Play Shop: Let's Pretend Sets

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I would've liked it to look a bit deeper into some of the things in the narrative, especially in terms of Adam's public self and also what is revealed at the end, as it felt like it only engaged superficially with a lot of the elements of the acting world that it was delving into, but the whole vibe of the book was staying at arm's length anyway. But soon after signing a NDA and six month contract, Adam’s dark side starts to surface and things turn toxic! Whether it’s a family tradition, peer pressure, or overbearing parents – fame can be equal to success, regardless of the cost. I liked how it was written in the first person so you as the reader find out about their secrets and hopes. We’ve all experienced loss, and Laura Vaugh is not afraid to not only remind us what it feels like but that no one is immune to it.

Despite being the woman scorned, I really liked Lily and I was rooting for her to be right about Adam’s demise but was she?This book really makes you wonder about the truth behind glossy instagram accounts and I found it a fabulously escapist read. It is only when Lily gets close that she realises his dark side may be dangerous not only to him, but those around him.

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. The book follows Lily Thane, an actress who found fame as a child and has struggled to match her early success. 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. Despite never particularly having liked Adam, there is something magnetic and dangerously alluring about him and so Lily agrees to the fauxmance and also signs a non-disclosure agreement. Despite being written in a light conversational style of a first-person account, the story’s tone shifts from elation to despair quickly, and when it hits, it packs a heavy punch.Enter Adam Harker, Lily's theatre partner from school, on the brink of making it big but in need of a red-carpet companion. But as both their lives and careers move on, Lily and Adam are never too far apart and with a ringside seat to Adam’s death and growing suspicions about who wanted him out of the way, Lily turns detective. 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. But troubled Adam has a penchant for drugs, a predilection for using people and a need to be in control, and things inevitably turn toxic.

She is shown as having a lingering element of fame as a child actor, but that seems a long time ago as she is shown as having her nose fixed, watching her weight, guarding her image. Lily's journey from reconciling with Adam after not seeing each other since stage school to unravelling the mystery of how he died is chronicled in this story.I would have liked a little more detail as the ending felt a little bit rushed, but I really liked the unexpected turns and thought it was very clever!