Paradise by the Dashboard Light

Rio is an identical twin—but she has broken ties with her sister, whose problems outnumber her qualities. Rio’s trying hard to climb the ladder in her job as graphic designer at an advertising agency. She is thrilled when, after fighting for the right, she is chosen to present her design in person to the client. Rio is tough, determined . . . but has a little secret eating a hole in her gut.

Ian is also an identical twin, but he is carrying a boatload of guilt. He blames himself for his brother’s functional disabilities. He wants to take care of Evan, once he’s out of his medical residency and can come back home. When his mother calls and says she is moving Evan to a “group home,” the weight of the guilt about crushes him.

Ian and Rio are friends. Ian and Rio’s twin sister had a “thing,” years ago. Therefore, to Rio, Ian can only, always, be his sister’s ex-lover.

Two sets of identical twins entangled in both friendships and relationships? This book gets full credit for originality. It is excellently written and is dense with dialogue, which really helps the reader get inside the characters’ heads. The pacing is consistent, with alternating points of view from Ian and Rio. The author uses clever and humorous turns of phrase, such as Rio describing her over-enthusiastic roommate: “... I’d rather have a Tigger as a roommate than an Eeyore.” The sex scenes are luscious and well placed. All in all, readers who are looking for an intensely engaging love story with a touch of humor and extreme depth of emotion will not be disappointed with “Paradise by the Dashboard Light”.

FS Brown