The Stand-In: A Novel

In the glittering world of high-end companionship, Margaux Reilly is the exception. A Columbia PhD candidate in art history, she's spent two years saying yes to the right jobs - and no to everything else. When a last-minute text offers $40, 000 for one weekend as a plus-one at a billionaire's sister's wedding in the Hamptons, Margaux says yes. The client is Dashiell Voss - reclusive CEO, engaged to a world-ranked tennis star, and the kind of man who reads academic journals for fun.
He chose her specifically because he read her published article on Properzia de' Rossi three years earlier. What begins as a professional arrangement quickly becomes something neither of them expected: real conversation. Real attention. Real respect. But Dashiell is engaged. And Margaux has rules. Over the next six months they build something rare - monthly dinners protected by ironclad contracts and radical honesty.
A connection that could ruin everything. or finally give them both what they've been missing. A story about consent, contracts, and the radical act of choosing integrity over desire. For readers who want intellectual tension, emotionally intelligent women, and a love story that honors boundaries instead of breaking them. Perfect for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Normal People, and The Idea of You - but with zero spice and maximum respect.