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Spitting Image
What if you had a twin – who was a better version of you?
When Everett Reyes loses his adoptive mother – the only person who ever believed in him – his bullying stepbrothers find a way to keep Everett’s inheritance. They won’t even let him keep Mom’s cookware, though she’s the reason he became a chef.
All he has left is a failing cafe, a rattletrap car, and an ex-wife he can’t stop fighting with.
Bereft of family, he hires a private investigator to track down his biological parents. He’s not surprised to learn that they’re dead, but he’s shocked to discover that he has a twin brother, alive and well in Austin, Texas.
The similarities between Everett and his brother Evan are amazing. They’re both chefs, they both married aspiring musicians, and they’re both fathers – evidence of their deep twin bond. But the more Everett learns more about his brother, the more he feels like he’s looking at the life he should have had – would have had if they hadn’t been separated. It’s embarrassing how Evan seems to be more successful than Everett in every possible way.
His friends tell him to start with a phone call, but Everett decides to drive to Austin and surprise Evan on their shared birthday.
After all, what better gift could a man receive than to be reunited with his long-lost twin brother?
Spitting Image is a new novel by Harmony Reed, author of Confidence John and Drink.
When Everett Reyes loses his adoptive mother – the only person who ever believed in him – his bullying stepbrothers find a way to keep Everett’s inheritance. They won’t even let him keep Mom’s cookware, though she’s the reason he became a chef.
All he has left is a failing cafe, a rattletrap car, and an ex-wife he can’t stop fighting with.
Bereft of family, he hires a private investigator to track down his biological parents. He’s not surprised to learn that they’re dead, but he’s shocked to discover that he has a twin brother, alive and well in Austin, Texas.
The similarities between Everett and his brother Evan are amazing. They’re both chefs, they both married aspiring musicians, and they’re both fathers – evidence of their deep twin bond. But the more Everett learns more about his brother, the more he feels like he’s looking at the life he should have had – would have had if they hadn’t been separated. It’s embarrassing how Evan seems to be more successful than Everett in every possible way.
His friends tell him to start with a phone call, but Everett decides to drive to Austin and surprise Evan on their shared birthday.
After all, what better gift could a man receive than to be reunited with his long-lost twin brother?
Spitting Image is a new novel by Harmony Reed, author of Confidence John and Drink.
- GenresFiction
235 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 2, 2022
140 people are currently reading
87 people want to read
About the author
Harmony Reed
7 books6 followersHarmony Reed writes revelatory stories about what it means to live, how we can become more fully human, and how we can shed the lies we’ve been living by and embrace our truth. Her fiction melds the large-scale with the deeply-personal, yielding insight into the human psyche and the world we all must move through. If you enjoy authors like Michael Chabon and Jodi Picoult, movies like Big Fish and Little Miss Sunshine, or shows like Orange is the New Black and This is Us, you’ll love Harmony Reed.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 22, 2022
Could it be true? That twins have this unbreakable bond that makes them whole? Is it as true for any twins, or are identical twins more? Can this bond be one-sided?
An interesting premise the whole book is based on. Ultimately, the invisible bond exists and shapes Everett's life, who feels so alone he lets his adopted brothers bully him, just to be acknowledged in any way. He wallows in depression and fails in everything chasing a familial bond he longs for even before his mom dies. Not Evan, who is a go-getter, and everything about him seems to be a reverse mirror image.
I'll stop, or this review will degenerate in spoilers. The writing is very good, and even though the main character sometimes drives me to exasperation, his heart's desire is achieved - and who am I to decide what that goal should be?
An interesting premise the whole book is based on. Ultimately, the invisible bond exists and shapes Everett's life, who feels so alone he lets his adopted brothers bully him, just to be acknowledged in any way. He wallows in depression and fails in everything chasing a familial bond he longs for even before his mom dies. Not Evan, who is a go-getter, and everything about him seems to be a reverse mirror image.
I'll stop, or this review will degenerate in spoilers. The writing is very good, and even though the main character sometimes drives me to exasperation, his heart's desire is achieved - and who am I to decide what that goal should be?
October 25, 2022
SPITTING IMAGE by Harmony Reed (pub. June 2, 2022, free Kindle download) -- I was quite taken with the book's premise: Evan and Everett are identical twins separated at birth and adopted into different families. Everett is ignored by his father, abused by his two older brothers, and much loved by his mother. She nurtures him and he learns much about cooking from her. He marries and has a son, becomes owner and cook in his own coffee shop in California. He devotes himself to his business, which never provides much of a living for them. He does little to raise and nurture his son, and is divorced by his wife, with whom he continually argues. On the day his adoptive mother dies, his two brothers disown him completely and he is separated from that family. He hires an investigator to find his true parents, both of whom have died, but he learns he has an identical twin in Texas. Leaving his family & business, he travels to meet his twin brother, hoping to establish a relationship with him and his family. His brother is a well-off chef and owner of two successful restaurants. Everett turns up unannounced on Evan's doorstep. He meets the family, is taken in for an undetermined visit, and eventually learns of Evan's family problems, marital conflicts, and difficulties with his restaurants. He brings his own experiences and his mother's recipes as he begins to assist his brother. It's a good story with lots of issues examined: family relationships, what IS family, conflicts, parenting, abuse and bullying, self-examination, work, reconciliation, and more.
August 22, 2022
SPITTING IMAGE by Harmony Reed is about twin brothers separated at birth and adopted by different families. Everett is divorced, lives in California and has a barely making it coffee shop when he hires an investigator to search for information about his biological family. He is thrilled to discover he has a twin brother, Evan, who is a successful, well known restaurant owner in Texas. Other than looking for information about his brother online, Everett does little more than taking off in his dilapidated car for the long drive to California to show up at his brother’s home unannounced on their shared birthday. The entire time, Everett is dreaming of how everything will suddenly be wonderful once he meets and weasels into his brother’s successful life. The characters are underdeveloped, especially Everett who is shallow, lazy, expects everyone to overlook his failures and bail him out. It is no surprise Everett is divorced and does not step up as a father to his young son. The story picks up a little in the third section of the book, but it really is too little too late. The book stopped so abruptly I thought a chapter may have been accidently left out. After reading the final chapter again, I realized the last 12 sentences in the book is the ending. Sorry, but it did not work for me.
July 9, 2022
The author created a very interesting main character with a well developed and complete back story. I really enjoyed knowing more about Everett Reyes and how his life has been, with ups and downs.
Losing his adoptive mom, he embarks on a journey to discover who he really is by trying to find his blood family. He is not surprised to know his parents have died but he is certainly surprised when he finds out he has a twin brother. He is even more surprised to know he and his brother shared many similarities in their lives.
This middle length story captivated me; I experienced a mix of emotions from beginning to end while accompanying Everett in his journey.
I would recommend this novel because it is a fast read with a good pace that is very entertaining.
Losing his adoptive mom, he embarks on a journey to discover who he really is by trying to find his blood family. He is not surprised to know his parents have died but he is certainly surprised when he finds out he has a twin brother. He is even more surprised to know he and his brother shared many similarities in their lives.
This middle length story captivated me; I experienced a mix of emotions from beginning to end while accompanying Everett in his journey.
I would recommend this novel because it is a fast read with a good pace that is very entertaining.
July 22, 2022
A great novel
The author created a very good plot with a strong main character. His back story is one of the strongest points in the novel, in my opinion. His life was not easy and it is about to change, for the better? Could you imagine finding a brother/sister who you have never met before and finding that this person has a very similar life to yours? I really liked that part too.
The narrative is simple yet captivating; it got me reading at the edge of my seat more than once. Moreover, dialogues were well created and helped to the flow of the novel. I would recommend this reading.
The author created a very good plot with a strong main character. His back story is one of the strongest points in the novel, in my opinion. His life was not easy and it is about to change, for the better? Could you imagine finding a brother/sister who you have never met before and finding that this person has a very similar life to yours? I really liked that part too.
The narrative is simple yet captivating; it got me reading at the edge of my seat more than once. Moreover, dialogues were well created and helped to the flow of the novel. I would recommend this reading.
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June 16, 2022From rejection to acceptance
I felt so sad to read about the cruel rejection he grew up with as the third, youngest son with something missing. At his adoptive mother's funeral he was treated very badly by his two adopted brothers, while mourning their mother's death. Her cooking skills had inspired him. Then the private investigator he had hired discovered what, or who, was missing from his life. This Mexican-flavoured story is painful on every page but the last, making for very good reading.
I felt so sad to read about the cruel rejection he grew up with as the third, youngest son with something missing. At his adoptive mother's funeral he was treated very badly by his two adopted brothers, while mourning their mother's death. Her cooking skills had inspired him. Then the private investigator he had hired discovered what, or who, was missing from his life. This Mexican-flavoured story is painful on every page but the last, making for very good reading.
June 13, 2022
Disappointing
This story was painful to read, with the main character being such a loser and making bad decisions constantly. The ending was contradictory to the lead in of finally getting his life back in order with his own career and family. He is always asking people to help him. His friends send him money, so he can straighten out his debts, and the conclusion is that he's going to stay in Texas to work for his brother!
This story was painful to read, with the main character being such a loser and making bad decisions constantly. The ending was contradictory to the lead in of finally getting his life back in order with his own career and family. He is always asking people to help him. His friends send him money, so he can straighten out his debts, and the conclusion is that he's going to stay in Texas to work for his brother!
July 13, 2022
i honestly don't know how to feel about this, but i didn't connect with the characters at all. Like, i get that his childhood was sad yes, but it was painful seeing him make wrong choices again and again. that's on Everett but it still is the same for Evan. I expected something horror-esque so maybe that's why this book didn't live up to my expectations, but the premise was great i don't regret picking it up.
May 13, 2023
Interesting male perspective on relationships
The main character did not have many redeeming qualities until maybe halfway thru so it was hard to get into. Then it started to flow and I wanted to root for him. Good life lessons throughout. Put family first. Money doesn’t buy happiness. Listen to your friends they tell you the hard honest truth. Everyone craves connection. Listen. Be kind as you never know how those who are hurting hurt others. And more.
The main character did not have many redeeming qualities until maybe halfway thru so it was hard to get into. Then it started to flow and I wanted to root for him. Good life lessons throughout. Put family first. Money doesn’t buy happiness. Listen to your friends they tell you the hard honest truth. Everyone craves connection. Listen. Be kind as you never know how those who are hurting hurt others. And more.
October 11, 2022
Hard no
Very boring and very, very whiny main character. Still not sure what the point of this book was and why the ending....just ended. 0/5
Very boring and very, very whiny main character. Still not sure what the point of this book was and why the ending....just ended. 0/5
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews