Title: The Stand-In
Author: Lily Chu
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Romance,
Pages: 384
My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🖤
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The Stand-In
Gracie lives a pretty ordinary life. She has a job, a house, and a best friend. Okay, she absolutely hates her boss, because he is harassing her all the time. When the superstar Fangli asks her to be her stand-in for two months, she is a bit shocked. But when her terrible boss fires her for a stupid reason, she takes the job Fangli offers her. She needs the money for her mother and she is willing to do anything. Even when that means she has to pretend to be someone else and spend a lot of time with Sam, Fangli’s best friend and superstar.
Review
At this moment I am trying to read as much as I can. My TBR list is so long, it is not even funny anymore. There are books that have been on my list for years now. The stand-in came out in 2022, so this book had been on my list for two years now and I finally read it. I am not sure what I was expecting from this book. I did not have high or low expectations. I don’t think I have heard many people talking about this book.
The characters are pretty likable and they definitely grow as a person. Fangli has her own struggles, and Gracie is trying to leave her old job behind her. Even the assistant Mei, is a better person at the end, owning up her mistakes. Gracie and Fangli became really good friends and they helped each other. I loved that. I love it when girls are supporting other girls.
Fangli and Sam are super famous and are now in Canada for a play. Gracie doesn’t have to act for Fangli, she only has to attend events, dinners, and all that. Just showing up for the camera to keep Fangli’s management happy. Of course, Gracie is struggling in the beginning, because it is not easy to pretend to be someone else. They might look alike, but she has to mimic Fangli’s movements, poses, and everything.
I thought this book was pretty cute. I think this is the first time I read a book by Lily Chu, but I don’t think it is going to be my last one. Although, I am not sure if it is smart to add more books to my TBR list right now. But maybe in the future. The colors Gracie hates (she mentions it in the first few chapters), are the colors of the cover. I thought that was very funny. That was a nice little touch.
It was pretty easy to read and there were a few cute moments that I liked. I think it is a perfect book to read during your summer vacation. I can definitely imagine myself sitting on the beach with this book. And I know Fangli and Sam are Chinese and Gracie is also half-Chinese, but I was sort of getting those K-pop vibes. I know China is not the same as South Korea, but I was still getting those vibes. Maybe this is the perfect book for people who love K-pop. I listen to K-pop sometimes ( I love Blackpink), but I wouldn’t call myself a fan if that makes sense.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. I am not giving it 5/5 hearts because I have read other books that I liked more. Those are the books that made me cry and made me feel things. But it is definitely worth 4/5 hearts! It was cute.