From the beginning, in the “Note from Camilla,” it was obvious to me that Camilla was the fake, a liar and a scammer. I don’t think that it’s a spoiler, since that’s the title of the book. This was not a psychological thriller – because there was no mystery. It wasn’t a love story – even the love was fake. It wasn’t a story of friendship – yup, fake too.

Camilla was charming, in a psychopathic way, but she never charmed me. She just angered me. She was the worst kind of parasite, feeding on the other two main characters, Shelby and Gibson, with no remorse. And Shelby and Gibson were so naïve. They ignored their gut and intuition and so many red flags, that a few times I felt like throwing the book.

Luckily, this was a quick read because I don’t think I would have picked it up again after putting it down.

My thanks to NetGalley for an Advanced Readers Copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in any way.

It seems from the acknowledgments that this rooted in the author’s real-life experience - if so, what a harrowing thing but it resulted in a really twisty, propulsive story so at least there’s a silver lining.

Cammie comes into the lives of Gibson, newly divorced and Shelby who is grieving the sudden death of her wife. Both very vulnerable to this too good to be true, new person in their lives. There was a lot of build up to their discovery of who she really was and the expectation of something bigger coming. It ended with a whimper, not a bang. A bang would have been more satisfying but I enjoyed this quick read

This was a good book. Wishing I got to read more about Cami's past that would lead to her lying. I did like her actions between Gibson and Shelby and how she got them locked into her web. I did enjoy Shelby's and Gibson's teamwork towards the end in finding out where her sister really was and tried to make an intervention to help her out.

This one will definitely take you on a thriller ride! Excellent writing with the main characters coming to life on the pages. Must read!

What a whirlwind!

Gibson is newly divorced and reeling while trying to figure out how to continue on. Shelby’s wife recently died suddenly and her anxiety is all consuming.

Then Cammie crashes into their lives and turns everything upside down.

At first she’s charming, thrilling and brings excitement they both love. Then lies start being uncovered and scary things start happening.

When confronted Cammie opts to disappear instead of coming clean.

The best part is the tiny sliver we get at the end from Cammie’s perspective and you still don’t n ow what’s true or fake.

Scammers and grief support groups seem very "in" these days but this book did not disappoint. Whittall is very good at making scenarios that could seem over the top or cheesy relatable. The story was a little predictable but it was so enjoyable and well paced I wanted to keep reading.

Whew. This one didn’t really work for me. Unlikable protagonists are not really my jam, as a rule, and that was true here as well. Too much stress not enough comeuppance.

As a big fan of Zoe Whittall's previous novels, I was thrilled at the opportunity to read THE FAKE early. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley.

It's fairly clear that the opening sex scene is to set up Cammie as too good to be true. However, something about that scene and Gibson's description of it was very off-putting. Perhaps it was as simple as it went on too long. Still, it set the tone and I struggled to finished the book. This is a rare experience: usually I can't put Whittall's novels down once I start them.

I look forward to seeing--and reading--what the author does next. She's set a high bar for herself and THE FAKE doesn't quite clear it.

I had so much anxiety while reading this. I suppose it's from being privvy as a reader to knowing Cammie is a professional liar/sociopath and the two current victims in her life not knowing it and watching them discover it. It just left me very unsettled. Liars/manipulators/gaslighters just hit a nerve with me, so it was an uncomfortable read. Not that it wasn't a good story or the writing wasn't good - it was. I just don't think I'm the right audience for this one.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Fake.

I was excited my request was approved since the premise was so intriguing but sadly, the narrative didn't work for me.

I enjoy reading about unlikable people and Cammie is definitely one of them; at first, it was fun to read about this manipulating, deceitful woman; what stories and lies she would come up with and what untruths she could conjure up on the fly.

Camme isn't unusual; sometimes you read new stories about women who have been busted for lying about having cancer and scammed thousands of dollars from sympathetic neighbors, friends and strangers who have donated to a GoFundMe account.

But soon, I couldn't understand what was the point of the narrative.

