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Swapping Lives
by
Jane Green
What if a successful, single Londoner and a comfortable, Connecticut mother of two were to walk in each others shoes for a month? Vicky Townsley is the director of Poise! magazine and lives a glamorous London life. She has everything she wantsexcept marriage, children, and a house in the country. Amber Winslow has a stone mansion in Connecticut, two kids, and a nanny, bu...more
Paperback, 416 pages
Published
May 29th 2007
by Plume
(first published January 1st 2006)
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I have read almost all of Jane Green books so most that I find at the library, I have read already. Yay for finding one I haven't read yet!!! (and sidenote, yay for finding a typo! I love finding typos in published books because I am like the worst speller ever and I see them as, if this can be published, why can't I?)
This story took a while to get going. A magazine editor and a housewife swap places to find out if the "grass is really greener on the otherside". And apparentl...more
This story took a while to get going. A magazine editor and a housewife swap places to find out if the "grass is really greener on the otherside". And apparentl...more
Swapping Lives is the story of Vickie Townsley and Amber Winslow. Vickie is the features director at Poise magazine in England and is living the life of an urban, single woman in her mid-thirties. Amber is a rich housewife in Connecticut. Amber enters and wins a contest sponsored Poise magazine to swap lives with Vickie for a month to see if the grass really is greener on the other side. Is being a single girl as carefree and fun as it seems? Is being a rich, suburban housewife less stressful th...more
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/6372...
What a boring novel! I found this terribly dull and flat with page after page of repetitive descriptions of the life styles of the two shallow protagonists Amber and Vicky. Amber Winslow the American social climber, full time wife and mother and Vicky Townsley the single successful English girl leading a tough but hectic life as Features Director of a magazine. The theme of the novel is as the title implys a Life Swap between these two women...more
What a boring novel! I found this terribly dull and flat with page after page of repetitive descriptions of the life styles of the two shallow protagonists Amber and Vicky. Amber Winslow the American social climber, full time wife and mother and Vicky Townsley the single successful English girl leading a tough but hectic life as Features Director of a magazine. The theme of the novel is as the title implys a Life Swap between these two women...more
Why do I do this?
I think I keep hoping for something as amusing as the first Bridget Jones novel. And really, this one isn't bad, but it's not particularly wonderful either. And the worst part is the dialogue (more like monologue) in which Amber expresses her revelations about the shallowness of suburban life in posh suburban Connecticut. Absolutely reads like authorial commentary couched in dialogue. And I kept thinking: well, then, Amber, if you are so clear-sighted about the ...more
I think I keep hoping for something as amusing as the first Bridget Jones novel. And really, this one isn't bad, but it's not particularly wonderful either. And the worst part is the dialogue (more like monologue) in which Amber expresses her revelations about the shallowness of suburban life in posh suburban Connecticut. Absolutely reads like authorial commentary couched in dialogue. And I kept thinking: well, then, Amber, if you are so clear-sighted about the ...more
I really really liked this book. It was so real that I felt it was truly one of the characters writing a true story. At the beginning the author tells you 'not to expect a romance", but nevertheless it isn't completely devoid of it. I liked the way characters got caught in things that they had no way to avoid, because it made me sympathize with them a lot. And I know they were rich and the book is rather spilling over with grand names and brands but you still can see the wistfullness of mos...more
agak kecewa sih ama novel ni.
kirain cerita tentang "pertukaran" antara Vicky (wanita london yang lajang tetapi punya semua hal yang diinginkan wanita lajang seumurnya) dan Amber (istri dari keluarga ternama dan mempunyai 2 org anak dan rumah yang luar biasa luasnya) bakalan lebih banyak porsinya. eh ternyata baru diceritain pas halaman tengah novel. dan cuma sedikit. yaaah,, terlalu banyak pembuka sih di awalnya.
trus endingnya jg kurang suka. okelah, amber dan keluargany...more
kirain cerita tentang "pertukaran" antara Vicky (wanita london yang lajang tetapi punya semua hal yang diinginkan wanita lajang seumurnya) dan Amber (istri dari keluarga ternama dan mempunyai 2 org anak dan rumah yang luar biasa luasnya) bakalan lebih banyak porsinya. eh ternyata baru diceritain pas halaman tengah novel. dan cuma sedikit. yaaah,, terlalu banyak pembuka sih di awalnya.
trus endingnya jg kurang suka. okelah, amber dan keluargany...more
I read most of this book on flights I had over the course of a few days. While it may be considered "light reading" the premise is something we can all relate to: that the grass is always greener in someone else's life. By comparing mid-30's women, one who is single and career successful, the other married with kids and queen bee in her suburb, swapping lives helps them appreciate themselves and their own lives better, and helps them figure out what they really want in life. In reading...more
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Just finished reading. Pretty good, I got really into it. I dont normally read chick lit books but when I do, I get sucked in. Plot is about two women. One single living in Britain named Vicky and a rich wife and mother of two named Amber. Vicky's life is exciting and her character is an English version of Carrie Bradshaw. However she is so desperate and very naive with men. Being single and 30ish myself I found myself rolling my eyes a lot. I dont know many single girls who believe that a guy r...more
I enjoyed this book a great deal but because it was split between two women I didn't fall in love with it as much because I never connected too strongly with either character and that is the make it or break it with me and a book. I feel having my own life gone from an 8 year relationship back to single girl I know all to well how it is on both ends so there was a personal detachment. But for those single women feeling something is missing not having a significance other, the man, the kids, or ...more
I hated, hated, hated this book. I only finished it because I paid 70 cents for it dagnabbit. The character of Amber is the biggest Mary Sue I've ever read. I wanted to smack her idiotic face off. She's such a horrible person, always competing with her "friends", lying to her husband about spending, ignoring her kids, etc, but the author tells us numerous times that everyone just loves her and they understand that she's such a great person and that she really does love her kids. I...more
I think this book was a good read. Wasn't a page-turner for me but I was able to get through it. This is one of those "greener on the other side of the fence” stories. Someone is not happy with what they have and wants to find out if what they wish for could be worth the wait. The two women who switched lives, Vicky (35 & a Poise Magazine editor) and Amber (housewife, mother of 2) didn't stick it out for the whole month. It took too long to get to the “life swap” and then it ended up n...more
The idea behind the book is an interesting one - a single girl from London gets to swap lives with a married mother-of-two from suburban America for a month to see if 'the grass is greener on the other side'.
The book itself is okay. With a previous Jane Green book I read (Spellbound), I couldn't put it down, but I didn't feel nearly so wrapped up in this story - the only reason I didn't give up on it is because I hate half-reading a book!
The result of the life swap experiment is fairly pred...more
The book itself is okay. With a previous Jane Green book I read (Spellbound), I couldn't put it down, but I didn't feel nearly so wrapped up in this story - the only reason I didn't give up on it is because I hate half-reading a book!
The result of the life swap experiment is fairly pred...more
I really enjoyed reading this book. I was delighted to see the main topics tackled, especially as it's considered "chick lit", were not about attaining the perfect guy or finding the perfect "shag" or following some bumbling female who doesn't do her job properly but somehow finds true love and sucess suddenly, and predictibly, at the end of the book... but rather about substantial and relevent stuff that we all deal with in our day to day lives: like what the most important...more
The two women swapping lives in this book are from both sides of the Atlantic--the American, she of the expensive Connecticut lifestyle with hubby, two requisite adorable kiddies, maid, gardener and golden retriever AND the single British magazine editor with the cute little London apartment and the fashionable wardrobe with the rock star boyfriend. This is sounding shallow but this was as the book jacket says " a riotous and poignant look at what happens when two women, both of whom thin...more
i don't even reach the 'Life Swap' part yet,the story is quite boring. Will continue reading it some other time *giggles*
i've read half of the book and (i'm not expecting this) but it mention The Gunners Arsenal on the book!! Looks like that Jane Green is Arsenal fan!! <3 will continue reading it.... :)
Sudah selesai dan sampe akhir cerita Vicky ga/belum sama siapa2,cowo2 yg potensial si Hugh Janus sama Bill jadi ceritanya rada gantung :( Pengennya diceritain sampe Vickynya...more
i've read half of the book and (i'm not expecting this) but it mention The Gunners Arsenal on the book!! Looks like that Jane Green is Arsenal fan!! <3 will continue reading it.... :)
Sudah selesai dan sampe akhir cerita Vicky ga/belum sama siapa2,cowo2 yg potensial si Hugh Janus sama Bill jadi ceritanya rada gantung :( Pengennya diceritain sampe Vickynya...more
Chick–lit 100%--which isn’t usually my cup of tea, but I was looking for some light summer reading. I had a hard time ranking this book—wish we could give ½ stars—some parts were so flat-that I actually skipped pages and still felt like the book repeated its self again and again. In addition I wasn’t a huge fan of one of the main characters, so when the focuse was on her, I had a hard time not skipping ahead.
