I'm not really invested in luxury goods at all, but I still found the best parts of Counterfeit to be the moments when Ava and Winnie were actively involved in talking about or analyzing the knockoff bags and how they created almost impossibly realistic fakes- good enough to work an incredibly detailed and lucrative international scam. This book could certainly have been slightly longer, particularly if those pages were used to further the character development, and there's a lot of story in this one even though it's under 300 pages. This was a juicy, intriguing story about a topic I really have never thought much about.

Delicious is how I would describe this book! I was so enraptured throughout and didn't want to put it down. What a juicy ride filled with dark humour and acute observations about culture, consumerism, the American dream and more.

The foray into the illicit counterfeit goods trade was utterly fascinating and I loved the level of detail at every stage. Singapore-born author Kirstin Chen also nailed the pressures of growing up in an Asian household e.g. compulsive need to "save face".

The story fell a bit flat for me towards the end but I particularly loved Ava and Winnie's relationship. It was hard not to root for these stand-out characters who grab life by the horns and are unapologetically themselves!

On the downside, I feel like this book will not help negative stereotypes about Asians unless you read very closely and to the end, or already understand our culture to begin with. For instance, Singapore is mentioned as "a beautiful spotless place, but at what cost?" Interesting topic to bring up, but it's an issue that will take a whole other book to address.

The timeline doesn't add up as well e.g. the book appears to be set in 2019 as it mentions the Hollywood admissions scandal and a Marc Jacobs launch dropping the following year in Spring 2020, but the news also talks about a plane crash that occurred in 2013?

Do note that the book doesn't use quotation marks for dialogue. I didn't mind and it didn't affect my reading experience, but just a heads-up for those do.

Overall, I really enjoyed this quick and fun read despite mild concerns! Counterfeit also reminded me of Cover Story and I feel like scam artists are my new favourite trope 😂

Happiest of Pub Days to Counterfeit by Kristin Chen! Thank you so much @harpercollinsca and @williammorrow books for the advance digital review copy of this book. This book is available now!

I've been delaying posting this morning, because after seeing the three hints and a lie come out this week for the June book pick for @reesesbookclub I had a feeling this would be it. This book deserves all the attention its about to receive for being the June book.

I picked this one up, synopsis unread, at the suggestion of one person and I am SO glad I did.

Counterfeit is the story of two women who are part of a counterfeit handbag scheme in America. That's pretty much all you need to know... but I prefer going into books pretty blind. I'm sure there will be lots out about this book over the coming days if you need to know more before diving in.

I loved the delivery of this story, most of it is written in a way that let you get directly into the mind of one of the main characters and really see things from her point of view.

I liked seeing the difference in culture between the Asia and America sections.

I absolutely did not see the big twist coming in this book. It was executed perfectly and I was sad to see it end. This book is a great beach read for you to take with you this summer.

Counterfeit is a fast paced fiction which explores the world of luxury, money and the facade of richness that is associated with that illusion. It also explores the expectation of an immigrant and the big American dream.
Ava and Winnie are very jaded characters where both of them are struggling to project an image which they are not. To achieve this, the means they adapt are very nefarious. Told in both of the characters perspective its an interesting story which shows the market that consumes these goods and also takes us behind the scenes of the place where these goods are being made.
I really loved the pace of this novel and read it in just under 5 hours. However, I was looking for more revelation that these characters had or something that would really hit me. The plight of the Chinese women working in the factories was something that really resonated with me but other than that I still feel there was some element lacking in the story. I enjoyed reading it but I was looking for more in this story.
Thank you William Morrow HarperCollins and NetGalley for this book.

This one was quite an entertaining read!
"Money can't buy happiness... but it can buy a decent fake." It's the story of two Asian American women who band together to grow a counterfeit handbag scheme into a lucrative global enterprise. The story is told as Ava recounts everything that happened to a detective.

I really enjoyed how the scheme worked, how everything unfolded, how certain prejudices played into everything, how the characters used it as a leverage, the unreliable narration and the twists! I did have trouble liking the characters but that may have been the point. Although I did understand some of the parenting woes.

Thank you NetGalley William Morrow and @BookClubGirl for the ARC!

Meet Winnie Fang. She’s returned to the United States from China and seeks out her former freshman roommate from Stanford, Ava Wong. Ava is an attorney but is currently a full-time, stay-at-home mom to Henri. Her young son is a handful. Husband Oliver, a surgeon, works all the time. Her beloved mother has just passed. So when the very vulnerable Ava learns that the Birkin-toting Winnie has made tons of money selling the highest quality, counterfeit designer handbags, she gets sucked into her web. We learn early on that Ava is telling her story of being manipulated into working for Winnie to a detective. We then hear from Winnie, as this tale of two women in quite the con game, gets even more complicated.

Author Kirstin Chen has written a very clever story that shines a light on the world of luxury brands, status seekers, the stereotyping of Asian women and the American dream. It is filled with secrets, lies, insight, humor and some very effective twists and turns. And if you can tell the difference between a Celine or Chanel bag or know which is a Goyard or a Gucci, this fast-paced book is for definitely you.

