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The Substitute Sister
Ghostly Whispers
Rocking chairs moving to and fro in the night...and an inherited house straight out of the eeriest of ghost stories. These were the things Sasha Michaelson found when she arrived on Sunset Island to collect the body of her identical twin...and take charge of her newly discovered niece.
But even more frightening to Sasha than her sister's shadowy presence in the old house, and the killer still running loose on the small island, was the fact that Sheriff Reed Blakeslee stopped her breath and made her heart pound fast.
But was the brooding lawman's determined search for answers caused by a love that hadn't stopped with death...or by a desire - for Sasha - that he couldn't deny?
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
6 people are currently reading
82 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Childs
411 books992 followersBorn one dark and stormy Halloween night, Lisa Childs was predestined to write suspense novels. She loves spinning dark and twisty stories that keep readers awake because they’re either too busy turning pages or too scared to sleep. Lisa Childs is the prolific author of more than seventy published novels. In addition to romantic suspense, she also writes women’s fiction, paranormal and contemporary romance.
Lisa loves to hear from readers who can contact her on Facebook or through her website.
Lisa loves to hear from readers who can contact her on Facebook or through her website.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 2, 2016
Sasha Michaelson gets a phone call in the middle of the night from Sheriff Reed Blakeslee. He informs her that her twin sister, Nadine, is dead, and that Nadine has named Sasha to be the guardian of her two-year-old daughter, Annie. Sasha was estranged from her sister and hasn't spoken to her in five years (after Nadine stole Sasha's fiancé) and she didn't know that Nadine had a daughter. So Sasha goes to dark and gloomy Sunset Island to meet her niece, Annie. Once there she meets an assortment of characters and tries to find answers concerning her sister's death/murder.
I really like gothic mysteries, so I enjoyed this book, even though it was slow at times. It had great atmosphere---the dark, murky mansion, island, lake, etc.. The romance was okay, but I enjoyed the secondary characters more and the mystery surrounding Nadine's death. Little Annie was cute. This was another enjoyable Harlequin Intrigue!
I really like gothic mysteries, so I enjoyed this book, even though it was slow at times. It had great atmosphere---the dark, murky mansion, island, lake, etc.. The romance was okay, but I enjoyed the secondary characters more and the mystery surrounding Nadine's death. Little Annie was cute. This was another enjoyable Harlequin Intrigue!
January 9, 2016
3.5 stars This book definitely hearkens back to the old-fashioned gothics from the 70s that you can still find in used bookstores. If you like a spooky, "big-house-in-remote-location" story, this one is good up until the super-rushed romance at the end.
Sasha Michaelson has come to isolated Sunset Island in northern Michigan after receiving news that not only has her estranged identical twin Nadine been murdered, but Nadine has left behind a young daughter Sasha never knew existed. Sasha and Nadine stopped speaking 5 years before Nadine's death, so Sasha is astounded to learn that not only did her reckless sister own a grand home, but she willed it to Sasha.
As soon as Sasha arrives on Sunset Island, it is obvious that something is afoot. She finds herself faced with a bereaved young niece, and a forbidding home she must share with disapproving and sometimes downright hostile staff. And then there's the local sheriff.
This book was written in 2005 and set in a rural area, so readers shouldn't be surprised that the sheriff is the hero. As I learned in years of romance reading, back in the early 2000s, small-town sheriffs had amazing love lives.
In this particular case, Reed Blakeslee left the stress of life as a Detroit cop to serve as sheriff on the mostly quiet Sunset Island. He had befriended Nadine and her brutal murder left him stunned. He's obviously determined to find her killer and also very obviously attracted to Sasha, but other than that, he is a fairly bland "good guy" hero.
For about the first two-thirds of the book, the suspense builds and even though the book moves slowly, I enjoyed myself as I tried to puzzle out what had happened to Nadine. The answers as to who had killed her and why eluded me at first, and the author does do a good job with the slow burn of suspense. However, the ending felt somewhat slapped together, and the romance sped up way too quickly as well.
Sasha Michaelson has come to isolated Sunset Island in northern Michigan after receiving news that not only has her estranged identical twin Nadine been murdered, but Nadine has left behind a young daughter Sasha never knew existed. Sasha and Nadine stopped speaking 5 years before Nadine's death, so Sasha is astounded to learn that not only did her reckless sister own a grand home, but she willed it to Sasha.
As soon as Sasha arrives on Sunset Island, it is obvious that something is afoot. She finds herself faced with a bereaved young niece, and a forbidding home she must share with disapproving and sometimes downright hostile staff. And then there's the local sheriff.
This book was written in 2005 and set in a rural area, so readers shouldn't be surprised that the sheriff is the hero. As I learned in years of romance reading, back in the early 2000s, small-town sheriffs had amazing love lives.
In this particular case, Reed Blakeslee left the stress of life as a Detroit cop to serve as sheriff on the mostly quiet Sunset Island. He had befriended Nadine and her brutal murder left him stunned. He's obviously determined to find her killer and also very obviously attracted to Sasha, but other than that, he is a fairly bland "good guy" hero.
For about the first two-thirds of the book, the suspense builds and even though the book moves slowly, I enjoyed myself as I tried to puzzle out what had happened to Nadine. The answers as to who had killed her and why eluded me at first, and the author does do a good job with the slow burn of suspense. However, the ending felt somewhat slapped together, and the romance sped up way too quickly as well.
