Ella and her identical twin sister, Emma, are alike only in looks. Emma has it all, the perfect husband, children and life. When Ella is asked to stand in for her identical twin sister hilarity ensues. However Ella is soon to discover things aren’t always greener on the other side.

Portia Macintosh never disappoints - another hilariously fun read!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me to read a copy of this book!

Ella is an identical twin, and of the two, she is the 'less successful' one. Her twin, Emma, has the big house, the perfect family and her half of the inheritance left by their mother.

Ella hasn't heard from Emma in years, so imagine her surprise when Emma calls, asking her for a favour. Emma wants Ella to pretend to be her for a few weeks, and Ella initially thinks it can't be too hard to be rich and live a perfect life... Will she discover that all is not as it seems on the other side?

I absolutely loved Faking It by Portia Macintosh. What a fun read! Ella is such a good character, her sarcasm, potty mouth and wit make for a fantastic story. The situations she finds herself in (and puts herself in!) are at times cringeworthy, but extremely entertaining. I laughed multiple times throughout reading this book, particularly at the very first school drop off for Ella.

The book also manages to tackle some difficult subjects, including cancer, family, relationships, and troubled teens!

I haven't read any of Portia's books before, however I plan to read some others now! :) Highly recommend this book, especially if you're a fan of rom-coms!

Ella is a young woman who is still trying to find her groove in this life. She has just lose her latest job and her apartment after a fire broke out in her living room when she gets a phone call from her grounded twin sister, Emma, who asks her to take her place for a few weeks. So Ella without anything to lose accepts and try to live her sister's life at the best she can, even if she soon finds out how hard it is to care about a teen girl, a kid and an husband without any experience. Will Ella keep her true identity a secret? Or will Emma regret to have asked her for a favour?

Faking it is another success for me.
I love Portia MacIntosh writing I read her books too quickly because she conquers me with her witty, funny wording and her characters from the first to the last chapter.

I adored that Emma has my age, she is so relatable for a woman like me who still doesn't have planned her life and she is trying to find her place in the World, plus we share the same memories of old gold times.

I highly recommend to read this novel because it not only is hilarious to see the vicissitudes of our main character, it also is thought provoking.

I laughed out loud at several points in this book. It was such a great story you will get lost in the pages and never want to leave.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

For Ella, the morning she woke wasn’t a typical/same as everyday morning for her, as after there was a fire at her flat, which she didn’t cause, and due to which her landlord evicted her, only for her to get into work and be sacked by her employer.

But on that same day, a phone call from her twin sister Emma asking her to step into her shows for six weeks, makes Ella think what’s she got to lose. All she has to do is fake being a married women with two kids. Easy. Right??

But Ella has always felt she’s not a good person unlike her sister Emma, as she was the one who rebelled, did the wrong things and Emma was the good kid, doing well in her studies and now living the good life.

So now she’s a bit surprised why she needs Ella’s help, but still agrees to help.

What she didn’t throw into the mix was falling for the attractive dad when she goes to drop off her nephew to school, whose also parked in pickup lane.

This was another fabulous book and although it made me laugh in places I also found, towards the end, there’s a bomb dropped, which I wasn’t expecting, that actually, I shed a tear or two.

I think a few readers will be able to relate to this book.

Recommend it.

This book tells the story of Ella who gets a telephone call from her twin sister who she has fallen out with a few years ago asking her to come and pretend to be her while she is in prison for a few weeks for parking offences as she doesn’t want her children and friends to know. Ella has just lost her job and burnt her flat down so thinks why not, I can sort my life out when I have finished.

Turns out all is not as easy as she thought as her and her sister are different in the way they would deal with things and she has to learn to do things differently. Add to the mix someone who is falling for her thinking she is Emma the married one and someone else who works out who she is and is falling in love with Ella but obviously have to keep it secret.

Will everything work out and family rifts be healed?

My only gripe with the book was that the author used the common phrase about Karens being complainers and horrible, which I took offence to but that is just me.

I'm a sucker for cute flirty banter, a truly good guy, and honest character growth of the MC. And Faking It checked off all of those boxes.

Ella takes the place of her twin sister Emma, and learns about the family she's been missing out on since she's been estranged from her sister. While the twin swap is happening, Ella meets Marco, who is swoon worthy, Robin Hoodesque, and this all around good guy that everyone has misjudged because he doesn't fit into the local mold. Well, either does Ella, so they hit it off, becoming friends, more.

There's a brief potential love triangle moment, but It never makes it far, which I liked personally.

