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The Rebellious Twin
Despite being identical twins, Clarinda and Clarissa have little in common, but when a handsome aristocrat enters the picture, they find a shared interest that leads to great problems between them.
224 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2000
About the author
Shirley Kennedy
37 books223 followersFirst place (GOLD) winner in the Romance category of the 2013 Independent Publisher (IPPY) awards for THE LAST OF LADY LANSDOWN.
I was born and raised in Fresno, California, where I graduated from Fresno High School. I lived in Canada for many years, enjoying skiing and riding horses, and am a graduate of the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada with a B.S. in Computer Science.
I've had many jobs in my lifetime, including working for several years as a computer programmer/analyst. However, my true passion has always been writing, so I quit my day job (something you're never supposed to do) and started writing Regency romances. After publishing several Regencies with Ballantine, Signet, and Camel Press, I switched genres.
Now I'm writing western romances for Kensington Lyrical Press, all taking place in the Gold Rush days of the 1850's. I love this period of time. There's so much to write about! With my shelves full of research books, I doubt I'll change genres again.
I have two daughters and am forever proud of their accomplishments--and grateful, too, that both are the kind of loving, supportive daughters every mother hopes she'll have. I live in Las Vegas, Nevada, where I belong to the Las Vegas chapter of Romance Writers of America.
I love hearing from my readers and can be reached at mailto:shirleyken360@gmail.com
I was born and raised in Fresno, California, where I graduated from Fresno High School. I lived in Canada for many years, enjoying skiing and riding horses, and am a graduate of the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada with a B.S. in Computer Science.
I've had many jobs in my lifetime, including working for several years as a computer programmer/analyst. However, my true passion has always been writing, so I quit my day job (something you're never supposed to do) and started writing Regency romances. After publishing several Regencies with Ballantine, Signet, and Camel Press, I switched genres.
Now I'm writing western romances for Kensington Lyrical Press, all taking place in the Gold Rush days of the 1850's. I love this period of time. There's so much to write about! With my shelves full of research books, I doubt I'll change genres again.
I have two daughters and am forever proud of their accomplishments--and grateful, too, that both are the kind of loving, supportive daughters every mother hopes she'll have. I live in Las Vegas, Nevada, where I belong to the Las Vegas chapter of Romance Writers of America.
I love hearing from my readers and can be reached at mailto:shirleyken360@gmail.com
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 25, 2018
And another entry into my Romance Rereads.
This one fared better then THE SELFLESS SISTER only in it involved twins, which next to mistaken identities is one of my favorite romance tropes.
This being said 16 year old Lexie was a nodcock. Sweet stars but I do worry about younger me's reading habits. My only defense is that I read anything I could afford and let's be frank, romances are usually incredibly cheap and plentiful, especially at Used Bookstores, Thrift Stores and flea markets.
This is kind of like Sweet Valley High as well; two identical in looks but diametrically opposite in personality, same guy catches their interest and the "good" twin often suffers because the "bad" twin pushes blame.
Now to be fair neither Elizabeth nor Jessica Wakefield were peerless paragons of virtue - it's easy to argue that despite their cardboard traits they were both equally likely to do the "bad" things.
Kennedy here however makes it very clear, very early on, that Clarinda is a selfless, retiring sort while Clarissa is a selfish, brash sort. I don't find it unlikely their parents would have trouble telling them apart if not for the obvious necklaces (especially since the mother INSISTED on having dress identically) since the Peerage rarely seemed to deal with their kids, but I do take umbrage that EVERYONE ELSE was the same practically.
Four people could tell them apart:
- Alexander, their sickly younger brother
- Stormont, the love interest
- Estelle, their lady in waiting
- Sara Sophia, Clarinda's friend
These gals were out at parties, going for house visits, presumably had other people in their lives outside of the above mentioned, but no one could tell the very obvious in personality differences? Come on now.
I did appreciate that this was a book about both of the girls though; Kennedy splits focus between the two almost equally so we see alot of mutual scenes from both POVs. Clarissa was truly the most selfish, clueless, shallow girl to ever be written.
This one fared better then THE SELFLESS SISTER only in it involved twins, which next to mistaken identities is one of my favorite romance tropes.
This being said 16 year old Lexie was a nodcock. Sweet stars but I do worry about younger me's reading habits. My only defense is that I read anything I could afford and let's be frank, romances are usually incredibly cheap and plentiful, especially at Used Bookstores, Thrift Stores and flea markets.
