Cammie is a scam artist and a user and now she's preying on Shelby whose wife just died, and Gibson, whose marriage has fallen apart. She plays each one of them- focusing on where she thinks their pain is centered. All three of them tell the story and while the reader can clearly see what's happening from the beginning, the players don't This is as much about learning about yourself and retaining your innate goodness as it is about the con. She's detestable, to be sure, but she's got to be to make this work. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good reminder to watch out for new acquaintances and a good read.

Going into this book I was expecting Cover Story or Inventing Anna or The Wolf of Wall Street and this just wasn't those. Which is a good thing!

Cammie was such a unique character. She was exactly who you needed her to be and even though you knew she was full of crap, she was hard to dislike. She was like a magnet and even as the reader, I found myself being drawn to her.

Gibson was a bit of a sad character. He was such a good guy. Humble, hardworking, just looking for some happiness. His instant connection with Cammie felt worrisome right off the bat and I was just chewing my nails waiting for the shoe to drop and his heart to smash in a little pieces with every turn of the page.

Shelby was such a likeable character. She was broken and she owned her brokenness. I felt like Shelby personified the phrase "I would rather loved and lost than never loved at all" and I loved her for it.

Even though you know Cammie is conning both of these people, it was hard to not to fall under her spell. It was also hard for me to understand Cammie's end goal in targeting Gibson and Shelby. It didn't really feel like money or power. It almost felt symbiotic.

This book was unique and I loved the characters, differing viewpoints, and hard topics it tackled. It's definitely one I would recommend!

Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I found this book depressing ... But I couldn't stop reading. The whole plot of "the con" is sadly too true & I'm sure we've all met someone like Cammie but it's depressing especially in today's world where so much 💩 is happening that someone being nice .. too nice gets your guard up .
I read this book in under 24 hours but ultimately it left me sad ...

Thank you to Netgalley & publishers for the Arc.

Shelby has been drowning in her grief, ever since her wife died. She finally gets up the nerve to go to a grief support group, and at her first meeting, she meets the charismatic Cammie. Cammie makes her want to live again. Even though Cammie is recovering from cancer, and is going through several other calamities, she makes it her mission to get Shelby back into the real world again, and in return, Shelby invites Cammie to come stay with her. Gibson is newly divorced and is suffering from depression. When he meets Cammie, he falls head-over-heels for her. But Gibson’s friends are wary of Cammie, and eventually he, too, has to admit that all the drama in Cammie’s life can feel a bit over the top. When Gibson and Shelby meet, they realize Cammie’s stories don’t always add up. In fact, they’re far from the truth. But what kind of a person would lie about having cancer? And what does it say about Shelby and Gibson that they fell for it?
This book was so good. I really loved both Shelby and Gibson, and Cammie was someone that you both couln't stand and at the same time, her lies were so outrageous they were entertaining. This is a story about second chances in life, recovering from grief, acknowledging there is no "right" way to handle grief or depression, and so much more. I laughed so much and I even shed a tear or two with Shelby as she struggled. I highly recommend this book to everyone!

I felt a bit conned by this book. Cammie, as a con, made sense in the story with Shelby. It felt natural and believable. However, her con of Gibson did not make sense and felt incredibly forced. I found it hard to believe that a recent divorcee would confuse sex and lust with love to the extent that he did. I also wish there had been a few more pages once all three were brought together. I would have liked to see more tension and back and forth before things were uncovered. There was room there for more plot and character development that was missed. Overall, this was a quick little read that felt more like an initial draft or proposal versus a well thought out and complete book.

3.5 stars rounded up.

A con artist can make you feel like the luckiest person on earth just to be in their presence. But when the jig is up, they ghost, and you’re left wondering if you ever mattered.

After the death of her wife, Shelby feels more alone than ever—until she meets Cammie, a charismatic woman unafraid of what anyone else thinks and whose own history of trauma draws Shelby close. Gibson is almost forty, fresh from a divorce and deeply depressed. Then he meets and falls in love with Cammie. This book is about a con-artist. You know that she is a con-artist, but the new people in her life don't. This book reads more as a character study, rather than than a straight-forward, plot-based novel. The character of Cammie is fascinating and the fact that we knew that Shelby and Gibson are being duped was heartbreaking. This book explores Cammie and her victims - how they are drawn into Cammie's orbit and how can they manage to break that spell and claw themselves out.

This book was a short read but I think I was expecting something else when I picked it up. I think I needed more tension and story progression.

This eARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed this! It keeps me entertained and I didn’t want to stop reading! I can’t wait to see what’s next!

The Fake should have been called The Obvious Fake. There is no ambiguity. This book shouldn’t have been as dull as it was. But it was like reading a version of a con artist story written by the person who writes the manuals for using your new oven. It just went through step by step what was happening. There was no depth to any of the characters. There was no intrigue. There was nothing to make you feel anything.

When you are presented with two versions of the same story told by two different people, whose version do you choose: one giving you a bit incredulous back story where everything happens to this person or one appears to be a person next door with a sad story? I think you would go with the latter, because how many sad, horrendous, incredible things might happen to a single person in a such period of time. Especially, when you can keep poking holes in that story...

We got a note from this interesting character, telling us all that happened to her were real even before we start the story. But you cannot make yourself believe. The woman next door and the dude just separated from his life partner are more credible sources over her. But whatever you do, the question was lingering in your mind: what if she was telling the truth?

It was a short story that managed to keep me engaged by making me ask when she was going to be caught and what would happen then. Weird thing was nothing happened! She was so oblivious that none of things people said or do phased her. I found it that more interesting than my original question at the end. So was she pro liar or was she the right one?

Shelby is grieving after her wife unexpectedly passes away. Gibson is struggling to find meaning after his divorce. When con artist Cammie comes into both their lives, they find hope again… until she takes advantage.

I loved this story because even though it is about a con artist, it’s more of a true life literary fiction than a thriller. Once you start reading, it’s hard to look away even though you know it’s going to get worse. You really feel for the two main characters and don’t want them to get taken advantage of. It does a great job of showing how some manipulators get ahead in life.

“When it’s real, you know it. Later a therapist will call this a red flag.”

The Fake comes out 3/21.

The Fake drew me in with its pop-art cover, but what's behind that cover is a much more introspective, melancholy story than I expected.

At the beginning of the book we meet Cammie, a pathological liar who is defending herself against accusations that she conned the book's protagonists, Shelby and Gibson, throughout her deliberately manufactured relationships with them.

Shelby is reeling from the sudden death of her wife, and when she meets Cammie in grief group, she clicks with her immediately. Cammie, having lost her sister, seems to truly understand the grief Shelby is feeling. When Cammie confesses that she is in treatment for kidney cancer and then loses her job, Shelby devotes herself completely to aiding in Cammie's recovery.

Gibson is deeply depressed after his divorce, until he meets Cammie while at a bar one night with his friends. Their connection is electric and immediate, and the sex they have when they return to his apartment is mind-blowing. Soon they're engaged in the most passionate relationship Gibson has ever experienced, and even though parts of Cammie's stories don't add up, he's too blissed out to care...at least at first.

What follows is Zoe Whittall's perceptive, sensitive exploration of the methods scammers use to prey on the vulnerable, and it's just as engrossing as it is heartbreaking. Whittall's portrayal of this type of situation felt so authentic and true to life (although thankfully I don't have my own experiences to back that up). Whittall has so much love for Shelby and Gibson, and it shows on the page; both of her protagonists have so much depth and humanity. Cammie is an endlessly fascinating character who infuriated me, but who had so much texture that I also understood her, and maybe even felt a bit sorry for her. There's a human behavior element to The Fake that is just riveting, with Whittall exploring the psychology behind how Cammie is able to draw Shelby and Gibson into her web of lies, and why she feels this treatment is justified based on her own life experiences.

Psychologically nuanced and compelling, The Fake is character-driven contemporary fiction at its best. It's such an original story that I think not every reader will appreciate, but it really worked for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the advance reading opportunity.

My goodness. This book is an absolute RIDE. I devoured the entire thing cover to cover on an airplane… it’s obviously a quick read but it’s also a page-turner. Cammie and Gibson and Shelby are such distinct and believable characters. The human pain in this book was so real, and the endorphin high of meeting someone new after a loss and the following crash when it fell apart was relatable even though I hope most of us have never been through anything so dramatic. The author included a tantalizing line in her acknowledgments that made me think this may have been inspired by a true story. I simultaneously wish I knew that story and am afraid to wonder.

Thank you to the publisher - I received a complimentary eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Shelby recently lost her wife to a brain aneurysm. She has always suffered from anxiety but this loss has exacerbated her symptoms. Thankfully she has her rescue pug, Captain Taylor, who loves to kiss her tears away.

Then she meets Cammie at a grief counseling meeting her friend, Olive, insists she attends. Cammie is there for having lost her sister. Shelby is in awe of Cammie's lust for life. How she can command a room and light it up like fireworks. She's everything Shelby wishes she could be. They become best of friends. When Cammie loses her job she takes her in and takes care of her. Cammie would do the same if the roles were reversed.

Gibson is lonely. He's 39 years old and recently divorced. He's been in a state of depression since. Sure, he goes out with the guys for beers but more often than not he'd rather just be at home, alone, and miserable.

Then he meets Cammie while he's out with his best friend at the bar. She's vivacious and fun and she stirs feeling in him he has long thought he'd never feel again. She goes home with him and the sex is incredible. He's never felt so alive. She thinks it's kismet that they met. He has to agree. Cammie admits to him that she has recently gone in remission for kidney cancer so Gibson is always handling her mentally and physically with gentle hands. When she loses her job he let's her move in until she can get back on her feet. She would do the same for him if the roles were reversed.

A sad story of two lost and lonely souls that are taken in by a pathological liar. I became so upset and frustrated for both Shelby and Gibson. These are two of the kindest people that get taken advantage of in their moment of weakness. Of course as a reader we can see what's happening and I kept waiting for our characters to have their AHA moment when they realized they were being scammed by a professional grifter. Cammie plays the perfect devil in disguise. I teetered between loathing her and feeling sorry for her.

The final denouement did bring a smile to my face.

A compelling yet quiet story that is impeccably written. I'm definitely going to check out Whittall's backlist in the near future. 4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for my complimentary copy.

Gibson is newly divorced after sleeping (figuratively) his way through his 30s. Shelby is depressed and barely functioning after the death of her wife, Kate. Both of them have their lives changed by Cammie — beautiful, upbeat, young and spontaneous. She’s also a total fake and user. She moves in, manipulates and tears lives apart. But in her own way, she actually helps them both get out of their own ways.

There have been a lot of con woman stories in the past year or so — Cover Story, Lies I tell, throw in My Friend Anna. Zoe Whittall give us a fresh story with great characters who each have a very distinct voice. I would have loved to hear more from Cammie, though. This book is short with chrisp writing

Huge Question for Zoe Whittall — What truth did you discover in 2007? Yes, I read the acknowledgments! Someone, please ask this in an interview.

The Fake isn't a meaty story but it held my interest from start to finish. I read The Best Kind of People written by this author a few years ago and both books are similar in that they are a study of people rather than a plot driven story. Or at least that's my interpretation and why I'm drawn to her writing.

Shelby is struggling after the death of her wife but then she meets Cammie. Gibson and his wife split up and he's depressed. But then he meets Cammie. So who is Cammie? Well, that's a loaded question.

The Fake is a niche read in that I doubt it will be appreciated by every reader but that's okay because we all look for different things when we pick up a book. The basics of the story are nothing new but the author went in a less traveled direction. Again, the psychology of it all is really what sustained my interest.

It took awhile to get into this novel, which is rough to say considering how short it is. I finally understood the dual chapters between Gibson and Shelby by about 10% in, but still don't quite understand the need for Cammie's letters at the beginning and the end. Without really getting her POV (other than the letters) this book felt like it had no real purpose to me. What does she con Gibson out of even? What ends up happening to Shelby and the loans? I feel very unsatisfied overall at the end of this and am unsure what the point of the story even was.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Having just read Emma Cline’s upcoming book, The Guest, I had high expectations for Zoe Whittall’s The Fake, which (sorry to say) paled in comparison. The Fake, unlike Cammie to these characters, was unalluring. I wasn’t even interested in Cammie—I wasn’t interested in any of them. Shelby and Gibson are decent people, but that seems to be their only personality trait: that they’re nice. On the page, they read as boring, naïve. I understand that this is the point—the fact that they are unremarkable and forgiving makes them the perfect victims for a con artist—but I don’t want to read an entire novel about boring people living their boring lives, you know? Cammie also didn’t convince me as the magnetic, free spirit grifter character. She came across as a cringy millennial; just a basic “extroverted” hot girl archetype. It doesn’t feel like there was any deep character work going on here (one too many tropes). I don’t think that this book says anything original about con artists, or even divorce or grief; the most radical element—the only plot point that I did not necessarily predict—is that the main characters try to stage an intervention for Cammie (i.e. rehabilitate her rather than reprimand her), which doesn’t even work. I agree with the review that says this feels like an outline rather than a fully-realized novel. A lot of scenes felt like they weren’t doing much, or just repeating what was accomplished in previous scenes. Despite its short length, it took me weeks to get through, because I just wasn’t interested enough. Very nice cover though. Also, I need to get this off my chest: IKEA is always stylized in all-caps.

The Fake by Zoe Whittall

After the death of her wife, Shelby is suffering from prolonged grief. She’s increasingly isolated, irritated by her family’s stoicism and her friends’ reliance on the toxic positivity of self-help culture. Then, in a grief support group, she meets Cammie, who gives her permission to express her most hopeless, hideous feelings. Cammie is charismatic and unlike anyone Shelby has ever met. She’s also recovering from cancer and going through several other calamities. Shelby puts all her energy into helping Cammie thrive—until her intuition tells her that something isn’t right.

Gibson is fresh from divorce, almost forty, and deeply depressed. Then he falls in love with Cammie. Not only is he having the best sex of his life with a woman so attractive he’s stunned she even glanced his way, but he feels truly known for the first time in his life. But Gibson’s friends are wary of Cammie, and eventually he, too, has to admit that all the drama in Cammie’s life can feel a bit over the top.

When Gibson and Shelby meet, they realize Cammie’s stories don’t always add up. In fact, they’re far from the truth. But what kind of a person would lie about having cancer? And what does it say about Shelby and Gibson that they fell for it? From the author of The Best Kind of People and The Spectacular comes a sharp, emotional novel about lies, liars, and the people who love them.

I always love a story that centers around a con artist. That’s what drew me to this book in the first place. I just the main characters were a little stronger and I wanted to shake them several times as I read the book!

March 21

I admit, I went into this book a bit skeptical, but I really loved it. The story is mainly told through alternating perspectives: Shelby who has recently lost her wife and is already anxiety-prone and Gibson who is a bit unmoored as he goes through a divorce.

They've each met Cammie, a younger, free spirited woman barrels into their lives giving them exactly what they need. And that is because she’s manipulative scammer who simply mirrors back what they each need. Through both sides we begin to see how Cammie distorts the truth for both of them. Until the lies become undeniable.

I enjoyed the way there were nuggets of future reflection woven in as Shelby and Gibson realize they’re being lied to and see the red flags and willingly ignore and excuse them. One reason I wasn’t sure if I’d like the book is because it seems very on trend to tell scammer and con artist takes, but what worked exceptionally well for me in this novel was how we see the flip side and get the point of view of the ones being manipulated.

Even after all of the chaos Cammie causes those around her continue to care about her and want to help her. The story isn’t high stakes in that she’s not grifting millions of dollars but still causing great harm to her marks who are every day people.

I look forward to reading professional reviews for this book because I think the author has made a marvelous character study of how easy it is for a lonely or vulnerable person to seek solace in someone with nefarious intentions.

When two lonely souls both get taken in by larger than life Cammie, their lives change, but is it for the better?

Shelby has just lost her wife and her anxieties are at an all time high, but when she meets Cammie in her grief support group they soon hit it off. Shelby has found someone that shares her grief. Finding out that Cammie has lost her job and has just finished treatment for cancer, Shelby opens her heart and home to Cammie.

Gibson is nearing forty and has just recently divorced, when he meets Cammie at a bar, he can’t believe his good fortune and they are quickly in a relationship. A relationship that has his head in the clouds missing things he shouldn’t.

As time goes on, both Gibson and Shelby start to question things about Cammie, two and two aren’t equaling four. When they meet and put their heads together things really look whack, but could Cammie really be a manipulative scammer?

This book had a heartbreaking quality about two broken people searching for healing and one that in some ways helps in their healing and in others adds to their brokenness. I was really rooting for Shelby and Gipson, but the ending left me less than satisfied. Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.