The Accidental Beauty Queen by Teri Wilson is about twins who couldn’t be more different. One Twin is obsessed with her appearance and wants to compete in a beauty pageant. The other is a bookworm (I have a love-hate relationship with this trope) who only accompanying her sister because the pageant is in Orlando and you know what else is in Orlando, The wizarding world of Harry Potter.
The central conflict revolves about a guy but I love the twin dynamic. Their differences and their perspectives of each other make for a lot of fun. What cinched it for me was the conflict between the sisters that one sister didn’t even know what there. It was a great lesson in communication and forgiveness and how resentment can corrode a relationship.
One of the things that I didn’t like was the number of pop culture references that will date the novel for future reading. Charlotte talks about Ms. Congenialty, Harry Potter, etc. Ms. Congeniality came out 19 years ago. So most of the younger audience for this book won’t know what Wilson is talking about.
Overall the book had some heartwarming moments and was a tad cliche but that’s to be expected in some of this kind of romance novel. I would say that it’s a great read for the airport or a layover situation because it is well written, easy to read and has some complex family dynamic issues that, when resolved, will warm your heart.
Reading Reckless : Rants and Raves 