TEST
Cheryl St. John is most acclaimed as an author of western romances. I confess, I haven’t read any of them, but one of her contemporaries, A Husband By Any Other Name, is among my favorite series romances.
Dan Beckett always loved Lorraine Loring, but he was forced to stand aside as his father pushed Dan’s twin brother Tom into pursuing Lorrie, the daughter of one of his business associates. Then came the day that Tom, tired of the pressure their father put on him as the older son, suddenly left home. Before Dan could even consider how to tell their parents, Lorraine came to him. Believing he was Tom, she told him she was pregnant. Rather than tell her the father of her child was gone, Dan let her go on believing he was Tom and asked her to marry him.
For fourteen years Dan lived a life that should have been his brother’s, running the family orchards, raising four children with Lorraine. Then he receives a call that changes everything. Tom has been in a motorcycle accident in Tennessee. The only identification on him was the old duffel bag belonging to their father that he took with him when he left, which is how the hospital knew who to contact. Tom himself has amnesia and doesn’t remember who he is. Dan brings his brother home, telling everyone that Tom is actually “Dan,” the prodigal son. But it’s only a matter of time before Tom remembers the truth, and Dan knows he has to come clean with Lorrie.
Is this premise plausible? Maybe not. Some readers may find it hard to believe that no one besides their mother (who’d had a stroke and couldn’t speak) would notice the twin switch, and Tom’s memory loss is the very definition of convenient romance novel amnesia. Did I care? Not in the least. It’s hard to begrudge an author a little artistic license when a story is this good, and St. John takes this far-fetched premise and wrings the most drama and emotion possible from it, making for a gripping read.
The masquerade plot is one of my favorites, and this is a great spin on the theme. The story is low on plot and high on characterization, focusing solely on these people and their struggle to deal with the emotional impact of the real Tom’s return and Dan’s revelation to his wife. It’s a very smart approach on the author’s part. This isn’t some lame story where she puts off the revelation for the longest time in order to build up suspense or have some over-the-top dark moment. Dan is essentially a good, decent man who loves his wife and children. He comes clean with her, which is the right thing to do and makes it that much easier to respect him. Besides, this secret is too big to be delayed until late in the book, then have a happy ending a few chapters later. With Dan’s revelation, a rock-solid marriage is shaken to its core. The characters need to deal with it, and do so realistically over the course of the story. This is a book that doesn’t need an intricate plot to be a fast-paced read. The emotional drama is involving and gripping enough to keep a reader tearing through the pages.
One of the best aspects of the book is the way the author portrays Dan and Lorrie’s marriage, the deep love and familiarity of two people who’ve been together for so many years, the way they know each other in a way only two people can. Lorrie’s shock and sense of betrayal feels that much more vivid because the reader has seen the kind of marriage they had. The scene where Dan tells her the truth is a heartbreaker.
The story is dramatic and emotional without crossing over into melodrama, because it remains grounded in very real, relatable people. These aren’t larger-than-life characters – no spies, cops or soldiers here – but regular people living ordinary lives, yet faced with an unordinary situation. The author captures the rhythms of everyday life and the rural Nebraska setting in a way that feels wonderfully true. There are so many keenly felt little moments that seem true to life. These aren’t small town or down-on-the-farm cliches. They’re flesh-and-blood people, which makes their fears, their pains and their joys that much more moving.
The front cover of the original edition makes it look like this is the story of some bimbo torn between twin Conan O’Briens. Rest assured, as is usually the case, a much better story awaits inside. An unusually sensitive and touching series romance, it’s an exceptionally good read.
Grade: A-
Book Type: Contemporary Romance|Series Romance
Sensuality: Warm
Review Date: 21/09/05
Publication Date: 1996/12
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Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.