REVIEW: Switched by Sarah Ready

In Switched by Sarah Ready, Theoretical physicist Serena Otaki has a one-track mind and its focus is on science. Full stop. While she does always make time for her BFF Jillian, her cat Captain Tiberius Purrk, and she might have a few one-off dalliances here and there, she refuses to fall in love with a man. Nothing good can happen if she loses herself in a relationship. Serena has to put her career in Geneva at CERN first and, if she’s being honest, it’s no hardship to spend most of her time exploring all things particle physics. But that doesn’t mean when she spots a handsome Brit at the table next to hers in the local pub that she’ll walk away from their immediate attraction. Although after a passionate night together that goes horrifically awry, Serena will probably kick herself in the butt later on for what she sets into motion.

‘I don’t have room to love anything else but science. It’s my passion. It’s my purpose. Plus, I know what happens when you fall for a man. You cease to be you.’

The sexy Brit Serena could all too easily fall for turns out to be a new colleague at CERN. Just one more reason why she needs to steer clear of Henry Joules. But when a freak storm causes things to go sideways deep down in the underground of CERN while she and Henry are in the observation room, they are somehow switched. Swapped. Serena is now in Henry’s body and vice versa. While they work on theories as to why and how it happened–as well as how the heck to switch back–they slowly grow to understand each other on an extraordinary level. That is, after the initial shock of being a totally different person (sort of) wears off. The two are polar opposites. But Henry and Serena eventually get to see beneath those differences to figure out that underneath it all, they might want the same things in life…and love.

‘I’m…oh no, I’m a tepid tea-drinking, prudishly uptight, umbrella-carrying, anal neat-freak of a British man. This is my worst nightmare.’

A giggle-worthy but also super romantic romcom that will bend your mind–and not just from the physics facts our heroine so casually doled out–SWITCHED tugged at my heartstrings and left me with a book hangover I wouldn’t trade for the world.

“I love you. It doesn’t matter what you look like or what you do, or what your name is, or who everyone else thinks you are. I love you. The you in your heart.”

SWITCHED was another imaginative romcom by always-fun-to-read author Sarah Ready. Part of the Ghosted series but a book that stands on its own, this combined a Freaky Friday-type body swap with an opposites attract office romance all set at CERN in Geneva. How cool, right? Even better was our heroine Serena, aka Ducky. Spunky, wicked smart, and with a quirky-cute way about her, I couldn’t have adored her more.

Written from Serena’s POV in the first person (aside from one chapter from Henry’s POV! *swoon*), this story felt like an old friend having a conversation with you–so I have a feeling the audio version will be a whole lot of fun. The only drawback would be not getting to see Serena’s doodles, charts, or graphs. I so enjoyed how Ready included these as part of the storytelling, as well as a series of footnotes that tickled me to no end. It was all of these little touches that truly brought Serena and Henry’s story to life on the pages.

As odd as it may sound, CERN was kind of the perfect backdrop for Henry and Serena to fall in love. I mean, what better way to explain the magnetic pull between two people who are very much attracted to each other than talk of physics and, well, huge magnets like in the Large Hadron Collider? It perfectly described the sparks between Serena and Henry and the heady feeling of falling in love itself. Not to mention the way being underground amongst the huge particle collider made their body swapping seem entirely (okay, somewhat) plausible. It was still a tad difficult to remember at times that Serena was now in Henry’s body and vice versa–but oh what fun it was! Ready included some memorable laugh-out-loud scenes that readers will love. However, it was watching Henry and Serena falling deeply in love as they got a soul-deep view of each other that will stick with me for a long, long time.

QOTD: Are you a fan of books that use magical realism or stretch our imaginations as readers?

Book Info:

Publication: Published: February 20th, 2024 | Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC | Ghosted #2

For Serena Otaki, free-spirited Californian, life is simple. She loves smashing atoms at The Large Hadron Collider near Geneva, Switzerland. She loves Star Trek, spicy tofu, and her cat, Captain Purrk. She loves her messy (slob-fest) apartment, her chaotic brand of organizing, and staying permanently, happily unattached.

Life is perfect. She has one true love—physics.

Loving a man isn’t in her future.

For Henry Joules, uptight Brit, life is simple. He loves making analog black holes, drinking piping hot tea, and organizing his pencil tray. He loves his family, red meat, and obsessively cleaning his spotless apartment.

Life is perfect. He has many loves—physics, family, friends. He can’t wait to find the woman of his dreams.

Love and marriage are in his future.

One perfect night Serena and Henry meet. Sparks fly, particles collide, the universe comes to a halt, and…

It was a mistake.

They’re too different.

It won’t work.

Love isn’t in their future.

Until an electric storm causes an unexpected event at the particle collider and suddenly—they’ve switched.

Serena is in Henry’s body.

Henry is in Serena’s body.

And both life and love are suddenly very, very complicated.