Sample Chapter

FIVE STAR REVIEWS

Reviewed by Adam for Amazon UK and Goodreads

What makes this book particularly engaging is the way it addresses the complexities of friendship, identity, and the journey of self-discovery. The characters are meticulously crafted, with Cherry and Adam’s story serving as a beacon of hope for anyone who has ever felt out of place or misunderstood. Their problems, while unique, are relatable, and their resilience and courage in facing them are truly inspirational.

This book is a must-read for anyone who appreciates a story that is both uplifting and thought-provoking. It is a reminder of the strength found in vulnerability and the unbreakable bonds that can form in the most unexpected places. Through Cherry and Adam’s journey, readers are reminded of the importance of being true to oneself, the value of genuine friendships, and the courage it takes to open up to others, even in the face of adversity. A truly positive and uplifting tale that will leave readers with a warm heart and a renewed faith in the power of connection.

Reviewed by Tlalane Manciya for Amazon US and Goodreads

What a read!!!! This book didn’t hold back at all. It’s so real it’s scary, and I mean real because these are things that happen in our society when it come stop social media.

I truly enjoyed this book; it was a gripping read. It is about two teens, Adam and Cherry, who find themselves shipped off to schools they don’t want, finding themselves lonely in the beginning, they find social media to be the distraction they need, leading them to events that will change their lives in a bad way.

It’s a good book but sad as it highlights the issues, we are facing due to social media, and teenagers being the high-risk victims. It’s not only for teens but for adults as well, social media is dangerous for all age groups and this book’s story focuses on being vulnerable when you are a teenager.

Trigger on the book is that it has suicide and miscarriage, but it focuses on them in a good way that is needed in the story. I enjoyed the twist and the surprise at the end! Wow, this is a must read, this book is a kind of book that stays with a reader for a long time.

Reviewed by Leonie for Amazon UK

Tempting Fake is a pacy, well written and topical YA novel. With a very clever title!

There are two alternating narrative strands, each from the point of view of one of the main characters, each introduced with ‘It starts one one simple word: “Hello”’. Already the reader is drawn in.

Cherry and Adam, sixteen and fifteen respectively, are reluctant and initially friendless pupils at schools some distance apart. They don’t know each other at the start of the book and meet online on Pictapost, the teenagers’ must-have social media platform. Cherry posts a suggestive selfie which Adam sees. They connect and an enthusiastic back-and-forth ensues.

The reader follows each character’s development in their first few months at their new schools, in particular the friendships they form and their blossoming online relationship. The plot develops stealthily as online identities are assumed and shift. The reader watches with increasing foreboding as the stakes escalate and the rollercoaster narrative gathers pace.

The writer sketches the intensity of teenage crushes and angst well and skilfully builds the tension. The plotting is impressively complex but never misses its footing. Every chapter ends with a good cliffhanger.

For me, the one weakness was the (no spoilers) incident with Lord Bob, which seemed unnecessary and took the reader out of the main storyline. But that is a very minor quibble and otherwise I found this book, which I read in more or less a single sitting, an excellent read.

Reviewed by Gee Ando for Amazon Australia and Goodreads

Tracey Morait has come up with the clever title Tempting Fake for this pacey YA novel. Morait demonstrates just how easy it is for young people with limited life experience to get themselves into strife (within the fake online world). The reader is introduced to a teenager named Cherry Hill who is sent to an elite posh all girls’ boarding school following her mother’s marriage to a lord. While Cherry does make friends, she has no real emotional connection to anyone while at school.

Cherry makes an online connection to a boy named “Adam’ who sells himself as being in the same position as her (ie residing in an all boys boarding school and feeling disconnected and lonely). Cherry has no reason to question the narrative that Adam feeds her and their online romance appears to flourish after Cherry posts a saucy image of herself.

Without giving too much away, all I will say is Adam is not who Cherry thinks he is and as his grooming goes up a notch, the reader is left squirming with discomfort at how naive Cherry is and the vulnerability that goes hand in hand with that. A masterful story with a moral to the story which will hopefully make young people think before placing their trust in online strangers. A well portrayed message to the intended audience – well done!

Reviewed by ALS for Amazon UK and Goodreads 

Tempting Fake by Tracey Morait is a gripping thriller that revolves around young teenager Cherry Hill. She is sent to a posh girls’ boarding school after her mum marries a lord. Despite making new friends, Cherry feels alone and out of her depth.

