I received a copy of this from NetGalley and this is my freely given opinion.

OK, if I had read the description for this more carefully, I may have skipped it. I am not a fan of Freaky Friday body swap type situations - not that I hate them, but they just don't attract my interest generally. But the blurb did not imply that they would literally switch bodies!

However - on saying that, I am very very glad I did read this as I found it to be a delightful, fun novel with some fabulous, well defined characters, and quite amusing dialogue, and situations!

Emma Watts is the daughter of a disgraced peer who lost his fortune gambling, then lost his life. She, her mother, and sister, deprived of their fortunes, and shunned by society because of the associated disgrace of his spiral downwards. They are forced to move in with Great Aunt Gertie who lives in genteel poverty in a small, rundown home in Red Lion Square. Emma blames her father's fall into sin and disgrace on members of the Prometheus Club, and seeks revenge on the members, and on the top of her list is the Earl of Blackburn.

Simon, the Earl of Blackburn, is nowhere near the evil persona Emma believes he is. What he does have is an evil, manipulative dragon of a mother who drove his father to death, and on his deathbed, made Simon promise to never go against his mother, as his father was afraid that it would lead to Simon's downfall as well, since she would not be afraid to mow down anyone in the way of what she desires, even her own child. Unfortunately, his view of women in general is shaped by his mother, so he thinks them all to be lying, conspiring, manipulative shrews who will do anything to get their way. He has learned to put on a stone-faced facade to try keep her and others from delving to his thoughts, and to protect those he truly cares about.

Emma and Simon literally run into each other, and are instantly beguiled by each other, not knowing who the other is, and this happens again, strengthening the attraction. But Emma is seeking information to bring down members of the Club, and Simon, not knowing that the woman he has deemed a goddess in his mind, is the woman seeking to bring down his friends, vows to trap and stop her.

When this happens, he chases her back to Red Lion Square, and through the magic of a lightening strike and a totem to Cromwell, their spiritual beings are transported into each other's bodies. Now forced to live each other's lives, they truly learn more about each other. Emma learns how Simon truly sees her, despite her own lack of self esteem and confidence in herself. Simon learns that not all women are like his mother. They see each other truly for who they are, despite the skin they wear, and they learn to love and respect each other for that.

This was a sweet and funny story, with some really great passages that had me laughing, especially when they are coping with managing their new bodies, and learning to live with the foibles of being another gender, both the physical as well as the social. Including when Simon learns about the joys of wearing women's wear, and having a menses. I love Emma and Simon's interactions with each other, right from when they meet, to when they become each other, and are forced to work together and learn to love each other. Love their enlightenment about themselves to, being forced to see themselves differently, when they are living as the other.

I quite enjoyed the side characters as well, including the other women who become Emma's friends and the Order of the Red Lion, and I am intrigued by Aunt Gertie. She does not have a lot of pages and dialogue herself, but there is an implication that she is more than she appears in terms of influence and knowledge.

This was a joy to read; so much so, I did it pretty much in one go.

4.75 stars out of 5.

Here’s where I admit my own prejudices: I didn’t know what to expect from romance written by a male author. I’ve read many historical novels by men, but no romances, and I can’t deny that I started the book with the slightest trepidation. I’ve read far too many poorly written, utterly ridiculous descriptions of women thought up by men, and it’s made me skeptical that they know how to write us at all. But Sawyer North proves my worries completely unfounded. He knows what he’s doing.

This book is FUN. It has all the hallmarks of what I love in historical romance – criticism of the peerage, female characters who are smarter and stronger than society gives them credit for, a male lead who isn’t stodgy and chauvinist. Emma’s family lost everything when her father gambled away their fortune and drank himself to an early grave. She blames his club and vows revenge on the members, Simon amongst them. He’s drawn to Emma – until he realizes her designs for revenge. They argue, lightning strikes, and when they wake up, they’re in each other’s bodies.

And here’s where the plot gets crazy and wild and so entertaining. Freaky Friday stories don’t always work for me, but this one is so well done. There’s the obvious humor of the situation – Emma’s embarrassment at being intrigued by how Simon’s body differs from her own, Simon’s horror at the thought of being Emma when her “monthly visitor” comes. But there’s also depth to both characters that they never would have discovered about each other if this insane swap hadn’t happened. Emma gets to see how doting Simon is with his young niece. Simon comes to understand the lack of prospects for a young lady without a fortune.

And because it’s easier to be brave when you’re someone else, they both stand up to the bullies in each other’s lives. Not because they have no regard for the other person and what they’ll have to deal with later, but because it outrages them to see the struggle and injustice this person they’ve come to care about has to deal with. And that’s what makes this pairing so easy to root for – they care, so I cared about them too.

This is one of the most unique Regencies I have ever read. Both Emma and Simon think that they understand each other's lives and their own, but they are going to find out way more than they could have imagined. I enjoy Freaky Friday plots, but I don't think it has ever been done like this. In addition to dealing with serious issues, watching Emma and Simon deal with the reality of their different bodies and then have to discuss those differences was hilarious. They were both very clever as they navigated such an odd situation.
I also enjoyed the secondary characters. Dodie provided lots of lighthearted moments. Emma and Simon both have very likable friends, and I hope to see more of them in future books. I also liked the note of thanks he included to his wife and his editor in the back. It was very sweet and appropriate for this book. Doefinitely an unforgettable read.

Absolute pleasure to read this book. Unusual twist gives rise to several funny and awkward situations but allows insight to each other’s circumstances. She is strong and smart Magnificent, according to him. He is kind and generous. Secondary characters are interesting and promising for more stories.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and leaving my review voluntarily.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

Emma Watts may have been born the daughter of a Baron, but when he loses all his wealth at the Prometheans’ Club, gambled away her prospects, and left her and the rest of the family in poverty on his death, Emma is out for revenge. She blames the Prometheans’, and the Earl of Blackburn the most. So she contrives a plan to meet him, dig up dirt on all the club members, and be their ruin. But after they meet, and realise that the person they were both searching for is right in front of them, a confrontation leads to a unbelievable accident, and they wake in each other's body. Can they discover the remedy to their problem, and fool their family in the mean time?

When I started reading this book, I'll admit, I didn't really read the synopsis. So when the 'Freaky Friday' incident happened, I was shocked, but loved it. Emma and Simon were perfect characters for the roles they played. Emma was the strong, elder daughter, who needed to keep it together for her family, and she was hurt the most by her father's gambling, and death. So needed revenge, and that helped her work through her grief in the mean time. Her first meetings with Simon, before they realised who each other was, were full of longing - on both sides - and I could see that they were kindred spirits. Simon had a public persona - mainly to appease his dragon of a mother - which was standoffish, and aloof, but seeing him with his niece, Dodie, was lovely. Simon needed a partner, and Emma was the right person for the job, but neither really was willing to accept it until they'd been in the other's 'shoes', so to speak. Okay, yes, the plot line was a little too fantastical at times, but it's a story, and one which was gripping, and enjoyable right until the end. I'm hoping this is a series, because the new friends that Emma meets definitely deserve their own tales, and I'd be jumping at the chance to read them.

Did someone say body-swapping? This is the Freaky Friday x Historical Romance crossover I didn't know I needed! And it is so much fun!

Emma Watts and Simon Pike, Lord Blackburn get accidentally tangled up in each other's lives and bodies. Pairing a down-on-her-luck-but-quick-with-her-tongue heroine set on revenge with a misunderstood hero who's secretly a cinnamon roll, this book has so many elements to love: delightful and witty banter, scathing but well deserved putdowns, and hilarious situational comedy. It's not the deepest or most emotional romance out there, but it does offer a fun ride with a lot of laughs and satisfying character development.

The body swapping plotline in this book is truly unique and offers a great narrative structure to explore the inequality and highly regimented societal norms between men and women during this time period. There is discourse about the role and responsibility of those with power to protect those without as well as the numerous double standards that plague men and women (that are still a little too relevant, tbh). "Plots and schemes, you say? When a man possesses such acuity, you call it wisdom or ambition.”

I enjoyed the exploration of how Emma and Simon reconceptualize themselves after being able to see themselves through another's eyes and their character growth as they dismantle long held judgements and beliefs after walking in each other's shoes (literally!). It was a fun twist to see Emma explore her newfound freedom and authority as a titled man while Simon struggles with a lack of agency for the first time in his life. I particularly enjoyed watching Simon tackle the full range of the female experience, from period cramps and corsets to physical vulnerability and powerlessness in the face of unwanted male attention and how this informs his worldview.

