I'm giving this 4 stars.

There are times when I really hate having to figure out what I want to rate something, and this is one of those times. There are a lot of books that I've rated 4 stars that are miles and miles above this in terms of quality, and so it makes me hesitate with that 4th star. But I picked this up expecting your typical contemporary-which to me means quicker, lighter, easier. And that's what I got. That's not to say that the subject matter itself was all light and unserious, bc that definitely was not the case...Zoe Whittal tackled some serious issues in 'The Fake,' but overall the genre as a whole tends to lack the depth and density of regular fiction/literary fic. So I picked this up expecting as much, and was not disappointed or surprised, I got exactly what I was looking for and expecting!

Gibson and Shelby are two lonely people that are both in the midst of their individual heartbreak, Shelby from losing her wife the year before, and Gibson from going through a divorce. They are both still reeling from the losses of their partners, so, naturally, this makes them a bit more susceptible to being conned by the beautiful & vivacious Cammile. She swoops into their lives at just the right time, seeming to provide just the things they are missing in their lives...connection. (Both physical and mental.) Because they have been starving for that contact they have been missing, they ignore the signs when they first start popping up, but soon they become too flagrant to ignore and are all propelled toward an inevitable reckoning.

I had a good time with this, I think most of us can relate on some level. Most of us have encountered our own Camille, we all have memories about the girls at school that made up outlandish stories, or the friends that get caught in lies and choose to double down rather than admit to their lies. That made the book more enjoyable. My main complaint is probably just that it was lacking in depth and characterization, the pacing wasn't just quick, it was speedy af. First Shelby and Gibson are lonely, then they're in love, then they're getting swindled, then they figure it out, and that's how it happens...bam bam bam. There's no gradual progression, each thing happens right after the other with basically nothing in between. It felt a lil basic, like Zoe Whittal is either inexperienced or else just lacks the skill or talent to really layer a novel. Camille also felt sorta like a caricature of a pathological liar, it was hard to understand her motives, I couldn't tell if she was intended to be villainous, or if we were meant to feel sorry for her.

Either way tho, like I said before, 'The Fake' might be lacking in quality, but it held my attention nonetheless. I love a good unlikable character that we're allowed to hate. In this case I felt like they were trying to add dimension to Camille, trying to give her some backstory, some reasoning for her behavior but it never really clicked. Even at the end when we get a lil epilogue from her perspective and realize that some of her supposed lies were in fact true, I still think she remained firmly in the wicked witch role through till the very end.

I did hope though that Shelby and Gibson would wind up getting together, connecting over their mutual experiences, buuuut it never happened. Oh well. Overall 'The Fake' was just a lil too short, it could have easily used another 200 pages and that would have probably improved this dramatically, but I still enjoyed it just the way it was. I sped through this in a day and consider it a pretty solid reading experience.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. A fun read, but I don't think I'll be revisiting this author any time soon.

An ok story, but con artists seem to be very trendy lately, and this one doesn’t stick out amongst the others.


I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

The Fake opened my eyes to the lengths a pathological liar and con artist will go to scam targeted people who are struggling with grief. Cammie’s personality draws people to her and she has an unbelievable knack of becoming indispensable to several people attending a grief class. Recently divorced, Gibson falls in love with her while Shelby, who just lost her wife feels protective of her.
I so appreciated the three points of view that told the story so convincingly. Zoe Whittall brought out so many emotions for each character as I was reading and made each so very realistic. Loved the uniqueness of the storyline and the way the story evolved. Especially loved the conflicted feelings I had about Cammie by the end of the book.
Many thanks to talented Zoe Whittall, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for affording me the pleasure of reading an arc of this just published book. Three and a half stars.

I had no idea what to expect going in and I'm glad. I had read no previous reviews or anything else. Cammie is a scammer. She takes advantage of depressed and grieving people. That is her "profession". She is HORRIBLE. Having said that, I totally enjoyed her. People who can fit themselves into whatever sort of person is needed in someone's life have always fascinated me. We are always hearing about someone and wondering "How in the heck did they fall for that?" Well, this book shows exactly how. Shelby and Gibson, both grieving in some way and here comes the perfect "partner". I felt so sorry for them, but the author did a great job of making me care about Cammie too, and not just hate her. I also liked the peek into Canada, where the story is set. I would have come up with a little different ending, but I still enjoyed it. I would definitely read more from this author.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Zoe Whittall and Ballantine Books for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I will post my review to Amazon, Facebook and other retail and social media sites upon publication.

Four Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Fake by Zoe Whittall is a fascinating look a the life of a pathological liar and the ramifications of those who fall prey to her lies.

