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Bait & Switch
After switching places with his identical twin to catch a criminal, Mitch is the one who's hooked - on his brother's girl!
Grant "Mitch" Mitchell is a cop accustomed to bailing out his charming, irresponsible twin, but his brother's never been mixed up with a criminal before. The plan to get his twin out of trouble is a simple bait and switch.
Mitch will go undercover as his brother to gather enough evidence to put the bad guy in jail. It seems easy enough until a blond knockout shows up on his brother's doorstep. She's not only gorgeous, she's spitting mad. Before Mitch knows it, he's trying to keep his hands to himself while winning back his brother's girl!
Meanwhile, his twin is living it up while attempting to impress a woman who thinks he's Mitch. Which leaves a doozy of a question: Are the women falling for them or their mirror images?
Grant "Mitch" Mitchell is a cop accustomed to bailing out his charming, irresponsible twin, but his brother's never been mixed up with a criminal before. The plan to get his twin out of trouble is a simple bait and switch.
Mitch will go undercover as his brother to gather enough evidence to put the bad guy in jail. It seems easy enough until a blond knockout shows up on his brother's doorstep. She's not only gorgeous, she's spitting mad. Before Mitch knows it, he's trying to keep his hands to himself while winning back his brother's girl!
Meanwhile, his twin is living it up while attempting to impress a woman who thinks he's Mitch. Which leaves a doozy of a question: Are the women falling for them or their mirror images?
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2002
11 people are currently reading
140 people want to read
About the author
Darlene Gardner
90 books46 followersDarlene Gardner left her life as a newspaper sportswriter behind for love and romance. She has more than 30 books in print, from single-title romantic comedies to emotionally charged family dramas. She’s currently self publishing updated editions from her backlist and working on a series of Young Adult romances with paranormal elements. That is, when she’s not playing tennis.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 28, 2010
Very, very - very rarely does a contemporary romance ever enthrall me to the point that reading its story becomes not just entertaining, but addictive. Thankfully that's not a harden fast rule, for Bait & Switch really grabbed me from the first page. It took hold of my shirt and refused to let go!
The plot, for starters, was so unique. Perhaps not in such similar novels of its equivalent, what with two identical twins switching identities, but in comparison to most contemporary romances, it certainly was different. I had so much fun reading about not just Mitch but his twin brother Cary, too. I really loved that Gardner opted to tell a dual story of both Mitch and Cary, as well as their romantic interests.
Overall, this book contains some amazing themes, some of the most powerful of which were discovery of self and the confidence and strength it takes to become a better person. The characters that delivered these themes were superb! While I really liked Mitch's love Peyton, it was the sub-plotted character Lizabeth that I absolutely adored. Ironically, I felt as if Lizabeth contained more personality and life as a character than Peyton. Still, both women were well written and, most importantly, I truly cared about each gaining their own happily-ever-afters.
The heroes in the book were equally as compelling. It's interesting to note that, while initially Cary is painted as the seemingly 'bad guy' while Mitch appears to be the knight-in-shining-armor, Gardner did not leave either characters to their subsequent notations. Each man learns about not just their brother, but who they are and just what their particular faults might be. With Mitch, his revelations are much more understated, while Cary's are more obvious. With Cary, Gardner created a story, separate from the primary plot line, that gave him an opportunity to truly grow as an individual. This is excellent in my opinion, because when characters do not change and grow within a story, they become stagnant and dull.
The pace of the novel was relatively fine, up until the last quarter of the book. Sadly, what kept this book from attaining five-star status was, essentially, the final pacing of the story. Towards the end of the novel, it felt as if Gardner was extrapolating the story to unnecessary levels. Thankfully this issue didn't seem to last long, and the book did end very well. All knots felt untied, and all plot points felt completed.
Overall, I liked the writing, and I loved the characters to one degree or another. Yet, most importantly, the story kept me smiling and interested. While at a few moments the book felt drawn out, I was never bored with the people within Bait & Switch. I am so elated that, after having taken an extended hiatus from contemporary romance, my first foray back into the genre was an amazing success!
