My review: 4.25⭐
This one was a super cute, clean, slow burn celebrity story that was a hoot.
Gracie is being harassed at work by her boss, Todd. She’s having trouble standing up to him, so she reaches out to a lawyer, but she doesn’t have the proof he needs to take Todd down. Then she gets fired and starts to worry about how she’ll pay for the care her ailing mother needs.
Fangli is a famous actress in China, but is currently working on a play in Canada with her famous bff, Sam. She’s getting worn out and really needs a break. She seeks out Gracie, who happens to resemble her greatly. They form a 2 month agreement where Gracie will go to events with Sam and pretend to be her.
Sam is totally not on board with this arrangement at all and thinks it’s going to backfire. They basically just tolerate each other until, eventually, after getting to know each other, they form a bond and begin to enjoy each others company.
I love that she created EPPY when she wasn’t getting the results she needed with the programs that are available for life planning.
I liked all the characters and the book was well written. Except, at times, Gracie did bother me with always finding it hard to believe Sam really could like her for her and not when she was pretending to be Fangli. I enjoyed watching Gracie and Fangli’s friendship develop.
There were elements of depression, anxiety, and Alzheimer’s that were realistically written.
Overall, this was a solid debut novel and I’d read her work again.
*Thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca and Lily Chu for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Book blurb: Release date ~ May 3, 2022
How to upend your life:
–Get fired by gross, handsy boss
–Fail to do laundry (again)
–Be mistaken for famous Chinese actress
–Fall head-first into glitzy new world
Gracie Reed is doing just fine. Sure, she was fired by her overly “friendly” boss, and yes, she still hasn’t gotten her mother into the nursing home of their dreams, but she’s healthy, she’s (somewhat) happy, and she’s (mostly) holding it all together.
But when a mysterious SUV pulls up beside her, revealing Chinese cinema’s golden couple Wei Fangli and Sam Yao, Gracie’s world is turned on its head. The famous actress has a proposition: Due to their uncanny resemblance, Fangli wants Gracie to be her stand-in. The catch? Gracie will have to be escorted by Sam, the most attractive—and infuriating—man Gracie’s ever met.
If it means getting the money she needs for her mother, Gracie’s in. Soon Gracie moves into a world of luxury she never knew existed. But resisting Sam, and playing the role of an elegant movie star, proves more difficult than she ever imagined—especially when she learns the real reason Fangli so desperately needs her help. In the end, all the lists in the world won’t be able to help Gracie keep up this elaborate ruse without losing herself… and her heart.
