Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

The Stand-In by Lily Chu

10 reviews

buttongirl22's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful reflective relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This is a great romance story with real feeling characters, though maybe not the most realistic situations. It was a fun, quick read that I loved every minute of. Gracie is a relatable and love able character that I was rooting for. I will miss these characters.

Content Warnings

hmwoodward's review against another edition

Go to review page

funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is a sweet (closed door) romcom with a storyline that I definitely enjoyed reading, even if the overall story and the twist was unbelievable. However, I liked the main character and found her to be relatable and realistic. Her constant attempts to organize her life and do dreadful tasks sound too familiar! It was fun to see all the different productivity tools she tried and how she struggled with each as it is not one size fits all. She struggles a lot with self doubt and trusting people in her life - always trying to just do things herself instead. She's just a normal person who steps into a life of luxury for a short time, coming out the other side with a new perspective on the rich and famous. You really feel for her struggles with her mom and her former boss, as those are also unfortunately realistic.

Overall, this is a great pick if you're looking for a lighthearted and fun read.

Content Warnings

marinajonesreads's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

This was an interesting book! The ending wasn’t one I expected and I liked that. I thought some of the writing was cheesy but I really enjoyed listening to Gracie come into her own. Enjoyable and cute.

Content Warnings

finnickdeservedbetter's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

For readers who like:

• celebrity romance
• fake identity
• dislike to lovers
• biracial (asian/white) MC
• first gen Canadian MC

The book was like a breathe of fresh air. I was kinda putting it off in favour of other books but I wish I hadn't. The characters are ao well-rounded and dimensional. They had flaws of course but I could relate to each one and honestly, see myself being friends with any of them.

This touched on a few big topics (like identity- being biracial and the child of an immigrant, mental health, and sexual harrassment to name a few) but all in a very accessible and approachable way.

The only reason I didn't give it 5☆ is the unnecessary (isn't it always?)

third act breakup paired with miscommunication 🤢

.

Other than that tho, I really enjoyed this book and got through it all in one sitting. This is my first book by Lily Chu but it definitely won't be my last.

Content Warnings

_alyssar_'s review against another edition

Go to review page

lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

Content Warnings

juliacsmith's review against another edition

Go to review page

medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Content Warnings

mangomarmalade's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

A really easy, delightful weekend read. Although nothing groundbreaking, it had a lovely ending that made me feel good walking away from this listen.

Content Warnings

bookwisp's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This was a fun, escapist read. It also touched on some more serious notes (mental health, sexual harassment, amongst others) which lent it, I thought, an emotional depth and maturity that’s sometimes lacking in romance novels. These more serious elements mean this novel won’t be for everyone – especially people who come to this book wanting a light-hearted celebrity romance – but I appreciated The Stand-in all the more for it. Phillipa Soo’s narration really enhanced the audiobook. She brought out a warmth and compassion in the characters I might have missed if I’d been reading by myself. For this reason, I’d recommend picking this up on Audible.

Content Warnings

allisonwonderlandreads's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Gracie Reed finds herself hired as a double for a famous Chinese actress in this Toronto-based romantic comedy. It's a fun premise with an element of wish-fulfillment as Gracie turns her collapsing life around while falling for a handsome, famous action star and impersonating a glamorous actress in need of a break from the limelight. The voice acting in the audiobook is superb and adds to Gracie's strong voice as a character that comes through in the writing. The story thrives on relatable life details that are funny and specific. It also loops in strong feelings and dilemmas both absurd yet plausible (see: spanx incident) and truly heart-wrenching (see: Grayci's struggle to get her mother high quality care for Alzheimer's).

Honestly, the romance was the weakest point of this ostensibly romance novel. It's closed door, with not a lot of tension or attention compared to the other, stronger strands of plot. We still get details as Gracie falls for her co-conspirator, Sam, but it doesn't feel very in-the-moment the way it is relayed. I believed in their adjustment from enemies/antagonists to colleagues and friends, but that last romantic step didn't convince me. Intellectually, I liked the way the two complemented and bettered one another, but emotional oomph is where it lacked.

Emotions were high elsewhere in much more powerful ways. Gracie grapples with the aftermath of sexual harrassment at work, tries to get her mother into a better care facility, faces down casual racism, grieves the memory of a father lost to cancer, and tries to feel like her life isn't spinning out of control in obscurity. Then we have her parthers-in-crime: Wei Fangli has unaddressed depression weighing her down due to stigma about asking for help and Sam Yao is micro-managed and manipulated by a motivated, high-powered mother. The way they come to support one another through these moments was the most special part of the book for me.

This was a just ok romance in the midst of an otherwise complex, moving story.

Content Warnings

katielaine_w's review against another edition

Go to review page

lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Content Warnings

More...