There is the charm and personality to this story. I’m not usually into science and romance blended in a story, but this one had the human at the center of it all. The graphs and lists are a nice touch that brought out so much fun in the story structure. Overall seems like a good light hearted read.

*I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher; the review is my own.*

It has been a little while since I read the first book in the series, Ghosted, but I quickly remembered why I've enjoyed Sarah Ready's books. Her writing is very . . . real and has a natural quality that makes me feel like I'm listening to someone tell a story. Or, rather, it feels kind of like I'm telling the story (but a lot better than I ever tell any story).

Overall I liked Serena and Henry. Though I could understand Serena's fears about love and marriage completely overtaking her life and changing everything about her, it truly just made me sad for her (because I am a very happily married stay-at-home mom who has no regrets about the life I'm living). Still, I can see how she would have those fears. What I didn't like was how she chose to live her life because of them, seeking physical pleasure in one-night stands and refusing to allow anyone besides her parents and her friend Jillian to truly get to know her. Although he only had one chapter of his own, I was a Henry fan right from the start. He was just so optimistic. Except when he wasn't, and for that I don't blame him (poor guy).

Something I really liked about this book was the way it explored love and how true, real love does not diminish people (or "anglerfish" them, as Serena called it)--it helps them to find and understand themselves better. Seeing Serena and Henry come to understand one another better as they were in each other's bodies was . . . I don't know. "Enjoyable" isn't the word I'm looking for (though I did enjoy it). I guess I appreciated that they each had things to learn, and they did. Sometimes it was funny, and sometimes it was awkward.

Looks like I've got ARCs of the third and fourth books already on my Kindle, so I know what I'm reading next.

How it ends:(view spoiler)

Note: Some innuendo. Vague flashbacks of sex. An unwanted encounter with a topless woman. Some unsurprising physiological responses. One chapter of sex (skip chapter 41).

An enjoyable and quirky read that charms and entertains..The characters are relatable so you find yourself rooting for their happiness.
Many thanks to WW Crown and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Freaky Friday but in romance form and you switch bodies with your soulmate? Okay! This is the second book in the Ghosted series and while I loved Ghosted and also Fated, there were some things about Switched that irked me. I actually didn't like Serena in the first few chapters, she came across as a little judgey to me. But I still loved the overall story and it was beautifully written. Sarah Ready pulls you in with her writing style and fantastical stories. Their first meeting was really cute and I really enjoyed how they learned about each through the other's memories. The menstrual cramps scene made me laugh out loud!

REVIEW: Switched

Switched by Sarah Ready is a delightful and unexpected romantic comedy that will keep you laughing and turning pages. Chaos ensues when free-spirited Serena and uptight Henry find themselves switched bodies after a night at the particle collider. Their lives, filled with opposite personalities and habits, are thrown into a whirlwind of confusion and hilarity.

Ready's writing is witty and engaging, and the characters are incredibly well-developed. Serena's infectious enthusiasm and Henry's meticulous nature create a compelling dynamic. The author expertly captures the challenges and joys of navigating life in someone else's body while exploring themes of self-discovery and love.

Switched is a refreshing take on the body-swap trope, offering a unique and heartwarming love story. With its blend of humor, romance, and a touch of science fiction, this novel is a perfect escape for fans of contemporary romance.

Thank you, Netgalley and W.W. Crown an Imprint of Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles, for the free advanced copy for my honest review!

This stand-alone sequel is an opposites-attract, body-swap romance, featuring two highly passionate and independent physicists, who are struck by the hands of fate and forced to work out their immense feelings for one another, in a very unconventional (but charming) scenario, that defies the laws of science they live their lives by.

I liked it. I liked the romance, the multi-continent settings, the body-swap antics, the amusing use of reader-interactive footnotes, the pop culture references (live long and prosper!), and the loving and supportive cast of secondary characters that rounded out the story.

Did I enjoy the story as much as book one in the series (Ghosted)? Well, no. Not quite.

For me, the chemistry wasn’t as strong here as between Jillian and Daniel, and I think this had a lot to do with FMC Serena and her right-until-the-end mentality that embracing love would somehow make her cease to exist as the person she was before Henry. This belief that, to fully, wholeheartedly love another you must lose a huge part of yourself and your autonomy as a person, definitely leading to a professional death sentence, and potential end to her many wants, hopes and desires for the future as an independent woman.

Some readers will love this about Serena… but it drove me nuts. And the fact it was such a big, repetitive part of her personality, hurting Henry (that’s not on!) in hopes to save herself from becoming (in her skewed beliefs) a mindless, hopeless, purposeless woman in love (like her mother), was just exhausting for me.

To be fair, this was an extremely personal reaction for me, because, unlike Serena, I have no professional ambition, never having loved my career in education with any sort of calling or passion that consumed me. Therefore, just like Serena struggled to imagine choosing love over work, I’ve always struggled to imagine people, anywhere, choosing work (of any kind) over love and family, because for me, my happiness revolves around the people in my life and not the job I do to get by.

So, yeah, I had a hard time getting on board with Serena’s feelings and beliefs, which seemed a bit irrational at times, if you ask me—but each to their own. I liked her for the most part, though, even if I was personally vexed by some of her thought processes along the road to love.

Thankfully, Henry was a dreamy sort, winning Serena over eventually, showing her through actions—not just words—what a healthy and loving relationship could look like, where the act of being in love with each other would only make them stronger as individuals, rather than weaker.

Although I’m well-versed in body-swap films, this was actually my first ever body-swap book, and as such, I think it went very well, providing all the fun and frivolity that usually goes with this trope, but adding some spins that made this story uniquely its own thing.

Overall, this was a quirky, fun-loving, romantic story, and I’m definitely glad I read it.


***A special thanks to the publishers (via Netgalley) for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Switched follows Serena and Henry, two characters who wake up one day having pulled a "Freaky Friday" and swapped bodies. The story explores their dynamic as they navigate life in each other's shoes, with humor and unexpected insights along the way.

I enjoyed the writing style and found it easy to read, even with the unique body-swapping plot. While I felt they adapted to the switch maybe a bit too easily—especially considering the gender swap—I understand that it helped keep the plot moving. Some of the plot points felt unnecessary, but I did appreciate the idea of both characters experiencing aspects of life that only the opposite gender can. Overall, I really enjoyed the dynamic between Serena and Henry, especially how they kept showing up for one another. This book is also great for those who enjoy reading about women in S.T.E.M.! This entire series focuses on that so far, which is refreshing to see!

A charming, feel-good story! It took a bit to hook me, but once it did, it became the perfect holiday read. Light, easy to breeze through, yet with a solid plot that kept me turning the pages.

#Switched #NetGalley

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

I absolutely loved Ghosted, the first book in this series.
Sadly, I can't say the same for Switched. Still the same brilliant writing style, but for some reason, watching them navigate their feelings after switching bodies gave me a bit of an ice vibe.
Oh well - I love Sarah Ready's books and look forward to trying the next in the series!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Laugh-Out-Loud STEM Romance with a Fun Twist!

I finished Switched in a day—it’s that good! I listened to the audiobook and found myself literally laughing out loud, even stopping mid-dishes just to focus on some of the hilarious moments. The STEM/STEAM trend in books has been big lately, and I am here for it! Women in science? Yes, please! It’s so relatable to me and probably to a lot of other women out there.

The one-night-stand-to-lovers romance arc was fun, and the body-switching twist? Absolutely hilarious. I do have one lingering question, though—what was with the glue in the booth?

And can we talk about the corgis?! The number of corgi mentions should make this an automatic 5-star book, but that might be overkill, right? All in all, it’s a super fun read. Thank you, NetGalley, for providing this book in exchange for an honest review!

I really like that Sarah Ready comes up with these obscure situations and then somehow manages to pull it all together in a way I wouldn't have predicted. I look forward to reading more from her in the future!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!