Adam is in a similar situation. The son of an American father stationed at an airbase and an English mother; he too is sent to a private boys’ boarding school. He has some friends but he misses his US mates.

Like all teenagers, social media is their thing and it’s not long before Cherry and Adam have connected on Pictapost after Cherry posted a racy photo of herself.

Things go wrong quickly when Adam (as Danny) begins to groom the young girl, and their ‘relationship’ takes on a very sinister element.

This is an excellent YA novel and the author has written a gripping story about the dangers many young people inadvertently face through social media today.

A great title and a brilliant cover that ties in well with the theme of the novel.

Reviewed by Sam for Goodreads

Tempting Fake by Tracey Morait tells the story of a teenage girl named Cherry who is sent to a boarding school called Helton Manor. At first, she is very hesitant to go and even pleads with her parents to let her stay at home. Later, she discovers that her mother never wanted to send her to the boarding school in the first place, and it was all because of her stepfather. Her initial days at Helton Manor are challenging as she faces conflicts with her roommates, but they eventually become friends.

The story delves into themes of solitude, socializing, and relationships. Throughout, the point of view alternates between Cherry and Adam, a style that some readers might find off-putting. Personally, I had no issue with it, as I’ve encountered this style before. In any case, Tempting Fake was definitely worth my time. I highly recommend the story and encourage the author to continue his fruitful writing career.

Reviewed by Lianne Le Borde for Amazon UK and Goodreads

I was quickly drawn into both Cherry and Adam’s public school worlds. It was interesting to see a societal issue like catfishing tackled from this privileged perspective. It’s every parent’s worst nightmare, yes impossible to protect your children at the same time – which I really felt in this book. Because Cherry and Adam were both old enough to be afforded some independence and there was nothing anyone could do – including their friends – but let them make their own mistakes.

Their cast of friends were wonderful, all with their own personalities and strengths and weaknesses as friends. There were many times I wanted to shake Cherry! It’s a great exploration of a troubling new world of picture sharing, public and private messaging. I had no idea who Ceridwen was until the end – such a good twist.

There are some dark themes in this book – and I do feel people were hard on Cherry. She was very naive at the beginning. I sympathised with Adam at times, although it’d be good to see this character explored in a sequel! Without giving spoilers, it’s clear there is still more to Adam than meets the eye. A gripping read with complex young characters who all learn some very big lessons in the worst way.

Reviewed by Rosie Malezer, Alma Boucher and Viga Boland for Readers Favorite

Reviewed by Stephanie Elizabeth Long for Readers Views Kids and Goodreads

Sixteen-year-old Cherry Hill is starved for attention, longing to feel loved and appreciated. These feelings are amplified after her wealthy stepfather, Lord Milborne, coaxes her mother into sending Cherry away. Helton Manor is an all-girls boarding school in the Lake District, and Cherry is skeptical about how she will fit in with these born-into-wealth schoolgirls. Despite bonding with her new roommates—Suki, Rahma, and Tasha—Cherry still feels a gaping hole in her heart. That’s when she turns to Pictapost, an online platform for messaging and posting pictures. Nothing gives her more thrill than posting racy photos and receiving countless likes. Cherry quickly begins messaging Adam Fisher, and her life is turned upside down.

Adam Fisher, the son of a US Air Force captain, is attending boarding school in Suffolk (and loathing every minute.) He is over his head when he begins messaging beautiful Cherry Hill under false pretenses. Fueled by revenge and desperately seeking payback for being bullied by the wealthy boys in his boarding school, Adam creates a twisted plan. He knows he should be honest with Cherry. Still, she has become his addiction, and lying is much easier than the alternative.

You can be anyone you want when hiding behind a screen—it’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt.

This provocative young adult novel will have readers on the edge of their seats! “Tempting Fake” by Tracey Morait pulls back the curtain on the elusive world of online dating, including predators, catfishing, and its destructive effect on mental health. The author has intricately woven a tale of vulnerability and deceit combined with the sort of dopamine-boosting, thrilling experiences teens are drawn to. If you are a parent or a teen with an active online presence, this book is a must-read!

