Julie's Review: Your Perfect Life

Author: Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke
Series: None
Publication Date: June 30, 2014
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Pages: 304
Obtained: purchased
Genre:  contemporary fiction, chick-lit
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: Fun summertime (or anytime) read to share with your friends
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: Two childhood best friends wake up the morning after their twentieth high school reunion to discover that they’ve switched bodies in this hilarious and heartwarming debut by two childhood best friends.With “a delicious, page-turning premise, and sweet and surprising insights” (New York Times bestselling author Jen Lancaster), Your Perfect Life perfectly illustrates that old adage: Sometimes, you have to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes to see what’s in her heart. Best friends since childhood, Casey and Rachel couldn’t lead more different lives. While workaholic Casey rubs elbows with celebrities daily as the host of Gossip TV and comes home nightly to an empty apartment, stay-at-home mom Rachel juggles an “oops” baby, two fiery teenagers, and a husband who barely seems the man she fell in love with two decades before. After an argument at their twentieth high school reunion, Casey and Rachel throw back shots to get the night back on track. Instead, they get a life-changing hangover. Waking up in each other’s bodies the next morning, they must figure out how to navigate their altered realities. Rachel is forced to face the broadcasting dreams she gave up when she got pregnant in college, and Casey finally steps out of the spotlight to face the real reason why she’s alone. And they soon discover that they don’t know themselves—or their best friend—nearly as well as they thought they did. ~powells.com

Review: Your Perfect Life is quintessential chick-lit and that's just fine. I thoroughly enjoyed the premise and even their reference to Freaky Friday within the novel. Gotta pay homage to those that have come before you. Each character has their flaws, which makes this an even better read because we all know no one is perfect.

Rachel and Casey have been BFFs since high school but their relationship has been a little rocky lately due to the pressures of their lives. Plus their lives couldn't be more different. Casey has a high powered job delivering the latest in celebrity news/gossip and Rachel is a frenzied mother of 3 who barely has time to shower let alone get a blow out done on her hair.

Things aren't always what they seem on the other side once each other is living the others life. What might seem glamorous is lonely and what might seem perfect is far from it. There is definitely some silliness in the novel but there are also some serious subject matters that are highlighted as well. While the authors don't dig deep into them, they don't skirt around them either.

I always say that things might look perfect from your point of view but that is rarely the case when the doors are shut. Plus as much as you might "want" someone else's life, someone else "wants" yours.


I enjoyed the fact that not only did switching bodies get them back on track in their lives but it got them back on track with their friendship. We all know life is busy but it's important to take the time to connect with the people we care about.

If you are looking for a fun read over the holiday day weekend, this is it. I also recommend passing it around to friends or purchasing it for them as a fun summer read.

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