Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC.

This story is about two women who at the age of 62 discover they are identical twins, so now the mystery begins of their exact backstory - are they both adopted or just one of them and whose mother is the birth mother? The author says she thought of the plot after watching Three Identical Strangers, which, if you haven't yet, is a must-see documentary about triplets and the sinister reason behind their separation at birth.

I'm generally very fond of Laura Pearson's books and have given several of them five stars but I don't know what to do with this one. Her books usually feature a lovely little bit of magical realism that elevates the story but there is none of this here, and consequently the story feels quite mundane.

It burbles along rather sedately, showing us the different lives of Ruth and Debbie, their families and friends and even throwing in a bit of romance, as well as a mother with dementia. The book is well-written and the premise and family dynamics interesting but the plot felt quite monotone - it's neither very funny nor very sad.

This is a well thought out read about Ruth and Debbie, twins who grew up separately and never knew of the others existence until a chance encounter brings them face to face. There are lots of complexities to this book beyond them try to get to know each other whilst unravelling their backstory and it considers the pressures of motherhood and moving on later in life too. There’s some interesting dynamics especially when you take Ruth’s sister and family into account and the impact the discovery of her twin has on them or is perceived to have on them. There’s a lot of positive moments in this but a lot of soul searching too which makes it quite an emotive read.

The premise is an unusual and interesting one, two sisters come face to face for the first time realizing they’re twins, and how it changes their lives. But the overall tone of the book is one long cloudy overcast day. There was no joy in this book and everything seems to be written in monotone.

Pearson never fails to pull on the old emotions, and she does it well.
This is a crazy scenario, when one day you open the door to find yourself looking at your double.
Despite it being crazy, the author makes the story, and the characters and all their actions believable.
She gave me pause for thought on what I would do in a situation like this.
As we get to know our characters better, we see that their lives might not be quite what we thought.
I'm already looking forward to the next book.

A beautiful, heartbreaking story that fills you with emotion. A definite must read book. .

Wow what a captivating book with a unique premise and very special characters! This is a beautiful story that is extremely well written. It will break your heart and fill your heart at the same time. The author is extremely talented, and I feel so lucky to have had the chance to read this.