I so enjoyed Charlotte Butterfield’s The Second Chance (reviewed here) that I was thrilled when her latest novel The Sister Switch turned up in surprise book mail. My huge thanks to Becky Hunter for sending it to me.
It was my pleasure to record a podcast with Charlotte that you can listen to here and I was even more delighted when I found Linda’s Book Bag mentioned in Charlotte’s acknowledgements at the end of The Sister Switch.
The Sister Switch is published by Avon on 8th May 2925 and is available for purchase through the publisher links here.
The Sister Switch
Two sisters. One Bet.
And a lifetime of secrets uncovered…
Morning TV’s favourite twin sisters, Alice and Edie, may share the screen, but that’s where their similarities end. Their viewpoints are far from identical, and whilst their on-air clashes keep viewers hooked, off-camera, their relationship is far from picture-perfect.
After a heated argument on live television threatens their jobs, the fiery duo make a bet: neither could last a week in the other’s shoes. Determined to prove each other wrong, they secretly swap lives ― without telling a soul.
What starts as a battle of wills quickly spirals into chaos, as each sister discovers that the other’s life is far more complicated than it seems. Between dodging awkward work situations, marital issues, and meddling in each other’s families, Alice and Edie’s rivalry turns from a competitive bet into an opportunity to help change each other’s lives for the better.
But will their relationship survive?
My Review of The Sister Switch
Twins Alice and Edie couldn’t be more different…
What a fabulous summer read! I so enjoyed The Sister Switch because it can be read on multiple levels, is hugely entertaining and is a complete diversion from the cares of life.
Firstly there is the funny, fast-paced plot that twists and turns along, as identical twins Alice and Edie swap homes, lives and families in an attempt to win a bet. There are so many moments when I laughed aloud because the story is incredibly funny with many a potentially awkward moment.
More engaging, however, is what the two sisters learn not just about one another’s lives, but about themselves during the swap. The Sister Swap illustrates to perfection the adage ‘never judge another until you’ve walked in their shoes’ – literally in this case! Alicia and Edie are polar opposites, but the more they live each other’s lives, the more they understand and appreciate why their twin behaves as she does and how much more they actually have in common.
I found my initial preference for the more freely behaving Edie changed the more I read about Alice. Both women have flaws and foibles, and it was both fascinating and ironic that the more bohemian Edie was actually more selfish than the rigid, self-righteous Alice. I confess it was somewhat disturbing to discover so many of their less appealing traits feature in my own personality! They are incredibly relatable characters.
I’m not usually a big fan of children in stories, but here the characterisation was magnificent, adeptly illustrating the role of nurture in development. Whilst I loathed Alice’s husband with a passion, by the end of the book I did have some sympathy for him too. However, it was Seb who held my heart so completely, because, despite being the most accommodating and supportive character, he is the one who probably suffers the most as a result of the swap. And I think that is the true strength of Charlotte Butterfield’s writing. Whilst the reader is being engaged by a funny romp of a story, they are also being subtly educated about real people too. Indeed, Through wit and entertainment, Charlotte Butterfield examines the nature of human understanding, of empathy and of the impact of behaviour on others, so that the reader learns from The Sister Switch every bit as much as the characters.
I thought The Sister Switch was fabulous. It made me grateful for my own life. It made me think about others with greater empathy and it entertained me completely. It’s a super read.
About Charlotte Butterfield
A former magazine editor, Charlotte Butterfield was born in Bristol, England and studied English Literature at the University of London, and a Masters in Gender and Women’s Studies at Birmingham. She moved to Dubai by herself on a one-way ticket with one suitcase in 2005 and left for Rome twelve years later with a husband, three children and a 40ft shipping container. After four years in Italy working as a freelance journalist, living the dolce vita and eating tiramisu with every meal, she now lives in the Cotswolds teaching and writing.
Her first novel won a Montegrappa award at the 2016 Emirates Festival of Literature, and she went on to publish three romantic comedies before pivoting to high-concept women’s fiction with heart. Her second novel in this space, The Family Fix (previously You Get That From Me) was The Times Book of the Month upon publication, and later one of The Times Popular Fiction Books of the Year in 2023. She currently publishes with Avon at Harper Collins UK. Her latest novel, The Second Chance, has been optioned for film by a major Hollywood studio, and her next book, The Sister Switch (aka grown-up Parent Trap) is forthcoming in May 2025.
English (US) · 