Review: 'Life Swap' by Carol Wyer (2016)

Handsome prince, beautiful house, fabulous job? Polly has none of these. All she has to her name is a string of failed relationships and she’s up to her ears in debt. She sees herself as a hopeless case and would do anything to change her luck. 
Simon is approaching the big 50. He’s off his game at work, his kids don’t seem to notice he exists and his wife seems to think he’s made of money. As for sex …what’s that? 
So when the opportunity comes for both of them to swap their lives for a life of luxury, they jump at the chance. For Simon a life of helicopters, fast cars and hot babes beckons. For Polly, it’s all diamonds, spa days and celebrity parties. What more could they want? 
Trouble is, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Is life in the fast lane more than either of them can cope with?
Doesn't everyone know that feeling of being fed up with life, secretly wishing you could switch with someone else, even just for a day? Perhaps someone rich, or someone famous, someone with your ideal job, or someone who just seems to have it all in comparison to your own life? I know I've definitely been there, and the fact that this is exactly what Carol Wyer's novel 'Life Swap' is all about immediately got me excited about reading the novel. The blurb promised the book to be a really entertaining read and I was looking forward to picking up another promising Bookouture novel and to be introduced to a to-me new author in the form of Carol Wyer!
Polly's life is not quite what she had hoped it would be when she was younger; she only seems to attract horrible men and she's up to her ears in debt. Somehow she just can't seem to catch a break and can only pray for things to finally go her way for a change. Simon is finding himself in a similar position; he's nearing 50, things aren't going too well at work, and his wife, daughter and mother-in-law definitely aren't his biggest fans. When Polly and Simon are provided with the unlikely opportunity to swap lives with someone else, they both can't help but say 'yes'. The question is, though, is the grass indeed greener on the other side or will the experience show both Polly and Simon what it is they exactly decided to leave behind...?
I have to admit I wasn't completely sure what to expect from 'Life Swap' after I'd read the first few chapters of the book. In the beginning the story was a bit slow-paced with a specific focus on how unhappy main characters Polly and Simon exactly are. However, as soon as the idea of an actual life swap, as mentioned in the title of the book, was introduced I was hooked by the story and really curious to see what was going to happen to both Polly and Simon. I really liked how the novel focuses on a male and female character with different storylines but at the same time there's a clear link between them as well. Both Polly and Simon were fascinating characters and each had their own different story to tell.
There's a big surprise element in this novel which I don't want to say much more about than that it actually really surprised me. I didn't see it coming and I want to applaud the author for an original and well-written story which I really enjoyed. There's a good lesson in the story focussing on the idea of the grass always looking greener on the other side, but what if you were actually given the chance to check it out from up-close? I really enjoyed my first Carol Wyer read and hope I'll be able to read more of her work in the future. Overall, 'Life Swap' is a fun, captivating and surprising read about the choices we make in life to find happiness, with an original twist at its core!

Rating:8,5/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.