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sulphuric's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
lezreadalot's review against another edition
4.0
As Ruth approached, she squinted at Caitlyn. “Who are you, and what have you don't with Chloe?”
3.75 stars if I'm being a quibbler. This had one of those romance premises that immediately sounded so FUN, but I must admit, I wasn't so sure how fun it would be for me personally. I'm not the biggest fan of mistaken identity or switched identity plot lines; they usually make for the kind of drama and anxiety that I don't enjoy. But a twin swap?? That sounded too fun not to try. Ruth is the president of a small liberal arts college, trying to juggle a faculty that hates her and attempting to solve student retention. Her new-ish assistant isn't the best: clearly not very invested in the job, just going through the motions. Then one Monday morning Ruth comes in and her assistant is acting a bit strange. Something's... different.
We get both POVs; it actually felt like Caitlyn's (imposter twin and love interest) story more than anything. She's a millennial academic, freshly out of post-grad, trying and failing to get jobs in her field, feeling like a failure because she can't. After coming home, she's guilted/nudged into posing as her twin sister in her assistant gig (a job way below her pay grade, but something she starts to find real joy in). It's a wacky premise, but the author did manage to write the scenario in a way where I could see Caitlyn actually agreeing to take Chloe's place at her job, after some cajoling. And I'm glad that the wackiness of the situation is balanced by very real emotional stakes. Caitlyn knows that what she's doing is technically a crime, but I do get why she agreed. It was really entertaining and a little harrowing, seeing those first few days on the job, all that floundering, how she tries to remember everything her sister coached her on, getting acclimated to Ruth. And I loved how she started with the intent to just keep her head down and pose as her sister, but then started enjoying the job.
And this slow burn was just soooo so good. This isn't my favourite ice queen, boss/employee romance, but it's up there. Boss/employee only works for me under very specific circumstances, and this was one of those. Ruth is exacting and demanding and can be a bit of a steamroller at first, but it's a product of being a woman in academia, and her ire never extends to her students, who she just wants to do the best for. I loved those early moments where Caitlyn doesn't know what to make of her, and goes from butting heads with her one minute to feeling compassion for her the next. I loved that they were both anxious in different ways, but they're immediately and sweetly very supportive of one another. The chemistry was really really well-written, and I just loved the slow journey from noticing each other (with Ruth thinking that she's just noticing her strangely acting assistant in a new way) to attraction, to the recognition of that attraction. I loved the forbidden aspect; Ruth in her position of authority, knowing that she can't allow herself to fall for her younger assistant, and Caitlyn with her secret, knowing that she can't develop feelings for a woman that she's lying to. And yet they both do, and it's so good. It felt a little like a forced proximity romance, because they have to work together so much, doing different projects and research, continuously noticing new things about each other. The romance was just so satisfying. I loved how the tension between them was written.
I did enjoy how the inevitable third act conflict came about and was handled. It felt romantic, but also there was drama, but also I felt like they both acted like adults. All very refreshing. I stiiiiiiill didn't enjoy the last third quite as much; time skips just aren't my favourite way to resolve things like this. I feel like we lose so much momentum in the relationship, and while I definitely understand that time apart was needed, the pacing just felt uneven. Especially after we spent so much time following them almost day by day.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Anastasia Watley, and I loved it SO much. She's one of those narrators who doesn't always do different voices, but she doesn't really need to. The quality of her voice and reading is always so good. This was really really enjoyable, even though I would change some things about the latter third. It felt really well-researched, with regard to life in academia and the administration of a college. The writing/prose itself maybe isn't all that memorable, but Ivins is really good at writing realistic characters. Ruth and Caitlyn are definitely what I loved best about this.
spencer0200's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
brookeadell's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
A bit of a flop, it felt too fast paced and the characters did not have chemistry, I struggled to finish it.
annenotboleyn's review
4.0
very sweet, though i felt like their chemistry could've been better, and their scenes more romantically charged. chloe is still a little unlikable to me and she lacks purpose but i don't really care that much about side characters so it doesn't bother me that much. caitlyn and ruth are cute
daenknight's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
kingsnail's review against another edition
4.0
God, I love a queer romance.
This book may have single-handedly saved my 2024 reading list, because the first few I read this year haven’t been great
This book may have single-handedly saved my 2024 reading list, because the first few I read this year haven’t been great
aliu6's review
5.0
4.5 stars
This was such a fun read and I sped through in one day. The premise instantly appealed to me, and the execution was as good as I could have hoped. Not only was it a cute romance, but it also handled really well discussions about mental health and the toxic parts of academia.