This is kind of like Sweet Valley High as well; two identical in looks but diametrically opposite in personality, same guy catches their interest and the "good" twin often suffers because the "bad" twin pushes blame.
Now to be fair neither Elizabeth nor Jessica Wakefield were peerless paragons of virtue - it's easy to argue that despite their cardboard traits they were both equally likely to do the "bad" things.
Kennedy here however makes it very clear, very early on, that Clarinda is a selfless, retiring sort while Clarissa is a selfish, brash sort. I don't find it unlikely their parents would have trouble telling them apart if not for the obvious necklaces (especially since the mother INSISTED on having dress identically) since the Peerage rarely seemed to deal with their kids, but I do take umbrage that EVERYONE ELSE was the same practically.
Four people could tell them apart:
- Alexander, their sickly younger brother
- Stormont, the love interest
- Estelle, their lady in waiting
- Sara Sophia, Clarinda's friend
These gals were out at parties, going for house visits, presumably had other people in their lives outside of the above mentioned, but no one could tell the very obvious in personality differences? Come on now.
I did appreciate that this was a book about both of the girls though; Kennedy splits focus between the two almost equally so we see alot of mutual scenes from both POVs. Clarissa was truly the most selfish, clueless, shallow girl to ever be written.
February 8, 2014
Clarinda and Clarissa Capelle are identical twins. No one, not even their parents, can tell them apart, a fact which always surprises Clarinda because she and her sister are complete opposites in personality. Clarinda loves riding her horse astride at breakneck speed and caring for the horses on a neighboring estate with her best friend Sara Sophia, a girl of unknown heritage. Clarissa, on the other hand, is content to be identical to her sister and eager for them to marry a set of identical twins and live together for the rest of their lives. When Clarinda's parents discover her secret horse-related activities, they furiously threaten to sell her horse and send her to her grandfather's estate in north Wales if she doesn't behave and marry Lord Sufton, a bland, unintelligent man Clarinda despises. Clarinda would rather die than do any of those things but is willing to consider her options before making a decision. Meanwhile, Robert, Lord Stormont, Earl of Marsett wins Hollyridge Manor, the estate next to that of Lord Capelle's, in a lucky card game. As the elderly former owner returns home, he suffers a fatal heart attack, but not before blurting out to Clarissa (whom he thinks is Clarinda) that Sara Sophia has a secret past which will bring her untold riches and happiness. Providing Clarissa with a clue and a set of old keys, the old man dies without realizing he was speaking to the wrong twin. Selfish Clarissa decides to keep the secret to herself and solve the mystery and perhaps use it to her advantage. Clarinda, upset with her parents' decree, gallops out on her horse just as Robert and his dog are inspecting the estate. Robert's dog causes an accident which brings Clarinda and Robert together and the confirmed bachelor is instantly smitten and wants to help Clarinda. The lady is not so willing at first but can not ignore the strong chemistry between them. Her twin also can not ignore her sister's new feelings and sets out on a plot to destroy her sister and win the handsome Lord for herself.
The plot is fairly predictable and almost Cinderellaesque. I found this book utterly painful to read because of the incredibly obvious foreshadowing. I stuck with it and still didn't like it. I find it hard to believe that parents would not be able to tell their twins apart and would treat their children in such a way. The Capelle family is utterly horrid and I wanted to rip Rissa's hair out. Clarinda isn't all together likable either. She meekly accepts her sister's torments without telling anyone, yet her sister routinely tattles on her. I like that Clarinda at least can hold her own with the odious overbearing Robert. Their romance is unbelievable and I do not believe he really loves her because if he did, he would not have reacted the way he did while Rissa was interfering. Sara Sophia's love story is more charming and interesting though she's too self-sacrificing for me to really be fond of her. This book has some subtle sensuality thrown in which makes the characters behave improperly and is entirely unnecessary and unbelievable at the moments the scenes occur. I would recommend skipping this one unless you have a desire to read EVERY book in the genre.
The plot is fairly predictable and almost Cinderellaesque. I found this book utterly painful to read because of the incredibly obvious foreshadowing. I stuck with it and still didn't like it. I find it hard to believe that parents would not be able to tell their twins apart and would treat their children in such a way. The Capelle family is utterly horrid and I wanted to rip Rissa's hair out. Clarinda isn't all together likable either. She meekly accepts her sister's torments without telling anyone, yet her sister routinely tattles on her. I like that Clarinda at least can hold her own with the odious overbearing Robert. Their romance is unbelievable and I do not believe he really loves her because if he did, he would not have reacted the way he did while Rissa was interfering. Sara Sophia's love story is more charming and interesting though she's too self-sacrificing for me to really be fond of her. This book has some subtle sensuality thrown in which makes the characters behave improperly and is entirely unnecessary and unbelievable at the moments the scenes occur. I would recommend skipping this one unless you have a desire to read EVERY book in the genre.
