What do you think?
Rate this book
Identity
While vacationing in Mexico, two similar-looking young women find themselves caught in a chain reaction of mistaken identities. Amelia is a wealthy heiress and business owner, and Savannah is a sweet Mormon girl deciding whether or not to serve a mission. When they end up on the same flight to Phoenix, Savannah and Amelia unravel the sequence of events that wreaked havoc on their trips, and they make plans to resolve the subsequent misunderstandings. But their flight is cut short when the plane crashes, killing one of the young women and plunging the other into a world of intrigue and deceit where identity means everything.
309 pages, Paperback
First published July 14, 2011
4 people are currently reading
220 people want to read
About the author
Betsy Love
53 books50 followersFirst and foremost I am a daughter of God. I am married to my teenage crush. I have 8 great children, and 20 amazing grandchildren. Writing has been a passion since I could hold a pen in my hand. I don't intend to stop until I can no longer hold one.
I hope heaven is everything I hope it will be. I planning on spending eternity honing my craft.
I hope heaven is everything I hope it will be. I planning on spending eternity honing my craft.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
July 27, 2011
Well, I'd be silly to say I didn't love it, since I wrote it. The editing process was a great opportunity for me to catch the little things I missed. Even now I'm thinking about the little things that I didn't tie up. Like Delilah. What was she doing in my book in the first place, other than to annoy Brent. What purpose did she serve? She really doesn't advance the plot...well, maybe a little. When I wrote her in I loved her. She's flighty, and flirty and a total self-centered brat. The kid sister every brother tries to ditch. So why did I keep her in. Because, I want to write a sequel to Identity where she's the star. I'm still in the planning stages. Haven't got the plot worked out. And I won't tell you about the "murder" because that person is part of the sequel as well. I won't even tell you the gender.
Some of you might want to know how I came up with the plot for this one. (I've never written mystery before). I guess you'll just have to go read my blog. identitynovel.blogspot/2011/05/how-id...
In the meantime, I hope that you will love this story as much as I did writing it.
Some of you might want to know how I came up with the plot for this one. (I've never written mystery before). I guess you'll just have to go read my blog. identitynovel.blogspot/2011/05/how-id...
In the meantime, I hope that you will love this story as much as I did writing it.
February 14, 2013
In her debut novel of mystery and suspense, Betsy Love is one of the lucky ones. Identity was in the top ten mystery/suspense novels on deseretbook.com. best seller list. Although it’s not just luck, Love is a great writer and has written a page turner with twists and turns until the very end. The characters are real and the circumstances unusual.
Here is the synopsis of Identity:
While vacationing in Mexico, two similar-looking young women find themselves caught in a chain reaction of mistaken identities. Amelia is a wealthy heiress and business owner, and Savannah is a sweet Mormon girl deciding whether or not to serve a mission. When they end up on the same flight to Phoenix, Savannah and Amelia unravel the sequence of events that wreaked havoc on their trips, and they make plans to resolve the subsequent misunderstandings. But their flight is cut short when the plane crashes, killing one of the young women and plunging the other into a world of intrigue and deceit where identity means everything.
Here is the synopsis of Identity:
While vacationing in Mexico, two similar-looking young women find themselves caught in a chain reaction of mistaken identities. Amelia is a wealthy heiress and business owner, and Savannah is a sweet Mormon girl deciding whether or not to serve a mission. When they end up on the same flight to Phoenix, Savannah and Amelia unravel the sequence of events that wreaked havoc on their trips, and they make plans to resolve the subsequent misunderstandings. But their flight is cut short when the plane crashes, killing one of the young women and plunging the other into a world of intrigue and deceit where identity means everything.
May 25, 2012
This was a really fun read. Betsy Love weaves a tale of mistaken identity, and she tastefully incorporates the LDS church and the gospel into the lives of the characters. Each main character was masterfully depicted: Brent was a stud, Savannah a sweetheart, Amelia intriguing. Gripping, sweet, and with just the right touch of humor, Identity is a novel I kept thinking about long after the final page was turned.
Way to go, Betsy!
Way to go, Betsy!
August 4, 2011
I really enjoyed this book. From the beginning it captured my attention and I thought that the story was original and interesting. There were some real nailbiting parts that kept me turning pages and shushing interrupters. I read the Kindle version and although there were some serious formatting issues, the story kept me going. Great job, Betsy!
December 30, 2011
My good friend, Betsy Love, wrote this book, and I have to admit that my favorite part of the book was all the times Betsy's "Betsyness" shined through. You can tell what an upbeat, optimsitic person she is by the way the main characters changed from their shallow, self-centered ways once they were shown a better way.
