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Counterfeit: A Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick and New York Times BESTSELLER - the most exciting and addictive heist novel you’ll read this summer!

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Overall, I definitely enjoyed this “fun” and engrossing read, but more than that, I also appreciated the fact that it was a welcome departure from the “heavier” books that I’ve read lately. Immediately after finishing this one, I put both of Kirsten Chen’s previous books on my TBR, though of course, I also look forward to what she might have in store next. My thanks to HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for the DRC of “Counterfeit”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Book Counterfeit Risk - Fake Check - BooksRun Identify Book Counterfeit Risk - Fake Check - BooksRun

I should have stopped at 30%, when I realized that I’m not the right target for this book. But I read the whole thing, therefore I can be honest. Counterfeit is as stylish and smart as its mastermind heroines. Kirstin Chen writes, with humor and verve, prose that’s as addictive as a luxury handbag habit, and psychologically rich characters, too. Come for the con, stay for the insights into identity and self discovery, and the ever-elusive American dream.” — Rachel Khong, award-winning author of Goodbye, VitaminThere’s too much of talk and too little action, especially in the first half. The second half is much better. We have seen some amazing works of fiction from expatriate Asian authors. The amount of support these Asian-American Writers got recently was a really praiseworthy one. But a few new generation authors who are running behind instant fame through their galling creations are trying to belittle the brilliant work done by other authors from the Asian diaspora. A few Chinese authors living in America, Europe, Singapore, and a few Indian authors residing in America and Europe who write exotically about their race are adding oil to the racial stereotyping. This is what I call a summer read. Pure fun that had me channeling my inner Carrie Bradshaw . . . . The point is, they’re status symbols. A Harvard Degree is not so different from a designer handbag. They both signal that you’re part of the “CLUB;” they open doors.”

Book Review: ‘Counterfeit’ by Kirstin Chen - The New York Times

As Ava is roped into Winnie's world of counterfeiting, the focus isn't on heists and scams as much as it is on a marriage going sour, the tedium of parenting, and the joy of a secret. There is a lot about what it is to move in the world as a wealthy woman, a white woman, an Asian woman and all the big and small differences between them.Typos. Books are scanned, and their content is copied by special software. However, it sometimes makes mistakes and creates various typos. In the picture below, the fake copy on top has two errors that might serve as an indicator of the book being counterfeit. The novel starts out well enough. We are introduced to Ava, the main character, who struggles as a new mom to a (I think?) developmentally challenged son and her husband (a cardiac surgeon), while they somehow have money problems. Already, this is drastically unrealistic but alright... go on. College roommates Ava Wong and Winnie Fang were never close—but now they are literally partners in crime, with a designer handbag scam as brazen as it is foolproof. Clever, catty fun.” — People , Best Books of Summer 2022 Selections like Counterfeit are the reason why. Now don’t get it twisted and think this is some Pulitzer caliber lifechanger of a story because it most assuredly is not. What it ended up being, however, is exactly what I was hoping when it was first announced by Reese over on the ‘Gram.

Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen - Book Club Chat Review: Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen - Book Club Chat

What makes a fake bag fake when it’s indistinguishable from the real thing? What gives the real bag it’s inherent value?” A book begging to be read on the beach, with the sun warming the sand and salt in the air: pure escapism.ISBN. If the book differs too much from other original editions but the ISBN is the same and there are no other markings indicating it's an international or instructor's version, it's definitely a counterfeit copy. Witherspoon responded with the comment, “Twinning!! I love this book so much! Perfect summer read.” Chen’s third novel, published Tuesday by William Morrow, tells the story of Ava, a Chinese American lawyer who joins with an old college roommate in a long con involving counterfeit handbags. A critic for Kirkus called the book “a delightfully different caper novel with a Gone Girl–style plot twist.”

COUNTERFEIT | Kirkus Reviews COUNTERFEIT | Kirkus Reviews

A con artist story, a pop-feminist caper, a fashionable romp . . . Counterfeit is an entertaining, luxurious read—but beneath its glitz and flash, it is also a shrewd deconstruction of the American dream and the myth of the model minority. . . . Chen is up to something innovative and subversive here." — Camille Perri, NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW Enter Winnie Fang, Ava's enigmatic college roommate from Mainland China, who abruptly dropped out under mysterious circumstances. Now, twenty years later, Winnie is looking to reconnect with her old friend. But the shy, awkward girl Ava once knew has been replaced with a confident woman of the world, dripping in luxury goods, including a coveted Birkin in classic orange. The secret to her success? Winnie has developed an ingenious counterfeit scheme that involves importing near-exact replicas of luxury handbags and now she needs someone with a U.S. passport to help manage her business--someone who'd never be suspected of wrongdoing, someone like Ava. But when their spectacular success is threatened and Winnie vanishes once again, Ava is left to face the consequences.Ava Wong has always played it safe. As a straight laced, rule-abiding Chinese American Lawyer with a successful surgeon as a husband, a young son, and a beautiful home - she's built the perfect life. But beneath this perfect facade, Ava's world is crumbling: her marriage is falling apart, her expensive law degree hasn't been used in years, and her toddler's tantrums are pushing her to breaking point. Winnie Fang, who abruptly dropped out of college under mysterious circumstances, is now looking to reconnect with her friend twenty years later. Ava and Winnie are initially presented as different as can be. Ava grew up in the states while Winnie is from Mainland China. Winnie desperately wanted to fit in college and Ava seemed kind of standoffish and not willing to help Winnie—a little bit of mean girl behavior. So it seems way out of left field for Winnie to enter Ava’s life again, right? Of course, there’s more to the story there and it’s quite intriguing and surprising. Chen’s third novel is sly and subversive, an examination of motherhood and an incisive look at culture and class . . . A readalike for Amelia Morris’s Wildcat, with a touch of crime.” — Booklist (starred review) Money can’t buy happiness… but it can buy a decent fake. Ava Wong has always played it safe. As a strait-laced, rule-abiding Chinese American lawyer with a successful surgeon as a husband, a young son, and a beautiful home—she’s built the perfect life. But beneath this façade, Ava’s world is crumbling: her marriage is falling apart, her expensive law degree hasn’t been used in years, and her toddler’s tantrums are pushing her to the breaking point. For fans of Hustlers and How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia, the story of two Asian American women who band together to grow a counterfeit handbag scheme into a global enterprise—an incisive and glittering blend of fashion, crime, and friendship from the author of Bury What We Cannot Take and Soy Sauce for Beginners.

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