I enjoyed this look into the life of a pathological liar and how her lies affected those in her orbit. I’ve known a few people like Cammie, but none as bad as she is. Shelby and Gibson are both very sympathetic characters as they are the ones being scammed by Cammie. I was a bit frustrated by the way they kept believing all her stories, but I know it’s not that easy when you’re with someone who lies all the time.

I highly recommend The Fake to anyone who enjoys contemporary fiction.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was Definitely an interesting book and I really enjoyed it. I would recommend it to anyone looking for something unique and different!

This was such a cracking, fun book. (I don't think that it being "fun" is a commonly used word in other reviews, but I found it fun - and I loved it.) At the beginning, you know that Cammie is a liar, a con artist, a fake. You know this! But as our two other main characters, Gibson and Shelby, become ensnared in Cammie's web of charm, good looks, and spontaneity, you start to forget that she's a fake. You, as a reader, fall for her tricks.

Gibson and Shelby are both lonely and vulnerable. Gibson is coming off of a divorce, living in a sad and empty apartment, when Cammie takes his life by storm. Everything is vivid and exciting, the sex is great, he feels like he never knew what love was until he met Cammie. Shelby is in a deep fog of grief after her wife unexpectedly died of a brain aneurysm, not being able to get out of bed at all and getting lost in her extremely health anxiety. But when she meets Cammie in a grief group, she feels known, less alone, and like she can finally get her head above water. She has someone looking out for her. Cammie is delightful despite her hard past: according to her, her dad killed himself, her sister killed herself, her best friend in adolescence killed herself, and she had cancer and dealt with it all alone. These traits endear her to Gibson and Shelby, making them appreciate her resilience and joie de vivre even more.

But slowly, and despite their rose-colored glasses, Gibson and Shelby realize that Cammie's stories don't make sense. That slow and gradual progression - then the fallout, all at once - is so exciting to watch.

My main criticism of the book is that Shelby's realization didn't quite add up to me, and that the ending of the book goes so fast. I suppose this is sort of accurate to how con artists operate - once they've been found out, they disappear quick - but I wish we could have gotten a little bit more. Other than that, this is a quick, well-written, and intriguing read. Thank you to Random House Ballantine for the ARC via Netgalley!

The characters were engaging, the writing was excellent and the premise was intriguing. This was a quick, well paced novel but I was a little disappointed about the ending. Although realistic, the ending was a let down after the rest of the novel was so good. Strongly recommended

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC: 3.5 rounded up, The Fake is a fast-moving story about a manipulative woman who upends the lives of two well meaning people: a woman who is grieving the death of her wife and a man who is recently divorced. Reading the author's comments, this book is based on an experience that she had in 2007. The author is an accomplished screen writer and I think that explains this book: it was a very fast read, the characters are well explored but it almost felt too fast. She did describe a sociopath very well, and the ending is appropriately complex. It almost felt like a novella to me--read it in one sitting.

This book sounds a lot better as a concept than it works as a book, and that saddens me. I love books starring con women, in whatever form that takes, but when your con woman–the catalyst for your plot and the crux of the whole book– is horribly see-thru and terribly unconvincing to your reader, it makes it hard to take your book seriously.

I’ve had a Cammie in my life. I’ve had more than one Cammie. But my meter for detecting when someone’s conning me must me a lot stronger than the ones our protagonists possess, because it takes both of them so long to realize they’ve been suckered I honestly questioned their intelligence.

This book really doesn’t feel like it has an original plot or original thought to it. It’s not the least entertaining book I’ve read this month, but I honestly didn’t understand what the author was getting at, other than there are Cammies all over the world and everyone probably has their own Cammie story. I just wish it could have been more.

I was provided a copy of this book by NetGalley and the author. All views, thoughts, ideas, and opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: Literary Fiction/Women’s Fiction

The Fake is a bizarre story about a con artist and who she conned.. Shelby is an anxious widower and Gibson is a newly divorced man and then there’s cammie. I think this is a one of a kind crazy you can’t stop reading it type book..

