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Gracie Reed has been struggling with a boss who harasses her but who is sly enough to get away with it, and her widowed mom who has Alzheimer’s is living in a just-OK memory-care facility. She has stuck it out with her job only because she’s saving to put her mother in a better care home.
Then, after she inexplicably gets photographed by a paparazzo while at her regular café, a black SUV pulls up next to her and she’s urged to get in. Inside, Gracie is shocked to see Chinese film stars Wei Fangli and Sam Yao. Fangli proposes a well-paid short-term gig: since Gracie looks almost identical to her, she wants her to stand in for her at events and various spots around Toronto. That will allow the actress to focus solely on her role in a play in the city and get some rest and relief from public appearances.
Gracie thinks it’s a crazy idea, and so does Sam, Fangli’s constant companion and assumed longtime boyfriend. But the money will allow her to pay for that nicer nursing home for her mom. So she takes the job. And she’s thrust into a world of luxury she couldn’t have imagined she’d ever experience. The main problem, aside from learning how to move and act and talk like the very elegant and stylish Fangli, is having to spend time with the arrogant and insufferable Sam. Sure, he’s extremely good-looking, and that’s pretty distracting… what was she thinking? …
As time goes on, Gracie slowly gets to know Sam, and she enjoys talking to Fangli. She also gets better at impersonating Fangli in public, and being able to stay in a luxury hotel and have access to beautiful clothing, makeup and jewelry is pretty nice. But what’s going to happen when her time acting in this role is over?
The Stand-In is just one of those fun escape novels, complete with romance, friendship and living the high life. The romance works well; the chemistry between Gracie and Sam is undeniable, but the reader wonders almost as often as Gracie does if it’s real or a show. The storyline of the project Gracie comes up with is satisfying, and the relationships built are very sweet. All in all, it’s a fun read that’s escapist but not completely shallow.
Rated: High. Profanity includes about 40 uses of strong language, around 40 instances of moderate profanity, about 15 to 20 uses of mild language, and about 10 instances of the name of Deity in vain. Sexual content includes a number of kissing scenes, one scene where sex is understood to happen but is “off-screen,” and a few innuendos.