July 30, 2019
Great
I found this a really good book. Clarinda is a strong character. She is the elder twin and very outspoken and that is what Robert loves about her. They have a lot of troubles from her twin during the book.
I found this a really good book. Clarinda is a strong character. She is the elder twin and very outspoken and that is what Robert loves about her. They have a lot of troubles from her twin during the book.
October 31, 2025
Not much to choose between the pair, Clarinda is just as tiresome as Clarissa in her way. Is it likely that one twin would be completely self-centred & mean, while the other is completely selfless & sweet? I don't think so, & I don't believe that their parents wouldn't know which twin was which & who was up to what. Mildly amusing to think so, I suppose. 1.5★ rounded up.
From head to toe, Clarinda Capelle is the mirror image of her twin sister, Clarissa. But the similarity ends there. For while Clarissa is more than happy to while away her time attending parties and toying with wealthy suitors, Clarinda would much rather be racing her horse through the fields and following her own dreams - a trait that has all but scandalised her disapproving family.
When the handsome Lord of Stormont takes over the neighbouring estate, Clarinda is taken aback by both his boldness and his kind manner. He has sorn never to marry, but then he never expected to meet a woman as provocative as Clarinda. Their mutual attraction has ignited more than sparks of passion - a jealous Clarissa is hatching a devious scheme to snag the lord for herself. Now Clarinda must find a way to free herself from her sister's web - and capture the heart of the only man she could ever love.
From head to toe, Clarinda Capelle is the mirror image of her twin sister, Clarissa. But the similarity ends there. For while Clarissa is more than happy to while away her time attending parties and toying with wealthy suitors, Clarinda would much rather be racing her horse through the fields and following her own dreams - a trait that has all but scandalised her disapproving family.
When the handsome Lord of Stormont takes over the neighbouring estate, Clarinda is taken aback by both his boldness and his kind manner. He has sorn never to marry, but then he never expected to meet a woman as provocative as Clarinda. Their mutual attraction has ignited more than sparks of passion - a jealous Clarissa is hatching a devious scheme to snag the lord for herself. Now Clarinda must find a way to free herself from her sister's web - and capture the heart of the only man she could ever love.
October 8, 2022
The story was fine except for the language, the writing style, the undeveloped characters, and the predictability of the plot.
December 10, 2012
I've already read this book some years ago, and I remember liking it very much. Today I had the need of reading it once again, for I couldn't remember much of it anymore. I was not disappointed by this book. It was very intense in a way I can't describe correctly. I could feel real anger towards Clarissa and her evil manners. If ever such a bad sister exists, I would be very unfortunate to have one like that myself. It must be very sad to know your own sister works her way into hurting you.
All of the characters were incredibly nice and warm. The only thing I didn't like, though, is Clarinda's father cowardice and lack of control over his own household. I have to say that a man must be in charge of his own person and decisions, although he has to take into consideration his wife's opinion.
All in all, the story was well put, the plot was unexpected and exciting, and the lovely couples stole my heart.
All of the characters were incredibly nice and warm. The only thing I didn't like, though, is Clarinda's father cowardice and lack of control over his own household. I have to say that a man must be in charge of his own person and decisions, although he has to take into consideration his wife's opinion.
All in all, the story was well put, the plot was unexpected and exciting, and the lovely couples stole my heart.
June 5, 2011
Loved it. I just couldn't stop reading this book. I remember I read almost three times the romantic scenes between Clarinda and his beloved. Unfortunately, her twin sister never gives her a break, and she never gets to enjoy her passion and love during the story. I could picture myself in the beautiful places described in the story. Nice book.
May 12, 2015
Romances are generally predictable. We all know that in te end the two will live happily ever after, so we read them because it is the journey to that end we love. This book was seriously lacking in that. The story was too over-the-top cheesy and predictable. The writing was simple and lacking.
I couldn't finish the book. It was just too in your face predictable.
I couldn't finish the book. It was just too in your face predictable.
September 25, 2009
Regency
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May 30, 2012Free Kindle book May 30, 2012.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews