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Mistaken
One year ago, two bullets from a .45 caliber pistol ripped away any hopes Dillan had of a future with her fiancé, Jamie. On the anniversary of Jamie’s death, the appearance of his estranged twin brother, Trey, leaves Dillan wondering what other secrets her perfect fiancé was hiding. When Trey learns of his brother’s death, Dillan takes pity on him and gives him a place to stay.
Trey’s erratic behavior and a series of suspicious phone calls lead Dillan to believe that Trey knows more about the circumstances surrounding Jamie’s death than he’s letting on. With all leads exhausted and Jamie’s murderer still on the loose, Trey is Dillan’s last hope for finding the truth.
Sometimes the truth hurts… but in Dillan’s case it could kill her.
Trey’s erratic behavior and a series of suspicious phone calls lead Dillan to believe that Trey knows more about the circumstances surrounding Jamie’s death than he’s letting on. With all leads exhausted and Jamie’s murderer still on the loose, Trey is Dillan’s last hope for finding the truth.
Sometimes the truth hurts… but in Dillan’s case it could kill her.
199 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 24, 2012
5 people are currently reading
425 people want to read
About the author
J.A. Howell
16 books148 followersJ.A Howell is an office drone by day, and a writer by night. Her love of writing took off when she was eleven years old and decided to fill a composition notebook with stories to read to her friends. Many years (and notebooks) later, not much has changed. She still loves writing and sharing her works with others. When she isn’t writing, she can often be found trying her hand at whatever artistic pursuit strikes her fancy.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
March 15, 2013
I'm such a numbskull! I finished this ages ago!
Keeping in mind this won't be a 'fresh from the finish' review, I will say that I fell unconditionally in love with Trey.
I think there is something magnetic about the characters and about the initial situation.
Ok so,
the good bits
Characterisation - These people just jump out of the page (or Kindle) at you and in some cases stick with you like glue. *cough* Trey *cough*
The hook - What an explosive way to start a book! (no pun intended!)
Setting - I felt like I knew these places. I could see the world comgin alive in my head so vividly.
the not-so-good-bits
I don't have much to grumble about. At all. Which is rare for me.
Narrative stance - I think the stance, and style, is very different to what I usually read. Which doesn't mean it wasn't great, I'm more used to a passive kind of narrator when here I was given a very active one!
Pace - This threw you right in there! And then when I was faced with a kind of lull, while she got her head around Trey etc, I was like, action now! But it didn't put me off the read.
___
This is an easy 5 out of 5 because for one, the story is so different, excitingly so, and I was immediately drawn into it. And then there's Trey... *sighs wistfully* I enjoyed the heck out of it.
^.^
Keeping in mind this won't be a 'fresh from the finish' review, I will say that I fell unconditionally in love with Trey.
I think there is something magnetic about the characters and about the initial situation.
Ok so,
the good bits
Characterisation - These people just jump out of the page (or Kindle) at you and in some cases stick with you like glue. *cough* Trey *cough*
The hook - What an explosive way to start a book! (no pun intended!)
Setting - I felt like I knew these places. I could see the world comgin alive in my head so vividly.
the not-so-good-bits
I don't have much to grumble about. At all. Which is rare for me.
Narrative stance - I think the stance, and style, is very different to what I usually read. Which doesn't mean it wasn't great, I'm more used to a passive kind of narrator when here I was given a very active one!
Pace - This threw you right in there! And then when I was faced with a kind of lull, while she got her head around Trey etc, I was like, action now! But it didn't put me off the read.
___
This is an easy 5 out of 5 because for one, the story is so different, excitingly so, and I was immediately drawn into it. And then there's Trey... *sighs wistfully* I enjoyed the heck out of it.
^.^
October 4, 2012
I received a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This was a great story of losing the one you love most and picking up the pieces. Unbeknownst to Dillan, her loss was sadly a case of mistaken identity. The story kept me utterly engrossed from beginning to end. I felt her grief and pain as she struggled to simply live day to day. Suddenly, in walks Trey, her former love’s brother, with more secrets than she can handle as he searches for his twin’s killer. The plot thickens as both their lives are put in danger.
