Book Review: Switchcraft

By Sandy Amazeen Sep 18, 2007, 2:01 GMT

Nely gave up her career as a business analyst to become a fulltime mom to her young daughter, Audrey. It was a decision that frequently left her pondering her life as she tried to keep up with a precocious toddler, husband Simon and a meddling mother-in-law from hell. Aggie has her own business, a long line of empty relationships and a yearning for family. She misses her deceased mother, the business is failing and she has just trashed any chance of keeping Kevin, her hunky neighbor’s friendship. Clearly, these two long time friends need a vacation and what could be better then a weekend of pampering at a trendy, New Age spa. A night of drink and meditation causes them to unexpectedly switch bodies, a surprise neither is happy about and worse, the guru that triggered it all won’t attempt to switch them back until the next full moon. For twenty-eight days, Aggie must deal with the unending demands of motherhood, homemaking, daycare and a judgmental mother-in-law while Nelly tries to resurrect Aggie’s failing business, try not to break Kevin’s heart and fight off a stalker. Both will gain a new appreciation for each other as they rekindle their friendship while making some hard choices and discovering what is truly important.

Castillo has turned an old theme into an entertaining piece of chick lit filled with humor, witty banter and a sweet ending. The stalker is something of a loose end as it is unclear exactly why he became fixated on Aggie or what became of him. The thoroughly disagreeable mother-in-law makes such a powerful antagonist that when Simon finally stands up to her, readers will cheer while wondering what took him so long to wake up. A fun, light read for a lazy fall day.