Guilty as Sin

By: Rosalind James

Narrated by: Emma Wilder

Length: 13 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's Summary

There are secrets. There are guilty secrets. And then there's switching places with your twin.

Paige Hollander and her identical twin Lily stopped switching places a decade ago. But Lily's run into trouble, and Paige is on leave from the SFPD, recovering from a traumatic shooting. It's not like she has anything better to do, and she remembers how to be feminine. Sort of. Anyway, it's selling lacy thongs in Sinful Secrets and playing Heidi to Lily's goats for a week or two. How hard could it be?

For Jace Blackstone, idyllic Sinful, Montana, is the perfect escape. In this town, he's nothing but a reclusive, black-haired stranger with an Aussie accent and a bad attitude. Not the former pride of Australia's special forces, not a best-selling thriller writer, and not a man with no more faith in women. Right up until the day a mystery fan starts getting much too up-close and personal, and his neighbor comes back from her vacation with a personality change that knocks him sideways.

Suddenly, Sinful is looking downright dangerous. And the biggest danger of all might come in the form of flashing brown eyes, a rear view to stop a man's heart, and a wit sharp enough to slice him to the bone.

Sinful could be getting serious.

©2017 Rosalind James (P)2017 Rosalind James

great listen... mystery, laughter & tender romance

Emma Wilder delivers a 3D story with good character differentiation and credible inflections. It's always a relief to me when the narration matches up with a book I enjoy. We have a winner here!

I’ll confess – this is not my favorite book by Rosalind James (if you haven’t read/listened to her “ESCAPE TO NEW ZEALAND" series, you really, really should!!) but I enjoyed it thoroughly both reading and listening.

Rosalind does not depart from her trademark multifaceted, well-developed characters in this first book of a new series. This book brings it all – mystery, laughter & tender romance. I don’t have any personal experience with “the twin thing” but what I read was very believable and I loved having a peek into that relationship dynamic.

While it wasn’t all love at first sight between them, (good thing!) the conflict in Guilty as Sin was handled by the H/h the way I like it best…TOGETHER. The mystery rang true throughout, the double mystery I should say, and I really didn’t know “who done it” until the end which is quite unusual.

There always seems to be a secondary character in Rosalind’s books that steals the attention, Tobias did not disappoint!!

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Great Book Even Beter in Audio Form

Any additional comments?

I originally read “Guilty as Sin,” Rosalind James’ newest release, in written word form. I found it to be a bit slow starting with a twin switching places hook that I didn’t initially love. Ultimately, I found the book to be very entertaining, well written and I enjoyed it very much. Not a big surprise as Rosalind James is a very capable author whose books are uniformly enjoyable.  I have now listened to the book in its audio form and I have to say, I enjoyed it even more. Emma Wilder’s reading grabbed me from the beginning and turned what I thought of as a four star book into a five star book in its genre of romance and romantic suspense.

As the book opens, twins Paige and Lily Hollander each have their own problems. Lily, owner of a lingerie store in Sinful, Montana, is receiving a lot of pressure to sell her personal residence and sanctuary to make way for a resort that could breathe life into Sinful’s anemic economy. Paige, a police officer in the San Francisco Police Department, is awaiting the verdict concerning an on-the-job shooting and recovering from an injury sustained at that time. Paige, who has always considered herself to be the tougher of the twins and her sister’s protector, comes up with the idea of taking Lily’s place. Complications ensue when the pressure on Lily is far greater than Paige anticipated and when Paige meets Lily’s “scary” neighbor Jace Blackstone, a former Aussie commando and thriller writer, with baggage of his own—a stalker. His nameless nemesis starts out as just plain creepy but, as the book continues, increases his/her threat level far beyond sending Jace pages with erotic and vaguely threatening scenes featuring the two of them.  

As the novel continues, the readability factor increases from “I need to go read that book” to “I can’t put this book down.” The dual plots of both “Lily” and Jace being menaced ups the ante of suspense substantially and it isn’t quite clear to them or the reader if the threats are separate or somehow intertwined. Paige (though he knows her as Lily) and Jace become increasingly close as they battle their faceless adversary (ies). While Sinful, Montana is a small town, there is no shortage of suspects who could be menacing Paige-as-Lily and Jace. How the twin switch is dealt with is credible. Though Paige struggles to live as the more feminine and tactful Lily, she is able to pull off the subterfuge because no one knows that Lily has an identical twin. This includes Jace, though he senses there is something off about Lily. 

The resolution of the novel was well done and satisfying. I am deliberately vague so as not to give anything away. 

As previously stated, Emma Wilder does an outstanding job with the narration. She truly brings the characters to life and adds an extra something to this already entertaining novel

This is a very entertaining listen and I highly recommend it. I enjoyed the dual mysteries and the fact that the book, while full of suspense, wasn’t too dark. 

I was given a free copy of the book in its audio form in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not compensated in any way and the opinions stated are solely my own. 

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Guilty Pleasure!

The more I read Rosalind James's books, the more I realize that no other author that I read writes descriptions that draw you in and make you feel as if you are part of the story.

I love Ms. James' new series set in Sinful Montana! I don't want to spoil the story so I'll just give you the basics. This story revolves around a divorcee in rural Montana being pressured to sell her land by a developer and locals, a reclusive author who was a past Australian Special Forces member who has a stalker threatening him. Throw-in identical twin sisters who are opposites in so many ways, but would do anything to help each other, then add romance, suspense, and some really funny lines and you have yourself a terrific story.
Emma Wilder is a terrific narrator who captures the essence of the characters Rosalind creates and makes them come to life with her Audible presentation.


I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

So many twists and double-trouble

The first two chapters may send you astray, but stick with it. You will quickly meet Lily and Paige, twins who are both dealing with life-altering choices. Lily is non-confrontational, so injured but spunky Paige decides to switch places with her sister to deal with pushy real estate investors and town officials.

Paige, while posing as Lily, meets a recluse author and gets mixed up into some drama of his own. There is some suspense to the story (which may throw you off at the start), but the chemistry between faux-"Lily" and the "mountain man" takes off after a hilarious meet-cute.

Well worth the credit to listen to and I can't wait for Lily's story next!

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Wow, be prepared for surprises LOL

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

This book surprised me at the beginning and I have to admit I was not a fan of it but I pressed on in hope that it would get better and I really enjoyed the rest of the book

Paige really annoyed the heck out of me in parts and I yelled at her telling her what I thought of her

but other that Paige being an idiot it was a good story with good character development

I did enjoy the mystery to this story and was surprised by the evil villains

I will look forward to the next book in the series

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

a twin and an aussie

If you could sum up Guilty as Sin in three words, what would they be?

sexy, suspenseful, smart

What was one of the most memorable moments of Guilty as Sin?

When the profiler went over all the details and pprofiled the suspect. i thought that was really smart and i got super into that particular section of the book. the research was great and i really appreciated that.

Which scene was your favorite?

The profiler part... again.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I wouldn't say all in one sitting, but at certain parts. I had to sit in my car just to listen to it a little longer because i was really getting into all the crime investigation information.

Any additional comments?

It too me about 4 attempts to start this book and actually get into it. it was probably around chapter 3 where i started to really pay attention and the book finally hooked me in. it seemed like some of the beginning stuff was just fluff and i didn't need to pay attention to it, but it wasn't fluff and it was just establishing the characters and their relationships with specific people.

i appreciated that the "bad guy" wasn't obvious but it made sense.

i would recommend this book to anyone that likes suspenseful romance novels because it is the best of both of those genres.

i hope this turns into a series and i'd be very interested to see where these characters go in the future.

the narration was also excellent.

i received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. i was not compensated for me review, and i was not required to write a positive review. the opinion expressed here is my own.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Great book to read and to listen!

This book is a wonderful blend of suspense and steam. As usual there is a hot and powerful man (this time an Aussie) and a strong (rather stubborn) female main character,
throw in some goats and a loving dog and you have a highly entertaining mix. This is one of my favorite books from this author, even though I recommend any that she produces.
You will love the narration by Emma Wilder, she's very easy on the ears and does a great job with the voices and accents.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

My guilty pleasure

I love the characters in this book, and I've listened to the audio book multiple times. Identical twins Lily and Paige may look alike, but they couldn't be more different--so watching them try to switch identities is a hoot. Poor Jace is definitely confused when his neighbor, who definitely wasn't his type, suddenly is. To further complicate things, both Jace and Lily/Paige are being stalked and threatened, but is it the same perpetrator or two different people?

So we have spicy romance, humor, likeable characters, and a mystery. What fun! My only complaint is the last chapter, which felt tacked on and a bit out-of-character. But that could just be me. Either way, I'm glad Audible had this as one of their Daily Deals.

Sinful!