March 25, 2013
Something for everyone!
I really enjoyed this book. Dillan had my attention right away. I loved her character and had a little bit of everything happening in her life. The story is great, the characters were just right, and the ending was perfect. I always love happy ending, to me that's the best part to a book. How the author comes to a close at the end! J.A. Howell did a great job especially this being her first book! I couldn't put it down. I can't wait for her next book.
I really enjoyed this book. Dillan had my attention right away. I loved her character and had a little bit of everything happening in her life. The story is great, the characters were just right, and the ending was perfect. I always love happy ending, to me that's the best part to a book. How the author comes to a close at the end! J.A. Howell did a great job especially this being her first book! I couldn't put it down. I can't wait for her next book.
October 9, 2012
My Review:
I went into reading this book with just a little bit of trepidation. I know (via online, not in real life) and really like this author. We both released our first books at the same time so we've had that connection to support each other. But this is a book that doesn't typically fall into my normal genre read. There is a touch of romance to it, but it's definitely more mainstream suspense. But I had NO REASON to worry. This book sucked me right in and I didn't set it back down until the very last page. This story was so good...really riveting.
The book starts with Jamie's death...and it's heartbreaking. Jamie and Dillan are getting ready to go out. Jamie plans to propose to her...in fact he's left the ring in the bedroom for her to find while she's getting ready. At the same time she finds the ring, he answers the door and is murdered. The actual story then starts a year after that event...and Dillan is not coping well...abusing alcohol and prescription drugs, she's definitely in a downward spiral of depression. Then Trey shows up with Jamie's face...he's the twin brother Dillan never knew Jamie had even though they'd been together for almost 10 years.
This entire book is one big mystery. Bit by bit, piece by piece you get the clues as to what happened ten years ago to separate the twins. They've kept in touch, but it's not a continual thing because Trey didn't realize that Jamie was dead, so this is a huge blow to him. But he's not talking about why they lost touch so you don't know whether Dillan should trust him or not. And Dillan does trust him...pretty much. She can see how shocked he is about Jamie's death and that he's grieving just as much as her. For the first time, there's someone there she can count on to understand her grief and they bond over that.
There are several levels to this book. First is Dillan and her depression. She's not in a good place. Then there's the inexplicable murder of Jamie...they have no idea why he was murdered, although it appears that Trey is the key. There's no doubt that Trey feels guilty about Jamie's death...what's unclear is just what exactly he did to cause it and how much he should truly be blamed.
It's a great book that weaves in and out. I had a pretty good idea where the suspense story line was going, but that didn't keep me from enjoying every single minute of it. I liked the bond that develops between Dillan and Trey. She's so lost...she needs a confidant who understands so that she can heal. Watching Trey grieve seems to do that for her on a certain level...she doesn't feel so alone and lost.
Overall, it was just a fantastic read. Like I said, I was riveted from the very first scene. It sucked me in and left me in a happy place when it was all said and done...definitely the sign of a good book.
I received a complementary copy of this book in return for an honest review.
I went into reading this book with just a little bit of trepidation. I know (via online, not in real life) and really like this author. We both released our first books at the same time so we've had that connection to support each other. But this is a book that doesn't typically fall into my normal genre read. There is a touch of romance to it, but it's definitely more mainstream suspense. But I had NO REASON to worry. This book sucked me right in and I didn't set it back down until the very last page. This story was so good...really riveting.
The book starts with Jamie's death...and it's heartbreaking. Jamie and Dillan are getting ready to go out. Jamie plans to propose to her...in fact he's left the ring in the bedroom for her to find while she's getting ready. At the same time she finds the ring, he answers the door and is murdered. The actual story then starts a year after that event...and Dillan is not coping well...abusing alcohol and prescription drugs, she's definitely in a downward spiral of depression. Then Trey shows up with Jamie's face...he's the twin brother Dillan never knew Jamie had even though they'd been together for almost 10 years.
