A clever, biting novel about con artists, deception, and emotional manipulation. The characters are flawed and fascinating. Darkly funny and unsettling in the best way.

Have you ever met a person that made you feel like you are your best version of yourself? Made you feel like you were meant to meet and be together, yet you only just met the person? This is what happens to both Gibson and Shelby when they meet Cammie. Not at the same time, mind you. Cammie and Gibson meet first and they have a whirlwind romance that had me cheering for their success as Gibson is recently divorced and he had been floundering prior to meeting Cammie. Meanwhile Shelby's life is falling apart after the death of her wife, until she meets Cammie at a grief support group. Their friendship happens quickly and is glorious. What a great feel-good book! And then the perpetual lies Cammie tells start to get all tangled up because Gibson and Shelby meet each other and soon join forces to call Cammie out on her bad behavior. If you are fortunate enough to have never fallen for anyone who behaves this way, then you will not understand this book. If you have been on the receiving end of a love bombing narcissistic personality then you will feel very seen and heard when you read this book. You will probably also feel a bit sad and frustrated, because you have been there, but you will have allies in Gibson and Shelby. I found their reactions to Cammie's behavior to be very realistic. This is a short book and a fast read.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the DRC in exchange for my honest review.

"The Fake" follows a con artist who assumes two identities, but the execution falls flat. The characters lack depth and development, making it difficult to connect with their journeys. Cammie, in particular, was frustrating to the point of distraction, which made it even harder to stay engaged. The premise had the potential for a gripping, high-stakes story, but the con itself felt unconvincing and underdeveloped. A more intricate scheme or stronger character arcs could have made this a compelling read, but as it stands, I found it difficult to stay invested.

Blah. This book didn't do a thing for me. No nothing. Commie is a scammer and just keeps moving along to the next. Nothing climaxes. Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the advance ecopy.

The epitome of women's wrongs across multiple storylines. In The Fake, we initially meet seemingly unconnected characters only to discover they are being scammed/catfished/deceived by the same young woman. This sympathy is messy and unhinged at times but also feels not too far out of the realm of possibility. I was immediately invested in seeing how far things would go and whether or not the truth of everyone's interconnected situations would come out in the end. A very fun read, especially if you enjoyed The Guest and following Caroline Calloway on ig.

The Fake by Zoe Whittall, started off with a strong plot but lost me as it went on. I just did not connect with the writing/plot.

So this came out a while ago, I let it sit around for a while (...oops). And I gotta say the whole time I was reading it I thought of that woman Amanda or whatever her name was, who pulled the decade long scan of having cancer, working for Grey's Anatomy and the whole time she was fine. I think I didn't take in much of the story, because that was all I could think about the whole time, so I'm rating this one four stars.

it feels cliche to say that a book feels like a breath of fresh air but thats exaclty what this story felt like.

Grief, Lies, and Relationships

The Fake by Zoe Whittall delves into the lives of two grieving and vulnerable characters, Shelby and Gibson, who are drawn into the orbit of a charismatic scam artist named Cammie. Shelby is grappling with the death of her wife and is struggling with severe anxiety and isolation. Gibson, on the other hand, is a middle-aged man dealing with depression after a recent breakup. Both find solace in Cammie, who brings a whirlwind of excitement into their lives, masking her true intentions.

The Fake stands out as a gripping and emotionally charged novel that delves into the intricacies of human relationships and the impact of deception. Whittall's skillful storytelling and keen observations make it a compelling read, though some readers may wish for a more fleshed-out narrative. The book's strength lies in its ability to evoke empathy and provoke thought, making it a worthwhile addition to contemporary fiction.

In conclusion, The Fake by Zoe Whittall is a poignant and engaging novel that masterfully explores the themes of grief, vulnerability, and deceit, leaving a lasting impression on its readers.

I loved this book and recommended it to about 30 people, so it’s gotten a lot of buzz around my reading community. The prose is well constructed. The writing is clever but authentic. It’s funny. The characters are engaging but they feel real enough that their growth is rewarding. The plot has everything!!!! that I want in a book. This was definitely one of my top books of the year and I’m so glad I read it. I find myself referring to it constantly in conversation. I would love to see it as a series or a movie!

I enjoyed the concept of this book. With two people grieving for different reasons at a vulnerable point in their lives and getting taken by a con artist.

