Let’s Pretend: Synopsis
Former child star Lily Thane is now a struggling thirty-something actress. Her old stage-school buddy, Adam Harker, is on the brink of making it big, but he needs an appropriate red-carpet companion to seal the deal, and Lily fits the bill.
Soon after signing on the dotted line, Adam’s dark side starts to surface and their perfect fauxmance turns toxic.
But when Adam winds up dead in a swimming pool, Lily is the only person who cares enough to find out why. She’s convinced someone was out to get Adam – and now they’re after her…
Let’s Pretend: Mr Frankowski’s Thoughts
We attract. And repel. Our dreams, desires, people, opportunities; anything we consciously invite into our lives comes in with everything it has to offer. Success comes with heartbreak. Happiness comes with foreboding. Holidays come with post-holiday blues. Relationships come with heartbreak…
Laura Vaughan’s second novel, Let’s Pretend, is an intelligently written contemporary noir providing as many thrills as opportunities for reflection. Despite being written in a light conversational style of a first-person account, the story’s tone shifts from elation to despair quickly, and when it hits, it packs a heavy punch. The first act builds up and gets you hooked. The premise, so unusual and fresh, is captivating and immersive. There is a lot to unpack in the first act, yet somehow it lunges itself forward and provides a thrilling reading experience. It’s down to the impeccable character development, which is the cornerstone of the story. Because here, my Faithful Reader, is where Vaughan employs an array of paradoxes that make ‘Let’s Pretend’ such a captivating read. The protagonist, Lily, is as cynical as she is vulnerable. Adam, the male lead (excuse the pun), is as broken as he yearns to be fixed. Nothing is what it seems, but the author of Let’s Pretend develops it naturally, without the need for gimmicks and sharp twists.
Twists, however, are there. But they are delivered most intelligently and satisfyingly. Act three is an extraordinary display of storytelling and most captivating execution that will leave you literally out of breath. It’s one of those stories that can be devoured in a single reading, making it a perfect holiday read. It doesn’t mean however that it’s a simplistic read. It’s insanely well-plotted and delivered with truly Kingesque verbose panache.
Finally, let’s talk about the theme of the novel: pursuit and loss. Vaughan not only masterfully dissects the world of minor celebrities and the lengths people are willing to take to earn their Warholian 15 minutes of fame. She looks at the intrinsic needs for it. Whether it’s a family tradition, peer pressure, or overbearing parents – fame can be equal to success, regardless of the cost. But becoming famous is only one side of the slightly rusty and misshapen coin. On the flip side, there is a fear of losing it. We’ve all experienced loss, and Laura Vaugh is not afraid to not only remind us what it feels like but that no one is immune to it.
Let’s Pretend is a well-written multifaceted novel comprising exceptionally well-developed characters and a tremendous economy of storytelling weaved woven into a brutal psychological thriller. But the brutality has very little to do with gore of upsetting scenes (there are none), but with the choices that our cast of characters will have to live with.
We attract. And repel. Our dreams, desires, people, opportunities; anything we consciously invite into our lives comes in with everything it has to offer. Success comes with heartbreak. Happiness comes with foreboding. Holidays come with post-holiday blues. Relationships come with heartbreak…
Laura Vaughan’s second novel, Let’s Pretend, is an intelligently written contemporary noir providing as many thrills as opportunities for reflection. Despite being written in a light conversational style of a first-person account, the story’s tone shifts from elation to despair quickly, and when it hits, it packs a heavy punch. The first act builds up and gets you hooked. The premise, so unusual and fresh, is captivating and immersive. There is a lot to unpack in the first act, yet somehow it lunges itself forward and provides a thrilling reading experience. It’s down to the impeccable character development, which is the cornerstone of the story. Because here, my Faithful Reader, is where Vaugh employs an array of paradoxes that make ‘Let’s Pretend’ such a captivating read. The protagonist, Lily, is as cynical as she is vulnerable. Adam, the male lead (excuse the pun), is as broken as he yearns to be fixed. Nothing is what it seems, but Vaughan develops it naturally, without the need for gimmicks and sharp twists.
Twists, however, are there. But they are delivered most intelligently and satisfyingly. Act three is an extraordinary display of storytelling and most captivating execution that will leave you literally out of breath. It’s one of those stories that can be devoured in a single reading, making it a perfect holiday read. It doesn’t mean however that it’s a simplistic read. It’s insanely well-plotted and delivered with truly Kingesque verbose panache.
Finally, let’s talk about the theme of the novel: pursuit and loss. Vaughan not only masterfully dissects the world of minor celebrities and the lengths people are willing to take to earn their Warholian 15 minutes of fame. She looks at the intrinsic needs for it. Whether it’s a family tradition, peer pressure, or overbearing parents – fame can be equal to success, regardless of the cost. But becoming famous is only one side of the slightly rusty and misshapen coin. On the flip side, there is a fear of losing it. We’ve all experienced loss, and Laura Vaugh is not afraid to not only remind us what it feels like but that no one is immune to it.
Let’s Pretend is a well-written multifaceted novel comprising exceptionally well-developed characters and a tremendous economy of storytelling woven into a brutal psychological thriller, which style is raw and instinctive. But the brutality has very little to do with gore or upsetting scenes (there are none), but with the choices that our cast of characters will have to live with.
About Author:
Laura Vaughan grew up in Wales on the edge of the Brecon Beacons, which has inspired her life-long love of wild landscapes and ancient myths. As a teenager, Laura studied Art History in Italy, then Classics at Bristol and Oxford. After five years working in publishing, Vaughn left to focus on her own writing career – writing eleven books for children and young adults. The Favour, her first novel for adults, was published in 2021 and her new novel Let’s Pretend is out April 2022.
Laura lives in South East London with my husband and two children.
