When I saw the latest Kelly Harms book was available as an Amazon First Reads (read more about that here), I was so excited I didn’t even read the synopsis. Her books always have laugh out loud moments, memorable characters, and a plot that has depth without feeling too heavy. The Seven Day Switch did not disappoint in any of these categories!

Wendy and Celeste are neighbors that can barely tolerate one another. As their daughters become best friends, their own complete opposite personalities come out more and more. Wendy sees herself as a classic Working Mom, running her productivity consultancy by day and rushing home to barely manage her home life in the short time between after-work and bedtime that she gets to spend time with her kids. Celeste is a peak Pinterest Mom, the kind who makes fruit sushi bento boxes for lunch, bakes cupcakes for the science fair, and volunteers to carpool the working mom’s kids from school to softball practice. After a sangria-fueled confrontation, both women awake to find they have switched places, Freaky-Friday style. Wendy wakes up in Celeste’s house, while Celeste awakes to Wendy’s snoring husband.

I have to admit, when I first realized the premise, I was a bit hesitant. But I knew Kelly Harms has a stellar track record, and decided to give it a shot despite my trouble suspending my disbelief just reading the synopsis. I am so glad I did. While the Freaky-Friday trope has been done, Harms not only puts her own spin on it, but she also has the characters acknowledge the trope. While I tend to sit somewhere between working mom and stay at home mom myself- since I work from home- I could clearly understand each character’s frustrations with their own lives and the life they perceived their nemesis to have.

True to her record, this novel is full of laughable moments, incredible characters, and depth in unexpected places. While I anticipated the character’s seeing their own flaws and misjudgments more clearly, there was another component to their epiphanies that I did not see coming.

Wendy and Celeste fulfill stereotype molds to each other and the reader at first. It’s through their alternating first-person narration that we discover the reasoning behind their actions and their intention. Being able to get inside their heads makes them both incredibly relatable and encourages empathy for both women in the reader.

Before the end of the first chapter, I had no trouble empathizing with these women and suspending my disbelief for the Freak-Friday sangria magic. It’s a fun read with depth that may just inspire you to give grace and empathy next time you’re tempted to judge someone that’s your opposite. It’s a great summer read with lovable characters, an intriguing plot, and hilarity to boot.

The Seven Day Switch by Kelly Harms is currently available as an Amazon First Read choice; it will be available to all July 1, 2021.