If you read Marry Me by Midnight, you may have found yourself liking Solomon Weiss by the end, even if he ultimately wasn’t Isabelle’s chosen husband. I myself thought he deserved a happy ending of his own, so I was thrilled that he would get one in Wake Me Most Wickedly. This book also introduces a new character as his love interest: Hannah Moses, a lower class woman with a criminal past who is certain she doesn’t fit into Sol’s more opulent world.

Sol and Hannah are such wonderful characters and they really jump off the pages. Sol is endlessly sweet and charming, and clever, if prone to finding himself in dangerous situations. Hannah is a tough woman who has spent the past decade trying to make a better life for her younger sister, no matter the cost. Hannah is unlike any leading lady I’ve read in a historical romance so far, and I loved how she is depicted. She might see herself as a villain unworthy of a better life, and she’s strong enough to take care of herself and others, but deep down, she has a softer side hidden away, too. Sol ends up being the perfect contrast to her.

Wake Me Most Wickedly has a ton of action and danger mixed in throughout. While Sol and Hannah build up their tentative relationship, both find themselves in shady dealings and even life-threatening situations. Blackmail, robbery, attempted murder, poisoning—it’s all there, keeping the plot moving at a quick pace. And as this is a gender-flipped Snow White reimagining, you can expect to encounter certain characters and themes along the way.

Another thing I enjoyed about Wake Me Most Wickedly is how it infuses Jewish culture and history. I’m not Jewish myself, but I enjoyed getting to know more about what life was like for Jewish people in 1830s London, for upper and lower classes alike. Seeing Hannah’s, Sol’s, and his brother Frederick’s different experiences within Jewish culture and in relation to the gentiles of the time was eye-opening. The author has done a masterful job of bringing their history and the East End of 1830s London to life.

Final Thoughts

Wake Me Most Wickedly is an action-packed, steamy, and smart historical romance for fans of fairy tales, flipped gender roles, and a lot of Jewish culture. So far I’m really enjoying the Once Upon the East End series, and I’m looking forward to the next two books. Felicia Grossman has already announced that next year we’ll get Seduce Me in Secret, a retelling of Beauty and the Beast that will star Rebecca Adler and Roger Berab (both of whom have appeared in the first two books already). After that, Dream of Me Until Dawn will reimagine Sleeping Beauty, though it remains to be seen who will star in that one!

Get the Book

You can buy Wake Me Most Wickedly here – it’s available as a paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

Wake Me Most Wickedly by Felicia Grossman
Series	Once Upon the East End (#2)
Audience	Adult
Genre	Historical Romance
Setting	England
Number of Pages	368
Format I Read	Ebook (NetGalley ARC)
Original Publication Date	April 9, 2024
Publisher	Forever

Official Summary

BookPage Most Anticipated Romances of 2024

“No one writes love stories with more heart, more swoons, and more sizzle” (Joanna Shupe, USA Today bestselling author) in this clever reimaging of Snow White, where a handsome businessman will do anything to win the heart of the only woman he cannot have. 

Solomon Weiss has little interest in power, but to repay the half-brother who raised him, he pursues money, influence, and now—a respectable wife. That is, until outcast Hannah Moses saves his life, and Sol finds himself helplessly drawn to the beautiful pawnshop owner.  

Forever tainted by her parents’ crimes, Hannah sees only a villain when she looks in the mirror—no one a prince would choose. To survive, she must care for herself, even if that means illegally hunting down whatever her clients wish. So, no matter how fair or charming she finds Sol, he belongs to a world far too distant from her own.   

Only neither can resist their desires, and each meeting weakens Hannah’s resolve to stay away. But when Hannah discovers a shocking betrayal in Sol’s inner circle, can she convince him to trust her? Or will fear and doubt poison their love for good?