The plot, for starters, was so unique. Perhaps not in such similar novels of its equivalent, what with two identical twins switching identities, but in comparison to most contemporary romances, it certainly was different. I had so much fun reading about not just Mitch but his twin brother Cary, too. I really loved that Gardner opted to tell a dual story of both Mitch and Cary, as well as their romantic interests.
Overall, this book contains some amazing themes, some of the most powerful of which were discovery of self and the confidence and strength it takes to become a better person. The characters that delivered these themes were superb! While I really liked Mitch's love Peyton, it was the sub-plotted character Lizabeth that I absolutely adored. Ironically, I felt as if Lizabeth contained more personality and life as a character than Peyton. Still, both women were well written and, most importantly, I truly cared about each gaining their own happily-ever-afters.
The heroes in the book were equally as compelling. It's interesting to note that, while initially Cary is painted as the seemingly 'bad guy' while Mitch appears to be the knight-in-shining-armor, Gardner did not leave either characters to their subsequent notations. Each man learns about not just their brother, but who they are and just what their particular faults might be. With Mitch, his revelations are much more understated, while Cary's are more obvious. With Cary, Gardner created a story, separate from the primary plot line, that gave him an opportunity to truly grow as an individual. This is excellent in my opinion, because when characters do not change and grow within a story, they become stagnant and dull.
The pace of the novel was relatively fine, up until the last quarter of the book. Sadly, what kept this book from attaining five-star status was, essentially, the final pacing of the story. Towards the end of the novel, it felt as if Gardner was extrapolating the story to unnecessary levels. Thankfully this issue didn't seem to last long, and the book did end very well. All knots felt untied, and all plot points felt completed.
Overall, I liked the writing, and I loved the characters to one degree or another. Yet, most importantly, the story kept me smiling and interested. While at a few moments the book felt drawn out, I was never bored with the people within Bait & Switch. I am so elated that, after having taken an extended hiatus from contemporary romance, my first foray back into the genre was an amazing success!
July 29, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
June 20, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A light-hearted romantic romp with a fun twist of mistaken identity. Mitch swaps places with his irresponsible twin to catch a criminal, but the real complication is falling for his brother’s fiery girlfriend. The story delivers humor, tension, and some sweet moments as the twins navigate romantic mix-ups and sibling rivalry.
A light-hearted romantic romp with a fun twist of mistaken identity. Mitch swaps places with his irresponsible twin to catch a criminal, but the real complication is falling for his brother’s fiery girlfriend. The story delivers humor, tension, and some sweet moments as the twins navigate romantic mix-ups and sibling rivalry.
October 30, 2014
Take two mirror-image twins, two confused women, and a whole lot of confusion and what do you get? A very fun little romance.
Grant Mitchell (call him Mitch) is a cop who has agreed to switch places with his twin brother Cary in order to catch a criminal and save Cary from going to jail. He just didn't expect the gorgeous blonde babe to come knocking on his brother's door in anger leaving Mitch only one course of action, win back his brother's girlfriend. There is just one big problem: Peyton is exactly his type of woman.
Grant is a very honorable character who really tries to just win back Peyton for his brother despite how attracted he was to her. Peyton just didn't make it very easy on him with all the signals she keeps throwing at him.
Peyton herself is a great character who is falling in love with a man who she thinks is Cary, even though she can sense that he is a different man underneath it all. She was just looking for a little fun before being forced to start looking at men her parents approved of, but she never expected to start falling for this man she thought was just interested in a good time and instead seems to really be interested in having a real relationship with her.
Cary, unlike Mitch, is the brother who always seems to be in trouble. Although he envies his brother, who he calls Boy Scout in his head, he knows that he can manipulate Mitch just as he used to do with his parents. Even though he is a secondary character, his story is just as important to the story. While Mitch is busy sorting through the mess that was Cary's life, Cary finds himself pretending to be Mitch to impress a girl he meets in Key West who used to have a huge crush on his straight arrow brother, but along the way finds within himself something he didn't think existed.
