Nouveau Riche

B. E. Baker

Nov 2023 · The Scarsdale Fosters Book 2 · Purple Puppy Publishing

About this ebook

After a lifetime in rags, Emerson had no idea that riches came with so many strings. 

As a foster kid in the system, Emerson Duplessis never had two nickels to rub together. He worked harder than anyone else he knew and graduated with a degree in accounting—the safest career he could imagine. But when a round of unexpected layoffs leaves him unable to pay his rent, he resorts to taking temp jobs found for him by friends.

At one odd job, serving hors d’oeuvres at a funeral, his friend points out that the dead man in the massive portrait looks exactly like Emerson. The bereaved mother of the deceased turns out to be the grandmother who tried to prevent him from ever being born. Now that her only child has passed, she makes Emerson an offer.

She’ll leave her massive estate to him, but only if he shows he can properly run it, marries a high society woman, and has an heir. At one of his grandmother’s horrible parties, Emerson meets the well-educated, pampered daughter of one of his late father’s friends, Elizabeth Moorland.

She mocks him to the entire room, and Emerson hates her from the start, but he also discovers that she needs money, badly. He agrees to get her the money she needs if she pretends to be his girlfriend to keep his grandmother happy. But Elizabeth Moorland has a secret, and if it comes out, it will ruin both their plans. 

Can Emerson manage to satisfy the woman who never wanted him in order to secure the life he’s always wanted? Or will he discover that sometimes even gold that glitters isn’t worth the price?

Ratings and reviews

I love getting the story of Emerson all grown up. And even though he never did allow Seren and Dave adopt him, you can tell by their relationship that he sees them as his mom and dad. And Elizabeth is such a sweetie character. She feels she has to play a part and her parents have always tried to keep up with the Joneses, which hasn’t always worked out. You would like Elizabeth would be jaded, but she has such a heart for the hurting, both animals and people. Loved it! Ready for next book.

This series is obviously about fostering and adopting, but what I found kind of fun about this book is that it includes the fostering of animals as well. My very favorite thing about this story. It's how it emphasizes that sometimes what matters most is what's in the heart. The romance between Elizabeth and Emerson was nice and sweet, and I always enjoy a fake dating scenario.I enjoyed getting to see Seren and Dave in this book and also the other kids they took in over the years.

I really enjoyed this second book in the Scarsdale Fosters series about Emerson, Seren & Dave's first foster child from the first book, all grown up. He's likeable, realistic and has just found a bio-relative; he keeps his character in a rich world with many rules. Elizabeth is a wonderful, caring woman, running low on funds for her charity. And they are wonderful together. Highly recommend to all who like romances!

About the author

Bridget loves her husband (every day) and all five of her kids (most days).

She’s a lawyer, but does as little legal work as possible. She has six horses, and she spends too much time riding and not enough time writing. (Or too much time writing and not enough time riding, depending on your perspective!)

She has more chickens than she’ll admit to having, two lions head rabbits, a cat, two dogs (one bouncy and one yappy). She makes cookies waaaaay too often and believes they should be their own food group. In a (possibly misguided) attempt at balancing the scales, she kickboxes daily.

So if you don’t like her books, her kids, her horses, her chickens, or her cookies, maybe don’t tell her in person. 


B.E. Baker is the romance/women's fiction penname for Bridget E. Baker, who also writes fantasy, end of the world, and dystopian books that add a little magic to the world.

Please sign up for Bridget's fantasy or romance newsletters on her website at www.BridgetEBakerWrites.com or click Follow on her bio above to get notices and updates when she releases new books!