Top 5 romcoms with cons, chosen by PJ Ellis

This is not your average romcom selection, as PJ Ellis chooses five stories that deliver a sting in the tail.

A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting by Sophie Irwin

Kitty Talbot enters high society and sets about snaring a wealthy husband in order to save her family from financial ruin. But her gold-digging schemes are complicated by one Lord Radcliffe, who can seemingly see straight through her.  

Cassandra French’s Finishing School for Boys by Eric Garcia

After years of meeting nothing but dirtbags while dating in Los Angeles, Cassie takes it upon herself to start re-educating some of these problematic men – by chaining them up in her basement until they learn how to treat women properly.  

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Fingersmith by Sarah Waters 

Sue, an orphan who has been raised in a Victorian den of thieves, secures a position as maid to Lady Maud Lily, with the goal of swindling her out of her fortune. What follows is a delightfully twisty, emotionally charged game of cat and mouse between the two women. 

Burn It All Down by Nicolas DiDomizio 

When Joey finds out his boyfriend has been cheating on the same day that his mother Gia falls out with her toxic boyfriend, the duo go full Thelma & Louise, accidentally setting a house on fire and then running for the hills. 

Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

So many modern stories borrow from the archetypal plots of Shakespeare, and this tale of love triangles, secret identities, and farcical misunderstandings has all the hallmarks of a timeless rom-com.  

Love & Other Scams by PJ Ellis is out now (HarperNorth, £14.99). You can buy it, and some of these titles, from The Big Issue shop on Bookshop.org, which helps to support The Big Issue and independent bookshops.

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