June 30, 2017
Actual Rating: 2.5 Stars
The Substitute Sister had a pretty intriguing premise that had drawn me in. And the book started out pretty good. It had a creepy enough feel, and the additions of a hostile house staff as well as strange noises in the night was a nice touch. The not quite there paranormal elements were also a lovely add-on, giving the book itself that Gothic feel of being set in a huge mansion on a scenic island.
But the moment that Sasha meets love interest Sheriff Reed Blakeslee, the entire story seemed to automatically slide into "Romance, First and Foremost" territory. The insta-lust picked up, and despite there having been a murder on the island, and other matters that Sasha now had to attend to, the two of them kept coming back to "growing feelings" that went from insta-lust straight to insta-love.
I feel like I'm repeating myself lately, but I suppose my selection of reading material just hasn't been all that varied. Although much like some other books I've quite recently read (To the Rescue, The Mysterious Twin), The Substitute Sister is bite-sized and didn't take long to finish.
Don't get me wrong: The writing style is serviceable and the progression was smooth, actually outlined pretty well on the murder mystery side of things. Even our main characters had a bit more personality to them than the other romances I mentioned. And while the main culprit wasn't a surprise, I WILL admit that the book kept me guessing about the entire fiasco--even about whether or not Sasha's twin sister, Nadine, was really dead.
I would probably give this book props for atmosphere, that's for sure.
And as silly as it is to be complaining about how this Romance novel had too much focus on the romance, with an uneven development in our main couple's relationship... Honestly, that was really the biggest quibble I had about it. The murder investigation was a bit weakly constructed, but overall effective.
Despite my low rating and my few disappointments, I'm actually interested in continuing to keep Lisa Childs on my radar as an author to check out other books for.
***
Booklikes-opoly
Roll #20:
Water on book cover.
Page Count: 240
Cash Award: +$6.00
Updated Bank Balance: $109.00
The Substitute Sister had a pretty intriguing premise that had drawn me in. And the book started out pretty good. It had a creepy enough feel, and the additions of a hostile house staff as well as strange noises in the night was a nice touch. The not quite there paranormal elements were also a lovely add-on, giving the book itself that Gothic feel of being set in a huge mansion on a scenic island.
But the moment that Sasha meets love interest Sheriff Reed Blakeslee, the entire story seemed to automatically slide into "Romance, First and Foremost" territory. The insta-lust picked up, and despite there having been a murder on the island, and other matters that Sasha now had to attend to, the two of them kept coming back to "growing feelings" that went from insta-lust straight to insta-love.
I feel like I'm repeating myself lately, but I suppose my selection of reading material just hasn't been all that varied. Although much like some other books I've quite recently read (To the Rescue, The Mysterious Twin), The Substitute Sister is bite-sized and didn't take long to finish.
Don't get me wrong: The writing style is serviceable and the progression was smooth, actually outlined pretty well on the murder mystery side of things. Even our main characters had a bit more personality to them than the other romances I mentioned. And while the main culprit wasn't a surprise, I WILL admit that the book kept me guessing about the entire fiasco--even about whether or not Sasha's twin sister, Nadine, was really dead.
I would probably give this book props for atmosphere, that's for sure.
And as silly as it is to be complaining about how this Romance novel had too much focus on the romance, with an uneven development in our main couple's relationship... Honestly, that was really the biggest quibble I had about it. The murder investigation was a bit weakly constructed, but overall effective.
Despite my low rating and my few disappointments, I'm actually interested in continuing to keep Lisa Childs on my radar as an author to check out other books for.
***
Booklikes-opoly
Roll #20:
Water on book cover.
Page Count: 240
Cash Award: +$6.00
Updated Bank Balance: $109.00
February 8, 2014
How do you live with the ghosts of your identical twins past? Especially when the last words to your mirror self is laced with bitterness and heartache.
The Substitute Sister was an interesting light read earning a respectable 3 Stars. It held enough intrigue and twists to keep me bound for several hours.
However I fell more in awe with the supporting characters rather than the protaganists. If it wasn't for them I may have abandoned this novel. Several times I skimmed over a few pages in advance with the hope of finding an obscure person.
Unfortunately I wouldn't feel comfortable recommending this book if I couldn't remember much after closing it. However don't let my opinion colour your judgment. If you enjoy intrigue & romance, please, give this a try.
The Substitute Sister was an interesting light read earning a respectable 3 Stars. It held enough intrigue and twists to keep me bound for several hours.
However I fell more in awe with the supporting characters rather than the protaganists. If it wasn't for them I may have abandoned this novel. Several times I skimmed over a few pages in advance with the hope of finding an obscure person.
Unfortunately I wouldn't feel comfortable recommending this book if I couldn't remember much after closing it. However don't let my opinion colour your judgment. If you enjoy intrigue & romance, please, give this a try.
July 18, 2012
A quick easy read, a bit predictable from the beginning but still okay. I think it had all the typical elements I'm used to thus far in romance novels from Harlequin (the main two characters at odds, both thinking the same -wrong- things about each other, dragging out their confession of love till the very end, etc etc). I did like the cast of characters and I thought it was interesting to read about a place in Michigan because I have never been there and I've never read any book but one childrens Native American book set there which was a historical fiction. I also liked that it had some ghost story elements and some spookiness mixed into the romance story.
February 21, 2012
Not a bad read.I felt awaful for Nadine and poor little Annie and I was suprised at who the killer was.And I was glad to find a romance that took place in MI.
November 24, 2016
fantastic
June 7, 2016
3.5 Stars!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews