amberlfaris's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment
Moderate: Sexual assault
historianvik's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I really enjoyed this book! The characters, the pacing, the voice, and the plot were all amazing. It was refreshing to have characters talk about mental health in very real ways. It was an easy book but incredibly enjoyable and satisfying! I would have enjoyed it better if it had a real sex scene and not a fade to black one. Although it did fit the tone of the book really well.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gaslighting
Minor: Sexual assault and Racism
dez_blair's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, and Dementia
Minor: Miscarriage
alyanah's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Stand-In is dressed up as your typical switcheroo story - it has all the elements of a tried and true Hollywood romcom: the rich and famous look-alike, the sexiest man in the world, and the ordinary girl caught in the mix. However, underneath the guise of an outrageous plot, we get these incredibly real interactions between the characters. In fact, the most wild part of the book is the decision to switch places - everything that follows is made up of quiet, sincere moments between the three main characters.
My favorite parts of the book were the discussions and the development between the three main characters that felt really genuine. Although written as a rom-com, I loved that the book gave equal weight to Gracie’s relationship with Fangli as much as her relationship with Sam. This book takes on mental health, Alzheimer’s, and workplace harassment, and instead of using them simply as plot devices or mere footnotes, they’re grounded and discussed with sincerity and honesty. In no way did Gracie’s struggle with her identity as half-Chinese half-Canadian in the light of pretending to be Fangli, a Chinese superstar, ever feel forced. Especially when these doubts and insecurities played a part in her growing relationship with Sam, Fangli’s best friend and sexiest man alive.
My only issue with the book came in the beginning and the end. With any switcheroo plot, there’s always going to be an underlying doubt/skepticism of how realistic it really is. Although we did have Gracie questioning the whole thing, the buildup to the meeting was lil too far-fetched. As for the ending, I think it could have been more developed - I wish we had more information on what happens with Gracie, Fangli, Sam, and Gracie’s mom in the aftermath.
Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!
My favorite parts of the book were the discussions and the development between the three main characters that felt really genuine. Although written as a rom-com, I loved that the book gave equal weight to Gracie’s relationship with Fangli as much as her relationship with Sam. This book takes on mental health, Alzheimer’s, and workplace harassment, and instead of using them simply as plot devices or mere footnotes, they’re grounded and discussed with sincerity and honesty. In no way did Gracie’s struggle with her identity as half-Chinese half-Canadian in the light of pretending to be Fangli, a Chinese superstar, ever feel forced. Especially when these doubts and insecurities played a part in her growing relationship with Sam, Fangli’s best friend and sexiest man alive.
My only issue with the book came in the beginning and the end. With any switcheroo plot, there’s always going to be an underlying doubt/skepticism of how realistic it really is. Although we did have Gracie questioning the whole thing, the buildup to the meeting was lil too far-fetched. As for the ending, I think it could have been more developed - I wish we had more information on what happens with Gracie, Fangli, Sam, and Gracie’s mom in the aftermath.
Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Dementia, Sexual assault, and Mental illness
giulsfloris's review against another edition
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
After losing her job, Gracie Reed accepts to work for a celebrity (Wei Fangli) as her dopplegänger since they look extremely alike. As she dives into the world of fashionable events and famous people, Gracie finds herself falling for Sam Yao, Fangli’s friend and co-star.
This story was a cute rom-com with a nice message. It was a fun read, but I had a bunch of issues with how some things were handled.
The slow-burn relationship wasn’t as slow as I would have hoped, but it wasn’t bad either. The story was mostly focused on more serious issues such as depression, anxiety and sexual harassment and I wasn’t necessarily expecting it. I would have loved to have less clichés and a pinch of originality, but the story was cute nonetheless.
Overall I do believe that this novel was exactly what I needed in order to get out of my awful reader’s block, but I also think that it could have been a bit better.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Dementia, and Mental illness
katielaine_w's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Dementia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual assault
Minor: Grief, Medical content, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Racism, and Xenophobia
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