14. At the end of the novel, Eliza turns down Raj’s suggestion that she take a photo on her flight in order to “live in the moment.” Months earlier, in chapter 8, she was staging covert vignettes at Blake’s apartment with the hashtag #ElizaFoundHerJewel. What do you think this says about Eliza’s growth throughout the story?

Enhance Your Book Club

1. Read Hannah Orenstein’s first novel, Playing with Matches, with your group. (Did you catch Sasha’s and Caroline’s cameos in Love at First Like?) Think about the differences between these characters and stories.

2. Look up the Instagram profiles of some of the influencers mentioned here, such as @emilyweiss, @leandramcohen, and @whitney. Do you have favorite Instagram influencers you follow? Share them with your friends.

3. Do as Eliza and Carmen and plan a happy hour night out. If you’re in New York, try AOC East, Le Boudoir, or Dorrian’s. If not, visit your favorite local spot or the place where you would most likely find a fake fiancé.

A Conversation with Hannah Orenstein

You last novel, Playing with Matches, was about a matchmaker in her early twenties. This is about a small jewelry shop owner nearing thirty. What was it like to write these two different protagonists?

I started writing Playing with Matches when I was twenty-two. I wanted to create a protagonist who struggled with the same postgrad challenges that I did, like adapting to adulthood, navigating the ways in which old friendships evolve over time, and striving to create a fulfilling career. I loved writing about that exciting, exhausting, exhilarating time. By the time I wrote Love at First Like three years later, I wanted to explore the life of a protagonist who was a little bit more confident in her career and her own capabilities. People say to write what you know; I felt a little older and wiser than I did with my first book, and that helped me find Eliza’s voice.

Stories about fraud or cons—like the Fyre Festival or Anna Delvey—particularly about “influencers,” are popular right now. Why do you think this has become a cultural fascination of ours? Did these kinds of real-life stories help inform Eliza’s?

Yes! I had been playing around with the concept of a jewelry store owner whose lies start to spiral out of control when I first learned about Anna Delvey. The cultural fascination with her story gave me confidence that I was on the right track.

Jewelry is a big part of this novel. How did you come up with the pieces Eliza and Sophie might sell in the store?