What made the experience of listening to Guilty as Sin the most enjoyable?

I really liked this story about two twins trading places. I read the book first and really enjoyed it. Emma Wilder did a great job bringing this story to life and kept me interested in listening.

What did you like best about this story?

At first I had a hard time keeping up with the characters and the "story" within a story with Jace. Once I got through the first few chapters, I couldn't put it down. I loved the way the characters developed and couldn't wait to see what would happen next.

What about Emma Wilder’s performance did you like?

I liked the way she was able to keep each character unique in their own way. She really brought this to life for me and wanting to hear more. By listening, I found myself hearing things that I didn't pick up when reading.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Initially no, but once I got through a few chapters, I had a hard time putting it down!

Any additional comments?

This is a great audio book that I definitely recommend.

Sinfully suspenseful

Would you listen to Guilty as Sin again? Why?

Yes. Jace is a favorite character of mine.

Which character – as performed by Emma Wilder – was your favorite?

I thought she did the distinction between Paige and Lily very well. I was definitely able to tell when she was switching between the 2, which was good for me.

Any additional comments?

I don't think there is a type of book that Rosalind James can't write. This book touches so many different aspects of people's lives. The love that is between twins, Paige & Lily is simply precious. They would do anything for one another and that even means switching places for each other.
Lily is being pressured to sell her property to a resort and she simply does not want to. She loves her home, animals and land. But, when the developer is being too pushy, Paige steps in to take over as she is off of work as a police officer due to an injury. So, as twins, they switch places.
Paige doesn't know the first thing about taking care of animals, taking care of a lingerie shop and being "girly" like Lily. But, she steps up and gives it her best shot. However, things don't go so well with her first try at milking the goats. Enter neighbor, Australian, Jace. Rugged, handsome, strong, friendly - everything you need in a neighbor. He decides to help Paige - a/k/a Lily.
As the days go on, Jace and Paige become friendlier and confide in one another. Jace tells Paige that he has a stalker and Paige instinctively gives her investigative advice. However, things start happening to Paige as well and they don't know if it could be coming from the same person. Jace's could be a fan of his books, while Paige's could be an angry developer or citizen that wants her to sell the land. Things escalate not only between Jace and Paige as sparks start to fly, but also the threats get worse and Paige ends up being attacked.
Because Paige and Lily are twins, Lily senses when bad or painful things happen to Paige and vice versa. Therefore, Lily decides to come back home earlier than she was supposed to.
There is plenty of suspense in this book and Lily proves to be a stronger person than Paige gives her credit for.
The chemistry between Paige and Jace is incredible. Not only is it hot, but it also has a very tender side to it too. That, on top of the suspense, makes this a great book. Jace is definitely now a favorite of mine. Rosalind has many great male characters, and I think Jace comes in at one of the top 5 for me! Great book. Can't wait for book 2. "I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.”

Twin swap with a twist

A really interesting and engrossing audiobook. A really interesting take on a twin swap story. Lily and Paige teach each what the other is missing,an open heart and how to be independent. Throw in a stalker or two and a hot Aussie with a bad ass dog and you have got yourself one hell of a ride.
Great story really good narrator and interesting characters
"I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own"

Such a fun story!

This is one of THE best audiobooks I’ve listened to. Emma Wilder has fast become one of my favourite narrators, and she is a perfect fit for Rosalind James’ fabulous books. I’d read the ebook of Guilty as Sin and loved it - hello, it’s a Rosalind James book, what’s not to love? A romantic suspense story, with a couple of mysteries to keep you guessing along the way; identical twins switching places, one of whom is a feisty, female cop. Cue a trying-to-be reclusive, Australian ex-commando turned thriller writer and his trusty canine sidekick. All set in Sinful, Montana, a small town with more than its fair share of interesting characters, who may or may not be what they seem! The book has Rosalind James’ customary quality writing and humour, and is such great fun to listen to. I love the banter between Jace and Paige. Ms James also writes wonderful epilogues, this one being no exception. Emma Wilder’s narration switches seamlessly between accents and male/female characters. You’re never confused about which character you’re listening to. She’s not just reading the text, she’s telling you the story, her warm voice teasing you in until you’re fully immersed. Which is exactly what you want to happen with such a great story. This is book one in a new series. I can’t wait for book two.

Watch your backs

A better story by Rosalind. No reliance on chapters of sex but a decent double/ parallel story that was interesting and page turning . Steamy in the right places this is one book worth having on your reading shelf.