The Decoy Girlfriend

Vale (The Shaadi Set-Up) puts a contemporary Hollywood spin on The Prince and the Pauper in this cute but rocky rom-com. Novelist Freya Lal likes to escape her paralyzing writer’s block by impersonating her doppelgänger, actor Mandini “Mandi” Roy, an act that brings considerable perks. When Mandi’s costar, Taft Bamber, catches Freya impersonating Mandi at a nightclub, their collision causes a PR disaster. Mandi insists the only way Freya can fix the situation is for Freya to impersonate Mandi for a month, giving her a much needed break from the spotlight. Taft and Mandi are in a staged relationship to promote their new movie, a pretense Freya must keep up as she plays her role. There’s nothing staged about the sizzling attraction between Taft and Freya—but if the paparazzi learn that the woman Taft’s falling for isn’t really Mandi, the fallout could end all three careers. The extended will-they-won’t-they bogs down the middle of the book, with Taft and Freya’s relationship taking two steps back for every one step forward, and the third act conflict feels a bit unmotivated. Still, Vale manages to add some fun new layers to the fake dating trope and delivers plenty of celebrity drama. Rom-com fans will find much to enjoy. Agent: Jessica Watterson, Sandra Dijkstra Literary. (Sept.)