August 25, 2012
This was a great first book by Betsy! Full of complications and twists.
May 28, 2012
Savannah is a middle-class Mormon girl at a turning point in her life. Amelia is a spoiled cosmopolitan heiress on vacation. Everyone loves Savannah. Amelia not so much. Their looks are similar enough that they are mistaken for one another when both are wearing sunglasses. They sit down next to each other on a flight from Mexico to Arizona. Mayhem ensues.
Typical topics for LDS books, with the Gospel being shared, lives changed, hearts are won, etc., etc., Identity differs with its plot of murder, intrigue, industrial espionage, blended family politics, alcohol dependency and surprise developments. The blood and guts seem an odd juxtaposition to father's blessings and scripture study, but, it actually works.
The first published work of Ms. Love, it is ambitious. While not ready to face off with Tom Clancy or Dan Brown, she manages to pull it off with few contradictions and plausibility issues. I had a few problems with it, not the least of which was the bad .mobi formatting of the Kindle version and lack of a table of contents, but such difficulties could be eliminated with a new edition.
Other problems in the plot don't resolve quite so easily and are difficult to overlook, police and judicial procedure being the big issue. Unfortunately, the suspense plot rests squarely upon a premise stemming from the investigatory processes. They could be a deal breaker for the book, unless one is filled with good Christian charity and decides to enjoy the story for its own sake. [engage willing suspension of disbelief here]
Many of the characters are richly drawn, and the action feels well-considered. The interpersonal relationships seem plausible for the most part. Others are hinted at, alluded to, but ultimately neglected. I found myself wanting to learn more about Amelia's daunting step-father, the tangle of relationships between her company and that of her fiancee, and the how and why she resented the pair to such an extent that she would ditch Brent in Mexico. Fleshing out these details would have lengthened the book, but I believe would have enriched it and made the end even more satisfying.
All that being said, the acid test with a book for me is how much sleep I lose over it. I stayed up until 4am to finish this one. If you are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you will understand the references in this book. If not, it will give you a fairly accurate (discounting the skullduggery) glimpse into the "Mormon" culture. Either way, Identity is an entertaining read.
Typical topics for LDS books, with the Gospel being shared, lives changed, hearts are won, etc., etc., Identity differs with its plot of murder, intrigue, industrial espionage, blended family politics, alcohol dependency and surprise developments. The blood and guts seem an odd juxtaposition to father's blessings and scripture study, but, it actually works.
The first published work of Ms. Love, it is ambitious. While not ready to face off with Tom Clancy or Dan Brown, she manages to pull it off with few contradictions and plausibility issues. I had a few problems with it, not the least of which was the bad .mobi formatting of the Kindle version and lack of a table of contents, but such difficulties could be eliminated with a new edition.
Other problems in the plot don't resolve quite so easily and are difficult to overlook, police and judicial procedure being the big issue. Unfortunately, the suspense plot rests squarely upon a premise stemming from the investigatory processes. They could be a deal breaker for the book, unless one is filled with good Christian charity and decides to enjoy the story for its own sake. [engage willing suspension of disbelief here]
Many of the characters are richly drawn, and the action feels well-considered. The interpersonal relationships seem plausible for the most part. Others are hinted at, alluded to, but ultimately neglected. I found myself wanting to learn more about Amelia's daunting step-father, the tangle of relationships between her company and that of her fiancee, and the how and why she resented the pair to such an extent that she would ditch Brent in Mexico. Fleshing out these details would have lengthened the book, but I believe would have enriched it and made the end even more satisfying.
All that being said, the acid test with a book for me is how much sleep I lose over it. I stayed up until 4am to finish this one. If you are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you will understand the references in this book. If not, it will give you a fairly accurate (discounting the skullduggery) glimpse into the "Mormon" culture. Either way, Identity is an entertaining read.
September 24, 2011
Identity by Betsy Love
For a debut novel, Identity packed a great performance. This novel had a few twists and turns and the ending was a surprise.
Samantha is a very active Mormon girl vacationing in Mexico with her best friend Haley. Samantha can't decide if she wants to serve a mission, Amelia is on vacation with her fiance Brent. When the flight to Phoenix crashes and kills all but six passengers, including one of the girls, things go topsy-turvy.
When Samantha recovers from her two month coma, she doesn't remember any of her prior life and hasto learn everything over again, even to learning to love her family again. Her brother Shawn, ready to leave for the mission field, is concerned about her feelings for the new single man in their ward.
