The time of need referred to in the blurb is a bit of belief suspense, especially with the caveat Ella is given (no, I'm not going to give anything away), but isn't most fiction? So I went with it and simply let the story wash over me.

Ella certainly is bitter and more than a little irresistible and immature at the start of the novel, but as the book unfolds, the reader can see her develop and come into her own.  The circumstance alone gives rise to hilarity, without adding Ella's personality into the mix, and the whole thing leads to a funny read that will take you out of real life for a few hours.

Didn't see the twist coming, either!

A gorgeous, romantic book, that will whisk you away to sunnier happier times. Make you forget what we are living through at the moment and pop a smile on your face as you sink into a lovely romance.

The Blurb :
Life has been a bit of a rollercoaster for Ella. Growing up as the 'less successful' identical twin to her 'perfectly successful' sister, Emma, has left her feeling isolated, inadequate and let's face it.. a little bitter.
When Emma unexpectedly reaches out to Ella in a time of need, Ella suddenly finds herself with the opportunity to fill in for her sister and experience how the other half live.
But as Ella navigates the world of gossiping mothers, rebellious teens and trying to play the model housewife (not to mention avoiding the temptation of attractive men at the school gates...) will she discover that all is not always as it seems on the other side?

My Thoughts :
I always love it when Portia MacIntosh releases a new book as I know its always going to be a winner.
This book was again a pleasure to read.
We meet Ella and Emma, identical twins and far from close. Both having gone their own ways in life, out of the blue Emma calls her twin sister and asks for her help. Family is family right so Ella agrees.
Ella has to step into her sisters life and impersonate her for 6 weeks while Emma is going to be out of action so to speak. The only person that knows is Emma’s husband Rich.
While Ella has little, having lost her home, job and car all on the same day, Emma has a dream lifestyle, married and living in a massive house with lots of money and is also a mum of two children.
Ella is thrown into the deep end and has a massive shock to the system, Can she take on the role of her perfect sister!?. 
I love Portia MacIntosh’s work, she always draws me into the story and gives us such loveable Charactors to enjoy. The story full of laugh out loud moments and will keep you engaged right to the last page. 
Faking It is one of those feel good stories that will pick you up and give you an escape when its much needed.

I have read several books by Portia MacIntosh and loved them, so I could not wait to dive in to this one!

This book is wonderful from the start. I loved the characters and their quirky ways, especially Ella and her lovely personality. This book honestly had me laughing out loud at time, especially at some of the situations Ella found herself in!. The way in which the author writes these scenes in the book is brilliant and you can really picture the event playing out before you. 

The storyline was lovely and had plenty going on throughout to keep the reader invested in the characters and their stories to the very end. A must read.

Portia MacIntosh is an author who really knows how to write laugh out loud books that will keep you completely entertained. In Faking It there were so many moments where I found myself laughing and giggling at the situations that Ella finds herself in when she agrees to step into her identical twin Emma’s very expensive shoes.

Ella had lived a very different life to that of her twin, following the death of their mother when they were 18. Ella always saw herself as the failure, where everything that Emma did was seemingly perfect.

When we first meet Ella her life imploded completely all in one day so it was an easy decision for her to take over Emma’s life for a few weeks. It quickly becomes clear that her biggest challenge was always going to be fooling her teenage niece who she barely knew, and her 9 year old nephew who she had never met, and I found it really funny watching her adapt to the responsibility of parenthood.

I found this an unusual and very quirky story that I did not want to put down. It was lovely seeing how much the change in lifestyle helped Ella to be a version of her sister but also really helped her to find herself.

I would love to see this story as a Hallmark/Netflix movie because it was so funny and entertaining. This was a book primarily about family and friendships but more than anything it was a story of self-acceptance.

This is an entertaining read which continues to surprise you as events unfold. Great fun, there are some vividly drawn characters and Ella stands out among them with her wit and risk loving personality. You have to take the premise of the story at face value, but once you do, you enjoy seeing Ella step up to the plate and take on her twin's life.

There are some genuine laugh out loud moments to be found, especially at the reactions of some of the yummy mummies at Ella's nephew's school. Some people, it seems, have never progressed beyond being playground bullies. Ella herself has to face up to some truths about her mother and comes to realise what is truly important in life- and it isn't designer labels! I thoroughly enjoyed watching Ella step into Emma's shoes and having to start caring about others. This is a sharply observed, funny writing. Well worth a read!
In short: Appearances can be deceptive!

Thanks to the author for a copy of the book

The fabulous Portia Macintosh is back with another top-notch romantic comedy I just couldn’t stop reading: Faking It!

