I initially heard the audiobook back in January and now here I am again! Gracie is just so real and relatable, right down to her overthinking and ‘trash goblin’ levels of energy and looks.

As much as a fairy tale that this was, it had to enable tremendous vicarious living too. Not only is Gracie a famous a Chinese actress for a while, but she also finds love along the way. What else could anyone ask for, right?

"Problems don’t go away because you ignore them." Great best friend advice, Anjali!

Oh and also, "Wine is for sipping, not guzzling." Good to know, Sam, good to know!

P.S., Thank you for all those negative H-words, that was ‘handy’ to say the least! 😉

I was so excited when I got my wish granted on Netgalley for this book! The cover immediately drew me in – I knew I was going to be in for tropes-galore and I was not wrong. There were enemies-to-lovers (with like a small middle ground of friendship), forced proximity, fake dating, and found family. Basically, this is the story of Gracie Reed being mistaken for global icon Wei Fangli. They conspire to use the mistaken identity to their advantage for the sake of Fangli’s mental health … not even mentioning the added benefit that Fangli is escorted everywhere by none other than the world’s sexiest man Sam Yao.
I loved the mental health representation and advocacy in this book. The two main characters struggle with depression and anxiety, and one encourages the other to seek professional help while still being incredibly respectful and open about their own journey. It was also laugh-out-loud funny as you read from Gracie’s first-person perspective of how she balances her professional and personal responsibilities. And the organisation tool/planner she creates throughout – a woman after my own heart; I wish Eppy existed in real life!
There’s a distinct possibility that I was too excited and read the last third of the book too fast BUT it did feel like the ending was rushed. After a slow start, with phenomenal character building, there was a lot to fit in the end. And I really wish there was an epilogue so we could see how the characters make it work in the long run, particularly what happens to Gracie’s mum. I will say as well, Sam went from hating the situation to being best friends with everyone within a chapter – this could have been drawn out more too and been mirrored in Gracie’s confidence as that grows throughout the book. This book has little to no spice, but the mental health aspects are very real – I would say this book sits in the Young/New Adult contemporary fiction and romance categories.

This book took me a couple chapters to get into, but after that I was hooked! I adored this book so much. I am glad that its main focus wasn't just romance. I loved the themes of friendship, mental health, and family being included and being one of the main focus of the book. I am giving it 5 stars because I adored it that much, but I do wish that the miss communication trope wasn't used. Though it really didn't take anything away from the book, but it just felt a little out of character for Gracie especially after she spent the whole book learning to be more confident of herself

Thank you to the publisher for an early copy of this wonderful book!

I want to start this by saying that I am a hard person to please when it comes to Romantic Comedies. It has to, of course, end with a Happily Ever After, but the drama and the problems that come up during the book have to be realistic to me. Yes, a lot of these books are literally less believable than some fantasies books (which is why they are so entertaining), BUT I still need the obstacles to be relatable. Does that make sense?

ANYWAY, this book was such a wild ride, I really enjoyed it! I don't think the situation of someone famous coming up to me asking me to be their body double for fantasy events will ever happen, BUT what played out totally would happen and I fell in love with all three of the main characters in this. I feel like I loved Wei Fangli, the famous, super-star who needs a body double, the most. Her struggle with her mental health was so relatable. I won't say anything more, but she must be protected at all cost.

Sam Yao was fantastically wonderful. I honestly have nothing bad to say about him or our main character, Gracie Reed. Gracie was SO FUNNY. Not like campy funny, but witty funny. And the twist at the end? HERE FOR IT. It's like a telenovela.

It's perfect.

Please read this.

I enjoy books about famous people, and this one had such a promising synopsis. I ended up enjoying it, but sadly not as much as I'd hoped. The book was off to a pretty rocky start for me - I didn't actually get into it until I was halfway through. I did really like the second half though. I only wish this book had dialed up the charm and fun that I'd expect based on the used tropes a little more.

This was a book that I enjoyed. At first, I was like, I don't like celebrities novels but this cover begged me to. Thank God, I read this. I loved this so so much.
Again, this cover is really beautiful. I can stare at it all day😍

*This is a review for the paperback copy*

TW/CW: sexual harassment, depression, adoption, dementia

One of my fave tropes is celeb look-alike switch places. There was a slight enemies to lovers romance over the course of the book. The book covered several topics from mental health issues to body image and cultural differences. I wish the author handled some of the topics with more sensitivity and depth. Some of the periphery characters deserved better characterization. I found Grace to be annoying when she repeatedly downed herself but her growth by the end made up for that part.