Lizabeth had a huge crush on Mitch in high school and now finds herself in his company and wants him to notice her like he never did in high school, so she pretends to be Leeza, a worldly and sophisticated woman that is nothing like the quiet research librarian that she really is. She just doesn't know that she is falling for the wrong brother as Cary and Mitch went to different high schools.
So there we have it, crazy twin mix-ups and all sorts of confusion that leads to finding out the truth and solving the case and even winning a couple hearts along the way. Overall, a really great story with an equally as interesting secondary story.
Grant Mitchell (call him Mitch) is a cop who has agreed to switch places with his twin brother Cary in order to catch a criminal and save Cary from going to jail. He just didn't expect the gorgeous blonde babe to come knocking on his brother's door in anger leaving Mitch only one course of action, win back his brother's girlfriend. There is just one big problem: Peyton is exactly his type of woman.
Grant is a very honorable character who really tries to just win back Peyton for his brother despite how attracted he was to her. Peyton just didn't make it very easy on him with all the signals she keeps throwing at him.
Peyton herself is a great character who is falling in love with a man who she thinks is Cary, even though she can sense that he is a different man underneath it all. She was just looking for a little fun before being forced to start looking at men her parents approved of, but she never expected to start falling for this man she thought was just interested in a good time and instead seems to really be interested in having a real relationship with her.
Cary, unlike Mitch, is the brother who always seems to be in trouble. Although he envies his brother, who he calls Boy Scout in his head, he knows that he can manipulate Mitch just as he used to do with his parents. Even though he is a secondary character, his story is just as important to the story. While Mitch is busy sorting through the mess that was Cary's life, Cary finds himself pretending to be Mitch to impress a girl he meets in Key West who used to have a huge crush on his straight arrow brother, but along the way finds within himself something he didn't think existed.
Lizabeth had a huge crush on Mitch in high school and now finds herself in his company and wants him to notice her like he never did in high school, so she pretends to be Leeza, a worldly and sophisticated woman that is nothing like the quiet research librarian that she really is. She just doesn't know that she is falling for the wrong brother as Cary and Mitch went to different high schools.
So there we have it, crazy twin mix-ups and all sorts of confusion that leads to finding out the truth and solving the case and even winning a couple hearts along the way. Overall, a really great story with an equally as interesting secondary story.
January 4, 2013
This was a fun, lighthearted read! I've never read a twin-switch novel, but this one had a good plot and carried out what might be a cheesy storyline rather well.
Cary Mitchel is the irresponsible and reckless twin while Grant Mitchell is the responisble, cop twin. When Cary gets into trouble, he asks Grant to switch places with him in hopes that Grant will solve the mess he got into. So, in the beginning, I disliked Cary. He was obviously careless and didn't seem to worry about what might happen to Grant when he switched places with Cary. Cary seemed to wallow in self-pity because he wasn't able to become a pro-baseball player like he wanted to. That changes when he meets Leeza, who mistakes him for Grant. He's determined to be a better man for Leeza and himself. Grant is also in a predicament, where the girl he falls in lvoe with thinks he's Cary. The romance was funny and sweet and the main focus of the book. There is a minor plot about a criminal and what exactly his crime is. That added a little suspense to the book.
Overall, good read! I enjoy any kind of feel-good books.
Cary Mitchel is the irresponsible and reckless twin while Grant Mitchell is the responisble, cop twin. When Cary gets into trouble, he asks Grant to switch places with him in hopes that Grant will solve the mess he got into. So, in the beginning, I disliked Cary. He was obviously careless and didn't seem to worry about what might happen to Grant when he switched places with Cary. Cary seemed to wallow in self-pity because he wasn't able to become a pro-baseball player like he wanted to. That changes when he meets Leeza, who mistakes him for Grant. He's determined to be a better man for Leeza and himself. Grant is also in a predicament, where the girl he falls in lvoe with thinks he's Cary. The romance was funny and sweet and the main focus of the book. There is a minor plot about a criminal and what exactly his crime is. That added a little suspense to the book.
Overall, good read! I enjoy any kind of feel-good books.
October 9, 2011
Darlene Gardner takes the 'twins' scheme to the next level. Two identical brothers, but with completely different personalities, run into a situation that puts the life of Peyton McDowell in danger. Grant Mitchell, 'Mitch', is the responsible one. He attempts to save his brother Cary from another run-in with the law. Peyton mistakes Mitch for Cary and the adventures begins. Without giving the story away, both confusion and misunderstandings turn into amusing romps for both brothers.
Surprisingly, I found myself entertained. Some of the situations were far-fetched and there is a time or two that I'd have liked to pinch Cary if he were a real person. If you are looking for a romance that is light and silly at times I can recommend this story. If you don't take it seriously you should enjoy this romance. I believe it was aimed at the 18-30-year-old age group but I'm from the next generation and was still satisfied with this contemporary romance.
Surprisingly, I found myself entertained. Some of the situations were far-fetched and there is a time or two that I'd have liked to pinch Cary if he were a real person. If you are looking for a romance that is light and silly at times I can recommend this story. If you don't take it seriously you should enjoy this romance. I believe it was aimed at the 18-30-year-old age group but I'm from the next generation and was still satisfied with this contemporary romance.
Want to read
February 15, 2016352pgs, After switching places with his identical twin to catch a criminal, Mitch is the one who's hooked - on his brother's girl!
Grant "Mitch" Mitchell is a cop accustomed to bailing out his charming, irresponsible twin, but his brother's never been mixed up with a criminal before. The plan to get his twin out of trouble is a simple bait and switch.
Mitch will go undercover as his brother to gather enough evidence to put the bad guy in jail. It seems easy enough until a blond knockout shows up on his brother's doorstep. She's not only gorgeous, she's spitting mad. Before Mitch knows it, he's trying to keep his hands to himself while winning back his brother's girl!
Meanwhile, his twin is living it up while attempting to impress a woman who thinks he's Mitch. Which leaves a doozy of a question: Are the women falling for them or their mirror images?
Grant "Mitch" Mitchell is a cop accustomed to bailing out his charming, irresponsible twin, but his brother's never been mixed up with a criminal before. The plan to get his twin out of trouble is a simple bait and switch.
Mitch will go undercover as his brother to gather enough evidence to put the bad guy in jail. It seems easy enough until a blond knockout shows up on his brother's doorstep. She's not only gorgeous, she's spitting mad. Before Mitch knows it, he's trying to keep his hands to himself while winning back his brother's girl!
Meanwhile, his twin is living it up while attempting to impress a woman who thinks he's Mitch. Which leaves a doozy of a question: Are the women falling for them or their mirror images?
August 18, 2012
I gotta say this got me on a huge kick of twins switching! Wonders idly if there are triplet switching stories...lol! I love this author! I could not put this down! I did get this free through iTunes...but just recently for my Kindle I swiped it up quick for my ever growing library! I did cave and buy some other books of Darlene's. Fantastic writer that I definitely recommend!
March 24, 2013
The description sounded cute and fun so I was excited about this book... I didn't get more then a couple chapters in before I had to put the book down. Cary was more selfish and Grant more gullible then I was expecting. What really bugged me was their half assed plan to fix everything (you can see the problems coming) I might give this book another go at a later date...
August 19, 2012
I just cannot get into this book. It jumps and changes so much, but thats not the problem. The problem is it doesn't hold interest. I just cannot seem to dive into it like I normally do. The twin aspect is good. The bad guy was a surprise. But....just can't get into it.
February 18, 2015
Contemporary Romance. Downloaded for free. Being an identical twin, I usually steer clear of the good twin / bad twin genre, they leave me with bad taste in my mouth. This was no different. I finished it, but that's about the best I can say.
February 6, 2013
A good light read
January 20, 2014
I loved the situations the responsible one had to through. was a wonderful read.
March 28, 2014
Cute romance, not much depth too it. (Not that I was expecting much) I enjoyed reading it...its something I would recommend for poolside or beach reading.
April 22, 2017
3.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews