Gracie Reed glumly sits in a coffee shop contemplating a sexual harassment suit against her boss and what to do about her mother, who suffers from dementia, when suddenly the flash of a camera interrupts her somber thoughts.

The photographer is chased away by an employee, and an unnerved Gracie puts it out of her mind until the next day, when a luxury SUV pulls up beside her on the Toronto street and her doppelgänger peers out. It’s Wei Fangli, Chinese A-list movie star, who, in perfect English, says she wants to chat. Next to Fangli is actor Sam Yao, dubbed Sexiest Man in the World by a celebrity magazine.
Fangli saw the coffee shop photo of Gracie online, taken by a paparazzo who thought she was the actress. Fangli presents her with a proposition: Pretend to be the star for two months for a huge amount of money. Overwhelmed and suspicious, Gracie tells them she’ll think about it.

Unfortunately, the next day Gracie gets fired by her slimy boss. With no job, and also needing money to move her mother to an expensive private-care home, Gracie calls Fangli.


During a meeting with Fangli and Sam, the plan is laid out. While the stars are in town for a project, Gracie will be the double at public appearances for the overworked actress. Sam, who clearly is against the plan but is supporting his friend Fangli, is to act as her escort.

After much preparation, and upgrades in wardrobe and makeup, Gracie starts playing her part and discovers the vastly different lifestyle of the rich and famous. She realizes that she likes her role, no matter that the smoking-hot Sam is so surly.

As she grows more comfortable, she also becomes more assertive in her own life. She confronts Sam about his behavior, and they make peace.

Working together with the stars draws Gracie and Sam closer, and attraction grows. It also reveals a stunning secret about Fangli.

While snarky fun, The Stand-In also touches upon some heavier topics, such as class and racial prejudice and the stigma surrounding mental disorders. But they don’t detract from the entertainment and the satisfaction of seeing Gracie start to shine her own light.

whenever I leave a bad review for a book I feel bad but this is beyond that. I HAD HIGH EXPECTATIONS !! and they were not met at all... I was struggling with the book for about 70% of it. the closer to the end I was, the happier I felt.

Gracie felt like an alien to me at all times, she (and most of the characters) felt to me like an empty potato and I couldn't connect with her at any point in the book. what also annoyed me about her was the whole "impostor" syndrome which felt more like taken straight out of fanfiction. "Of course I'm nothing but a temporary person in his life, nothing special." booooring and annoying.

something also didn't sit right with me about Sam. everything about him seemed too fake and forced which ruined the whole book for me. Fangil was probably the only character that made me not put the book down. (Also I figured out the plot after like 60% of the book.)

I was hoping that Lily Chu would take the workplace situation and depression more seriously but it kind of felt to me like it was only put into the book to make it more "woke".

Absolutely loved this book. Gracie, Fangli and Sam all of them are so wholesome and funny. I liked Fangli and Gracie the most, they just grew as characters and showed woundreability and strength. Sam was funny, smart and interesting too. It kind of broke my heart how Gracie & Fangli`s mother had Alzheimers and made it so hard for them all...

I loved the premise of the book. I think I was expecting something different. It was a bit heavier than I thought it would be. It was still well-written and I read it pretty quickly. The story was cute and the characters where lovable.

this was so adorable, such a fun read!! it reminded me of a movie i watched a few years back about a doppelgänger standing in for a queen, but this book was waaay cuter. i highly recommend it!

I loved the premise of the book and all my expectations were met! Loved the anxiety and mental health topics and how easy it was to root for the main characters.
I only felt a bit lack of plotting in the last part of the book, but apart from this, it is a quick and fun read!

I thought The Stand-In was fun and original. It was such a unique premise and I love when a book jumps right into the plot and gets going right away!

Gracie was such an adorable, likable character - flawed, yet relatable, and I really enjoyed her story arc and her interactions with Sam, Fangli, and Anjali - who were also all likable, sweet characters.

I loved the Chinese and biracial representation, struggles with identity, mental health rep, even the inclusion of sexual harassment - while icky - it was so believable and I appreciate it woven into the story because it's SO common and often glossed over. And the best part - watching a character figure out what they want from life and ultimately, going for their dreams.

Super cute - can't wait to read what comes next for Lily Chu!

This premise was a lot of fun and the main character and her situation were easy to root for. However, the last quarter of the book with the reveal seemed a bit far fetched. There could have been better plotting and pacing to get there.

This book was heavier than I expected!! But in a good way.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review

I was positively surprised by this book! The Stand-In is a charming read and I loved the anxiety and mental health representation.

The plot to this book was pretty unique and I really enjoyed the character development and seeing Gracie grow.

I loved that the story took place Toronto and that the authour is also Canadian.

I loved this book! I read this one after a few heavier reads and it was completely perfect for what I needed at the time. It was swoony and fun but had the right amount of heart and emotional depth. It’s a story about finding yourself and being comfortable in who you are, whether or not that’s the person that you are expected to be on the outside. While I of course loved the love story between Gracie and Sam, I also really loved the friendship that developed between Gracie and Fangli, and how that was just as important a feature of the story as the romance. Sure, it’s a little over the top and the premise is quite absurd, but since when does that mean that it can’t also be enjoyable? It made me laugh out loud, I was hanging on the narrator’s every word and it left me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. I also really liked how it addressed mental illness, especially burn out. It was a little bit The Princess Diaries, a little bit Crazy Rich Asians and a little bit The Parent Trap and I very highly recommend! I need someone to make this into a movie ASAP with Henry Golding as Sam please and thank you

Don’t let the gorgeous cover fool you, this book is deeper than think.

I loved the anxiety and mental health representation and that this book didn’t just focus on lighthearted topics. Those are great and all, but sometimes you need that depth and this book definitely had that. Fast paced and definitely binge-worthy. I read it all in one go. I highly recommend this one, but suggest checking the trigger warmings before reading this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for gifting me an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I read this on some friends' recommendation and what I lovely read it turned out to be!
Cute and light-hearted but also examining some serious issues - mental health (and the stigma around it), anxiety, sexual harassment at work
I found so much about Gracie relateable - she is neurotic and anxious, has a hard time making/keeping friends. At the same time I love how determined she was, she went back and forth on following her dreams but ultimately found her way forward.

Complex family relationship (lots of stress and family secrets), real and pretend personality, learning to open up and trust.

CW: depression, anxiety, sexual harassment at work (mostly off page), parent with Alzheimer's in care home,

I think I was expecting something different with this book, but I still enjoyed it. It was a cute quick read that I enjoyed enough but it left me wanting something different from it.

I really enjoyed this book. I should have seen the plot twist earlier but I didn't and that just made me enjoy the book. I didn't have to be disappointed with the plot twist. Plus I liked how this book doesn't focuses on the romance but the friendship between everyon involved in their plan, except to one. I am now adding Lily Chu to my go-to authors (currently reading The Comeback).

This was a really good book! It was a good mix of light-hearted rom-com fun with the sprinkling of more serious topics and mature themes. It was pretty PG for the most part, no explicit sexual scenes in case you are looking to avoid them. Overall, it was pretty wholesome and a fun read, I liked the main characters quite a lot. Each character had their own strengths and struggles.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

After being wrongfully terminated, Gracie Reed is suddenly offered the opportunity of a lifetime: to be a stand-in for the famous Chinese movie star Wei Fangli (who she happens to bear an uncanny resemblance to). But in exchange for a very generous stipend, Gracie must be escorted by the infuriating, judgmental, and gorgeous Oscar-winner Sam Yao. To be able to pay for her mother's car, Gracie accepts and must quickly master how to be the glamorous and elegant Wei Fangli.

While I did find the book to be entertaining, I don't think I would personally consider it a romance because romantic love played such a minor role in the story. I was fine with suspending my disbelief with the whole celebrity in need of a look-alike, I was a bit underwhelmed by the chemistry between the characters. There was a lot going on but not a great deal in terms of introspection or connection, the pacing felt a bit rushed. I could get behind the out-there premise but the dynamics between characters felt over-developed for people who just met each other. If the premise interests you, I say give it a go but know that the romance isn't the main focus of the plot.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Stand In is such a cute, light read, perfect for a lazy day. Gracie is lovely character and goes in well with the plot. Speaking of the plot, it was very intriguing and adorable.

Not a go to read for me, but quite a delight.

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley & Sourcebooks Casablanca for an eARC of this book.

Super cute story! Very much The Princess Switch vibes. It was light, witty, and fun. The whole concept of the book was cool, but a little too predictable. It also dragged a little bit after the halfway point for me. Gracie was a relatable main character and Sam really grew on me. I really appreciated the representation, and I loved the mental health rep and discussions surrounding mental health.

Life has had it out for Gracie Reed lately: her handsy boss fired her (kind of a relief?), her mother's dementia is getting worse and she can't get her into her choice senior home, she can't seem to find a way to organize her life, and now Chinese actress Wei Fangli wants her to play her in her everyday life? With the promise of enough money to make Gracie's life secure AND get her mother into that home, how can she say no!? All of this, while trying to not fall for Sam, Wei Fangli's on-screen love interest, who is equally infuriating and attractive. Hopefully Gracie can keep it all up long enough to get the cash and get out without having her heartbroken.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book! I loved that it took place Toronto and that the authour is also Canadian.
Gracie was a great MC, with some very relatable points. She talks very openly about her depression and is able to help Fangli through her mental health problems, as well as helping Sam understand why Fangli can't help what is happening to her. It also really shows the truth and price of fame and the impact it has on your life.
The slow-burn between Sam and Gracie was done so well! It was just enough enemies-to-lovers that I really questioned if it would work-out for them, but I am so glad it did.
Some points were a bit cliché and I did find the book generally very slow at the start. But there is a twist in the end that just makes the plot of the book that much better!

A huge thanks to the publishers for granting my wish on this one, and thanks to NetGalley. All opinions are my own!