Brent is suscpicious about the crash, finding out that someone tampered with the commuter plane. He has problems with knowing how to pray, so asks his secretary, who is a Mormon, to help. He feels the urgency to get to Samantha to warn her she's in danger. With the police on his tail, he borrows his secretary's car to get to Phoenix.
With Samantha's family hot on the trail of the people involved in the plane tampering and another murder in Mexico, and trying to rescue Samantha, we have quite a scene. With Samantha and Amelia having a striking resemblance, anything can happen.
I thoroughly recommend this debut novel to anyone who loves a good romance with a lot of suspense thrown in.
I received my review copy from Walnut Creek Press.
Publisher: Walnut Creek Press
Date Published: Aug 2011
ISBN: 978
For a debut novel, Identity packed a great performance. This novel had a few twists and turns and the ending was a surprise.
Samantha is a very active Mormon girl vacationing in Mexico with her best friend Haley. Samantha can't decide if she wants to serve a mission, Amelia is on vacation with her fiance Brent. When the flight to Phoenix crashes and kills all but six passengers, including one of the girls, things go topsy-turvy.
When Samantha recovers from her two month coma, she doesn't remember any of her prior life and hasto learn everything over again, even to learning to love her family again. Her brother Shawn, ready to leave for the mission field, is concerned about her feelings for the new single man in their ward.
Brent is suscpicious about the crash, finding out that someone tampered with the commuter plane. He has problems with knowing how to pray, so asks his secretary, who is a Mormon, to help. He feels the urgency to get to Samantha to warn her she's in danger. With the police on his tail, he borrows his secretary's car to get to Phoenix.
With Samantha's family hot on the trail of the people involved in the plane tampering and another murder in Mexico, and trying to rescue Samantha, we have quite a scene. With Samantha and Amelia having a striking resemblance, anything can happen.
I thoroughly recommend this debut novel to anyone who loves a good romance with a lot of suspense thrown in.
I received my review copy from Walnut Creek Press.
Publisher: Walnut Creek Press
Date Published: Aug 2011
ISBN: 978
May 13, 2013
Book Description
While vacationing in Mexico, two similar-looking young women find themselves caught in a chain reaction of mistaken identities. Amelia is a wealthy heiress and business owner, and Savannah is a sweet Mormon girl deciding whether or not to serve a mission. When they end up on the same flight to Phoenix, Savannah and Amelia unravel the sequence of events that wreaked havoc on their trips, and they make plans to resolve the subsequent misunderstandings. But their flight is cut short when the plane crashes, killing one of the young women and plunging the other into a world of intrigue and deceit where identity means everything.
I read this on the plane while flying to Hawaii--so glad it was a long flight because I didn't want to put this book down. I was totally hooked and felt so bad as I realized what was going to happen. I felt for the characters, which I found sympathetic and believable. The suspense kept my heart racing and forced me to keep turning the pages. I'm excited to hear there's a sequel coming out.
I passed the book on to my husband to read. He was in the middle of it on our return flight and LEFT IT ON THE PLANE! He was dying! (I wouldn't tell him what happened.) As soon as we got home, he started calling bookstores so he could get his hands on a new copy. To say the least, he loved it, too.
While vacationing in Mexico, two similar-looking young women find themselves caught in a chain reaction of mistaken identities. Amelia is a wealthy heiress and business owner, and Savannah is a sweet Mormon girl deciding whether or not to serve a mission. When they end up on the same flight to Phoenix, Savannah and Amelia unravel the sequence of events that wreaked havoc on their trips, and they make plans to resolve the subsequent misunderstandings. But their flight is cut short when the plane crashes, killing one of the young women and plunging the other into a world of intrigue and deceit where identity means everything.
I read this on the plane while flying to Hawaii--so glad it was a long flight because I didn't want to put this book down. I was totally hooked and felt so bad as I realized what was going to happen. I felt for the characters, which I found sympathetic and believable. The suspense kept my heart racing and forced me to keep turning the pages. I'm excited to hear there's a sequel coming out.
I passed the book on to my husband to read. He was in the middle of it on our return flight and LEFT IT ON THE PLANE! He was dying! (I wouldn't tell him what happened.) As soon as we got home, he started calling bookstores so he could get his hands on a new copy. To say the least, he loved it, too.
September 2, 2011
Betsy Love's debut novel, Identity, is fast becoming a best seller - for a reason - her story takes us on an exciting adventure that'll keep you captivated with its characters, intrigued with its story-line, and guessing to the very end.
Follow the story of two similar-looking young women whose mistaken identity mishaps while vacationing in Mexico cause a rift between one of the women, the wealthy heiress Amelia Vecchiarelli and her finance, Brent Delano. As fortune has it, Amelia takes an earlier flight back to Phoenix without Brent and runs into her look-a-like, Savannah, and they both begin to put the pieces together that caused their vacation to go haywire, until the plane crashes - leaving one of them dead, and the other with no memory of who she is.
