Second To None

by Ju Ephraime

All of her life, Courtney Scott has come in second—in everything. As a twin, she came into the world second—thirty minutes behind her sister, Sydney. As luck would have it, not only was she the smaller of the two, but she and her twin were as different as night and day. Like the weaker of two fledgling birds in a nest, she got whatever food was left after Sydney had eaten her fill. She wore all of Sydney’s secondhand clothes, including her shoes, and when they entered kindergarten, Sydney was more advanced physically. Courtney has to deal with it, and she keeps it all in until graduating high school and going to Europe. There she meets up with her old high school classmate, James Mitchell.James and Courtney begin seeing a lot of each other, and it continues when they return to America. The one big problem is Sydney wants James too. This time Courtney is putting her foot down. She won’t be second. She will not stand by and allow Sydney to lure James away from her, and as much as she loves James, she refuses to accept Sydney’s seconds. No, this time, she insists that she will be the first and only choice.

428 pages, Paperback

Published November 23, 2018

About the author

Ju Ephraime (http://www.juliaeantoine.com) is the debut author of State of Ecstasy. Her latest novel, One Hell Of A Ride is published by ENVISION Business & Computer School, August 2nd, 2017. Her books are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, ENVISION, Books-A-Million, IndieBound, and many other retailers.
Ju's books have received great reviews from many different sources, including Midwest Book Review and Readers favorite. Several of her titles have made the bestseller list on Amazon, the most recent being, Golden Heat and The Elusive Highlander. The Elusive Highlander maintained that status for several weeks.
Ju earned her graduate degree from Northeastern University. She has a varied background, but for the past 13 years, has settled in the area of higher education. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Goodreads. Ju lives with her family in Connecticut.

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Reviews

[Brenda Mohammed · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not the first book I have read by talented and award-winning author Ju Ephraime. She never ceases to amaze me with her writing skills..
I read this book in one day, not because I had the time, but because it was so interesting. I could not put it down for a second.
The story of Courtney and Sydney, twin sisters, who were complete opposites, was one filled with rivalry from birth, right up to Courtney’s wedding day. Towards the end, there is a frightening twist, which I leave for readers to discover.
This a well written, intriguing, and engaging tale. The pace was lively throughout the book and the characters were well formed.
I recommend it to all.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review, this is the second of Ms. Euphraime’s books I have reviewed; the first was The Complaisant Lover, you can view that review here.

Courtney and Sydney are twins, the product of a loving interracial marriage. But, each is as different in personality and temperament as they are in looks and Courtney longs for the day when she can finally be free of Sydney’s shadow.
Courtney is easy to relate to on many levels. She’s intelligent, resourceful and very level headed, until she gets angry...but hey, that’s human isn’t it? Then we have her sister Sydney, who is most definitely a self-centered attention hound who simply won’t allow Courtney to have anything for herself. Not clothes, their parents attention or friends.
Who can blame Courtney for wanting to leave and have something for herself finally? It’s just a shame that she has to leave everything and everyone she knows behind to do it. And, wanting to leave is one thing, but can she convince her parents to let her do it? She has plan. She wants to travel and see the world while she decides if she wants to go to college and she has the skills to do it. Working her way through Europe as a teacher’s assistant/governess could be the ticket to finding herself, her freedom and...James.

Overall, I really enjoyed this coming of age story and that is what I would call it, coming of age. This leads me to one of the two little issues I had with this story. It is billed as “Historical”, but it’s not really historical at all. I’ll explain. The Prologue states that this story begins in 1946 and the Part 1 header refers to the years 1950-1954, so this story runs through approximately 1946 through 1954 and that would certainly qualify time-wise as “historical”, so it could fit historically within that time-frame. And there was quite a bit historically going on during that time that would certainly affect a mixed race family. But speaking objectively as a reader, if I were to remove the two instances where those dates appear, there honestly isn’t anything that would lead me to this particular time....and the cover for the book doesn’t fit either; it says the story inside is “contemporary”.

Still, this is a very well -crafted story of a young woman finding her own place in this world. I just would have liked more scene setting to understand what the world Courtney was living in was like. I rooted for her as she faced her challenges with her students; and, I too, wanted to let that stiff upper-crust British family have it verbally, as I’m sure Courtney did. I definitely took the ride with her feeling how she felt...I just couldn’t envision her world with her.

My only other constructive criticism is right at the end of the book. Throughout the entire book the story is told from Courtney’s perspective and suddenly we head-hop right at the end into James’s head? That totally broke the continuity of the story for me (I’m sorry Ms. Euphraime...but it did).

Still, my two criticisms are things that may not bother anyone but me. I still rate this story at 3.5 stars because I really did like it. It would get another half star from me if a few issues were addressed.

Oh, and before I forget! For those of you looking for stories that do not contain profanity or gratuitous sex scenes, check this one out! Ms. Euphraime has written a story that I believe is really up your alley. It’s easy to read, it flows well and you’ll like her characters as well. Pick up a copy and let me know what you think as well.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second to None: A Historical Romantic Suspense Novel is by Ju Ephraime. I have read several other novels by Ju and readily accepted her invitation to read this one. I am so glad she remembered me and asked me because I would not have wanted to miss this novel. It is extraordinary. If there are any grammar or spelling mistakes in the book, I didn’t notice them so they are few and far between. The suspense builds throughout the book but even then, you are not ready for the finale. It takes your breath away. Although there are racial overtones and a mixed marriage to deal with, this is not the theme which she emphasizes. Ju deals with the disillusioned belief of a unique bond between twins.
Courtney’s parents were of a racial blend. Her mother’s parents disowned her when she married Courtney’s Dad. In addition, this city girl wanted nothing else than to become a country girl immediately. Neither of them knew much about farming; but set out to create a farm which would sustain them and their family. Courtney and her twin Sydney were a set of fraternal twins who were nothing alike. Sydney was beautiful, blond, and blue-eyed and loved unconditionally by everyone. She was spoiled and always got her own way. Courtney, on the other hand, took after her Dad’s side of the family. She, too, was beautiful; but her dark beauty made her feel inferior. However, if Courtney was the dark one, she was also the sickly one and the brilliant one. Her Mother homeschooled her until she was twelve and then enrolled her in the local school in the tenth grade. Intellectually, she was brilliant; but socially, she was inept. Sydney, on the other hand, threw a fit until she was allowed to go to public school; but in middle school. However, she connived her way to a year behind Courtney. The two had nothing in common.

[Izzibella Beau · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am one of Ms. Ephraime's biggest fans. I have read all of her works. This story was a complete turnabout from her usual masterpieces, but nonetheless, it was right up there with the best of them. This story, one about twins, Courtney and Sydney, was one about complete opposites. That would be one term to describe them physically, emotionally, and mentally. One twin seemed to have it all, while the other struggled Every. Day. Of. Her. Life. Finally, after many bouts of struggles and manipulations, Courtney said she had enough and moved away for education and life experiences. The only thing she missed was her high school friend and love interest, James. But they do meet again, and one would think their life would be sweet and innocent, but that's where everything takes a turn. Revenge and the need to have everything overtakes and that's when things get ugly...fast. You'll have to read to find out if James and Courtney have their happily ever after or does Sydney win again.

[Rosie Chapel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, Ms Ephraime has penned a great book! An interesting take on sibling rivalry and one which hooked me from the first page. Born to a, very much in love but mixed race couple, Courtney and Sydney are as different as they could possibly be in every aspect of their lives. Their differences became more acute the older they get, until they seem almost insurmountable. As the story ebbs and flows, we see Sydney's determination to take everything Courtney has - whether she wants it or not, and how insecure that makes Courtney. Working overseas, lifts Courtney's confidence especially when she meets up with James, her best friend from school, while living in England - and it is clear they share a more than just friendship. But will Sydney let her sister enjoy her new found happiness?
Second to None is an engaging tale; well written, with a lively pace and an intriguing cast of characters! Highly recommended.

[Jean Alpert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was most pleasantly surprised by this book. I looked at the cover and tried to imagine what the story would be about, and I have to admit, it was like nothing I’d imagined. The story was tight, written in the first person, I was able to go along on the journey with Courtney, from birth to adulthood. I admire her spirit and even her sister’s, to a lesser extent. When she met her first love, James, the author builds up the tension between Courtney and James and the emotions Courtney felt being kissed for the first time. Oh, and the wedding, that was a second surprise and the third surprise was Sydney’s story. This book is an easy enjoyable read, and I must confess, I enjoyed it tremendously.

[Charlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is the first book I have had the pleasure of reading by this author. I was so impressed with the story. Twins born to mixed race couple each one completely different in color and abilities. Courtney was tired of Sydney getting all the attention and she always felt second best. My heart went out to Courtney, she deserved just as much as Sydney. It was an uphill battle for Courtney since her birth. Very moving story, I don't want to give too much away, but I loved this book and look forward to reading more by this author. I am happy to give a five star review.

[Kat Drennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sibling rivalry takes a frightening twist when Courtney returns from teaching abroad to discover a shocking family secret. True to her storytelling style, Ephraime skillfully draws you in to a deepening emotional plot.