Twin Peril

The Six #5

by Susannah Carleton

The Duke of Fairfax is searching for a suitable wife who will love him for him, not his money. Lady Deborah fills this requirement, but her equally beautiful twin has some tricks up her sleeve. Original.

Genres: Romance, Regency, Clean Romance, Regency Romance

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 2, 2005

About the author

Susannah Carleton discovered Regency romances at the ripe old age of 33 and promptly fell in love, since life among the ton in Regency England is such a diverting change from that of an engineer. She lives in the Chicago area with her husband, and when she isn't reading or writing or reviewing books, she loves to knit.

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first thing you should know about this book is that it is number 4 in a series called "The Six" The Six are a group of musical women who have formed a group by that name. The books are written in pairs, so that "A Scandalous Journey" takes place at the same time as "The Marriage Campaign" and this book, "Twin Peril" occurs during the events of "A Rake's Redemption." It is not necessary to read them in order, but it is helpful to understanding the motivations of the minor characters. In the book pairs the first one is usually very action-orientated and the second is more character-driven. If you want a fast-paced, action-packed book (or just want to know what happened to Lady Sarah) I suggest starting with "A Rake's Redemption", but be sure to give this one a shot. I have given the book 5 stars because when I reached the end I was happy for our heros...but a little sad that I had to leave them so soon. That's the best compliment I can give any book.

[Writerlibrarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was more interesting if only because the villain of the story is interesting and alive. Diana vows to get a better husband than her twin and sets her sights onto the only Duke available. Unfortunately for her, Fairfax, unlike most of the people except for her family can tell her and Deborah apart. Of course Fairfax falls for Deborah and they live ever after but it's Diana that drives the plot, the action. I kinda wish Carleton would have written the "Diana" book but she hasn't published anything since this book in 2005.

[Lokien · Rating 3 out of 5]

A real sweet book. Two shy peopl find love. Although i wish the nasty sister got alittle more comupance than a broken arm. This one will stay on my shelf.

[Claire S · Rating 3 out of 5]

QNPoohBear wrote a good summary of this book so I won't bother with it. I have not read any of the previous books but was able to follow along just fine. I liked both main characters. They were sweet and kind to each other, and there was no high drama or misunderstandings between them. I especially appreciated that the Duke was not tall and handsome like most. My problem with it is that there were no real conflicts. Deborah isn't sure that Fairfax can tell her and her sister apart, but he continually thwarts Diana's schemes by knowing exactly who she is so that was not very believable. Diana is a villain but there's no good reason behind her behavior. She's jealous of her sister for being perfect and selfish and that's it. I think, in general, I just found the story too simple, not just in plot, but in the depth of the characters. It was a pleasant read, and it was nice to have a loving and mature relationship between the main characters, but I'm sure I'll forget about it quickly. On a side note, this is technically a clean romance, but there's a scene with Diana that goes a bit beyond just kisses and might make some people uncomfortable.

[QNPoohBear · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a companion to A Rake's Redemption and the final volume in The Six series. Michael Winslow, the Duke of Fairfax is being pressured by his grandmother to choose a Duchess. Michael, a shy, scholarly man, would rather have a wife and companion than choose a bride for her family and wealth. Michael has one lady in mind for his bride, Lady Deborah Woodhurst. Deborah also likes Michael for his own sake rather than his title. He is kind and shares her interest in music, but she isn't sure he can tell her apart from her twin Diana. Diana is counting on the fact that Fairfax can't tell her from her sister because she's out to catch the highest peer with the greatest wealth for her husband and will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Deborah wonders how she and her sister can have such different outlooks on life and dreams of finding a man who will love her for herself. Michael must reveal the man behind the ducal mask if he wants to earn the love of Lady Deborah. This is a nice, sweet story that takes place at the same time as A Rake's Redemption. Michael is a too-good-to-be-true hero who is kind and shy but able to stand up for himself. Deborah is an interesting young woman but she doesn't really stand out as being anything exceptional. There are some interesting descriptions of music and musical instruments woven into the plot and I would have liked to have "seen" an actual performance from members of The Six or at least the performance from Deborah and Fairfax. The ending was a bit rushed because it takes place at the same time as A Rake's Redemption. I liked the sweet relationship between Deborah and Michael but was confused by Diana's behavior. When she was first introduced in The Marriage Campaign, she seemed nice enough but then she became rude and mean without any sort of explanation. Though some of the scenes are from her point of view, she doesn't really reveal why she's such a witch. My other complaint is about the series as a whole: the heroes (with the exception of George) always want to protect and cherish the heroines and none of the heroes want to marry Tina, who is a hoyden. Tina is my favorite member of The Six and I hoped she would find someone who would like her for her impulsive behavior. I recommended this series to those who like sweet, quiet Regency romances.