The Decoy Girlfriend
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4.1 • 11 Ratings
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
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.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Vale (The Shaadi Set-Up) puts a contemporary Hollywood spin on The Prince and the Pauper in this cute but rocky rom-com. Novelist Freya Lal likes to escape her paralyzing writer's block by impersonating her doppelgänger, actor Mandini "Mandi" Roy, an act that brings considerable perks. When Mandi's costar, Taft Bamber, catches Freya impersonating Mandi at a nightclub, their collision causes a PR disaster. Mandi insists the only way Freya can fix the situation is for Freya to impersonate Mandi for a month, giving her a much needed break from the spotlight. Taft and Mandi are in a staged relationship to promote their new movie, a pretense Freya must keep up as she plays her role. There's nothing staged about the sizzling attraction between Taft and Freya—but if the paparazzi learn that the woman Taft's falling for isn't really Mandi, the fallout could end all three careers. The extended will-they-won't-they bogs down the middle of the book, with Taft and Freya's relationship taking two steps back for every one step forward, and the third act conflict feels a bit unmotivated. Still, Vale manages to add some fun new layers to the fake dating trope and delivers plenty of celebrity drama. Rom-com fans will find much to enjoy.
Customer Reviews
4 Stars!!
4 Stars! The book was cute but seemed to drag on a bit until the end where I felt it was over before it even started. I still enjoyed reading this one, with it’s fake relationship turned real, hot ‘sexy times’, bad friends and good friends, a bad decision and a underwhelming apology. Taft’s “friends” needed more of a set down & some closer. That whole scene had me fuming. Would have liked an epilogue & a bigger, in your face ‘I messed up, please forgive me’ apology ending but it was still a pretty good book with a plot I’d never read before. All in all it was a really good read.
*I received this at no charge & I voluntarily left this review.*