A Little Change Of Face

By Lauren Baratz-Logsted

From swan to ugly duckling?

I need to change my life.On the surface, it doesn't look too bad.Great body, check. Prettty face, check. Job, check.Chicken pox. Check.

Stuck in her suburban condo in self–imposed exile until she's contagion–free, Scarlett Jane Stein keeps coming back to a passing comment made by her friend Pam: how everything (read: men) comes to Scarlett just because she's attractive.

Is it true? All her life she's thought that she was fun to be around, that people liked her. Was it only because she was pretty (say it–because she's got incredible breasts)? Or is Pam, tired of playing second fiddle, now playing her? All Scarlett knows is that she's never found the man she believes is out there, her One True Love.

Maybe Scarlett needs to change things. So it's goodbye Scarlett and hello, dowdier, schlumpier Lettie Shaw. And with her new look, new name, new home and new job, is there a chance that Lettie–nee–Scarlett will find someone who loves her for who she is inside? Or has Scarlett's little change of face turned into the biggest mistake of her life?

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia
• Release date: Aug 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9780857998699

Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Lauren Baratz-Logsted has written books for all ages. Her books for children and young adults include the Sisters Eight series, The Education of Bet and Crazy Beautiful. She lives with her family in Danbury, Connecticut.

Reviews for A Little Change Of Face

[risadabomb_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Synopsis: Scarlett Jane Stein has always turned men's heads. With her long, black hair and perfect breasts, she draws attention wherever she goes. But an adult case of the chicken pox and the words of her envious friend Pam make Scarlett start to wonder if her looks, not her personality, are the only reason men like her. So Scarlett opts for a "makeunder," cutting off her long hair and dressing in dowdy clothing. Determined to truly reinvent herself, Scarlett quits her job at the Danbury Library, changes her name to Lettie Shaw, and gets herself hired at the smaller Bethel Library. She sets her sights on Saul, a handsome investment adviser she meets in a bar who, sure enough, just wants to be friends, that is, until Scarlett defrumps at a Halloween party. But one of the library's patrons--Steve Holt, a window painter--seems to be taking to Lettie just as she is.My review: This book is pure fluff. I could not get past the first 5 chapters.

[magst_2 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I thought the story sounded unique so I picked it up. The newness wore off around the 5th chapter, and I started skimming around the 7th chapter. The story had so much promise but it ended up falling flat. The characters were shallow, selfish, and acted like they were in high school. Try as I might I just couldn't put forth the effort to finish this book cover to cover. One main reason is I dislike reading a book about women (most of which were going on 40 years old) acting like a bunch of immature 10th graders. That was the biggest turn off for me.