That being said-the book served its purpose as a nice light summer read. And I ac...more
That being said-the book served its purpose as a nice light summer read. And I ac...more
This was a very nice, brain-candy book to read on vacation! I like Vicky's character and how she didn't want to be exactly like Amber - and recognized Amber's stepfordness right away.
There was one thing that bothered me most about this book -- the parts where Amber is talking or the author is describing Amber's thoughts or life (remember, Amber is the American) were written in British slang or sayings. Like, Amber kept saying (in America), "Are you getting on with so-and-so?"...more
There was one thing that bothered me most about this book -- the parts where Amber is talking or the author is describing Amber's thoughts or life (remember, Amber is the American) were written in British slang or sayings. Like, Amber kept saying (in America), "Are you getting on with so-and-so?"...more
i really enjoyed Jemima J, which is by the same author, so i was looking forward to reading this book. i was met with disappointment with each turn of the page. the actual plot line of the book doesn't get started until you're 2/3rds of the way through, and all through the entire book it completely dragged. and the author kept repeating the same phrases..."keeping up with the Jonses" was a popular one. i got a bit tired of hearing that one yet again. and concepts were repeated as ...more
This wasn't the best book I have ever read by far but I have to admit that it did make me think a little. Its about two women, both age 35 one is single and the other married with two kids and they swap lives... the theme is that grass always looks greener on the otherside and to appreciate what you have, which I could relate to. I didn't really agree with the portrayal of either character, very stereotypical and it took way to long for the actual swap to take place. But the message was good and...more
I found there were many issues with this book. First of all, it had a slow beginning and I think I was almost half way through when they finally got to the swapping lives part. Then, and I could be wrong (but I don't think so though because I kept flipping back and forth) I found out that the two main characters of the book each have a friend named Deborah! How confusing is that? They didn't even acknowledge that they both knew somebody by the same first name.
OK, so once I was pas...more
OK, so once I was pas...more
I'm really starting to get into the author Jane Green and want to slowly read all of her books. This was my third one of hers and I was looking forward to read about the swap.
It was pretty much like the television show where the wives would swap for a week and try to live that woman's life and that is why I was so interested. I have always wondered what goes into a swap. Why someone decides to do it? How it begins? And if anyone ever learns from it? This book went though all the stage...more
It was pretty much like the television show where the wives would swap for a week and try to live that woman's life and that is why I was so interested. I have always wondered what goes into a swap. Why someone decides to do it? How it begins? And if anyone ever learns from it? This book went though all the stage...more
This was an okay chick lit book. I think I'm losing my patience for these kinds of books, but they are perfect for listening to on the long drive to and from work. I don't have to exert too much attention in order to stay focused.
Vicki, the features director at Poise magazine in England, is single and wonders what it would be like to be married with children. She decides to find out by writing an article for Poise magazine after swapping lives with a married woman for a month. Amber...more
Vicki, the features director at Poise magazine in England, is single and wonders what it would be like to be married with children. She decides to find out by writing an article for Poise magazine after swapping lives with a married woman for a month. Amber...more
I found this lying on the bookshelf theother day, so decided to read it - my boyfriend was away and i couldn't sleep, so felt like reading something easy. All this did was make me angry. I've not read any of her stuff before, and after this, which i haven't even finished yet, am not sure whether I will.
It's not badly written, but there are just glaring inconsistencies in the plot and the character that just don't ring true at all!
We're led to believe the swappers are to wear each oth...more
It's not badly written, but there are just glaring inconsistencies in the plot and the character that just don't ring true at all!
We're led to believe the swappers are to wear each oth...more
Jennifer
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone who likes the worst of chick lit.
Shelves:
personal-reading
So I wanted a chick book late this summer — just an easy little read for the lazy days on the boat — so I picked up Switching Lives by Jane Green off the bargain rack at Borders. I mean, it was a hardback book for less than $5, and I had read two of her other books years ago and found them tolerable. Not this one! It was insanely predictable and included a character with the name Hugh Janus — I kid you not! That one is so bad that I wouldn’t want to take the credit for making it up. I do think I...more
This was a great read for a long plane ride to London. I was looking for a good British Chick Lit book to get me in a British mood, and this book accomplished just that! The depiction of life in London was richly written. I felt like I was literally walking the streets of London while reading these passages. The passages of life as a rich housewife in America, though, were a bit over-the-top. That type of life-style just seemed a little bit unrealistic to me. An enjoyable read, nonethel...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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I enjoyed this book and ti was an intriguing concept. Would you give up your life to try someone else's? I admit, at times I have wondered what it would be like to live another person's life. Is the grass always greener? The two characters in this story certainly had some soul-searching revelations within their experiment. For that it would be worth trying out. I think everyone feels lost in their own lives at times so it would be interesting to try out another one. But we are all destined to li...more
An interesting and enjoyable story.
I've always enjoyed Jane Green's books and "Swapping Lives" is no exception. The story was interesting, but not a surprise since the subject of swapping something, homes, mates, work, etc has been around for awhile. The characters in the story were believable, especially Vicky and Amber. I read the book over a two day period, so for me it was a fast read, but an enjoyable read. I won't say it was one of Jane Green best, but it was still ...more
I've always enjoyed Jane Green's books and "Swapping Lives" is no exception. The story was interesting, but not a surprise since the subject of swapping something, homes, mates, work, etc has been around for awhile. The characters in the story were believable, especially Vicky and Amber. I read the book over a two day period, so for me it was a fast read, but an enjoyable read. I won't say it was one of Jane Green best, but it was still ...more
I'm sorry to say I didn't like this book as much as I thought I would.
It feels too long, it took 150 pages for the actual plot to start, since the author wants to make sure we understand the characters and their motives. It has some funny moments, it is just way too long, which had me skipping entire paragraphs and that is not a custom of mine.
Once the action starts, the book becomes a quick read, since the main characters are likable and you want to know what happens, even if it is...more
It feels too long, it took 150 pages for the actual plot to start, since the author wants to make sure we understand the characters and their motives. It has some funny moments, it is just way too long, which had me skipping entire paragraphs and that is not a custom of mine.
Once the action starts, the book becomes a quick read, since the main characters are likable and you want to know what happens, even if it is...more
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Jane Green (born in 1968 in London, England) is an U.S.-based British author. She lives in Connecticut with her husband, four children under the age of 5 - including a set of twins - and dog Palmer. She attended the University of Wales, Aberystwyth from 1987-88, although she left without completing her degree and worked as a journalist throughout her twenties. At the age of 27 she was inspired to ...more
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“Marriage should be about fun,” she says gently. “It’s about friendship, and laughter, and trust, and fun. If it’s not fun, if you take it all too seriously, what’s the point? You know I’ve been with Andy for fifteen years, and the reason it still works is because he’s my best friend and he still makes me laugh. Admittedly, not all the time, and often we get completely bogged down in work, and the kids, and life, but he’s still the person I most want to phone when anything happens in life, and he’s still the person who makes me laugh the most.”
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38 people liked it
“Every time my dreams threaten to become reality, something always happens and I end up alone.”
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Jul 13, 2010 11:00pm