Synopses & Reviews
"[A] lively, warm-hearted look at changing courses mid-life."
--People
Just when she's finally figured out how to manage on her own, Jill Murray's ex-husband, Seth, is back--crashing into the man-free existence Jill and her ten-year-old daughter, Anastasia, have built so carefully. Jill's life just hasn't turned out quite the way she'd planned. By now, she'd hoped to be jetting around the world as a high-end cultural coach. Instead, she's answering phones for a local travel agency and teaching cooking classes at the community center. Enter free-spirited entrepreneur Billy who hires Jill as a consultant for an upcoming business trip. Suddenly, her no-boys-allowed life is anything but.
They say that every seven years you become a completely new person, but Jill isn't sure she's ready to make the leap. It takes a Costa Rican getaway to help her make a choice--not so much between the two men in her life, but between the woman she is and the woman she wants to be.
Review
"Roll out your beach blanket for this sweet summer read about making mistakes and moving on. Struggling and sassy single mom Jill -- left to raise three-year-old Anastasia when husband Seth runs away to join the Peace Corps -- is just about over the devastating loss when Seth reappears seven years later ready to pick up where they left off. Jill wrestles with her still-raw anger and her precocious daughter's heart-breaking need for her daddy back in her life. "Honey, if you don't forgive him, it'll eat you alive," counsels Jill's boss and best friend, Joni. For his part, "It wasn't the life we planned," Seth explains. But Anastasia helps him remember it's the life he needs while Jill discovers letting go teaches you how to hold onto new possibilities. Cook (Must Love Dogs) creates an impossible-not-to-love cast of imperfect, funny, wistful, and wise characters."--Publishers Weekly
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"The perfect mix of genuine experience with light-hearted humor."--Chickagoan.com
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"Claire Cook's well-traveled protagonist is smart, truly hilarious, and entirely sympathetic. Like a hot bubble bath or a holiday at the beach, you won't want it to end."--Cecily Von Ziegesar, New York Times bestselling author of Gossip Girl and Cum Laude
Review
"With wit and tenderness, Claire Cook sweeps us into the life of Jill Murray, a feisty single mom trying to stitch together a future after being abandoned by her husband. This is a delightful story of love, loss, and the surprising events that healed her heart. I cheered for Jill the entire way."--Beth Hoffman, author of Saving CeeCee Honeycutt
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"A beach tote couldn't ask for more."--Kirkus Reviews
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"Seven years ago, Claire Cook told us we 'Must Love Dogs.' But must we also love ex-husbands? ...Claire Cook takes a closer look at a complex situation."--New York Post
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"Another endearing story of moving on and starting over . Cook tells this involving story of forgiveness and acceptance with heart, charm, and characters you can't help but root for."--Booklist
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"Bestseller Cook charms again with this lively warm-hearted look at changing courses mid-life."--People Magazine
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"Seven Year Switch is destined to be one of the hottest and most inspiring summer reads."--Bookfinds.com
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"Here's an honest-to-goodness frothy romance."--Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
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"Smart, funny and full of heart--it's the perfect summer read!"--Allie Larkin, author of Stay
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"This is pop fiction with the fizz of female empowerment."--On a Clear Day I Can Read Forever
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"If you have a penchant for woman's literature in favor of real women with brains, substance, and sense of humor well intact, functioning in the real world with all its prickly realities, Seven Year Switch is thoroughly satisfying."--The North County Times
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"A lot of fun to read? Definitely!"--Redbook
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"A perfect beach read. Claire Cook once again demonstrates that she's a master in creating funny, warm, relatable characters you root for from the very first page."--Allison Winn Scotch, New York Times bestselling author of The One That I Want and Time of My Life
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"[A] beach chair worthy read."--New York Times
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"[A] hot summer beach book."--USA Today
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"Cook clearly owns the beach scene."--The Patriot Ledger
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"As sure as the summer breezes will descend upon the shores, Claire Cook delivers yet another charming and delightful story that will capture her readers' hearts. Funny, engaging, and downright delectable, SEVEN YEAR SWITCH is this summer's must-read."--Jennifer Vido, Fresh Fiction
About the Author
Claire Cook is the best-selling author of the novels The Wildwater Walking Club, Summer Blowout, Life's a Beach, Must Love Dogs, Ready to Fall, and Multiple Choice. Formerly a teacher of physical fitness and creative writing, she has also had stints as a copywriter, radio continuity director, garden designer, dance and aerobics choreographer. She lives in Scituate, Massachusetts, often called the Irish Riviera, with her family.