To be completely honest this was my first DNF over 50%, I stopped at 62%.. There is a good story in there somewhere, but I was bored.
I’ll probably swing back around to it when my TBR is bare bones, but I’m not in a rush.
Gracie was an interesting MC to try and vibe with. She went from strong/ independent to whiny/unmotivated.
Sam is a prick. I legit hated him until about 50% through.
The only character I really liked and wanted to learn more about was Fengli, and she wasn’t really in it.
Hopefully I can revise this review when I finish it… but it’s a struggle.

Thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

CW: parent with dementia, depression, death of a parent (past), work sexual harassment/toxic work environment, anxiety

This was a heavier read than I was expecting but i really enjoyed it. Entirely Gracie's story, she's in a terrible work environment, caring for her mother, and very alone. I really felt for her as she tried to remain positive despite all of the hardships that life kept throwing at her. And then a fun twist, stand in for a mentally exhausted/depressed celebrity.

I loved the fun to do lists and the side plot of the romance which was a sweet story. A nice read full of out there situations as Gracie navigates what she wants out of her life while living someone else's.

Steam: 1

This was a delightfully cute book utilizing the switching places trope. After being confused for movie star Fangli, someone posts a picture of Gracie online, causing her to get fired as she had called off that day. Later, she’s lured into a limousine and confronted with Fangli herself offering her extra money to stand in her place for social events so she can rest.

Strapped for money, Gracie eventually agrees. Fangli’s hot costar, best friend, and maybe(?) boyfriend Sam thinks it’s a terrible idea, but agrees to help Gracie master Fangli’s mannerisms so that Fangli isn’t embarrassed in the media.

I really liked the characters in this book, and specifically how Gracie’s relationship with both Sam and Fangli differ and are equally fulfilling. I also love Gracie’s friend Anjali and the support and criticism from her. I did feel that the ending of the book was a little rushed and would’ve preferred more buildup and explanations in the ending.

Also, I want Eppy so badly.

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 



Okay y’all I know it says I read this March and it’s April now and I haven’t posted my review yet BUT it’s cause I reread this book as soon as I finished it! I just can’t stop thinking about it. I absolutely loved this book! I cannot get Gracie, Wei and Sam out of my head oh my gosh. Like hello new book boyfriend, meet all my other book boyfriends but don’t worry cause you have my heart right now. Y’all this book!!! LOVE! Can I give it 6 stars?!

Gracie Reed's life is a mess. She was fired by her skeezy boss. She's trying to get her mother into a nicer nursing home and she can't seem to find the perfect planner to help her keep track of her busy life. Then one day Gracie is approached by the famous Chinese actress, Wei Fangli, who she looks shockingly similar to. Wei asks Gracie to be her to Stand In at a series of social events while she is working in town, only catch is she has to be escorted by the most attractive, yet infuriating man, Sam Yao. HELLO fake dating trope! Sam hates this idea and seems to hate Gracie just as much. But hey, the money means Gracie can get her mother into the nicer nursing home, so she's in.

Gracie is such a relatable character, someone tell me EPPY is real cause I NEED it. Gracie was such an amusing character, found myself laughing right along with her. The perfect amount of humor needed for a romcom. And Sam! He was perfect! I'm in love. I loved his friendship with Wei and how protective and concerned he was for her health. I loved his relationship with Gracie, loved their little banter throughout the book. He was just so sweet and kind, I loved him.
And just so we're all clear, Todd is a jackass. Todd is trash.

I loved how this book addressed the issue of mental health. A good reminder to everyone that it's okay to step back, it's okay to ask for help, it's okay to take care of yourself.

This book was everything. I cannot wait for Lily Chu's next book. If Lill has 1 million fans, I am one of them. If Lily has 1 fan, it's me. If Lily has 0 fans, I'm dead

This book was fun! Gracie is a great character and I enjoyed the fact that Sam and Fangli had more than just "rich people problems". It was funny and lighthearted but perhaps a bit too long. The audiobook is fantastic too!

