Book Review: Love & Other Scams by Philip Ellis

This is, beyond a doubt, the rom-com crime caper of my dreams. It was so much effortless, vivid fun that I’ve already fan-cast Florence Pugh as Cat and Rege-Jean Page as Jake in the movie version of this book. So avidly do I want to be able to experience this story again in another, more visual medium.

Cat Bellamy is approaching her thirties and feeling increasingly left behind by her London social circle. She moved to the big city after majoring in art at university, though thought she’d been smart to pivot to graphic design to make her skills more marketable. Turns out that was what everyone else with an art degree was doing, too, so Cat has spent her post-graduate years struggling to eke out a living as a freelance graphic designer. Her roommates are planning to move to the countryside at the end of the summer, meaning Cat will need to find a new and unavoidably more expensive place to live. And all her friends, it seems, are not only getting married but are active participants in a bridal-industrial complex that demands everyone in their wedding parties splash out extravagant sums to prove their commitment to the marrying couple’s happiness.

Being asked to not only attend but to be in the wedding of Louisa Vincent—her socialite best friend from uni—is Cat’s last, unaffordable straw. In a fit of emotion, she confides all in her favorite bartender, Jake Marlowe. Being your fairly typical straight dude, Jake doesn’t really understand Cat’s predicament, offering her some tough love instead:

“Forgive me. I didn’t realize your social life was authored by Jane Austen and that skipping the wedding of a woman you clearly don’t even like very much would ruin you.”

 

Once upon a time, Cat would have rushed to deny Jake’s allegation. Louisa is my best friend, she would have said. But at some point, and not even particularly recently, that ceased to be even remotely true. A best friend is someone you can confide in, right? Share anything with? Cat tries to imagine telling Louisa about her money troubles, tries even harder to envision Louisa’s understanding, and soon gives up. Turns out she doesn’t have a best friend after all. Maybe she never did.

As Cat and Jake talk through her woes, they begin to jokingly discuss not only the gigantic diamond on Louisa’s engagement ring but also the steps they could take to steal it and sell it off. After all, they had first bonded over the fact that Cat had lifted money from the wallet of a bar patron who’d been trying to get in her pants. She tries not to make too much of a habit of stealing from rich guys who view her as little more than meat, but freelance gigs are thin on the ground and she has to make ends meet somehow. Cat was honestly surprised that Jake never busted her for grifting his bar patrons… until she figured out it was because he didn’t want any attention drawn to his own somewhat questionable activities.

The longer they joke, though, the more they realize they actually have a pretty good plan. It will hinge, of course, on them successfully pretending to be a couple in love, so as to more easily infiltrate the bridal party. As they spend more time together, they discover that acting as if they’re in love keeps getting easier and easier. But as complications arise and the stakes grow ever higher, will they be able to stay true to their goals, and to each other?

I adored this funny, modern caper of two small-time con artists—everyday people, really—going for the big score. Philip Ellis does an amazing job of making both Cat and Jake likable and relatable. Cat is pushed to desperation not only by the expectations of society but also by a ruthless gig economy where she and so many others like her vie desperately for scraps. When she mentions her sympathy for her peers to Jake, he runs with the idea, showcasing yet again how well these two collaborate:

“I can see it now!” Jake looks into the middle distance. “Cat Bellamy and her band of merry men, stealing from unscrupulous clients and giving to London’s underclass of copywriters, designers and photographers.”

 

“Joke all you want,” Cat says with a mock scowl. “If creatives actually had time and resources, they could come up with some truly ingenious schemes.”

 

“A lack of resources doesn’t seem to have presented much of an obstacle to you,” says Jake, taking a step forward. “I mean, look around. You’ve planned an entire heist with nothing more than a cracked iPhone and a grudge.”

Love & Other Scams was an absolute pleasure to read. I was genuinely surprised that this assured book was Mr Ellis’ first novel, but wouldn’t be at all shocked if it was optioned for the screen soon. It’s an utterly delightful, romantic crime novel that had me laughing and crying with all the genuine emotion it evoked over the course of its effervescently clever yet still thoughtful narrative. Highly recommended.