The Accidental Beauty Queen

October 1, 2018
In this lively novel from Wilson (Unleashing Mr. Darcy), twins switch places to compete in a beauty pageant, leading to a transformation much deeper than makeup. When Charlotte Gorman travels to Florida to support her twin sister, Ginny, in a beauty pageant, she expects nothing more than a vacation. The librarian with a love for Harry Potter doesn’t put much stock in the pageants her sister has devoted her life to. But, after Ginny suffers a competition-ending allergic reaction, Charlotte reluctantly steps in for her during the preliminary rounds. As Charlotte gets her footing (literally, in the case of the platform heels she has to wear), she strikes up a romance with one of the judges, creating a web of secrets that she fears might result in her sister being disqualified. Within the fun premise, Wilson embeds a touching story about women supporting women as Ginny begins to understand her own former uncaring behavior by seeing Charlotte take her place in the pageant. As the competition progresses through the bikini and talent sections, Ginny helps Charlotte behind the scenes, coaching her successfully through the stages. While Charlotte’s outsider perspective begins as a critical look at the world of pageantry, she finds a lot of goodness and talent within the insular community. Wilson’s engaging novel weaves a forbidden romance around Charlotte and Ginny’s authentic camaraderie, making for an affecting tale of sisterly love.

In this fresh take on a tale of trading places, narrator Joy Osmanski does an excellent job differentiating the voices of twins Charlotte and Ginny. Charlotte, an elementary school librarian, is vacationing at Harry Potter World. Rooming with Ginny, who is competing in a national pageant, gives Charlotte a chance to bond with her sister. Though they're identical twins, their differences are stark: Charlotte cares nothing about her appearance, and Ginny has made a career out of hers. When Ginny suffers an allergic reaction and can't compete, Charlotte takes her place. Osmanski gives the young women voices that are similar in pitch but differentiates them through tone and intonation. Osmanski's sighs and gasps up the intensity of this heartwarming story peppered with genuinely comedic moments. A.L.C. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine