The Stand-in by Lily Chu

By: Lily Chu

Narrated by: Phillipa Soo

Release date: 07-15-21

Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher: Audible Originals

Contemporary romance

Gracie has a terrible boss and no where to turn. Her mother is in a home and Gracie needs money for a better one. Then she is stopped and asked to be a stand in for a famous Chinese actress called Wei Fangli...

Good money! But can she do it? I did not really understand why Gracie had such a hard time with the lie. It was like she thought people would think she came up with it herself and she went around pretending to be Fangli. But then she does suffer from anxiety and she writes these lists to keep herself calm. So the whole pretending thing is hard for her.

Oh and Fangli has a super hot friend called Sam and they do start with butting heads but something grows.

I enjoyed this one and I will def look for more on audible.

Great narration. I enjoyed it

Gracie Reed is doing just fine. Sure, she was fired by her overly “friendly” boss, and yes she still hasn’t gotten her mother into the nursing home of their dreams, but she’s healthy, she’s (somewhat) happy, and she’s (mostly) holding it all together.

But when a mysterious SUV pulls up beside her, revealing Chinese cinema’s golden couple Wei Fangli and Sam Yao, Gracie’s world is turned on its head. The famous actress has a proposition: due to their uncanny resemblance, Fangli wants Gracie to be her stand-in. The catch? Gracie will have to be escorted by Sam, the most attractive—and infuriating—man Gracie’s ever met.

If it means getting the money she needs for her mother, Gracie’s in. Soon Gracie moves into a world of luxury she never knew existed. But resisting Sam, and playing the role of an elegant movie star, proves more difficult than she ever imagined—especially when she learns the real reason Fangli so desperately needs her help. In the end all the lists in the world won't be able to help Gracie keep up this elaborate ruse without losing herself... and her heart.

The truth about Forever by Sarah Dessen

Format: 374 pages, Paperback

Published : May 11, 2004 by Penguin Group Inc.

Romance YA /own

I must have found this one at a yard sale ages ago...and September was reading oldies month!

Macy has a to me boring boyfriend who goes to space camp. She takes over his boring library job where the coworkers hate her. She is the good girl who gets good grades, and who has a boring boyfriend who corrects her...yeah I do not like that guy.

But then she meets a messy group of catering staff and the summer begins.

I liked this one. Well written, some real teen drama and feelings.

That's what Macy has to look forward to while her boyfriend, Jason, is away at Brain Camp. Days will be spent at a boring job in the library, evenings will be filled with vocabulary drills for the SATs, and spare time will be passed with her mother, the two of them sharing a silent grief at the traumatic loss of Macy's father.

But sometimes, unexpected things can happen—things such as the catering job at Wish, with its fun-loving, chaotic crew. Or her sister's project of renovating the neglected beach house, awakening long-buried memories. Things such as meeting Wes, a boy with a past, a taste for Truth-telling, and an amazing artistic talent, the kind of boy who could turn any girl's world upside down. As Macy ventures out of her shell, she begins to question her sheltered life.

Abducted by a prince by Olivia Drake

352 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 29, 2014

Series: Cinderella Sisterhood (#3)

Historical romance /own

I have had this book for probably 10 years, oops! I am trying to get to my old forgotten books.

Ellie works as an unpaid servant to her uncle. She is the governess, nursemaid, chaperone, you name it. They took her in when her father died and did not really care.

Damien wants a key back that was stolen long ago, and he will kidnap someone to get it.

Oops, he kidnapped Ellie! Mistake. And her family do not give a damn. But Damien is hot, and Ellie is really nice. How can they ever let each other go?

Short answer. They can not! Cos this is a Cinderella story and they will live happily ever after and her family can go f themselves

I enjoyed it. Cute

She Was Stolen Away...

Ellie Stratham gave up her childhood dreams of a fairy tale romance long ago. To repay her late father’s debts, she’s forced to serve her spoiled cousin, Lady Beatrice. But Ellie has devised a secret plan to escape her life as a drudge. A plan that is thrown into jeopardy when she’s abducted by a mysterious stranger.

But Can He Steal Her Heart?

A notorious seducer of women—and a scoundrel to boot—Damien Burke has earned his nickname as the Demon Prince. But his plot to kidnap Lady Beatrice to make her brother return a priceless heirloom backfires—and he ends up with their penniless cousin, Ellie, as his hostage. By the time Damien realizes his mistake, he and his fiery-willed captive are trapped in a remote castle during a wild winter storm. And he soon finds that the true hostage may be his own heart.

TMST

 

10/6/2026  If you had to teach a class or give a TED Talk, what would it be about?

Omg, nothing. Then I had to research, write, and that would take time, and I had to, ugh, that sounds awful!

Could I just like take a TED group into nature, and be quiet and just walk. Experience nature bathing...quietly.

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