Summary

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.

Review

The Decoy Girlfriend was fun, and I thought that it had a very intriguing concept. Freya is a writer who is suffering from extreme writer’s block and the deadline for her second book is approaching quickly. Her mom, who was her main supporter, has passed, and she is dealing with that grief. She’s moved from NY to La, and sometimes pretends to be the actress Mandi Roy, since people always mix them up.

One day while working at her aunt’s bookshop, Taft, an attractive actor and Mandi’s boyfriend/co-star, walks in. It’s not love at first sight but there’s something there. One night Taft and Freya are accidentally photographed together at a bar, when she was impersonating his girlfriend. The photo makes rounds in the news cycle with speculation that Taft has cheated on Mandi, and Mandi comes up with a plan. While she is off doing whatever, how about Freya pretends to be her for a few weeks. With that comes having to share a house with him, close photoshoots, public appearances and almost kisses.

I was a big fan of all the characters in this book. I want to start by first saying that Mandi was incredible, and so funny. I would love a book in her POV, and I loved that her and Taft had such a strong friendship. On to Taft. I loved him. He was such a sweet character, and almost from the beginning he was bad down for Freya. I’m not sure how Freya resisted him for as long as she did because he was perfect. And vulnerable. And honestly just wanted his friends to call him and hang out. It’s not shocking but Freya was also amazing too. Equally as funny and had a great developmental arc. And I really loved that she had such a caring group of friends surrounding her, and that they all were writers as well and super supportive of each other.

The romance in this book had me giggling and kicking my feet. It was adorable and steamy. Taft and Freya? Great chemistry, great banter. I loved watching them turning his home into their home, and growing more comfortable with each other.

Final Thoughts

The Decoy Girlfriend has a perfect blend between realistic grief, emotional depth, and a great romance.