I really enjoyed reading this book and watching the character development. I would definitely recommend for those looking for a cute rom com!

Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for providing this in exchange for an honest review

This was so freaking cute but at the say thing educative about the one-child policy in China and the effects it would have had on parents around the country.

In this book we follow Gracie Reed who is doing everything to remain sane from her touchy and overly friendly boss to making out plans for her life. One day while she is at the coffee shop, a photographer takes a photo of her and she goes into a panic thinking about her meeting with her lawyer. That is, until Wei Fangli, a very popular Chinese actress proposes that Gracie be her stand-in. Apparently the photographer thought Gracie was Fangli because of how much they looked alike.

With Gracie trying to move her mother into a better care facility it is easy to see how she would accept to go along with this well payed sham. The only catch is that she will be escorted by Fangli's boyfriend Dam Yao. Sam is the most infuriating person that Gracie have ever met and most importantly she has a crush on the guy.

I will stop here because it is so cute and you just need to read it. I do loved how Lily Chu was able to explore the cultural differences between Gracie and Fangli, from cultural views of mental health conditions to language barriers. It was a very great read for me.

Thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for making this book available to me via #Netgalley.

Gracie Reed is dealing with a lot in this story. I appreciated that she was a complex person who felt realistic if entirely overwhelmed. Her boss is gross and she can't find a way to get out from underneath him. She can't quit, she needs the money to pay for her mother with Alzheimer's home.

In walks a Chinese superstar and her gorgeous action star friend. Gracie is practically twins with her and after being fired she starts to genuinely entertain the idea of being her double. Unfortunately, that puts her in very close proximity with action star Sam who can't stand her.

Soon Gracie realizes how complicated Fangli's life is and as Gracie slips into her life she realizes it's even more complicated than she could've expected and sets out to make her own dreams of the perfect task managing app a reality.

I liked the characters in The Stand-In, but some things felt like they weren't fully developed. Gracie constantly puts off tasks that are hard or overwhelming which often has bad consequences, but near the end, everything falls into place without her trying and I would've loved more of her powering through and leaning on others to help her rather than just resolving on its own.

Sam and Fangli were very well done, but sometimes I felt like there was information about them just out of reach that isn't shared with us. Overall, Lily Chu does a fantastic job telling these characters' stories.

I absolutely loved everything about this book. The premise was what initially drew me in, but it was the characters and their relationships that kept me completely engaged. Gracie‘s character development was so spot on and it was just so awesome to see her empowered by her situation and by those around her. I loved the different plot tensions especially as they all contributed to making Gracie more confident in herself. I also really loved the romance between her and Sam. It was definitely an enemies to friends to lovers and I was rooting for them the entire time. I also really appreciated how the author decided to not make this yet another love triangle. Instead, it was all very supportive and loving between the female characters.

I was given an ARC of this book by NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book was like if The Princess Switch and The Lizzie McGuire Movie had a cute little RomCom book baby! In addition to a slight enemies to friends to lovers romance that built over the course of the book, it also shone a light on a lot of important topics, including the pressures for a woman in the public eye, sexual harassment in the workplace, mental health, and what it’s like to be a Chinese woman in the public eye.

I really liked this book a lot. It was easy to read and the story was unique and interesting and the love story was swoony and adorable. I really liked Gracie’s growth arc, and I liked seeing her go from a shrinking violet afraid of her own shadow to a confident and successful CEO. Some of the secondary plot points could’ve used a bit more development, but in general I really liked this story.

The premise of this is really unrealistic but sometimes you just have to suspend reality and enjoy a book. I definitely did that here. I originally listened to this book on audible last year. It was nice to re read it in text. I picked up a few things I missed the first time. It’s a really fun and sweet romance I would definitely recommend!

This book was such a fun take on the classic parent-trap style story! There were a few points where it dragged on and wasn’t too interesting which is why I gave it 3 stars. But overall, I enjoyed the storyline and the ending !

