Lucy and Greta swap homes for a year; what could be a fish-out-of-water story becomes a dual POV fishes-out-of-water story.   Greta's husband Otto is taking a position in Dallas, temporarily, and they list their small Berlin apartment for a home swap saying "perfect for someone in need of an escape."  Lucy and her kids fit the bill.   Her husband, Mason, is unreachable and out on assignment from NASA, is he on Mars? Jack has been expelled from high school the day before graduation and his dreams of going to MIT are crumbling.  Lucy's parents live in a small home on their property, and Greta meets them and takes care of the cats.  Otto gets into living in the US more than Greta. 

This was a fun read, easy to examine and fun mis-translations.   Lucy has twin girls who are written almost perfectly, I only wish we had gotten more of the twins.   Her son Jack was treated so unfairly it seemed almost impossible for his life to be ruined so thoroughly over a misunderstanding.  Everything, naturally, works out for the best, and that really is the lesson.   That sometimes we need to move an ocean away to see ourselves clearly.   Although I found Lucy a bit boring, the interweaving storylines kept things interesting.  

This is best read on kindle so that you can translate the German phrases and sentences.  I shelved it as women's book club fiction, it is contemporary and lighthearted.   Easy to read this is very accessible to many readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for the ARC.  Book to be published June 10, 2025.