The plot of this novel is pure soap opera escapism. Amy had a deprived childhood, with an alcoholic father who committed suicide and an alcoholic mother who ended up catatonic. When she met Robin Mulcahey on their first day at college, the two girls became best friends in spite of the fact that they're as different as night and day. Well, except for their appearances. Physically, they could be sisters. Amy falls in love with the seeming perfection of the Mulcahey family, including falling head over heels in love with Robin's older brother Paul. A terrible crash kills Robin and leaves Amy unrecognizable, but when the Mulcahey family mistakes her for their daughter, Amy decides to go along with the charade and take over Robin's identity. She can't bring herself to hurt them by telling the truth.

The contrivances in the story, combined with the taboo feel of the romance (although there is no actual taboo), makes it feel like something I would have read in high school. What saves it from being just a pulp novel is the sympathy the reader garners for Amy. Bellacera's smooth prose and top notch characterization of her two female leads takes the edge off what could be considered a trashy romance. You want Amy to be happy, so you go along with some of the over-the-top-ness of the plotline. The last fourth of the book just whips by.

I'm not so sure I'm keen on the story's structure. The vast majority of the book is told in flashback format. The prologue is the accident, and then the entire first part of the book details how the two girls met and everything that led up to the accident. It's done again in smaller sections throughout the rest of the story, too, and it takes some of the suspense out of it as a whole.

But the author's easy prose and strong characterization make up for it. I ended up devouring it, though I wouldn't read it again.

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