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The Trap Trilogy #1
The Husband Trap
Here comes the substitute bride. . . .
Violet Brantford has always longed for the passionate embrace of Adrian Winter, the wealthy Duke of Raeburn. Problem is, he's set to marry Violet's vivacious, more socially polished look-alike twin sister, Jeannette. But when Jeannette refuses to go through with the ceremony mere minutes before it is to begin, soft-spoken Violet finds herself walking down the aisle and taking vows in her sister's place. Soon shy Violet is a high-society wife, trying to keep her real identity a secret while living out the fantasies of her wildest dreams.
Adrian thinks he knows exactly what he's gotten himself into: Jeannette may be flighty and, well, a bit self-involved, but she's the picture-perfect wife to carry on the Winter name. Yet this marriage of convenience brings the groom more than he bargained for when he finds his sweet, innocent wife surprising him at every turn. And though he never planned on true love, Adrian is definitely in danger of losing his heart.
Violet Brantford has always longed for the passionate embrace of Adrian Winter, the wealthy Duke of Raeburn. Problem is, he's set to marry Violet's vivacious, more socially polished look-alike twin sister, Jeannette. But when Jeannette refuses to go through with the ceremony mere minutes before it is to begin, soft-spoken Violet finds herself walking down the aisle and taking vows in her sister's place. Soon shy Violet is a high-society wife, trying to keep her real identity a secret while living out the fantasies of her wildest dreams.
Adrian thinks he knows exactly what he's gotten himself into: Jeannette may be flighty and, well, a bit self-involved, but she's the picture-perfect wife to carry on the Winter name. Yet this marriage of convenience brings the groom more than he bargained for when he finds his sweet, innocent wife surprising him at every turn. And though he never planned on true love, Adrian is definitely in danger of losing his heart.
358 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 28, 2006
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2588 people want to read
About the author
Tracy Anne Warren
41 books791 followersTracy Anne Warren is the New York Times bestselling author of ten Regency historical romance novels, including At The Duke’s Pleasure and The Husband Trap. Her books have appeared on the USA Today Bestsellers’ list and the Borders’ Group List of Bestselling Single Title Romance Paperbacks. She has won numerous writing awards, including Romance Writers’ of America’s prestigious RITA® Award, the National Readers’ Choice Award, the HOLT Medallion, the Golden Quill, and others.
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February 14, 2022
4.5 stars!
“She was weak and human but she loved this man at her side more than he could possibly imagine or would probably ever know. How could the falsehood she committed be so very great a sin when her heart adored with such steadfast devotion and truth?” Lady Violet Brantford may have been in love with Adrian Winter, Duke of Raeburn but she never dared hope to be his duchess - for one, he had already picked her much more popular twin sister, Lady Jeannette to be his bride. But at the very last minute, her twin decided that she did not want to be married to the Duke. Violet knew that it would besmirch her family and the duke’s if Jeannette didn’t show up to the wedding. Add to that, the money given by the Duke to her family had already been spent. An opportunity, albeit a deceitful one, couldn’t be passed up. In order to spare her family the scandal and to satisfy the secret longing she has for Adrian, Violet decided to marry the Duke herself while posing as her twin sister. Soon enough, Adrian and Violet are happily married but the consequences of Violet’s deceit are inevitable.
The Husband Trap is the first book from Tracy Anne Warren’s The Trap trilogy. It tells the story of Adrian Winter and Violet Brantford. Oh my god. If you must know, I have been in a very depressive mood lately which results in a reading slump these days. February, thus far, has not been the best month to read good books. The first three books I’ve read this month have been less than satisfactory. I have no idea if it has anything to do with the writing or with my mood. Thankfully, I decided to read this book. The synopsis had always interested me and I was in the perfect mood for something like it the day I read it. I am so glad that after three forgettable books, this one was much more satisfying and managed to make me feel something. This review may be messier than usual as I have no energy to do anything much these days but since I ended up loving this book, I decided to write a review that I can look back on. Writing a review is like writing a journal entry and I like reading them after some time has passed. So, I will try to collect my thoughts and type them out.
Meet Violet Brantford: Her full name is actually Jannette Violet Brantford. She has a twin sister named Jeannette Rose. She is the daughter of the Earl of Wightbridge. Violet is very different from her much more vivacious and popular twin sister. She loves history and art. She is fluent in several languages. She loves reading of course. She is very soft hearted especially when it comes to animals. Although bespectacled, she is beautiful like Jeannette but her shyness drives the gentlemen away. By all aspects, she and her twin sister are very different.
Meet Adrian Winter: He is the sixth Duke of Raeburn. He has lesser titles too, of course. Adrian fought in the war back in the year of 1811 but was forced to resign his commission when he suffered from a nearly fatal wound. At thirty two, he is ready to set up his nursery. He picked just the perfect bride for that: Jeannette who loved the London Season and everything that comes with it. She can take the mantle of the Duchess. But unknowingly, He ended up marrying her much more timid sister, Violet.
Although Violet is less than happy that the man she loved is betrothed to her sister, she knows that Jeannette must go through with the wedding or else a scandal will rain upon her family. But her twin sister has other plans. It seems Jeannette did not fancy herself in love with the Duke anymore and had no intentions to show up to the church wherein thousands are waiting for the wedding of the season. Although hesitant, Violet agreed to Jeannette’s suggestion to take her place and marry Adrian in her stead. She has many reasons to agree but one that stood out the most is the love she had for Adrian. And so, Violet went through with the switch. Adrian is continuously taken by surprise with his new wife’s actions. She is not the Jeannette he was expecting, but she is someone he could come to love. Many months go by and their marriage is decidedly a happy one. But everything changes, including Adrian’s feelings, when he discovers a thing or two about his wife. It seems all these time, the woman he has come to love has deceived him, something he could never forgive. Or could he?
I loved the heroine. She made a mistake, deceiving someone she claimed to love, that is true. But I could not hate her. She may have done it for selfish reasons: did not want any scandal, the money settled upon her twin had already been spent by her family, and her secret yearning for the Duke. But I just could not hate her. Like the hero, I was utterly charmed by the heroine. Her little actions are just so cute. For example, when they were on their way to their honeymoon destination, she was asking what he was doing in the carriage with her, and told him that he needed to shave. It was such a small detail but it was so endearing and innocent I was like, “Aww.” What she did was wrong and I would not try to defend her on that aspect but she tried her best to be a good wife and a good Duchess fit for a man like Adrian. I also loved her relationship with her brother-in-law, Kit. There is something about platonic love between a man and a woman that is so pure. Violet is just my type of heroine. There have been hundreds of heroines like her who are shy and bookish but they just endear me every time. She was not a bad person although she deceived Adrian. This poor girl really loved him and it shows. There was a struggle between wanting to tell him the truth and knowing that should he know, he’d hate her. I can’t help but feel bad for the situation she has gotten herself in. I can’t think of proper reasons why I love the heroine but I just really ended up loving her. She was very sweet and I love sweet heroines. Although she was good at pretending to be her twin sister, I love the moments where she decided to show what her real reaction would be rather than Jeannette’s in certain situations. It showed that although she is not what Adrian thought her to be, she was letting him see a side of her. Something real amidst all the lies and deceit.
As for the hero, I liked him and loved him well enough. The thing is, he was a very decent hero who treated the heroine well. Minus their wedding night and the part where he found out the truth. (understandable on this account), perhaps. For months, he thought he was married to Jeannette but before the wedding, he was actually having doubts and had his suspicions that his intended had a lover and might try to jilt him. He was surprised when she showed up to the altar, but we all know it was not really Jeannette who married him but Violet. He is very shocked when he finds out about his wife’s innocence which is very contrary to the rumors he heard about “Jeannette”. There were many things that pleased and surprised him about his bride, who very much wasn’t like the Jeannette he was expecting. I loved how he made up for his earlier harsh treatment towards her and how they were blissfully married for months. He was a good hero. I guess I could see why Violet fell in love with him. He is so obviously besotted with his wife although at first he was unsure about it. And I appreciated his efforts in showing his affection towards his wife. It was all very sweet. They were happily married so when he found out about the truth, it was a painful moment. Oh boy! He was very mad! Furious. Which is understandable. At the end of the book, I loved him. I must say that I did not know about him well enough aside from the basic facts laid out but I know that he loved the heroine and for that I loved him.
Violet and Adrian had good chemistry. Not so much to the point that it is overwhelming but there is enough that it made me excited for their scenes together and made me root for their happily ever after. The point of view changes suddenly but it isn’t too hard to realize when the perspective changes, so the book still flowed well, in my opinion. From the very first chapter, I was hooked! I knew that when Adrian figured out the truth, it would be angsty. So even if their marriage was decidedly happy early into the book, I knew that there was more to come. When Adrian found the letter from his wife’s supposed lover, It was literally so intense I had to take a thirty minutes break from reading because I wasn’t ready for him to find out the whole truth and for him to be mad at Violet. I just wanted them to be happy but I know that he must find out eventually.
I love deception in historical romances. I really enjoy when this trope is used in a book because I know that pain would eventually come when the deceived character finds out. When Adrian found out, he was indeed very mad to the point that he said many hurtful things to Violet and was so firm in his decision to annul their marriage. I did not expect to cry because lately nothing has been making me feel anything at all, but there was that scene when he found out and was confronting her and the way it went hurt my feelings. I don’t even know if it was that sad, but I had tears streaming down my face and I could literally feel my heart breaking. The hurtful things Adrian was saying to Violet hurt my feelings too. And the fact that he was so ready to throw her out and annul the marriage…my heart hurts! His reaction was understandable and appropriate, I think, but I was very hurt for the heroine even if it was her fault that he was mad at her. What she did was somewhat selfish but she isn’t a selfish girl at all so I really feel for her. She’s just a girl in love with a man and as someone in love, she made decisions, wrong ones that she had to pay for.
I must say that like Adrian, I really did not expect her to hide out in one of Adrian’s estates but I was so relieved that she did! I was thinking too where she could have gone, considering she did not have money of her own. Very clever! I think she did the right thing to leave, it made Adrian realize that his love for her outweighed his anger for her deceit. I love their reunion. It was so sweet. I know Adrian had all the right to hate Violet but the fact that he was comforting her when she was crying and apologizing. What a man…I think it was that moment that made me love him as a hero. If the person who was wronged could forgive the heroine, then I’m sure the readers could too.
