The Fake A Novel 1st Zoe Whittall by Zoe Whittall 9781524799441, 1524799440, B0B4RDTQG6 instant download after payment.

From the author of The Best Kind of People and The Spectacular comes a sharp, emotional novel about lies, liars, and the people who love them - a scammer as alluring as she is elusive irrevocably upends the lives of two strangers in this gripping novel

“The Fake is as witty and sharp as it is humane. I fell in love with these characters, and with the fabulist, fabulous heart that animates Whittall’s writing.”  -  Jen Silverman, author of We Play Ourselves

After the death of her wife, Shelby is suffering from prolonged grief. She’s increasingly isolated, irritated by her family’s stoicism and her friends’ reliance on the toxic positivity of self-help culture. Then, in a grief support group, she meets Cammie, who gives her permission to express her most hopeless, hideous feelings. 

Cammie is charismatic and unlike anyone, Shelby has ever met. She’s also recovering from cancer and going through several other calamities. Gibson is fresh from divorce, almost forty, and deeply depressed. Then he falls in love with Cammie. Not only is he having the best sex of his life with a woman so attractive he’s stunned she even glanced his way, he feels truly known for the first time in his life. 

"The author also manages to draw quirky, memorable characters who are deeply flawed and still compelling. With accessible prose, insight into human nature, a slow build of suspense, and a fresh look at how we handle difficult events, Whittall has created a real winner. The story of a con artist so good that even the reader will want to suspend disbelief."  -  Kirkus Reviews

When Gibson and Shelby meet, they realize Cammie’s stories don’t always add up. In fact, they’re far from the truth. But what kind of a person would lie about having cancer? And what does it say about Shelby and Gibson that they fell for it?