That Shelby and Gibson are chumps for being scammed? That we're all chumps in some way?

I do have to admit I wasn't sympathetic to Shelby and Gibson, though I understand the biggest reasons they were suckers is because they were emotionally, mentally, and psychologically vulnerable.

But many people aren't when they're conned. All these people are sucked in by is a good sob story.

And Cammie (and people like her) are good at spinning a Dickensian tale.

The ending is anti-climatic; everyone's lives move forward and Cammie doesn't receive her comeuppance.

But maybe that's the most realistic ending of all; some people get away with murder, and many people get away with much less.

Zoe Whittall is an excellent writer, so I'm always happy to see a new title from her. I found The Fake to be as well-written as ever, but perhaps not as richly-woven as her other work. I still thoroughly enjoyed it, but didn't find myself thinking about it for days afterward, as I have with her other books. Still, a perfect, engrossing vacation read.

Two disappointing stars for The Fake by Zoe Whittall. This book started with promise - who doesn’t like a believable tale about a scammer who works her way into the lives of unwitting people who are at low points in their lives. It’s easy to see why they are susceptible to her lies, and it’s exciting to imagine how the truth will come out. But the book ends with a whimper. For all of its build-up, there’s very little payoff, and the otherwise sharp writing seems to falter when attempting to come to a conclusion.

While I was reading and devouring each page of this strange, well-written book, I asked myself several times what it was about it that kept me going. None of the three main characters are particularly likeable, and there isn't much of a story or even a mystery to solve. Yet, just like being unable to turn away from a train wreck, I couldn't put this book down.

I like psychological drama as much as the next person; however, I also expect there to be a payoff at the end. Recommended if you want a quick read about flawed characters, one of whom appears to be a master manipulator.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced reader's copy.

The Fake by Zoe Whittall is an unusual novel which I had a difficult time with. It wasn't an enjoyable read for me because I couldn't decide who was telling the truth and who was lying, but I guess that was kind of the point of the novel. I found my emotions being tugged by all the characters, then found Cammie was not who she was pretending to be which completely blew my mind. All in all I found the novel to be somewhat disappointing. Thank you to the author, Ballantine Books and NetGalley for an ARC in return for my honest review.

This one is page-turner for sure! Pay attention to the note from Camilla that's the first thing in the book. From the beginning, you're not entirely sure where this story is going, but the characters keep propelling the plot forward. The story is told from two POVs that often meet up. Then ending isn't quite what I expected, but it followed suit with the rest of the book. I'd recommend this one.

I received a copy of this book for my honest opinion. I did a little day reading to get it finished, which is rare for me, especially when things are so busy, but I got it done because I kept thinking about the characters and where the story was going to take me next.

This was a quick read that I sometimes enjoyed and at other times found very odd. The author did a great job of writing a character that is a pathological liar and showing the damage they do to the people in their lives. I guess I was just expecting more from this story, but if you've read the description, then you've pretty much read the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for access to this arc.

I loved the premise of this book (I can't resist a good con story!), but I struggled to get into the plot. I think the writing wasn't a fit for what I expected, which isn't anything against the author. It just didn't match the mood I was looking for.

The story is mainly about Cammie who is going through many dramas in her life, and then she meets Shelby who has recently lost someone dear to her. Cammie is so uplifting that Shelby welcomes her. Gibson is recently divorced and when he meets Cammie, he falls in love fast. Then Shelby and Gibson meet up and start discussing Cammie and all the tragic things that have happened to her.....and things are not adding up.
I thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I usually enjoy stories about con artists. I am fascinated by the psychology both of someone who takes advantage of other people for a living and of the people who find themselves falling victim to this type of personality. But everything about this particular con artist - and this particular book - turned me off from the very beginning. I found the crude discussions of oral sex in the opening pages off-putting and odd, as scene-setting elements of the story, and from there things just never improved for me... I found the characters irritating and the situations they found (and put) themselves in implausible and just didn't enjoy it. I must not be the right audience for this one - most people seem to love it, but it did nothing at all for me.