Fake: A Novel

"A dazzling stranger changes the lives of two very different people in this gripping novel from the acclaimed author of The Best Kind of People. Does it matter if she isn't who she says she is? Monica has always been an anxious person, but after the sudden death of her wife she is barely able to leave her house, pushing away her friends and her family. At a grief support group, she meets alluring wild-child Cammie, who insinuates herself quickly into Monica's life, and gives her permission to express hermost hopeless, hideous feelings. Monica begin to feel much better. Carter is almost forty, newly divorced, plagued by stress-induced migraines, and laying on the floor of his bachelor apartment refusing to unpack. Then, after he reluctantly drags himselfout to a friend's birthday party, an attractive woman beats him at poker, takes him home, and gives him something to live for. Her name is Cammie. Their relationship quickly turns into the most passionate whirlwind affair he's ever experienced, and he's a new man. To them, Cammie is perfect. She's exactly what they need. But when Monica and Carter meet, they realize that Cammie's stories don't always add up. In fact, they might be far from the truth. Do they know the real her? Is the progress they've both made all a lie? And does it really matter if the woman they've both come to love . . . is a fake?"--
Suffering from prolonged grief after the death of her wife, Shelby meets cancer survivor Cammie in her support group who is unlike anyone she’s ever known, but soon her intuition tells her something is off and discovers she’s fallen victim to a scammer.
A scammer as alluring as she is elusive irrevocably upends the lives of two strangers in this gripping novel from the acclaimed author of The Best Kind of People.“The genius of Zoe Whittall’s writing is her clear-eyed understanding of human nature, which she lays on the page in beautiful, startling, frank detail. I inhaled The Fake as fast as I could—and haven’t stopped thinking about it since.”—Marissa Stapley, New York Times bestselling author of LuckyAfter 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. Shelby puts all her energy into helping Cammie thrive—until her intuition tells her that something isn’t right.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, but he feels truly known for the first time in his life. But Gibson’s friends are wary of Cammie, and eventually he, too, has to admit that all the drama in Cammie’s life can feel a bit over the top.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? 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.