How to Fake a Southern Gentleman: A Novel

by Mayra Cuevas, Marie Marquardt

A heartwarming and hilarious gender-swapped reimagining of My Fair Lady follows two very different women who join forces to makeover a hustler and take down one of Atlanta’s most powerful and corrupt men.

Proud, single mom Holly Simmons and ambitious journalist Luisa Martín Moreno have nothing in common—until Atlanta’s most powerful man, Griggs Caldecott Johnson III, turns both their lives upside down. Griggs is threatening Holly’s future and her job as the events manager at the hoity-toity Dogwood Hills Country Club, while Luisa gets fired for trying to expose his scheme to defraud an immigrant family and snatch up their land for a luxury development.

Determined to fight back, the women team up—and hatch a plan to infiltrate Griggs’s inner circle. Their secret weapon? Elijah Denvil Sweet, a charming hustler with a knack for reinvention. With a makeover, some etiquette lessons, and a little help from an entirely too cute linguistics professor, Eli transforms into “Tripp,” the kind of Southern gentleman Griggs might just trust.

As Holly and Luisa set their plan in motion, they come to realize they have far more in common than they ever expected. Along the way, they find friendship, men to love, and ultimately their true selves—and discover that getting justice can be as juicy-sweet as a Georgia peach.

How to Fake a Southern Gentleman delivers a rollercoaster of laughs, heart, and triumph, blending sharp wit and deep emotion with a pitch-perfect sense of justice—leaving readers cheering for two women who refuse to be underestimated.

Genres: Romance, Retellings, Contemporary, Adult Fiction, Fiction

336 pages, Paperback

Published April 7, 2026

Reviews

[Gabriela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember watching My Fair Lady several times as a child with my mom and grandmother and it holds a somewhat nostalgic place in my heart.

This is a modern take on the iconic musical, but make it Southern and give a guy the makeover this time. Journalist Luisa and single mom Holly recruit hustler Eli to pose as an investor and help expose Atlanta’s corrupt and power hungry Griggs Johnson, a man who scams people out of their homes in order to build a country club and golf course. Luisa is an immigrant from Puerto Rico trying to help a family save their home and Holly is trying get her son through college without getting fired by Griggs for refusing his sexual advances.

This is a low stakes rom com that tackles some heavy issues: class discrimination, sexual harassment, and corruption among the wealthy. While I appreciate bringing important social issues into a romance, the plot feels slightly heavy under so many ambitious themes.

The story decently portrays the manner in which dishonest men take advantage of others to get what they want with minimal to no downfall. And Griggs is the ultimate sleaze bag: lecherous, extortionist, cruel. His villainy seems a little dramatized at times, but he gets the point across.

Luisa and Holly make a lively team of heroines. The alternating first person POV makes it a little difficult to individualize them, but I enjoyed Luisa’s fire and Holly’s strong self respect. Their relationships with each other and their leading men are both sweet and heartwarming. So polite and filled with Southern charm they are just a touch saccharin.

Overall this is an enjoyable read. For anyone interested in a low tension, slightly spicy, sweet romantic comedy with a strong social message, this is worth checking out.

3.5 ⭐️’s

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.

[SJARR ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do think there are people that would find this story to be enjoyable.
It just didn't turn out to be my personal cup of tea.

Luisa and Holly have both been wronged by the same man.
Griggs Johnson is a corrupt high-society aristocrat, who has been doing shady business and stepping on the people that are “under him”.
After Luisa loses her journalism job while developing a story about him stealing land from a local family, she goes to his country club to try and learn more.
There she meets Holly. A country club employee and a single mom, who has been threatened and assaulted by this man.
Together, they develop a scheme to turn someone into the perfect southern gentleman- who will be able to infiltrate Griggs’ private circle, uncover out the truth, and take him down.

To start off with the positives:
This story has themes of romance, friendship and found family. It also includes strong, independent female main characters, who have taken on a very brave and important task. They are fighting a corrupt system, and corrupt people- which I think is something special and unique that I don’t often read in books.

I also liked Luisa and Holly’s individual stories. Both women overcame very serious, traumatic experiences- and didn’t let anything hold them back from what they believed in. Another very important and inspiring message!

The dual point-of view is a nice writing style for a story like this one. I liked being able to read from each of the women’s perspectives. It also allowed room for each of them to have developments in their romantic and family relationships- without things getting confusing or cluttered.

Unfortunately, there were just a few ways the story fell a bit short for me.
My main reason for picking this book up, was for some southern culture vibes. Something that felt like home in some way.
and going into this, I knew that there would be bad things acknowledged, and I have no problem with that!
The bad parts are bad, and should be condemned. I genuinely am not bothered by it.
But, I didn't feel like this really encompassed the reality of a big chunk of the modern-day culture. In other words, it feels a little bit stereotypical.
I think there are a lot of unique, interesting and vibey things that could have been added in addition to highlighting the negative elements of society.

I was really struggling to connect to the characters. Luisa, Holly, Eli, or Hugh- I just did not really develop an attachment to any of them. I also did not feel that they had much of a connection between themselves either.
The friendships and the romantic relationships felt somewhat empty. Perhaps more development past just trying to accomplish their goal would have made things a bit better for me.

This story also didn’t read super easily.
At a short 288 pages, I’d expected this to be very quick and easy. However, I kept having to reread passages several times to understand what was going on. It just didn’t always flow smoothly and that made it feel longer.
I also felt that some of the language used here was a bit over-the-top for the style of book that it is.

Overall, it wasn't my favorite, but I don't necessarily hate it. It has some good qualities, that I think could make it a lovely read for some- even though I didn’t connect with it that much.

Thank you to Netgalley, Atria Books/Artia Primero Sueno Press and authors Mayra Cuevas & Marie Marquardt, for providing me with the eARC of “How to Fake a Southern Gentleman”, in exchange for my honest review!
Publication date: April 7th, 2026

[Bbecca_marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

How to Fake a Southern Gentleman👒 Book Review ✨ thank you so much partner @primerosuenopress for the gifted copy!

