Double Take [Hardcover]

Brenda Joyce (Author)

Book Description

Series: Joyce, Brenda | Publication Date: July 9, 2003

From New York Times bestselling author Brenda Joyce comes an alluring novel of a woman’s dangerous quest to protect her twin sister---and the secrets, lies, and deceptions that threaten them both. . . .

Kait London has been estranged from her twin sister for years. She has never understood why and has always regretted it. When her phone rings in the middle of the night, Kait learns that Lana desperately needs her help. All Kait has to do is take her place, for two days, at her home in the horse country of Virginia. If Kait can play this role convincingly, she will save Lana’s life.

This is a game the twins have played before. But never like this. For the charade is much more difficult to pull off than when they were children. Lana has many secrets, secrets she has kept from everyone, including Kait---and she has as many enemies---including her own husband. Kait had not been expecting Trev Coleman to be in residence. Worse, she is soon forced to recognize how darkly seductive he is---and that he may very well be her worst enemy.

And then Kait realizes that she is directly in the line of fire. Someone is deliberately stalking Lana, but Kait is the trapped prey. Filled with stunning twists and turns, with mind games and body heat, Double Take is a taut romantic thriller from an author who delivers one surprise after another until the very last page.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

At the start of this trashy but alluring romantic thriller by Joyce (The Rival), 32-year-old Kait London, a New York City PR executive, gets a surprise midnight call from her estranged twin sister, Lana. The two haven't been in touch in years. While they were growing up, Kait was the good girl and Lana was popular with boys, a poor student and a risk-taker. Now Lana needs Kait's help. She's in trouble, she says, "the killing kind." She wants Kait to switch places with her for two days while she straightens out some ugly business with a loan shark, and Kait, thrilled to see her aloof sister again, agrees. In Lana's clothes, but with virtually no knowledge of her life, Kait appears at her lavish Virginia estate. She finds that Lana's handsome husband, Trevor Coleman, plans to divorce her, that her teenaged stepdaughter, Sam, can't stand her and that the housekeeper is hostile. Even four-year-old Marnie greets her "mommy" with doubt and fear, and the local community resents Lana for her many flagrant affairs. Kait continues to believe that she's protecting Lana from a mysterious killer and dutifully tries to mend fences with her de facto husband and stepdaughter. But Lana's initial story is looking less and less likely. While she's out riding one day, someone takes a shot at Kait. From that point on the action accelerates, with episodes of every possible crime from arson to thievery, as well as plenty of sex. Despite major credibility issues-would anyone really believe Kait was Lana for more than five minutes?-it's a juicy premise, and Joyce tells her story in satisfying pulp style.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Kait always regretted that she didn't have a closer relationship with her twin sister, Lana. They've been out of touch ever since they went off to different colleges, but now her twin resurfaces desperately needing Kait's help. All Kait has to do is impersonate Lana for a few days while Lana raises the money she says she owes to some ruthless and dangerous people. Hoping for another chance at some kind of relationship, Kait agrees to the charade only to find when she shows up at Lana's Virginia home that her sister is married and has a young daughter. Lana also neglected to tell Kait that her sexy husband wants a divorce, everyone who knows Lana hates her, and someone even seems to be trying to kill her. A somewhat naive heroine discovers the truth about her twin in New York Times best-selling Joyce's latest stylishly sleek romantic suspense novel, which uses secrets, deception, danger, and forbidden desire to keep readers guessing until the very end. John Charles
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; 1st edition (July 9, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312284748
• ISBN-13: 978-0312284749
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,075,949 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Brenda Joyce is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of fourty-nine novels and five novellas. There are over fourteen million copies of her novels in print and she is published in over a dozen foreign countries. A native New Yorker, she now lives in southern Arizona with her son, dogs and numerous Arabian and Half-Arabian reining horses. Brenda divides her time between her twin passions' writing powerful love stories and her quest to become a nationally ranked Top Ten equestrian. For more information about Brenda and her upcoming novels, please visit her websites: www.brendajoyce.com, www.francescacahillseries.com www.thedewarennedynasty.com and www.mastersoftimebooks.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best!, June 18, 2003

By 

Detra Fitch (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Double Take (Hardcover)

Kaitlin "Kait" London lived in Manhattan and was a VP at a small PR firm on Madison Avenue. Her estranged twin sister, Lana, seldom contacted Kait during their seven years apart. In fact, Kait never knew WHY Lana hated her and disappeared those long years ago. But Kait had always hoped Lana would someday return and they could be close. So when Lana called in the middle of the night, begging for help, Kait agreed.

Lana claimed to be in trouble. She needed Kait to pretend to her for two days. After that, all would be fine and they could talk, become friends. Kait jumped at the chance to help her sister. Kait learned that Lana married six years ago to wealthy Trevor "Trev" Coleman, lived in Three Falls, Virginia, and had a four year old daughter named Marni! It was overwhelming to say the least. Kait went Lana's home, ready to play the part of Lana.

No one in Three Falls liked Lana. It seemed everyone HATED her with a passion. Everyone who resided at the estate called Fox Hollow hated her. Within minutes of walking through the doors Trev handed her divorce papers! Feeling as though she was in the 'Twilight Zone', Kait had been thrown into a nightmare! Things got worse when Kait began falling in love with her sister's husband and someone was trying to kill her!

***** What can I say? It is by Brenda Joyce. No other reason is really needed for you to know the story is great! The book grabbed me immediately and the characters are terrific. You will NOT be disappointed in this novel. Highly recommended! *****

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 1/2 * a suspenful thriller with a double standard ending, July 3, 2003

By 

Rose Chastain (www.aromancereview.com) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Double Take (Hardcover)

Courtesy of A Romance Review

The mystery and suspense of Double Take starts right from the first page with a midnight phone call from Kait London's twin sister, Lana Coleman.

Lana and Kait have never been close like other sisters and rarely get in touch with each other. The last time that Kait knew of her twin's whereabouts was almost seven years ago.

Kait is thrilled to see her twin again and thinks their relationship may change. At the restaurant, Lana asks Kait to take her place for two days, so that she can have time to borrow money to pay her creditor, who threatens her and her four-year-old daughter's life.

Kait arrives at Fox Hollow as "Lana" and meets her family for the first time. She is not welcomed home with open arms, but a furious husband, Trev Coleman, who hands her a divorce paper.

Trev Coleman has been married to Lana for six years and regrets everyday of it. His wife has been cheating on him and it is public knowledge that she seduces and sleeps with any men handy. Trev senses something different in the new "Lana" who recently returns from New York but he doesn't know that Lana has a twin nor does he believe that she has a change of heart. However, "Lana" becomes a good mother to their daughter and even a friend to her rebellious stepdaughter. He also finds himself attracted to "Lana" and cannot keep his mind off her.

The theme and plot of twins switching places have been used for years in movies, novels and dramas. In Double Take, Kait and Lana are two identical twins with characters as opposite as night and day, where Kait is a well-liked individual and Lana is a hateful creature. The intention of Lana's deception gives both readers and Kait a charade to solve and the growing suspense intensifies the twists and tension of the tale. I mostly love the way how Ms Joyce ends the story with a double standard - right the justice without the evil twin ending up in jail.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars & 1/2 stars. Exciting, twisting, romantic but a bit frustrating!, August 19, 2005

By 

Valerie Matteson "Bookaholic" (Ann Arbor, Michigan) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Double Take (Hardcover)

Kaitlin and Lana are identical twin sisters whose parents are deceased and have been estranged for most of their adults lives. Lana pops in and out of Kaitlin's life when she needs something or bragging or whatever. The last time Kait, who is a vice president in a public relations company in Manhattan, saw Lana was seven years ago.

Lana calls Kait and says she wants to meet her at a small local restaurant/coffee shop. Kait who longs for the closeness of family and loves Lana agrees to meet her. Lana tells her she is in very deep trouble as she was trying to "rescue" her husband's horse farm from bankruptcy and borrowed money from the wrong people. She asks Kait to switch places with her for just two days while she "deals" with the loan shark. Lana assures Kait that Trevor/Trev Coleman, her husband, is out of town. Lana also tells Kait that she has a four-year old daughter, Marni.

Kait is anxious to meet her niece as she loves children and always wanted to get married and have a family so she agrees since it is "only" for two days and she won't need to fool Lana's husband. Kait dresses as Lana and they switch all clothing and identities and cars and off she drives to the small town of Three Falls, Virginia.

Of course as the reader might guess, Lana's husband Trev is NOT out of town. In fact, Kait barely gets in the door and he hands her divorce papers. He and the housekeeper are obviously very antagonistic towards Lana. Even a man at the stable seems mocking. Marni, Lana's daughter, also seems afraid of her although Kait wins her over thus garnering even more distrust and suspicion in both Trev and the housekeeper's eyes.

Kait knew that Lana always had men trailing after her but she is appalled as she finds out the extent of Lana's philandering while married to what Kait thinks is the ideal husband!! Kait loves horses and goes riding only to get shot at - although none seem to believe her.

More and more twists and turns and threats to Kait as Lana occur. As all the devious schemes and plots are uncovered and Kait is trapped much longer than two days in Three Falls, I kept wondering why Kait didn't just tell the truth? If I found out my sister was as evil as hers, I would turn her in no matter how much I loved her as I think that would be the better thing for her! That was my main problem with the story is that Kait - even after getting very "close" to Trev-STILL doesn't confess!! Frustrating!!

The final conclusion and epilogue did disappoint me somewhat although at least Kait ends up happy but not through what I would consider the best of circumstances. An exciting if a bit frustrating read!