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FAKE

A Startling True Story of Love in A World of Liars, Cheats, Narcissists, Fantasists and Phonies

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FAKE

By: Stephanie Wood
Narrated by: Claudia Karvan
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Summary

Women the world over are brought up to hope, even expect, to find the man of their dreams, marry and live happily ever after.

When Stephanie Wood meets a sweet, sophisticated man who owns land and businesses, she embarks on an exhilarating romance with him. He seems compassionate, truthful and loving. He talks about the future with her. She falls in love. She also becomes increasingly beset by anxiety at the lavish three-act plays he offers her in the form of excuses for frequent cancellations and no-shows. She begins to wonder, who is this man?

When she ends the relationship Stephanie switches back on her journalistic nous and uncovers a story of mind-boggling duplicity and manipulation. She also finds she is not alone; that the world is full of smart, sassy women who have suffered the attentions of liars, cheats, narcissists, fantasists and phonies, men with dangerously adept abilities to deceive.

In this brilliantly acute and broad-ranging book, Wood, an award-winning writer and journalist, has written a riveting, important account of contemporary love and the resilience of those who have witnessed its darkest sides.

2020, Mark & Evette Moran Nib Literary Award, Longlisted

©2019 Stephanie Wood (P)2019 Penguin Random House Australia Compulsive Disorders Gender Studies Love, Dating & Attraction Mental Health Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Relationships Social Sciences Health Thought-Provoking
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I liked the book. But for a lot of the time I felt I was meandering down a lane going nowhere.

I listened to this as an audiobook but I’m finding that podcasts on similar situations more compelling and more engaging because of the different sound edits that podcasts use.

I reckon if this audiobook used sound edits like podcasts it would be a winner. Thank you

Interesting story but scattered and lacking sound engagement

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I really liked this book, well narrated by Claudia Karvan (by the way, where are you Claudia? Haven't seen you on the screen for ages, miss you :-) ) . Just goes to show what some males will do to fill their ego buckets up, at the expense of lovely women who are just looking for a mate. So glad 'Joe' comes undone, though, probably changed his name and is still swindling and conning the lives of more women! Must have been such hard work keeping on track with all his lies, exhausting even. What a prick....

What a con!

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The story was interesting & well researched, but lacked continuity & flow.
In addition, although Claudia has a lovely speaking voice, her repeated mid sentence pauses (was she turning the page?) & the lip smacking, swallowing sounds made me cringe & distracted from the story.
Could those things not have been edited out?

Interesting

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So real, I could hear you swallow your sorrow. Let’s make this world very difficult for such charmers to breathe freely. Thank you, Stephanie, for your truths. Your courage and fine writing makes accepting my own an empowered-bizarre, I know-joy. Makes me proud to also swim beyond the breakers.

A matriarch of books

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Loved it. Claudia Karvan narrating, stories on liars & cheats, Also book recommendation via quotes throughout the book. Recommend if you’ve come out the other side of a toxic relationship or are still in one.

Narcissistic in your corner? Read this book.

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