This book was the most satisfactory read I’ve had for this month. I enjoyed the author’s writing style and I am looking forward to reading more of her books. I think I would skip book two because I did not really like Jeannette. I would read book three because I really fell in love with Kit! I am so excited to see how he’ll fall in love with Eliza and because I want to see him get his happily ever after too. I have wanted to read this book for the longest time and I am glad I decided to do so. No one's more happy than I that it did not disappoint and delivered the right amount of angst and love I was looking for. I am confused as to what my rating should be for the book. I did not like that there was no epilogue but at the same time it was a good read. Perhaps a 4.5?
Some quotes:
“She ached, empty in a way she had never been empty before. As if the heart of her needed to be filled, needed to be claimed. By him. Only by him.”
She stared for a moment, then wrapped her arms around him, decided to tell him the one truth she felt she could share. The most profound truth of all. “I love you,” she whispered. He leaned back. “Do you?” He seemed momentarily startled by the idea. “I do,” she confirmed. Finally, he quirked an eyebrow. “And that makes you cry?”
“I know what I did is unforgivable and that I shall spend the rest of my life trying to atone for the wrong I have caused. Yet I would be lying if I claimed to be wholly repentant. Love is what led me to make the choices I did, and for that alone, I cannot regret the time I shared with you. There are far too many beautiful memories to cherish for that.”
“Let me stay, then.” She moved without conscious thought, rising up out of her chair to fling herself against him. She wrapped her arms around his waist, pressed her face to his shoulder. “I beg of you not to send me away. I know you may never be able to forgive me, but I love you. In that, I’ve never lied. If you let me stay, I promise I’ll be whatever you want, whomever you want. I can go on pretending to be her, if you can’t stand the thought of me. No one will ever have to know.” (This part made me cry)
“Jannette Violet Brantford,” he intoned in a solemn voice, “you are the brightness of my day. The sweet warmth of my night. The only woman I have ever known who could turn my entire world upside down and leave me glad she did. Perhaps we didn’t begin precisely as we should. But, well, we are, both of us, human, and humans sometimes make mistakes. I promise to forgive you, if you swear to do the same for me when the need might arise. I love you. It took me some time to understand that, but I do now. I vow to spend the rest of my days showing you how much.”
“She was weak and human but she loved this man at her side more than he could possibly imagine or would probably ever know. How could the falsehood she committed be so very great a sin when her heart adored with such steadfast devotion and truth?” Lady Violet Brantford may have been in love with Adrian Winter, Duke of Raeburn but she never dared hope to be his duchess - for one, he had already picked her much more popular twin sister, Lady Jeannette to be his bride. But at the very last minute, her twin decided that she did not want to be married to the Duke. Violet knew that it would besmirch her family and the duke’s if Jeannette didn’t show up to the wedding. Add to that, the money given by the Duke to her family had already been spent. An opportunity, albeit a deceitful one, couldn’t be passed up. In order to spare her family the scandal and to satisfy the secret longing she has for Adrian, Violet decided to marry the Duke herself while posing as her twin sister. Soon enough, Adrian and Violet are happily married but the consequences of Violet’s deceit are inevitable.
The Husband Trap is the first book from Tracy Anne Warren’s The Trap trilogy. It tells the story of Adrian Winter and Violet Brantford. Oh my god. If you must know, I have been in a very depressive mood lately which results in a reading slump these days. February, thus far, has not been the best month to read good books. The first three books I’ve read this month have been less than satisfactory. I have no idea if it has anything to do with the writing or with my mood. Thankfully, I decided to read this book. The synopsis had always interested me and I was in the perfect mood for something like it the day I read it. I am so glad that after three forgettable books, this one was much more satisfying and managed to make me feel something. This review may be messier than usual as I have no energy to do anything much these days but since I ended up loving this book, I decided to write a review that I can look back on. Writing a review is like writing a journal entry and I like reading them after some time has passed. So, I will try to collect my thoughts and type them out.
Meet Violet Brantford: Her full name is actually Jannette Violet Brantford. She has a twin sister named Jeannette Rose. She is the daughter of the Earl of Wightbridge. Violet is very different from her much more vivacious and popular twin sister. She loves history and art. She is fluent in several languages. She loves reading of course. She is very soft hearted especially when it comes to animals. Although bespectacled, she is beautiful like Jeannette but her shyness drives the gentlemen away. By all aspects, she and her twin sister are very different.
Meet Adrian Winter: He is the sixth Duke of Raeburn. He has lesser titles too, of course. Adrian fought in the war back in the year of 1811 but was forced to resign his commission when he suffered from a nearly fatal wound. At thirty two, he is ready to set up his nursery. He picked just the perfect bride for that: Jeannette who loved the London Season and everything that comes with it. She can take the mantle of the Duchess. But unknowingly, He ended up marrying her much more timid sister, Violet.
Although Violet is less than happy that the man she loved is betrothed to her sister, she knows that Jeannette must go through with the wedding or else a scandal will rain upon her family. But her twin sister has other plans. It seems Jeannette did not fancy herself in love with the Duke anymore and had no intentions to show up to the church wherein thousands are waiting for the wedding of the season. Although hesitant, Violet agreed to Jeannette’s suggestion to take her place and marry Adrian in her stead. She has many reasons to agree but one that stood out the most is the love she had for Adrian. And so, Violet went through with the switch. Adrian is continuously taken by surprise with his new wife’s actions. She is not the Jeannette he was expecting, but she is someone he could come to love. Many months go by and their marriage is decidedly a happy one. But everything changes, including Adrian’s feelings, when he discovers a thing or two about his wife. It seems all these time, the woman he has come to love has deceived him, something he could never forgive. Or could he?
I loved the heroine. She made a mistake, deceiving someone she claimed to love, that is true. But I could not hate her. She may have done it for selfish reasons: did not want any scandal, the money settled upon her twin had already been spent by her family, and her secret yearning for the Duke. But I just could not hate her. Like the hero, I was utterly charmed by the heroine. Her little actions are just so cute. For example, when they were on their way to their honeymoon destination, she was asking what he was doing in the carriage with her, and told him that he needed to shave. It was such a small detail but it was so endearing and innocent I was like, “Aww.” What she did was wrong and I would not try to defend her on that aspect but she tried her best to be a good wife and a good Duchess fit for a man like Adrian. I also loved her relationship with her brother-in-law, Kit. There is something about platonic love between a man and a woman that is so pure. Violet is just my type of heroine. There have been hundreds of heroines like her who are shy and bookish but they just endear me every time. She was not a bad person although she deceived Adrian. This poor girl really loved him and it shows. There was a struggle between wanting to tell him the truth and knowing that should he know, he’d hate her. I can’t help but feel bad for the situation she has gotten herself in. I can’t think of proper reasons why I love the heroine but I just really ended up loving her. She was very sweet and I love sweet heroines. Although she was good at pretending to be her twin sister, I love the moments where she decided to show what her real reaction would be rather than Jeannette’s in certain situations. It showed that although she is not what Adrian thought her to be, she was letting him see a side of her. Something real amidst all the lies and deceit.
As for the hero, I liked him and loved him well enough. The thing is, he was a very decent hero who treated the heroine well. Minus their wedding night and the part where he found out the truth. (understandable on this account), perhaps. For months, he thought he was married to Jeannette but before the wedding, he was actually having doubts and had his suspicions that his intended had a lover and might try to jilt him. He was surprised when she showed up to the altar, but we all know it was not really Jeannette who married him but Violet. He is very shocked when he finds out about his wife’s innocence which is very contrary to the rumors he heard about “Jeannette”. There were many things that pleased and surprised him about his bride, who very much wasn’t like the Jeannette he was expecting. I loved how he made up for his earlier harsh treatment towards her and how they were blissfully married for months. He was a good hero. I guess I could see why Violet fell in love with him. He is so obviously besotted with his wife although at first he was unsure about it. And I appreciated his efforts in showing his affection towards his wife. It was all very sweet. They were happily married so when he found out about the truth, it was a painful moment. Oh boy! He was very mad! Furious. Which is understandable. At the end of the book, I loved him. I must say that I did not know about him well enough aside from the basic facts laid out but I know that he loved the heroine and for that I loved him.
Violet and Adrian had good chemistry. Not so much to the point that it is overwhelming but there is enough that it made me excited for their scenes together and made me root for their happily ever after. The point of view changes suddenly but it isn’t too hard to realize when the perspective changes, so the book still flowed well, in my opinion. From the very first chapter, I was hooked! I knew that when Adrian figured out the truth, it would be angsty. So even if their marriage was decidedly happy early into the book, I knew that there was more to come. When Adrian found the letter from his wife’s supposed lover, It was literally so intense I had to take a thirty minutes break from reading because I wasn’t ready for him to find out the whole truth and for him to be mad at Violet. I just wanted them to be happy but I know that he must find out eventually.
I love deception in historical romances. I really enjoy when this trope is used in a book because I know that pain would eventually come when the deceived character finds out. When Adrian found out, he was indeed very mad to the point that he said many hurtful things to Violet and was so firm in his decision to annul their marriage. I did not expect to cry because lately nothing has been making me feel anything at all, but there was that scene when he found out and was confronting her and the way it went hurt my feelings. I don’t even know if it was that sad, but I had tears streaming down my face and I could literally feel my heart breaking. The hurtful things Adrian was saying to Violet hurt my feelings too. And the fact that he was so ready to throw her out and annul the marriage…my heart hurts! His reaction was understandable and appropriate, I think, but I was very hurt for the heroine even if it was her fault that he was mad at her. What she did was somewhat selfish but she isn’t a selfish girl at all so I really feel for her. She’s just a girl in love with a man and as someone in love, she made decisions, wrong ones that she had to pay for.
I must say that like Adrian, I really did not expect her to hide out in one of Adrian’s estates but I was so relieved that she did! I was thinking too where she could have gone, considering she did not have money of her own. Very clever! I think she did the right thing to leave, it made Adrian realize that his love for her outweighed his anger for her deceit. I love their reunion. It was so sweet. I know Adrian had all the right to hate Violet but the fact that he was comforting her when she was crying and apologizing. What a man…I think it was that moment that made me love him as a hero. If the person who was wronged could forgive the heroine, then I’m sure the readers could too.
This book was the most satisfactory read I’ve had for this month. I enjoyed the author’s writing style and I am looking forward to reading more of her books. I think I would skip book two because I did not really like Jeannette. I would read book three because I really fell in love with Kit! I am so excited to see how he’ll fall in love with Eliza and because I want to see him get his happily ever after too. I have wanted to read this book for the longest time and I am glad I decided to do so. No one's more happy than I that it did not disappoint and delivered the right amount of angst and love I was looking for. I am confused as to what my rating should be for the book. I did not like that there was no epilogue but at the same time it was a good read. Perhaps a 4.5?