Having an identical twin sister is great – unless she happens to be the most perfect and successful woman on the planet! Having spent her life in the shadow of her twin, Ella cannot help but feel inadequate and isolated when compared to her sister, Emma. While Ella is still trying to find her place in the world, Emma sails through life and notches up success after success. With everything she touches turning to gold, Emma has never had to wonder whether she measured up or worry that she simply wasn’t good enough leaving Ella to feel that she will ever have the opportunity to shine just like her sister. But little does Ella realise that her twin is going to give her the opportunity to see how the other half live. But is everything really greener on the other side? Or will Ella realise that all that glitters isn’t necessarily gold?

Thrust into Emma’s glittering world, Ella quickly finds herself having to adjust and adapt to a lifestyle that is far removed from hers. But just because her sister has plenty of money in the bank and a designer wardrobe, it certainly does not mean that her life isn’t fraught with challenges or difficulties as Ella starts having to contend with bitchy mothers gossiping at the school gates, rebellious teens who love to misbehave and cause trouble, being a model housewife and the perils of an inconvenient attraction. This might only be a temporary sojourn in the lives of the rich and famous for Ella, but will she end up staying for good? Or will she pack her bags and high-tail it back home?

Portia Macintosh writes fun and feel-good romantic comedies that never fail to make you laugh out loud and in Faking It, she has done it again and penned a warm, witty and wonderfully hilarious tale I couldn’t put down. Full of humour, mischief and sparkle and with a heroine who is simply delightful, Faking It is a terrific read about counting your blessings, opening yourself up to new experiences and knowing your own worth Sophie Kinsella fans will not want to miss.

Thank you Rachel at Random Resources for my invitation to the tour and to Boldwood Books for my copy of the book via NetGalley.

Poor Ella her life is a catastrophe she finds herself homeless and jobless within hours then she receives a phone call from her twin sister Emma which gives her a lifeline.

The sisters are not close and Emma was always the golden girl and is married to Rich with two children Millie and Harry.

Emma has got to go away and she pleads with Ella to step into her life so that nobody knows she has gone away. Ella has nothing to lose and so she takes on the role as Emma.

Emma is everything Ella isn’t Yummy Mummy perfect wife but is it all superficial and is Emma’s life as perfect as Ella thinks.

Ella takes the role of Emma seriously and she embraces it even though she thinks Emma’s friends are shallow and bitchy and she also makes an ally in Marco the brother of one of Harry’s friends Dad. Ella finds out that Emma is hiding something from her and makes it her business to find out more. When she does she is shocked as it takes her back to their childhood. Ella decides that she can do better than her sister in this case so she does.

I really loved Ella she is ditsy but hilarious and kind. She is a victim of bad luck and she didn’t have the childhood that she would have wished for. I loved seeing her grow and realise that she has her own strengths. Her and Marco make a great team and the trip to Blackpool made me laugh out loud. The longer Ella stays as Emma the more she discovers about her less than perfect sister.

I have been reading lots of crime and spooky books lately and this was such a breathe of fresh air. Funny and honest and engaging I galloped through it. A happy fun read which really cheered me up.

4 stars ****

Ella just lost her home, her job, and her car. So she has no real choice but to take up her twin sister Emma on her - quite particular - offer. Ella shall pretend to be Emma while the latter is away for a few weeks.

So she goes from being single with no kids to having a family, dog and a really large car in a matter of hours. With the help of a smartphone with detailled notes, and a good-looking neighbor (who quickly calls her bluff), Ella rises to the challenge and actually does a pretty good job!

Although the story itself is not necessarily plausible, it definitely is entertaining, features likable characters and some funny scenes. Towards the end I also saw more and more similarities to "Big Little Lies" by Liane Moriarty. Especially with the costume-themed-fundraiser as the grande finale.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. 

As always, I adored this book- Portia MacIntosh has a way with building complete stories that I don't often see. She balances comedy with emotion well, and I didn't expect to be as touched as I was by Faking It! I loved Emma as a character- a bit wobbly at the beginning (aren't we all?) but really developed into her own person. Once again, I will be buying this to keep for a re-read!

Faking It is a funny yet inspiring read. I adored this book!!! It is hilarious. It leaves a huge smile on the readers face but at the same time is very thought-provoking. The characters are very well written. The plot is unique and it kept me on the edge of my seat. It has some thought-provoking instances and very wisely depicts the importance of family. The conclusion is a bit emotional but nevertheless satisfying.

Faking It is a fun and enjoyable read with plenty of laughs but also plenty of face-palm moments (oh Ella, you could have done some things very differently and had a much better outcome!) and lots of screwball humour. It’s a perfect pick-me-up read on a gloomy evening and it’s so easy to dip in and out of. And prepare yourself for a right twist at the end-it’s a tad draw dropping!

I received this arc from Boldwood Books for an honest review.

A story that is fun and witty, but did not start out that way at first. Ella wakes to her flat on fire and having been evicted she has also lost her job later that morning. She should be rather upset but for her, it seems like this would only happen to her. To make her day take a stranger turn of events she receives a call from her twin sister Emma. The sister she has not heard from well she cannot remember. She is asked to take her sister's place and because they are identical, and more importantly she has nowhere to live she agrees. 
  You get a glimpse of how everything will work out for her in just that night before she leaves as she decides to cut her own hair watching a u-tube video that is just the first of many funny parts of this story. Once she begins watching son Henry who she bonds with and has some fun times dropping him off at school, she of course finally gets into Millie the teenager who spoiler actually figures out she is not her mother because of the situation that they are in. The husband is a good guy but Marco next door is the guy she wants but can’t have because she is married, yet she wants to kiss him. What a story. Then you have the on-line column she takes over, and yes, she finds something from her mother which helps her after all of these years. Finally, you have Emma coming back and shocker surprise you have to read the book to find out why she wanted to trade places. A fun story with some heartfelt moments as well, with really good characters. A very good book.

Favorite Quotes:

Then we have Arthur, who is the local know-it-all, who keeps the info up to date. He’s probably in his early seventies, and has lived here all his life. He holds his non-smartphone as if it’s a dog turd – a dog turd that might have a bomb in it, perhaps, because he eyeballs it so suspiciously. 

To be honest, I hated being on the bus with the kids; it was like being trapped inside a headache.

I guess I’ll just have to try talking to her again – unless you’re allowed to return kids to the hospital or something. Can you return the ones that turn out horrible?

‘I’m going to embarrass her so hard she’ll spend the next year in her room trying to work out how to change her identity,’ I reply. ‘Millie has been walking all over Emma for too long. I’m going to go in there and – maybe I’ll grab a drink? Maybe I’ll get up on a table and dance?’

What do I say? ‘I’m Edward’s mum,’ I lie. ‘He forgot his anti-diarrhoea medication. I thought I’d better bring it.’ ‘You’re not my mum,’ he says angrily before turning to his lady friend. ‘She’s not my mum.’

Marco’s body tells me that he’s no stranger to the gym. My body tells people that the only working out I do is what my pizza is going to cost me with my ‘20 percent off’ code.


My Review:

I giggle-snorted my way through this endearingly witty and crisply written delight and am already eager for more of the same.  This was good fun and packed with wry and wily humor, touching insights, and highly amusing observations and character descriptions.  Portia MacIntosh is the bombdiggity and a recent discovery for me. I want to amass all her divinely snarkalicious and clever arrangements of words.

Another winner from one of my favourite authors! Faking It is a hilarious rom-com with lovely and lovable characters, a quirky plotline (how many of us have an identical twin who needs us to step in their shoes for a few weeks?) and some unexpected emotional moments.

Despite being thirty-four, Ella is drifting through her life a bit aimlessly...until one fateful day she loses her job (admittedly, she wasn't all that invested in it), her car (which has been on ts legs for some time) and her flat (which was tiny and smelt funny, but was her haven). She will figure it all out somehow, she just needs a few days to get her head round all of this. Then her sister Emma calls and asks for help and Ella can't refuse. Even though they have been estranged for a decade, Ella shouldn't find it too difficult to impersonate her identical twin with her perfect house, rich husband and two children, while Emma goes away for six weeks. No, Ella doesn't lie to herself, she knows it will be next to impossible to trick everybody into believing her, but she understands her sisters's reasons (or she thinks she does) and you do have to help your family in the time of need. Of course, she has a few missteps, like almost causing a car pile at the school drop-off or failing to confiscate her nephew's videogame at his bedtime.

Portia MacIntosh has a wonderful sense of humour and will make you laugh out loud while reading the book, but there are also deep and thought-provoking moments. Ella intuitively senses her sister's life isn't all that peachy and not just because she definitely needs to stay away from the vipers of her so-called friends. Ever since they were children, Ella was the one to fight back for what she thought was right, so if you think jobless, homeless and rudderless Ella is a bit flaky, she is going to surprise you. This is what I love about Portia's characters- they are strong and they learn, they develop and grow. The kids are adorable, even the grumpy fifteen-year-old. There are also other delightful secondary characters, including Ella's love interest ( or should I say love interests?).

The book is entertaining, uplifting, funny and tender at the same time, It is a perfect rom-com. If you are not a fan of this fabulous author, you are going to be after reading it! Highly recommended.

This was a great, fun read. It was comic and entertaining and I loved MacIntosh’s range of characters. My first read from this author, I am certain that it will not be my last.

Twins swapping roles is the premise for this story, with Ella stepping up to be her sister for six weeks. With no home, no relationship and no employment to worry about, Ella thinks this is a great way to put off making any important decisions for a while. However, it’s like a case of ‘the prince and the pauper’ as sister, Emma, has the lifestyle we dream of. Plenty of money, a large house and a quaint village location, Emma is the “super mum” that can, apparently, do no wrong. Of course, it’s a shock to the system for Ella, who soon discovers that Emma’s daily schedule is as full as Ella’s was empty. What ensues is an entertaining read as Ella adjusts to this full-on “mum mode”.

There are plenty of giggles in this narrative. I loved how forth-coming and honest Ella was about her experiences. There were many that I could relate to and I think this is what will make this very popular with readers. Ella is able to almost completely protect the secret of being her sister Emma (did I mention that they are identical twins?!) but I loved the jeopardy she finds herself in when growing attracted to a couple of members of the school community. Of course, Ella has to remind herself that she is happily-married Emma who would not want a relationship but, deep down, this is what the real Ella truly wants.

This is a novel of change and growth. It was lovely to see Ella grow into herself and I really enjoyed watching her relationship blossom with her niece. Despite Ella having a bad reputation of being the “naughty twin”, she goes to prove how much she has changed. As such, this is undoubtedly a heart-warming story with plenty of laughs along the way.

Reading it in January proved to be an added bonus! The story begins in the New Year, so this is perfect for readers starting 2021. Apart from this, I think it would make a great holiday read because it is straight-forward to follow and with only one narrative perspective. I think maybe I would have liked to read more about Marco or the other supporting characters, but I guess this is a story that needs us to focus on Ella’s change.

With plenty of chuckles, I loved the escapism that MacIntosh provides. We, along with Ella, slip into this seemingly perfect lifestyle of Emma’s and, it is not until we truly experience it, do we realise that Ella has more on her plate that she anticipated. From bitchy, competitive school mums, to the pressure of meeting all the extra-curricular commitments, I think this is a read that will spread plenty of joy. Not to be missed.

With thanks to Boldwood Books, NetGalley and Rachel’s Random Resources for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I would firstly just like to say a very big thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for forwarding me a copy of this book, for my Kindle, in return for an honest review.
This was a brilliant new rom com which was very funny and all about love and family.
Ella has everything - perfect house, perfect husband, perfect life - or is she faking it???
I really loved the style of writing and found it very sharp and funny, the characters and storyline were wonderful and it was overall a very refreshing read.
I really enjoyed everything about this book it was very heartwarming and now I just need to read all the authors other books!!

This author has the talent to take everyday characters and scenarios, drawing out the humour, poignancy, and romance in them. Faking It is the perfect example of this. Ella and Emma are identical twins but with different lives and luck. When Ella's life implodes, and her sister unexpectedly reaches out to her, she grabs the opportunity to live her sister's life for a while.

This is a lovely combination of hilarity and poignancy as Ella realises that things aren't always what they seem and what she truly wants in her life. The characters are relatable, but avoid being stereotypically and the plot has a few unexpected twists as it unfolds.

 This story is packed with vibrant characters and vivid events, cleverly written to create a heartwarming and uplifting escapist read.

I received a copy of this book from Boldwood Books via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

We meet Ella who has had a rather bad day her flat gets caught on fire and she accuses her bosses nephew of starting the fire she then ends up losing her job. All in one day.

Then she gets an unexpected phone call from her twin sister Emma who she doesn't speak to very often. And who leads a very different life to Ella with her big house husband and 2 children.

She asks Ella if she would become her for 6 weeks while she has to go away for prison for driving offences she agrees as she doesn't have much other option being homeless and jobless.

What could possibly go wrong they look the same she hasn't seen her almost 16 year old niece in years and never meet Her 9 year old nephew and she will have the help of emmas husband rich.

She has to avoid lots of very nice looking men at the school and remember she had to act as Emma not Ella. 

She becomes friends with Marco who is in a similar situation living with his very rich brother next door. 

This will make you laugh out loud. I really enjoyed this book and finished it in just over a day. 
It's interesting the things she learns about what she always thought was her sisters perfect family.

What will happen to Ella when her sister returns will she be able to turn her life around.

Just finished reading this.. Here is my review. I gave it 5 ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

(This is free on kindle unlimited at the moment)!

I have read Portia Macintosh books before and always thoroughly enjoyed them. I love her humour and the characters she creates always make for a fantastic story. This book certainly didn't disappoint. It's funny, different, loving, sad and happy. The main character Ella is a force to be reckoned with in her own way. But she isn't quite herself in the story and this gets her I to trouble in various ways!
Definitely worth a read. Great easy read. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers and the author for the privilege to read this book for my honest opinion