This is a story about identical twins and how their childhood was very traumatic though they didn’t really know it until they were older like teens. Their father was very religious and set in his ways. He felt that punishment was needed if you didn’t obey him and he didn’t care at all if that punishment cause harm to them physically or mentally. We read through it all in this story from childhood to adulthood. Highly recommend this story.

I think this physcological thriller is brilliant! Cecily and Alice are twins and when Cecily reaches out asking for a favour Alice steps up. Omg the twist was not one that I was anticipating but it made sense when it is explained. It is actually quite a sad twist and I felt emotional. The only thing I would have liked to see in the book is in the chapters it has a title of which character is speaking and I would have liked it to also say past and present to know which timeline you are reading. The intricacy of the plot had me turning the pages at a alarming rate right up to the shocking end. The talent of this author shines through in the well plotted story.

When Alice receives a desperate message from her estranged identical twin sister, Cecily, she feels a wave of conflicting emotions wash over her. The bond they once shared in their youth has been shattered by the tumultuous events of their childhood, leaving scars that seem impossible to heal.

Arriving at Cecily's house, Alice is met with a chilling silence. The instructions left behind by her sister feel like a script for a macabre play, dictating every detail of her temporary existence in this unfamiliar setting.

Cecily reveals her plans to escape her marriage and seek out a lawyer. Alice can’t shake the feeling of unease that settles in the pit of her stomach.

As Cecily's absence stretches into days, with no sign of her return or any explanation for her disappearance, Alice finds herself thrust into a nightmare from which she can’t wake.
The echoes of the past reverberate through the present, weaving a tapestry of betrayal, loss, and redemption.

This was a chilling and captivating read which held my attention throughout. It’s told in the past and present between Alice & Cecily. A cleverly plotted story with some great twists. The ending was brilliant, and the pace really picked up and I was racing to finish it. I definitely didn’t see the final twist coming.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an early copy.

Everyone knows I’m a sucker for a “twin” book so Identical was a must read for me! Having twins of my own (both girls although supposedly non identical!) I have always been fascinated by the unique relationship between them, especially girl twins who seem to have more of an emotional bond. I read Saskias first novel The Twins and thoroughly enjoyed it so was looking forward to seeing what she brought to her storytelling this time and I was really impressed!

Told in a duel timeline with Cecily in the past and following Alice in the present, Identical was a beautifully written and engaging book that held its secrets close to its chest until the very end. Alice has come to help her twin out after not being together for many years since a family tragedy lead to a breakdown in communication between the twins. They did send each other sporadic letters but the twin bond is strong and when Cecily needs Alice she has to come. But why has Cecily summoned her now? Alice realises there are many things her twin has kept from her and those secrets bring danger into the lives of all of those closest to the twins…

I adored the slow burning build up of the relationship between Alice and Cecily as the narrative explored their past and what happened within their family unit to explain their present day relationship. The chapters covering their childhood years were tough to read at times and my heart broke for the girls as they grew up in their broken (literally!) family home. I wanted to cry at times at the way they were treated by their parents, especially their father, whose approval was constantly sought by Cecily. And to see how that relationship affected the modern day Cecily and her connections with her husband and daughter was heartbreaking at times…

Identical is a stunning insight into childhood trauma and attachment and its effects on those who love the people affected. It’s a truly gripping psychological thriller with a powerful sense of foreboding throughout. As for “the twist that literally no one will see coming” I have to come clean and say I did work out what was going on about a third of the way through but it didn’t in any way spoil by enjoyment of this wonderful book which I really missed reading once I finally finished it.

Highly recommended by me.

Many thanks to Rachel’s Random Reads and Boldwood books for my review copy of Identical for this blog tour review.

I’m having trouble with giving feedback on this one. There was a back-and-forth timeline with the chapters, and although they are labeled by which persons perspective it is, it does not state whether it is present or past. This threw me off several times and I had to reset myself, which was frustrating. I thought the idea behind the book was interesting, two identical “mirrored” twins, stuck in a situation where one sister asked the other to take over her life for a week (be a wife, mom and friend to the people in her life), while she gets her affairs in order, preparing herself to ask for a divorce. What could happen, right? No one is going to know …. Which in this story, honestly, no one seems to notice. Problems start to brew when the one sister doesn’t show to swap their lives back. SNAP, let’s go … I was left hanging. This read was a bit slower than I liked. I prefer fast-paced reads that give me whiplash. This was overall a good read, but not the thrilling ride I had hoped for. When I hit the 90% mark is where I started to get excited, and that is way too long to wait.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. This one definitely has an interesting plot. We all love the idea of identical twins switching places to trick people. However, it was slow to me, not enough action. I did like the story and the twist at the end was unexpected.

While I did enjoy the book it took me a while to get into it. The story is dual POV and alternates between past and present so it was hard to follow at times. The last 25% had me hooked though. I would recommend this book.

This novel offers a truly unique and mind-bending experience. The narrative alternates between past and present, revealing the children's traumatic childhoods and a tense, unnerving current storyline. From the first chapter, I was hooked and couldn't put it down. The book is packed with twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end. The shocking conclusion left me reeling—I definitely didn't see it coming! It's a fantastic read that captures your attention from start to finish, making you question who to trust and who to fear. An overall thrilling and unforgettable read!

The description sounded really good, but the writing seemed weird to me; really big turn off. I maybe would have tried harder to get into this book. but one of the reviews literally spelled out exactly what the ending was and ruined it for me.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #BoldwoodBooks for the book #Identical by #SaskiaSarginson. This book is about identical twins who have faced a lot of abuse and tragedy in their pasts. Their older brother Henry committed suicide and there is a lot of guilt from that. Cecilia contacts her sister, Alice, to come home so she can have a week to get “some things” taken care of. She wants her to pretend to be her. A wife to Gabriel and a mother to Bea. But in the end, things aren’t what they seem. Loved this book and recommend it.

This book was a wild ride. It started as an ordinary mystery, albeit with a very unique premise, but it ended with a bang! I inhaled the last 50% of the book, it was so good.

The dual timeline was particularly well executed. I could see the everything lining up for a big revelation but I didn't forsee just how big it would be.

Thus is the first book I read by this author but it will definitely not be the last!

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwoods books for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Identical follows the lives of twin girls and is told alternatively by each one. Alice is written in today's time whilst Cecily writes historically. When Alice is asked to swap lives with her twin for a week, she does so without hesitation. And then it all unravels. We are told about the family's ancient house and the abuse which the children were subjected to, all having an impact on their adult lives. Switching back and forth in the story keeps the reader engaged and you're never quite sure how the book will end..... And what a great ending it is!

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review.

“Identical” by Saskia Sarginson was a wild twisty ride of a read. This book keeps you guessing and makes you want to keep reading.
Alice and Cecily are twins. When Cecily is in trouble she gets in touch with Alice to come and help her by switching places with her for a week. As Alice tries to fit in Cecily place she learns that she truly loves Cecily family. Cecily is haunted by the past and tries her hardest to overcome the ghosts. Will Cecily overcome her past with the help of Alice?
Highly recommend this book to thriller lovers.

Firstly I would like to thank netgalley and Boldwood books,and the author Saskia sarginson for an early copy of her book.


This is my first read from this author my rating is 3.5..Alice gets a message from her twin Cecily should she reply to her sister,she leaves her instructions to follow she said she would only leave for a week.should she listen to her sister her life could be in danger? This book was slow paced for me a good read but wanted more..


This book will be reviewed on goodreads and Amazon uk

3.5 stars rounded up.

When Alice gets a desperate message from her estranged identical twin sister Cecily, she can't help herself. She has to say yes. Pushing down the memories of a terrible childhood that ultimately tore them apart, she arrives at her sister's house. Cecily has left instructions: how to work the oven, what to cook for supper, and what to say to her husband. She says she'll only be away for a week. She just needs to contact a lawyer, sort her head out, and out how to get away from her marriage safely. Alice barely knows why she's agreed. But as she put the key in the door, she wonders if - in coming to help her sister - she might be putting herself in the most terrible danger.

The first half of this book the pace was a bit slow, but it picked up it's pace and I quickly read the rest of this book. I do like reading books about twins, but I don't know if I would put myself in my twin's shoes if I knew things weren't right at home. The story is told from the twin's perspectives in alternating chapters, and it's told in the past and present day format. Some parts of the story were fascinating to read. The characters are well-developed, but I did not like the twins. I did feel the ending was quick and unexpected, so I too off half a star for that reason.

Published 28th May

I would like to thank #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks and the author #SaskiaSarginson for my ARC of #Identical in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book . I had no idea what was going on and I was totally invested in both of these twins . The story was amazing but also harrowing at times . I certainly did not expect that ending. I would definitely recommend this book and would love to read more from this author. Five stars from me

This was a gripping read, I thought the characters were intriguing and I'm going to keep an eye out for more from this author.

Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC of this book.
Intriguing storyline. One identical twin asks the other to swap places with her for a week so she can organise moving away and divorcing her husband. The husband and daughter do not know she has a twin and you really get drawn into the deceit of the swap. The week comes to an end and she hasn't made contact to arrange the swap back and when she eventually does she wants more time. As things escalate you begin to realise there is only one of them as the other died years ago and it is just the one sister who is suffering from a breakdown.
Really enjoyed this book and will certainly look for more by the same author.

This book was a fabulous read! Started off a little slow but when it warmed up it really did gain some pace! The intriguing story of the siblings and their religious father in the huge country mansion was eerily atmospheric. As the story flits between their childhood and a present day cry for help the story twists and turns drawing you in and leaving you unable to leave until everything is fully opened. A brilliant read.

An ok read. Written by the point of view of both twins. I had higher expectations after reading the blurb. Unfortunately found this quite hard to get into, but patchy with its storyline and I guessed what was going to be happen quickly. Nothing new in this book. I finished it but did not overly enjoy it.