This was actually a lot of fun! I had a great time reading this. I loved the themes of this book, including family and the MC's Asian diaspora identity while living among other Asians born and raised in their home country, all combined with a swoonworthy romance. I related to and saw a lot of myself in Gracie even though she's several years older than I am and I really liked following her as a main character. I think the only reason I gave it 4 stars is that there could have been more action in the plot/more to the story in general, but I still really enjoyed this book. I can't wait to read Lily Chu's next novel!

I loved this book. It was wonderfully paced, delightful, and totally unputdownable.
I was hooked from the beginning because of the characters, and the story made it that much more amazing.
Gracie was such a great main character! I loved her personality and humor.
Even Sam is a wonderful addition. Loved him.
I enjoyed seeing Gracie in all her glitz and glam.
This was a fun batch of romance and Lily Chu's writing is happy, smart and fun.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Sourcebooks Casablanca,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my platforms, blog, B&N and Waterstone closer to pub date.

I really enjoyed getting to know Gracie, who just can't seem to figure out where she fits. She is biracial and the topic of fitting in culturally is a theme throughout that was very interesting, and she also can't seem to figure out where her life is going which I think everyone can relate too in some way. I loved how she follows such a strict to do list! I do that as well. Even when the book was in a slow spot, her inner monologue kept me laughing. I would recommend!

When Gracie gets mistaken for a famous actress, she is offered the opportunity to impersonate the other woman in exchange for the cash that she desperately needs.

This story was sweet and I really loved the characters - Sam and Fangli and their friendship in particular! The book is a little bit too long - at times it started to drag somewhat. Overall though, I thoroughly enjoyed it!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Source of book: NetGalley (thank you)
Relevant disclaimers: I share publisher and an editor with this author; we’ve had no personal contact
Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author.

I wouldn’t have heard of this book except for an extraordinarily bad take: so, y’know, make of that what you will. If you ask me, there are few powers stronger than the need to disagree with someone.

Anyway, The Stand-In is a surprisingly sincere and grounded book, despite its self-consciously absurd premise. But I guess, for me, that’s the appeal of a really good romcom: you start with a daft idea or a particular trope, but then you treat your characters and their lives seriously. In this case the daft idea is that the heroine, Gracie Reed, just so happens (for the record this is explained later) to look notably similar to the famous Chinese actress, Wei Fangli. After losing her job due to shenanigans from her sexually harassing boss (a job she felt she couldn’t leave because she’s paying for her mother’s medical care), Gracie is offered a frankly bizarre opportunity from Fangli: Fangli is in Canada, performing in a play, and her management team want her to be seen “out and about” with her usual escort, the gorgeous and equally famous Sam Yao. Fangli is tired though and wants to rest, so she offers to pay Gracie a hundred and fifty thousand dollars to pretend her to be in public while she’s rehearsing for the play. It’s clearly a bananas idea but Gracie has felt trapped in her life for a long time—and the money would big help—so she agrees.

What follows is … remarkably unbananas. Yes, there’s some romcom-style zaniness here, including some towel-dropping and Spanx-related incidents, but mostly this is a book about people: about how see ourselves, versus how the world sees us, and the complexities of navigating the difference. As a theme it’s incredibly deftly explored, whether it’s the heroine’s multiracial identity, the reality of lives in the public eye for Sam and Fangli, Gracie’s mother history, the details of which she’s gradually losing to Alzheimer’s, the distorted mirror offered by depression and anxiety, or the way we can lose ourselves in abusive situations. There is no getting away from the fact the heroine starts the book in a bad place—an entirely understandable bad place by the way—lonely, concerned for her mother, still grieving her father, her confidence eroded by a toxic work environment she feels unable to escape. For the record, and because I feel it’s important to say this explicitly, I never felt Gracie was weak or passive: I felt she’d been forced by circumstances into situations that made her feel that way. Those are very different things. And watching her learn to see herself with clarity again—to find her confidence and her independence again—while it’s a slow and slightly painful journey, rather than a big dramatic moment of triumph, was, to me, incredibly satisfying.

