Lily Chu… Thank you for this book! I could not put it down. Couldn’t help but fall in love with Gracie.. I devoured this! And Sam… good lord Sam…

Yeah, definitely recommend everyone to read this!!

It's a cute read. The enemies to lovers and fake dating tropes do not make a cliché of this book.
The story seems simple and so many times written before but the author manages to give some emotional weight to it.
Honestly, when I read the synopsis I was hoping for a Montecarlo story. This was definitely something better.

Thanks to @sourcebookscasa for my gifted book and goodies!

Today, I’m wrapping up #bookstareviewweek with @pattyisbooked and @jm_bibliolater, and sharing a review of The Stand-In, by Lily Chu.

Y’all, y’all, y’all. This was SUCH a great book, and not just for the romance…there is some wonderful mental health representation in this book too (let that serve as a trigger warning as well). You got to see someone offer help who had been helped herself, and see someone receive help who needed it. I don’t want to go into too much detail, but that was my most favorite part of this book, by far.

Also, this book has great character development, a fabulous love interest, and some entertaining banter. All in all, definitely one to read and discuss.

This is delightful fake dating enemies to lovers romance. There are other books with the same “stand in” premise, but this book gives it a twist that makes it more interesting.
It was interesting to read about what Gracie had to do to transform from a regular cute girl into the gorgeous movie star Fangli, even when she’s not going anywhere fancy. The pressure to look good and behave appropriately is intense and Gracie could feel her usually under control anxiety start to get worse.
Then there’s Sam, Fangli’s friend/escort and an incredibly handsome movie star in his own right. Can Gracie pull it off long enough to get money to move her mom to a nicer nursing home? Gracie is not sure what she’s going to do about Sam and their growing feelings for one another either.
This was deeper than just a cute romance with the topic of anxiety and imposter syndrome addressed, it was very well done. 4.5 stars.

Synopsis:
Gracie Reed is doing just fine. Sure, she was fired by her overly "friendly" boss, and yes she still hasn't gotten her mother into to putthe nursing home of their dreams, but she's healthy, she's (somewhat) happy, and she's (mostly) holding it all together.

But when a mysterious SUV pulls up beside her, revealing Chinese cinema's golden couple Wei Fangli and Sam Yao, Gracie's world is turned on its head. The famous actress has a proposition: due to their uncanny resemblance, Fangli wants Gracie to be her stand-in. The catch? Gracie will have to be escorted by Sam, the most attractive—and infuriating—man Gracie's ever met.

If it means getting the money she needs for her mother, Gracie's in. Soon Gracie moves into a world of luxury she never knew existed. But resisting Sam, and playing the role of an elegant movie star, proves more difficult than she ever imagined—especially when she learns the real reason Fangli so desperately needs her help. In the end all the lists in the world won't be able to help Gracie keep up this elaborate ruse without losing herself...and her heart.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A cute book with a pinch of enemies-to-friends-to-lovers. There's just enough glamor to give this book a different spin and a compelling backstory where the main character has to deal with in-office sexual harassment. I could have done without the not-Asian-enough-for-the-Asians and not-white-enough-for-the-whites commentary, but the author even pokes fun of this struggle. An enjoyable easy read

Stop your scrolling and go get this book. This is the perfect contemporary romance! It has everything I love: famous/non-famous trope, a little enemies to lovers, a little grumpy/ sunshine, multicultural representation, and mental health discussions. I could not put this book down. Gracie and Sam are now on my top 10 ships of all time, they're that good. Lily Chu has written an adorable, funny, and poignant romance that I will be recommending to everyone. Now go out and get it!

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for the digital ARC of The Stand-In in exchange for my honest review.

Loved it!! Not only is the cover gorgeous but the entire plot is downright hilarious. It's beautifully written, relatable, and overall just a feel-good kind of book. It's downright impossible to not end up falling in love with Sam and Gracie.

This was the best romantic comedy I’ve read in a while! It had such depth - each character was dealing with pressure, hurt, or trauma from family. And each character had defined virtues and vices. I loved the pace of the book - it moved at the exact right speed. I never got bored, but there was also plenty of time to develop the characters. I can’t wait to read more of Lily’s books!

Shoutout to the Toronto representation! I really enjoyed this debut from Lily Chu, a fun premise of basically a twin swap where Grace fills in for Wei Fengli at social vents. Wei Fengli is a superstar so there's a lot to learn, add in a hostile partner in Sam to make it more complicated. I really enjoyed the depths of these characters and think Lily Chu did a really great job developing this story.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

I loved the "Stand-in"! The old switch trope never fails to entertain and the main character was fun and relatable so this was a really chill read. The romance was sweet but not the main focus and the ending, although a bit predictable, was great.

I listened to the audiobook as well and it's amazing, it's voiced by Phillipa Soo so I recommend to give it a try!!

I don't really know what to say about this book. I didn't hate it, but I didn't really enjoy it either. It was a decent read, yet I don't think that there Is anything making this book stand out from the others. The book talks about important topics such as burnout and mental illnesses, but I don't feel they were explored or portrayed well enough. There was nothing that made me root for any of the characters, the story was very predictable and by the end of the book I was left with the feeling of 'that's it?"

One thing I congratulate the book for it trying to fix the friendship before the relationship with the love interest.

"Help isn't anything to be ashamed of and it doesn't take away from my independence."

thank you Netgalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and [author:Lily Chu|15045049] for the arc!!

don't get me wrong, this story was filled with strength and compassion, but it was kind of a let down for me. i saw myself in gracie but then she did lots of things that were the opposite of who i wanted her character to be. in general, not much really happens in the story and the ending is pretty anticlimactic.

i went into the book so excited to see how her life was going to turn around, and it did, but then literally nothing happened until 70% of the book. i would not label it as a romance novel because it takes up to the very last page for them to actually show something towards each other that's meaningful. they help each other throughout the book, go on cute dates, talk a lot, and give a whole lot of background info.

but with that background info, nothing really huge comes out of it. we're fed all these details i thought i would need to remember but they pretty much end up going no where. i don't want to take away from her trauma but her problems could've easily been solved if she just trusted herself a little more. like it hurt me to hear all of her bs honestly and i'm so sorry if that's mean.

i did really like seeing some of the connections to everything and getting that small taste of such a cute romance but there was no where near enough. this book felt too long for no reason and for it to go almost no where.

fangli and sam seem like such interesting people but we only get very few snippets of their lives out of gracie. i genuinely think this book would've been 10x better if it was multiple povs and the plot was more thoroughly explored.

addictiveness: 4.25/5 i did go a lot slower than ashley
sadness: 3/5 god i bawled my eyes out for the realization
characters: 3.75/5 eh
setting: 3.5/5 i would actually love to visit
plot: 3.75/5 a great great concept
plot execution: 3/5 wasn't followed through very well
writing: 3.75/5 wasn't bad but just didn't get me really hooked
romance: 3/5 just wasn't enough
chemistry/tension: 4/5 probably their best attribute
comedy/banter: 3/5 just a lil
smut: 1/5 talked about it once no buildup just said it happened

overall: 3/5 some points i thought higher and some lower, but did appreciate the representation especially for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month!!!

gracie is going through it, when she meets sam. gracie begins to work as a stand in for sam's girlfriend. there's such good banter going on in this book!

This was a fun read, and I couldn't ask for anything better!

Gracie loves keeping a list of everything, even doing the laundry, which she keeps forgetting. While she's trying to avoid her overbearing boss, she's also trying to deal with putting her mother in a better nursing home. Then the greatest opportunity falls into her laps — to stand in for the popular Chinese actress who coincidentally is her look-alike.

The more Gracie stands in, the more she finds out that — all that glitters isn't gold after all.

She's flawed, like you and me, and relatable on so many levels. One thing I always look forward to in books — character growth and Lily Chu did it so well. This is an absolute must-read clean Rom Com.

Thanks to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the ARC copy!

This book was sweet and fun. The celebrity doppelgänger and girl next door switch is becoming more of a common trope, and I am glad to see it. I loved the protagonist’s antagonistic moments with the main love interest. I also enjoyed the main characters use of lists as another way for the author to share her mindset. If you love celebrity gossip, books about movie stars, or have ever had a dream where a famous movie star falls in love with you, you will love this book. Check it out!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

The premise of this book is far-fetched and a bit absurd (not a bad thing, it's fiction after all) but I really loved it. Despite the book being about Gracie, a 'regular' person who is asked to be a publicity double for a famous Chinese actress, it actually has very few crazy scenes. The book is very much character driven, and explores themes of identity, the realities of being famous, and darker themes such as depression and sexual harassment. I loved Gracie as a narrator, and admired how brave she was and how much she grew throughout the book. I liked that even though she was thrust into a world so different to her own, she never tried to be anything but herself (except for when she actually had to be acting as though she was an entirely different person)! The friendship she formed with Fangli was developed as much as her growing relationship with Sam, and I loved how much the two girls came to care for each other. Gracie and Sam's relationship was also written so well and I loved that Gracie saw him (and Fangli) for who they truly were, although Sam did make it difficult at the beginning.

It is very much a character driven book, which I love when it is written as well as this book is, but the first half does seem to drag on. I still loved how the character's developed and it felt very natural how it progressed, but it did feel like it was missing tension or something to just drive the plot a bit faster. The only other thing that nagged at me was a scene near the end between Sam and Gracie where she puts him in an uncomfortable position, and I wish it was resolved a little better with Gracie being held accountable for her actions. Apart from that, I absolutely adored it and can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy, especially with that stunning cover!

A cute love-story with surprising twists. I love stories which have a masquerade - it never works out and it’s always exciting to read! Gracie is a cool character, I liked her attitude and that she’s not Ms perfect with a lot of friends, she’s like a normal girl from the neighbourhood. Mental health is a big topic in this novel and the way it was handled was authentic and good. Sam is a bit too perfect for my taste, but he matches good into the story. The story itself had some lengths, in the middle part it could have been a bit shortened. Besides that it’s very fun to read, and cute to see the development of Gracie’s feelings. The end was so super cute!

BOOK REVIEW

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Stand In by Lily Chu

Gracie Reed is doing just fine. Sure, she was fired by her overly "friendly" boss, and yes she still hasn't gotten her mother into the nursing home of their dreams, but she's healthy, she's (somewhat) happy, and she's (mostly) holding it all together. But when a mysterious SUV pulls up beside her, revealing Chinese cinema's golden couple Wei Fangli and Sam Yao, Gracie's world is turned on its head. The famous actress has a proposition: due to their uncanny resemblance, Fangli wants Gracie to be her stand-in. The catch? Gracie will have to be escorted by Sam, the most attractive―and infuriating―man Gracie's ever met.If it means getting the money she needs for her mother, Gracie's in. Soon Gracie moves into a world of luxury she never knew existed. But resisting Sam, and playing the role of an elegant movie star, proves more difficult than she ever imagined―especially when she learns the real reason Fangli so desperately needs her help. In the end all the lists in the world won't be able to help Gracie keep up this elaborate ruse without losing herself...and her heart. (Overview taken from Amazon.com)

First of all this book has such a unique and creative idea as the basis for the romance. Often times romance novels have very similar foundations but the “stand in” concept of this book was fresh and new. Lily Chu’s writing was able to perfectly describe the uneasy feelings Gracie was feeling to a point where I also felt uneasy myself. There was a slight plot twist towards the end regarding Gracie’s mother that I was not expecting whatsoever and made the story that much more interesting.

The only thing I would have changed about this novel would be adding more spicy scenes instead of the PG ones that were written but that may not be the writers style so I get that.

I could definitely see this book becoming a movie 🎥

The Stand-In was absolutely charming and such a cozy read! Lily Chu wrote a story that was so well written I found myself flying through the pages, unable to put the book down, pondering what would happen next. My favorite piece of this entire story was how believable the characters were.

The writing is clear and clean, and very immersive. The book hums along at a good clip, but the pacing makes sure we're given time to breathe between plot-intensifying moments. The story was absolutely engaging and the work that went into the settings was noticeable and superb. I felt absolutely transported and I'm so incredibly glad I was able to read an arc of this story.

This was so cute and fun. It was giving “The Princess Switch” from Netflix only better. I would love to see this turned into a movie or limited series!