Exchange of Heart

by Katie Bowman

When lightning strikes, these two enemies are about to become closer than they anticipated...

Nora Claremont and Corey Flemmington have hated each other since that first day of Finance class. Deterred by his arrogant attitude, Nora wants nothing to do with Corey. That is until they bump into each other one rainy night, and after a freak lightning strike and an unexpected encounter with an umbrella, they find themselves trapped in each other's bodies.

Opting to move in together while they figure out how to switch back, Nora and Corey begin impersonating each other and are thrust into unfamiliar terrain.

If they can learn to tolerate each other and discover their professional and personal potential, they may find a way to return to their bodies. If not, they risk staying as the other forever...

Genres: Audiobook, Enemies To Lovers

273 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 13, 2026

Reviews

[Chessca (poodles.ponies.peonies)]

‘Exchange of Heart’ is a bookish sweet treat, perfect for a cosy day of reading.

It’s hate at first sight for hard-working Nora and nepo baby Corey, until a bolt of lightning causes a body-swap that has them forced to stumble along in each other’s shoes.

This spicy freaky-Friday was such a fun read. I got the sense that Katie Bowman genuinely enjoyed putting Nora and Corey into the most hilariously awkward situations. The shenanigans are top-tier and I absolutely loved watching the chaos chip away at their assumptions about each other.

If you are looking for your next comfort read, you can’t go wrong with ‘Exchange of Heart’. It’s out in Australia this Tuesday, September 1st. Thanks to HQ for gifting me an early copy. It’s an absolute banger.

[Anna Woods]

Such a fun book. A romantic take on Freaky Friday, I loved seeing the MCs experiencing the opposite gender. A man getting his period, a woman getting kicked in the ... If you enjoy enemies to lovers, and romcoms heavy on the comedy this book will be for you.

[Lucille Regan]

A great debut novel! Was fun and looked forward to finding time to read.

[Kell 5wordsorlessbooks]

This book… how can I even describe it? If Freaky Friday was done in 2026, but instead of a mother and daughter, you had two corporate enemies who absolutely cannot stand each other… THIS would be it.

This book was literally a romcom reader’s dream come true. I binged it in 24 hours, was laughing the entire time, and genuinely just had the BEST time reading it!

There is body-swap chaos, enemies-to-lovers tension, ridiculous situations our duo find themselves in... but also some good old emotional growth! I was completely entertained from beginning to end.

I went into this wanting a fun, lighthearted romcom and this delivered exactly that.

Such a good time and also a nice nostalgia trip for this millennial.

[Lou G]

As soon as I saw what Exchange of Heart was about, i immediately thought of Just My Luck and Freaky Friday.
Then, as soon as I read ‘you woke up with a vagina, what could be weirder than that?’ well. Yes. You got me.

So Exchange of Heart is about Nora and Corey. Enemies since day one in finance class. Corey is the ultimate nepo baby - arrogant, privileged and full of charm - and Nora, wants absolutely nothing to do with him. Struggling in a work environment that favours men, and sees women as beneath them. She can’t handle another rich and spoiled misogynist in her life.
That is until one rainy night, one lightning strike, and one unexpected encounter with an umbrella.
Waking up the next morning, trapped in one another’s bodies. Doing whatever they can, including recreating the infamous ‘run into each other’ scene from Freaky Friday, to try to undo what has been done, but to no avail. So for the time being, they decide its best to move in together whilst they figure it all out. Having to go to each other’s work, impersonating one another, the whole shebang.
Can these enemies learn to tolerate one another, discover more about themselves both professionally and personally... and eventually find a way back into their own bodies?

This is undeniably what every rom com reader would eat up. It is enemies to lovers, forced proximity, learning not to judge a book by its cover, we’ve even got the one bed trope we all know and love at one point. It is full of fun, chemistry and humour – reading how Corey has to deal with women’s monthly troubles was some of the most hilarious scenes i’ve come across in a long while. To be fair, a lot of Coreys scenes were just that, the clothing, the heels, the make-up and the everyday realities of being a woman... I’ll be honest was refreshing to see. And felt very reminiscent of Mel Gibson in What Women Want.

I have to say, beneath all the humour is a lovely reminder not to judge a book by its cover. First impressions aren’t always the right ones. the way the characters grew both individually and together, and as each other, allowing opinions and minds to change was done very well. Watching them help one another whilst literally living each other's lives was one of the strongest parts of the story - the ability to stand up for themselves, when they ordinarily wouldn’t be able to, prove their abilities and confidence in ways they can’t normally - was done really well. They did have that typical enemies to lovers’ chemistry.

This is a light-hearted, uplifting and genuinely funny romcom with a clever twist, and I could absolutely see it on the big screen. If it ever gets picked up, I'll be first in line with my popcorn.
Just be mindful of the next rainstorm you encounter and keep an eye on your umbrella.

Thank you to Novel Tours & Katie Bowman for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Kirsty Wilkyn]

I had so much fun with this book, my fave trope is enemies to lovers but this book takes this premise to another level with a freaky Friday esk body switching twist!

We follow Nora and Corey who met in finance class and do not get along, in fact its easy to say they hate each other but when they have a freaky Friday moment they find they are trapped in each others body.

This hilarious plot twist book is filled with banter, heart warming moments and forced proximity. I loved seeing the romance develop and I was really rooting for the characters.

Got me out of a reading slump, defiantly a book hangover cure book, so fun and not like anything I’ve read before, defiantly one to add to your TBR

[kindleandkettle]

Exchange of Heart is a short freaky-friday style, workplace romance. I loved this book as a palette cleanser between those bigger fantasy reads. Nora and Corey have hated each other since the first day of their finance class and both make some assumptions about each other. When they accidentally switch bodies, they have to impersonate each other until they can figure out how to switch back...which is so difficult when they despise one another and can't work together well.

This story has a lot of bickering back and forth & I was thoroughly entertained throughout. Being a shorter book, it didn't feel like the bickering overwhelmed the rest of the story. These two kept finding themselves in the most awkward of situations...honestly, they must be the most unfortunate people out there. But these awkward situations added some comedy to the story that lightened the mood nicely. It was nice to see both Nora & Corey start to realise their views of the other were not what they expected and form a relationship.

I would definitely recommend this one for your TBR.

Thank you to Romance ANZ and Emblaze Books for gifting me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[lena ☆]

Exchange of Heart leans heavily into enemies/rivals to lovers and I loved that vibe.

I liked their character growth and the way they slowly changed their minds about each other. They also had a lot of chemistry from the beginning, which I enjoyed.

There’s a couple things I wasn’t the biggest fan of. I LOVED Corey from the jump and I think that could be why I just didn’t like Nora for most of it. I couldn’t connect with her because I thought she was childish and immature. That being said, she did redeem herself, but by then it had already annoyed me beyond belief.
The writing style also wasn’t my favorite. I felt like it over explained simple things instead of just showing the reader what the author meant. It’s definitely not a bad book, and I’d recommend it, it just wasn’t my favorite.

If you love that Freaky Friday vibe and enemies/rivals to lovers, I have a feeling this book might be for you!

thank you to Katie Bowman, Bedford Square Publishers, and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Sarah]

I absolutely loved this book!!
Enemies to lovers ✔️
One bed ✔️
Nora can't stand Corey, they attend a finance class together and she thinks he's arrogant, rich and spoiled.
They end up switching bodies in a freak accident and they end up having to impersonate each other - there were so many funny moments!!
They end up living together and trying to work out how to switch back into their own bodies.
The book reminded me of the films Vice Versa and Freaky Friday with the added bonus of romance.
I loved the uplifting, funny writing style of the author. The book flowed well , with nice manageable chapters.
I liked how the book conveyed the message that first impressions can be deceiving, once Nora got to know Cory she found out he was a completely different person than what she believed.
The book had a lovely ending ❤️
I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to those wanting a funny, easy to read romance with a bit of a twist.

[Rebeccah]

I love a good romcom and Exchange of Heart delivers on every level! First off Nora is hilarious, and I found myself bursting out laughing at so many points. Her growth over the novel is just beautiful and without spoiling anything I loved that she never compromised on what she wanted as a woman. Corey reminds me of so many Sydney men I met in the workplace who don't realise how good they've got it but at the same time are looking for something more and have this tender side under all that bravado.

I thought they complemented each other really well and had so much to learn from the other. I loved that they both softened over the course of the novel. I also thought the hot messes of their families were very relatable. I can see Katie Bowman being the next Kathie Lette and can't wait to see what else she delivers in the coming years!

[Claire Howard]

⁶The introduction to this book made me stop and want to read it.  You know from the start that Corey and Nora don't like each other, will ultimately switch bodies and a romance is promised. All that proves true  and comes with nice pacing. It was nicely written, particularly how their lives changed, both in work and out. Corey and Nora both have unique personalities that it was a pleasure to get to know. I would definitely recommend this book. Thankyou @netgalley for the advance reader copy

[Emma]

Thank you NetGallery for the ARC.

I enjoyed this book, good story plot.
Didn't love the characters, but they were likeable enough.
Found confusing at times who was talking and doing what, as being each other's body.
Wasn't fond of the break up towards the end. Thought the book could have been wrapped up before that.
Also didn't quite understand the Ben/Izzy plot. So many questions!

[Emma Sneakybooktok]

My favourite contemporary romance with a dash of magical realism this year so far 😍 How do I even begin to write this?

By chapter 4, I was manically laughing. Full laughing out loud. The banter and rivalry was phenomenal, ecspecially when in each others bodies 😂

Freaky Friday x Aussie .. but add rivalry and competition in the mix. This was FANTASTIC

[Emily (the_bookdragons_den)]

Those who have followed me for a while know that I’m a big fan of the enemies to lovers trope. Katie Bowman’s hilarious novel Exchange of Heart takes this trope, combines it with body swapping (think Freaky Friday vibes), and uses witty banter to create a fun, magical realism read.

☂️ I enjoyed Bowman’s writing style in this book. It was raw and honest, with laugh out loud but also deeply reflective moments. The chemistry between Nora and Corey felt real and I enjoyed the awkwardness of them navigating life in each other’s bodies.

This was a fun and lighthearted read, but underneath there is an over arching message that looks and first impressions can be deceiving. It gently reminds readers not to judge too quickly or harshly.

Thank you to HarperCollins Aus for a copy to review.

[Rachel Rogers]

I absolutely loved this and had such a hard time putting it down!

The premise was original, the plot was really good and well paced. I loved the bickering and banter between the characters and they had really good character growth.

I laughed so much in this and really enjoyed watching them navigate things as the opposite gender.

I had such a great time reading this.

[Nadine]

Exchange of Heart
Katie Bowman

When lighning strikes, these two enemies are about to become closer than they anticipated.

‘I don't know whether to call an ambulance, police, or an asylum.’ The bartender gazed down at us.
'Neither of the above, we know what we're doing,’ Corey slurred.

This is very much an enemies to lovers Freaky Friday coded romcom with banter and depth.
It’s a fun, lighthearted read with the magical realism/ body swap plottine.

‘My stomached hollowed as I realised I had no choice other than to watch my life play out, out of my control.’

The same overarching theme prevails in that you don't know a person until you've walked in their shoes. So it’s a good reminder and to not pass judgement too hastily.

‘You can't let early judgements stop you from second chances.’

Nora Claremont and Corey Flemmington have hated each other since the first day of Finance class. Then one rainy night, there’s a freak lightning strike with an umbrella, and they find themselves trapped in each other's bodies.

‘A full circle of madness. I could feel it in my soul. Our souls. The universe was shaking our hands and congratulating us, handing us our prize.’

[Debbie Exton]

This book is absolutely hilarious! The whole concept is bonkers, but the laugh out loud situations, tender moments and witty banter make it such a compelling read. The writing is clever and the pacing is fast. Perfect if you need a cheerful, romantic pick me up.
Just fantastic.

[Ania]

Holy purple prose! I randomly picked this up at my library and had a peek at the goodreads reviews that were raving. It's insanely hard to read when the author insists on shoving unnecessary metaphors and similes into nearly every paragraph. Could not even get halfway through. Very novice writing.

[Alana]

A quick and easy read. The concept wasn't anything new, in fact it reminded me a lot of the movie Dating the Enemy, especially being set in Sydney. Unfortunately I couldn't find anything special or exciting that made me appreciate the new take on it.

[Naomi]

3.75⭐️!

What a unique romance! As someone who adores Freaky Friday, I loved the premise of this however I did keep getting confused about who was who 😅

[Nicole]

A hilarious debut from Katie! Her voice is snappy and sharp-witted. Cannot wait to see what comes from her next!

[Mel Buscombe]

Love Love Love!!!

If this is Katie’s first novel, I am so excited to see what the future holds!

🙌