Waiting on Wednesday #1

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.
It's a weekly meme about upcoming books we're excited about!

Born of Illusion

(Born of Illusion #1)

by Teri Brown

Publication Date: June 11, 2013

From Goodreads:

Anna Van Housen is thirteen the first time she breaks her mother out of jail. By sixteen she's street smart and savvy, assisting her mother, the renowned medium Margeurite Van Housen, in her stage show and seances, and easily navigating the underground world of magicians, mediums, and mentalists in 1920's New York City. Handcuffs and sleight of hand illusions have never been much of a challenge for Anna. The real trick is keeping her true gifts secret from her opportunistic mother, who will stop at nothing to gain her ambition of becoming the most famous medium who ever lived. But when a strange, serious young man moves into the flat downstairs, introducing her to a secret society that studied people with gifts like hers, he threatens to reveal the secrets Anna has fought so hard to keep, forcing her to face the truth about her past. Could the stories her mother has told her really be true? Could she really be the illegitimate daughter of the greatest magician of all?

Belle Epoque

by Elizabeth Ross

Publication Date: June 11, 2013

From Goodreads:

When Maude Pichon runs away from provincial Brittany to Paris, her romantic dreams vanish as quickly as her savings. Desperate for work, she answers an unusual ad. The Durandeau Agency provides its clients with a unique service - the beauty foil. Hire a plain friend and become instantly more attractive.

Monsieur Durandeau has made a fortune from wealthy socialites, and when the Countess Dubern needs a companion for her headstrong daughter, Isabelle, Maude is deemed the perfect foil.

But Isabelle has no idea her new "friend" is the hired help, and Maude's very existence among the aristocracy hinges on her keeping the truth a secret. Yet the more she learns about Isabelle, the more her loyalty is tested.  And the longer her deception continues, the more she has to lose.