This book had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I really enjoy speculative fiction and the uneasy feeling it gives, this one delivered for sure.

3.5 stars rounded up for goodreads.

I have been enjoying con-women stories recently and now I can add The Fake to that list. I was not a huge fan of Cammie the con-woman, she was unlikeable and I didn't feel bad for her and her manipulative ways. Whereas on the other hand, I felt for Gibson and Shelby. It was interesting to see that even though they were conned by Cammie they each learned something about themselves in the process. I also appreciated having all three points of view being portrayed. Sadly, the ending fell a little flat.

Thanks so much Random House Publishing and NetGalley for an advance read in exchange for this review.

Shelby is suffering from prolonged grief following the death of her wife. In a support group, she meets Cammie. Cammie has cancer, and Shelby wants to help her shine. Gibson falls in love with Cammie, but something isn't adding up. Gibson and Shelby try to figure it out all out.

What a compelling story told from three POVs. I was angry on Gibson and Cammie's behalf. I wish the ending would have been more satisfying, but the whole book is so well written. I will check out the author's other books.

Cammie is the girl who everyone wants in their life. She’s charismatic, fun, the life of every party, and knows how to make people feel special. In spite of the hardships she’s endured, like her battle with cancer and the death of her sister, she still manages to win over every new person she meets. For Shelby, Cammie is the new friend who helps pull her out of her depression after the death of her wife. Shelby’s happy to help her out financially in return for this newfound happiness. For Gibson, Cammie is the antidote to his sadness about his recent divorce. He isn’t worried that things are moving too fast because he’s never felt this way with anyone before. But after Shelby and Gibson meet one another, they realize that Cammie’s larger-than-life stories aren’t adding up. Even the tragedies she claims to have lived through prove to be false.

This is the story about how a pathological liar can wreck the lives around them and what it means to love them anyway. Though predictable, it’s easy for us to see how Shelby and Gibson fall for the trap at first. By the end of the story though, we expect a climax that never comes. The pacing of the entire novel felt quite rushed, and the ending fizzles out in a way that’s far from satisfying. It was a quick read that held my attention, but I didn’t find a memorable takeaway.

Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Gibson is still reeling from a divorce he didn’t see coming when he meets Cammie. Immediately taken by her, Gibson doesn’t at first notice the inconsistencies in her stories. He is just happy to find someone who loves him. Shelby is devastated by the sudden death of her wife. She suffers from hypochondria and severe anxiety and is floundering until she attends a grief counseling session. There, Shelby meets Cammie, who is grieving the death of her best friend. Connecting with her on a level that she only had associated with her deceased wife, Shelby opens her house to Cammie. But Shelby and Gibson soon discover that Cammie’s stories aren’t adding up. What happens when Gibson and Shelby meet up and compare notes? How will Cammie react? Will they be able to confront her?

This book is told from 3 different points of view: Cammie (in the beginning and end), Gibson, and Shelby. Cammie gave the start and ending notes (and her explanation for what happened). But, the main focus of the book was on Gibson and Shelby. Everything that happened was seen from their POVs (well, it was 3rd person), with Cammie being featured heavily. Usually, I’m not too fond of books with multiple POVs, but it worked in this case.

Cammie was a freaking trip. From her opening note, I knew her version of the truth wouldn’t align with Gibson or Shelby. Cammie is a scam artist and a psychological liar. She went out of her way to find people who were hurting/damaged. Cammie gaslighted her way through the book, and when Gibson and Shelby backed her into a corner, Cammie freaked out. But her ending did make me pause and wonder about some of the things she told Shelby and Gibson were true.

I felt terrible for Gibson. He was genuinely struggling after his divorce, and Cammie saw that. All he wanted was someone who made him feel attractive and who appreciated him for him. Cammie’s lies started on day one with him. Thankfully, he had a good group of supportive friends that refused to allow Cammie to bring her drama and lies into their lives. He was such a nice guy that he even went to help Shelby when Cammie started getting too much for her. I liked how his experience shaped him and how he turned out.

Shelby, on the other hand, was a hot mess. I don’t even know where to begin with her. She suffered from extreme medical anxiety and extreme general anxiety. Coupled with her devastation over her wife’s death, she was a freaking mess. I was not faulting her there because I would have been too. But, the one time she decides to go to a grief counseling group, she meets Cammie. And, of course, Cammie latches on to her. In a way, Shelby got the sharper end of the stick with Cammie than Gibson. But Shelby became obsessed with helping Cammie, which drove her to a mental breakdown. Her story resonated with me the most because of her ending.

The Fake didn’t have a happy ending; in a way, for all three, it did. It was more bittersweet and reflective. It was also more Shelby and Gibson coming to terms with themselves and why/how they let someone like Cammie into their lives.