While this is a romance novel, like a few other romances I've read over the last year, it's more about the growth of our main character then her need to find a mate to be happy. Which I love.

An enjoyable twist on twins trading places as sister Ella steps in for Emma to help with her family and keep the school gossips at bay. There is an unexpected surprise near the end - but a happy ending is in store for all!

How would you fare if you were to take over your sibling’s life for a short time? This story sets out to explore just that when one twin requests the other to take over her life so no one, including her own children, suspect that she is gone. It is a hilarious concept that ignited my curiosity to read this story and it was an enjoyable ride from start to finish. There are parts that are ridiculous with moments that are very relatable and they are weaved together to make an entertaining tale. Faking It has definitely increased my interest in reading more by Portia Macintosh!

Ella Cooper is not off to a great start for her day when her flat has partially burned and she is now dealing with the aftermath with the fire department. She shows up at work late again and ends up in trouble with her boss, as this is not her first offense. She tries to save her job, but is unsuccessful. She now finds herself without a job and without a home all soon before her 35th birthday. She is at a crossroads at what to do next when she receives a call from her twin sister Emma who has a favor to ask of Ella. Emma states that she going away for six weeks, but she cannot let those around her know about it as she has an image to keep up and she requests Ella to take over her life and masquerade as her. As Ella wants to help her sister, she agrees and for the next six weeks, she must play the part of her seemingly perfect sister, which is the complete opposite of hot mess Ella.

Of course things go wrong as Ella tries to navigate taking care of two kids (one younger and one teenager) while balancing suburban life and taking care of a house and husband. It is a laugh-out-loud type situation and I love how she tries, and sometimes fails, to portray her sister despite her best efforts. If I ever had to pose as my sister and take over for her for even a day, I would probably fail worse than Ella would and I am not even as opposite as the characters compared to my own sibling. The cone situation as she drops Henry off at school actually made me laugh aloud as I felt the second-hand embarrassment as I read it. I love that she put a lot of effort into trying to continue the pretense even when she has found out, early on, by Henry’s friend’s uncle, Marco.

The friendship between Marco and Ella was very enjoyable as it was nice to see her have an ally as she is pretending to be someone else for a good cause. The banter between them was very entertaining as they help each other out along the way. I love how Marco is there to support Ella and she in turn helps him out where she can without blowing her cover. Both of them together create a dynamic duo that try their best to better the community around them and they both grow as individuals as well. Neither Marco nor Ella are the biological parents of the children in this story, but that does not stop them from trying their best to assist where they can. Although we see Emma’s household with her husband and children, it would have been nice to have a few sections dedicated to learning more about Marco’s brother and his household. They are mentioned throughout the story, but it would have been nice just to hear a little more about the inner workings. We learn some as Henry and Marco speak about it to Ella, but it would’ve been nice to include more – I take it is a good sign for my enjoyment level as I wanted the story to be even longer with extra details.

Overall, it is a very fun read. The concept is out of the box as it is a very unlikely situation, even if someone did want to attempt it with his or her sibling. There is some realism in the story as Ella tries her best in the situation for the love of her sister, but there are times where she cannot help acting like herself. The main message of learning more about yourself and self-acceptance was fantastic and unexpected, as I did not expect much substance in this type of story. It was nice how Ella took the opportunity before her and turned it into a positive learning experience and she grew as a person by living the life of her sister. It was a fun concept, as Ella might not have grown in the same way if she never received the call to assist from Emma.

Portia MacIntosh has become an author on my radar and I hope that her other books have the same style as this one turned out to be such a surprise. This novel was an enjoyable read that is light-hearted while still maintaining substance. The twist at the end was unexpected and it was done well as it did not overshadow all of the previous events. Instead, it added to the story and helped wrap up the main pieces. A very positive and engaging story to read as an escapism from any and all negative going on around us! I would definitely re-read this story and I’ve now added the author’s other works to my TBR list!

**I give a special thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC to read and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.**

This was another really enjoyable read from Portia MacIntosh. A total joy to read from start to finish. All the characters were expertly written and Ella’s exploits and personal development in the book was wonderful to read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read yet another superb book from this author..

Unfortunately I was unable to read this book due to formatting issues. My rating is based on both the blurb and my previous experience with this authors work.

A classic Portia MacIntosh book – full of laugh out loud moments and unbelievable moments! I LOVE Portia’s books; they never fail to make me smile and I thoroughly enjoy them.
Twins, Ella and Emma, have barely seen each other in years – they may be identical, but they are definitely not a like in any way. Their lives couldn’t be more different and when a situation arises Ella’s help is needed like never before.
I absolutely adored how well Ella adapted and changed during her time with her sister’s family. We were painted a picture of her being a bit (understatement!) of a disaster, but she really does come into her own and find her strengths during this time.
Such an entertaining and fun storyline, with lots of funny characters. I didn’t see the twist at the end coming – fun little curveball there for everyone.
"Faking it" is a lovely story about family and keeping close to the ones around you. I definitely recommend to others.

Its always a plus when a book touted as "laugh out loud funny" is actually that. This was such a fun story. I love anything to do with identical twins swapping places and this one was done so well. Enjoyable and fun to read from the beginning. I cant wait to read more from this author! Highly recommend!
I received an ARC of this book for my honest review.

This was a good book to read, very light and easy and most importantly it made me smile which is a big plus in these awful times. I hadn’t read any of this author’s books before and was interested to see if I liked it. I am so glad I read it. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Completely hilarious even with actual laugh out loud moments.

Emma and Ella have barely seen each other since they were 18, with their lives going in very different directions and yet when Emma calls her identical twin sister Ella and asks for her help rather urgently, Ella reluctantly agrees.

And so we have Ella swapping places with her sister as Emma has to let's say go away for a few weeks, but doesn't want her reputation ruined. Almost no one even knows she has a twin, and Ella barely knows her niece and has never met her 9 year old nephew, so even her kids won't be any the wiser.

Ella who when we first meet her has just managed to lose her home, job and car all on the same day, and sounds like she may be rather flaky, knows she has been handed a lifeline even if its unusual and seeing how she copes as she attempts to be the best version of her sister that she can be is so so amusing.

I loved the way Ella developed and changed not just to be Emma but in time to be a better person within herself,

This is such a quirky and different storyline and it really kept me entertained, as you never knew what Ella as Emma would encounter next, let alone what her reactions might me. And she really gets to know the two kids, as well as well a few of the men in the village including one that could be Ella in male form!

I loved everything about this book, it was an entertaining and fast book to read and certainly up to Portia MacIntosh's normal standards if not even better! Just loads of fun and I can imagine it would be a very amusing film too!

Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

I loved this story!

This book was wonderfully written and it had me hooked until the very end, it was a fun and entertaining read.

The characters were brilliant, so well developed and I loved the detail – there was some really great interaction too!

It was a romance that I thoroughly enjoyed reading and another fabulous release from this author!

It is 5 stars from me for this one, very highly recommended – loved it!

Ella has always felt she’s not as good as her identical twin sister Emma. Growing up, she was the rebellious one, while her sister was the successful one. So, when Emma calls, needing her help she’s surprised, and jumps at the chance to step into her sisters shoes. But she doesn’t anticipate falling for the attractive dad in the school pickup lane. And she finds herself unsure if she can keep up walking in her sisters shoes.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun, quick read. Ella and Emma’s relationship is so relatable. A lot of siblings feel that they aren’t as good as their other siblings. It was great to watch as Ella learns that maybe her sisters life isn’t at perfect as she first thought. This book was well written, and the characters were all wonderful. This is the first book by this author, and it won’t be the last. It’s definitely one I recommend.

I ended up liking this book more than I thought I would. I liked the description (obviously, since I requested an ARC), but it was so much more than I expected. I loved Ella - she was quirky enough to see why she was a bit of a black sheep, but not so quirky that she didn't seem like a real person. She was kind of terrible at being her sister, which sometimes made her frustrating but usually was funny. What sets this apart from other 'twins switching places' stories was that Ella's brother-in-law and love interest were both in on the secret from early on. This prevented the dramatic moment of that love interest feeling betrayed. I really like Marco, he's just a genuinely nice guy who initially helps Ella out because he finds her fun and amusing. Their friendship turning into more romantic affection was enjoyable to watch as it developed. The only aspect of Ella and Emma's relationship that I wanted to see resolved was Emma seeing Ella as a cautionary tale - she obviously thought very little of her sister and it would have been nice to see her apologize for that. I also really hope Emma found new friends.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC to review.

I really wanted to like this book as the story sounded like fun. However, the heroine really annoyed me and I just never connected with any of the characters. It was a little too screwball comedy instead of snarky wit which is my preference.

Not to give too much of the plot away, think "Brat Farrar" without the murder mystery.

It was OK but I found myself skimming over some of the chapters. Soooo, good enough to finish but overall rating is "Meh".

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 !