Read What People are Saying About Mirrored Images:

"Mirrored Images" held my attention throughout and was a fast read. Michelle took sibling rivalry to whole new level. I experienced a range of emotions while reading the book. There were a couple of unexpected twists. The storyline lends itself to a sequel. I'm looking forward to reading more of Michelle's work.

C. Emanuel

ASiS Book Club

***Great 

Mirror Images 

Author:  Michelle Larks

Publisher:  Oceans Mist Press

Publisher Website: www.oceansmistpress

ISBN:  0-9773043-042-033

Genre: Contemporary

Cover Artist:  Jinger Heaston

Novel

    Melissa Adams has always felt like the odd one of the family.  Her mother tolerates her, and her twin sister Monique, barely acknowledges her existence.  When treachery and betrayal separate the family, Melissa knows there is no going back.

    But her life is interrupted by a phone call from her cousin who tells her that Jeremiah, Melissa's one true love AND the husband of her sister is dying.  Leaving everything behind, she goes home to see what she can do to help.

    Family ties are strained and secrets are reveled.  Will Melissa and Jeremiah find that what they once shared still exists?

    This story about a family and all its inner workings was tough to get into.  Told in flashbacks at first, it was slow going.  Once there, the premise was interesting enough to keep me reading.  The emotions between Jeremiah and Melissa were strong enough to make me feel along with them, and I felt sorry for everything they had to endure.  I was pleased at the outcome, glad that things worked out the way they did.  One to be enjoyed.

Reviewed by Char @mayreviews.com

May Holley

Director

MayReviews.com 

MIRRORED IMAGES - Michelle Larks

Ocean Mist Press - www.oceansmistpress.com

ISBN: 0-9773043-042-033

February 2006

Contemporary Romance

Chicago, Illinois and Atlanta, Georgia

Raised in an affluent Chicago family, twin sisters Melissa and Moniqa Adams may look alike, but their temperaments are as different as night and day. Melissa is the good twin, while Moniqa is the bad one. When their father passes away, leaving them a fortune, the favoritism their mother shows toward Moniqa becomes more obvious. Moniqa is constantly showered with gifts from her mother, while Melissa works hard at being independent. However, this doesn’t stop Moniqa from wanting what Melissa has -- including a man who’s attracted to Melissa.

Settling down to college life in Atlanta, the sisters quickly begin their adult lives. Melissa falls in love with Jeremiah Jeffries, and they’re soon spending all their time together. However, Moniqa also wants Jeremiah, and nothing will stop her, even when Melissa and Jeremiah become engaged. Will Moniqa succeed in getting her claws into Jeremiah? Or will the happy couple ward off the threat?

MIRRORED IMAGES opens in the present day with Melissa getting unsettling news from a late night phone call. The story then steps back in time to the death of Nathan Adams, the father of the sisters. It then meanders forward to tell the story of Melissa, Moniqa, and the man they both love, Jeremiah. A few detours are made even farther back when the mother, Vanessa Adams, recalls her romance with Nathan, and there are also glimpses of the lives of minor characters in MIRRORED IMAGES.

Clearly, Melissa is the protagonist of MIRRORED IMAGES. She cares for others, even the sister who has been a thorn in her side most of her life. She doesn’t let life’s disappointments slow down in her quest to find happiness, even if the bumps are sometimes heart wrenching. Moniqa is the spoiled, pampered sister who doesn’t know the meaning of the word no. Once she sets her sights on Jeremiah, the fact that he clearly has eyes only for Melissa doesn’t her. In the end, will she get what she wants or not?

Written almost like a fast moving epic novel because of the number of years it encompasses, MIRRORED IMAGES is more storytelling, rather than long scenes of interaction between characters. If you blink while reading MIRRORED IMAGES, you might miss a piece of the compelling puzzle -- for example, why do Melissa and Moniqa look alike, but are totally different in personalities? Michelle Larks shows a good hand at creating characters who draw you into a story while crafting a compelling plotline. My one problem with MIRRORED IMAGES is that it sometimes moves so fast, I had to stop to remember at what stage in their lives the sisters were at the time.

Readers looking for a tale told over several years with an intricate plot should consider picking up the nicely written MIRRORED IMAGES.

Patti Fischer

Romance Reviews Today

Rating: [5 of 5 Stars]

Mirrored Images

Michelle Larks

Contemporary romance

Available from Ocean's Mist Press

ISBN: 0-9773043-042-033

February 2006

Melissa and Moniqa Adams are twins whose characters are entirely different. They come from a wealthy Chicago family but Melissa is considered the good twin whereas Moniqa is far from being any good girl. When their father dies, things suddenly shift for the twins. After being left a huge inheritance, favorite daughter, Moniqa is shown more partiality by their mother, Vanessa, but Melissa is more or less the black sheep of the family. While Moniqa is overwhelmed with gifts, Melissa has to learn to live independently. Selfish Moniqa still isn’t content. She wishes more, even the man that Melissa is in love with and she is determined to get him at any costs. Jeremiah Jeffries feels a strong attraction to Melissa, one so powerful that it forms a deep love. He wishes to spend all his time with her, unfortunately Moniqa feels that three is not a crowd as she hurdles closer toward Jeremiah, even after he and Melissa become engaged. This is one time that Melissa is determined to not allow Moniqa take what is hers but is she and Jeremiah’s love strong enough to keep Moniqa from tearing them apart?

Mirrored Images paints a portrait about a family different in many ways. As the girls mature, they both fall for Jeremiah, but it is Melissa who wins his heart. The story whirls with each looking into their past, even the mother, that it is almost like looking into a glass mirror. Melissa has love for everyone whereas Moniqa wants everything from everyone. Ms. Larks does great descriptive work in penning Moniqa a spoiled pampered girl that many can relate. And the way she allows Melissa to continue to love her sister no matter how much Moniqa pushes to take Jeremiah, made this reader feel even more close to Melissa. Ms. Larks composes a story that takes the reader through many years and allows the characters to become real in their actions. She draws the reader into this page-turner that I found very hard to put down with a great plot and a story very well-written.

Overall rating: 5 Hearts

Sensuality rating: Mildly sensual

Reviewer: Linda L.

May 10, 2007