Author: Teri Wilson
Narrator: Joy Osmanski
Publisher: Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books
Publication Date: December 2018
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible
Description: Charlotte Gorman loves her job as an elementary school librarian and is content to experience life through the pages of her books. Which couldn’t be more opposite from her identical twin sister. Ginny, an Instagram-famous beauty queen, has been chasing a crown since she was old enough to say "world peace" and she’s not giving up until she wins Miss American Treasure. But when Ginny has a face-altering allergic reaction the night before competition, Charlotte suddenly finds herself in a switcheroo the twins haven’t successfully pulled off in decades.
Woefully unprepared for the glittery world of hair extensions, false eyelashes, and push-up bras, Charlotte realizes, after walking a mile in her twin's sky-high stilettos, there might be more to the pageant circuit than just a sparkly crown . . .
My Thoughts: I absolutely adored this story. I love a story that not only entertains me with a unique plot but is full of characters that are easy to relate to and love as well. There wasn’t one unlikable character in this story and I was expecting at least one snarky, rude character, especially given that this story takes place at a beauty pageant. No villains lurking in the shadows waiting to sabotage the main characters, no slimy ex relationships showing up to ruin everything.
This story is also full of Harry Potter references which I didn’t know when I selected this book for this year’s reading. The fact that the main heartthrob, Gray, calls Charlotte Hermione made my muggle heart all aflutter. There’s also a dog. A French Bulldog named Buttercup and she is quite the scene stealer.
The only area someone could find an issue in this story is the deception Charlotte and Ginny perpetrate by having Charlotte pose as Ginny and compete in the pageant. A severe allergic reaction is a good reason, but it’s still unethical and, to be honest, I wouldn’t give this story a perfect rating if it were for any other reason. Everything plays out so well, especially between Gray and Charlotte, that I really wasn’t focused on the fact that Charlotte was posing as Ginny and competing in the pageant. Charlotte was so awkward, not being a beauty queen type that I was surprised that she wasn’t outed or eliminated in the beginning.
I paired the reading of this book with the audio format narrated by Joy Osmanski. Her performance was amazing. She kept me engaged in the story and made the characters sound and feel realistic. Teri Wilson crafts a story that checks off all the boxes for me with storyline, likable characters and scenes that gave me all the feels. I will be looking for more books by this author.
My Final Verdict: I highly recommend this fantastic story to readers who love stories that make them laugh and cry. Readers who love dogs and Harry Potter will appreciate stories featuring characters that do too.
Thank you to the publisher, Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.
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