Blog Tour + Excerpt + Review: "The Duplicate Bride" by Ginny Baird

Congratulations to Ginny Baird on the publication of her new novel, "The Duplicate Bride," book #1 in the Blue Hill Brides duet. 

 

I was really looking forward to reading this book, but unfortunately, it ended up being a pretty big disappointment for me. Based on the synopsis, I was expecting a lighthearted rom-com; instead, there was so much unnecessary and unrealistic drama and angst that I almost couldn't finish it.

 

I think my biggest problem was with the book's female lead character, Hope. At first, I kind of felt bad for her because it seemed as if her twin sister, Jackie, was taking advantage of her good nature and protective instincts to push her to deceive Jackie's fiance, Brent, and his family. As the story progressed, however, I became more and more frustrated with Hope's refusal to put an end to all of the lies. Brent and his family came across as good people, and Hope didn't seem to feel very guilty about lying to them until she got caught. That said, I found the character development in this book to be very lacking. Perhaps if I had gotten to know Hope better, I would have found it easier to like her and understand her motivations for going along with Jackie's scheme.

My other big problem with the book was that the charade of Hope pretending to be Jackie went on for far too long, and Brent forgave Hope much too easily for everything that had happened. By the time the truth was revealed, there were only about two chapters left in the book to resolve everything, so the ending felt incredibly rushed and unsatisfying.

 

Finally, I have to point out one other thing because it bothered me so much while I was reading: a couple is NOT legally married just because they apply for and receive a marriage license!

Bottom line: I did not enjoy and cannot personally recommend "The Duplicate Bride," but it may well appeal to fans of clean (kissing only) romances that feature twin switches/mistaken identity and/or marriage of convenience plots. I invite you to check out the excerpt below and judge for yourself whether or not this book is for you.

 

*Review copy provided by the publisher via Edelweiss. All opinions expressed are my own.

 

About "The Duplicate Bride"

Saying “I do” has never been this much fun in this charming new romance from New York Times bestselling author Ginny Baird.

Hope Webb can’t believe her twin sister, Jackie, is begging her to swap places and play fiancée at Jackie’s pre-wedding festivities. Sure, it’s only a business-deal sort of marriage, but Hope is a carb-loving teacher who enjoys curling up with a good book. Jackie is a workaholic whose idea of a good time is a brisk five-mile run at the crack of dawn. The two sisters couldn’t be more opposite.

Now Hope is stuck in the middle of a warm, tight-knit family she can’t help but adore and a groom who turns out to be entirely wonderful...for her.

Hotel magnate Brent Albright knows something is off about his fiancée, but he doesn’t care. Gone is the driven woman with similar career goals, and in her place is someone warm and funny who not only charms his family but him as well. She’s doing everything she can to avoid him, but that’s probably just nerves. Two people about to wed couldn’t know each other less.

Now Brent is determined to woo his fiancée, for real this time, because the more he gets to know her, the more his sweet fiancée turns out to be entirely wonderful...for him.

And that’s when things start to get really complicated...

Read an Excerpt from "The Duplicate Bride"

 

Brent knocked at the carriage house door, wondering if he should come back later, but then the door cracked open the tiniest bit.

He could see just a sliver of her face, including one big brown eye.

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” he said hoarsely. “I hope you weren’t sleeping.”

“No. Just resting my eyes.”

“I brought you something to eat. This lamb dish of my dad’s is the best.”

She slowly pulled back the door, accepting his offering.

Brent saw she’d changed into athletic shorts and an oversized T-shirt that said “Dancing Queen” in bright pink letters with a small pink tiara above the script. It was undeniably offbeat and cute, and he’d never seen it before.

“Thank you.”

“I—” Brent awkwardly cleared his throat. “I mean, I know now’s not a good time... But later?” His forehead rose with the question. “Maybe we can talk?”

“Yeah, um, sure.”

“I hope you feel better in the morning.”

“Thanks. Me, too.”

“And Jackie?”

“Yeah?”

“I wanted to let you know—I don’t blame you for what you said earlier. About the ring...the way I proposed...all of it.”

“We made a deal,” she said solidly. And still, her lips trembled.

Brent was starting to see it was a rotten one at best. “Yeah, well. Deals can be amended.”

“I’m not sure what you’re saying.”

“I’m glad that you came clean with me. Because, you know, I don’t think it’s too late to make things work.”

She toyed anxiously with the food container, tilting it in her hands. “Too late? No, of course not. We have...until Saturday.”

“Then, hopefully, the rest of our lives.”

Jackie blinked up at him, and Brent’s heart pinged. He could read the doubt in her eyes—the hurt and confusion, too—and he hated himself for making her feel this way. But he was already formulating a plan to make things better.

Even if he couldn’t convince Jackie to fall head over heels in love with him by the weekend, he could at least give her a good start in that direction. He could do this thing. Become the sort of guy Jackie could really care for. And he was determined to pull out all the stops to make that happen.

“Just give me this chance, and I promise you, I won’t let you down,” he said, growing more confident by the minute. He was great at tackling challenges and could do almost anything when he put his mind to it. “By this time on Saturday, you’ll be crazy about me.”

***