4.5*
Oh this is just such a lovely gem of a book, certainly cementing Samantha Hastings as an auto-buy author for me. Her previous book was such a hit for me, and this one was even more so!
Sophie and Mariah are twin sisters who have kind of had a pretty tough go of it. They're orphans, and every family who has taken them in has eventually shipped them right back out. It's sad, really, and no fault of their own, but as such they are looking to find their place in the world. Sophie, as the title suggests, wants to invent stuff. Mariah is an artist, and hoping to find love and a family. They think London would be a great opportunity, for there is a Great Exhibition in town, as well as many more opportunities than a small town provides. Only, their crappy aunt (she is so crappy, no joke) decides that she can maybe tolerate one of them visiting, but both would... Idk, give her the vapors? She truly sucks.
But wise women do not let a crappy aunt get in the way of their dreams! They're identical, after all, and their aunt wouldn't be able to tell the difference between them with a gun to her head so... plan is in play! (Side story, I had twin friends and in high school, they would switch places all the time to take tests for each other and stuff. Zero percent of the teachers ever noticed. So this is very plausible.)
Things are actually going pretty well for the women. Mariah has found an opportunity with an artist, Sophie has a job posing for said artist, and much to Sophie's chagrin, she finds a charming young man who enjoys her company. But... we know nothing can run that smoothly!
The whole of the book is really about both women finding themselves and what they want from their lives, all while finally encountering people who see their worth for who they are. It's about women who refuse to settle for some predetermined fate, and who are willing to take risks to make their own futures. And yeah, there are some very swoony romances, and a lot of sisterly love.
Bottom Line: This book is straight up enjoyable and charming and a feel-good story we all could use right now. Filled with delightful characters and a great nineteenth century London setting, it should definitely make it's way to your reading list!