JDCMustReadBooks

by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke 

ISBN: 9781476730578

Publisher:  Atria Books

Washington Square Press

Publication Date:  Jun 10 2014

Pages: 304  

My Rating: (4 Stars)  

"An engaging, witty, humorous, and insightful read about the meaning of best friends, and the “grass is not always greener” – If you enjoy the idea of switching lives, you will love this delicious read of two women-friends from early childhood, living two different lives, and yet sometimes envious of the other --until they find by walking in their shoes, may not be their cup of tea, after all. 

In particular is you like Freaky Friday, Sliding Doors, Trading Places, or others such as The Change-Up, you will be fascinated to explore and tap into lessons learned from this journey.

In the case of Your Perfect Life, you may need to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes to really understand yourself. This enjoyable read dives into how certain dynamics and roles each woman plays, which changes from the beginning of the book to the end. 

The authors did an exceptional job of putting the day to day activities together of each woman into the body of their best friend, to compare family dynamics of single life versus married. The way the story was introduced was a brilliant set up—a class reunion always brings out the best and worst of anyone, so a perfect starting point. A lesson and inspiration to each of us, as sometimes the answer is right in front of us; however, we may have to learn from life’s lessons, to enable us to circle back and appreciate our own lives. 

In a way, each of us could learn from an experience such as this fictional one; the hard truths about ourselves such as Casey and Rachel, as they were not able to see clearly until they switched places. These two best friends forever have a real life changing experience, while in the switch mode—learning hard truths about themselves. 

Casey, the glamorous, single and successful one would seem on the surface very appealing more so than Rachel. Rachel, the woman who married her high school sweetheart with a family and sacrificed her career for her family’s needs – does she really have it all --what any woman would want? However, as the switch takes place you see the pros and cons which may not have been recognized initially.

"Pretending” and faking it became a necessity for these two leading ladies--leading them to more positive things and becomes empowering for both women. A question to reflect and ponder--were they pretending to be someone else at times even before the switch?

“Your Perfect Life” is an ideal book for book clubs and discussions, as there is so much to discuss about “having it all”. What does it mean, and did each woman have the Perfect Life already? The book includes a wonderful Readers Club Guide at the ending, which should jump start a lively discussion of what ifs, as you go deep into the relationships and meanings for each of the protagonists.

I look forward to reading more from these two real life BFFs!" 

A special thank you to Atria Books, Washington Square Press, and NetGalley for this ARC, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.