I loved this story!

This book was wonderfully written and it had me hooked until the very end, it was a fun and entertaining read.

The characters were brilliant, so well developed and I loved the detail – there was some really great interaction too!

It was a romance that I thoroughly enjoyed reading and another fabulous release from this author!

It is 5 stars from me for this one, very highly recommended – loved it!

Ella has always felt she’s not as good as her identical twin sister Emma. Growing up, she was the rebellious one, while her sister was the successful one. So, when Emma calls, needing her help she’s surprised, and jumps at the chance to step into her sisters shoes. But she doesn’t anticipate falling for the attractive dad in the school pickup lane. And she finds herself unsure if she can keep up walking in her sisters shoes.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun, quick read. Ella and Emma’s relationship is so relatable. A lot of siblings feel that they aren’t as good as their other siblings. It was great to watch as Ella learns that maybe her sisters life isn’t at perfect as she first thought. This book was well written, and the characters were all wonderful. This is the first book by this author, and it won’t be the last. It’s definitely one I recommend.

I ended up liking this book more than I thought I would. I liked the description (obviously, since I requested an ARC), but it was so much more than I expected. I loved Ella - she was quirky enough to see why she was a bit of a black sheep, but not so quirky that she didn't seem like a real person. She was kind of terrible at being her sister, which sometimes made her frustrating but usually was funny. What sets this apart from other 'twins switching places' stories was that Ella's brother-in-law and love interest were both in on the secret from early on. This prevented the dramatic moment of that love interest feeling betrayed. I really like Marco, he's just a genuinely nice guy who initially helps Ella out because he finds her fun and amusing. Their friendship turning into more romantic affection was enjoyable to watch as it developed. The only aspect of Ella and Emma's relationship that I wanted to see resolved was Emma seeing Ella as a cautionary tale - she obviously thought very little of her sister and it would have been nice to see her apologize for that. I also really hope Emma found new friends.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC to review.

I really wanted to like this book as the story sounded like fun. However, the heroine really annoyed me and I just never connected with any of the characters. It was a little too screwball comedy instead of snarky wit which is my preference.

Not to give too much of the plot away, think "Brat Farrar" without the murder mystery.

It was OK but I found myself skimming over some of the chapters. Soooo, good enough to finish but overall rating is "Meh".

This is the second book by Portia MacIntosh that I read. I don't know why, but she has some kind of cool power to make me like books I wouldn't normally read or enjoy reading. From time to time, I try to step out of my comfort reading zone, and this is how I ended up reading Faking It. I thought chick-lit would make me puke at how cringey it is. Yet, here I could just sit back and relax while following Ella's adventures while pretending to be her sister.

Faking it is a perfect winter read. I mean, it ticks all the right boxes for me. We have a fun setting, with cirumstances that can lead to comedy, quirky characters, and little big secrets !

So, let's sum the book up a little bit. Ella needs to pose as her twin sister when the latter is forced to be away from home for a few weeks. Ella having lost her flat, her job and everything else a few hours before, she easily accepts the proposition, having nothing to lose. Still, can Ella, the bad seed of the family impersonate her perfect sister in her own house, in her own city ?

I just loved the opposition between Ella's character and the various characters from Emma's life. Everyone is so perfect, and that trope where someone "wild" comes in and starts realizing not everything is as it seems just appeals me a lot !

More than anything, the book promotes self-love, self-confidence, and that you should embrace your personnality. Obviously, a message like that is always good, and help propagating positivity. If you're feeling down, or that you're not up to some expectations, reading this will probably help you feel better and think in new ways !

It's well worth perserving past the very far-fetched premise of this book, as it has real heart. A story of sibling rivalry and discovering what's important in life, set against the backdrop of the highly competitive sport of yummy mummying. Thanks NetGalley!

A very sweet story about finding your place and fitting in. This was a pretty unique idea for a book: an identical twin asked to take her sister's place for a short time, and having to learn the ropes of a life she is totally unfamiliar with. There's also a nice love story, as well as the main character dealing with past tragedies she'd experienced. A very quick read as well, with a nice happy ending!

Her twin sister is going to jail, and she will have to take her place!

Ella and Emma were not the typical twins we hear all about. They did not experience a deep connection to each other; in fact, they thought so differently they had been apart for more than ten years.

While Emma was the ever successful sibling, Ella struggled endlessly along the way. At age 34, Emma lived in a mansion, married to a gorgeous man, and mother to two lovely children. Meanwhile, Ella was alone, homeless, and unemployed.

It came as a shock to Ella that her sister was going to jail for a few weeks for some recurrent parking infractions, and she wanted Ella to fill in for her so that her kids and friends would not find out.

Ella wanted to refuse, but she had recently lost her job and home, and deep down, she loved her sister despite everything.

The book was so much fun! Ella is hilarious and always getting in all kinds of trouble.

Navigating through Emma's rich and prosperous life was much more complicated than Ella had anticipated, especially when she meets the kid's gorgeous drama teacher.

They could actually work if only he did not think that she was married (lol).

I'm a huge fan of Portia's fun and witty stories and Faking It does not disappoint.

I love that Ella was an unapologetic Bridget Jones. She was light, fun, and full of life. She was happy against all odds and society's expectations.

The romance is lovely. Ella had to choose between handsome, mature and established Christian or smart and friendly, but temporarily unemployed, Marco. They were both so charming, even I had a hard time picking a favorite.

I loved the references to Smarty, a kind of AI similar to Amazon's Alexa. The dog's name was Marty, and it provided some amusing scenes.

Faking It is a hilarious romantic comedy about what really matters in life and a reminder that nobody is as perfect as they appear to be.

Highly Recommended!

Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

*This review will be posted on https://lureviewsbooks.com on 01/27/2021 as part of the book's blog tour*

Faking it


Ella is having a pretty bad day, her home was set on fire, she is late to work and her car is having issues, she is losing everything in a blink. That's when she receives a proposal by her twin, with a "perfect" life, is going to jail, but is afraid of what the socialite is going to think about it so, she begs her sister to take her place while she is away. Ella thinks about it, she has nothing, her sister has the money, the kids, the big house and the perfect husband.


I had such a great time reading this book, it was funny, relaxing, made me stop thinking about everything. It was perfect for me. It has all the romantic comedy vibes, the hot guys, the funny scenes, the principal character having some adventures, perfect for when you want to sit down and read something easy that gives your mind some rest. 


It has a good rythm I read it in a couple of days, and while I was reading it I thought it could be a great movie. I could picture the characters perfectly, the author gives us the information needed for us to have a clear idea of their personalities. This is a really enjoyable story at the right time.

Thanks so much for the arc, it made me really happy

It’s safe to say that Ella Coopers day does not start well following a fire at her flat she didn’t cause, her landlord evicting her and to cap it all she gets the sack. Later the same day she receives a phone call from her polar opposite twin sister Emma who asks her to step into her shoes (probably Laboutins to Ella’s Primark) and impersonate her for six weeks! What has she got to lose by faking it by being a married woman with two kids for a short spell?

This is such a fun read! I really like the way it’s written as it’s lively and engaging. Ella is fantastic, she jumps into her sisters life with both feet and boldly goes frequently where her sister doesn’t! It’s light, breezy and funny in places and packed with good characters. Emma’s husband Rich is a nice guy though at times somewhat distracted, son Henry is simply edible and Millie is a teenager. Yip, snark and all, still it does bite her in the proverbial with Ella to the dramatic rescue! Then there’s Marco, yes there’s a Marco just to even the balance with the yummy mummy Mafia. Shoot me now. The story is really heartwarming, Ella learns a lot about herself, about her sister and it’s all to the good. Ella realises exactly what she wants and what’s important and there’s a good message here. The ending is a bit weepy but followed by warm and fuzzies!

Overall, a very enjoyable easy to read novel that is perfect for the right now and yucky winters days. I want to read more by this author for sure.

With thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the arc for an honest review.

I have always enjoyed reading this author books and this one didn’t disappoint . Love how twins can change identity and come together when they are needed. You must keep reading to the end to see how it all finishes.

Fake it til you make it!! The premise is a little wacky but once you suspend your disbelief you get a funny, sometimes touching and insightful, interesting read. I liked Ella and seeing how she came really into her own even though she was pretending to be someone else. Hijinks aside I especially enjoyed the connections she made with Marco and the kids Henry and Millie. Overall an enjoyable read.

I have loved past Portia MacIntosh books, but I think this one is my favorite. I loved the twist on The Parent Trap, with one twin pretending to be the other and fooling almost everyone. Especially when the twins are polar opposites. Throw in a nice love story with a great growth journey for the characters, and that's about all I need.

I really enjoyed the sheer amount of plot points fit into this book. There was so much intrigue, adventure, and secrets. The main character, Ella, grew so much from the unreliable, homeless 30-something from the beginning of the book. It was great to see her learn how to parent and be responsible for a job and extracurriculars. She was thrown into the deep end pretending to be her sister Emma, and she THRIVED.

One part I would have improved would be how Ella was spoken about throughout the book. When she learned her sister used her as a cautionary tale for her children, I was hurt FOR her. Especially after not being there for her for so long. I would've expecting that to come up between the sisters and it didn't, but it should have. I think the book really missed that crucial confrontation for everything to be wrapped up.

I was thoroughly shocked by the ending. There was a twist I wasn't expecting and it took me completely by surprise. The romance was also very subtle, this is not a hot & steamy rom com. That doesn't take away anything from the book, I just like to note it in reviews for those whose preferences go either way!

**Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**

This novel disappointed me. I have read other novels from this author that were very enjoyable.
Faking it had a silly premise and was not very believable. I was questioning what was going on the whole time . The story invoked identical twins, one impersonating the other, and not only were the children supposed to not notice that their mother had been substituted, all the people in the village where they grew up were supposed to have forgotten that the other twin existed.
Characters were sketchy and not filled out. It’s ok for a quick read, but definitely not her best work. Thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for an arc of this novel in exchange for a review.

First of all, isn’t the cover gorgeous? I am a sucker for beautiful covers and not ashamed to say that I totally judge books by the cover and this story is equally entertaining and does justice to the cover.

I am utterly in love with this book. It’s a non-stop laugh riot. Every page had me in stitches, and by the time I reached the last page, my cheeks were hurting as hell. The protagonist Ella is extremely delightful. There is something magic in MacIntosh’s writing, that made me feel exhilarated. This is one of my most favorite books I’ve read this year.

Ella is a hot mess. Down on her luck, she managed to lose an apartment, job, and car all in a single day. Her estranged identical twin sister Emma contacts Ella out of the blue soliciting a huge favor – fake as Emma. Emma is perfect in every way with a rich husband, stroppy teenage daughter, and lovely son. With no roof on her head, Ella takes up the offer.

What can go wrong in this arrangement. It should be a cakewalk for Ella as it involves dropping kids, prepping meals, and a bit of shopping. But everything goes wrong, which results in hysterically funny situations. She meets dashing Marco who sees through her act in their first meeting.

When she has been caught out in the act, she came up with innovative answers that made me smile and adore her more. Ella’s inner monologues and schemes concoted were highly amusing. She comes up with the best rib-tickling analogies. Fake Emma and Marco’s banter is so playful. I hope there is a sequel to this book.

Macintosh highlighted an important message which is to cherish family and relationships. Don’t hold them back with grudges. The ending is sweet and touching.

Overall, I absolutely recommend this entertaining and uplifting story, if you are a fan of rom-coms.

Thank you Netgalley and Boldwood books for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adore Portia MacIntosh books and this is no exception. They give you all the feels and you genuinely laugh out loud whilst reading them.
Again this is a beautiful story, excellent characters as you come to expect and wonderfully relatable

This was a fun read. Not a brilliant plot (quite simplistic) but it was a funny story with some good characters. Typical for a Portia MacIntosh story which I think gives it great value as a book because you know exactly what to expect!

I loved reading about the relationship between Ella and her Niece develop and found it amusing that she got into some awkward situations with new friend Marco. However I did find it a bit ridiculous to believe that her son wouldn’t have noticed ‘the switch’. Also found the day trip out to Blackpool chapter very amusing ! I grew up visiting there for the Blackpool lights too.

All in all, not terrible. A fluffy chick lit to read when you want a book with a happy ending.

When Ella gets a strange call from her twin sister, who she hasn't talked to for the last decade, asking for her help, she decides to comply with her requests and come to her aid. By living this pretend life, she understands how far from perfect her sister's existence is. But she also starts to uncover a different side of her, one she didn't know existed before. It was truly incredible to see Ella blossom and finally express herself in the way that she was always supposed to. I really liked the found-family dynamic she had with Marco, but also with Emma's children. I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised. I didn't expect to love this as much as I did! I would totally recommend this to anyone who likes messy main characters, great plot-twists, and heartfelt stories about found-families dynamics.
Arc kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Faking It is the latest, and probably my favourite book from Portia MacIntosh so far (and I’ve read many of them).

In this fictional story Emma seeks helps from her estranged twin Ella. Emma is the twin who seemingly has it all, whilst Ella is single and has just lost her job and home.

The plan is that Ella will pretend to be Emma for a few weeks with only her husband knowing the truth. Ella/Emma will have to navigate being a mum, wife and the yummy mummies on the school run.

I found this so funny and read most of it in a day. It was so good I don’t want to put it down. The ending is a bit of a surprise but leaves you with a warm feeling. Highly recommended.

Is The Grass Always Greener...?
Highly implausible but amusing and entertaining romcom. Is the grass always greener? This is the question that Emma should be asking herself before embarking on her madcap scheme. Abandon all sense of reality. A fun and escapist read.