The Right Twin

Bell Family #1

by Gina Wilkins

Double Trouble!

It's a beautiful Texas summer, and Shelby Bell's idyllic lakeside resort is tailor-made for romance. So when Shelby suggests that Aaron Walker be her pretend boyfriend to help her catch a resort thief, she is sure it's the perfect plan. Aaron is handsome, smart and understanding—everything a woman could want in a beau. So what if her perfect boyfriend is a fake?

Having grown up in the shadow of his twin brother, Aaron is enjoying being the hero for a change. Shelby looks at him as if he is number one. But the more time Aaron spends with his quirky "sweetheart," the more their charade becomes all too real. Can Aaron convince Shelby that when it comes to romance, he is exactly the right man for the job?

Genres: Romance

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Gina is known as: Gina Ferris, Gina Ferris Wilkins and Gina Wilkins. If looking for a specific book please check all names.

Gina Wilkins sold her first book to Harlequin in 1987, and has been writing full-time ever since, publishing more than 90 books for Harlequin/Silhouette. Her books are translated into 20 languages. A lifelong resident of central Arkansas, she attended Arkansas State University, obtaining a degree in journalism. She pursued careers in advertising and human resource development before achieving her lifelong goal of becoming a published writer. The bestselling author is a four-time winner of the prestigious Maggie Award for Excellence sponsored by the Georgia Romance Writers, and has won several awards from the reviewers of Romantic Times magazine. She was a recent nominee for a Career Achievement Award from Romantic Times.

A member of Romance Writers of America, Diamond State Romance Authors and Novelists, Inc., she is a past president of Fiction Writers of Central Arkansas. She is a frequent speaker at writers’ conferences, civic organizations and in middle and senior high schools, where she focuses on literacy and goal setting.

Gina and John, her husband of more than 30 years, have raised three “extraordinary” children, two daughters and a son, all pursuing careers in science and medicine.

Reviews

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aaron Walker (who is 30) sees a brochure in his twin brother’s office near the trash can, picks it up, and he impulsively decides to take a trip there (to Bell Resort and Marina in southeastern Texas). Aaron needs to get away for a little while and decide what he wants to do with his life…he doesn’t seem interested in the family investigation and security business. When he stops at a gas station on his way to the resort he meets a pretty and friendly blonde (Shelby Bell, 25) who works at the resort (it is run by her family) and she mistakes him for his identical twin brother, Andrew. Aaron finds out that Andrew has already been to the resort and has helped her family out on a case. Shelby asks Aaron (thinking he is an investigator like his brother) if he can keep an eye on a guy in one of their resort cabins that looks suspicious/shady and may be up to no good. While Aaron is at the resort he gets to know Shelby better and notices that they have some things in common. They both don’t seem to be taken seriously by their families. Aaron…because he still isn’t sure about what he wants in life and is always compared unfavorably to his perfect brother Andrew. And Shelby, who isn’t taken seriously because she is energetic, enthusiastic, and she’s prone to jump to conclusions. But she just may be right this time about the suspicious guest.

This was a pleasant and sweet romance. I liked the main couple. The secondary characters were interesting and some of them have their own stories in upcoming books in the “Bell Family” series by Gina Wilkins.

An enjoyable read with a lovely setting.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. I really liked both Aaron and Shelby. Aaron is tired of being compared to his twin brother and found wanting. He doesn't want any part of the family investigation business, but still hasn't found the career that he does want. After yet another lecture from his brother Aaron takes off for the Bell Resort where Andrew had done a job the year before. Once he's able to convince everyone he's not his brother Aaron settles in to figure out what he really wants to do. In the meantime Shelby has asked for his help and he's only too happy to give it. He's really attracted to her so it's no hardship to hang out with her. He also discovers that he really likes her. He appreciates her dedication to her family and the resort. He also likes her enthusiasm. One of the things I really enjoyed was seeing the way that Aaron fit in with the Bell family. It was easy to see that as he helped them around the resort that it was the perfect place for him, utilizing his strengths and desires. I also loved seeing what a really nice guy he is. I also liked the way that he jumped in to help Shelby with her suspicions about one of the resort guest. Spending that much time together showed him that she was just what he needed though the thought of a serious relationship with her scared him.

Shelby is the accountant for the resort. The previous year she had discovered that her brother in law was stealing from the family, which is how Andrew got involved with the resort. While she initially mistook Aaron for Andrew, she quickly realized that there was something different about him. She also never felt the things for Andrew that she did for Aaron. Now she has asked Aaron for his help with a guest that she feels is up to no good. I really liked the way that she trusted her instincts even when the rest of the family was giving her a hard time about it. I loved her intensity in everything she did. She wasn't sure that she could trust her feelings for Aaron after such a short time, but she couldn't resist them either. I loved her decision at the end that this was one "fish" she was going to keep instead of throwing back.

I loved the various family relationships. It was easy to see that Aaron's family and their nagging was driving him away. Even though Andrew was Aaron's twin he seemed awfully judgmental. Shelby's family seemed to take for granted that everyone would be happy sticking around and working for the resort. I liked the way that Aaron and Shelby's brother Steven got along and could relate to each other so easily. I'm looking forward to Andrew's story - sounds like he's got quite a surprise coming!

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

In The Right Twin by Gina Wilkins Aaron is tired of living in the shadow of his identical twin, the ‘good’ twin Andrew. Andrew works in the family security and investigation business whereas Aaron has no desire to be stuck behind a desk all day, sitting on stake outs, and following people around. Aaron is not settling down, he has job after job, and has not found his path in life yet. He is getting weary of all the lectures from his family, and decides spur of the moment to go to Bell resort after finding the brochure for it by the trash in Andrew’s office – after yet another ‘talk’ from Andrew about settling down in life. He needs the privacy and the time to really reflect on his life and what he wants to do. Read More

I'd give this 3 1/2 stars, but Goodreads only lets me give full stars.

[Josie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I ended up skimming through this. I liked the premise and I liked the hero and heroine, but too much time was spent introducing Aaron and comparing him to Andrew, then there was too much focus on the mystery.

[Susan Dalley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun, quick read. Loved the setting. Hope it's the first of a series.