Some quotes:
“She ached, empty in a way she had never been empty before. As if the heart of her needed to be filled, needed to be claimed. By him. Only by him.”
She stared for a moment, then wrapped her arms around him, decided to tell him the one truth she felt she could share. The most profound truth of all. “I love you,” she whispered. He leaned back. “Do you?” He seemed momentarily startled by the idea. “I do,” she confirmed. Finally, he quirked an eyebrow. “And that makes you cry?”
“I know what I did is unforgivable and that I shall spend the rest of my life trying to atone for the wrong I have caused. Yet I would be lying if I claimed to be wholly repentant. Love is what led me to make the choices I did, and for that alone, I cannot regret the time I shared with you. There are far too many beautiful memories to cherish for that.”
“Let me stay, then.” She moved without conscious thought, rising up out of her chair to fling herself against him. She wrapped her arms around his waist, pressed her face to his shoulder. “I beg of you not to send me away. I know you may never be able to forgive me, but I love you. In that, I’ve never lied. If you let me stay, I promise I’ll be whatever you want, whomever you want. I can go on pretending to be her, if you can’t stand the thought of me. No one will ever have to know.” (This part made me cry)
“Jannette Violet Brantford,” he intoned in a solemn voice, “you are the brightness of my day. The sweet warmth of my night. The only woman I have ever known who could turn my entire world upside down and leave me glad she did. Perhaps we didn’t begin precisely as we should. But, well, we are, both of us, human, and humans sometimes make mistakes. I promise to forgive you, if you swear to do the same for me when the need might arise. I love you. It took me some time to understand that, but I do now. I vow to spend the rest of my days showing you how much.”
January 15, 2018
Oh so endearing and cheesy cute!!! I got choked up several times throughout the book. I can’t help but love books with “mistaken” identities. I’m soooo reading book 3 and skipping book 2, I despised the selfish twin.
December 15, 2022
The whole switching places thing usually doesn't work, but this author pulls it off.
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Reread : 8/10/22
Reread: 12/14/22
I just love this author! Her books are always rereads for me!
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Reread : 8/10/22
Reread: 12/14/22
I just love this author! Her books are always rereads for me!
May 22, 2021
I loved it! I didn't know if I would cause the idea of identical twins switching places is just all kinds of crazy yet juicy at the same time. It could have been a total bomb but the author did a wonderful job. While I do think the 'ruse' was dragged out a bit long I understand why it was done. The author was really clever in handling how Violet acted around Adrian. You could tell she completely loved the man and her actions prove how hard it was on her to continue with the lie. So it's hard not to sympathize with her even though she agreed to the plan. And I do love the way the reveal was handled, not rushed to a dramatic yet expected conclusion. I think that was the most intense gut-wrenching scene from the book is when Adrian confronts her. Wow. Beautifully done.
Violet ended up facing her deceit and not gently with Adrian being furious. So good. It definitely took me by surprise. I really love Warren's style of writing and handling of plot. Perfect balance of everything, not too much, not too little, has drama and angst. The angst and tension is what saved the story or I should say made the story. And the nice twist at the end made me love it even more....cause seriously how else can you avoid that awkward elephant in the room of your husband not being able to tell you apart from your sister? Hee hee. Considering the set up of the story there's no going around it or avoiding it. I thought it was very cleverly done. I would seriously read this again it was that good. Amazing!!!
Violet ended up facing her deceit and not gently with Adrian being furious. So good. It definitely took me by surprise. I really love Warren's style of writing and handling of plot. Perfect balance of everything, not too much, not too little, has drama and angst. The angst and tension is what saved the story or I should say made the story. And the nice twist at the end made me love it even more....cause seriously how else can you avoid that awkward elephant in the room of your husband not being able to tell you apart from your sister? Hee hee. Considering the set up of the story there's no going around it or avoiding it. I thought it was very cleverly done. I would seriously read this again it was that good. Amazing!!!
March 23, 2021
3 Stars
Overall Opinion: This was enjoyable... but. I love the arranged marriage to love theme, but this had the deception along with it that I’m not a huge fan of. I also like the idea of unrequited love, but this wasn’t all about that either. I liked their connection during the honeymoon and I liked the dog, but the rest fell a little flat for me. I think I just wanted more. I enjoyed it, I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Violet and Adrian’s story. Violet steps in for her twin sister at her wedding with Adrian without his knowing. She has loved Adrian from afar and her family has already spent the money Adrian gave them for the engagement, so she steps in to try to avoid ruin for her family. After spending more time together, Adrian starts to fall in love with the woman he married. There are some cute scenes with a dog, some sexy times, and some drama...and they get a HEA ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between focusing on Violet and Adrian in 3rd person narrative.
Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well
Instalove: No for the H as it takes a while to develop stronger feelings, but the h claims to be in love before this begins
H (Hero) rating: 3.5 stars. Adrian. I liked him but his temper made him kind of mean to the h at times.
h (heroine) rating: 3.5 stars. Violet. I liked her but I wanted her to be stronger at times.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story. More descriptive scenes than the usual hr.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Yes, but mild
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes, but really mild
Closure: This ends abruptly but with what I would call a HEA even though I would’ve liked more closure
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers
Overall Opinion: This was enjoyable... but. I love the arranged marriage to love theme, but this had the deception along with it that I’m not a huge fan of. I also like the idea of unrequited love, but this wasn’t all about that either. I liked their connection during the honeymoon and I liked the dog, but the rest fell a little flat for me. I think I just wanted more. I enjoyed it, I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either.
Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Violet and Adrian’s story. Violet steps in for her twin sister at her wedding with Adrian without his knowing. She has loved Adrian from afar and her family has already spent the money Adrian gave them for the engagement, so she steps in to try to avoid ruin for her family. After spending more time together, Adrian starts to fall in love with the woman he married. There are some cute scenes with a dog, some sexy times, and some drama...and they get a HEA ending.
Point Of View (POV): This alternated between focusing on Violet and Adrian in 3rd person narrative.
Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well
Instalove: No for the H as it takes a while to develop stronger feelings, but the h claims to be in love before this begins
H (Hero) rating: 3.5 stars. Adrian. I liked him but his temper made him kind of mean to the h at times.
h (heroine) rating: 3.5 stars. Violet. I liked her but I wanted her to be stronger at times.
Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed
Push/Pull: Yes
Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story. More descriptive scenes than the usual hr.
Descriptive sex: Yes
OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Yes, but mild
Sex scene with OW or OM: No
Cheating: No
Separation: Yes
Possible Triggers: Yes, but really mild
Closure: This ends abruptly but with what I would call a HEA even though I would’ve liked more closure
Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers
October 27, 2009
I started out giving this a four star review and now I've changed it to three stars. Certain things about the story just weren't my cup of tea and I can't say that I wasn't pleased for it to finally be over.
My personal problem with it is that more than 50% of the book is spent with one character deceiving the other. Not a simple deception, but the newlywed wife is posing as her twin sister! So it feels like the love story doesn't really start until he finds out he's been deceived.
Although, as usual, I loved their interactions and both of them as characters, I thought Warren did them a disservice by making the deception take so long to run its course.
It also took a while for the story to start. The first two chapters were taken up mainly with the nervous heroine's inner thoughts during her wedding. We don't get the hero's POV until chapter 3. Slow going.
The last quarter of the book is pretty good. There's some nice angst and some humor and Warren's deft hand at romance.
So, while I enjoyed the ending of the book, I didn't necessarily enjoy the entire journey to it.
Not that this is turning me off Warren. Not at all.
My personal problem with it is that more than 50% of the book is spent with one character deceiving the other. Not a simple deception, but the newlywed wife is posing as her twin sister! So it feels like the love story doesn't really start until he finds out he's been deceived.
Although, as usual, I loved their interactions and both of them as characters, I thought Warren did them a disservice by making the deception take so long to run its course.
It also took a while for the story to start. The first two chapters were taken up mainly with the nervous heroine's inner thoughts during her wedding. We don't get the hero's POV until chapter 3. Slow going.
The last quarter of the book is pretty good. There's some nice angst and some humor and Warren's deft hand at romance.
So, while I enjoyed the ending of the book, I didn't necessarily enjoy the entire journey to it.
Not that this is turning me off Warren. Not at all.
January 10, 2025
The Husband Trap was a worthwhile read. Adrian is a grumpy Duke who reluctantly falls for his new Duchess. He is oblivious and does not realize he married the shy twin, Violet. Adrian is kind hearted and tender in responding to his new bride after he realizes her feeling is genuine. Spacey but smart in spectacles Violet works too hard to prove her love. She rescues a dog Horatio who becomes one of the multitude of great side characters. The truth fall out angst made me soak a pillow at 2am. Truly a great start to 2025 read goals, audio book read along in audible +
February 17, 2020
The Parent Husband Trap Regency style.
The heroine's HORRIBLE twin sister talks her into changing identities the morning of the wedding to the H. Good thing they are identical in looks (ONLY) and the h loves the hero.
The H knows there is something hinky with his bride as in she is probably not a virgin since he;s been informed of rumors. He asks her to confess and he won't be upset, but he wants honesty. Well, his intended bride wasn't a virgin, but the one in his bed is which he finds out via a big dose of guilt and a big yippee. Their slow build romance is very sweet, but you know a shoe is going to drop at some point.
Long story short they go through a couple of misunderstandings because of the off-page twin's sluttish and evil ways so the H thinks the heroine is cheating on him with his little brother no less. Finding out about being the dupe at the wedding doesn't really make the H any happier, and there is meanness involved.
For once the misunderstanding and unspoken confessions make sense as Warren stays pretty true to the social mores of the day. If it comes out that the Duke married the wrong twin it would be social suicide for pretty much everyone but especially the heroine. So kudos to Warren for not taking the modern way out.
We come to a HEA so yay!
The heroine's sister, the h of The Wife Trap rears her selfish head at the end. She wants her old life back and wants to be Duchess. I wish I could say the heroine decked her, but no. No way am I reading her story as she was an unpleasant character, and the writing task of redeeming her would be very, very tough.
The heroine's HORRIBLE twin sister talks her into changing identities the morning of the wedding to the H. Good thing they are identical in looks (ONLY) and the h loves the hero.
The H knows there is something hinky with his bride as in she is probably not a virgin since he;s been informed of rumors. He asks her to confess and he won't be upset, but he wants honesty. Well, his intended bride wasn't a virgin, but the one in his bed is which he finds out via a big dose of guilt and a big yippee. Their slow build romance is very sweet, but you know a shoe is going to drop at some point.
