With a premise centering around identical twins, yachts, and vast fortunes, The Girl in the Mirror by Rose Carlyle was a welcome addition to my TBR list.
Iris and Summer are identical twin sisters – even their own mother can’t tell them apart. As children, they learned that when their father died, he left behind a will that stated his entire fortune goes to the first of his 7 children to have a child (while married).
Iris has always been envious of Summer’s seemingly perfect life, with an adoring husband, a giant home, and glowing beauty that Iris feels she herself is missing. But when they set off together in a yacht to sail from Thailand back to Australia, something happens to Summer. One thing leads to another, and Iris decides to step into Summer’s life and leave her own behind.
*I received this book for free from the publisher (William Morrow) in exchange for an honest review.
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The Girl in the Mirror by Rose Carlyle: My Thoughts
My grandparents lived on a houseboat when I was young, and my family used to have fishing boat that we’d take out on the sound, so boats have a soft spot in my heart. I really enjoyed the beginning of this story, focused heavily on sailing the yacht in the tropics. Sounds relaxing, right? Well, things take a dark turn pretty quickly, and we’re thrust into a world full of the rich and greedy, all vying for a chance at an enormous fortune.
This was a soapy thriller, filled with characters you love to hate. There was so much lying I almost had a hard time keeping up! I could never decide who to trust in the entire twisted family. And the exotic locations (Thailand, Seychelles, the Indian Ocean) were an exciting touch.
While it was certainly entertaining, I did find one or two of the major twists predictable. And some parts of the story were a little far-fetched. If you’re the type of person who needs a “good” character to root for, this book may not be for you. But if you’re ok with deeply flawed and unlikeable characters, you’ll likely enjoy this one!
The Girl in the Mirror is a twisted and compulsive read, perfect for fans of Liv Constantine, Sara Shepard, and Ruth Ware.
Rating: 4 (out of 5) stars
Publication date: October 20th, 2020