This entire book is one big mystery. Bit by bit, piece by piece you get the clues as to what happened ten years ago to separate the twins. They've kept in touch, but it's not a continual thing because Trey didn't realize that Jamie was dead, so this is a huge blow to him. But he's not talking about why they lost touch so you don't know whether Dillan should trust him or not. And Dillan does trust him...pretty much. She can see how shocked he is about Jamie's death and that he's grieving just as much as her. For the first time, there's someone there she can count on to understand her grief and they bond over that.
There are several levels to this book. First is Dillan and her depression. She's not in a good place. Then there's the inexplicable murder of Jamie...they have no idea why he was murdered, although it appears that Trey is the key. There's no doubt that Trey feels guilty about Jamie's death...what's unclear is just what exactly he did to cause it and how much he should truly be blamed.
It's a great book that weaves in and out. I had a pretty good idea where the suspense story line was going, but that didn't keep me from enjoying every single minute of it. I liked the bond that develops between Dillan and Trey. She's so lost...she needs a confidant who understands so that she can heal. Watching Trey grieve seems to do that for her on a certain level...she doesn't feel so alone and lost.
Overall, it was just a fantastic read. Like I said, I was riveted from the very first scene. It sucked me in and left me in a happy place when it was all said and done...definitely the sign of a good book.
I received a complementary copy of this book in return for an honest review.
November 10, 2012
I had the honor of receiving this book from one of goodreads first-read giveaways. Howell's packaging and personal touches were very much appreciated-the book came signed with a nice bookmark that has a gun and a heart as charms. Okay, on to the review...
It took me a while to finish this book, and it's not a particularly lengthy novel. The basic plot line is interesting enough: A woman meets the estranged twin of her fiance,Jamie, a year after Jamie is murdered and begins to uncover the secrets surrounding his death. However, the story on top of this plot foundation could use a little bit more polishing. I'm going to put spoiler tags on the rest, just to make sure that even the littlest information doesn't spoil it for anyone.
This book is a decent mystery/thriller novel; it unfortunately does not have that "edge-of-my-seat-must-read-more" feel to it, but it's a leisurely read for any fans of the genre.
It took me a while to finish this book, and it's not a particularly lengthy novel. The basic plot line is interesting enough: A woman meets the estranged twin of her fiance,Jamie, a year after Jamie is murdered and begins to uncover the secrets surrounding his death. However, the story on top of this plot foundation could use a little bit more polishing. I'm going to put spoiler tags on the rest, just to make sure that even the littlest information doesn't spoil it for anyone.
This book is a decent mystery/thriller novel; it unfortunately does not have that "edge-of-my-seat-must-read-more" feel to it, but it's a leisurely read for any fans of the genre.
August 31, 2012
Abandoned -- D
The opening to this book is interesting, but the writing is atrocious throughout. If you're looking for a book where simple things like grammar and punctuation are handled correctly and professionally, don't look here. Even the dialogue isn't attributed correctly -- and this wouldn't be such a sin but it happens over, and over, and over again. It happens so much it distracts from the story -- that is, for any reader who's read more than one or two real books and expects something more readable than a thirteen year old's text message.
As an example, 'anyways' is used not only in dialogue but in narration as well. The 'serial killer' here is nothing but a crybaby punk who follows the lead of a beer swigging would-be widow who loves to lead him by the leash. Not only does he ride bitch when they go for a ride on his dead twin's motorcycle, but he sits at the bar wearing his dead twin's clothes and lets her order his beer for him. What kind of a killer does this?
He's spineless and completely subservient to the female protag from the start (which some women would like, I guess, at least for a while) and even cries in his sleep. Wow. And the crying? The crying and whimpering is non-stop from chapter one to at least chapter fourteen!
I'm giving this book a 'D' because it's readable if you're not very well read, so I'm sure there are some people out there who would enjoy it. [I know at least one person gave it a five-star review.]
I put this book down halfway through chapter fifteen. Please let me know if anything worth reading happens after that.
The opening to this book is interesting, but the writing is atrocious throughout. If you're looking for a book where simple things like grammar and punctuation are handled correctly and professionally, don't look here. Even the dialogue isn't attributed correctly -- and this wouldn't be such a sin but it happens over, and over, and over again. It happens so much it distracts from the story -- that is, for any reader who's read more than one or two real books and expects something more readable than a thirteen year old's text message.
As an example, 'anyways' is used not only in dialogue but in narration as well. The 'serial killer' here is nothing but a crybaby punk who follows the lead of a beer swigging would-be widow who loves to lead him by the leash. Not only does he ride bitch when they go for a ride on his dead twin's motorcycle, but he sits at the bar wearing his dead twin's clothes and lets her order his beer for him. What kind of a killer does this?
He's spineless and completely subservient to the female protag from the start (which some women would like, I guess, at least for a while) and even cries in his sleep. Wow. And the crying? The crying and whimpering is non-stop from chapter one to at least chapter fourteen!
I'm giving this book a 'D' because it's readable if you're not very well read, so I'm sure there are some people out there who would enjoy it. [I know at least one person gave it a five-star review.]
I put this book down halfway through chapter fifteen. Please let me know if anything worth reading happens after that.
September 19, 2012
Book Description:
One year ago, two bullets from a .45 caliber pistol ripped away any hopes Dillan had of a future with her fiancé, Jamie. On the anniversary of Jamie’s death, the appearance of his estranged twin brother, Trey, leaves Dillan wondering what other secrets her prefect fiancé was hiding. When Trey learns of his brother’s death, Dillan takes pity on him and gives him a place to stay.
Trey’s erratic behavior and a series of suspicious phone calls lead Dillan to believe that Trey knows more about the circumstances surrounding Jamie’s death than he’s letting on. With all leads exhausted and Jamie’s murderer still on the loose, Trey is Dillan’s last hope for finding the truth.
Sometimes the truth hurts… but in Dillan’s case it could kill her.
My review:
The characters were easy to relate to, but the writing style was a little simple for me. The plot was great, and I enjoyed reading it, but it did take me a while to get used to the authors way of writing. Don't get me wrong, it was not a bad book whatsoever but the diaglogue between the characters could have been constructed a bit better. I would definitely put this in the young adult category. I still give this book a 4/5 for creativity and for getting me hooked into the book enough to finish it with a smile on my face. I look forward to more of Howell's books!
One year ago, two bullets from a .45 caliber pistol ripped away any hopes Dillan had of a future with her fiancé, Jamie. On the anniversary of Jamie’s death, the appearance of his estranged twin brother, Trey, leaves Dillan wondering what other secrets her prefect fiancé was hiding. When Trey learns of his brother’s death, Dillan takes pity on him and gives him a place to stay.
Trey’s erratic behavior and a series of suspicious phone calls lead Dillan to believe that Trey knows more about the circumstances surrounding Jamie’s death than he’s letting on. With all leads exhausted and Jamie’s murderer still on the loose, Trey is Dillan’s last hope for finding the truth.
Sometimes the truth hurts… but in Dillan’s case it could kill her.
My review:
The characters were easy to relate to, but the writing style was a little simple for me. The plot was great, and I enjoyed reading it, but it did take me a while to get used to the authors way of writing. Don't get me wrong, it was not a bad book whatsoever but the diaglogue between the characters could have been constructed a bit better. I would definitely put this in the young adult category. I still give this book a 4/5 for creativity and for getting me hooked into the book enough to finish it with a smile on my face. I look forward to more of Howell's books!
June 1, 2014
'Mistaken' is a great book that touched on an array emotions. The storyline is full of love, heartache, depression, self destruction, friendship, some thrills, revelations and hope. I had a roller coaster ride of emotions. I was pulled into this novel from the start and I did not want to put it down. The story is well written. I really liked Dillan, whom ended up an emotional wreck, but understandably so. The course of actions helped her face the future with a reason to 'live'. Trey's character, for me, played such an important part of the overall healing of loss and the circumstances that lead up to the desire of moving on. This book is a definite must add to your tbr list, an overall great read. Recommended read.
October 8, 2012
This isn't the type of book I generally read but after hearing about it from friends, I decided to try it. I thoroughly enjoyed it an am glad I decided to give it a chance! Dillan and her struggles felt very real and the story line was suspenseful and kept me wondering what would be next. I would definitely recommend this book!
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January 11, 2013Amazon Freebie 01/11/2013
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June 10, 2019
Stunning Love Story!
I enjoyed it because it has all the elements of a good story. And it kept me interested! Good book!
I enjoyed it because it has all the elements of a good story. And it kept me interested! Good book!
December 13, 2012
I liked this one, but it wasn't love. The story line was interesting enough to keep me wanting to read, but the writing needed some help. It could be that I am not used to the style of writing that the writer presented, but mostly I feel it was just amatuer work. There were times that J.A. Howell used the same adjective over and over, and typically in the same paragraph. It's these little things that would distract me from the book for a while to ask myself "who the hell edited this?". It wasn't until I was about 2/3 of the way through the book that I was able to get over the writing style and miscellaneous errors.
I didn't really feel any connection with the characters, they all seemed fake (again, could be due to writing and their conversations with eachother). I would give this book 2.5 stars, but bumped it up to 3 because I actually finished it after all trouble of "trying" to read it. That stands for something, right?
I didn't really feel any connection with the characters, they all seemed fake (again, could be due to writing and their conversations with eachother). I would give this book 2.5 stars, but bumped it up to 3 because I actually finished it after all trouble of "trying" to read it. That stands for something, right?
April 17, 2015
Cover: Professionally done - looks great.
Editing/Proofing: Appears to be professionally done ... very few errors noticed.
Formatting: Professional
Content:
As always with Howell, when I had to step away from this book, I missed it and wondered what the characters were up to. She has a way of developing characters that really stay with you - I'd love to know where these people are now and what they're doing. Great character development.
There is action almost immediately - along with devastation. In the pages that follow: more devastation, life spiraling out of control, drama, some scandal, more violence - this is a good, diverse book that would appeal to readers of many genres. Mystery is alive throughout most of it as well.
Predictability:
I tend to predict everything but Howell manages to throw out some curve balls and so I've come to just enjoy the ridge with her. None of her works have been typical and this is no exception.
Overall rating: 5 stars.
Editing/Proofing: Appears to be professionally done ... very few errors noticed.
Formatting: Professional
Content:
As always with Howell, when I had to step away from this book, I missed it and wondered what the characters were up to. She has a way of developing characters that really stay with you - I'd love to know where these people are now and what they're doing. Great character development.
There is action almost immediately - along with devastation. In the pages that follow: more devastation, life spiraling out of control, drama, some scandal, more violence - this is a good, diverse book that would appeal to readers of many genres. Mystery is alive throughout most of it as well.
Predictability:
I tend to predict everything but Howell manages to throw out some curve balls and so I've come to just enjoy the ridge with her. None of her works have been typical and this is no exception.
Overall rating: 5 stars.
September 1, 2012
I read this entire book and loved it. In fact, I finished it the first night I started it-I couldn't put it down.
The thing I loved best about this author's style is the way they defined their characters. By the time you get to know them, you're rooting for them all, regardless of their role in the entire scheme of things. It was easy to have empathy for the characters because of the connection I felt to them. Incidentally, none of the main characters were serial killers, so I'm not sure where someone in a previous review got that.
This was one of those books I was sad to see end. I'm really looking forward to future books by this author.
The thing I loved best about this author's style is the way they defined their characters. By the time you get to know them, you're rooting for them all, regardless of their role in the entire scheme of things. It was easy to have empathy for the characters because of the connection I felt to them. Incidentally, none of the main characters were serial killers, so I'm not sure where someone in a previous review got that.
This was one of those books I was sad to see end. I'm really looking forward to future books by this author.
September 4, 2012
I truly enjoyed Mistaken. It was emotional, exciting, painful, and rewarding all at once. I appreciated the motivation and 'story' for both Dillan and Trey. The sense of genuine grief (and guilt) that they have to deal with in order to move on and become whole people again was, at times, heart-breaking. I was impressed with Miss Howell's ability to juggle suspense with sincere emotion - and that the end wasn't wrapped up too nice and tidy, it which would have felt contrived after such a raw story. All in all, a gripping and immersive read.
Want to read
January 11, 2013Amazon freebie 1/11/13
Want to read
February 15, 2016164pgs, romantic suspense
January 16, 2017
a must read book, really an awesome book
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews