The Fake by Zoe Whittall adds a fictional flair to the recent popular craze of con artist tales. Lying about cancer just isn't a theme I can have a lot of support for, however, and I know that's a me thing. That said, I think lots of readers will enjoy the writing of this one.

Since binge watching Inventing Anna with my family, we have been drawn to series and movies about con artists, and I (sadly being the only one in my immediate family who also loves to read), also am drawn to books with the same topic. When I read the summary for The Fake, I was intrigued and couldn’t wait to read it.

The book opens with “a note from Camilla”, giving us a life summary that is so intriguing and compelling, and told in such a voice that I knew I would love reading this. She even ends the note questioning and daring the reader to choose a side and who they will believe. It is such a unique opener and was just a perfect way to draw me in! I loved the final note from Camilla, too, at the end of the book.

The characters are great, they each have such strong and fitting personalities, and are ones you want to read more about. It was easy to form opinions about not only the characters themselves, but also about their actions as well. Whether you have had a Cammie in your life or not, I think everyone can guess as to whether they would be able to call them out or not, and how quickly you can see through them.

This was such a fun read but I hope to see this one on film one day, it would be awesome to watch, too! Perfect if you love to read about con artists like Anna Delvey!

Two people become embroiled in the life of Cammie, a whirlwind that comes into Gibson and Shelby's lives and stirring up quite a bit of sh*t. She makes them feel alive but is what she saying to them the truth? Lie upon lie upon lie adds up and they band together to see what is real after she has torn up their worlds. Gibson is just getting over his wife and their divorce when Cammie comes onto him and okay, I think for him, it was the sex, even though he said she saw him and understood him. For Shelby, she lost her wife and has lived in her house with their dog and not much interaction from the real world. She attends a grief support group, where she meets Cammie. As Cammie destroys their lives, they befriend each other and try to "fix" Cammie.

I loved everything about the story until the epilogue at the end. I cannot believe that there was some kind of deliverance for Cammie. She was an awful character but it is a fascinating look at how we invite people into our lives, seeing what we want to see, be it good or bad. It was a good, quick book for my last book of 2023.

Thanks to Negalley and Random House Ballantine for a copy for review.

I read this spicy light-hearted con artist book in a single day. It was easy to read but also easy to forget.

Shelby and Gibson have both been going through pivotal upheavals in their lives. Gibson, once happily married, is now processing his impending divorce. Shelby also has lost her spouse tragically through her wife's unexpected death.

These losses and longings for something new are why they both become enraptured by a new woman who has entered their life. Cammie is a charismatic character who promises the sympathy and excitement they crave. The fact that she's overcoming a string of calamities only makes her more endearing and intriguing.

As Shelby and Gibson become more intertwined, they realize that things aren't as they seem, leading the reader on the kind of soapy adventure that you likely, know where you are headed but will still keep you flipping pages for the satisfying reveal.

As so many stories glamorize the con artist, it was refreshing to see the script flipped, giving us insights into how Cammie exploits the vulnerabilities of her victims. Despite all her flaws, Whittall makes her weirdly lovable even when destroying people in her path.

Ultimately, the plot twists didn't deliver anything too shocking, but at under 200 pages, this is the kind of book you can rely on when you need a quick win or are working towards a reading challenge goal.

Book 2 was just as enjoyable as the first! Loved the witchy vibes and this witchy town! I cannot wait to revisit this series!

Thank you #StMartinsPress and #NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

Loved this one..enjoyed the characters. The plot, the pace, and how quickly i finished it..I think plenty of readers will enjoy this one

“The Fake” is a wild story. Cammie is a con artist. She has so much drama in her life, that it does not seem like it could possibly all be true (because it isn’t). Yet she is so earnest and so quick with explanations for any apparent inconsistencies that people want to believe her. Also, some of the traumatic events she says she has experienced are so painful that it is hard to fathom someone lying about them. Gibson and Shelby make good marks as they both are vulnerable due to recent losses, have significant insecurities, and are the type of person who wants to help others.

I flew through this one, but it wasn't my favorite. I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that I just couldn't relate to any of the characters. No Cammie or anyone. It was a quick read and the writing was good, its just hard for me when I can't connect to the characters.

I think a lot of people will enjoy this. I struggled to get through pieces while some picked up for me. I had trouble feeling for any of the characters which is hard for me.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick. Our library purchased and our patrons have been checking out and and enjoying the book. I see it is a popular book club choice as well we hope to have more oppurtinies to support authors like them

While I devoured the short THE FAKE in less than 24 hours, because I had to know what happens in the story, I again was somewhat disappointed by a Zoe Whittall novel. It's a classic con-artist tale, similar to other popular ones in today's culture. It was a fun one though, because the scammer is truly diabolical (at least, we think), and her marks are both lovable and slightly pathetic.