The Fake by Zoe Whittall is a story of a con artist who explodes into someone’s life with an amazing story and leaves once the jig is up. After the death of her wife, Shelby feels so alone. Then she meets Cammie, a charismatic woman who lives uncaringly about the opinions of others and has her own tragic story. As their friendship grows, something about Cammie’s story doesn’t add up. Gibson is fresh from a divorce and deeply depressed as he faces his 40th birthday. One night, he meets Cammie and instantly falls in love. She brings a brightness to his life that has been lacking. Unfortunately, his friends are very wary of Cammie and even Gibson starts to realize that Cammie’s story could be too tragic to be real. When Shelby and Gibson discover that Cammie is a pathological liar, they struggle to understand why they believed her story in the first place and struggle with how to proceed. Do they help her heal from whatever causes Cammie to be such a liar? Or do they truly want revenge?
The Fake is set up in an interesting format where we get 3 points of view: Shelby, Gibson and Cammie. We see the story upfold from Shelby and Gibson’s eyes and Cammie interjects to “defend” herself. It is an interesting look on how quickly we often take someone’s word for the story they tell us. It is also an interesting look into how people react, even after learning they have been lied to, they still want to help and befriend. Generally, people believe in the goodness of others despite evidence to the contrary. It is a situation we all have been in. Maybe not to the extreme that Shelby and Gibson experience, but how many times have we heard news stories of people defrauding the public for money with a sob story of extreme illness? As someone who has been taken in by someone’s sob story, only to discover some details aren’t exactly true, it was frustrating to see Shelby and Gibson so easily taken in. Understandable but I wanted to scream “be careful!” Overall, I enjoyed and recommend The Fake.

The Fake is available in hardcover, eBook, and audiobook

This book had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I really enjoy speculative fiction and the uneasy feeling it gives, this one delivered for sure.

3.5 stars rounded up for goodreads.

I have been enjoying con-women stories recently and now I can add The Fake to that list. I was not a huge fan of Cammie the con-woman, she was unlikeable and I didn't feel bad for her and her manipulative ways. Whereas on the other hand, I felt for Gibson and Shelby. It was interesting to see that even though they were conned by Cammie they each learned something about themselves in the process. I also appreciated having all three points of view being portrayed. Sadly, the ending fell a little flat.

Thanks so much Random House Publishing and NetGalley for an advance read in exchange for this review.

Shelby is suffering from prolonged grief following the death of her wife. In a support group, she meets Cammie. Cammie has cancer, and Shelby wants to help her shine. Gibson falls in love with Cammie, but something isn't adding up. Gibson and Shelby try to figure it out all out.

What a compelling story told from three POVs. I was angry on Gibson and Cammie's behalf. I wish the ending would have been more satisfying, but the whole book is so well written. I will check out the author's other books.

Cammie is the girl who everyone wants in their life. She’s charismatic, fun, the life of every party, and knows how to make people feel special. In spite of the hardships she’s endured, like her battle with cancer and the death of her sister, she still manages to win over every new person she meets. For Shelby, Cammie is the new friend who helps pull her out of her depression after the death of her wife. Shelby’s happy to help her out financially in return for this newfound happiness. For Gibson, Cammie is the antidote to his sadness about his recent divorce. He isn’t worried that things are moving too fast because he’s never felt this way with anyone before. But after Shelby and Gibson meet one another, they realize that Cammie’s larger-than-life stories aren’t adding up. Even the tragedies she claims to have lived through prove to be false.

This is the story about how a pathological liar can wreck the lives around them and what it means to love them anyway. Though predictable, it’s easy for us to see how Shelby and Gibson fall for the trap at first. By the end of the story though, we expect a climax that never comes. The pacing of the entire novel felt quite rushed, and the ending fizzles out in a way that’s far from satisfying. It was a quick read that held my attention, but I didn’t find a memorable takeaway.

Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Gibson is still reeling from a divorce he didn’t see coming when he meets Cammie. Immediately taken by her, Gibson doesn’t at first notice the inconsistencies in her stories. He is just happy to find someone who loves him. Shelby is devastated by the sudden death of her wife. She suffers from hypochondria and severe anxiety and is floundering until she attends a grief counseling session. There, Shelby meets Cammie, who is grieving the death of her best friend. Connecting with her on a level that she only had associated with her deceased wife, Shelby opens her house to Cammie. But Shelby and Gibson soon discover that Cammie’s stories aren’t adding up. What happens when Gibson and Shelby meet up and compare notes? How will Cammie react? Will they be able to confront her?

This book is told from 3 different points of view: Cammie (in the beginning and end), Gibson, and Shelby. Cammie gave the start and ending notes (and her explanation for what happened). But, the main focus of the book was on Gibson and Shelby. Everything that happened was seen from their POVs (well, it was 3rd person), with Cammie being featured heavily. Usually, I’m not too fond of books with multiple POVs, but it worked in this case.

Cammie was a freaking trip. From her opening note, I knew her version of the truth wouldn’t align with Gibson or Shelby. Cammie is a scam artist and a psychological liar. She went out of her way to find people who were hurting/damaged. Cammie gaslighted her way through the book, and when Gibson and Shelby backed her into a corner, Cammie freaked out. But her ending did make me pause and wonder about some of the things she told Shelby and Gibson were true.