Ava Wong is a corporate attorney who has been out of work since her son, Henri, was born. Henri is a bit of a difficult child whose temper tantrums are outrageous. Thankfully the nanny, Maria, has been there to try and keep Ava sane. Oli is Ava's husband and he is a successful surgeon who is frequently away from home.

Out of the blue, Ava's former college roommate, Winnie Fang, reaches out to reconnect. Winnie is clearly well-off and entices Ava to join her in her money-making scheme with counterfeit bags. Ava gets caught up in things and they certainly do not go according to her plan.

I enjoyed this book overall. 4 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for an e-arc for honest review.

Counterfeit by Kristin Chen brings us into the aftermath of the story as we quickly learn what we are reading is actually an interview with our main character Ava and a detective regarding a case against her estranged Stanford roommate Winnie.

When Winnie re-enters Ava's life, Ava is living a life that appears perfect from the outside but is anything but on the inside. When Winnie eventually tells Ava what she does for a living Ava wants nothing to do with her, that is until something happens and she finds herself reaching out for Winnie's help. That is when everything changes and Ava finds herself inside the world of importing high-end counterfeit handbags. No matter how hard she tried to get back out she keeps getting sucked further in.

My main beef with this book is that neither main character is likable. I know this isn't a deal-breaker for many, but I really need a likable character to root for and I didn't find one here. There were a few times I thought I was beginning to like one of them and then the tables would shift again and I would end up disliking them even more.

The book itself was cleverly written and there were some twists I did not see coming in both the manner of storytelling and the story itself. It is suspenseful without being frightening and it was fun to live in the world of the ultra expense handbags for a while but ultimately it left me feeling flat.

The flashiest part of the story is the book cover.

This book was a lot of fun and drew me in right away. Think of Crazy Rich Asians meets the Sopranos and you have an idea! I was also fascinated about the ways handbags are counterfeited and the costs involved.

Described as Hustlers meets Big Little Lies, this book is the nightmare of the luxury brands and luxury retailers. Ava is a surgeon’s wife and a new mom who left her corporate law job. She’s in the monotony of the baby years when Winnie Feng, her former college roomamate shows up. Winnie was an outsider who had to leave school early on the tail of some sort of admissions scandal. Winnie offers Ava a business opportunity and Ava reluctantly slides into the business slowly — or is that really what happened?
I loved the dual perspective/narrator on this one that was unexpected as it came late in the book. This was a fun, quick read that would be great for the beach. It’s not a book you have read before, and the characters are fresh and fun.

Ava is simply bored. Yes she loves her husband, and adores her son but she is overwhelmed by many of the mundane aspects of her life. When an old college friend reappears in her life looking like a character out of Crazy Rich Asians, Ava no longer recognizes her scholarship roommate who was dismissed from Stanford. Initially Ava is weary of the Winnie's friendship, especially once she learns of her counterfeit business. But when extenuating finanical circumstances occur in Ava's life, she signs on to the business, but will she loose her soul and all she values in the process, pick up Counterfeit and read the Ava's story for yourself.
Counterfeit was pure delight. Chen's story grabs you from inception, and just would not let go. What I loved most about the book was the clever plot twist, once revealed it influenced how you read the rest of the book and made you want to read the first half again to see if the characters voice and stories read the same once truths were revealed. Credit to Chen for her nifty character development which were rooted in their interesting backstories, Ava an overachieving Chinese American, the child of immigrants, and Winnie, practical yet cunning, a naturalized Chinese American, as the reader I rooted for both Ava and Winnie despite their criminal activity, because quite frankly they were some brilliant bad asses, I simply could not hate. Finally, it was so much fun learning the secret the luxury hand bag industry and its counterfeit counterpart. Counterfeit is definitely the summer vacation read you need. Well done!

Ava gets caught up in a very shady business deal with her friend Winnie. They are selling Knock off designer bags and getting away with it.
Or do they?
It’s an interesting read, the underbelly of cheating, and a test of true endurance.
The narrative flowed very well, although I didn’t really have any sympathy for the main characters.
I did wrestle with the ethics of the plot, although fictitious, it does go in every day inreal life.
Don’t cheat yourself by missing out in this book.

I really liked this book. It drew you in and kept you wanting to read more. Ava graduated from Stanford with a law degree and is married to a very busy doctor. They really don't have much of a relationship but they do have a son who I think is special needs because he is always crying. Along comes Winnie who was Ava's roommate for part of Freshman year but had to drop out right before finals. Winnie wants Ava to work with her scamming big department stores out of lots of money exchanging real designer purses with fakes. And so the fun begins. The business picks up and their website selling the real designer purses quicker than any other place takes off. That may have been their downfall. Neither character had many redeeming qualities and could always justify their criminal activity. This was a fun read and a rather fun ending.
Thanks to #netgalley, #williammorrow and @kirstin.chen for an ARC of this delightful read

Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen has intrigued me since first hearing about it. Ava is an attorney, staying home with her toddler son Henri, who has some issues of his own,. Her husband Oli, the transplant surgeon, doesn't understand the why or how exhausting it is. She is surprised when a former Stanford roommate, Winnie phones and wants to meet. Winnie was only at Stanford for part of the year, and her leaving was never quite explained. Today, she wants Ava to contact her husband on behalf of a friend in China who needs a liver transplant, and doesn't trust medicine in China. Ava agrees to talk to Oli. After leaving the coffee shop where they met, and Winnie calming down Henri by singing to him in Chinese and giving him a Fendi purse token, Winnie gains trust with Ava.