How to Fake a Southern Gentleman
by Mayra Cuevas and Marie Marquardt
out now!

Holly Simmons, a single mom trying to keep her job, and Luisa Martín Moreno, an ambitious journalist, couldn’t be more different—until a powerful man threatens both their lives. When he targets Holly’s workplace and ruins Luisa’s career, the two team up to take him down and expose his corruption.

Their plan? Infiltrate his inner circle with the help of Elijah, a charming hustler who reinvents himself as a polished Southern gentleman to gain the man’s trust. But as their scheme unfolds, so do unexpected feelings, turning their mission for justice into something far more complicated.

💐 My thoughts:

In this one you will find A modern My Fair Lady twist, a takedown of a powerful man, and found family that makes it all worth it! I really enjoyed this fresh spin on a classic. I have to be in the right mood for heavier topics, so I appreciated how this story balanced those themes with a slightly lighter tone. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not all sunshine and roses like the cover might suggest, and it definitely hits hard at times, but the overall delivery felt a bit softer. It’s a fairly quick read, and the dual POVs kept things moving at a great pace. I especially loved the strong, independent women at the center of the story. They were easy to root for from start to finish. And of course, I’m always a fan of found family in any form, and this one delivered on that beautifully. If you enjoy modern retellings with heart, strong female leads, and a mix of grit and warmth, this is definitely one to give a read!

Happy reading 📖 👒💐✨

[Kelly {SpaceOnTheBookcase] · Rating 2 out of 5]

Holly is a single mom; once from a prominent Mississippi family, Holly has paved her own way since finding out she was pregnant at a young age. An events coordinator for an elite country club in Georgia, Holly is used to rubbing elbows with the upper echelon, but when one board member tries to get a little handsy Holly will do anything she can to bring him down. Luisa is ready to break open the case of a lifetime, but when she's fired from her job at the local newspaper instead, she is also willing to do anything she can to expose the corruption from some of the towns prominent members. A role reversal of My Fair Lady, Holly and Luisa team up to save it all.

I feel like some of my most common feedback is good idea, but poor execution. How to Fake a Southern Gentleman fits that category. The pacing felt odd; entirely too long, and the makeover filler in the middle felt like too much. I understood each FMC needed a love interest but the vocal training was a bore to slog through. The ending was also too easy. These characters climbed a mountain to pull of a hustle just for everything they ever needed to fall into their lap?

Told in dual POVs I found Holly to be a more compelling character than Luisa. Ironically I thought Holly's love interest was the most boring, while Luisa's love interest brought entertainment. I did love Luisa's family though, their scenes often brought much needed humor.

Overall it was a miss for me.

Thank you Atria for the gifted copy.

[Megan Magee · Rating 4 out of 5]

We follow journalist Luisa and single mom Holly in this gender-swapped My Fair Lady. When Griggs Caldecott III threatens to take an immigrant family's home and the ladies' jobs, the two set out to stop him and seek revenge simultaneously. This one is so funny, effortlessly swapping between two characters. The My Fair Lady concept is super cute, and the Easter eggs were a delight to find (and I'm not even a huge fan of Eliza and co). The descriptions for things may have been my favorite part- Cuevas' methods of explaining Atlanta and Puerto Rico were spectacular. Although the pace could have picked up and sometimes the two women didn't mesh personally, I would recommend this for lighthearted romance fans. Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books | Atria/Primero Sueno Press for the eARC. All opinions are entirely my own.

[Sasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This was a sweet take on a gender swapped My Fair Lady but I wanted more espionage and chaos rather than romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

[Lochi's Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

A searing looking glass into classism, racism, immigration, corruption, the wealth gap, greed, and sexual harassment. Yes, 'How to Fake a Southern Gentleman' is a romance novel but it delivers scorching, timely commentary. The society lifestyle that exists within gilded gates unwilling to welcome progress and keeping more individuals out.

Griggs is, without a doubt, the worst villain I’ve read this year. Grimy, entitled, and outright horrific. A character that preys on the vulnerable and wields their power to bend entire communities to their will. Eli and Hugh (two other characters you'll meet while reading) standout not only because they're the total opposite of his character but Mayra and Marie give them empathy that rises off the pages.

Luisa and Holly’s alliance is pure satisfaction. Watching them team up, plot, and execute their plans is a thrill, you’ll be cheering for them every chapter as justice unfolds in the best way possible.

Thank you so much Atria Books for the digital arc, out later in April 2026 this book is a great read.

[SunsetLibrary · Rating 2 out of 5]

My god this was boring. The characters were boring, the plot was boring, even the climax of the story managed to be boring as hell. They just…stumbled upon financial records that prove their entire allegation of fraud against Griggs neatly arranged for their convenience in his locker at the club. Oh, and he happened to tell Eli he hid all his private info in his locker at the club. What was the point of this whole exercise???? Luisa and Holly were simultaneously irritating and useless. Eli took up space and Hugh..wasn’t even really there. I skimmed so much of this because I just wanted it to end.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I have no relationship with the authors or publisher.

[Migdalia Jimenez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luisa, an investigative journalist, is running out of time. Her latest assignment to expose the criminal corruption of Griggs, a wealthy and powerful man, has hit a dead end. With a family facing eviction at Griggs’s hands, Luisa is determined to find the proof she needs before it’s too late.

When she meets Holly, a single mom who works in the exclusive country club Griggs frequents, and finds out he’s been sexually harassing her, they join forces to bring him down.

Their plan: enlist a local small-time hustler, Eli, to infiltrate Griggs’ elite world and get the needed information. With help from a linguistics professor, they turn Eli into ‘Tripp’, an old-money southern gentleman who’s looking to invest his trust fund.

As their risky scheme unfolds, sparks fly within this ragtag crew, with unlikely romance blooming between Luisa and Eli, and Holly and the professor, only deepening the stakes of their mission.

This gender-flipped My Fair Lady retelling is a rollicking romcom featuring a thrilling heist storyline and a keen exploration of class, race, and sex. Cuevas and Marquardt deliver a feel-good double happily ever after with Latinx representation and a fierce female friendship storyline that readers will fall for.

Thank you to Netalley and Atria/Primero Sueno Press for providing me with a complimentary advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Shannon H · Rating 4 out of 5]

How to Fake a Southern Gentleman completely won me over. I loved how much heart and depth there was beneath all the humor and scheming, the characters felt real and layered, each with their own motivations and flaws. Holly and Luisa’s partnership was especially great to read; their friendship and determination gave the story so much warmth and strength.

The setup is fun and clever, but what stood out to me most was how emotional and grounded it felt despite the wild plan they hatch. There’s slow-burn romance, justice, and plenty of charm, but also an honesty about struggle and reinvention that makes it more than just a rom-com. I had such a good time with this one and can’t wait to see what this author does next.

Thank you for this ARC, all opinions are my own.

[Danielle Walker Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley, Atria Books, Mayra Cuevas, and Marie Marquardt for the opportunity to read and review.

This was a fun, quick read. It’s a rom-com with a revenge plot, dual POV of complete opposites, southern charm, and a story of friendship.

I love anything southern (as I’m from the South), and I requested this book based on the title and cover alone, and I’m really glad I did. This reminded me of one of those made-for-TV movies you find to watch on a random weekday when you’re couch-rotting.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a rollercoaster ride this was! Luisa and Holly are both well-written, engaging characters, and you immediately get invested in their lives. Add in a couple of hunky men, an embezzlement scheme, and some high stakes hijinks, and you've got this book. Briggs, the baddie, is an odious creep of a pretentious snob, and you are rooting for him to get what's coming to him throughout the entire book. The story is rounded out with lots of other interesting characters, and is a very satisfying read.
.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

thank you to atria for the arc of how to fake a southern gentleman, the adult debut of mayra cuevas and marie marquardt, two authors who come from ya and who here throw themselves into a rom-com with a revenge plan built in, set in the country clubs of atlanta, with four protagonists and a villain so awful that, while you’re reading, you realise that more than the romantic story you want to know when and how he’s going to be destroyed (and it’s a feeling that stays with you pretty much the whole time).

tropes:
enemies to allies
slow-burn romance
makeover trope
opposites attract
take down the villain
found family
strong female friendship
single mom romance
dual pov

holly simmons works as an events manager at the dogwood hills country club in atlanta, has been raising her son aiden on her own since she was nineteen and has perfected that very specific ability to smile at people who don’t deserve it without letting them see what she’s actually thinking, which, in her environment, is basically a survival skill. the problem is that griggs caldecott johnson III, one of the most powerful members of the club, decides to go after her with harassment, blackmail and pressure, using her son’s university future as leverage.

luisa martín moreno is an investigative journalist of puerto rican origins who has just lost her job because she wanted to publish an investigation on griggs, since the newspaper chose to protect him rather than the truth. what she found out is serious though (he defrauded an immigrant family to steal their land and build a luxury resort on it), which is why she decided not to let it go.

when the two meet and realise they have the same problem (and the same goal), they make the most logical choice possible: put together an elaborate plan to destroy him from the inside, which basically means finding someone to transform into a perfect southern gentleman, infiltrate him into griggs’s circle and collect evidence. that someone is elijah “eli” denvil sweet, found while hustling college students at pool in a bar, so yes, not exactly the ideal candidate, but good enough to make it work. with the help of professor hugh pridmore, a british-punjabi linguistics professor who is told a very filtered version of the truth, eli becomes “tripp”, a convincing heir with interests in real estate investment.

from there you enter the world of atlanta’s country clubs and the plan starts to take shape but in the meantime feelings come into play that nobody had accounted for, a clash between holly and luisa risks throwing everything off and things start to get complicated in the least manageable way possible. the rest is better discovered by reading.

holly has a complicated background (teenage mother, escape from an oppressive family, an involuntary return to an environment similar to the one she had run from). her relationship with her son aiden is one of the best parts of the book because it’s not idealised but it’s not just used as emotional leverage either. she falls in love openly, without building too many walls around herself, and this shows immediately in her dynamic with hugh.

luisa is harder to handle as a character and i think that’s also why she might not click with everyone. she’s blunt, always on the defensive, often unaccommodating and in the first part she can come across as unlikable if you don’t get into her way of thinking. but she also has the most interesting narrative arc because that rigidity has a concrete foundation that comes out gradually, and everything connected to her latina identity is written with an authenticity that feels earned and not just thrown in for representation’s sake.

eli is the one who looks like the most “simple” character on paper and instead is the one who surprises you most because he starts out as a charismatic con man but underneath there’s a story much more tied to identity and self-worth. his arc isn’t powerful because he gets transformed into someone else but because he understands what he could become if someone actually believed in him. the way he relates to luisa works precisely because he never tries to push her and this makes their dynamic more interesting.

hugh, on the other hand, is the one who gets left behind. he’s a linguistics professor, charming in a quiet way but with less space than he deserved. his relationship with holly is sweet and works but it develops in a very linear and fairly fast way and always stays a little on the surface compared to the other storyline.

holly and hugh are the more immediate couple: they click straight away, they understand each other straight away and their whole dynamic is built on an emotional openness that makes the relationship tender but also predictable, in the sense that there’s never a real moment of doubt about where they’ll end up. it works but it’s not the one that holds the most narrative tension.

luisa and eli, on the other hand, hold up much better because they start from the opposite position with an obvious attraction that luisa treats as a problem to avoid rather than something to explore and this resistance creates a tension that carries through to the end. their emotional development can feel sudden in the last chapters but i think it works because it was built slowly before that.

what convinced me most are the dialogues, fast, ironic and never too forced. the heavier themes are all there, corruption, racism, harassment, immigration and classism, but they never turn into a preachy speech.

what holds everything together, though, is the friendship between holly and luisa, which is the true emotional core of the book and also the part that stays with you most because it’s never treated as secondary to the romantic relationships but as something equally important (if not more so).

it’s not a perfect book but it’s entertaining and satisfying enough to read all the way through without any effort, especially if you like the idea of a rom-com with a revenge plan, sharp dialogue and a villain you can’t wait to see lose everything.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am very thankful for Primero Sueño Press for sending me not only the ARC but also the published copy! These are my honest thoughts.

I really loved how well we got to know Luisa and Holly. I feel like knowing their characters deeply made the high stakes of their scheme even more intense. They both had something major to lose at the hands of Griggs and I loved seeing the potential ripple effect it would have if he was successful in his rich, assholery plans. I loved seeing Luisa stand strong in what she was fighting for in terms of exposing Griggs. I also loved that Holly took a risk in her life and career, as she was working at that country club for a long time.

Luisa is a journalist and has a tendency to not trust others. The reasoning for that is super valid. However, that got tiresome quickly. She took so many things personally and when something didn’t go the way she anticipated she was quick to dismiss people and be snappy. BUT she apologized, so yay. Something rubbed me the wrong way though. She was unnecessarily mean to another female character solely because she was jealous of the character’s romantic pursuit of Eli in his Tripp disguise. At one point, she couldn’t believe this character had “beauty and brains”, which just really put me off. She didn’t say that to her face, but still. The female character wasn’t even all that mean or anything, so I felt like those attacks were just childish.

Holly’s story was really sweet as we got to learn about her journey of being a team mom and everything she had sacrificed to raise her son. In her journey, we see how some parents just care about appearances and use money to pay people to keep quiet or to get rid of a “problem.” Her and her son had a loving and caring mother-son relationship! They kept in touch often and I liked seeing the hard conversations that a parent has to have with their child sometimes. It felt so realistic. I also liked her romance with Professor Hugh Pridmore as a mom who hadn’t dated in a long time. We see her grapple with feeling inadequate in terms of her education compared to Hugh, which is always a deeply layered topic. Hugh was an absolute sweetheart and they were definitely a perfect match for each other. I wish we got to see more of their romance.

he morphology stuff about accents was cool! Hugh identified various accents in Eli, in terms of him moving around the south and remnants of those accents and inflections staying with him. I think it’s also an interesting conversation about code-switching, retaining the accents of the places that you’ve lived in, and how your accent can indicate your financial status.

ALSO Hugh and Eli had a pretty cool and heartwarming/sad backstories too. I really enjoyed that we got an in-depth background of the love interests. Hugh had a surprising backstory that really paved the way of where he is now and we learn about what motivates Eli in (*ahem* hustling) doing what he does.

This is random, but one part says Eli used AI to fake a picture of himself to trick the rich people in thinking that he is the person that he is supposed to impersonate. Idk if I am being sensitive but… can’t you just photoshop that?

This was a fun read and I enjoyed it! Those few small things that stuck to me don’t take away from my enjoyment. I absolutely LOVED the apology session Luisa and Holly had at one point. They were both honest and showed a lot of growth

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to Fake a Southern Gentleman by Mayra Cuevas and Marie Marquardt is the kind of book that opens with enough nerve that I immediately knew two things: someone powerful was about to get what they deserved, and I was absolutely going to need a drink before this was over.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for my gifted ARC, which arrived at exactly the right moment in my reading life.

This book bills itself as a rom-com, but it’s sneakier than that. Yes, it’s funny. Yes, it’s cozy. Yes, there is banter, flirting, and a makeover montage that would make any classic movie proud. But underneath all that charm is a sharp little story about power, class, and what happens when women stop playing nice. Holly and Luisa come from wildly different worlds, and watching them circle each other, clash, and eventually lock arms is one of the most satisfying parts of the book. Their friendship feels earned, messy, and rooted in shared rage, which frankly is one of the strongest bonding agents there is.

The plot itself is deliciously unhinged in the best way. Take a charming hustler, slap him into tailored suits, teach him which fork to use, and unleash him into Atlanta’s country club elite to take down one truly revolting man. It shouldn’t work. And yet it does. Elijah Sweet is magnetic, frustrating, and far more emotionally layered than I expected, which makes the dual romances land with a slow-burn warmth instead of instant fluff. I appreciated that neither love story rushes to the finish line. Attraction shows up early, but trust takes its time.

What really surprised me was how much heart this book has. The humor never undercuts the emotional stakes. Holly’s role as a single mom trying to protect her son’s future, Luisa’s anger at a system that punishes truth-tellers, and the quiet ways both women carry the weight of being underestimated all give the story depth without dragging it down. The villain is almost cartoonishly awful, but honestly? That felt intentional. Sometimes you want a bad guy you can boo without guilt.

The Atlanta setting adds richness without turning into a gimmick. There’s Southern charm, yes, but also sharp commentary on who gets access, who gets ignored, and who gets exploited behind manicured lawns and polite smiles. The pacing wobbles slightly in places, and a few plot turns are a little too neat, but I was having too good a time to stay mad about it.

“Being underestimated is exhausting, but it turns out it’s also excellent camouflage.”

Did this book make me want to pause mid-read, sip something cold, and mutter “bless his heart” about several characters? Absolutely. Did it also make me root fiercely for two women taking control of their own stories? Even more so.