But the execution left something to be desired. It was too predictable.

What an enthralling read! I was surprised by my overall enjoyment of this book having seen the pretty average ratings, but I thought this was an impressive novel. I found myself incredibly intrigued from the jump. I would compare my feelings to how I felt when reading The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo: completely sucked in by messy characters and messy truths.

Gibson is getting a divorce. He still doesn't know how to feel about it when he meets Cammie. What seems to be a one night stand after a night out at a bar, turns into a full-fledged relationship. A relationship that seems to be moving too fast. Gibson ignores his friends concerns regarding his intense adoration for Cammie, but he can't help the fact that he starts catching Cammie in some pretty big lies.
Shelby is constantly struggling on her day-to-day after her wife, Kate, passed away. Shelby has been suffering with severe health-anxiety for a long time, and Kate was her rock, the only person that actually understood and helped Shelby, all while loving her for who she is. Shelby finally decides to go to a grief therapy group, in hopes that she will feel more motivated to progress in her grieving and get better enough to consistently leave the house. This is where Shelby meets Cammie, and their friendship blooms quickly, giving Shelby someone to connect with for the first time since Kate's passing. Unfortunately, Shelby's kindness could be taken instead for naiveté. Perhaps that's what Gibson and Shelby have in common, a quality that Cammie looks for in others, just so she can get what's hers, and stay afloat.

I applaud Whittall for how well she constructed our two MCs. Shelby's health anxiety was so well-written, I started to feel anxious whilst reading. Gibson's struggles post-divorce and his infatuation with Cammie made for an introspective narrative sprinkled with suspense. I was always eager to pick this back up again, and this story felt so real to me, that I would find myself wanting to bring it up to my friends as if these characters were real individuals that I knew.

The only reason I was a bit disappointed once I finished was the ending itself. I suppose I found it lacking in comparison to the rest of the novel.

Thank so much to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine Books for an ARC of thus book in exchange for an honest review (:

Thank you Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books and Zoe Whittal for free e-ARC of The Fake in return of my honest review.

"The Fake" offers a glimpse into the world of deception, betrayal, and self-discovery through the intertwined lives of Shelby and Gibson as they navigate their relationships with the enigmatic Cammie. The novel presents a compelling premise that touches on themes of trust and personal growth.

While the pacing of the story may be slow at times, the character development is a strong point. Shelby and Gibson are well-crafted characters with relatable struggles and inner conflicts that add depth to the narrative. The evolution of their relationships with each other and with Cammie is intriguing to follow.

The revelations about Cammie's true nature as a scammer inject a sense of tension and intrigue into the plot, keeping readers engaged and guessing about what will happen next. The dynamics between the characters are explored in a nuanced way, highlighting the complexities of human relationships.

Though the writing style may lack emotional depth at times, the dialogue is effective in conveying the characters' thoughts and feelings. The interactions between the characters, while occasionally forced, ultimately serve to drive the story forward and reveal more about their motivations.

Overall, "The Fake" is a decent read that offers a thought-provoking exploration of trust, betrayal, and self-discovery. While it may not be a groundbreaking work, it provides an entertaining and engaging look at the complexities of human relationships and the consequences of deception.

I recently had the pleasure of diving into The Fake and I was hooked from the very first page. The pacing was perfect, making it hard to put the book down once I started reading. Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a thrilling ride filled with unexpected surprises.

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

I LOVE a grifter story. I love the audacity of these people to just say what they want to be true, and live a life they don't have any place living, just because they felt like it. It is endlessly fascinating to me, whether it is real or fiction. So I really enjoyed The Fake. Give me Anna Delvey vibes all day long, and I will eat it right up. Big fan.

The Fake is realistic but somewhat shallow. Dragged a bit and might have worked better as short fiction.

Zoe Whittall is one of those author's whose novels I really, really want to love. Unfortunately, there's something about her characters/writing style that ends up irking me. The beginning usually hooks me, but halfway through, the story starts to unravel and never fully recovers. Too bad "The Fake" didn't intrigue me, I don't think this author is for me.

Not a big fan about reading about someone who fakes cancer and cons friends and others. Well written and I did come to see how it could happen, but still not a fan of the subject.

The Fake by Zoe Whittall is a story about con artists and liars. It didn't really have any likable characters, but I thought it did a good job staying sympathetic to people with mental health issues. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.