I felt terrible for Gibson. He was genuinely struggling after his divorce, and Cammie saw that. All he wanted was someone who made him feel attractive and who appreciated him for him. Cammie’s lies started on day one with him. Thankfully, he had a good group of supportive friends that refused to allow Cammie to bring her drama and lies into their lives. He was such a nice guy that he even went to help Shelby when Cammie started getting too much for her. I liked how his experience shaped him and how he turned out.

Shelby, on the other hand, was a hot mess. I don’t even know where to begin with her. She suffered from extreme medical anxiety and extreme general anxiety. Coupled with her devastation over her wife’s death, she was a freaking mess. I was not faulting her there because I would have been too. But, the one time she decides to go to a grief counseling group, she meets Cammie. And, of course, Cammie latches on to her. In a way, Shelby got the sharper end of the stick with Cammie than Gibson. But Shelby became obsessed with helping Cammie, which drove her to a mental breakdown. Her story resonated with me the most because of her ending.

The Fake didn’t have a happy ending; in a way, for all three, it did. It was more bittersweet and reflective. It was also more Shelby and Gibson coming to terms with themselves and why/how they let someone like Cammie into their lives.

Cammie did get the last note in. She wrapped everything up perfectly and tried to spin the story her way (I loved how the author did that). As I said above, I also wondered if some of her stories were genuine. You know that there is always a kernel of truth in a lie. That may be the case here, which is why I liked this book so much.

There are trigger warnings in The Fake. They are cancer, toxic relationships, gaslighting, death, mental illness, physical abuse, addiction, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts. If any of these trigger you, I recommend not reading this book.

I would recommend The Fake to anyone over 21. There are language, violence, and sexual situations. Also, see my trigger warning paragraph.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books, NetGalley, and Zoe Whittall for allowing me to read and review The Fake. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

This is another scam and con book- this time, told from the POVs of two people that got taken in by the alluring and illusive Cammie.

After the death of her wife, Shelby is suffering from prolonged grief. She’s increasingly isolated, and her friends and family are to the point where they feel like she should be living her life again, but she can’t. She finally gets the courage to go to a a grief support group where she meets Cammie. She is charismatic and the center of attention - but she also listens to Shelby and makes her feel less alone. Cammie is recovering from cancer and an abusive relationship- and shelby finds herself doing whatever she can to help her new friend dig herself out of this hole.

Gibson is the other MC and he’s got his own stuff going on. He moved into a bachelor pad after his split from his wife. He’s depressed and searching for himself- and then he finds cammie. The two very quickly get into an intense relationship- and GIbson is delighted b/c she ‘s beautiful, fun, and makes him feel alive again. Gibson’s friends are very skeptical and eventually he, too, has to admit that all the drama in Cammie’s life is over the top.

GIbson and Shelby eventually meet- compare notes- and figure out that Cammie is a pathological liar.

I liked this story. It’s super short- 208 pages and I thought it was a great palate cleanser. If you’re looking for shocking twists and turns, you probably won’t find it in this one, but what you will get is a thoughtful story about what it feels like to be taken in and scammed. I appreciated the author’s consideration of grief, and although i cant say i loved any of the characters, i had empathy for them. There was something charming about this book- maybe it’s that i could easily see myself being brought into someone like cammie’s orbit. There’s a decent balance between dry humor and darkness- I dont want to make it out to be too light as there’s definitely mention of mental illness and suicidal ideation, so take care with that

Shelby is mourning the loss of her wife, Kate. In addition, she has trouble with bad anxiety and seems to be a bit of a hypochondriac. She goes to a grief support group where she meets a young woman named Cammie who has suffered a loss and is almost at the end of cancer treatments. Gibson has just moved into a new apartment as he is recently divorced. He meets Cammie at a bar and is shocked when she agrees to come home with him. He’s having the best sex of his life and can’t believe that she could fall for him. When Shelby and Gibson finally meet, they begin to see that things aren’t adding up with Cammie’s stories. They begin a quest to find out who Cammie really is.

Also reviewed on B&N under 1IrishEyes430 and Kobo under IrishEyes430

Quick, entertaining and predictable. This book hooked me in the middle but the beginning and end were a bit lack luster. The different point of views from Shelby and Gibson were interesting, but I so wanted to know more about why Cammie was how she was. Overall, it was just missed the mark and I wanted more. Thank you to NetGalley for the gifted ARC in exchanged for an honest review.