This is a cozy, witty, slightly sharp rom-com that knows exactly what it’s doing. Come for the makeover scheme and flirting. Stay for the friendship, the justice, and the deep satisfaction of watching powerful men squirm.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ out of 5 stars


#HowToFakeASouthernGentleman #BookReview #NetGalleyARC #RomComReads #SouthernFiction #WomensFiction #Bookstagram #ARCReview #CozyReads #RomanceBooks

[triviareads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a charming Southern twist on My Fair Lady, and when I say charming, let me be clear that I mean it in the sense that this story was both adorable and clever, and absolutely not in the sense of whitewashing the modern-day South. People of color actually exist in this story, and no one is trying to glorify the cesspool that is (white) Atlanta high society.

Investigative reporter Luisa and country club events manager Holly are both fucked over by the same rich, white, influential, racist, classist, sexual-harassing douchebag, and happen to meet during a particularly low moment. Luisa comes up with a scheme to take him down by exposing his corrupt dealings to build a new luxury development. How are they going to do this? By making over a hustler as a scion of an old Southern family, looking to invest in the development.

I really loved this set-up— it has the right amount of zaniness while still making you feel the weight of Luisa and Holly's Very Adult concerns, since Luisa lost her job, and Holly is a single mother whose job and teen son are being threatened by the villain. The scheme is well-plotted and genuinely a delight to see unfold at first, from Eli's makeover to them lying to Professor Hugh Pridmore (the Henry Higgens of this story) to get Eli elocution lessons, and all the high society shenanigans they fake their way into. Kudos to the authors for having not only a strong, unified voice, but also a convincingly adult romcom voice since they both wrote primarily YA before this. Also worth noting this is dual POV in the sense that Luisa and Holly have their own POVs, but neither love interest does.

Louisa and Eli's romance is given more time on-page— Eli is everything Louisa shouldn't want and there's a little light antagonism on her part before she realizes that he could, in fact, be a good person with a rough background. They also get the only on-page sex scene in this book. Holly and Hugh (who is British-Punjabi!) on the other hand felt pretty secondary despite there being insta-attraction on both sides and him being VERY charming and very understanding right from the start.

Because the plot to take down the villain is very much the primary storyline, it feels like both romances are somewhat relegated to the sidelines, and neatly slotted into certain scenes set aside for exclusively romantic development rather than developing through the story, the way Louisa and Holly's friendship did. I also think the story could have ended with more... of a bang? Obviously the bad guy(s) gets taken down, but it's off-page and, even Holly and Luisa's "eureka" moment just before that felt very last-minute.

The sex:

Like I mentioned earlier, there is one sex scene and it's with Luisa and Eli. It's solidly explicit, on par with other contemporaries, and I'd have loved to see something similar for Holly and Hugh.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Rating: 3.75/5
Heat Level: 3.25/5
Pub Date: April 7th

[♡Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

How to Fake a Southern Gentleman by Mayra Cuevas and Marie Marquardt is a clever tale of standing up, fighting back and demanding justice for the underdogs wrapped around a couple of love stories. Overall, it’s a feminist, fun, gender-flipped My Fair Lady full of teamwork, friendship, found family, schemes, plots, investigation, underestimation and endearing characters to root for and celebrate.

I love a good Take Down the Patriarchy story, and though this one seems outrageous at times, the authors point out truth can be stranger than fiction. Hmmm… so some of it is real? No clue but love that possibility!

As for the main characters, they’re smart, determined, brave and essential to the successful outcome of all the scheming, scamming and fact-finding. Unfortunately, one character made it really challenging to like her for most of the book. Half a lifetime later, don’t give me the someone-betrayed-and-hurt-me-so-I-use-it-as-my-excuse-to-be-stunningly-rude-and-outrageously-cruel-to-everyone-in-my-orbit justifications. Really? Grow the hell up and take accountability for your words and actions. She’s forgiven and absolved way too easily, IMHO, which irks. I need more heft in a redemption arc… maybe in the next book? Yes, I’m manifesting, but imagine the possibilities to fight more crime and corruption! The other lead and supporting characters mostly make up for the choices I didn’t like; they’re an endearing, interesting cast I’d love to see in new adventures.

On a final note: at the end of this whole saga, I feel robbed. The denouement was rushed, somewhat preposterous, and way too convenient. Also, we’re cheated of the villains’ satisfying and detailed falls from grace. Yes, they got what they deserved, but who doesn’t relish an epic takedown and sweet, sweet justice? Sigh.

Based on the book’s description, I really wanted to love and champion it, but due to these missteps, it’s a 3.5-star read for me. I did round up to four stars, however, because overall I enjoyed it. Again, it would be a kick to see the protagonists in a sequel. They made effective, complementary partners-in-crime and investigation. Whichever way they go, I’m looking forward to what’s next from these smart and talented authors.

Many thanks to Atria Books | Atria/Primero Sueno Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC. This is my honest, unbiased review.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review

Title: How To Fake A Southern Gentleman
Authors: Mayra Cuevas & Marie Marquardt
PUB: 04/07/26

Thank you so much @atriabooks and @netgalley for this gifted Arc

The Book:

Proud, single mom Holly Simmons and ambitious journalist Luisa Martín Moreno have nothing in common—until Atlanta’s most powerful man, Griggs Caldecott Johnson Ill, turns both their lives upside down. Griggs is threatening Holly’s future and her job as the events manager at the hoity-toity Dogwood Hills Country Club, while Luisa gets fired for trying to expose his scheme to defraud an immigrant family and snatch up their land for a luxury development. Determined to fight back, the women team up-and hatch a plan to infiltrate Griggs’s inner circle. Their secret weapon? Elijah Denvil Sweet, a charming hustler with a knack for reinvention. With a makeover, some etiquette lessons, and a little help from an entirely too cute linguistics professor, Eli transforms into "Tripp,” the kind of Southern gentleman Griggs might just trust. As Holly and Luisa set their plan in motion, they come to realize they have far more in common than they ever expected. Along the way, they find friendship, men to love, and ultimately their true selves-and discover that getting justice can be as juicy-sweet as a Georgia peach.

My Thoughts:

Officially one of my favorite reads! Talk about forming a sister-hood to expose the wrongdoings of shady dealers. Louisa was amazing! Her character, my favorite. I just love an investigative journalist. My heart was broken and anger sparked with the displacement of a Latin family because of fraudulent claims. Now let’s talk Griggs and Holly! I found Griggs’s character to be loathsome due to his predatory behavior. His actions were utterly repulsive and stomach-turning. I felt bad for Holly having to deal with his sexual harassment! Eli was the best! I thought this was going to be a cutesy rom-com but instead was surprised on how it touched on race, greed, corruption, and socioeconomic status. In all, I loved the story and recommend it to all!

#netgalley #atriabooks #howtofakeasoutherngentleman #bookreview #fyp

[Yaneisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 ⭐️ | 2.5/5 🌶️

Synopsis:

Luisa Martín Moreno is a journalist, and has been working with an immigrant family that is being forced out of their land. Luisa knows how manipulative, conniving and deceptive the rich can be. She will do just about anything to protect this family from losing their home—something that she experienced herself. When she tries to push for the story she finds herself fired instead.

Holly is a single mother and events manager for a “hoity-toity” country club. When one of its prolific members begins to corner Holly and threaten her job she becomes desperate and is wishing for a miracle.

Luisa and Holly team up after finding out they have the same common denominator to their issues, Griggs Caldecott Johnson III. They create a plan and find themselves a hustler, Elijah Denvil Sweet, and a professor, Hugh Pridmore to seal the deal. They’re now ready to take down this Atlanta elite who has made their life a living hell. But what they don’t expect is to find love along the way.

Review:

HOT DIGGITY DAMN! This was such a great read, I was utterly intrigued throughout the whole story. The plot was captivating and took so many twists and turns. Just when you think all is going well, nope, guess again.

You can tell that these authors really did their research on the life of a Southern country club member. Their attention to detail definitely translates onto the pages and makes the book seem that much more complex.

I really loved Luisa. As a fellow Puerto Rican I connected so much to her. The portrayal of her family and their interactions with each other was a reflection of my own. The description of the food had me ready to bust out a pot and cook immediately. I also felt the rage screaming off the pages when she talks about the systemic injustice black and brown people face—how abused, mistreated, and exploited we are.

I appreciated that the story was not romance centered, and more of the side story as the characters navigate how to take care of their main issue. It was the cherry on top.

Thank you to Atria and Primero Sueno Press for the e-ARC

[Donnica Smalls · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you give me a rom-com with a revenge plot, a makeover montage, and women teaming up to take down a rich, corrupt man? I’m already in. And How to Fake a Southern Gentleman by Mayra Cuevas and Marie Marquardt absolutely delivers.

Told in dual POV, we follow investigative reporter Luisa and country club events manager Holly, two women who have both been completely screwed over by the same powerful, privileged, sexist, white man. When their paths cross, they decide to do something about it and devise a plan to infiltrate his inner circle and expose him.

And their secret weapon? Eli, a charming hustler who gets the full makeover treatment into a polished Southern gentleman named “Tripp.” Let me tell you… the makeover storyline is FUN. Watching Eli transform had me grinning the entire time.

I’ll be honest, the beginning is a bit slower than I usually prefer. There’s a lot of setup, but it’s clear that it comes from the depth of research and care the authors put into the story. Once things pick up, though, it really hits its stride.

What surprised me most (in a good way) was how much depth this story has. There’s thoughtful commentary on gender, class, and privilege woven throughout, but it never feels heavy-handed. It adds richness to what is already a really entertaining read.

But the heart of this book? Holly and Luisa. Their partnership evolves into such a beautiful portrayal of friendship and found family. Watching them grow, support each other, and find love along the way was just as satisfying as the central plot.

There’s humor, slow-burn romance, and even a slightly unconventional third-act breakup that actually works to push the characters forward.

And as someone who lives in Atlanta, I loved all the local references: restaurants, neighborhoods, the whole vibe. It made the story feel even more immersive.

✨ Final thoughts: A fun, smart rom-com with heart, bite, and just enough chaos to keep things interesting. 3.5 stars

Thank you to Atria Books | Atria/Primero Sueño Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

[Sarah Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the Library of Sarah Ashley: Book #62
Bless Their Hearts and Pass the Sweet Tea: A Hilarious High-Society Heist with Heart

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of How to Fake a Southern Gentleman by Mayra Cuevas and Marie Marquardt — coming to bless our bookshelves on April 7th, 2026!
Y’all, grab your pearls and sweet tea, because this book is a rom-com rollercoaster with extra sass and a whole lotta heart.

What do you get when you cross a single mom who’s been holding it down solo for 19 years, a scandal-hunting journalist who gets canned for daring to care, and a con artist who’s suddenly learning the fine art of saying “y’all” without sounding like a confused goat?
Apparently, you get country club espionage, the most chaotic etiquette lessons ever recorded, two women healing from deep emotional wounds, and a man who learns to convincingly fake not just a Southern accent, but an entire lifestyle. Think My Fair Lady meets The First Wives Club with a sprinkle of Ocean’s Eleven and a deep-fried twang.
The friendship between the two leading ladies is the beating heart of this book. Their dynamic is full of laughs, loyalty, and exactly the kind of ride-or-die energy you'd want if you were training a fake Southern gentleman to infiltrate the upper crust. Also, bonus points for the duo slow-burn romances, which sneak up on you like humidity in August—suddenly you're sweating and emotionally compromised.
Honestly, this book had me grinning like a fool and yelling “YES, QUEENS!” at my Kindle.

Bottom line: This is the down home, feel-good, southern-fried caper you didn’t know you needed. Equal parts heartwarming and hilarious, with just enough scandal to keep your inner gossip auntie fed.

#BlessYourHeartAndBuyThisBook #HowToFakeASouthernGentleman #NetGalleyARC #RomComReads #BookishChaos #SouthernChicAndSlightlyUnhinged #ConArtistWithAMonogram #Bookstagram #LibraryofSarahAshley

[Ayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

How to Fake a Southern Gentleman by Mayra Cuevas and Marie Marquardt

Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Spice: 1/5 🌶️

Thank you to Atria Books, Netgalley, and the authors for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

How to Fake a Southern Gentleman is such a fun, unique, and truly enjoyable read! With lots of heart and wit, an emphasis on the significance of female friendship, and delightful slow-burn romance, How to Fake a Southern Gentleman is an interesting and captivating read.

Holly Simmons, a single mom, and Luisa Martín Moreno, a journalist, decide to team up, despite having nothing in common, in order to take down Griggs Caldecott Johnson III. Griggs threatens Holly’s job at the Dogwood Hills Country Club, while Luisa gets fired for trying to expose his schemes. So, Holly and Luisa decide to infiltrate Griggs’s inner circle with Elijah Denvil Sweet. A makeover, etiquette lessons, and help from Hugh, a linguistics professor, help Eli transform into the type of Southern gentleman Griggs might trust. But as their plan goes on, unexpected feelings start to develop as well, with Luisa and Eli and Holly and Hugh growing close.

How to Fake a Southern Gentleman excellently balances shenanigans and hijinks with found family and romance to form a story that’s equally entertaining and heartfelt. A charming Southern take on My Fair Lady, the story is so cute! Holly and Luisa are both fun characters and are great protagonists in this unique, modern version of a classic. Eli and Hugh are also fantastic love interests. Additionally, the setting is engrossing!

Overall, How to Fake a Southern Gentleman has the perfect blend of romance and mystery with excellent pacing throughout. The dual POV is done well and the authors did a great job at forming and combining the story together. A fun and fast-paced read!

[Heidi Lengenfelder · Rating 4 out of 5]

How to Fake a Southern Gentleman is the kind of rom-com that feels both classic and refreshingly bold—layering charm, justice, and heart into a story that absolutely sparkles.

At its core, this book thrives on its dynamic female friendship. Holly and Luisa couldn’t be more different on paper—one grounded in responsibility, the other driven by truth and ambition—but together, they create a partnership that feels fierce, authentic, and deeply satisfying. Their shared mission to take down a corrupt, powerful man isn’t just about revenge—it’s about reclaiming agency in a world that has underestimated them both.

And then there’s Eli… or rather, Tripp. Watching his transformation from charming hustler to polished Southern gentleman is endlessly entertaining, but what really makes his character shine is the vulnerability beneath the reinvention. His journey isn’t just about playing a role—it’s about discovering who he could be when someone finally believes in him.

The romance unfolds in soft, slow-burn layers, full of tension, longing, and those quiet, intimate moments that sneak up on you. There’s a warmth to the love stories here—plural—that makes them feel earned rather than rushed. Add in Professor Pridmore (hello, intellectual charm), and the emotional stakes deepen in the best way.

What elevates this book beyond a typical rom-com is its bite. It tackles power, privilege, and systemic injustice without losing its sense of humor or heart. The Atlanta setting feels vivid and textured, and the story balances its glitzy country club backdrop with meaningful commentary.

Smart, swoony, and just a little bit rebellious, this is a story about reinvention—in love, in identity, and in standing up for what’s right.

I received a complimentary copy and am sharing my honest review.

[Chloe - Lolos.literary.nook · Rating 2 out of 5]

HOW TO FAKE A SOUTHERN GENTLEMAN - Mayra Cuevas & Marie Marquardt

Luisa, a journalist who has just been fired. Holly, a single working class mom, has just been backed into a corner. Both at the hands of the same scummy rich man. They join forces when they stumble upon a man and convince him to help them serve revenge. With romance sparking for both Holly and Luisa, all with a ‘My Fair Lady’ twist, they work together to get a backwoods southerner to become the opposite and infiltrate high society.

The banter here was the star of the show, I found it witty and full of humour. The premise of the book was fun! The friendship between Holly and Luisa was full of heart and by the end I loved seeing their connection and how they had grown together as friends, with Eli as well.

I was very intrigued by the book blurb, but I found the book left a lot to be desired for me, even though it was well written. It had a lot going on and in this instance, Dual POV didn’t work for me, I preferred Holly's POV way more than Luisa's and struggled through Luisa's chapters. I did end up getting bored about half way through and wished there was more depth to the plot regarding taking Griggs down. It fell very flat for me, so much else was going on and it was fun, but all together, it didn't work for me.

*There was one chapter of heavy open door from Luisa’s POV in the middle, easy to skip*

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the ARC of this upcoming Novel.

[Marissa (Bookish City Gal) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for inviting me to read this book ahead of its release in exchange for my honest review.

Holly is a pro at managing difficult people with a smile on her face. Her job at an Atlanta country club has gifted her a close-knit community among the staff, along with constant practice in turning the other cheek as entitled members glide through the world unchecked.

Louisa, on the other hand, is a bleeding-heart investigative journalist who will do anything to expose injustice and call out those who exploit others.

Unfortunately for both women, one particularly entitled man sits at the center of their problems. When they discover their shared enemy, Holly and Louisa team up and hatch a plan to take him down, one that playfully echoes the plot of My Fair Lady. As you might expect, things go better than planned with their undercover man… until they don’t.

This book is a silly and self-aware riff on some beloved movie tropes, with shades of My Fair Lady and Miss Congeniality. The premise of taking down a gross, entitled man hooked me immediately, and I was invested from the start. Overall, I enjoyed the ride, though I found the side romance plots somewhat unnecessary. While they may add to the experience for some readers, I felt the story was strong enough to stand on its own without them.

The ending felt a bit rushed and predictable, but all in all, this was an enjoyable, quick, and entertaining read.

[bookedinthepnw · Rating 4 out of 5]

How to Fake a Southern Gentleman by Mayra Cuevas & Marie Marquardt was a heartfelt and satisfying romance that was a bit different from what I normally read. It follows two main FMCs and two main MMCs, and has two HEAs (three if you count taking down the bad guys)!

The first FMC is single mom Holly, the events manager at Dogwood Hills Country Club where the powerful Griggs Caldecott Johnson III is sexually harassing and blackmailing her. The second FMC is journalist Luisa, who was fired for trying to expose Griggs’s scheme to steal land for a luxury development. The two women team up to try and take Griggs down and come up with a plan to transform Eli, a sexy hustler who Luisa can’t stop staring at, into “Tripp” who can infiltrate the country club with the help of Professor Pridmore, the handsome linguistics prof who starts to catch Holly’s eye.

To be honest, this story was hard for me to read at first because a well protected privileged man who is behaving lecherously and taking advantage of everyone around him is just too real given the state of the world. However, reading his takedown was satisfying. The sweet relationship between Holly and her angel of a son Aiden, was so cute, and her wholesome romance with Hugh was also absolutely adorable. Luisa’s love story with Eli was also so touching, and he was always so patient and understanding with her despite her high high guard that she had up.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

[RedReviews4You Susan-Dara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came into this book carrying a lifelong love of Pygmalion and My Fair Lady. I grew up on the slow-burn tension between Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins — that restrained, electric march toward each other; the sense of two people feeling deeply but holding back because of propriety, circumstance, and the complicated intimacy of a student–teacher dynamic. That story shaped something in me: the yearning to be seen, the fight to be recognized as an equal, the thrill of transformation.

I share all of that because it’s the lens I brought with me after reading this book’s summary. The comparison was right there, and I couldn’t help expecting a similar emotional spark.

For me, this story didn’t quite deliver that same resonance. I kept waiting for the tension, the ache, the emotional ignition I associate with the classic — and when it didn’t arrive, I found myself feeling a bit disconnected. I can’t even pinpoint exactly what didn’t work; it was more a sense of something missing for me as a reader.

But I want to be clear:
This isn’t a bad book.
This is simply a case where I wasn’t the right reader for this story.

Readers who come in without my very specific (and admittedly nostalgic) expectations may connect with it far more easily. The writing is warm, the premise is fun, and the authors clearly had a good time with the concept.

This just wasn’t my match — and that’s okay.

[Amanda • ReadingWithMyGolden · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a cute, cozy, semi-low stakes My Fair Lady-esque (reversed genders though!) story where the main characters are working together to basically bamboozle the rich developer with sketchy methods who is set to displace a family from their home just to build some new construction. They conspire to turn a rough-around-the-edges potential swindler into someone who can pass as a gentleman, infiltrate the rich man group at the country club, and find the forged document(s) needed to save the family’s home.

I didn’t find myself as engaged with the romantic aspects of this one as I hoped to be, and the mystery aspect of it was not super high stakes, but it was an enjoyable story that’s a bit different from my average read and I really enjoyed the concept of the novel. The characters were (mostly) endearing and I was fascinated by the discussion of linguistic differences across class lines, even living in the same area. There were some small conflicts in the story that I felt could’ve been avoided, but overall the low stakes nature of this one did make for an enjoyable but not stressful read, which is sometimes a nice change from higher stakes stories! Also, the Latina representation in this one was great and I enjoyed having two FMCs from similar yet different backgrounds, joining together to fight back against the rich men trying to take over their community.

Thank you to the author for the gifted copy (won in a giveaway)! All opinions are my own.

[Kate Laycoax · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bless my heart and butter my biscuit, this book was a hoot!

What happens when you mix a single mom who’s tougher than a Georgia summer, a fired journalist with a bone to pick, and a hustler who suddenly has to master “yes ma’am” and seersucker suits? You get country club chaos, etiquette lessons gone sideways, and a con so outrageous it almost feels polite. Honestly, it reminded me SO much of Ginny & Georgia, but also with a more literary Shakespeare twist, and an ode to My Fair Lady with the genders swapped.

Holly and Luisa’s unlikely friendship is the absolute star of this novel. It is full of sass, loyalty, and the kind of energy you only get when you’re plotting to take down Atlanta’s most corrupt guy. Their banter was perfect and their schemes were delightful. Their slow burn romances were sweet and unexpected but I loved it.

I especially loved the Atlanta setting and the author nailed the Southern details without making them caricatures. The book strikes that rare balance between hilarious rom com antics and deeper themes of family, resilience, and refusing to let powerful men write your story.

If you love con artists, found family, and a little sweet tea with your scandal, then this is your next read! Funny, heartfelt, and just a touch unhinged in the best way.

Thank you to NetGalley, Mayra Cuevas, and Atria Books for the eARC of this book.

[Becky | myhyggereads · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Rounded up from 3.5 stars)

Before starting this book, I expected a lighthearted romantic comedy. Wow, was I wrong! While there are moments of hilarity, I found this to be much more of a social commentary on socioeconomic status, race, gender, greed and corruption. Holly, Luisa and Eli make an unlikely trio, but their bond is forged by their ensuing daring plan, which honestly, seems far fetched at first. The language nerd in me really enjoyed Eli’s lessons with Professor Pridmore, and yes, I can see how comparisons to My Fair Lady are being made. The severity of the topics included are a stark contrast to the romances that unfold. I’m a little torn about this, as the love stories do provide relief from some very serious situations - some of which include: fraudulent land claims displacing Latine families; sexual harassment and blackmail of a single mother by a rich and powerful man; familial expectations; racial identities and their link to belonging - however, I don’t agree that they’re enough to classify this as a romcom, IMHO. There are just so many moments that made my blood boil, especially those with misogynistic and predatory men, for me to fully embrace the comedy aspect. I think this book attempts to do a lot, but some aspects could have been better fleshed out.

Special thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for my advance copy.