It's a slim book, and a simple story, but the characters were well drawn out and I enjoyed the journey. I just wanted a little bit more from the book as a whole. I think if it was longer and more fleshed out, it could be something truly intriguing and worthwhile. I'm just not sure why I keep finding her books a bit hollow. The ending was a total cop-out too! Ugh.

The Fake by Zoe Whittall is about a scam artist named Cammie, who tricks a widow, and a divorcee into believing she’s someone she is not. The story was kind of slow for a while, but then picked up. I enjoyed the story, but it felt like something was missing. I think the characters could’ve been more fully developed. This book was pretty entertaining though. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to @prhaudio for a free download of the audiobook.

This book was different and I was here for the whole ride. Cammie play the role of a con artist with perfection. It made the story very compelling and interesting.

For being a shorter book, I felt that the story moved slow and I was glad to have the audio to help me push through.

It’s worth picking up if you want to have your mindblown by a con.

3 stars

#books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram #netgalley #prhaudio #botm #bookofthemonth #ltbreaderteam #thefake

This was a very different book. The characters were very well done and the story super compelling. Cammie was just so good at being a con!

If I had to describe The Fake in only 2 words, they would be absolutely wild.

Cammie is a liar and con artist, who tricks her way into a friendship with grieving widow, Shelby, and starts a relationship with new divorcee Gibson. She weasels her way into their lives, with increasingly complex relationships while letting Gibson and Shelby be aware of each other while also keeping them separate. Yet when she has no choice but to let the two of them meet, things slowly start to unravel and they realize that everything Cammie has told them may just be a lie. From start to finish, this is a wild ride, and I was blown away when it is revealed who actually knows about Cammie's game.

Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the advance copy!

This story was a little to slow burning for me, I had a really hard time getting into it and engaging. I predicted where it was going far too early and didn't really love the characters. I had big hopes for this one but unfortunately it fell a little short for me.

Hmmm...okay see my problem with this one is that what you see, is what you get. There wasn't too much underneath the surface for it to hold my attention or captivate me after finishing it. I kept feeling like nothing particularly crazy or worthwhile was happening in the story? It all felt...redundent? Definitely an interesting plotline, but I kind of wanted more from it. I was expecting something more psychological, more cunning than what we got, so I think I'm just feeling a little jipped? Will definitely be checking this author out in the future though. I think the writing is there, but the execution in this one fell a little flat for me.

The Fake follows two characters names Gibson and Shelby and their relationships with a con artist named Cammie. Cammie comes into Gibson’s life when he’s recently been divorced and makes him feel alive again. He thinks she’s the perfect woman. Shelby meets Cammie in a grief support group, and soon Cammie becomes her close confidant. But when Gibson and Shelby meet they realize the stories Cammie has told them don’t align. And together they try to figure out who Cammie really is.

Now that you’ve read my summary you know absolutely everything there is to know about this book. There’s no reason for you to read it now. You know everything. And that is the main thing that made me dislike this book. It didn’t lead anywhere. Shelby and Gibson don’t discover anything readers don’t already know from the book’s summary. I believe this is supposed to be a character focused book, but none of the three characters were at all interesting. Shelby is agoraphobic and mourning the death of her wife. Gibson is a freshly divorced middle aged man. That’s all there is to know about them. I didn’t feel like I had a reason to care about them because they never felt like people. I think Cammie could’ve been interesting if I’d gotten to see more of her backstory, but the author intentionally focuses more on how Shelby and Gibson are personally impacted by Cammie than on who Cammie truly is and what made her the person she is. And this could’ve been fine if Shelby and Gibson had the depth necessary to build an entire book around their feelings.

Reading The Fake felt like reading the outline or a very long summary of a book. There was no real story here. There were no characters here. There was no substantial message, feeling, idea, or even general vibe being delivered to the reader. This book only has the vague idea of those things. I believe this could’ve been a great story in the right author’s hands, but sadly I cannot recommend The Fake.

A con artist works her way into the lives of two people.

The Fake is told using multiple points of view. Most of the story comes from the two people being scammed, but we also get the con artists viewpoint. Complex characters and an interesting story combine for an entertaining read.

A slow burning novel. Dramatic and compelling.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Could see this one coming from a mile away. While I was intrigued by and felt empathy towards our characters, ultimately it felt as if we knew exactly where The Fake was headed from the very beginning. I wanted just a little bit more depth from it and the ending left me wanting.