Last year, an author friend of mine, Jes Drew, recommended My Double Life by Janette Rallison on her blog as a great Kindle permafree read. I’ll admit, this book sat dormant on my Kindle for months until Jes reread the book and I saw her update on Goodreads. I knew then that I finally needed to read this book, and I’m so glad I took Jes’s recommendation!

What I Liked:

Combination of Two of My Favorite Tropes

I’ve loved Prince and the Pauper-esque stories since I was a kid watching It Takes Two starring the Olsen twins. Combined with a small-town girl meets celebrity crush romance, another one of my favorite guilty-pleasure tropes, I couldn’t resist getting sucked into this juicy story!

The Writing Style

Rallison’s style is clean and humorous, making for a fun, lighthearted read. Her writing, while not as inclusive of Christianity as their books, reminds me a lot of Jenny B. Jones and A.C. Williams.

Alexia’s Character Arc

Though I somewhat struggled to relate to the main character on an emotional level, I appreciate that the author provided her with a well-written arc, showing how Alexia’s Hollywood experiences have re-shaped her mindset about her original lifestyle.

Iffy Point:

Kari’s Arc

Though Alexia poses as Kari Kingsley–a famous popstar whose route to stardom is comparable to Miley Cyrus–we do not receive Kari’s POV in the novel. However, Kari proves to be an interesting character whose story I was invested in from the beginning. Though Kari does change throughout the story, it’s minute, and I feel it could have been better if readers received more shown from Kari toward the ending than what we were told.

Overall

My Double Life is a clean contemporary YA romance that is perfect for any girl who has ever had a celebrity crush and dreams of meeting him. If you’re also a fan of the swapping places trope, I highly recommend this book.

Rating:

Talk to Me, Arrowheads!

What similar books do you recommend? I’m always in the mood to add new books to my TBR!

Aim high, stay strong, and always hit your mark.

-Allyson 😀