The seven day switch A novel

Who knew pink sangria could lead to an entirely new outlook on life? After a potluck contribution leads to a Freaky Friday--style switch, high-powered productivity consultant Wendy and picture-perfect Pinterest devotee Celeste wake up inhabiting each other's bodies. Managing entirely new sets of family chaos, without knowing if they'll ever be able to switch back, Wendy and Celeste take the opportunity to prove that their way is the right way, with all the screen-time philosophies, drive-through meals, and chore wheels to prove it. But as they learn how to live each other's lives, they're surprised to find that those rigid sets of rules may be more flexible than they imagined, and both women and their families grow in ways they didn't think possible. Making a compelling case for moderation in all things, Harms (The Bright Side of Going Dark, 2020) paints her heroines as flawed but loving mothers, each managing in the best way she knows how. The most clever and incisive take on the Mommy Wars since Allison Pearson's I Don't Know How She Does It, Harms' latest captures the messy, complicated, and often all-consuming mindset of motherhood. Fans of Julie Valerie's Village of Primm series will adore it.

Neighbors Wendy Charles and Celeste Mason are opposites. Productivity consultant Wendy makes her life as streamlined as possible, though she overlooks a hole in her drywall and opts to spend time with her children rather than cook them fancy meals. Celeste, on the other hand, puts Pinterest moms to shame, with her pristine home and over-the-top nurturing. After one too many cups of a special vodka-infused sangria (made by Celeste, of course), the two wake up having switched bodies, and their assumptions about each other are soon upended. Can they--will they?--stay in the streak for as long as it takes to realize what it takes to be the "other" mom? VERDICT Freaky Friday for the mom set, this novel by Harms (The Bright Side of Going Dark) is full of fun, relatable, and cringe-worthy moments, as each woman experiences life on the other side of the fence.--Erin Holt, formerly at Williamson County P. L., Franklin, TN