The Stand-In
Books | Fiction / Women
4.1
(505)
Lily Chu
Featured in USA Today's "Best Rom-Coms" of May 2023 and one of the Washington Post's best romances of the year!"The Stand-In is a charming, engaging rom com that drips in glamour and sparkles with banter. Chu's exploration of multi-racial identity was resonant and nuanced. The Stand-In is truly a stand out romance." — USA Today bestselling author Andie J. ChristopherGracie Reed was just fired by her overly "handsy" boss at the worst possible moment. She's been scraping together every extra dollar to get her mother into a top-notch memory care center. To make matters worse, a paparazzo has mistaken her for a famous Chinese actress in town for a new project and the resulting snapshot's gone viral. Gracie's barely holding it all together...until a mysterious SUV rolls up beside her on the street, and she's offered the opportunity of a lifetime.Gracie can't believe what she's hearing: due to their uncanny resemblance, gorgeous actress Wei Fangli wants Gracie to be her stand-in. The catch? Gracie will have to be escorted by Sam Yao, the other half of Chinese cinema's infamous golden couple. Problem is, Sam is the most attractive—and infuriating—man Gracie's ever met.But 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 her attraction to 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 to step out of the spotlight. In the end all the effort in the world won't be able to help Gracie keep up this elaborate ruse without losing herself...and her heart.Readers will delight in this glamourous, swoon worthy enemies-to-lovers romance that is as hilarious as it is heart-wrenching.
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Author
Lily Chu
Pages
384
Publisher
Sourcebooks, Inc.
Published Date
2022-05-03
ISBN
1728242630 9781728242637
Community ReviewsSee all
"Honestly this had a great twist that i wasn’t expecting. I also enjoyed the main characters being Chinese. As a Chinese person who grew up in a predominately white family and environment, there was a lot I could relate to. The story was cute and there was a happy ending, but it was also great to feel seen. If you’re looking for something with different representations, this is lighthearted but still meaningful. "
"I adore this book and I did not want to put it down. The author hit the right balance of humor and romance without being cheesy. Gracie was adorable but also seemed like a friend you would know. I liked the limited cast of characters and how they were all complex human beings. The slow-building romance was well told and the banter was cute. I thought the ending was perfect and I can't think of a single thing I would change in this book. I also really want EPPY to be real. "
L
Lauren
"I went into this book expecting a bit more rom-com but was not disappointed by the themes of mental health and familial connection I found instead. Chu handled Fangli’s depression carefully, but honestly and showed how hard it can be for people to reach out for help. Also, the hard decisions Gracie’s mom had to make so young were portrayed very compassionately. <br/><br/>Because I was expecting more romance, I was a little disappointed with what the book delivered. Because we never got Sam’s pov it felt like Gracie was pining over him and he didn’t obviously reciprocate which isn’t my favorite. At times I was like, “girl, pull yourself up and calm down!” Which I never would have felt if I could tell Sam was falling just as hard."
A C
Alyssa Czernek
"Currently reading this and I’m obsessed 🙈 it’s adorable, I wish I could read it in Sam’s pov too"
H R
Heather Runner
"Super cute and fun rom(com?) that explored mental health, family, and identity."
m s
macy serrano
"Very cute. I really enjoyed it. I only wish there was more development on the relationship between Gracie and Wei Fangli. Not because I think they were underdeveloped, just because I enjoyed their dynamic and I wish we got more scenes with them getting to know each other and being in each other's lives, especiallyafter the end. I also kind of wish there was an epilogue to go more into the aftermath of the end of the story. I have some questions I would like addressed.<br/>Like what happened after Gracie enters the public eye? That's the most pressing question. Does everything come out? Only some things? It's doesn't ruin the story for me not to know, I'm just very curious.<br/>I have a lot of thoughts about this book actually. For example I found it very interesting how, even though paparazzi did pose some conflict within the story, the problem wasn't as present as it has been in other "famous person drags normal person know their drama" stories I've read. Yes, they were a problem, and even were part of the final act climax, but they weren't the overbearing villains I was expecting given the plot of this story. Maybe because this was set in Canada? Are Canadian paparazzi just way less invasive than they are in the US?<br/>I was kind of glad that it wasn't as focused on that aspect if I'm honest. Good for Gracie, staying out of the tabloids and keeping that secret. In a book like this, I don’t think the worst possible thing needs to happen for the story to be fun or interesting.<br/>Also I desperately need her organization app. Like this was the first time ever I was actually very invested in the development of an app in a story lol."
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