Ever since watching The Parent Trap as a kid I am always down for a switch up! The trope is usually comical in some way and it’s interesting to see how one deals with their new situation. Although this is very much one-sided, Gracie has to navigate what it is like to be famous when she is thrusted into the spotlight as a double.

The book is told from one perspective and it comes from Gracie Reed. Her life has kind of hit rock bottom after a handsy boss lets her go and she is still trying to save up money for her mother’s care. It’s a lot for one person to manage. An opportunity arises to make some money and I can’t say I wouldn’t have jumped at it. Who wouldn’t want to make quick money while living the high life? Count me in! It isn’t always rainbows and sunshine though. Gracie has to still deal with her ex-boss, maybe feelings for an actor, and still trying to help her mother out.

I will say that there is a lot going on in this book. Sometimes it does feel like a bit too much and leaves not a lot of room to properly deal with each situation. Sometimes things wrap-up and feel way too good to be true. I could at least find enjoyment for the most part and didn’t find it terribly annoying.

There is romance but I don’t think it was given the time it needed. It is a slow-burn but just feels lukewarm. I didn’t dislike the guy and he at least had the grump trope going for him.

Overall, this was a good but I do wish that it was longer or just had things a bit more developed instead of crammed together. I did like Gracie finding herself through becoming a double and I think it made her a better in the end.

Thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Stand-In by Lily Chu is an absolutely lovely rom-com that will appeal to fans of Crazy Rich Asians or The Princess Diaries. The story revolves around Gracie, whose life revolves around to-do lists. One day, she's ambushed by Fangli and Sam, famous movie stars from China. Fangli looks a bit like Gracie, and she proposes that Gracie pose at her in front of the media in order to give her more free time. Gracie can't resist the money, especially when she's let go from her job. But can she pose as China's most famous movie star?

Here is a humorous excerpt from Chapter 1:

"My day is tidily laid out on my new LifePlanX app. It’s a work of art, to be honest. Here, the Life of Gracie Reed is beautifully organized and color-coded in neat little rows, a guarantee against indecision and inaction.
This Gracie has it together. This Gracie is a boss. Totally unlike the real, pathetic Gracie who just stepped out of the lawyer’s office and promptly started blubbering like a spineless wuss. You waited until you were outside, I congratulate myself. You didn’t cry in front of him. Small wins are still wins.
I tap my phone screen so that meet with lawyer is emphatically crossed out, which makes me feel a teeny bit better even though nothing’s actually changed. But according to my latest self-help read, just saying the word done is supposed to deliver a shot of that sweet drug, dopamine, and I’ll take all the satisfaction I can get."

Overall, The Stand-In is an adorable rom-com that would make the perfect beach read. One highlight of this book is the #ownvoices Asian representation. As a reader of Chinese descent, I am so happy to see a rom-com where both the main couple are of Chinese descent. Another highlight of this book is how fun it is. The premise is amazing, especially the idea that someone who looks like you might approach you and ask you to pretend to be them. I had so much fun reading this book, and I'm sure you'll enjoy reading it, too. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of rom-coms in general, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in May!

Gracie is in a tough spot. Her boss is an unctuous bore who she tries to avoid. She needs to move her mother into a more expensive memory care facility. And she’s obsessed with organizing her day. I’m liked Gracie. She was honest and desperate to claw her way out of her predicament. There are several surprises in the story that will delight readers.
Sometimes the worst thing that happens turns out to be one of the best things.

Gracie Reed is determined to make headway in her life, but she’s barely hanging on even though she tries to smile through it. She is going to suck it up at her job where she’s routinely belittled and sexually harassed because she wants a better quality of care for her mother with Alzheimer’s. Not that she has bad care. She just wants her in a facility with a private room that neither of them can afford.

I don’t know why “get another job” was never on one of Gracie’s lists.

Then she’s illegally fired by her boss for not excepting his sexual advances and doesn’t go back to the lawyer who told she’d need proof to file a complaint.

