Fake by Erica Katz (Review by Stacie Kitchen)

Rating: 4/5

Fake gave me some major The Devil Wears Prada vibes! Except instead of an in-depth look into the fashion world, we dive deep into the art world. And boy do I want Emma Caan’s life! Picture this: a magical millionaire offering a life of luxury in exchange for making copies of his paintings. A coveted job at a prestigious art gallery, trips in a private jet, and access to all the coolest art parties. This is my little art historian heart’s dream!

Emma Caan’s life is ordinary. She struggles to make ends meet despite her endless workdays, and her dreams of a becoming an artist have fizzled. She trades painting her own works in for a job at Gemini making copies of famous paintings for their owners. This way the owners of these precious (and expensive) artworks can still show their paintings, while keeping the originals safe in storage. Emma excels at her job as a forger, and one of her customers, Leonard Sobetsky, approaches her about her work. Leonard invites Emma to a party at his house featuring all the big wigs of art. Emma is plunged into the high stakes and high-pressure life of the art world.

Emma must navigate the life of a jetsetter with world travel, art auctions, gallery work, and life as an Instagram influencer. It pays to have friends in high places with unlimited income. However, with opulence and wealth often comes trouble. Throughout the book, Emma is being investigated by the FBI. What are her new friends hiding?

I’m not sure I would classify this book as a thriller, but it was very fast paced. I felt fully immersed into the life of the rich and famous and couldn’t put the book down. The characters were very likable and I hope there are some break off books written about some of the other characters!