Review

When Violet Colby’s mother Belle goes into a coma after a horseback riding accident, Violet leaves their ranch in Grasslands, Texas for Fort Worth trying to find the biological father she has never met. Violet is in for the surprise of her life when she comes face to face with a young woman named Maddie Wallace who looks exactly like her! Adding to the shock of finding an identical twin sister she didn’t know she had, Violet has an immediate attraction to Maddie’s ex-fiancé Landon Derringer which further complicates the fragile relationship she is forming with her newfound sister. Violet is worried about her mom and also wants to get to know Maddie and find out why their family was separated. Although Maddie and Landon share a mutual attraction, Landon isn’t sure he can fully trust Maddie’s motives and is determined to find out the truth, even if it puts his potential relationship with Maddie at risk.

“The normal rules don’t seem to apply when you find out something that changes everything you think about who you are.” Violet’s words get to the heart of this story. Imagine the surprise of not only finding out not only do you have a sister, but an identical twin. Violet is already distraught over her mother’s accident and now her whole life has changed. I love the premise of this story and the way it unfolds. Most of the story is seen from Violet’s point of view, but it is written in a way the reader connects with Maddie as well and relates to her sadness over finding her biological mother, but not knowing if Belle will ever be well enough to speak to her.

Violet, Maddie, and Landon are all very likeable characters, although the twins are almost too good to be true. Landon is realistically and understandably skeptical of Violet’s story, but after some initial suspicion, Maddie and Violet almost instantly bond. That is somewhat believable since they are twins, but their close friendship does seem somewhat rushed. It’s a bit predicable that Violet and Landon would have feelings for each other, but their story is still interesting and romantic. I’m not sure what to think about Violet and Maddie’s parents. It seems unbelievably cruel to keep siblings apart, but the full story behind the family’s separation isn’t revealed, so it’s not fair to make a judgment at this point in the overall story.  The central mystery in the book is very intriguing, although most of the subplots are fairly predictable, but still entertaining.

Her Surprise Sister is the first book in Harlequin’s Texas Twins series. This first book is by the author, Marta Perry, but the subsequent books will be by different authors. I am a fan of Ms. Perry’s Amish romantic suspense stories, and I enjoyed this story as well. The book is a great combination of romance, inspiration, and intrigue. I like the way the characters’ faith is a part of their lives, and it is very natural and fitting to the storyline to see the characters praying, attending church services, or volunteering at a church youth center.

Fans of Hannah Alexander or Debbie Macomber will find this author to their liking. Just be aware that while a few things are resolved by the end of the book, many aspects of the story remain untold and presumably will be revealed in the remaining books in the series. Violet is the main character in this book, but the next installment will focus on Maddie. As long as you can stand the wait to get the answers to the central mystery of Violet and Maddie’s parents, this is an entertaining, well-written book.