My Twin Sister's Ex

Sweet Mountain High: Year Two #6

by Cindy Ray Hale

Onstage with my twin sister’s ex.

What happens when the kissing scene turns real?



Jessilyn

I’ve dreamed of going to theater school for as long as I can remember. When my drama teacher announces a drama competition at our high school, I know it’s the perfect opportunity for me to beef up my college applications. An award like that could help me get into my dream school.

The last thing I was expecting was to get assigned a kissing scene with Bennett. Not only does he think drama is a joke, he used to date my identical twin sister, Jackilyn. Now my only choice is to convince Bennett to actually memorize his lines. I just wasn’t expecting to feel this strongly about him.



Bennett

I thought drama would be easy to pass. Who knew the teacher would be so tough? If I can’t get my grade up, I won’t be able to graduate. When I get paired with Jessilyn for the drama competition, the first thing I want to do is back out. How am I supposed to perform a kissing scene with my ex girlfriend’s insanely jealous twin?

It was one thing to date Jackilyn. She was one of the mean girls, a total rebel. But Jessilyn is a good girl. I can’t let myself fall for her. She deserves better than a bad boy like me. I’ve done things I’m not proud of. But I’m not sure I can stay away from her, and if I want to graduate, I need a good grade in drama. I’m not so sure I’ll make it out of this with my heart intact.

Genres: Romance, Young Adult

156 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 1, 2021

About the author

Cindy Ray Hale loves to write romcoms set in small towns and has been writing and publishing books since 2012, all the while, laughing at her own funny stories. She is married to the sweetest guy and has a blended family with him, consisting of seven kids.

She loves nerding out on video games, creating book covers, and drinking too much caffeine. When she can find a moment, she loves to sing and play the piano and often includes acting and singing somewhere in her stories.

She was born and raised in the hills of Tennessee in a large crazy family and as an adult, has moved all over the United States. She's finally settled down in a small town in the mountains of western Virginia where she loves to go hiking, boating, and dig in her garden.

Reviews

[Jessica]

I won't rate this book with any stars, since I'm not in the intended target group (teens/young adult).

Jessilyn really wants to win the drama competition at her school, since it will help her get in to the right college. She's disappointed when she's paired with Bennett. Not only does he not take drama lessons seriously, but he's been dating her twin sister, Jackilyn. How is she supposed to kiss him - even if it's only for show?

I liked Jessilyn and Bennett as characters, and that we got both their point of views. The romance was sweet, but too predictable for my taste. I also had some issues with the way they talked. Sometimes they sounded all grown up, while other times the conversations were on the childish side.

If you're a teenager I'm pretty sure you will enjoy this sweet romance - and Bennett is definitely boyfriend material! As an adult who left her teen years behind a long time ago... It wasn't really for me.

* I received an ARC from the author and I'm giving my honest review. *

[Debbie Eyre · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a fun read! A sweet clean teen romance which shows you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover! There’s loss to deal with, drama, mean spirited people, kind people, survival, sweet romance and humour. A great story with relatable characters and situations and I really enjoyed it.

[Ella's Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bennett & Jessilyn

Bennett's grades have been suffering since his mom died and his dad subsequently become an alcoholic. He works after school to pay the bills and he doesn't have time to do homework or the energy to focus in class. He's been suspended twice for fighting (sticking up for kids who are being bullied) and because he is "rough around the edges" he's become known as a bad boy. But Bennett needs to pass Drama in order to graduate and he is determined to do whatever it takes to make that happen. The teacher has said that the duo that wins the drama competition will get an automatic A so Bennett needs to win that competition!

Jessilyn panics when she realizes she's been partnered with Bennett for the drama competition. He never makes an effort at school and Jessilyn really wants to win the competition to round out her theater resume/college application. What's worse, their scene involves THREE kisses and Bennett is Jessilyn's twin sister's ex. Jessilyn knows that Jackilyn will not be okay with her kissing Bennett.

As soon as they begin practicing, the chemistry between Bennett and Jessilyn is obvious but they are faced with Jackilyn's objections to them being together.

My Twin Sister's Ex was a great quick read. Both Bennett and Jessilyn had some complex family relationships happening which added depth to the story.

I love all of the Sweet Mountain High Books including My Best Friend Prince Charming (Sweet Mountain High #6), also by Cindy Ray Hale. I could happily re-read both series and will be adding more books by Cindy Ray Hale to my TBR.

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

[Katie (hiding in the pages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Living vicariously

My sister and I are really close in age and during high school, we often felt compared by friends and boys or even like people thought we were the same person. Jackilyn and Jessilyn are identical twins with completely contrasting personalities, yet somehow, they both have a brush with Bennett. Jackilyn is his ex and Jessilyn is his new drama partner, and while things could be completely sticky and messy with the complicated relationships, Hale writes this story in a way that is sweet and engaging.

I love a fluffy story, but a book with a message zaps me in the heart. The message I took away from this one is that you really can't judge someone only by what you see. People are complex and layered and the first impression that Bennett gives isn't favorable, but there are deep reasons why he appears as he does and I loved delving into his life. Bennett is pretty amazing, as is Jessilyn.

One thing I love about this series is it allows me to vicariously live through the good times of high school. I wish I would've taken theater, but there wasn't room in my schedule, yet I got to have a taste of that experience. Hale does a great job of creating realistic teens and real-life situations, and I really enjoyed it.

