Despite feeling very shallow about it, I love books and films with fashion in them and this novel does seem like a romp through the world of designer handbags, but it’s cleverer than that. Ava and Winnie are both used to share a room at college and now they’ve bumped into each other again. Ava is a lawyer, one of life’s law abiding people, she even has the perfect family. Whereas Winnie appears to have made it, looking the epitome of high fashion and loaded up with designer accessories. Are either of them what they seem on the surface? Winnie has a business selling designer handbags, but they are counterfeit. She needs a favour from Ava and what harm can it do? Soon she’s in further than she could have imagined.
This is a very fast-paced read and is going to make a bingeable tv series for sure. We move back and forth as each woman tells their bit of the story. I was never quite sure which was the true version, if any. Underneath the fashion romp, there’s an insightful look at being Asian-American, as well as motherhood and class. The author dismantles the American Dream, in such a witty way and as one woman takes off, leaving her friend to take the rap, it becomes an addictive caper. A great holiday read.

This is a story of friendship and the life of Ava. Ava and Winnie reunite after in America after years of friendship. They used to go to school together and now Winnie has reappeared just at the right moment for Ava where she is struggling with her marriage, career and 2 year old that seems to just cry all the time.

Ava books flights to Hong Kong on a whim to visit her family but there she finds herself caught up in Winnies counterfeit handbags scheme.

I found the book really easy to read and its told from both Ava and Winnies point of view so throughout the book we are being fed more and more info to their backgrounds and how they got to be in this position.

It was a good insight into how families live outside of my own culture and one big thing I took away from this is its all about appearances and honouring the family name.

I will be recommending this book to others.

I really enjoyed this quick, easy and fun read that I have been recommending to everyone over Summer. There is an interesting twist as well and all in all just a good read.

Spinning stories: consumerism, grifting and female friendship

3.5 stars.

I liked this well enough, it reminded me of Hustle (BBC series with Adrian Lester) in some ways. Glitzy cons, twists coming, uncertainty of who to trust.

One woman is talking to the police, recounting the events leading up to her arrest for counterfeiting designer handbags. Ava. She's a former lawyer married to a busy surgeon and raising a rather annoying toddler (tried not to be judgemental but - hey - it's fiction).

We learn that Ava found herself persuaded by her tedium, by the challenge of it, by a connection to an old college friend - Winnie - to use her professional skills in a shady international counterfeit operation. Winnie, who left college under suspicious circumstances. Winnie with her new eyelids, perfectly groomed, confident and engaging.

Ava becomes more and more deeply embroiled in the scheme, bringing in money, giving her back the professional satisfaction that motherhood and marriage just aren't.

But she's talking to the police....

Two perspectives dot the story, though Ava's side is the more thoroughly explored. It's hard to know who to trust, and the police questioning doesn't give definitive answers.

I can't say I liked either woman, I didn't agree with Ava's motives, I winced as I watched her interact with her husband. I did enjoy teasing out what I thought was going on between them, how the balance of power lay, and what was really being said (and not said) to the police.

It's summer-light and a little different. Let's hope it doesn't give anyone any ideas!

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.

CW/TW: casual racism, misogyny, gaslighting, organized crime

“know this is hard for you to believe, but Asian families are different from white families. We don’t talk the way you all do. I mean, we talk, of course we talk, but not about our fears, our pain, our deepest, darkest secrets.”

Strong and (mostly) functional female friendships? #boss attitudes and #thehustle? Witticisms coupled by salient social commentary? Intergenerational trauma? Cue Counterfeit: the story of Ava and her dive in to the world of counterfeit luxury goods - from the famous Birkin to the coveted Hérmes - alongside former classmate and instigator, Winnie. Well-paced and witty, Counterfeit looks at what happens when we seize an incredible financial opportunity (in this case, the market for fake designer bags) but have to balance with the very real, and very much less glamorous, tasks of parenting a toddler. Ava, the protagonist, is staunchly imperfect, assertive and risk-taking, and coupled with author Kirstin Chen's infusion of good old-fashioned immigrant familial trauma, is one of the most realistic, modern-day heroines I've encountered in contemporary fiction. Highly recommended.

Thank you Kirstin Chen, Harper Collins and Net Galley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oliver, a successful transplant surgeon. On the surface their life looks perfect, but appearances, just like counterfeit handbags, can be deceptive.

Ava is discontent with her life. When their son, Henri, was born she left her law firm and abandoned a promising career. Now Oliver is spending most of his time at work or commuting and Ava is left home to care for a two year-old demon child prone to throwing tantrums.

Full review: https://westwordsreviews.wordpress.com/2022/08/04/counterfeit-by-kirstin-chen/

This was on my to be read pile for far too long. Commitments and the chaos of work took over causing a reading slump and I found myself reading for necessity. Oh how that changed when I started reading Counterfeit. I wish I started it sooner because once I was a couple of pages in I didn’t want to put it down. It read so easily (not an easy thing to achieve) - the plot flowed and the characters became so real I could see my self there with them.

This is a book written in parts - the story of two ladies (I’d call them acquaintances rather that friends) Ava and Winnie.

Part one is told from Ava’s perspective. What I really loved was that it is written as a monologue - Ava is clearly talking to a detective and although she repeats some of the questions she is asked it is just her telling her story. I’ve never seen this done before but it worked so well.
I found myself feeling sorry for Ava. Stuck in a marriage where her husband doesn’t appear to support her much, a toddler who is struggling with communicating and the inevitable behaviour that comes with that frustration (not to mention her feelings of rejection that her son seems more comfortable with the nanny). But then an old roommate appears. Winnie is less likeable from the start. Clearly wanting more than she has and not afraid to do what it takes to get it. Poor Ava doesn’t stand a chance. As my feelings of pity for Ava grew so my feelings of mistrust grew towards Winnie.

Part two - brought a whole new perspective. This part is partially told through the eyes of Winnie. And only a few pages in I suddenly found myself doubting everything I had heard from Ava. But it couldn’t be. This is just Winnie manipulating another situation I thought (tried to convince myself even). But there I was pulled straight back - desperate to read on and find out if I’d been the victim of some con act by Ava. Made to feel sorry for her when in fact she wasn’t the victim.

I won’t put any spoilers in - you will have to read the book to find out what the truth is. I will tell you one thing - you will not regret it.

This is definitely a 5 star read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

An entertaining read.

One thing I didn't care for about this book was the style. It's written as the story being told to someone, we find out who soon enough and wonder what that means. The writing wasn't that engaging but once the descriptions of the luxury bags started to flow I was hooked.

I didn't feel invested in either of the main characters of Ava or Winnie. I wondered about their business model and how it was really going to turn out. I think that was the wrong thing to do, basically just turn off and read and enjoy.

Eventually there was a little twist and that really piqued my attention and got me to the end of the book. It's certainly an intriguing tale but I just wished it had been told a little faster and some of the scenes didn't really add to the storyline.

A good summer read. Two old friends, end up in a life of crime, who doesn't like a designer handbag, but who can really afford those ridiculous prices! A few twists an turns to keep you intrigued.

What a fun book! I began it wanting to read about the twists and turns of criminals, and while it was very gentle (it’s not a thriller) it was nicely done, with some surprises along the way.

I enjoyed the friendships between Ava and Maria, Ava and Winnie, and the business heads and how these women acted to get the job done.

I liked reading about the Asian-American experience, and how this differed to the experience of a Chinese woman in America.

Overall, very easy to read, a good story, various elements were very relatable, others outside of everyday experience were nicely dealt with.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. Good plot, good writing and well drawn characters this was a good read that hooked me at the beginning and had enough twists and turns to keep me engaged to the end. Well worth a read!

I really enjoyed this one, the writing style was beautiful and the pacing kept everything moving along really well. There’s a twist in the middle of the story, that I never saw coming, that I absolutely loved. Highly recommend adding this one to your summer reading lists.

This is a great story, neatly plotted, well described, full of surprises and with an ending you should be able to see coming - but you don't!

Ava used to be a lawyer and is now mother to a child who is some way along the autistic spectrum. Her husband is a successful transplant surgeon but he works long hours and away from home and although life should be ideal it certainly isn't.

When Winnie, a friend from her past, turns up out of the blue, both flashily and conspicuously rich, Ava realises how dull her life has become and Winnie offers her the chance to do something different. Well, actually, something marginally criminal involving imitation designer handbags. It's a clever crime and I don't think Harrods will welcome this book with open arms!

The story then tracks Ava's increasing involvement in Winnie's schemes while at the same time she struggles with the her domestic life. There's plenty of both her’s and Winnie's back stories along the way.

It's admirable how this increasing descent into crime is wrapped up at the end of the novel with genuine authorial control but it's also a highly entertaining read and you can learn quite a lot about handbags along the way!

I like that the story is narrated by Ava as she talks to detectives. It makes the story feel more personal that way. I have always coveted designer bags so was drawn to this book for that reason. Ooh, wait until you get to part 2 of the story! The narrative changes from Ava to Winnie and everything you thought you knew is turned on its head.

The writing is cleverly done. It is a quick read and you get pulled into the story because of it. The truth is, there really are so many good fakes out there, how would the average Joe know the difference? I really enjoyed this story and look forward to what the author does next.

Thank you Net Galley and Publisher for the ebook!!

Counterfeit is all about two business partners Ava Wong and Winnie Fang who are making a lot of money in the counterfeit bag business. Both have different backgrounds, Ava is a lawyer turned housewife who is frustrated with how her life has turned out and on top of this has a failing marriage. Winnie is a free spirited criminal mastermind who is always looking for the next scheme. The story starts after they have been caught by the police, with the majority of the book told by Ava's perspective as she is interviewed by a detective!

I found this book to be a quick and easy read, one you can get through in a day. I really enjoyed the scheming plot line to this, learning all about the counterfeit bag industry which I have never really considered before. Even with this being more of a light read, there was an underlying commentary on consumerism within the USA which I found the most fascinating!

I gave this one a 3 star- really entertaining and I love a good scam story however I found some of the story to drag on when it wasn't needed and would have loved there to be more of a focus on the main counterfeit storyline.. felt there could have been more instances of the in-store swindling mentioned/details behind setting up their big organisation!

Recommend for anyone looking for something a little different and anyone who is a fan of Good Girls on Netflix!

This was a quick and fun read like any good crime caper should be--the two main characters had some depth to them and the plot kept me hooked throughout.

(Many thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.)

Unfortunately this just didn't strike a chord with me, I didn't find myself invested in where it was going at all. Potentially a good way to spend an afternon, it's one you could fly through. Easy and fun but I needed a litlte more to latch onto personally. I always find the thing of recounting back a story and not knowing whether the protagonist is reliable an interesting trope. That's used well here to throw you. The Hustlers and Big Little Lies comparison definitely has something in it.

Ava Wong is a semi-retired lawyer, a stressed-out mom, and a woman deeply frustrated with how her life is going. Enter Winnie Fang, her glamourous, high-flying and mysterious former college friend. Winnie throws Ava a lifeline - and an opportunity. She's a successful conwoman, running a complex and lucrative scheme that involves buying "superfake" handbags from China, returning them to boutiques, and pocketing the profits. Ava is electrified by Winnie, and before she knows it, she's in on her scheme.

Counterfeit is a story of secrets and lies, love and friendship, betrayal and corruption. It's also a story about the American Dream and the life of Asian immigrants. It's streamlined, plotty and a lot of fun while still packing a surprising amount of punch and food for thought. I will admire I found Ava's parenting worries tedious, and her husband was less a character and more of a thin sketch. This meant that her domestic scenes lacked the colour of her interactions with Winnie or with the handbag business - though, maybe that was the point?

The mid=point Big Twist took me genuinely by surprise - which is always a good thing! - and though the narrative slows down a bit after this., it's still punchy and absorbing. Counterfeit is a fantastic poolside read, smart enough to get your teeth into and fun enough that you don't notice the pages fly by. Filing it on my "good for her" shelf along with all the other complex, difficult women that publishing is having a moment with.

Counterfeit is a Reese’s Book Club pick so I had high expectations. It’s the story of a Chinese-American woman Ava who while on maternity leave is contacted by her college roommate Winnie and then swept up in her counterfeit bag schemes. As Ava recounts the story of her involvement to a detective, we’re asked to question how much she was knowingly involved and how much her friend led her astray.
The topics of counterfeit designer goods and Chinese-American relations are fascinating but this slim volume doesn’t really do them justice. The novel touches on the ethics of Chinese factory workers being exploited but never fully addresses this and neither of our heroines feel sympathetic or fully fleshed out characters. It was a quick read but I never felt invested in what happened to Ava or Winnie, so I’ve given this three stars.

I absolutely adored this book and could not put it down! I loved the unreliable narrators, and felt that this gave the plot a really unique twist. I will definitely recommend this book to friends and family, and will be reaching for Kirstin Chen's books in the future.

Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for sending me this arc.