Long story short they go through a couple of misunderstandings because of the off-page twin's sluttish and evil ways so the H thinks the heroine is cheating on him with his little brother no less. Finding out about being the dupe at the wedding doesn't really make the H any happier, and there is meanness involved.
For once the misunderstanding and unspoken confessions make sense as Warren stays pretty true to the social mores of the day. If it comes out that the Duke married the wrong twin it would be social suicide for pretty much everyone but especially the heroine. So kudos to Warren for not taking the modern way out.
We come to a HEA so yay!
The heroine's sister, the h of The Wife Trap rears her selfish head at the end. She wants her old life back and wants to be Duchess. I wish I could say the heroine decked her, but no. No way am I reading her story as she was an unpleasant character, and the writing task of redeeming her would be very, very tough.
April 6, 2022
Historical twin swap! This was a good read. It has some fun drama including:
💟 evil twin who is fun to hate
💟 sweet nerdy twin (h) who is easy to love
💟 swoony Duke who is loyal and possessive
💟 surprise virgin
💟 angsty reveal
💟 jealous rage
💟 runaway bride
I found it a lot of fun. And had to stifle my tears while sitting at my kid’s soccer game. 🤡
Bottom Line? Entertaining read with likable MCs, drama, angst, and a satisfying ending. I read it straight through.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚠️SAFETY SQUAD SPOILERS⚠️
- no cheating or sharing
- OW drama - the H intended to wed the h’s sister - they were never intimate, but the possibility that he might have feelings for the sister causes some angst
- OM drama - a misunderstanding causes the H to think the h has cheated on him with his brother
- dubcon-ish - the MC’s first time is a little rough, he assumes she’s not a virgin and is angry when he thinks she lies about it, and treats her accordingly…of course he finds out The Old Fashioned Way that she is telling the truth… so it’s a little touch and go.
- h is virgin
- the H is experienced
💟 evil twin who is fun to hate
💟 sweet nerdy twin (h) who is easy to love
💟 swoony Duke who is loyal and possessive
💟 surprise virgin
💟 angsty reveal
💟 jealous rage
💟 runaway bride
I found it a lot of fun. And had to stifle my tears while sitting at my kid’s soccer game. 🤡
Bottom Line? Entertaining read with likable MCs, drama, angst, and a satisfying ending. I read it straight through.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚠️SAFETY SQUAD SPOILERS⚠️
- no cheating or sharing
- OW drama - the H intended to wed the h’s sister - they were never intimate, but the possibility that he might have feelings for the sister causes some angst
- OM drama - a misunderstanding causes the H to think the h has cheated on him with his brother
- dubcon-ish - the MC’s first time is a little rough, he assumes she’s not a virgin and is angry when he thinks she lies about it, and treats her accordingly…of course he finds out The Old Fashioned Way that she is telling the truth… so it’s a little touch and go.
- h is virgin
- the H is experienced
March 17, 2021
Wonderful book! Even though I hate the deception and could not wait for her to tell the truth, this book was great.
I really hate the the heroine's twin though. So much so that I don't even want to read the second book because of her.
I recommend this book! I couldn't put it down.
I really hate the the heroine's twin though. So much so that I don't even want to read the second book because of her.
I recommend this book! I couldn't put it down.
January 19, 2025
3.5 Guilty Pleasure stars floating in a sea of miscommunication.
The premise promised to be fun: “Vain vixen”* Jeannette wanted out of her impending marriage to Adrian, the Duke of Raeburn. On the morning of her wedding she badgered her shy twin sister, Violet (secretly in love with said duke) into trading places.
WHAT COULD GO WRONG?
The rest of the story was about the “when.” Getting there was a bit of a slog.
🥱 As mentioned, miscommunication. 🙈🙊🙉
🥱 Repetitious paragraphs.
🥱 Spicy scenes were front loaded, stalling the story, but, you know, newlyweds.
🥱 While Warren handled one-on-one dialogue all right, she seemed to lose her way with large gatherings. For instance, Christmas. Family arrived/Yule log/Three weeks later.
But! But! But!
Somewhere along my reading journey a weird vision took hold. I was watching a glossy Warner Brother’s production with Bette Davis, looking a lot like “Jezebel” but channeling, “A Stolen Life.” Good times! Bring on the popcorn! 🍿
Back to bookly things, the third act was satisfying.
*Description lifted from, “A Stolen Life.”
The premise promised to be fun: “Vain vixen”* Jeannette wanted out of her impending marriage to Adrian, the Duke of Raeburn. On the morning of her wedding she badgered her shy twin sister, Violet (secretly in love with said duke) into trading places.
WHAT COULD GO WRONG?
The rest of the story was about the “when.” Getting there was a bit of a slog.
🥱 As mentioned, miscommunication. 🙈🙊🙉
🥱 Repetitious paragraphs.
🥱 Spicy scenes were front loaded, stalling the story, but, you know, newlyweds.
🥱 While Warren handled one-on-one dialogue all right, she seemed to lose her way with large gatherings. For instance, Christmas. Family arrived/Yule log/Three weeks later.
But! But! But!
Somewhere along my reading journey a weird vision took hold. I was watching a glossy Warner Brother’s production with Bette Davis, looking a lot like “Jezebel” but channeling, “A Stolen Life.” Good times! Bring on the popcorn! 🍿
Back to bookly things, the third act was satisfying.
*Description lifted from, “A Stolen Life.”
May 3, 2025
It was okay this time around. I got choked up when he learned the truth and she tearfully tried to convince him that she truly loved him. The narrator did a good job in that scene.
March 13, 2016
That was another good HR I read lately. I'm glad to see there are still little gems to be found in this genre and I've become better in telling what to avoid by the blurb of the book and by my fellow readers' reviews.
This is a sort of marriage of convenience/forced marriage plot with a twist.
Adrian wants to marry and found lady Jeanette beautiful and confident enough to be his duchess. He may have had doubts about his choice of bride after the engagement but it is too late to do anything about it. A gentleman, after all, wouldn't jilt a lady before the wedding and ruin her reputation. Violet is Jeanette's shy twin sister who has worshipped Adrian from afar since the moment she fist saw him. When Jeanette decides she won't go through with the wedding just before the ceremony, Violet steps in to take her place with dread for the deception she's perpetrating, but also happiness to finally get the man of her dreams. Adrian can't believe his luck when he realises that his new bride isn't the spoiled girl he had thought she was during their engagement period, but he's not going to question his good fortune. Little does he know of the deception that has been going on behind his back.
Well, I loved the uniqueness of the plot, improbable as it may be. I loved Violet's innate kindness and devotion to Adrian. I loved the romance that developed slowly, while Adrian came to respect and admire a wife he had held to little esteem before their marriage.
I half-listened, half-read this one as I own both a paperback copy and the audiobook and I can say the voice of the narrator was pretty nice too.
All in all, I recommend this historical romance, especially to readers who enjoy old-style romances. Though it's not an old HR, it kind of felt like a book written in the '90s (no abuse of the heroine, though!).
This is a sort of marriage of convenience/forced marriage plot with a twist.
Adrian wants to marry and found lady Jeanette beautiful and confident enough to be his duchess. He may have had doubts about his choice of bride after the engagement but it is too late to do anything about it. A gentleman, after all, wouldn't jilt a lady before the wedding and ruin her reputation. Violet is Jeanette's shy twin sister who has worshipped Adrian from afar since the moment she fist saw him. When Jeanette decides she won't go through with the wedding just before the ceremony, Violet steps in to take her place with dread for the deception she's perpetrating, but also happiness to finally get the man of her dreams. Adrian can't believe his luck when he realises that his new bride isn't the spoiled girl he had thought she was during their engagement period, but he's not going to question his good fortune. Little does he know of the deception that has been going on behind his back.
Well, I loved the uniqueness of the plot, improbable as it may be. I loved Violet's innate kindness and devotion to Adrian. I loved the romance that developed slowly, while Adrian came to respect and admire a wife he had held to little esteem before their marriage.
I half-listened, half-read this one as I own both a paperback copy and the audiobook and I can say the voice of the narrator was pretty nice too.
All in all, I recommend this historical romance, especially to readers who enjoy old-style romances. Though it's not an old HR, it kind of felt like a book written in the '90s (no abuse of the heroine, though!).
November 7, 2013
This book was OK. My favorite part though was when the guy finally realized that his wife was the sister of the girl that he thought that he had married. It was a great moment and a great few chapters.... it seemed like it took forever to get to that point though :). I am skipping book two (of the selfish sisters story) and I will read book three next :)
February 16, 2022
4 Stars
Thank you Nicolette for this recommendation!
Quick Review
- This was my first Tracy Anne Warren book, and let me just say that it was a whirlwind. Colour me something, as I am not sure of the appropriate terminology on how I feel about it, so let us start with the identifiables. (not sure if that's a word, as Grammarly disagrees).
- The writing was done well, mostly era-appropriate prose, but I felt it was a trifle too long as the story did not pick up till after the halfway mark.
- The plot was so different, as it was what drew me to this book. I think I have only read one book with a similar plot by Jess Michaels. This one was a not so adorable, garbled version of The Parent Trap, with no points for guessing where Ms Warren thought of the title from.
- Speaking of the plot, my, it was an emotional maelstrom of mistakes and redemption cycle. The best thing was that this cycle did not get tiring, but it served to keep me hooked. So essentially, I was alternately frowning and smiling.
- Violet was an interesting heroine, an insecure, timid fool for the most part, but with a gentle and loving predisposition. Was what she did wrong? Hell yes. Were her reasons understandable? Also, yes. She inspired more pity than empathy. But she believed in her love and forged ahead, and that is what earned my respect.
- Adrian, the poor guy, was put through such a wringer, which again inspired pity along with some sympathy. His anger was righteous and justified, including the ugly words and cruel-ish behaviour. I hated reading it, but I understood it. Apart from the idiocy of thinking that he was making a right choice in marrying Jeannette - let's face it, HR men are superficial fools - he was a wonderful hero.
- What I noted was that both these characters were inciting quite extreme reactions from me. I was either saying, "What the fuck?" or "Aww, how sweet". This is not a complaint by any means, just an annotation.
- The author handled the romance in the face of deception quite judiciously. She utilised the power of unrequited love and kept me on my toes, well, in this case, the tips of my fingers, turning pages. Since the story starts with their wedding, Adrian and Violet had a lot of overlap, which made for a great, believable romance.
- Because of the complicated nature of this plot, the misunderstandings had their place. I still maintain that the idiots should have had an honest conversation, but then there would not be a story, nor would I have been writing this review.
- The only thing I did not like was the ending. The drama was unnecessarily patched on. The declaration could have been made without the secondary deception. The hero, Jasper, from A Reluctant Bride did not make the same mistake, and he was dealing with triplets, not twins. Okay, tirade over.
Special Mentions
- Kit, how adorable, amazing, lovely, supportive, and understanding a character he was
- Horatio, the cute, protective dog
- The bitch that was Jeannette, and she gets the next book? I am tempted to read and find out how the author plans to redeem her
My Recommendation
A definitely unique plot, sweet, anguishy romance, some steamy goodness. Overall an enjoyable read.
Thank you Nicolette for this recommendation!
Quick Review
- This was my first Tracy Anne Warren book, and let me just say that it was a whirlwind. Colour me something, as I am not sure of the appropriate terminology on how I feel about it, so let us start with the identifiables. (not sure if that's a word, as Grammarly disagrees).
- The writing was done well, mostly era-appropriate prose, but I felt it was a trifle too long as the story did not pick up till after the halfway mark.
- The plot was so different, as it was what drew me to this book. I think I have only read one book with a similar plot by Jess Michaels. This one was a not so adorable, garbled version of The Parent Trap, with no points for guessing where Ms Warren thought of the title from.
- Speaking of the plot, my, it was an emotional maelstrom of mistakes and redemption cycle. The best thing was that this cycle did not get tiring, but it served to keep me hooked. So essentially, I was alternately frowning and smiling.
- Violet was an interesting heroine, an insecure, timid fool for the most part, but with a gentle and loving predisposition. Was what she did wrong? Hell yes. Were her reasons understandable? Also, yes. She inspired more pity than empathy. But she believed in her love and forged ahead, and that is what earned my respect.
- Adrian, the poor guy, was put through such a wringer, which again inspired pity along with some sympathy. His anger was righteous and justified, including the ugly words and cruel-ish behaviour. I hated reading it, but I understood it. Apart from the idiocy of thinking that he was making a right choice in marrying Jeannette - let's face it, HR men are superficial fools - he was a wonderful hero.
- What I noted was that both these characters were inciting quite extreme reactions from me. I was either saying, "What the fuck?" or "Aww, how sweet". This is not a complaint by any means, just an annotation.
- The author handled the romance in the face of deception quite judiciously. She utilised the power of unrequited love and kept me on my toes, well, in this case, the tips of my fingers, turning pages. Since the story starts with their wedding, Adrian and Violet had a lot of overlap, which made for a great, believable romance.
- Because of the complicated nature of this plot, the misunderstandings had their place. I still maintain that the idiots should have had an honest conversation, but then there would not be a story, nor would I have been writing this review.
- The only thing I did not like was the ending. The drama was unnecessarily patched on. The declaration could have been made without the secondary deception. The hero, Jasper, from A Reluctant Bride did not make the same mistake, and he was dealing with triplets, not twins. Okay, tirade over.
Special Mentions
- Kit, how adorable, amazing, lovely, supportive, and understanding a character he was
- Horatio, the cute, protective dog
- The bitch that was Jeannette, and she gets the next book? I am tempted to read and find out how the author plans to redeem her
My Recommendation
A definitely unique plot, sweet, anguishy romance, some steamy goodness. Overall an enjoyable read.
April 7, 2018
My detox read.
After the last couple of my sort of intense reads, I once again needed my mind detoxed. I've actually noticed if I didn't clear my mind and just jumped from one book to the next especially if it had been an engrossing book, the characters tend to start to overlap. I start mixing up the leads and their personalities, it all becomes a big jumble and then I have to keep reminding myself, "Wrong book".
So this was a sweet enough book. My first by Tracey. I loved how well Violet portrayed herself as Jeanette cause I've been watching this drama and the lead acting as her sister is just atrocious. I cringe Every.Freakin.TIME!
They're supposed to be twins for God's sake!
Talk about ruining all I've made up in head about twins! Gah!
And you know what else is atrocious? Jeanette.
God I just wanna bash her head in! That level of entitlement! I HATE people like her.
Anyway, it was a pretty sweet book, the whole misconception deal is not my thing but it's not like the story could have progressed in any other direction.
Pretty run of the mill, saw everything a mile coming but I liked the ending and how Adrian had his revenge!
Oooh yeah, that was good and so totally fair! xD
The book did what I had hoped it would. My mind is all clear and ready to jump without fear :p
March 16, 2021
Violet Brantford is cornered into taking her twin's place...at the alter. The man in question is Adrian Winter, Duke of Raeburn, and Violet's secret crush. Though mirror images, Adrian chose a marriage of convenience with the self-involved society sister and hopes he didn't make the biggest mistake of his life. Now, too shy Violet has to keep her real identity a secret while living out a fantasy with the man of her dreams.
This is a frequent reread for me. I love Tracy Anne Warren and twin-hijinks, so this one is a no brainer. Adrian doesn't question the personality swap his bride seems to undergo because he's so happy she's not like her bratty twin.
Tropes: Twins / Twin Swap, Marriage of Convenience, Secret Crush
Eggplant Rating: 5
This is a frequent reread for me. I love Tracy Anne Warren and twin-hijinks, so this one is a no brainer. Adrian doesn't question the personality swap his bride seems to undergo because he's so happy she's not like her bratty twin.
Tropes: Twins / Twin Swap, Marriage of Convenience, Secret Crush
Eggplant Rating: 5
October 16, 2016
Great book. Heroine has been in love with hero since forever, she is shy, bookish, and quite different from her spoiled twin. They switch places on her wedding day and Violet finds herself married to the man of her dreams. But when Adrian realizes her deception all hell breaks loose. There were many misunderstandings, he thinks she has an affair with his brother and the fact that she receives love letters doesn't help!
I loved the angst, I loved how deeply and passionately in love they were and their sweet HEA!
I loved the angst, I loved how deeply and passionately in love they were and their sweet HEA!
August 27, 2014
DETAILED PLOT SUMMARY: This book opens at the wedding ceremony of Jeannette Rose Brantford and Adrian Winter, Duke of Raeburn. Except the bride is not Jeannette Rose, but her identical twin sister: Jannette Violet, or simply Violet.* Jeannette convinced Violet to switch with her right before the ceremony, and with the alternative of having her family thrown to scandal, she reluctantly, begrudgingly accepts. While the twins have different public personas - not to mention abilities and minor physical distinctions - Adrian and Jeannette's courtship was chaste enough that more or less Violet is able to 'play' her sister, although guilt consumes her, especially since she's actually been in love with the Duke for years and the deception eats at her heart. And conveniently, Jeannette has assumed her sister's persona in Italy on a scheduled extended travel with their aunt, so there are fewer fronts in England for the deception to be uncovered. Nonetheless, the deception is uncovered by Adrian's younger brother Kit when he combines the latin book he found where Violet was seated, with Violet's miming along to his latin lessons and her occasional spectacles. (Violet is well known to require glasses and be versed in multiple languages, among other academic pursuits.) Upon reflecting, Kit concludes that Adrian likely prefers Violet because she's nothing like the social Jeannette; and because he sees how much Violet truly loves Adrian, he agrees to keep her secret - so long as Adrian never asks him directly. And also in exchange for additional Latin tutoring. (Kit is kicked out of university several months into their marriage and comes to live with them.)
The shit goes to pot when Violet starts receiving love letters from "K," Jeannette's former lover. Though Violet forwarded earlier letters to her sister presumably along with 'cease and desist' - or at least "redirect" orders - Adrian finds one. Regrettably, it's one with a meeting proposed, one that Violet has conferred with Kit to attend to put off Toddy (K.) Markham permanently (Adrian's best friend and apparently Jeannette's lover.) During Violet's confrontation with Markham, Markham realizes that Violet is not Jeanette and sets off to the Continent to find her. Kit comes out of hiding after Markham leaves to confort Violet in an embrace. Which is when Adrian appears and seeing them in an embrace, assumes Kit is "K," Violet's lover. After days of cold, silent treatment, Adrian finally confronts Violet. Violet insists he's misread his brother's actions towards her that night, that she doesn't and never has had another lover, and that she can't reveal who the note is from. Adrian dismisses her from his life. Similarly, when Adrian and Kit have their unavoidable confrontation, Kit truthfully reiterates Violet's insistences, and holds that its Violet's story to tell who the note is from. Kit is dismissed too.
It is only while Adrian is in town brooding that a passing conversation with a friend plants the seed in his mind that perhaps Jeannette is really Violet. Adrian goes straight to Kit, who confirms this truth as well as revealing Markham's identity. Adrian returns home to confront Violet, and when she too confirms, he is so repulsed she is dismissed permanently, while he returns to London to annul their marriage. Several weeks later with the paperwork completed, he returns home to find Violet gone. She left - leaving behind only a note with her reiterated apologies and love - just after Adrian left weeks prior. In a panic for her safety and well-being, Adrian spends the next 6 wks looking for her with no luck until he accidentally bumps into Violet's best friend Eliza, who had been using "Jeannette" to fwd her letters to Violet. She mentions to pass her hellos to "Jeannette" in Dorset (his estate where they honeymooned), so he promptly leaves for Dorset to find her there. These weeks of searching in vain for her have allowed Adrian to really analyze the true nature of his feelings for his wife - he realizes that before learning of her deception, he'd come to truly love Violet, whereas he realizes how unhappy he would have been should he have actually married Jeannette. He confesses his love, she reiterates her regrets and apologies, and they reconcile. HEA.
They immediately rewed in Dorset, using Violet's real name for both the ceremony and paperwork. But they agree - mostly at Violet's insistence - to continue to let the world believe her to be Jeannette in order to spare both their families the scandal. But when Jeannette returns from her travels despondent - it turns out Markham jilted her for a widowed Countess when he discovered her dalry was reduced (b/c now she was "Violet") - Jeannette seeks for 'resume' her role as Duchess. Appalled, Violet does not agree, sharing that Adrain already knows that she is actually Violet. But Jeannette is insistent that Adrian would never be able to tell the difference, and bullies Violet into agreeing with a one-night switch if only to prove Jeannette wrong. Through Adrian shows some initial confusion during their switch at Violet's first hosted ball, he discovers Jeannette out soon enough, and confront his wife, but not before torturing her into making her think he would attempt to seduce her sister. When mock-threatening a spanking, she reveals she's pregnant. They return to the ballroom and Adrian stops the orchestra to announce publicly that he is married to Violet not Jeannette. HEA (again).
*What parents in their damned mind would name their identical twins Jeannette Rose and Jannette Violet? Atrocious!
