First published 2000
Nick and Susy Lansing begin their marriage as professional opportunists—two beautiful, broke socialites who plan to survive by manipulating New York's elite. Their unorthodox agreement: leverage social connections for financial gain, trading charm and access for temporary comfort. But as their schemes unravel, they discover a dangerous game where emotional intimacy becomes both weapon and vulnerability. Each manipulation threatens to destroy their fragile bond, forcing them to choose between calculated survival and genuine connection. Can love emerge from a relationship built on strategic performance?
Genres: fiction, drama, romance, literary-fiction, 20th-century, contemporary, 19th-century
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fake-relationship, social-climbers
Setting: New York
Period: 19th-Century
272 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Signet Classics