The Decoy Girlfriend by Lillie ValeGenre: Adult Romance
Publishing Date: September 6, 2022
Synopsis:
A laugh-out-loud funny and whip-smart romantic comedy from the author of The Shaadi Set-Up, about a young woman who takes the place of her celebrity doppelgänger, and must fake-date the actress's sexy costar boyfriend.
Writer Freya Lal has a huge secret: she's a dead ringer for It-girl actress Mandi Roy. Her second novel is due in a month, but inspiration is nowhere to be found. Desperate to shake off her writer's block, Freya leans into her look-alike abilities and indulges in some mistaken identity for simple perks, like
scoring a free mimosa or getting into a trendy nightclub.
Actor Taft Bamber appears to have it all: gorgeous, talented, and Mandi's love interest both on- and off-screen. But what nobody knows is that their relationship is a PR stunt, and after years of playing make-believe, he's yearning for something real. When Freya's latest impersonation of Mandi goes viral thanks to Taft's accidental interference, rumors of a breakup threaten Hollywood's golden couple. To make amends, Freya is forced to give Mandi a little time off: she'll pretend to be the actress for a month, move in with Taft, and squash
the rumors by acting completely in love. But as Freya and Taft play house, it becomes impossible to ignore that their instant chemistry isn't just for the cameras. While faking it, they might have just
found the real thing.
Content Warning: Please be aware that through the course of the novel, Freya recounts fond memories of her mother, who passed away before the book begins (off-page), and the ways in which that love is intertwined with her writing. Taft stands firm against toxic masculinity and learns to let go of toxic friendships. There is also explicit on-page sex between two consenting adults
Book Links:
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MY REVIEW
If you love the fake dating trope, this book takes the concept to a whole other level! Freya is a writer who’s lost her inspiration with her deadline quickly approaching. The one thing that seems to help her feel anything is impersonating the famous actress Mandi Roy (who happens to be her look-a-like) to get into clubs and other events. One day, while working at her aunts' bookshop, THE Taft Bamber walks in to buy a book. Taft is also an actor, the very one who inspired her to start worrying in the first place, with fan fiction. But he also happens to be Mandi Roy’s boyfriend. So why then is their chance encounter turning into a heated banter session? When Taft catches on to her later at a club, they are photographed by paparazzi in what appears to be a fight between the real couple. Instead of calling Freya out as a fraud, Mandi instead gets her to switch places with her for four weeks, filling her role in their already fake industry relationship.
Fake dating on top of an already fake relationship is a twist on the trope I haven’t personally encountered! I really liked getting to know the complexities of Taft and Freya. Freya was a very relatable character dealing with grief and the pressures of writer's block and deadlines. She struggles with imposter syndrome and it was refreshing to see a successful person like her still dealing with those issues on her second release. I loved her relationship with her aunt Stori and the bookish content we got from her bookshop! With Taft it was sad to see how his career was impacting his personal relationships and even though he was becoming the huge star he always dreamed of being, it felt like he was the one being left behind and forgotten. At first, I thought having dual POV in a book like this would give the reader a better experience of seeing both sides try to hide their real feelings in a fake relationship but by the end, I wasn’t a huge fan of the switching perspectives or the third person delivery. It made me feel distanced from the story. Knowing this is a personal preference I know many people will love this story regardless. Secondly, I am a huge fan of fake dating as a trope but for me, it’s all about the slow burn. Here, it felt like their meet cute was forced into being “bad” (as in potential enemies to lovers set up) only to have them both be basically insta-love based on attraction, missing out on the tension and chemistry development I would have loved to see more. Overall, I didn’t love this one as much as I hoped I would but it was still a quick, solid read with a great new take on the overdone trope!
PLAYLIST
Dress - Taylor Swift
like real people do - Hozier
enchanted - Taylor Swift
wildest dreams- Taylor Swift
comethru - Jeremy Zucker
lonely heart - 5SOS
temporary fix - One Direction
deja vu - Olivia Rodrigo
About the Author:
Lillie Vale is the author of books for both teens and adults, including The Decoy Girlfriend, Beauty and the Besharam, The Shaadi Set-Up and Small Town Hearts, an American Library Association's 2020 Rainbow Books List selection. She writes about secrets and yearning, complicated and ambitious girls who know what they want, the places we call home and people we find our way back to, and the magic we make. Born in Mumbai, she grew up in Mississippi, Texas, and North Dakota, and now lives in an Indiana college town.
Author Links:
Website: https://www.lillielabyrinth.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LillieLabyrinth
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/labyrinthspine/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17145712.LillieVale
Tour Schedule:
https://tbrandbeyondtours.com/2022/07/21/tour-schedule-the-decoy-girlfriend-by-lillie-vale/
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