Just In Case - Chrissie Manby (2014)

This novella is about identical twins who share nothing in common except for their DNA. Clare and Rosie have chosen different hair styles; they have a polar-opposite fashion sense and career path, they think and feel differently about the world around them and behave completely different. It should be a shock to anyone that they are related, much less twins as Clare is ultra conservative and Rosie is very flashy. On a stopover trip to their mother's house, they are each given a suitcase for their birthday present, which comes in handy as they are both en route to other destinations. Clare is going to the States on a very important business trip where she will be giving a presentation and Rosie is on her way to Italy to attend a friend's wedding. Upon their arrival, they are horrified to learn that they have each other's suitcase. Clare has to attend her work conference wearing Rosie's bright, colourful maxi dresses and high heels and Rosie has to wear Clare's stuffy business suits. They are each convinced that the next three days will be a disaster for both of them and begin to wonder what effect walking in each other's shoes will have... I could really empathise with both sisters and would be just as horrified if I were in their place, especially since neither one of them is able to shop for something else to wear and have to make the best of what they have. The best part of this story for me was that literally walking in each other's shoes brought the twins closer together and made them both realise the mistakes they had made and were currently making in their lives. I loved that they took the most awkward of moments and with a little help from the people around them, turned it into a positive experience. Overall, this was a fun and fast read that will appeal to chick-lit fans and readers who enjoy stories that bring a smile to their face. (SH)

Chrissie Manby's novella Just in Case explores sisterhood, identity and love. The summary says: "Never were there two less similar identical twins than Clare and Rosie Marwood. Though they were born within three minutes of each other and spent their childhoods dressed in matching outfits, they've grown up to have less in common than Kim Kardashian and the Duchess of Cambridge. So both women are horrified when a luggage mix-up means that sensible Clare must attend a company conference in the United States with Rosie's suitcase full of pink, frills and stripper heels, while flamboyant Rosie heads for a friend's destination wedding in Italy's Tuscany with Clare's case full of suiting and sensible courts. Both believe wearing the other's clothes is going to ruin their chances: Clare's of getting a promotion and Rosie's of getting a snog. But as three days of literally having to walk in each other's shoes unfold, will the sisters discover they should try to be more like each other after all?"

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