I absolutely loved it. I knew I had to read this the moment I came upon the blurb and it delivered. The story was phenomenal and had me in chokehold and took me on an emotional rollercoaster from the get go with amazing characters I love to hate. Leona was my absolute favorite. Loved her to death. Fiona and Mavis, I had a love hate relationship with because they got on my nerves all the time lol.


As a black historical fiction it was emotionally difficult to read at times with elements of racism and segregation at the core of the story.

My favorite part of this story was the bond between Leona and Fiona. A sisterly bond that transcends all.

This was my first read by this author and it definitely won’t be my last.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC5-stars black-mc historical-fiction ...more19 s3 comments LeeAnn1,392 2

Mary Monroe is an absolute treasure. Her historical fiction is sampling a bit of history for yourself, one juicy bite at a time. She writes such distinctive and memorable characters, and Leona & Fiona are no exception!

The story is told from each sister's point of view. And while they are twins whose devotion to each other is stronger than anything else in life, they are each at times loveable, pitiable, dislikable, and honorable.

I was definitely caught up in the story. Anticipating a twist, but not expecting the story's endings.

You won't be able to put this one down. I read it in one afternoon! (And definitely pick up some of the author's other books too!)4 s Connie J45 6

I love historical fiction, and this book lived up to expectations. Let’s say you have a twin and no one, not even your parents, can tell you apart. What if you and your twin were to trade places? This was something Leona and Fiona repeatedly accomplished. I didn’t think Leona’s friendship with Bonnie Sue was going to end the way that it did; however, I didn’t that Leona was so naive. Mary Monroe did it again. This will be a great book club pick.4 s1 comment Angela L.43 1 follower

I loved Mrs Wiggins by Mary Monroe so I was excited to get an ARC copy of Double Lives. Double Lives tells the story of identical twins Fiona and Leona. They live in Alabama with their mother Mavis. Fiona and Leona are always up to something and they switch lives which leads Mavis to believe one of her daughters is a trouble maker and the other is a saint but is this true. Leona has a best friend Bonnie Sue that is a little too clingy and she truly got on my nerves. This book was fast paced and kept me engaged with the plot twist. The book focuses on how at times people may want to escape from their life but it may take someone else to step in their shoes to show them maybe the grass is not greener on the other side.2 s Michelle366 10

I don't read many historical novels. This one by Mary Monroe was good. I d the relationships the sisters had with each other and how they pranked people. The ending could have been better. It was different than I thought. I'm grateful that netgalley and the publishers let me read this in exchange for an honest review.2 s Lalaa #ThisBlackGirlReads138 35

Another hit for Mary Monroe. I adored this book and Monroe can tackle historical fiction no one else. The plot was engaging and very believable, twins living each other's lives. I loved all the many details that were put into the story and I appreciated that I learned a few things along the read.

A great read.1 Niatate121 15

The story flowed well and the characters were well developed. I recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.


****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****1 LaCricia A'ngelleAuthor 11 books4

Yes! Yes! Yes!!! This is the Mary Monroe I have come to know and love! What an excellent read. I enjoyed this story from start to finish. The boldness of Leona and Fiona to switch lives randomly for their benefit whenever they felt it was mind blowing. A times I wondered how much one sister who I won’t name cared for the other as she would do things that were very damaging but led everyone to believe it was her sister. I feel conflicted by the ending. I enjoyed it, but if I keep typing I’m going to tell too much. All I can say is GET this book now!!!!! It’s a must read.

Thank you Dafina, Kensington and NetGalley for the opportunity to review an advance copy of this book.1 JaVone Bentley200

Good read. Slow in some parts but overall entertaining. Very unexpected ending. The book actually went a different route than I expected.1 Vnunez-Ms_luv2read875 27

Another winner from the talented Mary Monroe. Great plot with twins switching roles and living each others life. Very interesting read and the twists were very believable. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book. Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on my review.netgalley1 Ann88

This was an excellent read! I really enjoyed reading about the identical twins in this book . This book had historical fiction, identity changes, marriage, and church all rolled into one that didn’t disappoint. Incredible ending! Hopefully this will become a series.1 Dysha Cole140 4

Just wow to this book. Way better than i expected for sure. 1 Tiffany1,594 61

GENERAL INFO

Double Lives- a standalone

Year Pub/Re Pub: 3-26-24, Read 3-28-24

Format: eBook, 320 pages

Setting: Lexington, AL (1901-1938) The Depression Era

Genre: AA interests, historical, romance

Tropes: racism, sexism, slavery, secret pregnancy, colorism

TW: attempted SA, r*pe, murder, cheating

 HEA/HFN ending: HEA for Leona

Epilogue Included:  yes, 1 year later

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Synopsis/Plot Summary: Two twin sisters Fiona and Leona make a childhood prank of switching identities into adulthood. Over time the stakes get higher and the consequences more severe. It leads to cheating, obsession, and even murder.

M/F-M/M-M/M/F-etc: M/F

Representation: POC, LGBTQIIA+, Veterans, disabled

Flashbacks: The most important one was Mama talking to Leona as Fiona . Mama explained why she was so hard on Leona

Jealy/Possy/OTT H/h : yes, both sisters were jealous of each other which caused them to switch so often

Amount of Sex In The Book: enough

CHARACTER DESCRIPTION

Fiona Dunbar: posed as the fragile, good, and virtuous twin, but caused trouble all the time for Leona

Leona Dunbar: the wild, "loose" twin. She always took the blame for Fiona's bad behavior and their mother was always hard on her.

"Mama" Mavis Dunbar: the twins mother, a housekeeper. Husband Clyde died when the twins were 6 years old

Jubal: Fiona's husband. A good, "God fearing" man who works as an auto mechanic with his own shop.

Lamar: Fiona and Jubal's son. He doesn't gives them any problems, graduates high school, and goes into the military.

Bonnie Sue- a childhood friend to both Leona and Fiona but after all her family died of sickness, she becomes very close to Leona-even moves in with her. Married a railroad porter Clayton + had 3 sons

H /h RELATIONSHIP INFO

OW/OM/Exes: both Fiona and Leona had plenty but the stand outs were Ernest Lee, Jubal, Wally, and Boaz

AUTHOR OVERVIEW

 Mary Monroe-I read her God Don't Ugly series years ago, gave both 4/5

PERSONAL OVERVIEW

Overall Rating: 5/5

Do You Recommend This Book: yes

Will You Re-read This Book: yes

Would You Read More Books by this Author: yes

COMMENTS/NOTES
I am in a daze at the sacrifices Leona made for Fiona. From faking a pregnancy to going to jail, Leona was obsessed with her sister. She had Bonnie Sue tendencies towards Fiona , and could never say no to her. Karma caught up with them though, and Leona did get her HEA but man was it a whirlwind of secrets and lies!

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this ARC
Autor del comentario:
=================================