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Play Shop: Let's Pretend Sets

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Applicability of cancellation rights: Legal rights of cancellation under the Distance Selling Regulations available for UK or EU consumers do not apply to certain products and services. Lily Thane's family name brings with it a prestigious theatrical legacy. But although she enjoyed fame as a child, the roles are starting to dwindle now she has reached her thirties He needs someone to be his plus one at glitzy events, a person to show off via social media, to become part of a power couple. After all the world of celebrity is all about reputation and how things look and Lily's Momager couldn't be more thrilled. A perfect title to the book where no one is quite who they seem. In stage school, Lily makes friends and frenemies that will last her whole life. The main person to benefit from Lily’s false-ness is Adam Harker. He is a gay man trapped in a beautiful body that demands he pays his attentions to girls. Then one day she bumps into Adam Harker, short, plump, spotty teenager-turned-heart-throb (how did that happen?) from drama school and he seems determined to re-kindle their previously non-existent romance. Because Adam wants something from Lily and it’s not what she imagines.

I've read Vaughan's previous novel The Favour and this one is similar in the twisted character relationships and general sense of terrible people who might be capable of murder, though I didn't quite enjoy the atmosphere of this one as much. I found the pace of the first part wasn't for me and I was left a bit confused that it was suddenly the end of her agreement with Adam, but the party that forms the central moment of the book was good. I found that I wasn't connected to the characters, but that was fine because they're all intentionally awful. This story is told from the perspective of former child star Lily Thane, now a struggling actress in her early thirties. Her old stage-school friend Adam Harker is on the brink of huge success, but to keep up appearances needs a trusted companion. After a few unexpected encounters, Adam asks Lily to partake in a fauxmance with him. But soon after signing a NDA and six month contract, Adam’s dark side starts to surface and things turn toxic! She signs a 6 month contract to be his "partner" but all that glitters is not gold and the reality of living the celebrity high life with a troubled actor soon proves impossible and she is cast aside. Not long afterwards Adam is found floating dead in a pool. Following a chance meeting there is an undeniable spark, and although Lily is wary of Adam's dark side, they soon decide that a public faux-mantic relationship between them could be good for both of their careers. But when you're surrounded by actors, how do you know what is real? I liked how the author focuses on Lily as the central character. I liked how it was written in the first person so you as the reader find out about their secrets and hopes. I also liked their normal interactions with other characters.Lily is convinced there's more to his death than meets the eye and turns amateur detective - but is it better to leave the dark side of fame buried? It starts with Lily Thane who is from an acting family but she is really only known for a film she made as a child.

After a couple of ‘unexpected’ encounters, Adam asks Lily to partake in a fauxmance with him. But not long after signing his NDA and a six month contract, Adam’s dark side starts to surface and things turn toxic! Within the first few chapters (and as detailed in the synopsis) we learn that Lily finds Adam’s lifeless body in a swimming pool, it’s not clear how this came to be. I really didn’t have any interest in the characters and I also got confused as to who was who, whether related, friend or work. Soon after signing on the dotted line, Adam's dark side starts to surface and their perfect fauxmance turns toxic. Let’s Pretend’ is full of vapid, vain people and a perfect cast for this dark contemporary story. Vaughan's writing really had me hooked from the beginning and I was instantly drawn to the main character, Lily Thane, an ex child star whose acting character has been waning ever since. Her inner circle is full of eccentric characters who love to remind her of her limited success. Then she reunites with Adam Harker, a fellow ex-child star, but with questions over his sexuality about to spoil his next big break he asks Lily to pretend to date him. The benefits to them and their careers outweigh any doubts that Lily has about their arrangement; until Adam is found dead in a swimming pool.I think this book is one of great importance, especially with the amount of younger people going through their rise to fame as we watch others fall from their place in the limelight. This is a story about what life can be like for celebrities, focusing heavily on the bad side and the crap that they go through. This book felt muddled and rushed to me, like the author had a lot of ideas that wouldn’t really be enough for a whole book so they were woven together to make this one.

Let's Pretend is a novel about the world of acting and fame, and the kinds of performances it causes people to undertake. When former child star Lily Thane is approached by her old stage school acquaintance Adam Harker for a fake romance to stun the red carpet with, it seems like a great opportunity. It seems like maybe her struggling acting career could be on the rise, but she'll have to content with their toxic dynamic. When Adam is found dead in a swimming pool, Lily knows something was up, and gets drawn into finding out who supplied the drugs that killed him, and if they're still dangerous. I noticed the font varies. Italics when Lily is thinking and reading. Then a different font when the information is from the internet. But Adam is a slippery fish with a temper. He is horrid to be around when in a bad mood and it’s not all red carpets and show stopping events. One evening when returning from a solitary walk, she finds Adam’s body, face down in a swimming pool. As no one else seems to care, it’s down to Lily to find out who did this to Adam as she doesn’t believe he will have taken his own life. We attract. And repel. Our dreams, desires, people, opportunities; anything we consciously invite into our lives comes in with everything it has to offer. Success comes with heartbreak. Happiness comes with foreboding. Holidays come with post-holiday blues. Relationships come with heartbreak…A chance meeting with an old school friend is possibly the best thing to happen to Lily, or so she thinks but as she settles in the role of Adam’s partner. But this isn’t Kansas, Lily, things are not quite what they seem and as with many relationships, the break up is not pleasant. And post break oh my!!! Wow, I was absolutely glued to this & read it in about 4 hours. To be honest, Lily's investigation into Adam's death was the least interesting thing in the book, I was far more into their spiralling toxic 'fauxmance'. The man was a grade A a-hole. Throw in a supporting cast of a resentful sister, fake friends & acquaintances, & a stalker - just who can Lily trust? I thought Lily was a good main character, she had her faults, but she was generally one of the more likeable characters. Things went off the boil a little for me after Adam's death, but it was still a really great read about the pressures & fakeness of stardom & just what people are willing to do for their 15 minutes of fame.

Lily Thane, former child star, now a struggling actress in her thirties, bumps into a friend from stage school. Adam Harker. Once billed as the 'next big thing' , Adam has had a chequered career but hopes his next film will finally propel him into A-list stardom. Blinded by the chemistry between them, Lily is surprised when Adam tells her he is gay but wants to 'fly under the radar until his career is secure, & he wants Lily to pose as his girlfriend. Lily agrees as in return Adam says he will help her career, & she likes Adam so thinks it will be an easy gig. What follows gradually becomes a nightmare as Adam pushes all Lily's buttons making her insecure & doubtful about herself & her career. Adam is just as sneeringly dismissive of everyone else, so when he is found dead in the swimming pool after a party, there are no shortage of suspects. The police rule it accidental but Lily is not so sure, so she decides to investigate his death herself. Former child star Lily Thane is now a struggling thirty-something actress. Her old stage-school buddy, Adam Harker, is on the brink of making it big, but he needs an appropriate red-carpet companion to seal the deal, and Lily fits the bill. Lily’s old stage-school friend from many moons, Adam Harker is on the brink to huge success, but to keep up appearances needs a ‘trusted’ life companion. Twists, however, are there. But they are delivered most intelligently and satisfyingly. Act three is an extraordinary display of storytelling and most captivating execution that will leave you literally out of breath. It’s one of those stories that can be devoured in a single reading, making it a perfect holiday read. It doesn’t mean however that it’s a simplistic read. It’s insanely well-plotted and delivered with truly Kingesque verbose panache.Throughout the story, we as the reader get to understand the life of the rich and famous, just the not so glamourous side. Lily Thane and Adam Harker are our main characters, are children of showbusiness who have known each other their whole career. It draws attention to both their modern day careers, with Adam continuing to flourish and Lily being caught in the past, only recognised for her work in her younger day. Slightly interesting, but with unlovable characters - after a while I wasn't sure whether I wanted the end to be good or not. A lot of the trouble that our 'heroine' got herself into had predictable outcomes, and the twists were also predictable. The end 'reveal' was a bit obvious. I nearly gave three stars, but it wasn't that bad - some may enjoy it. I do find that books with long explaining tags after the titles are normally a let down... My only issue with this fabulous book is why everyone is so in love with Adam. Alcohol-fuelled and drug-addled, he’s really not very nice. A taker, he gives nothing in return. The day he bites Lily on the face would have been my swift exit. But Lily is desperate for fame and she will do almost everything and anything to attain it.

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