Betsy has skillfully woven her novel, Identity together in a way that even the reader has no idea which young woman survived. If you love mystery, suspense, and a touch of romance, you will thoroughly enjoy reading, Identity!
Follow the story of two similar-looking young women whose mistaken identity mishaps while vacationing in Mexico cause a rift between one of the women, the wealthy heiress Amelia Vecchiarelli and her finance, Brent Delano. As fortune has it, Amelia takes an earlier flight back to Phoenix without Brent and runs into her look-a-like, Savannah, and they both begin to put the pieces together that caused their vacation to go haywire, until the plane crashes - leaving one of them dead, and the other with no memory of who she is.
Betsy has skillfully woven her novel, Identity together in a way that even the reader has no idea which young woman survived. If you love mystery, suspense, and a touch of romance, you will thoroughly enjoy reading, Identity!
February 15, 2012
At first, when I read the basic premise, all I could think was, "I just read a book a lot like this!" It's Blank Slate (in case you're wondering). But, this turned out to be completely different! There are some super slow parts (the whole having to relearn everything about the church) and you know that she isn't Savannah, so it's strange seeing her as Savannah. There are some weird parts (kissing her stepbrother, EEEWWWWW!!!!) and some crazy interesting parts (why is Brent being blamed for Jasmine's death and where is the locket?). I cried at the end, but mainly because I desperately wanted at least one more chapter! Why do authors always chop off the book after the proposal? I did find it very interesting when her "brother" mentions that it's just like the girls in that car crash a year ago (like in Blank Slate), so that was fun! I did enjoy the book, but it took awhile to get into.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 19, 2011
This awesome book is a nonstop journey through one adventure after another...when you think that someone could never change how they are, the characters always prove otherwise. It could be that the main character is given the opportunity to experience things from an entirely different perspective, and knowing the true meaning of love, gratitude, and loyalty. If any of you enjoy a good suspense mystery (and I dare say that this writing most definitely qualifies as one), I recommend this book. You will not be disappointed. :)
March 1, 2012
I seriously struggle with some LDS books. I am trying to read more though and I'm glad I added this one to the list.
The plot is fun and keeps the story moving. The "LDS stuff" was a little thick at times, but I'm terrible when it comes to that. I don't think it would bother most people.
I like that this book is different from most LDS books. It has a fun plot, lots of mystery and suspense. I totally dig it! And I stayed up way too late reading more than once because I didn't want to put it down! :)
The plot is fun and keeps the story moving. The "LDS stuff" was a little thick at times, but I'm terrible when it comes to that. I don't think it would bother most people.
I like that this book is different from most LDS books. It has a fun plot, lots of mystery and suspense. I totally dig it! And I stayed up way too late reading more than once because I didn't want to put it down! :)
September 13, 2011
Identity is Betsy Love's 1st published novel. It is fast moving, full of adventure and suspense. The characters and the plot are well developed and there are enough twists to keep the reader wondering which girl really survived the plane crash, and just who the too good to be true boy friend really is.
I loved this story, I didn't want to put it down.
The Kindle version does have some serious formatting issues, but the story made it worth ignoring them.
I loved this story, I didn't want to put it down.
The Kindle version does have some serious formatting issues, but the story made it worth ignoring them.
August 2, 2012
I found it very intriguing. A good writer, and I liked how the book flowed. It was tense in some places, so hard to put down to get other things done. I really liked the LDS theme without it being too much "in your face" or preachy. The way it was written made it seem like "real life" that some families go through, so that is why the characters were so believable. I will read other books by this author because I liked this one so much. A clean read!
November 10, 2011
A story of two similar-looking women who are mistaken for each other while vacationing in Mexico. They end up on the same flight home and the plane crashes, killing one of them. I thought this story was original and intriguing, even if the mystery was kind of obvious. I can't wait for more books by this debut author!
November 6, 2011
Identity was well written, had characters that you connect with quickly, especially Savannah's family...LOVED them! You will enjoy this LDS mystery/romance and may or may not figure out the surprise ending before it's revealed.
To read the rest of my review of Identity, please go to my blog at:
http://whynotbecauseisaidso.blogspot....
To read the rest of my review of Identity, please go to my blog at:
http://whynotbecauseisaidso.blogspot....
January 10, 2012
This romantic suspense novel kept me guessing until the very end. The plot twists and turns as the author weaves the magic of the main characters rediscovering/discovering the gospel amidst corporate sabotage. I loved the amnesia factor, especially since my current writing project involves an amnesia victim. This is a must read. I couldn’t put it down.
June 12, 2012
When Betsy describes the love that Amelia has for her new family, happy tears flowed from my eyes. I kept up with the plot from beginning to end and found myself rooting for everyone who had something to lose. Family reunions are the best :=) Thanks Betsy–you touched my heart.
October 7, 2011
This was an interesting book. It tells the story of two young women who look alike. One dies. My daughter and I both liked this book.
October 30, 2011
This was a fun story. It was a bit predictable, but still a fun read.
January 16, 2012
If this is Betsy's first book, I can't wait to read her next one!
May 4, 2012
Better than most LDS fiction books.
June 16, 2012
Maybe 3.5 Better than I expected! It was interesting, and kept me guessing. Also a sweet romance!
December 16, 2011
Thrilling read. I will definately be looking for more from this author.
January 13, 2018
If there is a stranger book for Mormon audiences, I'm not aware of it. Haha, I'd just about sworn off the genre, because while there are some gems out there I've been pretty disappointed lately. Anyway. I ran into a 10-cent book sale, and picked this up thinking it would be funny. It's not- it's an action book first and a romance second. That can be a good combination, and this one was ok. It starts in Mexico where 4 Americans are on vacation. Two of them look alike enough to be twins, even though they're not related and have never met. Trouble results from mixed up identities, including murder and other crimes. Teens or peeps less picky than I would really enjoy it. There's lots of action and plot twists. The problem is that the characters and their relationships were hard to keep track of. Why are so many of them related somehow? Weird. Supporting characters were one-dimensional, but the author did a better job with the leads. The beginning is all over the place, but it settled down and became easier to follow.
Note on content- Non-graphic violence. No language or sex. Recommended for young teens and up.
Note on content- Non-graphic violence. No language or sex. Recommended for young teens and up.
May 9, 2018
The story was great, but the telling of it --not so much so.
January 23, 2020
An entertaining, fast-paced book with great characters, a charming setting, and plenty of nail-biting moments!
January 30, 2024
I read the rewritten version which is not yet on Goodreads. The author changed the name to "Shattered Identity."
April 5, 2015
I was surprised to read in two of the reviews for this book that this was a best-selling book and on the top-selling list for Deseret Book. I am one of those few people who highlight and write notes in the margins of the Deseret Book and Seagull Book catalogs (weird? Maybe, but how else will I know what there is to read) and yet the only reason I read this book was because of a happenstance chance of seeing it on the "new release" self at the library. I had not seen or heard of it before then.
I decided to read it because the story of mistaken identities sounded interesting and I noticed it was written by a new lds author so I thought I would give it a chance.
Well, all in all it was very implausible and predictable. I found it very unlikely that someone could be in a hospital and someone not realize they are not the person everyone thinks they are. Even if they didn't get a DNA test done there would still be ways to tell due to differences in medical history, etc.
It was obvious from the first few chapters which girl died and so kind of slow going for me to wait for "Savannah/Amelia" to figure out who she really was. It also got confusing at times keeping track of all of Savannah's siblings as their names all started with an "S". It was apparently hard for the author and editors too, as during one conversation Savannah is talking to Shawn, (pg 121) and then a few sentences later it says she looked into Scott's eyes (pg 122)... I had to look back to see who she was really talking to.
The only thing I can really think of that I liked about this book is the idea of mistaken identities. Unfortunately it just didn't deliver anything more than that.
Overall I didn't really enjoy or like this book. It was all to unbelievable and unrealistic, with a too "perfect" ending.
I decided to read it because the story of mistaken identities sounded interesting and I noticed it was written by a new lds author so I thought I would give it a chance.
Well, all in all it was very implausible and predictable. I found it very unlikely that someone could be in a hospital and someone not realize they are not the person everyone thinks they are. Even if they didn't get a DNA test done there would still be ways to tell due to differences in medical history, etc.
It was obvious from the first few chapters which girl died and so kind of slow going for me to wait for "Savannah/Amelia" to figure out who she really was. It also got confusing at times keeping track of all of Savannah's siblings as their names all started with an "S". It was apparently hard for the author and editors too, as during one conversation Savannah is talking to Shawn, (pg 121) and then a few sentences later it says she looked into Scott's eyes (pg 122)... I had to look back to see who she was really talking to.
The only thing I can really think of that I liked about this book is the idea of mistaken identities. Unfortunately it just didn't deliver anything more than that.
Overall I didn't really enjoy or like this book. It was all to unbelievable and unrealistic, with a too "perfect" ending.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews