Trading Places

Duvall (When We Were Perfect) pays homage to the 1983 film of the same name in her cheeky rom-com take on a prince-and-pauper tale. Mechanic Evan Bailey labors tirelessly to make ends meet while devoting his life to his niece, CeCe, whom he has guardianship over. Heiress Lexi North has never lifted a finger to work, frittering away her time and endless inheritance while followed by constant waves of scandal. After a fender-bender, Evan and Bailey’s worlds collide in a screaming match. When CeCe, who is livestreaming their confrontation to millions of viewers, challenges Lexi to swap lives with her uncle for a month (“You live at our house and we live at yours. You have to be a mechanic and he does your job. You live on our money and we live on yours”), Lexi, who “never back[s] down from a challenge,” accepts. All eyes are on Lexi and Evan as they undertake the well-publicized contest. No one believes Lexi will succeed in a blue-collar life, but it proves just as hard for Evan, who may lose his sense of self amid the newfound luxury. As both characters grow and change, they also find themselves drawn back to each other. It’s a cute conceit, and Duvall makes Evan and Lexi easy to root for. Readers will enjoy the ride. (Oct.)