Cammie did get the last note in. She wrapped everything up perfectly and tried to spin the story her way (I loved how the author did that). As I said above, I also wondered if some of her stories were genuine. You know that there is always a kernel of truth in a lie. That may be the case here, which is why I liked this book so much.

There are trigger warnings in The Fake. They are cancer, toxic relationships, gaslighting, death, mental illness, physical abuse, addiction, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts. If any of these trigger you, I recommend not reading this book.

I would recommend The Fake to anyone over 21. There are language, violence, and sexual situations. Also, see my trigger warning paragraph.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books, NetGalley, and Zoe Whittall for allowing me to read and review The Fake. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

This is another scam and con book- this time, told from the POVs of two people that got taken in by the alluring and illusive Cammie.

After the death of her wife, Shelby is suffering from prolonged grief. She’s increasingly isolated, and her friends and family are to the point where they feel like she should be living her life again, but she can’t. She finally gets the courage to go to a a grief support group where she meets Cammie. She is charismatic and the center of attention - but she also listens to Shelby and makes her feel less alone. Cammie is recovering from cancer and an abusive relationship- and shelby finds herself doing whatever she can to help her new friend dig herself out of this hole.

Gibson is the other MC and he’s got his own stuff going on. He moved into a bachelor pad after his split from his wife. He’s depressed and searching for himself- and then he finds cammie. The two very quickly get into an intense relationship- and GIbson is delighted b/c she ‘s beautiful, fun, and makes him feel alive again. Gibson’s friends are very skeptical and eventually he, too, has to admit that all the drama in Cammie’s life is over the top.

GIbson and Shelby eventually meet- compare notes- and figure out that Cammie is a pathological liar.

I liked this story. It’s super short- 208 pages and I thought it was a great palate cleanser. If you’re looking for shocking twists and turns, you probably won’t find it in this one, but what you will get is a thoughtful story about what it feels like to be taken in and scammed. I appreciated the author’s consideration of grief, and although i cant say i loved any of the characters, i had empathy for them. There was something charming about this book- maybe it’s that i could easily see myself being brought into someone like cammie’s orbit. There’s a decent balance between dry humor and darkness- I dont want to make it out to be too light as there’s definitely mention of mental illness and suicidal ideation, so take care with that

Shelby is mourning the loss of her wife, Kate. In addition, she has trouble with bad anxiety and seems to be a bit of a hypochondriac. She goes to a grief support group where she meets a young woman named Cammie who has suffered a loss and is almost at the end of cancer treatments. Gibson has just moved into a new apartment as he is recently divorced. He meets Cammie at a bar and is shocked when she agrees to come home with him. He’s having the best sex of his life and can’t believe that she could fall for him. When Shelby and Gibson finally meet, they begin to see that things aren’t adding up with Cammie’s stories. They begin a quest to find out who Cammie really is.

Also reviewed on B&N under 1IrishEyes430 and Kobo under IrishEyes430

Quick, entertaining and predictable. This book hooked me in the middle but the beginning and end were a bit lack luster. The different point of views from Shelby and Gibson were interesting, but I so wanted to know more about why Cammie was how she was. Overall, it was just missed the mark and I wanted more. Thank you to NetGalley for the gifted ARC in exchanged for an honest review.

THE FAKE
Zoe Whittall

I recently finished THE FAKE by Zoe Whittall.

The first couple of chapters are jarring. I had trouble getting in rhythm with the writing. There isn’t an air of mystery, you know who the players are and you’ve been told how they’re going to play the game. It might feel futile especially if you’ve seen the game played before.

THE FAKE comes out today.

THE FAKE is about Cammie. Don’t get the star of the show confused if you decide to pick it up. Cammie is a liar, pathologically so. She came into Shelby and Gibson’s life like a burning flame, knowing all the cold areas to warm. Soon Cammie has weaved a web of deceit with Shelby and Gibson pinned in the middle.

Will they get out with what they went into the toxic relationship with or will Cammie burn everyone’s house down?

The writing is sneakily human-smart. The characters are believably constructed, and the story plays out like one you’ve heard before. Both Shelby and Gibson want to be helpful to varying degrees and at times want to reparent her. They choose to see her as they want her to be rather than how she is.

The book is very short, just over 200 pages and it is efficient with those pages. There is a “moving walkway” feel to part of the text as the author summarizes and skips over certain areas in time. It didn’t bother me too much because I was ready to get on with the story but it did feel somewhat incomplete.

This is a super-quick read, feels like a stretch to call it a thriller, and lands right in the middle for me at three stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books for the advanced copy!

THE FAKE…⭐️⭐️⭐️

In this novel, Shelby’s wife has recently died of a brain aneurism. She is emotionally struggling and joins a grief support group where she meets Cammie, a charismatic woman with trauma of her own, including recovering from cancer. Maybe with Shelby’s help, Cammie can be saved, even though, as time goes on, Shelby feels as though something is off with Cammie. In the meantime, Gibson has fallen in love for the first time, with Cammie, even though his friends have their suspicions. When Gibson and Shelby finally meet, they conclude that things don’t add up with Cammie. Is she lying about having had cancer? This is a novel about grief and sadness and one that explores that lies can only go so far as enabling people let them. Thank you to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for the advanced review copy.

Gibson and Veda have recently divorced after a fairly long commitment to one another. Gibson is depressed about the divorce but meets a young woman named Cammie at a bar and she comes home with him. The man is now getting things from her that he never got with his wife. She tells him that she is recovering from kidney cancer and the death of her sister. He can’t get enough of her but his academic friends she meets think that while she’s quite personable, something seems fishy.

Shelby is mourning the loss of her wife, Kate, from a brain aneurysm. As a woman who has always been a bit of a hypochondriac, Kate was her rock. Now, she is trying hard to deal with her grief. At a grief group, she meets Cammie who is mourning the loss of her sister. Cammie charms the group and Shelby is fascinated by her tales of woe and offers to help her.

When questions arise, Gibson and Shelby wonder if they have been totally duped by this chameleon.

First of all, one must always be wary of over-the-top people who come on very strong. Otherwise, you set yourself up to be taken advantage of. I don’t know who is more pathetic in this story - Gibson and Shelby or Cammie.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Very entertaining and fun.
I enjoyed the different povs and the ending was wicked. I might be one of the few that found her endearing.

i liked it but didn't love it, i don't know i felt like it was missing something, i also hated every character which was a problem for me

thank you netgalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review

3.5
I was very captivated by this story of a con artist who insinuates herself into the lives of two people, but ultimately I think it fell flat.

From the beginning, we know things are going to end up badly, and then we go back to the beginning to see how everything plays out. Gibson is recently separated and going through a divorce. He's depressed and can't seem to move forward. He meets Cammie in a bar and is instantly attracted to her, they connect sexually and their relationship becomes very close, very quickly. He admires her tenacity for pushing through when she has had so many things stacked against her: deaths in her family and a cancer diagnosis. Shelby's wife passed away suddenly and she has been mired in anxiety and depression. When she meets Cammie at a grief support group, Shelby feels needed and connects immediately with Cammie. As both Gibson and Shelby learn more about Cammie, they start to believe everything isn't as Cammie is presenting it. When the two of them meet and compare notes, the suspicion deepens.

I love con artist stories, I mean, who didn't have their jaw drop when learning the story of Anna Delvey (Sorokin). As Cammie wove her web around Shelby and Gibson, and the two of them ignored their suspicions and things ultimately fell apart, I had a difficult time putting the book down because I wanted to know what would happen.

Yet in the end, I thought things just kind of fell flat. I was waiting for a "big moment" ending and it didn't happen. Yes, there's closure, but not in a satisfying way for me. What I wanted just wasn't fulfilled and it left me feeling blah after being so invested most of the way through. I thought this was going to be something like The Imposters TV series and it just didn't get to that level of intrigue.

Still worth reading, just not as fulfilling as I was hoping.

Two individuals are at inflection points in their lives. Shelby recently and quite suddenly lost her beloved wife, and has been struggling to deal with her grief to the frustration of her family and friends. Gibson divorced his wife and is living on his own for the first time in many years. In separate contexts, they meet Cammie, a charismatic younger woman who, as she describes it, is dealing with many of challenges of her own. For each, Cammie seems exactly what they need. To Gibson, Cammie is the type of partner that meets needs he felt were missing in his marriage. To Shelby, Cammie is a sympathetic ear willing to provide support as she processes her grief. As Cammie becomes further ingratiated into their lives, Shelby and Gibson both ignore signs that Cammie may not be exactly who she says. When Shelby and Gibson meet, though, it soon becomes clear they can’t ignore the signs that not is all what it seems with Cammie.

This was a perceptive exploration of how a scammer works and the why and how people become fall for their efforts. Presenting the stories of two of Cammie’s targets is an interesting and revealing approach to exploring these themes.

Highly recommended!

What a letdown. I should have quit at the beginning. This is a story of a scammer but there is no closure. Just a whirlwind of mess. Maybe this would be a shocking read to a young adult but as a cynical woman with too much (?) life experience, I've known way too many scammers, and just like Cammie, they somehow always get away with it and just move on to the next mark.

I definitely think that the actual base of this book was extremely intriguing, but ultimately it wound up falling pretty flat. I was hoping for things to get a bit more intense and for the resolution to be a bit more obvious.

Shelby is extremely depressed after the death of her wife, Shelby. Struggling to get through her days, she decides to take a chance on a grief support group. It is at that group that she meets Cammie, someone she is immediately drawn to and someone who offers her comfort in her grief.

Gibson recently went through a divorce and as a depressed, middle-aged man, he doesn't feel like going out to the bar, but wants to spend time with his friends. Enter Cammie, a young, attractive woman who instantly comes onto Gibson, who ends up taking her home. Enraptured from this attention, Gibson falls head first into lust with this woman he knows so little about. Gibson's friends are concerned with Cammie and think she might be a liar. Instantly defensive, Gibson tries to ignore the warning signs.

Shelby and Gibson's worlds crash together and they realize that all that glitters is not gold: Cammie is a pathological liar. It is that journey that heads them in the direction of revenge.

This was a pretty quick read. 4 out of 5 stars.

A story of con artist Cammie and her two “marks” - Gibson, an almost 40 recently separated man going through a divorce and Shelby, a recently widowed woman grieving the loss of her wife. I did enjoy the way the author set up the scenes visually with detail and reading the Shelby story as she was in mourning and how she handled her grief, was touching. I found Gibson unlikeable, especially in the first half, and his actions were surprising as an almost 40 year old man, so I couldn’t find myself feeling sorry for anything that was happening to him. Overall, the story felt incomplete, like it needed a little bit more character development for Shelby and Gibson and more background history on Cammie. I would round this review up to 3.25 stars.

Hypochondriac Shelby is frozen in mourning and depression following the sudden death of her wife, Kate. Friends and family don’t seem to understand her inertia, but then she meets the energetic Cammie at her grief therapy group, and there’s something about Cammie’s zest for life that snaps Shelby’s out of her depression.

Gibson, freshly divorced, has moved into a new apartment. Even though he initiated the divorce, it’s hard to break the cord. He’s not sure that he made the right choice, and even asked his ex, to consider rekindling the relationship. She wisely refused. Gibson’s ‘new’ life isn’t going well. He’s so depressed he can’t even muster the energy to unpack. Then one night, out at a bar with friends, he meets bar employee Cammie. She’s charismatic, gorgeous, and soon Gibson is having incredible, eye-popping sex.

Both Gibson and Shelby can’t believe Cammie’s courage in the face of her horrible life history. Yes, Shelby lost her wife, and Gibson is divorced, but those details pale in the light of Cammie’s horrible life history. Cammie has survived being kidnapped as a child, kidney cancer, the suicide of her dad, her death of her sister, the suicide of her best friend, and abusive ex boyfriends. And let’s throw in accusations of theft from her employer. Cammie also attends a grief support group. It’s her “home base.” When it comes to loss, Cammie can trump everyone, and yet she handles it so well. Almost nonchalantly. ..

Set in Toronto, Zoe Whittall’s novel The Fake explores grief, loss, vulnerability, and loyalty. Given the title, I’m not giving anything away when I say that Cammie’s various stories don’t add up. Her ‘bravery’ (and bragging) in the face of multiple tragedies is suspect to Gibson’s friends, but since his sex life is like something out of a porn film, he defends Cammie even when faced with evidence that she is a pathological liar.

Shelby too begins to question Cammie’s past, but then it’s hard to grasp what sort of person would make up a cancer diagnosis. Both Gibson and Shelby have never met anyone quite like Cammie, and soon they wish they hadn’t.

We shouldn’t be mad at ourselves for assuming the best about someone. You know, in all the articles experts say that liars pick people who seem sensitive and empathic because we’re easier to manipulate. I’m not going to be ashamed or being sensitive and caring about people.

The novel has a lot of energy and is a fun read. Gibson and Shelby would not normally cross paths. Gibson is in his business world with male buds and Shelby is a recluse living alone with her dog Coach Taylor Swift. This could have been a very dark novel, but instead the author uses a light touch and some gentle humour while exploring how Cammie fills a need for these two lonely people. Gibson and Shelby find themselves wondering about Cammie’s conscience; they have had no experience with psychopaths, and like many people who are plucked clean in various scams, they don’t want to believe that Cammie is bad news, beyond ‘help’ or that they were gullible. Finally, IMO, I’ve seen this many many times, belonging in a group, a grief group, a bird group, a whatever group, creates a false sense of safety. Somehow people have this impression that membership in that group, no matter how low the bar for entry, anoints fellow members with a badge of safety. As though they’ve been vetted. This makes an easy approach for scammers.

“I think that’s common, with psychopaths. They figure out what you want to hear and they say it.”

Review copy