I haven’t read a slow burn for a while (they have either been all or, in thankfully rare cases, nothing) but it took some time for The Boyfriend Swap, by Meredith Schorr, to warm up for me – although when it did, it caught fire.
I’m not sure whether it was the characters I struggled with at first or the premise that you could swap boyfriends like they were Lego trading cards but, as I learned more about them and the reasons behind what they were up to, I got more into it.
In the end it turned out to be a fun and enjoyable read – and well worth settling into.
Here’s the blurb:
Is Christmas really the most wonderful time of the year? New Yorkers Robyn Lane and Sidney Bellows aren’t so sure.
Robyn has always dated struggling creative types. For once, her parents would love her to bring someone with health insurance and a 401(k) to their Chrismukkah celebration. Her actor boyfriend doesn’t qualify. While across town, Sidney’s professional life already belongs to her parents. She’s an attorney at her father’s law firm and she works tirelessly to keep her love life private. If she brings her lawyer boyfriend to their annual Christmas extravaganza, her parents will have the wedding planned by New Year’s Eve.
A mutual friend playfully suggests they trade boyfriends for the holidays. The women share a laugh, but after copious amounts of wine, decide The Boyfriend Swap could be the perfect solution. This way, Robyn can show off her stable attorney boyfriend and Sidney’s high-society family will take no interest in her flaky actor beau.
It’s a brilliant plan—in theory. In practice—not so much. When Will turns out to be the boy-next-door Robyn crushed on hard throughout her teenage years, and Sidney’s family fawns all over Perry like he’s an Oscar-winner rather than a D-list wannabe, one thing is certain: The Boyfriend Swap might just change their lives forever.
A plot like this is bound to need some explaining – and maybe that’s why it takes time to properly get going. I think that’s fair enough.
I especially enjoyed the way the relationship between Robyn and Will develops and learning more about their history. Her family is also a delight.
Their story is like a little boat sailing along on a gentle breeze whereas Sidney and Perry’s side of things is more like a speedboat on choppy water.
I really liked the way they balanced each other out.
There are some funny moments, on both sides, and the story keeps you guessing about how things will turn out until the very end.
All in all this was a great tale and I’m happy to give it four stars.
Format: Kindle.
Price: £2.29.
My rating: Four stars.
Thank you to Henery Press (via NetGalley) for the ARC in return for an honest opinion.