Morait’s cleverly written novel is loosely based on actual events. The author has captured the thrilling excitement and the dark side of pursuing online relationships. Cherry is seeking validation and finds it in one of the most dangerous places. The author expertly illustrates the unraveling of the young girl’s confidence as she becomes increasingly entrenched in a relationship that is not what it seems. While shockingly disturbing, it’s a story that needs to be told, one that unearths the sobering reality of what’s happening online.

Offering alternating perspectives enabled the reader to delve deep into the personality traits of Cherry, the victim, and Adam, the deceiver. We saw Cherry’s mental health waver as she took more significant risks to appease him. And Adam, desperate to quell feelings of self-doubt, was thirsty for control. Becoming more and more unhinged, he used gaslighting and narcissism to maintain power over Cherry.

“Tempting Fake” by Tracey Morait easily reeled me in with its intriguing storyline and relevance in today’s world. The tactics used by scammers and catfishers were eye-opening. Young readers—the author advises fourteen years and older—will undoubtedly be shaken by Cherry’s story, which is, unfortunately, becoming increasingly more common as the use of social media apps has exploded. You’ll want to add this young adult book to your reading list!

FOUR STAR REVIEWS

Reviewed by Ailsa Mellor for Amazon UK and Goodreads

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this YA novel but it held my interest until the end. The author, Tracey Morait, has taken a very modern theme – “catfishing” – and skilfully woven a story that is well-paced with engaging, realistic characters. There are two protagonists in this story: Cherry Hill and Adam Fisher. Both are pupils at prestigious schools at opposite ends of the country. Both consider themselves “outsiders” and neither feel they really belong there. Cherry misses her former life, while Adam, who grew up in America, is bullied. And so they turn to social media – Pictapost – to alleviate their boredom and that’s how they meet. Cherry and Adam’s online connection develops quickly into something “romantic” but with consequences. There is realism in the author’s depiction of life at boarding school and she evokes a sense of camaraderie and warmth between her characters. What I enjoyed most about this novel was Morait’s skilful portrayal of different friendships, specifically her depiction of teenage friendships between young women and the playful banter and rivalry that often underpins male friendships. I also liked how each chapter focused alternately on Cherry and Adam (aka Danny) and their point of view. While I was slightly disappointed by the ending, overall, I enjoyed reading this novel and would recommend it to both YA and others like myself, who are looking for a light, entertaining and pacy read.

Reviewed by LitPick Reviews

Not rated but recommended

Reviewed by Lovereading.co.uk in Indie Books We Love

Two teens feeling isolated at their respective boarding schools bond over social media platform Pictapost in what becomes a more complex and twisted story as their problems start. Cherry is new to Helton Manor and clings to her Pictapost account in order to receive validation from strangers online. Adam is the only American in his Priory School and seeks to find connection with people online. What starts as a naïve online flirtation between the two teens twists as one thing after another sends the pair reeling. I didn’t quite know what to expect from ‘Tempting Fake’ when I started reading, and I think that this book covers a number of different genres. It explores making new friendships and changing schools in your teens as well as the coming-of-age excitement of first attractions alongside the threat and dangers of sharing things online. In all, I would say it’s definitely on the grittier side. Tracey Morait does a really good job at bringing the story to life, this book is well-written and the characters were at times rash and unpredictable, keeping me on my toes and uncertain about what could happen next. The slow development of the characters was also brilliant, and the revealing of key bits of information was done at the right moments and constantly left me re-evaluating my opinions of them. This is an interesting teen read for fans of grittier psychological storylines set mainly in the privileged world of two private schools in the UK.

Reviewed by Ann Marie Hannon for Authors Den

This is a good read along with an interesting denouement. I like the way the author juxtaposed the two main characters using for the most part, Indvidual chapters with chapter character name headings. The settings and situations were also up to date in terms of what young adults face today. Also, there was good choice of descriptions in terms of what the characters were wearing, what the climate and weather was like, and the architectural framework for boarding schools that resonate with timelessness. The only negative issues were/are that I’m not altogether sure about lessons learned at the end or whether it begets a sequel book. I’m also concerned that this, what I would call, a “surface” book with lots of action/good dialogue and most likely the chance for a screenplay option, needed/needs a deeper probe into the underlying issues that have spawned the main characters’ actions and driven them to the resolute ending. Am I asking too much? Would I have been able to write this story at all, even though I’m also an author/write? Of course not, and I would never portend to be able to match all of the threads that hold this story together. So, best to leave it where I started, and that is, it’s a very good read.