Book review ~ Faking it, Portia McIntosh

Faking it
Author : Portia MacIntosh
Genre : Chick-Lit
Release date : 26th January 2021
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The perfect house, the perfect husband and the perfect life… or is she just faking it?

Life has been a bit of a rollercoaster for Ella. Growing up as the ‘less successful’ identical twin to her ‘perfectly successful’ sister, Emma, has left her feeling isolated, inadequate and let’s face it.. a little bitter.

When Emma unexpectedly reaches out to Ella in a time of need, Ella suddenly finds herself with the opportunity to fill in for her sister and experience how the other half live.

But as Ella navigates the world of gossiping mothers, rebellious teens and trying to play the model housewife (not to mention avoiding the temptation of attractive men at the school gates…) will she discover that all is not always as it seems on the other side?

This is the second book by Portia MacIntosh that I read. I don’t know why, but she has some kind of cool power to make me like books I wouldn’t normally read or enjoy reading. From time to time, I try to step out of my comfort reading zone, and this is how I ended up reading Faking It. I thought chick-lit would make me puke at how cringey it is. Yet, here I could just sit back and relax while following Ella’s adventures while pretending to be her sister.

Faking it is a perfect winter read. I mean, it ticks all the right boxes for me. We have a fun setting, with cirumstances that can lead to comedy, quirky characters, and little big secrets !

So, let’s sum the book up a little bit. Ella needs to pose as her twin sister when the latter is forced to be away from home for a few weeks. Ella having lost her flat, her job and everything else a few hours before, she easily accepts the proposition, having nothing to lose. Still, can Ella, the bad seed of the family impersonate her perfect sister in her own house, in her own city ?

I just loved the opposition between Ella’s character and the various characters from Emma’s life. Everyone is so perfect, and that trope where someone “wild” comes in and starts realizing not everything is as it seems just appeals me a lot !

More than anything, the book promotes self-love, self-confidence, and that you should embrace your personnality. Obviously, a message like that is always good, and help propagating positivity. If you’re feeling down, or that you’re not up to some expectations, reading this will probably help you feel better and think in new ways !