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The Switch

The Switch

List Price: $45.00
Your Price: $33.22
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Brilliantly mysterious.
Review: Gillian and Melina Lloyd are identical twins. As children, a favorite game was to switch identities. Now one of the twins is found brutally murdered, after spending an evening out with a famous astronaut, Christopher "Chief" (for his Indian blood) Hart. It's much more than meets the eye here, as the remaining twin claims to have switched with her sister that particular evening, playing the switch game for the first time ever as adults. The remaining twin is devastated; sure the murder was meant to be her. As the plot gels, and the murder becomes more and more intricately weaved with a possible conspiracy of enormous proportions, so does the question arise: Who really is who? The story is brilliantly written by Sandra Brown, quick to clasp the reader's interest, a little slow at times, but eventually fantastically brought together in a smashing ending that will leave you reeling.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Not to be missed!
Review: I had this book on my shelf for many months before I got around to it. When I finally started reading it, I could not put it down and finished it in one day. I could have kicked myself for leaving it on the shelf for so long! I'm not a big huge fan of suspense, but Sandra Brown is one author who writes it so well, especially in this book. I won't repeat what other reviewers have said about the storyline except for two points:
1. If I can choose to be a heroine, I would want to be one who is as gutsy and endearing as Melina and ...
2. Where can I sign up for a guy like Christopher Hart?!?
So if you haven't read this book, please read it as soon as possible. I don't bother to write many reviews except for those books that do deserve to be lauded. This is my favourite Sandra Brown book after Adam's Fall, which is a DEFINITE must-read too.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Not Her Best!
Review: I have been a Sandra Brown fan from day one. Her romance novels have been some of the best I have ever read. Her early mainstream novels are better than her recent ones. If you read the inside flaps on the dust cover of "The Switch", you will basically know the story and the author does not stray far from the review. "The Switch" was a fair read but could have been so much better.

For starters this book was too long! (469 pages) This story could have been told with 100 less pages. There were few characters and the information relayed between them at times became repetitive. I did not find any surprises. The murderers are revealed at the time of the murders and the reader is aware of the diabolical plot and just tags along for the ride. By the time you are halfway through the book you should be able to figure out Melina's "dark secret". I questioned it at the very beginning. And spicy sex scenes? Ms. Brown just does not write them like she once did.

In short I found this book to be an OK read although predictable and a bit long. If you want to read one of her better novels try Charade or Exclusive. The Switch seemed to have so much potential but did not deliver for me.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Don't Waste Your Time Unless You Have a LONG Commute
Review: I have so many problems with this book. I will enumerate only a few.

The dialogue includes multi-syllabic words uncommon in everyday conversation. I.e, Chief states, when reflecting upon how he felt looking at the earth from outer space, "I just felt superfluous." This coming from an astronaut who has not used a word with more than 2 syllables until the 25th chapter. Many of the sentences composed by Ms. Brown are stilted and discordant because of the somewhat advanced vocabulary she has chosen. These advanced words just pop up sporadically and do nothing to add to the story's fluency. In fact, they detract from the flow.

I did not feel that the story was written by someone of Ms. Brown's extensive experience. Perhaps she is just getting lazy. Many times the book read like an immature 9th grader had actually been the one doing the writing. Although she has created an interesting (but not irresistible) plot, it seems that oftentimes she is just stringing along some words (that often don't sound very good together) to get the book finished and off to the publisher. I personally find mysteries with a psychotic freak as the central criminal figure a little trite and too easy. There are so many of those type of stories to choose from.

Also, the reading by Jane Maxwell was v. bad. She made everyone's sentences sound so over-the-top dramatic. Very annoying. Perhaps I would have liked this book a little bit more if I had read it myself. And the cataclysmic surprise at the end becomes obvious by, say, the 12th chapter. (However, by the end, certain character inconsistencies are explained-so just bear with `em if you plan on reading this book despite all the bad reviews-for me, while I was reading, the inconsistencies were extremely annoying.)

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Audiobook Review
Review: I listened to this book on cd. Jan Maxwell is amazing. If you are going to purchace an audiobook, this one is money well spent. Or any book read by Jan Maxwell.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Brown does it again... and again we want more!!!
Review: I loved this book. I checked it out from the library and read it in 2 days. I have always been a fan of Brown. Gillian and her sister was a hoot and to join them for a bit in there crazy lives. I loved it. Great read for by the pool or beach.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Amazon...We Need More Stars For This One!!!
Review: If I sat here all day, I couldn't begin tell you how much I enjoyed "The Switch". Being a fan of Sandra Brown's, I bought the book the day it hit the shelves as I always do with each of her titles as they are released. I was kind of expecting the typical 'twins switching places and getting into trouble' story, but what I got was sooo much more ! Ms. Brown has worked her magic on an old story and given it a brand-spankin-new-twist! It's the kind of mystery that keeps possible endings hanging in the back of your mind, just waiting for the most bizarre shocker to pop out. The ending of this book had me whooping for joy ! Outgoing Melina and reserved Gillian know each other better than they know themselves and when Gillian is brutally murdered after taking a life-altering risk (by being artificially inseminated), you can almost feel the anger and the loss her twin feels at the life thats been so cruelly wasted. When her sister informs the police that, just the night before, the women had switched places so that Gillian (impersonating her media escort sister) could meet astronaut Christopher 'Cheif' Hart, things begin to get a little jumbled. But Sandra Brown only manages to weave the web tighter. After only two chapters, you'll be frantically turning pages trying to guess whats coming, and solve the mystery. This is definately a book to invest on in hardcover. Don't wait for the paperback version. Get it today, and enjoy it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: the purveyor of suspense
Review: Realized I have never read a book of suspense or mystery by a women. My wife suggested one she just finished by Sandra Brown. What a great discovery. Her talent is not measureable, she can keep you wondering page by page. Her finality again was unexpected and the book as a whole would have to rate way up on the list. I will read many more after this sample, she shows many books written under her name so I would highly recommend her novels to all. Pick one up and find out for yourself. Good Reading.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Good, if not entirely successful, effort from Sandra Brown
Review: Sandra Brown is one of the more skilled writers in the romantic suspense genre, capable of coming up with mysteries that keep you guessing until the last minute with more than a fair share of steamy sex scenes. While "The Switch" is much better than her last book "The Alibi", it still does not rank up there with "The Witness" or "Exclusive." The latter two books had genuine "gotcha" endings, that threw the reader unexpected curve. Anyone who has read a mystery involving twins and exchanged identities can probably guess how "The Switch" ends.

That said, Brown's tale maintains suspense as Melina tries to figure out exactly what was the motive behind Gillian's murder, and who was responsible. Brown is also to be commended for creating a Native American leading man in Chief and giving historical background on the past, current, and future struggles of the Native Americans. Their plight is treated with respect, and is successfully incorporated into the plot. The chemistry between Chief and Melina feels forced at times, and because of that the romance between the characters is not that convincing. The sex scenes, revealed mostly through flashbacks by Chief, is the only time when the two seemed connected and bonded.

As some other readers have noted, the book is a little long and the plot suffers for it, making "The Switch" a chore to finish in some parts of the book. However, this is definitely one of Sandra Brown's better efforts and hopefully it indicates she is returning to the style of some of her more suspenseful and tightly paced novels.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Switchy Business
Review: The bond between twins, some say is like that of no other. In some instances twins can read each othere minds,and can even feel each others pain. In the book The Switch Melina suggests to Gillian, her identical twin sister to switch places with her. Melina and Gillian haven't done this since they were kids, but Melina thinks that this will take Gillians mind off of some of her problems.Gillian declines Melina's and decides to spend the night at home, due to her recent artificial insemination. Melina,a media escort offered her sister a chance to meet Colonel Christopher Hart, a really hot NASA astronaunt with an indian background that up until now has failed to embrace. Melina and Gillian part their ways after lunch. The next morning Melina is awakened by the Dallas Police Department telling her that her sister has been murdered. When Melina see's the obsenities written on the wall of Gillians bedroom she feels anger and vows to avenge her sisters death, even after the case is closed and Gillians murderer is found dead in his home.Brother Gabriel a highly religoous leader has attracted audiences and followers all over the world. He has people practically beging to be part of his "project" and live in the highly guarded estate. His role in the book doesn't play out till the end. I wondered as I was reading where Brother Gabriel fit into the book and it was quite shoking when I found out.
Together Melina team up with Hart to find out why her sister was REALLY murdered. Hart is helping because the words on the wall were geared tword Native Americans and he also feels guilty about some other things but if I told you them then you wouldn't be surprised. Melina gets a call from the FBI telling her that there have been other crimes linked to Gillians. Melina agrees to meet with them but when 2 men show passing themselves off as FBI agents and try attacking her Melina begins to fear that her life is in danger.
On the run with Melina, Colonel Hart runs straight into his Native American heritage. He has up until now he hated that he was part indian,but now, for the first time in his life is embracing his heritage.
Melina and Gillian always told each other everything, and Melina begins to wonder why Jem Hannings Gillians "supposed" fiance is lying to her and acting really strange.Melina finds some rather astonishing news out about Hannings and begins to become suspicious of him.
This is just the beginning of the amazing plot in the book. To all you women who have ever been artificially inseminated you may find The Switch a little unnerving. The storyline is easy to follow, even when there is a change in characters. As I read some of the parts seemed irrelevant and boring in the first couple chapters, then when I got to the end I was able to see the parts I thought were boring and irrelevant actually fit in with the book at the end. Also the likihood of what happened in this book doesn't seem that far-fetched after hearing about how those people a few years ago committed suicide beacause their leader told them to, and that God was coming back.
If you are looking for action,drama, and suspence The Switch provides all of that plus more. It takes a while for the book to really pick up, but once it does good luck putting it down, becasue it's next to impossible.It was packed with tons of surprising information that kept me reading, when I wanted to change books.
How could I write a review and forget the ending. If you want a shocker of and ending read this book. The ending is unbelieveable and kept me guessing up till the very end. If your good with detective work you may be able to figure out half of the ending but there is no way you are going to figure out the other half. So, when you get to those boring parts that I talked about earlier,keep reading because the end is worth it all. What was also great about this book was that I could see how some of the clues made sence and fit together at the end. I would highly recommend this book, you won't be dissapointed, at least I wasn't.


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