This is a clean romance (no explicit sex scenes), which was a disappointment not only because I love steamy romances, but also because I was curious if and how the author would tackle body swapped sex. But alas, it wasn't meant to be. Nonetheless, this was a superb clean romance and I didn't feel unsatisfied by the lack of a physical relationship on page.

Beyond the romance, I love the friendships in this book, and particularly loved the playful and close knit Order of the Red Lion as well as the intrigue driven by some of the more shadowy side characters that I wouldn't want to spoil.

Overall, I highly recommend this one - it's a lighthearted rom-com that's a smashing good time.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing, Sawyer North, and Netgalley for this e-ARC!

I usually enjoy Sawyer North's books, but this one left me flat. I couldn't connect with either Emma or Simon and I found the whole body switch from a lightning strike a bit of a stretch.

There were some other things that didn't ring true for the time period and I skipped a lot of it just to get to the end. Unfortunately, this was not one of my favorite books.

The book simply has it all, intriguing characters, witty banter, unexpected twists and turns, dashing hero, heroine in distress with hard decision to make. All of this keep you invested in the story, waiting for the next book.

“Something about this woman drew him like an irreversible tide toward the unfathomable, toward wondrous worlds he never knew existed”
“Your beauty. It calls to me. It captures me. It imprisons me”
Wow this book was so good!!!
A young woman on a mission to get her revenge against the men who ruined her father’s reputation and a man who’s struck by her beauty!!!!
He is just something else !!!!!
He is the one falling first and the hardest!!!
There’s a bit of forced proximity and some very, very interested turn of events that I really wasn’t expecting !!!!!
This is just something I have never heard before in a regency romance book and I felt enthralled !!!!
I loved these main characters and I really liked their relationship and the plot itself was really good!!
This is the first book in a series I believe will bring us some really interested personalities … and who knows maybe some relationships will sparkle that will be more than interesting!
“His masculine body was too perfect to ignore, so why even try?”

Emma Watt’s father completely ruins his family’s finances and reputation through gambling before dying. Now, Emma is determined to get revenge on the Prometheans, the gambling club that she feels caused all of her problems. Simon Pike, Earl of Blackburn, is a prominent Promethean who volunteers to find out who is the woman digging up dirt on club members, and ruin her.

They two have a few sparks before they realize who the other is, and then the story becomes a body swap caused by a lightning strike.

Good characterization of the MCs, but some of the writing was amateurish and descriptions were a little cliche (I.e. impossible jawline) or explaining where people sat around a table when it was irrelevant, or the heavy handed ways the dialogue explained regency norms.

“She was wearing black.”
“Are you saying…”
“Yes. She was clearly in mourning.”

It took me out of the story. Like using Upper Ten Thousand to describe regency London when it was coined decades later to refer to NYC high society. Confusing supper and dinner. Or only wearing a corset for a ball; and it being too tight. Or men wearing pants. And using dance cards. Sigh.

I didn’t connect with Emma’s new Red Lion Square friends, all of whom talked and sounded exactly the same. Simon’s mother was the worst and I really enjoyed Emma’s standing up to her.

This was a bonkers premise that entertained, but it had a slow start and their character growth never captured my interest. I liked their chemistry, but for me misunderstanding one another’s gender wasn’t their problem in the beginning so I struggled to see the necessity of the Freaky Friday concept.

This is an awesome book!
With a body swap and undying love Simon and Emma are quite the best.
Step 1: Come up with the perfect plan
Emma Watts was almost the perfect lady. That is, until her father joined the notorious Prometheans’ Club and gambled away all her prospects. Now, cast out of society, and with only her name intact, Emma will do what a young, intelligent lady can when she is thwarted by circumstance. Take revenge, of course. And the gentlemen's club, including its members, is first on the list…
Step 2: Find your target
Simon, the Earl of Blackburn, the most prominent member of the Prometheans, knows firsthand how dangerous a wily woman with an agenda can be; after all, his mother is the most devious of the species. But a string of chance encounters with a charming and breathtaking stranger leads him to reconsider.
Step 3: Then watch your plans go beautifully to pieces
Upon learning that a mystery woman is digging up dirt on his club brothers, Simon volunteers to uncover her identity and ruin her by any means necessary. But all it takes is a nasty thunderstorm to completely switch Emma's and Simon's lives. Their perspectives aren’t the only things that change though, when they wake up in each other’s bodies.
This is the first time I have read a romance by this author. The historical romance genre is my favorite. This male author is about to become one of my favorites.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.