But money falls from the sky in a Prince and the Pauper scenario. She runs into Chinese cinema's golden couple Wei Fangli and Sam Yao. Gracie has a resemblance to burned-out Fangli, so she asks if Gracie would stand in at Toronto publicity events for two months in return for cash?

Sam is impatient and thinks this is a terrible idea and that Gracie is an opportunist, but we never see his point of view. He goes from being a jerk to being helpful and making cheesy jokes very quickly.

Gracie struggles to take responsibility in her life, whether it’s laundry or anything more significant like standing up to her boss’s misbehavior. She’s full of self-doubt. But while she won’t speak up to Human Resources or change jobs but for some reason she stands up to Sam from day one.

The big reveal wasn’t strongly hinted at but it wasn’t a shock either. While I liked the author’s voice, I didn’t feel any connection other than friendship between Gracie and Sam in this slow burn.

I loved the Princess Swap vibes and instead of alternating POVs you truly got to connect and focus on one of the girls...Gracie! She goes through a lot in the beginning of the book and I loved seeing her inner thoughts on toxic work environment and how its not always just so easy to say no as a woman. It should be, but sometimes its hard. I feel she truly grew to be able to stand up for herself throughout the book. The romance with Sam was okay, I didn't really feel a ton of chemistry with them. The plot at the end of having a secret sister seemed a little cliche, I kind of wish that hadn't been there. The third act break up was also a little juvenile to me as well since especially Sam is an older character. Overall it was a fun book which I also listened to some of the audio and the audiobook narrator is fantastic.

I ate this book up!

I thought it was a fun, lighthearted yet with some heavier topics nicely handled in it. Gracie was a loveable main character. I related to her struggles of organizing and standing up for herself, her issues with belonging and I thought her story was a well rounded one of children of immigrants, especially biracial kids. What a refreshing main cast made entirely of Chinese people, with very well made points around the general anti-Chinese sentiment and racism experienced by Asian communities, especially in North America. While the topics weren't the main points of the book or the plot, they were important enough to form a believable background to the storyline.

One of the only points I'll raise is I wish the transition from lowkey tolerating each other to friends to liking each other had been showcased a bit more through the small moments Gracie describes but that we, as readers, never really see. The points where she sees the real Sam, you know. In the end though, there was tons of chemistry between all of the characters. The plot was okay, though predictable, it did keep the story entertaining.

Another thing I'll say is that there are tons of heavy topics discussed - racism, identity, mental health, sexual harassment - and while some of them make sense as "background" (ex: the racism, because while it is absolutely a central part of the experience of POC in our society, it was used here as context and to drive home points from Gracie's storyline, it wasn't a main focus), some didn't? Like the whole sexual harassment part was brushed aside pretty fast despite it being super important to Gracie's storyline, I feel like it wasn't discussed enough as a main issue. Same deal with mental health and the stigma around it, while we get some closure towards the end of the book. Still, I feel like these topics were handled nicely for the most part.

Overall, a cute, light read I definitely enjoyed myself through!

I like the idea of ordinary meets extraordinary and this book brought that notion to life. While this book wasn't extraordinary, I did find it pleasant enough. It was well written and entertaining to a degree that didn't leave me bored. It wasn't exactly life changing but I'm happy to have read it.

I liked Sam and Gracie's relationship. I did find her second guessing a little annoying at times. She couldn’t seperate the mvovie star from the person and while she was offended by his judgement of him, she didn't see how her own judgement was festering. I also did not love the miscommunication trope. But Sam being a soft boi made up for the small, irritating bits and it made their relationship very endearing. Did I wish the romance in this story was a little more explicit, definitely, but I appreciated the snipits I got.

I loved the whole planning system thing. It played into my planning, bullet journal aficionado tendencies and was such a thrill to see unfold. Definitely a plus for this book.

While it wasn't the best thing I'd ever read, I don't regret reading it.

Thank you to netgalley and the author for this ARC.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a nice fun YA contemporary romance that also dealt with heavier themes such as mental health issues. It took me a little bit to like the male lead and get into Gracie, our main girl's narrating, but it was a good fun read that captured your attention when you got into the book's flow.

Thank you, Netgalley and Sourcebooks, for the digital ARC of this book.

Thank you Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for the opportunity to read and review this e-ARC.

If you are looking for a light YA romance book to get out of a book slump, look no further as this book ticked all the boxes for me. I really enjoy the plot and how cute it was.

Did I hate the ML at first? Yes. Absolutely. But he did grow on me so it was okay.

Also, heads up as characters deal with mental health issues including depression and anxiety.

First of all, thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks for the digital ARC of 'The Stand-In'.

This book is packed with all your favorite tropes. You just name it. The sweet sweet romance and the male protagonist's irresistible charm with make you swoon. Gracie's Reed's sarcastic humour is on point bound to make you laugh out loud at many instances. A heart-touching background story is the cherry on top. Not to forget, Gracie's character is so well developed and inspiring that it made me look at the brighter side of things and realize what someone is capable of once they set their mind to it.

Highly recommended read!

I am so glad to finish a quirky and light read book this summer. Although it’s a predictable read, I’ve enjoyed it from start to end. The whole stand-in storyline is fun and delightful. It’s a funny concept of a romance-comedy with a protagonist who is standing in because of a celebrity lookalike.

I’d recommend this book for avid readers of romance genre who enjoys trope like fake relationship and enemies to lovers.

Thank you to Netgalley and its publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca for sharing me an e-ARC in exchange of my honest opinion. It was an enjoyable read.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for this ARC!

I love the cover and the idea behind the book.. but I couldn't get through it. I hated how the MFC thought and talked about herself. I get that there is a reason for this, I'm sure herself esteem goes up as the book goes along., but I just couldn't do it. The style of writing also bugged me a little. Even though it wasn't my cup of tea, I am still going to order it for my library because I could see others really liking it.

Really really enjoyed this book. Even though it is told first person through Gracie's point of view, I found that there was good focus on Sam and Fangli's thoughts and perspectives. Especially as they all began to trust and care for each other.

It was just a great uplifting book that I really didn't want to end. There is so much more to their stories. I'd love to see how things look for Gracie, Fangli, and Sam in 3 or 5 years time.

PS I would totally download the Eppy app.

*I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and I am required to disclose that in my review in compliance with federal law.

This was a really fun contemporary romance with elements of enemies-to-lovers. Gracie just got fired by her sleazy boss, and a really unexpected opportunity just landed on her lap. Turns out she is a doppelgänger for Wei Fangli, a famous Chinese actress who is in Toronto to star in a play. Fangli offers to hire Gracie to pretend to be her for public appearances while she’s in town. This arrangement means she has to spend a lot of time with Sam Yao, a gorgeous Chinese actor in the same play.

Sam, Gracie, and Fangli are all fully realized characters, and I loved the friendships that were portrayed along with the romance. Sam is understandably skeptical of the whole plan, and I really liked the way he moved from seeming really prickly at first, to fully understanding his character and seeing him grow. Gracie was a relatable character, and I loved seeing reactions to the shiny celebrity lifestyle of fashion and glamour, and her grappling with the ethics of the arrangement she agreed to. There is a side story involving her being sexual harassed (off page), and I thought it was handled very well.

Recommended!

🌶🌶/5 moderate steam

The Stand-in is perfect for fans of the movie Monte Carlo. Gracie is fired by her boss. Her world is changed completely when she runs into an actress named Wei Fangly. When the actress realizes that Gracie has a resemblance to her she strikes a deal: Gracie will get enough money to help her mom if she acts as a stand in for Fangly. The only catch is that she’ll have to deal with Fangly’s bodyguard. It should be easy enough until Gracie learns the real reason behind why Fangly wanted Gracie as a Stand-In. This book is a lot of fun and I especially loved the plot twist. I will do a review during the first week of May on my bookstagram account @meetcuteromancebooks.