Maralys O’Reilly couldn’t believe it when she got the call from her nephews that her twin sister Marcia hadn’t picked them up from swimming lessons. Although complaining to herself, she immediately hailed a cab and picked them up. When they arrive home, she soon realizes her sister has gone AWOL leaving the kids with her husband James Coxwell. Maralys is not her sister and she soon points out to her brother-in-law she is not the one to slide into her sister’s footsteps and play the “mommy” role. All of her life she has tried to prove to the world that she is not Marcia, but her own person. Now, all of sudden walking away from James and the boys is plaguing her. Not only is she finding it hard to stay away but she is also fighting a sudden attraction to him!

Claire Cross has brought us another fantastic book from the Coxwell family saga. Although this is the second book in the series, it can be read alone. However, the first book, Third Time Lucky, might offer some insight into the problems that plague James. Maralys and her antics will have readers laughing at times. Some of the best scenes come from her group of friends, The Ariadnes. These ladies start out as friends with an agenda, but end up friends of the heart. James is truly a courageous hero. His wife has left him alone to raise two young boys and possibly face ruin, but he doesn’t get negative. Instead, he bravely takes the world on, one step at a time. Readers didn’t get to know him very well in the first book, but Ms. Cross does an excellent job of depicting him to us in this, his own story. Double Trouble is a witty, sweet romance that will lighten the mood of anyone who reads it.

Reviewed by: JoAnn