Darrin Clark is an impoverished young man, madly in love with his long-time friend Janie. He is desperate for a job, and any way to win Janie’s affections. Then a Hollywood studio promises to make him a movie star—if he will submit to a face-modifying procedure they are developing.
Darrin’s love overcomes his fear, and he allows the movie studio to alter his face. Soon his dreams come true. He is extraordinarily handsome, rich, and popular, full of the confidence he needs to earn Janie’s love. Yet, changing faces doesn’t seem enough, and the studio wants him to sacrifice more of his identity than just his appearance.
His plan to win Janie’s heart becomes complicated when she unexpectedly joins the cast and changes her face too. Now a gorgeous star, she’s pursued by prominent, powerful men, and beneath the glitz and glamour, Darrin finds himself in a world of death and deceit, where anyone can have any face.
Several of his friends have been murdered by a mysterious killer, and the ability to alter appearances seems to make the criminal invincible. Soon, Darrin abandons his pursuit of Janie, simply hoping to keep her alive.The only way to outsmart the ruthless villain is to risk everything. How drastic a transformation is Darrin willing to make for love?
I was provided a digital copy of this novel through Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.
Counterfeit Lover was an interesting thriller novel. I liked the concept of having the ability to change people’s faces, therefore it would be difficult to know who was real. The possibilities were endless and with dual identities, you never really know who is who. I found myself interested in the story from the beginning. It was a concept I had never read before and was looking forward to seeing where the plot was going.
This novel switches between the protagonist and antagonists points of view. The villian, Joe Plain, is very scary. It is difficult to tell what his motives are, and as the novel progresses you see how dangerous he is. This is not a person I would want to encounter. All of his moves seem very planned and it is hard to see how the heroes are going to win, if at all. There is so much we don’t know about this person, and I kept looking for clues about his identity.
I really disliked the main character, Darrin. I found him whiny and completely obsessed with his love interest. He even goes so far as trying to manipulate her into loving him. Not a nice character trait. Everything was about Janie and I think this obsessive mindset was distracting from the thriller aspects of the story. He is a smart character with ideas, so I hoped to see more of that.
I liked most of the side characters. It was fun to see these historical figures in different environments. It added a surreal element to the story. I would like to see more of Janie and her perspective more. She was central to Darrin, but I don’t feel that we got to know her. I’m hoping that this changes in future books.
Overall, I was gripped by Counterfeit Lover. The pacing was steady and I didn’t find it predictable. Even though this is a series, I wish there was a bit more finality to the conclusion. This novel ends on a major cliffhanger. So many questions remained unanswered that you will have no choice but read the next book in the series. I’m looking forward to continuing on.
Book tour organized by Xpresso Book Tours.
Great review! This sounds like a unique and compelling read overall!