**Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.**

DNF at 25%

Rebecca Riley has been Vanessa Whitely's personal assistant for the past 3 years and is tired of being a pushover. When Vanessa gives Rebecca the task of overseeing the renovation of her vacation home, Rebecca jumps at the chance to prove herself to her boss. Rebecca arrives at the house only to be mistaken for Vanessa by the construction workers, and seizes this opportunity to work on being more assertive.

While the cover and premise of the book interested me, I couldn't continue reading no matter how hard I tried. Rebecca is supposed to be relatable and probably a little pitiful at the start of the book, but the narration goes a little too far and makes her extremely frustrating to me. I think it's also safe to assume that her love interest is Oliver, and while I definitely enjoy a good enemies-to-lovers trope, they're introduced when Rebecca tries to sneak a picture of Oliver's butt to send to her friend, and that's a hard pass for me.

While overseeing renovations on her boss’ vacation home, Rebecca Riley is mistaken for her boss, Vanessa. She goes along with it, feeling she has good reason to do so. After all, her boss could never find out, could she? What’s the harm?
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I’ve been trying to branch out this year and read more rom-com type books and they’ve been fun. This was definitely one of them! Rebecca is the pushover type who avoids confrontation but she gets frustrated with herself because of it. She wants to be more assertive. And boy can I relate to that! So imagine the temptation to go along with it when the builders mistake her for her assertive, demanding boss. She needs to channel Vanessa to finish the job she believes her career is hanging on. Ah! Sounds like a nightmare!
This book also had some funny situations and her inner dialogue cracked me up! And of course there’s the “rom” in rom-com. She finds herself unexpectedly attracted to one of the builders and the story follows their blossoming relationship. If you remember the main premise of the story, you can see the problems that lie ahead.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Easy read with a good flow that I finished in less than 24 hours. It’s furthered my
new-found appreciation for this genre. Definitely recommend!

This is about Rebecca who works as PA for Vanessa at an events planning business that Vanessa owns. While Rebecca herself has a degree in events planning she was hired on as a PA with the intention of it being a stepping stone to get her own career going as an event planner. Rebecca, being more timid and afraid to speak up for herself, has since stayed in same position for several years. Hoping to change the tide for herself she puts together ideas for a festival with the intention of presenting them to her boss and ends up getting roped into acting as a project manager to finish the remodel of Vanessa’s country house. When Rebecca arrives at the property the builder mistakenly assumes she is Vanessa and Rebecca fails to correct him especially after realizing the property is behind schedule and if she acts as Vanessa instead of Rebecca she is more likely to get things back on track. Of course Rebecca meets a guy and she is caught up in her own struggle of telling the truth of who she really is.

I thought this book was fun and lighthearted. It was a quick read and honestly I pictured it as your quintessential Hallmark type movie. You know how it’s all going to go down very early on in the story but it’s still fun getting there!

Jennifer Joyce's 'Accidental Life Swap' is an entertaining lighthearted romance which I would recommend to friends to read. I really enjoyed this book, found it very very funny and witty. Definitely one to read when you just want a light read and nothing that you have to focus too heavily on the storyline. It kept me interested till the end as I wanted to find out what would happen to Rebecca the main character. Although I was frustrated through the book on all the dumb decisions Rebecca would make, I still liked her character. This book was a real feel-good book and I would recommend people go grab a copy for her summer hols.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

I did not finish this book. The characters did not grab my attention and I found the main character a little frustrating. Also, in the first chapter, the description of her roommate was pretty dreadful and did not endear her to me. Not someone I could identify with or want to know more about.

This was such a fun read! I'm a sucker for small town settings and watching Rebecca start off very "Vanessa" and slowly merge that into the new version of her was heartwarming. I didn't realize how invested I'd become in the story (and the budding romance) until I felt myself tensing up when I saw the big reveal coming, ahhh! Happy with how it all worked out though! Did not see the shift in Vanessa coming, that was a surprise! Do I smell a sequel?

Quite a light read but I enjoyed it and will look for more y the author. Comedic and considered in parts! Thank you, highly recommended.

I’m read this book whilst on holiday in Spain and it’s based in the town where I live ( how bizarre) this book was well written, quick to read and had a simple, lighthearted story to it. Great characters and a love story ending in a very happy ending for everyone. Would read this author again.

By Jennifer Joyce


I spotted this title on NetGalley and the title just jumped out at me. I had to read it! And I'm so glad I did. It was brilliant.
Rebecca Riley PA is a timid sort. Says what she means in her mind but in reality she is a yes woman. Anything to keep people happy, even to the detriment of herself. But when her boss throws Rebecca into an unusual position as her own personal house renovator Rebecca's life is turned upside down. First day on the job the builders make the mistakes that Rebecca is Vanessa, her uptight and mean boss, and because Rebecca earns respect by just pretending to be Vanessa she keeps the charade going. During her month in Little Heaton Rebecca mets many of the villagers and has a affinity for one of them in particular but as she gets deeper into the lie of being Vanessa, Rebecca wonders how she can get out of the web she has tangled looking at least half good. When Vanessa threatens to come and visit Rebecca has to find a way to keep her secret safe if she is to have any hope of finish the house renovations in time for Vanessa's big party.
Brilliantly written, Joyce keeps the novel lightheaded and humorous throughout. I couldn't put the book down and loved al the twists and turns. The characters were well thought of and described. I had a real sense of who these people were and I loved them. It would be great to see a book more about Stacey and the animal sanctuary and her relationship with Dominic too. I feel a bit invested in them now.
The relationship between Oliver and Rebecca is so brilliantly carved. Joyce spins a different kind of friendship between them based on their similar competitive natures.
All the animals names came from a Facebook competition which meant they were fresh and funny. I like the idea so much I may do the same for the animals in my third novel.
Definitely one to have on the bookshelf, a warm feel good read so wonderful the pages turned themselves.
Give it a try Booklovers.

Thanks to HQ Digital for this advanced copy in return for an honest review.

This book was strangely tidy. I was expecting something a little messier and gut wrenching when it comes to a life swap story. This is definitely light and fluffy, which is fine, I just thought it would be grittier. I might have preferred a story about Stacey and if one is ever written, I would be happy to read it.

I've read a few books by Jennifer Joyce, so I was pleased to receive an early preview copy of this book from Netgalley and the Publisher in return for an honest review.
The story is fairly predictable in places, and I felt that there could have been more of a development with the characters, and also the sanctuary.
The book is fun and a light and uncomplicated read. It is enjoyable and easygoing, perfect for times when you need to relax with a book.

3 stars
A light read which uses the mistaken identity and then has the person fall in love with another. What to do and think... is the love real or does the other person only want the person she is pretending to be.

I thought this was a fun read, the perfect book to pickup at the weekend and finish by Sunday night. Have never read Jennifer Joyce before, but will look out for her again!

This book was a cute, light, fun read. It was entertaining as it followed Rebecca as she assumed the identity of her boss Vanessa during a house renovation.

I enjoyed reading about her life in the country. I want to go visit that village and animal sanctuary (I want it to be real!) I loved Oliver and Stacey, and how the whole community came together to put on the festival in such short notice. I couldn't stand Emma from the start, though! I liked how it was centered around Rebecca's life as a whole and didn't heavily concentrate on the romantic aspect of the story.

Overall it was a bit predictable, and nothing earth shattering, but a perfect light read. It is written very "English" so if you aren't familiar with the different words they use then it might throw you off, but it didn't bother me.

Jennifer Joyce’s 'The Accidental Life Swap' is an entertaining romantic comedy about mistaken identities and miscommunication. Rebecca Riley has been stuck in a dead-end job for much too long. As Vanessa Whitely’s PA, Rebecca is more peon than peer. So when she’s mistakenly identified as her boss by the men refurbishing Vanessa’s country house, Rebecca decides to lean into her new identity. That is, until she starts falling for Oliver.

This is a light read, but does take a little bit of time to get into. It’s perfect for those who are prefer more comedy than romance, and who don’t mind a slow burn with a chaste pay off. The setting and characters are engaging, and it’s enjoyable to read about Rebecca coming into her own.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

The Accidental Life Swap by Jennifer Joyce is the story of Rebecca Riley, personal assistant to Vanessa. Her life takes a wild turn when she is sent to oversee the renovations of Vanessa’s new country home. When she is mistaken for her boss, she goes along with it, not realizing the chaos that this case of mistaken identity could cause.

I got through this book, but I can’t say it was all that enjoyable. The characters all felt one-dimensional and stereotypes. The ending was basically the fastest way to wrap up the story without grappling with any of the issues. Rebecca is supposed to be the underdog, but honestly seemed like a bad person. I didn’t feel bad for her, especially since most of her issues were of her own making. I’d give this book a pass.

ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest and thoughtful review.

Sometimes there is nothing better than to sit down and read a lighthearted romance. The Accidental Life Swap is one of those reads.

Rebecca has a degree in event management, but currently she's only the personal assistant to the lady who owns the event management company she works for. Vanessa (the boss) is a jerk and she treats everyone like they're beneath her. She can't even get Rebecca's name right.

Rebecca has been waiting for a promotion to actually start using her degree, but when Vanessa pulls her into the office, it isn't to discuss a promotion, it's to tell Rebecca that she'll be shipping her off to her other home to oversee the renovations being done to it.

When Rebecca arrives to the town and meets the builders, they mis-hear her and think she's Vanessa. And Rebecca decides not to correct them.

The whole time I read this book I kept waiting for the moment that everyone in town would find out Rebecca isn't her boss. Because you know it's coming, it's just a matter of when it's going to happen.

I did like watching Rebecca grow in her confidence and find herself throughout this experience in the story. She went from a doormat to feeling confident enough to speak her mind and stand up for herself.

I liked the cast of characters in this book, but I can't really say I can pick a favorite. Everyone is likable enough, and I thought it made for a good, albeit predictable story.

And honestly, the predictability of this story is why I didn't rate it higher than a 3. It's a cute story and it's an easy to read book. I definitely think it's a fun read and I'd recommend it to friends who like romances. But there aren't any major plot points or anything that I couldn't predict.

This reminded me of watching a good Hallmark movie. You know it's predictable but it's so cute and you can't stop yourself from watching. And that's why I liked this read. Even though I knew what was going to happen, I still enjoyed it.

I mean, it's certainly not great literature, but The Accidental Life Swap is great if you are looking for a mindless, simple read. Rebecca's (slight spoiler alert) pulling things together in the end isn't quite enough to make over for her spineless behavior in the first 75% of the book. However, I loved the board game aspect of the story (that is honestly something I have never seen in a rom-com novel before), and enjoyed reading about Stacey and her animal sanctuary.

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

This was a quick and easy read. I had mixed feelings about Rebecca who at times was too much of a pushover. I struggled to understand why she wanted to be like Vanessa who just came of as a rude bully who steamrolled people into doing what she wanted. I was glad when Rebecca finally stood up for herself and stopped trying to impress her boss. The romance between Rebecca and Oliver was cute as was the bonding over board games. There were some good side characters as well like Stacey and a few cliche ones as well . Overall worth a read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. The Accidental Life Swap was a really fun summer read. This book was light but the characters were well built and had depth. The characters were likable and this was a quick read for me. I would give this 3.5 stars because certain things were too far fetched. This was my first introduction to Jennifer Joyce and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.