Author: M.B. Earnheardt
Publisher: Three Worlds Press
Publication Date: September 2015
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Buy The Book: Amazon
Description: Chris and Amanda Claridge are that couple. They look happy. They live in a well-kept house, have three little girls and fit squarely into the traditional roles of a husband and wife.
Chris is a handsome college professor, and easily charms most everyone he meets. He loves his job and can’t wait to go to work each day. Amanda is a dedicated mother and caretaker. She tends to the kids and appreciates how important her job is, even if others don’t get it.
Underneath the surface of this functioning family, things are unraveling. Their marital problems are about to split them apart when something magical happens. Chris and Amanda make a bedtime wish that forces them to live the life of the other person.
Chris must pretend to be his wife as he takes on childcare and household chores. Amanda steps out of her heels and into Chris’ shoes to tackle his job as a college professor. The role reversal is a revelation for the couple. Neither one has it as good, or bad, as they expected.
Can Chris and Amanda’s newfound understanding of each other survive when the secrets come out? Or, did a magical wish just cost them their marriage? Will they be able to switch back?
Switch A Wish examines the complexity of a stressed relationship through the eyes of partners who are required to live as each other. This unique perspective allows Chris and Amanda a chance to find their way back to the feelings of the love they once shared.
My Thoughts: I truly believe the biggest problem facing most relationships is the inability to communicate because the couple has lost the ability to relate to one another. Various reasons cause the couple to drift apart, lose the spark that connects them not just intimately but what brought them together in the first place. Resentments build because frustrations are not being communicated and that’s when the trouble begins. Chris and Amanda are just such a couple. They’ve been together a long time and have three children. Amanda gave up her journalism career so she could take care of the home and the children and often is taken advantage of by her mother in law, running errands for her as well. Chris is a university professor who is focused on his career and promoting to the chair of his department. Amanda is frustrated because she doesn’t feel like Chris supports her and never seems to engage with her and the family. She thinks life would be better if they got a divorce. Chris is frustrated because Amanda doesn’t show him any affection and he can’t remember when the last time they had great sex was. He is considering having an affair with one of his students. One night while putting the kids to bed, they each make a wish that the other one understood them. The next morning, they wake up to discover they have switched bodies.
They now have to live life as their spouse and figure out how to do that without making things worse. Along the way, they learn that their spouse doesn’t have it as good as they thought and they realize that the love that brought them together hasn’t gone away, it just needs a freshening up. As secrets are revealed, Chris and Amanda have to decide if what they have is worth fighting for.
My Final Verdict: I felt a lot of empathy for these characters and felt bad for the mess their relationship had become. I really enjoyed watching these characters struggle to figure out how they switched and wondering if they will ever be able to switch back. As both Chris and Amanda experience many realizations they never considered before and begin to fall in love with one other again, it gave me a good feeling to know that relationships are a lot of work, but worth it. I recommend this story for readers who enjoy a story that cuts to the heart of the matter with characters that are easy to relate to as their situation is all too realistic.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Switch A Wish from the author in exchange for an honest review.
No comments:
Post a Comment