Spittin' Image
Book 1 of the Doubletake series

By Margaret Brownley and Lee Duran
iPublish, $4.95
Formats: Adobe, Glassbook, MS Reader, Peanut, Rocket, Softbook, OEB

It's been a long time since Mark Twain wrote The Prince and the Pauper, in which two complete opposites, the rich prince and his lookalike counterpart, the poor kid, change places. It was funny when Twain did it, and it's still funny in this saucy little e-book, Spittin' Image, a story in which lookalikes trade places and have ribald adventures. Spittin' Image is co-authored by Margaret Brownley and Lee Duran, a couple of sassy lady authors who resemble their characters only in that they are as different as night and day.

In this modern day parallel to Twain, we meet Samantha and Jayne, exact doubles although not related. Both are 30-ish and good-looking. Samantha is a married, white trash, petty criminal full of dark secrets. She's fond of diamonds, even if she has to steal them, and adores furs. Jayne is a single, straightlaced librarian whose idea of a passionate moment consists of attempting to name the Presidents in order. The two women come face to face at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport during the storm of the century.

Both women are facing difficult tasks, and if you haven't guessed it by now, decide to trade places. Samantha still loves her husband and can't bring herself to sign divorce papers. Jayne can't bring herself to put her beloved grandnanny in a nursing home. So the two opposites switch -- Samantha will pretend to be Jayne and take care of the grandnanny business, and Jayne will coolly sign Sam's divorce papers.

"Would you stop worrying?" brash Sam scoffs at timid Jayne. "What could possibly go wrong?" What goes wrong is legion and provides the roller coaster ride to come.

Of course, this is a comedic romance, so both ladies meet great-looking men right away. Samantha meets Jayne's half-brother, Ben, a studly type who is at once enticed and affronted by his attraction to the woman he believes is his half-sister. Jayne falls for Samantha's husband, Russ, a man with the physical charms of a Greek god. Would it be wrong to have a fling with Russ and let all those years of unspent passion out of the bag?

Part of the fun is watching the men react to the feeling that something is a little different -- make that a whole lot different. But since the gals are dead ringers for each other, the effort by these unwitting victims to assign new behaviors to familiar faces takes on a hilarity all its own. Add to the mix a grandnanny who lived on the wild side, a sinister relative or two, hidden agendas of all sorts, and the possibilities are unlimited.

Writing romantic comedy is a bit like baking a souffle: one wrong move and the whole thing falls flat. But I'm happy to report that authors Brownley and Duran have turned out a light, spicy read that's good with every bite. The trading places idea works to perfection, the characters and their backgrounds are highly detailed and the physical locales are fun to visit. Enjoy Spittin' Image and hope Brownley and Lee team up to offer us another.

Reviewer David G. LaGraff is a California e-book novelist with more than six books to his credit. His own modern romantic thrillers, essays, novelettes and adventure stories are available at Wordbeams.