It sounds a strange thing to say about something that has the premise of “wouldn’t it be cool if you got to pretend to be a movie star and hang out with an incredibly sexy man, desired by millions” it’s actually a very … quiet book. And I mean that in an entirely positive way. It’s a book that understands the value of ordinary things as much as it seems to celebrate extravagant ones. And while, I admit, there’s sort of something very “have your cake and eat it” about having people with access to extraordinarily privileged lifestyles secretly hanker after emotional connection, ferry rides, and bubble-gum, it’s done in an incredibly sincere and charming way. I think, overall, the book does a good job of handling the complexities of its own premise, balancing the advantages of wealth and fame that Sam and Fangli experience against the very real sacrifices (especially in terms of privacy) they’ve made for their careers.

I also loved that, while Gracie’s developing romantic relationship with Sam (obviously she was getting with the absurdly sexy film star, obviously) was a significant element of the book, it was no more significant than her developing (non-romantic, I hasten to add) relationship with Fangli. I didn’t measure it with a teaspoon but my sense was that the book gives equal weight, and almost equal page count, to both relationships: when things go wrong, as they inevitably do, Gracie actually gives priority to repairing things with Fangli. I think what’s extra notable about this—above and beyond the fact that it’s rare to find a romance that is willing to make such space for other relationships—is that I personally didn’t find that it diminished the romance at all. I looked forward to the scenes between Sam and Gracie, because they have great chemistry and their relationship (once they get past their initial mistrust of each other) is genuinely lovely, but I also looked forward to the scenes with Gracie and Fangli because they both so clearly needed a friend, and this relationship, too, is genuinely lovely. I know I said above that The Stand-In is a quiet book, in terms of its storytelling, and its focus on small change over grand gestures, but it’s choices like these that make it a bold book too.

There’s also some fairly heavy subject matter in here, in terms of mental health, workplace harassment, toxic family dynamics, and the fact Gracie’s mum has Alzheimer’s. I can, of course, only talk about my own reactions but, for me, I really appreciated how the book handled these subjects. Gracie is essentially living with anxiety and depression: she’s on medication, she’s had therapy, her internal thoughts reveal her tendencies towards catastrophising and anxiety spirals, and she mentions having previously experienced episodes of depression, but because she’s sought help she’s self-aware about her own behaviour. I really enjoyed spending time with a heroine for whom struggles with mental health are a fact of life rather than a crisis she’s in the middle of: I like that it was a natural part of the book, but not—for Gracie—the point of the book. Similarly, I found the sections with Gracie’s mother very poignant. But, while they’re sad, for sure, they’re not … presented as irredeemably and unremittingly tragic.

I think because we’re all terrified of dementia (as well we might be, and I’m definitely not trying to claim it’s anything other than a bad thing), there’s a tendency to treat such conditions as the end of life, rather than part of life. Obviously caring for her mother takes an emotional and financial toll on Gracie (the problem with her current care facility is simply that it is competent and utilitarian, and Gracie would simply like her to be somewhere nicer) but we are allowed to see her mother having good days, as well as bad days, and it’s clear the relationship continues to have value for everyone involved in it. The situation is hard, yes, because it would be, but it's not presented as an impossible sacrifice that is consuming or ruining Gracie’s life. Again, I felt this was an unusually balanced perspective on something that is often presented in a highly unnuanced way.

And now I’ve probably made the book sound like it’s about a lot of grim stuff. It’s not at all. While it’s not necessarily the com-iest of romcoms (Spanx and towel-dropping aside) I will say that the heroine’s wry, down-to-earth, endlessly engaging voice guides the reader gently through the heavier sections. Gracie is, honesty, a pleasure to spend time with. Her narration made me laugh out loud several times. On top of which, there’s a subplot about her developing her own planner system which … as someone obsessed with planners and planning … I found really well observed and highly relatable. Especially the way every single one of her to-do lists in the early section of the book includes a failed attempt to do laundry. I feel so seen it’s practically an attack.

My main niggle revolves around the crisis point of the book: the possibility of a newstation getting hold of information about Gracie and Fangli’s identity-swap. The person ultimately responsible for this does it because they’re jealous of Gracie’s closeness with Sam and … ehhh. I’m not sure the world really needs any more “a jealous womanz did it” plot points? Or perhaps it would have landed better if the character had been better developed all round, I don’t know. I also got a teeny bit weary of the amount of times Fangli and Sam tell Gracie they’re just friends. I think they must say it about … like … I mean, it felt like ten times each by the end of the book. And while I do understand we’re not fully rational creatures, especially where love is concerned, and especially in the context of two gorgeous, talented film stars, but like … just believe them girl, come on. I did wonder, though, if this was a bit of a straight thing. Like, if I was uncomfortable with every close, long-standing relationship my partner has with a dude … well … I’d be crawling up the walls every Wednesday when six or seven of them come round to lock themselves in a dark room together and breathe heavily while pretending to be elves. I mean, in a rolling dice way. Not as a … like … a sex thing. At least, I don’t think it’s a sex thing. Oh my God.

And, finally, there’s an emotionally significant scene where Gracie’s mum thinks Sam is her long-lost brother and Gracie essentially forces Sam to pretend he his. This is partially about comforting her mum, who is distressed, but it’s also about making Sam do something for her that he doesn’t want to do to prove her cares at least as he cares about Fangli. It’s a really taut, beautifully written scene, with lots of complicated emotional dynamics in play. And I don’t mean to overly celebrate a heroine behaving badly but it felt like a realistically insecure reaction to a messed-up situation, and I appreciated that it felt like such a mean little piece of relatable human ugliness, rather than any sort of grand or glamorous betrayal. Because I think there’s a degree to which, in fiction at least, we are more comfortable portraying and forgiving dramatic acts of cruelty over small acts of selfishness. As I said: this is a book that makes bold choices. Unfortunately—while I didn’t need Gracie to do a full on grovel—the plot sweeps on and she never really gets an opportunity to properly apologise. And it felt important to me that she did, because while it WAS a minor act of being a bad person, it was also one that struck against Sam in some vulnerable places.

But anyway: this book is a rare pleasure. It’s one of the most usual romcoms—sweet, but complex, subtle but daring, and admirably in control of its themes and its storytelling—I’ve read for a while. I strongly encourage anyone with an interest in the subgenre, or who never quite manages to cross laundry off their to-do list, to pick it up.

4.5 stars!

This is a rom-com that packs an emotional punch! There is so much to unpack. First of all kudos to Lily Chu for how she handled sensitive issues like workplace harassment, mental health, and healthy boundaries, and so many others. All of it was done with finesse and the seriousness they deserved.

Secondly, I absolutely loved Gracie. We come from similar cultures in regards to cultures and expectations and I could relate to her struggles on a cellular level. It was so easy to fall for her, as much as it was for her to fall for Sam, the World's Sexiest Man. Their love story was so sweet and their interactions eventful. Their start was definitely rough, but I loved how Gracie didn't allow Sam to treat her badly. And the way he looked out for her and clued into her emotional state by her body language just made me melt. I only wish the consummation of their attraction to one another had been on the page, but that's my personal preference.

Lastly, there are so many important themes discussed in the book, family, friendship, and our relationships to work, our time, belonging, etc. While The Stand-In feels complete, I would love more of Sam and Gracie, and especially more of Wel Fangli, whether there's a novella or a full novel, or both. I'm not ready to leave the world Lily Chu has created. I really do hope Lily writes more romances, because The Stand-In is an exceptional story and we need more of them.

*4.5 stars rounded up
I really did adore this book. It’s not often that I can say that there was nothing in a book that I didn’t like, and while I don’t think this one was perfect, it was amazing.
First as always, characters! Gracie is such an amazing main character. She’s driven, but also relatable. If she had just collapsed after losing her job, she wouldn’t have been quite as good of an MC, but she not only found a very different job, she started working really hard at a passion of hers. The other characters are also so amazing and have so much depth. I absolutely loved Fangli and Sam. They were so different from Gracie, but they also had valuable points of view.
Interpersonal relationships are next! Because this book takes place in Canada and two of the main characters are from China, it’s really interesting to see how their culture affects their relationship. There are really important friendships in this book as always, but it also explores tough relationships with family, the obvious romantic relationship, and how mental health can affect these, too. The relationships between Sam and Fangli and Gracie and Fangli were my favorites, but the romance had me on the edge of my seat.
Lastly, plot! Although the plot didn’t stand out as much as the characters and relationships, it was pretty amazing. Everyone’s actions were usually insanely valid, and only a little bit predictable. I don’t really have much to say about this aspect in particular, but I loved it just the same.
I’d absolutely recommend this book to people who want to read fun romance/fiction books that touch on really important topics like sexual assault, mental health, familial relationships, and more. There wasn’t a single moment that I didn’t like this book or its characters.