Content: mild romance

*I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.*

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book my young middle school self would have loved. As a more critical adult reading it, it was pretty good. You go into the book expecting some light and fluffy fun but has some depth to it when you see the struggles Bennet has. Bennet was surprising with how mature he was and really a stand up kind of guy. What he was doing daily to survive was awesome. Jessilyn was as sweet as her chocolate addition. I loved her heart. Loved the mechanic uncle and his advice. The Ex was horrible. I swear I wanted to ground her for the whole school year with her terrible attitude and actions. There was a lot of forgiveness and grace given to various characters in the book. So it does promote good values although I thought there should have been some harsher consequences for some actions.
Just an overall sweet story.
Rating: PG, clean, death of a parent discussed, alcoholism shown not in detail but the negative effects on the family and consequences of it discussed.

[Anonymous 5 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really sweet and delightful read! I don't really read a lot of YA books, but I've read a few from this series and have really enjoyed them, including this one. The story was very well-written and pulled me in right from the start. The characters were well-developed and endearing and you can't help but fall in love with them, even mean-spirited Jacki! Jacki and Jessi are twins, and total opposites, Jessi being the sweeter, kinder one. Bennett is the bad boy, Jacki's ex, and he happens to get paired with Jessi in drama class and the story gets quite and interesting from there! A very fun, clean, and sweet YA read I would definitely recommend!

I received a complimentary advanced reader's copy from the author and am voluntarily leaving my review.

[Chicken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐

This book was so much fun to read. The characters, story, romance, every bit was incredibly written. I loved how Jacki and Jessi’s relationship as sisters was shown. Jacki was a bit like the villain of the story but she grows throughout the story and becomes a better person by the end. Bennett was such an adorable hero. He had his nuances but was a good person overall. He truly cared about increasing his grades and loving Jessi the best way that he could. I loved their relationship and am super excited to read more of Cindy’s books.

I received a review copy and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Teresa Bertolio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful YA Romance

Jessilyn is to of her drama class. She wants to go to Duke for college. She really wants to beef up her resume with her theatre experience. Brock needs to pass drama, so he can graduate. What will happen when these two get paired up for the big scholarship competition? Oh, and did I tell you that Brock is her sister's ex? Find out what happens in this fast paced read. Happy Reading!

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this series. Cute high school reads. Twins who look similar but so different. Good girl and bad boy. A whole lot of drama and kissing, literally! Bennett dated the mean girl twin, now he finds himself playing opposite the sweet one. How is that going to work out? If he wants to graduate, Bennett needs Jessilyn's help so there's no pulling out and he has to make it work!! Despite the evil twin !
Also deals with some emotional issues to reflect on.

[Ellen Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jackilyn and Jessilyn were twin’s with very different personalities. Bennett was considered a bad boy who needed a good grade in Drama class to graduate. He was paired up with Jessilyn his ex’s twin sister. Where Jackilyn was mean spirited, Jessilyn was sweet and kind. Very sweet and cute teen romance.

I was given this advanced copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Michaela | Reading in the Heartland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I needed a lighter book to read and this one fit the bill. Definitely not a trope that I’ve read much out of but it really worked well with the completely opposite personalities and ways of putting together their looks. I liked the theatre emphasis and the class differences. A fun YA read.

I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Jeanne Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 2nd book I've read written by Cindy Ray Hale; I can’t wait to read more of her books. She has written a good book.

This is the sixth book in the Sweet Mountain High Series; the story is well written and fun to read.

I received a free copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jill Badker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jessilyn is the quieter twin and likes to stay out of the way of her sisters wake. Being paired up with Bennett her sisters ex for the most important scene of her high school drama class may be the end of her. But spending more time with him she finds he's not who her sister says he is. Will she be able to ignore the feelings she develops or will she follow her heart and dreams.

[Tina Yarrall · Rating 2 out of 5]

The end of the series but could be skipped

I found this book a little painful to read. Jessilyn came across very self righteous so she was hard to like and a lot of the story felt underdeveloped as things just suddenly happened. Much of the text felt repetitive of the same thoughts. It wasn’t all bad and I finished the story but it was a little underwhelming end to the series.

[Romcom Queenie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick, cute and sweet book. It was too fast paced for me. It seemed like Bennett and Jessilyn were rehearsing one minute and being boyfriend and girlfriend the next. Needed more interactions before getting serious. Good YA romance for teenagers.
I received this ARC for my honest opinion.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a YA story -- not my usual genre. It was a fun story line. It talks about some issues that some young people face -- being raised by a single parent, alcoholism, rich people, etc. A clean read.

[Rita · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a quick read and pretty sweet. It’s a good addition to the Sweet Mountain High: Year Two series.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick sweet high school read. Moves along and teen age thinking and issues dealt with. Enjoyable teen read.
*I was given a copy and am voluntarily giving my honest review.

[A · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 it wasn’t as good as the first ones but it was ok

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one! :)

[Sherri · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good clean YA romance: I enjoyed reading it and would recommend it.

[Regina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet YA romance with plenty of family drama. Because of all that drama, it took me a while to get into the story.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome Read

Her twin is the evil witch of sweet mountain seriously. That evil witch should’ve gotten into trouble for everything she’s done shady crap too. I love B & J together.

[Karla · Rating 4 out of 5]

A high school romance with mean girl vibes. Bennett is the bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks. The good characters are likeable and there is a happy ending.