---The Breakdown---
Caitlyn Taylor has spent her whole life being the goody-two-shoes high-achieving reliable twin. So when she ends up back at home, jobless and broke, it isn't too hard for mom and her twin Chloe to pressure her into taking over Chloe's job, just for a week. The only thing is that Chloe's boss, college president Ruth Holloway, seems to stand for the very principles responsible for Caitlyn's inability to get a professor job. Caitlyn soon finds that Chloe's job is a way for her to make a difference at the college, as Ruth's confidante. As a week-long ruse turns into a months-long one, Caitlyn and Ruth grow closer. But what happens when the truth finally comes out?
cw: discussions around anxiety/depression; sexism
The Characters: I liked Caitlyn and Ruth a lot, and I appreciated that they both stayed true to themselves. Caitlyn is a people-pleaser; as she admits, she needs people to see value in her. This applies to both her professional and her personal life. Ruth is good at seeing value in people, and she genuinely cares about the students and staff (faculty excluded) she oversees. At the same time, Ruth is a bit closed off and slow to trust. Caitlyn and Ruth are similar in many ways, and complement each other well in others. Of the side characters, my favorite was Miguel, a poetry professor and the only one at the college privy to the twins' deception.
The Romance: This was a fun pine-y slowburn. It started with attraction, and I could see as the feelings developed each step of the way. And if you're worried about any unbalanced-power-dynamic ickiness, Ivins really carefully sidesteps all that. It's really easy to cheer for Caitlyn and Ruth.
The Plot: The story follows the course of the twin switch, focusing on Caitlyn and Ruth's work at the college and their budding romance. There were also many interesting side narratives—Caitlyn's failed academic job search, Chloe's love life, Miguel's dilemma, the twins' strained relationship. There was never a boring moment. I was a bit worried I would get tired of Caitlyn accidentally doing something out-of-Chloe-character and getting a weird look, but it amused me every time.
The Writing: Everything flowed smoothly, and I loved the dialogue.
All in all, would definitely recommend, especially if the premise sounds fun to you.
This was such a fun read and I sped through in one day. The premise instantly appealed to me, and the execution was as good as I could have hoped. Not only was it a cute romance, but it also handled really well discussions about mental health and the toxic parts of academia.
---The Breakdown---
Caitlyn Taylor has spent her whole life being the goody-two-shoes high-achieving reliable twin. So when she ends up back at home, jobless and broke, it isn't too hard for mom and her twin Chloe to pressure her into taking over Chloe's job, just for a week. The only thing is that Chloe's boss, college president Ruth Holloway, seems to stand for the very principles responsible for Caitlyn's inability to get a professor job. Caitlyn soon finds that Chloe's job is a way for her to make a difference at the college, as Ruth's confidante. As a week-long ruse turns into a months-long one, Caitlyn and Ruth grow closer. But what happens when the truth finally comes out?
cw: discussions around anxiety/depression; sexism
The Characters: I liked Caitlyn and Ruth a lot, and I appreciated that they both stayed true to themselves. Caitlyn is a people-pleaser; as she admits, she needs people to see value in her. This applies to both her professional and her personal life. Ruth is good at seeing value in people, and she genuinely cares about the students and staff (faculty excluded) she oversees. At the same time, Ruth is a bit closed off and slow to trust. Caitlyn and Ruth are similar in many ways, and complement each other well in others. Of the side characters, my favorite was Miguel, a poetry professor and the only one at the college privy to the twins' deception.
The Romance: This was a fun pine-y slowburn. It started with attraction, and I could see as the feelings developed each step of the way. And if you're worried about any unbalanced-power-dynamic ickiness, Ivins really carefully sidesteps all that. It's really easy to cheer for Caitlyn and Ruth.
The Plot: The story follows the course of the twin switch, focusing on Caitlyn and Ruth's work at the college and their budding romance. There were also many interesting side narratives—Caitlyn's failed academic job search, Chloe's love life, Miguel's dilemma, the twins' strained relationship. There was never a boring moment. I was a bit worried I would get tired of Caitlyn accidentally doing something out-of-Chloe-character and getting a weird look, but it amused me every time.
The Writing: Everything flowed smoothly, and I loved the dialogue.
All in all, would definitely recommend, especially if the premise sounds fun to you.
rachelslacey's review against another edition
5.0
Twin swap romance! Set in academia, with 2 super smart heroines. This was a really fun read - highly recommend!