I really enjoyed this. It felt sort of like a twist on the classic "Prince and the Pauper" trope, and while mostly a fun, lighthearted book, I really liked how it thoughtfully touched on more serious topics like mental health and identity.

The romance was cute, but I personally would classify this as closer to "women's fiction" than straight romance, since Gracie's relationships with Fangli and her mom were such crucial components on the story.

There were two things that annoyed me, though they didn't detract too much from my overall enjoyment of the story:
1. The app development process. It just came across as totally unrealistic to me. The timelines didn't seem to match up, and I didn't understand if Gracie was actually single-handedly developing this app or just working on mocks and concepts.
2. The third-act misunderstanding. It felt so out of character, and the misunderstanding was so obvious and should have been resolved in 3 minutes. I don't like that it was dragged out for so long.

This book! So cute. Celebrity switches. Found family. And all with the sexiest man in the world by Gracie’s side guiding her through celebrity life challenges. Yes to all of it. Adorable book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing this ARC in exchange for a review!!

This was an unexpectedly beautiful story with a lot of heart! I connected with Gracie so much it was almost scary. So many of my thoughts and feelings had been laid out so plainly on paper and it was such a comfort to watch her grow.

Gracie's relationship with her mom is something I am familiar with, Not as someone who has a parent with Alzheimer's, but as someone who works at a facility that houses residents with Alzheimer's and Dementia, I think it was depicted quite well.

My only issue with the story and what kept it from being a 5 star read, was the overall pacing of the book. It felt very inconsistent in many aspects. The first month of Gracie's time as Fangli is detailed and drawn out in comparison to the climax and tie up of the story, which felt glossed over and a bit rushed. A lot that happened in that first month was very heavy with Gracie's inner monologue. If there had maybe been some more moments spent with Sam or Fangli or even Anjali in that first month it would have felt more balanced with the rest of the story.

Despite the slight issues I had with the pacing, I truly enjoyed this story! It had so much heart and wit and such well rounded characters that I couldn't help but fall in love! I think the topics were handled really well and with such care that I look forward to reading more of this author in the future!

(4.5 ⭐️) From the moment I read the premise, which teased a one-sided Princess and the Pauper-esque plot line, I was immediately intrigued — and now that I’ve read this adorable story, I can say it was completely worth it!

Gracie’s character experiences many conflicts that are hurled her way - a less-than-ideal dilemma for a strict planner - yet handles them and their individual details with a realistic approach, something I really appreciated given that she is the main character. I was so happy to see her and Fangli form a friendship out of this crazy situation, and even more so when Gracie and Sam overcome their differences and become a cute couple.

For the majority of this book, each chapter played out like a fun rom-com, which greatly helped me visualize the plot. I’d love to see this story adapted in the future (possibly with Henry Golding as Sam, because he was the first person to pop into mind when the character was introduced 😆)

Overall, a very cinematic and dynamic story with some unexpected heavier themes (TW: depression, panic attacks, workplace harassment, Alzheimer’s) that I thoroughly enjoyed! Thank you to Netgalley, Lily Chu, and Sourcebooks Casablanca for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review! 💕

I laughed. I cried. I couldn't put it down.

CW: depression, sexual harassment, family death/grief

If you're looking for a heartfelt, clean (PG-no over-the-top descriptions of kissing and any sex is closed door with only very slight references), beautifully written rom-com novel that thoughtfully covers hard topics, this is the book for you.

I haven't read a good rom-com book in a long time. Lots of authors get the romance aspect, but the comedy is lacking. This book had a fantastic balance and reminded me of the golden rom-com movies of the early 2000s.

Our protagonist, Gracie, is truly a character you can root for. I found her relatable and easy to understand. The love interest was everything you could want: standoffish at first, but soft and kind with time.

Honestly, I was shocked this was Lily Chu's first novel because it's so well written. I want more content from this author ASAP.

An ARC was provided to me by Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this one. The writing was great, and the story was very engaging and easy to get lost in. I loved Gracie and her search for the perfect to-do list / planner / life organizer app. Because...same. I loved watching Gracie bring Fangli and Sam out of their sheltered, private bubble and show them how to live a little. This isn't spicy by any means - it's very closed-door. But the progression of Gracie and Sam's relationship was perfect.

I loved how the author tackled the stigma surrounding depression and taking medication. As someone who has depression/anxiety and an advocate of getting the help you need, whether it be therapy or medication, I think it was wonderfully represented.

The twist at the end was great (even if it was a little predictable), and I was left wanting more! It left me with a smile on my face. If there's ever a sequel to The Stand-In, I'll most definitely be reading!

not a fan of gracie.. she really lacks decision making skills like girl plsss do better. it's exhausting reading about her not doing anything about her life

A fun prince and the pauper spin-off that I enjoyed from cover to cover. I don't usually think that romantic comedies need sequels, but I'd love to see one for this book because these characters still have more story to be told!

This story was so sweet.

Gracie Reed is approached by a mega celebrity, Wei Fangli (whom she discovers she strongly resembles) and is propositioned to impersonate her. She is to pretend to be this woman and attend events, be seen publicly… be escorted by the insufferable Sam Yao, Fangli’s longtime friend and rumored lover. This man is infuriating but so incredibly handsome. Gracie of course says yes because she needs the money to give her mother the health care she needs and deserves.

This was fun and full of really sweet and silly moments. But at its core, it’s about family and doing the right thing. I thoroughly enjoyed the evolution of the relationship between Sam and Gracie and well as the wonderful friendship between Gracie and Fangli. I will admit the ending was a little too on the nose, but still enjoyable. I just kind of expected exactly that so the surprise wasn’t there.

A fun rom com that incorporates some serious topics. Overall the characters were great and the story was a little over the top. A case of celebrity mistaken identity and rags to riches and back again. A fun time and a quick read.

this book felt like the swipe movies i was used to watch. it was really entertaining, funny but also had a touch of emotional substance, talking about society issues and taking us on a character's growth journey. it was a good book that reads itself easily and fast enough!

Gracie Reed is keeping it together despite getting fired from her job and caring for her mom. But one day a mysterious SUV pulls up next to her and next thing she knows, Gracie is being asked to pretend to be famous Chinese actress Fangli, and act as her stand-in. Gracie agrees to this crazy plan knowing the money will help her now that she is jobless and will get her mom into a nicer nursing home. But can she keep up with this double life?

This book was so much fun! I adored Gracie as a main character and seeing her find her confidence and her identity throughout the book was a beautiful journey. I loved that while the romance between Gracie and movie star Sam was a big part of this story, this was more a women’s fiction and spent just as much time developing the friendship between Gracie and Fangli as well as Gracie’s relationship with herself. This book has some heavier/emotional science along with a few laugh out loud moments, and was really just a wonderful reading experience.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for the advanced copy!

I adored this book! It was such a fun read and would happily recommend this to anyone.

I really felt Gracie’s growth through the story. Sam and Fangli also evolved throughout the book and it was amazing to see. Nothing felt rushed.

I want to reread it already just to have more of Sam and Gracie!!!

This was a quick enough read, but all I can really say about it is that it was fine. I appreciated how many complex and serious topics the author deals with, but I didn’t feel like all of them were handled well.

Overall, the concept is very fun—celebrity romances are usually a blast, and this was certainly entertaining. It felt more Lifetime or Hallmark-level over the top and unbelievable than most romances I read, but if that’s your thing then definitely pick this up! Unfortunately, though, it just didn’t really work for me and I ended up DNFing about halfway through.

I think the author sincerely wanted to tackle a lot of issues in spciety, but there are too many problems brought up and not any real attention given to any of them. Plus the entire plot is incredibly unbelievable. I like my romance to be at least tangentially in line with reality. It didn't help that Gracie and Sam were both confusing and yet still boring.

This was a fun and quick romance read that didn’t shy away from embracing topics like multi-racial identity, depression, anxiety, dementia, workplace harassment, racial and gender microaggressions, and more. In the author’s debut romance novel we meet Gracie Reed who is living in Toronto and just lost her job, all while caring for her mother who has Alzheimer’s. Two globally famous Chinese actors, Fangli and Sam, are in town for a play and discover that Gracie and Fangli are nearly identical in appearance. From there a somewhat wacky plan to have Gracie act as Fangli for networking and social events is hatched in order to give Fangli a much-needed rest from the spotlight.

The premise is a bit far-fetched (perhaps not for a romance novel) and the romance story between Gracie and Sam is a slow build, however the bond and relationship between Gracie and Fangli is what made me love this book. I liked that there was no competition in romance and they were able to find each other in challenging times. The way mental health was represented as a central part of the story was wonderful to see and I was happy that the author wove in a career change for Gracie so it wasn’t all centered on her love story. The romance and relationship building is on point, however if you are looking for a spicy or explicit romance book this is not it.

I would LOVE another book so we can see how all three of these characters transition to their new lives together.

The Stand-In was released as an audiobook through Audible, performed by Phillipa Soo, in 2021 and the print copy is available May 3, 2022. It’s Target’s book club pick for May so snag yourself a copy and let me know what you think. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my review – I enjoyed reading it!

Content warnings: workplace discrimination, mental illness, dementia, racial microaggressions, abandonment

4 stars

This is such a cute romantic comedy by Lily Chu. As her debut book she did a good job.I really like the doppelgänger element in this book along with the issue of metal health.
Grace is the heroine in this book just trying to get her mother into a nursing home but she can’t afford it. Her just go fired from her job when she meets Wei Fangli and Sam Yao a famous Chinese actors. Wei wants grace to pretend to be her and she will give her money. I liked how Grace and Sam relationship develop throughout the book.

*A special thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for a honest review.

A predictable yet interesting read...

I liked all the key characters - Gracie, Fangli and Sam and most of the secondary characters as well. An interesting mix of characters that were developed very well.

The story was as expected and I did have several questions and comments (it deals with several heavy and sensitive areas).

But it was written well - especially for a debut book.

Definitely looking forward to more from this author.

The Prince and the Pauper stories tend to be very camp, which is why they work so well in teen movies. The Stand In has an older lead (not a teenager) and a one sided take over rather than an equal two person switch.

This setting of an adult who can pause their entire life for a couple months only works by making Gracie an NPC in her own life. Looking like a gorgeous movie star is her best quality.

With no job and apperently no social life, Gracie takes the job to cover for superstar actress Fangli at events so Fangli can rest. This means forced proximity with Sam, Fangli's date to the events.

Sam was named sexiest man alive, but somehow has a completely free calendar to make all the events Fangli hired Gracie to do and hang out with Gracie during the day despite Fangli being over worked and scheduled?? Not sure about the logic on that one, but this whole absurd set up is so we can get self insert character Gracie to spend her days with grumpy super hot movie star man.

I loved the dichotomy between the world the main character lived in and the one she was learning to navigate. This book had a perfect balance of romance, fame, fortune, and realistic tropes. I appreciated the approach to troubles faced by the characters and how the characters navigated the new world. Such an intriguing premise and it did not disappoint.