The novel is wonderfully written, with Ava's statement to an officer as most of it, with highlights from 'real life'. Winnie's life isn't as boring as she tries to let on--she is a key player in bringing high-end, designer purse knock-offs to the US. She buys the originals from stores, and returns the knock-offs. The stores can't even tell! Then she sells the original online. Makes money on both ends! In fact, there is a whole industry devoted to making these knock-offs.

The story is woven very well, with Ava in a desperate situation, surprised by Winnie's style and wealth, and despite believing the opposite, she goes along and into all of it. Of course, things draw her in deeper and deeper, and the breadth of the story is impressive. I have to admit, I kept reading to see what would happen to everyone! And that's when Chen really surprised me--I didn't see the ending coming AT ALL! It was brilliant, simply brilliant. I had to re-read some passages just to see if I missed a key component. I didn't--it is that good. While not advertised as a mystery, things keep answering questions as you read, and it will definitely keep you going. I may need to check out some of Chen's other novels!

3.5. The storyline about counterfeit goods is compelling--I read it so quickly that I finished it in a day--and I actually like how unlikeable Ava and Winnie are. The rest of the characters are puzzling (e.g., Oli's decision about the credit cards doesn't match how Chen portrays him in the rest of the book), and I would have liked to learn more about them.

Overall, it's an entertaining read, but it feels like it's missing something.

A totally binge-able, “rich people behaving badly” story! Ava Wong is straight-laced, a former layer, her marriage is crumbling, she’s worried about her 2 year olds development, and her old college roommate has re-entered her life. Winnie Fang is glamorous, successful, and whip smart when it comes to her business. The business? Oh yea, selling counterfeit designer/luxury handbags. 👜 🫢 Winnie plays on Ava’s desperation and before long Ava is all in with this elaborate scheme. As the bank accounts go up, the police are cracking down…what price will Ava end up paying for a little…lifestyle change? 💅🏼💁🏻‍♀️

This book was told in 3rd person, mainly with Ava speaking to a detective. There are also no quotation marks but once you’re in the story, you hardly notice!

3.5 stars rounded up to 4!

Another fun and entertaining 'con' story about two Asian American women who team up to create a knockoff luxury handbag empire. Full of relatable characters trying to swindle clueless rich society women and the police while earning a tidy profit on the side. Perfect for fans of books like Cover story by Susan Rigetti and great on audio narrated by Catherine Ho. Much thanks to NetGalley for my advance review copy!! This was one of my most anticipated reads of the summer and it didn't disappoint!

Counterfeit, by Kirstin Chen, is a fun, quick read. It tackles the exploits of Ava and Winnie. The book is told almost entirely from Ava's perspective using a first person limited perspective. We only hear from the story from Winnie's perspective just once. As Ava discusses it, it is easy to see how the how she is pulled into the counterfeit scheme, the different aspects of her life that didn't quite turn out the way she anticipated. Who was the mastermind? How did Ava get involved? Why did Winnie pick her? Read more to find out.

I received an e-galley of Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen from HarperCollins Canada via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Things I liked:
- The story is told in two parts - the first of which starts with Ava and what appears to be her talking to a Detective and confessing to being a part of a counterfeit handbag scheme, while also giving up her partner who had coaxed her into it
- The way story unfolds as Ava tells it - in a way that you can really tell that she's trying to convince the Detective (and us) that she was essentially duped into this by her old college roommate, Winnie
- When we finally hear Winnie's side of the story in part 2, while alternating between Ava and Winnie as they deal with the consequences of their business
- The plot twist and the discussion into the business of luxury goods and how much harm can come from counterfeit goods - especially when it goes beyond handbags

Things I didn't like:
- The ending? I liked it but I also felt like there was more that could have been done there. I can't go into it more without giving away spoilers so I won't.

I like to browse other readers' reviews of books I read - and one thing that I noticed that people didn't like was that they felt it reinforced certain Asian stereotypes. But I think that's an important element in the story - the fact that Ava and Winnie were able to take this Asian American/Mainland Chinese stereotype and play to it for their scam to work. Like the whole point was that as the "model minority," Ava was the Asian American who could fool others because they don't expect it of her. So in my opinion, it wasn't so much reinforcing the stereotype as much as it was playing with it and taking advantage of it (which is the entire point that the author is trying to make).

I enjoyed this a lot. I.liked the subtle twists throughout, keeping me in the edge until the end. My only negative objection was i felt details were left out and it felt unpolished in places, but it won't stop me from recommending it.