Fun and enjoyable read though I'd have like more of how they switched. I really liked the science stuff and would like to visit CERN/LHC one day if it's open for public visits.

3.5 stars

Switched is the second book in the Ghosted series, but it can be read as a standalone.

It took me a while to get into this book. I guess I didn’t really like the characters. But then…the switch happened! The main characters — Serena and Henry — switch bodies. And it was actually pretty funny seeing Serena’s reactions in Henry’s body.

Overall, this was a cute and fun read. I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first book, but it wasn’t bad.

Audio:
Narrators: Kelsey Navarro Foster and James Anderson Foster
Narration style: Dual

The audiobook was great. Kelsey always does a fantastic job portraying emotions. My only gripe is that James only narrated one chapter. I was expecting more of his narration, since he was listed as a narrator.

A very cute plot! It took a while to get into but I found that this was the perfect holiday read. It was easy enough to read quickly but the plot was solid enough that it made me want to continue reading.

Ahhh what an enjoyable and fun read! And if you like Freaky Friday you're definitely in for a treat!

Serena Otaki spends her life fully dedicated to science, which leaves her no time for a relationship.
But all this changes when she meets Henry Joule. The attraction between them is instant and leads to a one-night stand. What neither of them expected was an electric storm which had Serena and Henry switching bodies. Oh no! So not only they have to behave and act as the other person, on top of this they have to figure out what happened and, most importantly, figure out how can they fix this!

This book has some of the scientific element to it (I think this depends on a personal taste on whether you enjoy this or not), but it definitely helps navigate through the story. The dynamics between the characters and the adventures were super fun and hilarious! The family situation? Loved it!

Overall this was a fun read with a good banter and a great mix of rom-com and sci-fi.

This one was cute but it took a hard time to get into the story. I wanted to love it but others might enjoy the story line more. Looks like those that enjoy these types of stories would enjoy it more than me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 🌶️

Freaky Friday, but make it a boss and his employee instead of a mother/daughter situation and due to science versus a strategically placed fortune cookie.

A one-night stand that turns blah in the sunlight, is what happens when Serena discovers that her one-night stand is, in fact, her new boss, Henry. Turns out his personality was a one-time thing as well. What happened between then and now and why can’t they find their way back? Wait do they want to go back?

Rom-com blends with sci-fi when an electric storm causes them to switch bodies. Living life through the other’s eyes gives them both a chance to see what life truly is like for the other. It helps them to relate more, but if they don’t figure out how to switch back soon, then what?

Sarah has a writing style that I love. It is sophisticated, engaging, methodical, and beautiful. She delivers a story that reminds us to not judge others quickly and to put yourself in other’s shoes before thinking you know everything them. A quick meeting doesn’t hold the whole picture and that picture is worth discovering at times.

As always review trigger warnings before reading.

Tropes:
👨‍🔬He falls first and harder
🧬British x American
👨‍🔬Forced proximity.

🧬Body swap.
👨‍🔬Virgin hero
🧬Rom-com

First thing I want to say, is that I sped through this book and greatly disappointed I can’t stay in Serena and Henry’s timeline. The story had the right amount of funny, bantering, and despair for me. I say “despair” lightly, as it’s about a woman who isn’t ready for love and its challenges. But she finds an amazing guy who makes all the sacrifices of work, personal interests, and lifelong commitment worth it. The moment she broke the 4th wall, I knew this was going to be a great book that would make me laugh at loud. I loved the twists and turns throughout the book, and the ending had my jumping out of my socks scared. So thank you Sarah Ready for capturing my heart at its fullest through your story.

This took me a while to read, I just couldn't get into it. While I liked the writing style, I just could not get myself to like the FMC. I don't really understand why she didn't like relationships so much until randomly at the end and as a character she felt too vague. Also the way a sort of "twist" was inserted about Henry felt glossed over and had it been explored more I think I would have enjoyed it.

Overall this particular story wasn't for me, but I may give the author's other books a try.