To me, that is the lure of a celebrity romance. Really seen you? What would that be like? Then the moment is over and they’re off doing famous person things as if you don’t even exist and you leave to finish your ice cream or get some Camembert for that baguette because why on Earth would a celebrity interested in you?* But part of you wonders, what if? What if they’d seen you. You look at them, and they look at you, and suddenly you realize that it’s an actor/singer/otherwise famous person. Do you know them? Probably not, because you’d definitely remember someone who looked like that. Then, out of the blue, a familiar person walks by. The point is, it’s just you being your normal, wonderful self.

Maybe you’re holding a tote bag with a baguette like a fancy person. You’re walking down the street, regular old you, with your favorite ball cap and comfy jeans. The lure of celebrity romance By Lily Chu Find her essay below, followed by more information about The Comeback as well as the author herself. In case you haven’t noticed, both The Stand-In and The Comeback deal in celebrity romance, so Lily Chu seems singularly equipped to talk about why this particular subset of the genre is so appealing to us. Jihoon is irresistible, but soon Ari uncovers a shocking truth-that he’s a K-pop idol-and finds herself at the scrutiny of the entire world. One night, she comes home to meet her roommate’s cousin, Choi Jihoon, who has arrived from Seoul to mend a broken heart. Lily’s latest novel, The Comeback, stars Ariadne Hui, who is single-minded in her goal to make partner at Toronto’s most prestigious law firm. The actress asks Gracie if she’ll be her stand-in, whisking her away to a life of luxury and forbidden romance with the other half of Chinese cinema’s golden couple, Sam Yao.

You might’ve heard Lily Chu’s name in association with her last book, The Stand-In, about a woman name Gracie Reed who has an uncanny resemblance to the movie star Wei Fangli.

The Comeback by Lily Chu follows Ariadne Hui as she falls for her friend’s cousin and unknowingly steps onto the world stage in the process, and the author is here to explain why celebrity romances are so alluring.

The Stand-In by Lily Chu