THE HUSBAND TRAP

Author: Tracy Anne Warren ISBN: 0345483081 4/2006 HISTORICAL Publisher: BALLANTINE IVY
Time Period: Regency 1816

Here comes the substitute bride.... Violet Brantford has always longed for the passionate embrace of Adrian Winter, the wealthy Duke of Raeburn. Problem is, he's set to marry Violet's vivacious, more socially polished look-alike twin sister, Jeannette. But when Jeannette refuses to go through with the ceremony mere minutes before it is to begin, soft-spoken Violet finds herself walking down the aisle and taking vows in her sister's place. Soon shy Violet is a high-society wife, trying to keep her real identity a secret while living out the fantasies of her wildest dreams. Adrian thinks he knows exactly what he's gotten himself into: Jeannette may be flighty and, well, a bit self-involved, but she's the picture-perfect wife to carry on the Winter name. Yet this marriage of convenience brings the groom more than he bargained for when he finds his sweet, innocent wife surprising him at every turn. And though he never planned on true love, Adrian is definitely in danger of losing his heart.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Let's face it. There's nothing new about having a set of identical twins switching places in a romance novel. Even some of the more well known romance writers (i.e. Rexanne Becnel) have used that ploy, some with success and some without.

So, while THE HUSBAND HUNT has a plot that's not new (i.e. the twin switch where one twin pretends to be the other and someone marries or falls in love with the wrong twin) and a storyline whose parts sometime ring distant "previous read" bells in my head, THE HUSBAND HUNT is written in such easy flowing prose that it comes off as rather refreshing. I really, really enjoyed this book, and first time author Tracy Anne Warren should be proud of herself for pulling off what should have been just another ho-hum Regency era romance.

For those who are skeptical that switches like this could ever really happen in real life, trust me, they can. Having two identical twin granddaughters of my own, I've no doubt that Violet and her sister, Jeannette, could have pulled off fooling a man—in this case, a husband—as well their own family and friends. Heck, my own husband still can't tell his granddaughters apart, and they're only 7 years old and just now learning how to play the "switch identities" game. Perhaps that's another reason why I liked this book, since its twin theme roosts pretty close to my home. Of course, the characters of the handsome, sexy duke and his entertaining younger brother didn't have anything to do with it either. *G*

In a nutshell, Ms. Warren has written an entertaining, sexy Regency romance filled with fun characters, humor, witty dialogue and a bit of heartrending drama, exciting enough to keep me engrossed. Even better—the next two books of this series, THE WIFE TRAP (Violet's twin sister, Jeanette's story, where from the preview in the back of the book it looks to be a doozie) and THE WEDDING TRAP (Adrian's younger brother's and Violet's best friend's story), will all follow suit over the next couple months. Now that's the way to release a series, one where I don't have to wait too long between books. With THE HUSBAND TRAP, I'd say that it's already off to a great start.

Nancy Davis