THE HEIR AND THE SPARE

Author: Maya Rodale ISBN: 0425217639 8/2007 HISTORICAL Publisher: BERKLEY
Time Period: 1818 Regency

All of London is raving about the newly arrived American, Emilia Highhart. She has beauty, charm, wit, and a hint of the exotic. Unfortunately, grace is decidedly not one of her virtues. Staircases, doors, even floors have proven her enemies, often leaving Emilia prostrate and mortified in a pile of muslin. Nevertheless, at her first ball, her dance card soon fills with the names of highly suitable men. But Emilia's eyes are on just one man-the one her aunt points out as the entirely unsuitable Lord Phillip. In fact, he isn't Lord Phillip. While Phillip, the heir, goes about spending the good family's funds, his identical twin, Devon, the spare, must attend society functions as Lord Phillip-all because of a few blasted minutes' age difference. Soon, both twins are vying for Emilia. And, under the not-so-watchful eye of Lady Palmerston, aunt and chaperone to the young lady, Emilia is unknowingly courted by two different men with the same face! But only one of them is the love of her life.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

At the request of her father, Emilia Highart traveled to London to find a husband. Being a beautiful, wealthy, American heiress, she soon finds she has her choice of available bachelors. Unfortunately, her one flaw is her clumsiness. It is this trait that lands her in the arms of Devon Kensington.

Devon at the time is pretending to be his twin brother, Phillip. Emilia feels an instant attraction and when later they share a kiss, she believes she has found the one man she can love. Emilia is told that Phillip is off limits as he has a terrible reputation for ruining young innocents. Things become confusing when Emilia finds she has mixed feelings for Phillip. At times the chemistry has her longing for more kisses, but at other times she feels nothing at all. Something just does not feel right.

Devon feels the chemistry between Emilia and himself, but he does not know whether Emilia is after Phillip's title, or if she is truly looking for a love match. When Phillip decides he wants to marry Emilia for her money, Devon tries to make her dislike him. Devon, though, cannot hide how he truly feels, and the jealousy he has always felt for his twin also affects how he behaves. He wants Emilia to be able to see a difference between he and his brother.

Maya Rodale's new release, THE HEIR AND THE SPARE, tells a story that goes far beyond the feelings of simple sibling rivalry. In this emotional tale, twins must deal with their jealousy and hatred of each other, as they try to win the hand of Emilia. Their story is a sad one and will stir strong emotions of sadness and anger.

Poor, clumsy Emilia adds a little humor to the story. You do not know when or where her next accident will occur. At times, I found myself feeling sorry for her because of what Phillip and Devon were doing to her. Her confusion is quite evident, as she goes from finding Devon irresistible, to not feeling anything for Phillip. Unfortunately for her, she thinks they are both Phillip. Her body recognizes what her head cannot not understand. Her heart tries to tell her the truth, but until she learns what is really happening, I was able to sit back and enjoy her confusion.

THE HEIR AND THE SPARE has all the pageantry expected of a Regency romance. The era comes to life with the colorful descriptions of carriage rides and ball gowns. It quickly captures the attention of the reader as it spins a tale of the good and the bad twin. Maya Rodale has written a fascinating story with a rich plot that is filled with the beauty of passion and romance. THE HEIR AND THE SPARE is a definite keeper.

Anita Hartsell