The shit goes to pot when Violet starts receiving love letters from "K," Jeannette's former lover. Though Violet forwarded earlier letters to her sister presumably along with 'cease and desist' - or at least "redirect" orders - Adrian finds one. Regrettably, it's one with a meeting proposed, one that Violet has conferred with Kit to attend to put off Toddy (K.) Markham permanently (Adrian's best friend and apparently Jeannette's lover.) During Violet's confrontation with Markham, Markham realizes that Violet is not Jeanette and sets off to the Continent to find her. Kit comes out of hiding after Markham leaves to confort Violet in an embrace. Which is when Adrian appears and seeing them in an embrace, assumes Kit is "K," Violet's lover. After days of cold, silent treatment, Adrian finally confronts Violet. Violet insists he's misread his brother's actions towards her that night, that she doesn't and never has had another lover, and that she can't reveal who the note is from. Adrian dismisses her from his life. Similarly, when Adrian and Kit have their unavoidable confrontation, Kit truthfully reiterates Violet's insistences, and holds that its Violet's story to tell who the note is from. Kit is dismissed too.
It is only while Adrian is in town brooding that a passing conversation with a friend plants the seed in his mind that perhaps Jeannette is really Violet. Adrian goes straight to Kit, who confirms this truth as well as revealing Markham's identity. Adrian returns home to confront Violet, and when she too confirms, he is so repulsed she is dismissed permanently, while he returns to London to annul their marriage. Several weeks later with the paperwork completed, he returns home to find Violet gone. She left - leaving behind only a note with her reiterated apologies and love - just after Adrian left weeks prior. In a panic for her safety and well-being, Adrian spends the next 6 wks looking for her with no luck until he accidentally bumps into Violet's best friend Eliza, who had been using "Jeannette" to fwd her letters to Violet. She mentions to pass her hellos to "Jeannette" in Dorset (his estate where they honeymooned), so he promptly leaves for Dorset to find her there. These weeks of searching in vain for her have allowed Adrian to really analyze the true nature of his feelings for his wife - he realizes that before learning of her deception, he'd come to truly love Violet, whereas he realizes how unhappy he would have been should he have actually married Jeannette. He confesses his love, she reiterates her regrets and apologies, and they reconcile. HEA.
They immediately rewed in Dorset, using Violet's real name for both the ceremony and paperwork. But they agree - mostly at Violet's insistence - to continue to let the world believe her to be Jeannette in order to spare both their families the scandal. But when Jeannette returns from her travels despondent - it turns out Markham jilted her for a widowed Countess when he discovered her dalry was reduced (b/c now she was "Violet") - Jeannette seeks for 'resume' her role as Duchess. Appalled, Violet does not agree, sharing that Adrain already knows that she is actually Violet. But Jeannette is insistent that Adrian would never be able to tell the difference, and bullies Violet into agreeing with a one-night switch if only to prove Jeannette wrong. Through Adrian shows some initial confusion during their switch at Violet's first hosted ball, he discovers Jeannette out soon enough, and confront his wife, but not before torturing her into making her think he would attempt to seduce her sister. When mock-threatening a spanking, she reveals she's pregnant. They return to the ballroom and Adrian stops the orchestra to announce publicly that he is married to Violet not Jeannette. HEA (again).
*What parents in their damned mind would name their identical twins Jeannette Rose and Jannette Violet? Atrocious!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 29, 2022
I think the deception was dragged out for too long, he married her (again) AFTER he found her true identity and she still deceives him after promising to never do it again. I get that she was insecure, but it still rubbed me the wrong way. But I loved their chemistry, so it wasn’t that bad.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 20, 2023
Kollarımdaki Yabancı
Bir kitap yanlış anlaşılmalarıyla nasıl kendine bağlar ki? Kitaptaki her şeyi zerresine kadar tahmin ettim.(Son sahne hariç orası mükemmeldi zaten.)
Kitap çok güzeldi ya. Kitabın kapağını kapatırken sırıtmaktan çene kaslarım ağrıdı. Bu kadar klişe olup, bu kadar ilgi çekici bir kitap olması mükemmeldi, cidden.
Kitabımız kilisede yeminlerini eden çiftimizle başlıyor. Ben olaylar nasıl buraya geldi, ne oldu anlayamadım demeden esas kızımız olayları anlatıyor.
İkizlerimiz karakter açısından farklı olup bir de bunun üstüne bir de tek yumurta ikizi olunca, kitapta işler çığrından çıktı denilebilir.
Kitabın ilk yarısı sakin ve biraz sıkıcı geçmiş olabilir-benim için- ama kitaba devam etmemi sağlayan o merak ögesi hep oradaydı. Kitaba ne zaman Kit karakteri geldi işte o zaman kitap hareketlendi bence.
Andrian'ı kitabın başında biraz soğuk ve yüzeysel buldum, sanki o duvarlarını aşamıyormuş gibi geldi. Hoş kızımızda bir şekilde mesafesinini korumaya çalışsa beceremedi. Aşıktı aşık kız! Napsın rol mol hak getire oldu. Violet'in yaptığını herkes yapabilir miydi bilemiyorum. Onun yaptığı hem büyük cesaret hem de büyük fedakarlıktı. Sevdiğin adamın başkasını tercih ettiğini bile bile onunla evlenmek😥 Allah düşman başına vermesin ne acı şey. 😰
Andrian ve Violet bir şekilde yaşarken Jeannette'nin hayaleti hep üzerlerindeydi ikilinin. Violet'e bu konuda çok üzüldüm. Hep bir ikilem kıyaslama içindeydi yazık.
Gelelim Kit'e... Kit kitap senin sayende yürüdü gitti. Kit olmasa bu kadar her şey eğlenceli olur muydu bilmiyorum. Üstelik sürekli ahkam kesen abisinden daha zeki. Nerdeyse iki konuşmayla çözdü tüm olayı. Adrian'ın aşık olduğundan beyni yerine başka taraflarını çalıştırdığını düşünüp Andrian'a salak demiyoruz,lütfen.😂
Kit'le olan yanlış anlaşılmaya gülmekten bir hal oldum. Andrian zaten yaşlıydı bir de bunlar olunca sayelerinde adam iyice yaşlandı. Özellikle bir de yollu Jeannette'nin aşığın problemi vardı ki o da çekilcek dert değildi. Zavallı Violet'imin başı çok ağrıdı bu konuda. Pis Jeannette. Kitabın yarısı boyunca senden hiç haz etmedim ve haz etmediğim yerde sadece ismin geçiyordu. Düşünün ne kadar uyuz olmuşum😠
Ya sonrasında olan olaylara ne demeli?! Şırfıntı Jeannette kıza gelip yerini almak istediğini söylemesi?! Elime verseler onu boğacaktım orda. Violet bunu kızkardeş olarak hala nasıl yanında tutuyor anlamış değilim. Hoş Violet buna bir şey yapmadıysa bile ilahi adalet ona çok güzel tekmeyi geçirmişti Violet ile buluşmadan önce. O ara içimin yağları eridi.
Allahtan Adrian öğrendi de şırfıntı Jeannette şantaj falan yapamadı ki bu yapardı. Sırf para için yapmayacağı şey yok bu kadının.
Ve Adrian kitabın ilk yarısında ne kadar yüzeysel bulsam sonlara doğru kabuğunu kırmanla harika bir erkek karakter oldun. Ve her şeyi öğrendiğin sahnede-Downey Bey sağolsun kitabın gizli kahramanı bence o- Violet'e açıklarken ki merhaba diyişin resmen tüylerimi ürpetti.
"Merhaba, Violet."
Sanki odanın içinde sesini duydum. Yazar buraları çok güzel anlatmıştı. Ve Violet'in bu olanlardan sonra sessiz kalması gibi bir durum olsaydı herhalde kitaptan nefret ederdim ama en sonunda Violet'imiz dile gelip konuşunca bir mutlu oldum anlatamam.
Aslında kızımız iyi niyetli diye dışlıyorlar ikizi gibi sinsi bir şırfıntı olsaydı ailesi kesin el üstünde tutardı. Violet'in o kadar güzel bir kalbi vardı ki hayvanlara insanlara insan ister istemez hayran oluyordu. Adrian da buna tutuldu. Violet'in kalbine aşık oldu. Aşk böyle olur işte.
Kitapta her şey çok güzeldi. Son sahnede Violet'in yağtığı şey yüzünden ona kızmak istesem de kendince haklı sebebleri vardı. Ve benim bile aklımı kurcalıyordu. Ama Jeannette'nin niyeti iyi değil ve farklıydı. Sadece bir gecelik bir oyun yaptığından şüpheliyim. Para için yapmayacağı şey yok gibi geliyor bana. Ve o gece başka şeyler de yapabilirdi Adrian'la.
Allahtan Adrian anladı da ne mal olduğunu işe son noktayı koydu. Adrian'cığım son sahnede çok güzel rezil ettin ellerin dert görmesin👏👏 Helal olsun👏👏
Yazarın bence burda vermek istediği mesaj çok açık ve netti. İlahi adalet sizi bulur sjsjjsjs Jeannette ne ettiyse kendine etti ve haketti tüm bu olanları. Oyun oynarken on kere düşünür artık. Çünkü çarpıcam derken çarpıldı. Yazık(!)😂😂
Bu arada Kit'in kitabını okumayı dört gözle bekliyorum. Eliza ile mükemmel olcaklar hissediyorum😉
(Bu arada kitabın konusu Hint dizisi Kördüğüm'e çok benzemiyor mu ya? İlk aklıma onlar geldi. Tabi bunda işler biraz daha karışık ya😂 Ama nu kitap versiyonu bin kat daha iyiydi😍)
Bir kitap yanlış anlaşılmalarıyla nasıl kendine bağlar ki? Kitaptaki her şeyi zerresine kadar tahmin ettim.(Son sahne hariç orası mükemmeldi zaten.)
Kitap çok güzeldi ya. Kitabın kapağını kapatırken sırıtmaktan çene kaslarım ağrıdı. Bu kadar klişe olup, bu kadar ilgi çekici bir kitap olması mükemmeldi, cidden.
Kitabımız kilisede yeminlerini eden çiftimizle başlıyor. Ben olaylar nasıl buraya geldi, ne oldu anlayamadım demeden esas kızımız olayları anlatıyor.
İkizlerimiz karakter açısından farklı olup bir de bunun üstüne bir de tek yumurta ikizi olunca, kitapta işler çığrından çıktı denilebilir.
Kitabın ilk yarısı sakin ve biraz sıkıcı geçmiş olabilir-benim için- ama kitaba devam etmemi sağlayan o merak ögesi hep oradaydı. Kitaba ne zaman Kit karakteri geldi işte o zaman kitap hareketlendi bence.
Andrian'ı kitabın başında biraz soğuk ve yüzeysel buldum, sanki o duvarlarını aşamıyormuş gibi geldi. Hoş kızımızda bir şekilde mesafesinini korumaya çalışsa beceremedi. Aşıktı aşık kız! Napsın rol mol hak getire oldu. Violet'in yaptığını herkes yapabilir miydi bilemiyorum. Onun yaptığı hem büyük cesaret hem de büyük fedakarlıktı. Sevdiğin adamın başkasını tercih ettiğini bile bile onunla evlenmek😥 Allah düşman başına vermesin ne acı şey. 😰
Andrian ve Violet bir şekilde yaşarken Jeannette'nin hayaleti hep üzerlerindeydi ikilinin. Violet'e bu konuda çok üzüldüm. Hep bir ikilem kıyaslama içindeydi yazık.
Gelelim Kit'e... Kit kitap senin sayende yürüdü gitti. Kit olmasa bu kadar her şey eğlenceli olur muydu bilmiyorum. Üstelik sürekli ahkam kesen abisinden daha zeki. Nerdeyse iki konuşmayla çözdü tüm olayı. Adrian'ın aşık olduğundan beyni yerine başka taraflarını çalıştırdığını düşünüp Andrian'a salak demiyoruz,lütfen.😂
Kit'le olan yanlış anlaşılmaya gülmekten bir hal oldum. Andrian zaten yaşlıydı bir de bunlar olunca sayelerinde adam iyice yaşlandı. Özellikle bir de yollu Jeannette'nin aşığın problemi vardı ki o da çekilcek dert değildi. Zavallı Violet'imin başı çok ağrıdı bu konuda. Pis Jeannette. Kitabın yarısı boyunca senden hiç haz etmedim ve haz etmediğim yerde sadece ismin geçiyordu. Düşünün ne kadar uyuz olmuşum😠
Ya sonrasında olan olaylara ne demeli?! Şırfıntı Jeannette kıza gelip yerini almak istediğini söylemesi?! Elime verseler onu boğacaktım orda. Violet bunu kızkardeş olarak hala nasıl yanında tutuyor anlamış değilim. Hoş Violet buna bir şey yapmadıysa bile ilahi adalet ona çok güzel tekmeyi geçirmişti Violet ile buluşmadan önce. O ara içimin yağları eridi.
Allahtan Adrian öğrendi de şırfıntı Jeannette şantaj falan yapamadı ki bu yapardı. Sırf para için yapmayacağı şey yok bu kadının.
Ve Adrian kitabın ilk yarısında ne kadar yüzeysel bulsam sonlara doğru kabuğunu kırmanla harika bir erkek karakter oldun. Ve her şeyi öğrendiğin sahnede-Downey Bey sağolsun kitabın gizli kahramanı bence o- Violet'e açıklarken ki merhaba diyişin resmen tüylerimi ürpetti.
"Merhaba, Violet."
Sanki odanın içinde sesini duydum. Yazar buraları çok güzel anlatmıştı. Ve Violet'in bu olanlardan sonra sessiz kalması gibi bir durum olsaydı herhalde kitaptan nefret ederdim ama en sonunda Violet'imiz dile gelip konuşunca bir mutlu oldum anlatamam.
Aslında kızımız iyi niyetli diye dışlıyorlar ikizi gibi sinsi bir şırfıntı olsaydı ailesi kesin el üstünde tutardı. Violet'in o kadar güzel bir kalbi vardı ki hayvanlara insanlara insan ister istemez hayran oluyordu. Adrian da buna tutuldu. Violet'in kalbine aşık oldu. Aşk böyle olur işte.
Kitapta her şey çok güzeldi. Son sahnede Violet'in yağtığı şey yüzünden ona kızmak istesem de kendince haklı sebebleri vardı. Ve benim bile aklımı kurcalıyordu. Ama Jeannette'nin niyeti iyi değil ve farklıydı. Sadece bir gecelik bir oyun yaptığından şüpheliyim. Para için yapmayacağı şey yok gibi geliyor bana. Ve o gece başka şeyler de yapabilirdi Adrian'la.
Allahtan Adrian anladı da ne mal olduğunu işe son noktayı koydu. Adrian'cığım son sahnede çok güzel rezil ettin ellerin dert görmesin👏👏 Helal olsun👏👏
Yazarın bence burda vermek istediği mesaj çok açık ve netti. İlahi adalet sizi bulur sjsjjsjs Jeannette ne ettiyse kendine etti ve haketti tüm bu olanları. Oyun oynarken on kere düşünür artık. Çünkü çarpıcam derken çarpıldı. Yazık(!)😂😂
Bu arada Kit'in kitabını okumayı dört gözle bekliyorum. Eliza ile mükemmel olcaklar hissediyorum😉
(Bu arada kitabın konusu Hint dizisi Kördüğüm'e çok benzemiyor mu ya? İlk aklıma onlar geldi. Tabi bunda işler biraz daha karışık ya😂 Ama nu kitap versiyonu bin kat daha iyiydi😍)
June 17, 2021
Regency. This required suspension of logic.
This featured Adrian (a duke) who thought he married
Jeanette, identical twin of Janette, who went by "Violet."
Adrian showed himself to be a slow-top. He had all the
clues that his wife was really Vi: she had shyness & a
reserved nature. She rescued animals & showed servants
respect, enjoyed reading, wore specs. Jean was opposite:
vivacious, self-absorbed, a complainer, had tantrums,
wanted to spend $ on herself. And reportedly had sexual
experience.
Did dense Adrian deserve a HEA?
This featured Adrian (a duke) who thought he married
Jeanette, identical twin of Janette, who went by "Violet."
Adrian showed himself to be a slow-top. He had all the
clues that his wife was really Vi: she had shyness & a
reserved nature. She rescued animals & showed servants
respect, enjoyed reading, wore specs. Jean was opposite:
vivacious, self-absorbed, a complainer, had tantrums,
wanted to spend $ on herself. And reportedly had sexual
experience.
Did dense Adrian deserve a HEA?
January 13, 2022
This book's just like any other historical romance where the couple is married for most of the book, besides the fact that the heroine isn't supposed to be married. Jeannette and Violet are identical twins. On the dawn of Jeannette's wedding to the duke, Jeannette chickens out for some reason and doesn't want to go through the wedding. Violet agrees to take her place because she's secretly in love with the duke.
My question is if the duke barely paid any attention to her, how was she in love with him? Also, even though my husband is glad he married me and not my sister, at the end of the day, he chose her and not me. Violet wasn't his first choice...
I appreciate this book having steamier sex scenes than the last contemporary romance I read, "When Stars Collide" by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, though there was less steamy scenes as the novel progressed.
Maybe I'll read Kit's book because I liked him.
My question is if the duke barely paid any attention to her, how was she in love with him? Also, even though my husband is glad he married me and not my sister, at the end of the day, he chose her and not me. Violet wasn't his first choice...
I appreciate this book having steamier sex scenes than the last contemporary romance I read, "When Stars Collide" by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, though there was less steamy scenes as the novel progressed.
Maybe I'll read Kit's book because I liked him.
January 26, 2011
Loved this audiobook! Had a wonderful narrator that I hope to run into more often (she did great male voices -- a HUGE "do or die" for an audiobook for me, and very distinct characterizations).
As for the storyline, although the premise was pretty unbelieveable (twins sustaining a switch of their lives and fooling even their parents on a long term basis), the story was portrayed very romantically. I was not only willing, but stubbornly ignored the implausibilities of the situation. The heroine was one of my favorite character types -- not a "chaser" when things blew up. I loved that the hero pined for her and chased HER down! The only thing I would have changed is I felt the separation of the H/h should have been less easily resolved; it would have added a bit more drama to the story.
Really enjoyed this book and the reader. I hope she does more of TAW's books in audio.
K.
As for the storyline, although the premise was pretty unbelieveable (twins sustaining a switch of their lives and fooling even their parents on a long term basis), the story was portrayed very romantically. I was not only willing, but stubbornly ignored the implausibilities of the situation. The heroine was one of my favorite character types -- not a "chaser" when things blew up. I loved that the hero pined for her and chased HER down! The only thing I would have changed is I felt the separation of the H/h should have been less easily resolved; it would have added a bit more drama to the story.
Really enjoyed this book and the reader. I hope she does more of TAW's books in audio.
K.
May 10, 2018
Öncelikle Adrian...
Sen bu kızlarla uğraşma güzel çocuğum, bana gel :)) Yazık günah ya, bir adamla bu kadar oynanmaz.
Kızlar ikiz kardeşler, tek yumurta. Biri sessiz sakin, kitap kurdu, çok zeki. Violet.
Diğeri partileri seviyor, sosyal, kırıcı, şen şakrak. Jeannette.
Dük olan adamımız kendine evlenmek için Jeannette'i seçiyor, halbuki Violet onu gördüğü anda sevmiş. Jeannette düğün günü mihraba gidecekken evlenmekten vazgeçince de yerine kardeşi Violet geçiyor. Sonrası çorap söküğü misali.
İkizlerin ikisine de uyuz oldum ama Jeannette'e hissettiğim gıcıklığın haddi hesabı yok. Violet garibim, hep dışlandığı için özgüvensizlik hissediyor, adamı seviyor falan ama... Yaptıkları şeyin ne mantığı var ne ahlaka sığar. Ne bileyim değneğin iki ucu falan boklu değil, değnek komple boktan oluşuyor.
Düşündüğünüzde sorunlar acayip fazla! Fakat yazım tarzını güzel buldum, erkek karakter yaşatılanlara rağmen çok tatlı ve iyiydi, o yüzden 4 yıldız.
Sen bu kızlarla uğraşma güzel çocuğum, bana gel :)) Yazık günah ya, bir adamla bu kadar oynanmaz.
Kızlar ikiz kardeşler, tek yumurta. Biri sessiz sakin, kitap kurdu, çok zeki. Violet.
Diğeri partileri seviyor, sosyal, kırıcı, şen şakrak. Jeannette.
Dük olan adamımız kendine evlenmek için Jeannette'i seçiyor, halbuki Violet onu gördüğü anda sevmiş. Jeannette düğün günü mihraba gidecekken evlenmekten vazgeçince de yerine kardeşi Violet geçiyor. Sonrası çorap söküğü misali.
İkizlerin ikisine de uyuz oldum ama Jeannette'e hissettiğim gıcıklığın haddi hesabı yok. Violet garibim, hep dışlandığı için özgüvensizlik hissediyor, adamı seviyor falan ama... Yaptıkları şeyin ne mantığı var ne ahlaka sığar. Ne bileyim değneğin iki ucu falan boklu değil, değnek komple boktan oluşuyor.
Düşündüğünüzde sorunlar acayip fazla! Fakat yazım tarzını güzel buldum, erkek karakter yaşatılanlara rağmen çok tatlı ve iyiydi, o yüzden 4 yıldız.
September 28, 2013
★★★★☆ (This is a review of the audiobook.) I don’t know how many times I’ve read this book; it just resonated with me, back in the day, as I tried to imagine being in Violet’s situation: her identical twin doesn’t want to marry the man with whom Violet is secretly in love. It is shortly before the wedding, so Violet makes a rash decision and steps in. Implausible, true, but fun in some ways.
Still, while the narration by Bianca Amato was very nicely done -- she’s surprisingly great with the male voices and I’ll seek her out again -- only some scenes still held my attention. I also didn’t like the ending as much as I once did; now I remember, the last time I skim-read it I spend more time re-reading the middle.
Still, while the narration by Bianca Amato was very nicely done -- she’s surprisingly great with the male voices and I’ll seek her out again -- only some scenes still held my attention. I also didn’t like the ending as much as I once did; now I remember, the last time I skim-read it I spend more time re-reading the middle.
March 1, 2020
A mistaken identity story about Violet, a wallflower who takes her gregarious twin sister's place when she decides to jilt her fiance Adrian, at the altar. Violet, who had been in love with Adrian since she first met him, doesn't want to see him humiliated, and agrees to her sister's scheme.
Adrian, who is a proud man, is happy to discover that his new bride isn't as shallow as he discovered shortly before the wedding, and it's not long before the two find contentment in their marriage. Violet falls even more in love with Adrian and does everything she can to be a good wife to him, always feeling guilt for having deceived him.
Violet's annoying twin sister Jeannette isn't done creating trouble, however, and .
They eventually find their way back to each other, and after dealing with Jeannette, get their happily ever after.
Although I'm not usually a fan of the switch trope, I enjoyed this one. Violet tries a bit too hard to become like her sister, which ends up helping her evolve as a character in the end, but doesn't escape scot free from her deception, which I appreciated.
Next comes Jeannette's story in The Wife Trap: A Rouge Regency Romance, but I'll be skipping that one since I really dislike her as a character and don't want to be in her head for a whole book, even if that did redeem her. I'll be going straight to Violet's best friend Eliza's story that I'm looking forward to in The Wedding Trap, A Rouge Regency Romance next.
Adrian, who is a proud man, is happy to discover that his new bride isn't as shallow as he discovered shortly before the wedding, and it's not long before the two find contentment in their marriage. Violet falls even more in love with Adrian and does everything she can to be a good wife to him, always feeling guilt for having deceived him.
Violet's annoying twin sister Jeannette isn't done creating trouble, however, and .
They eventually find their way back to each other, and after dealing with Jeannette, get their happily ever after.
Although I'm not usually a fan of the switch trope, I enjoyed this one. Violet tries a bit too hard to become like her sister, which ends up helping her evolve as a character in the end, but doesn't escape scot free from her deception, which I appreciated.
Next comes Jeannette's story in The Wife Trap: A Rouge Regency Romance, but I'll be skipping that one since I really dislike her as a character and don't want to be in her head for a whole book, even if that did redeem her. I'll be going straight to Violet's best friend Eliza's story that I'm looking forward to in The Wedding Trap, A Rouge Regency Romance next.
June 13, 2021
I don’t know.
Maybe I’ll revise my rating at some point, but this book irritated the flaming piss out of me. For one thing, in my romance reading adventures, I’ve found that I am just not a fan of the Big Deception. It’s stressful and irritating.
I’d read so many people say they loved this book that I didn’t really pay attention to the blurb. Even so, I have enjoyed others’ takes on the switcheroo thing. But this was just too much.
First, we have the stress of wondering how and when the hero will discover he’s married the wrong woman.
Then, the twin the heroine is pretending to be is having an affair so she has to lean into that and so you’re afraid he’s gonna find out about THAT.
Finally, he does. Hallelujah. We get some good angst. The heroine running away. The hero miserable. The kind of stuff in romance I actually enjoy.
When he finds her, tells her he loves the real her and that they’re gonna *really* get married and love each other in truth, you can breathe a sigh of relief. Whatever turmoil they face, at least it won’t be another deception.
*BUZZER*
Wrong!
When her twin comes for the hero’s birthday party, she agrees to deceive him again! WHAT THE FUCK. I’ve just went through the last umpteen chapters of you wailing about how wrong you were to deceive him and WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING LADY?!
I STG. This damn book drove me to drink.
The writer seems like a decent writer. There were some good moments and the writing was good. But I’ll be damned if this whole plot didn’t make me want to slam heads.
Maybe I’ll revise my rating at some point, but this book irritated the flaming piss out of me. For one thing, in my romance reading adventures, I’ve found that I am just not a fan of the Big Deception. It’s stressful and irritating.
I’d read so many people say they loved this book that I didn’t really pay attention to the blurb. Even so, I have enjoyed others’ takes on the switcheroo thing. But this was just too much.
First, we have the stress of wondering how and when the hero will discover he’s married the wrong woman.
Then, the twin the heroine is pretending to be is having an affair so she has to lean into that and so you’re afraid he’s gonna find out about THAT.
Finally, he does. Hallelujah. We get some good angst. The heroine running away. The hero miserable. The kind of stuff in romance I actually enjoy.
When he finds her, tells her he loves the real her and that they’re gonna *really* get married and love each other in truth, you can breathe a sigh of relief. Whatever turmoil they face, at least it won’t be another deception.
*BUZZER*
Wrong!
When her twin comes for the hero’s birthday party, she agrees to deceive him again! WHAT THE FUCK. I’ve just went through the last umpteen chapters of you wailing about how wrong you were to deceive him and WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING LADY?!
I STG. This damn book drove me to drink.
The writer seems like a decent writer. There were some good moments and the writing was good. But I’ll be damned if this whole plot didn’t make me want to slam heads.
December 9, 2010
Violet Brantford has always longed for the passionate embrace of Adrian Winter, the wealthy Duke of Raeburn. Problem is, he’s set to marry Violet’s vivacious, more socially polished look-alike twin sister, Jeannette. But when Jeannette refuses to go through with the ceremony mere minutes before it is to begin, soft-spoken Violet finds herself walking down the aisle and taking vows in her sister’s place. Soon shy Violet is a high-society wife, trying to keep her real identity a secret while living out the fantasies of her wildest dreams.
Adrian thinks he knows exactly what he’s gotten himself into: Jeannette may be flighty and, well, a bit self-involved, but she’s the picture-perfect wife to carry on the Winter name. Yet this marriage of convenience brings the groom more than he bargained for when he finds his sweet, innocent wife surprising him at every turn. And though he never planned on true love, Adrian is definitely in danger of losing his heart.
What worked for me:
*Maybe the heroine is not a true "plain jane", but she's a bookish wall-flower anyway -- I like that type of story a lot.
*The whole "reveal" scene -- everything surrounding that worked for me :)
What didn't work for me:
*Marriage based on deception -- while it makes for an exciting read (just WHEN is he gonna find out?!), it still irks me to see someone who claims to be "in love" base their entire relationship on a very big lie.
*The second switch -- while I understand the reasoning, that annoyed me, especially when she got all butthurt over the results.
Overall, a very enjoyable, quick read. The sex was hot without being blistering, the romance was sweet, especially when our hero was surprised to find himself falling in love with his wife, and the climax/resolution was very satisfying (and no, that's not a dirty pun lol)
Solid 3 Stars
Adrian thinks he knows exactly what he’s gotten himself into: Jeannette may be flighty and, well, a bit self-involved, but she’s the picture-perfect wife to carry on the Winter name. Yet this marriage of convenience brings the groom more than he bargained for when he finds his sweet, innocent wife surprising him at every turn. And though he never planned on true love, Adrian is definitely in danger of losing his heart.
What worked for me:
*Maybe the heroine is not a true "plain jane", but she's a bookish wall-flower anyway -- I like that type of story a lot.
*The whole "reveal" scene -- everything surrounding that worked for me :)
What didn't work for me:
*Marriage based on deception -- while it makes for an exciting read (just WHEN is he gonna find out?!), it still irks me to see someone who claims to be "in love" base their entire relationship on a very big lie.
*The second switch -- while I understand the reasoning, that annoyed me, especially when she got all butthurt over the results.
Overall, a very enjoyable, quick read. The sex was hot without being blistering, the romance was sweet, especially when our hero was surprised to find himself falling in love with his wife, and the climax/resolution was very satisfying (and no, that's not a dirty pun lol)
Solid 3 Stars
December 1, 2015
It took me a while to read this book but not because it was not interesting. In fact it was much better than I expected. This was my first book by Tracy Anne Warren and probably not the last one.
To be honest, I shouldn't have liked this book so much. Lying to the person you love was an important part of the story and this is something I can't stand in my books. Violet agrees to replace her twin sister Jeannette on the altar and plays her role after wedding making her husband Adrian believe she is Jeannette. The books suited perfectly to one of my challenges and that was the only reason I started reading it. I'm really glad I did it, it was a pleasure, even though I was not convinced by the plot.
I liked the characters a lot. Except Jeannette, of course. Violet is true in her love for Adrian and I found him very cute and caring. I also liked Kit and I would like to know his story.
I found out that the second book in this series is about Jeannette, so I definitely skip it because I can't stand her. But I will go for the third book about Kit and Eliza, Violet's best friend. I really hoped for them to be together, since I like them both.
To be honest, I shouldn't have liked this book so much. Lying to the person you love was an important part of the story and this is something I can't stand in my books. Violet agrees to replace her twin sister Jeannette on the altar and plays her role after wedding making her husband Adrian believe she is Jeannette. The books suited perfectly to one of my challenges and that was the only reason I started reading it. I'm really glad I did it, it was a pleasure, even though I was not convinced by the plot.
I liked the characters a lot. Except Jeannette, of course. Violet is true in her love for Adrian and I found him very cute and caring. I also liked Kit and I would like to know his story.
I found out that the second book in this series is about Jeannette, so I definitely skip it because I can't stand her. But I will go for the third book about Kit and Eliza, Violet's best friend. I really hoped for them to be together, since I like them both.
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