A Little Change of Face

by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

A Little Change of Face by Lauren Baratz-Logsted released on Jun 28, 2005 is available now for purchase.

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Romance

336 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2005

About the author

Lauren grew up in Monroe, CT, where her father owned a drugstore at which her mother was the pharmacist. She is a graduate of the University of Connecticut at Storrs, where she majored in psychology. She also has what she calls her “half-Masters” in English from Western Connecticut State University (five courses down, another five to go…someday!).

Throughout college, she worked semester breaks as a doughnut salesperson, a job that she swears gave her white lung disease from all the powdered sugar she breathed.

Upon graduation, she began work at the venerable independent spacebookseller, now sadly defunct as such, Klein’s of Westport. There, she bought and sold for the better part of 11 years.

In November 1994, Lauren left the bookstore to finally take a chance on herself as a writer. Success did not happen over night. Between 1994 and May 2002 – when Red Dress Ink called with an offer to buy THE THIN PINK LINE – Lauren worked as a book reviewer, a freelance editor and writer, and a window washer, making her arguably the only woman in the world who has ever both hosted a book signing party and washed the windows of the late best-selling novelist Robert Ludlum.

Since Red Dress Ink’s call in 2002, Lauren has been kept very busy with writing more novels and checking her Amazon ranking on a daily basis. She still lives in Danbury, with her husband and daughter, where she has lived since 1991.

In addition to writing, Lauren’s daughter keeps her busy, accounting for the rest of her time.

Lauren’s favorite color is green.

Lauren’s favorite non-cat animals are penguins.

Lauren wants you to know that, however you are pronouncing her last name, you are probably pronouncing it wrong.

Reviews

[Heather Balog · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of this book intrigued me, self proclaimed "swan" transforming into "ugly duckling". That being said, the way the author went about setting it up seemed to drag on forever and was kind of boring. And very conceited. I was really tired of Scarlett talking about her great body and "spectacular" breasts somewhere around page 5. And the way she was forced into the change by Pam was very disturbing. Like, helllooooooo, Pam acted like she was Scarlett's agent or something. An actually line in the book when she "goes back" to being beautiful (as if it is that simple): "You didn't discuss it with me." Really??? If I was Scarlett I would have popped her in the mouth right then and there.
It also annoyed me that the book was so simplistic and unrealistic...like someone would just change jobs because her "best friend" wanted her to be frumpier. And Sarah's mother would just let a stranger take her daughter shopping. Um, ok...no. And that they guy who liked her "just the way she was" just happened to be gorgeous and rich. I realize it's light reading but come on, can we have some basis in reality? It seemed more like a YA novel rather than one about a 39 year old woman. I'm 39....Scarlett was more like a high school kid than one of my contemporaries.
A generally interesting story idea but fell a little flat in execution.

[Leah James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yesterday I posted a less-than-stellar review of my initial opinions of this book, then felt terrible for the rest of the day. I know how much work it is to create and release a novel, and I have no doubts that Ms. Baratz-Logsted poured a lot of time, energy and emotion into this story. She deserves better than the wise-cracking criticism of someone with one whole published book under her belt (meaning me). I deleted my original review and am reposting.

My main problem at this point is a heroine with whom I can't relate. Simply put: We have nothing in common. She's quite beautiful by way of nature rather than artifice, and has tons of money, thanks to the benevolence of her deceased father. Oh, and she's younger (than I am).

I can't sympathize with her either. When your biggest problem is attracting male attention too easily...well, you won't catch me worrying about you. That she's a single woman -- no husband/significant other, no children -- doesn't bother her like it does her friends (at least not at this point in the story). So I can't even empathize with her loneliness. She doesn't seem to have any.

I know there's going to be a valuable lesson to this story. I just haven't gotten there yet, so I read on.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

So, get this - the lesson learned in this book is: If you're a successful, good looking librarian in a luxury condo, what you need to to do is cut off your hair, wear unflattering clothes, and switch to an entry level job and downgrade your residence. Then you'll find the perfect man.

hahahahahahahahaha.

Excuse me, have to catch my breath.

hahahahahahahahaha.

Ok, now on to the other reasons I hated this book. The lead, Scarlett, is unsympathetic. And her friend Pam is clearly a "frenemy" from the very beginning of the book. If I'm supposed to believe that Scarlett is a smart, capable woman how can I then believe that she's so, so blind to the truth of her relationship with Pam? Especially given that the novel is told in the first person? Meaning my impressions of Pam are coming only from what Scarlett is telling me.

And we won't even discuss the ridiculous twist at the end regarding the love interest. It allows the character to have her deus ex machina and eat it too.

The only thing I liked about the book was that she got the names of library department heads right: Susan, Cathy, and Linda.

[Elisa Vangelisti · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lauren si rivolge al lettore un po’ come fa Emma Chase nel suo “Non cercarmi mai più”. Un po’. Che significa poco. Sì perché anche lei ci prova, ma con risultati diametralmente opposti. Mentre Emma risulta spiritosa ed elettrizzante, Lauren diventa ripetitiva e stucchevole. Non è altro che il racconto di una belloccia che si becca una malattia esantematica e pensa di rendersi bruttina per capire se è vero che – ahilei povera cocca – tutto le vada bene solo perché madre natura l’ha graziata. Ora, non ci vuole molto a capire che la prima impressione conta eccome. Poi, se sei un guscio vuoto, interessi poco. Oppure puoi andar bene per chi apprezza il guscio e non ha interesse per il contenuto. Non credo ci voglia un romanzo per confutare questo banale dato di fatto. E scritto pure male.

[Ashlee Pribe · Rating 2 out of 5]

The summary of this book sounded really good to me, I have been struggling with my own identity and relate to the main character wanting to know if her popularity simply steamed from her outward appearance. As I read the book, however, I grew to resent that Scarlett was too stupid to see Pam's sabotage to her life. Perhaps the author was trying to make an obvious statement, but it just became annoying after awhile. I finished this book only because I needed it for a book battle.

[Melissa (Always Behind) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Scarlett Stein has accomplished a great deal in life based on her looks. Although she's in her late thirties and still single, most who know her admit that Scarlett is a knockout. Since Scarlett's best friend moved across the country from Connecticut to Seattle, she has made do with Pam, a pleasant looking woman with a serious inferiority complex. When Pam mentions that Scarlett would get nothing in life without her looks, Scarlett begins to believe it might be true. After all, what other attributes does she have?

So Pam launches a plan. Change Scarlett into an ugly, dowdy person and see what happens. To complete the package: a name change--she's now Lettie Shaw--a job change, a new home, and completely frumpy clothes. Will this crazy scheme work? Is Scarlett's entire identity based on her looks, or is she attractive on the inside, too?

A Little Change of Face is based on an interesting premise completely backward from the "ugly duckling turns into a swan" mentality of today's world. Scarlett experiences the exact opposite. This could be a fun experiment, except that Scarlett never fully commits to the idea; she allows herself to be coerced by insecure Pam. Poor baby. There are many times all of us feel insecure, but we don't make our better-looking friends change because of it! Each instance Scarlett thinks she doesn't want to make the changes, Pam terrorizes her into doing it. Wimpy Scarlett, evil Pam, not a winning combination for an enjoyable read.

The romantic relationships between Scarlett and two completely different men are what keep A Little Change of Face readable. The reader will want to know who Scarlett eventually chooses--the man who is after her looks, or the one who loves her for her personality. While you may think the solution is obvious, it actually is not. If you're looking for some absolute fluff, then A Little Change of Face is exactly the ticket. Baratz-Logsted has written some entertaining previous books which would make much better reading choices for the chick lit lover.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first half of this book was so painful I wanted to smack someone. And not just because the last job I held before I became a mom and writer was as a librarian. And before that, I worked twelve years in law. And before that I put myself through college by working as a model among other jobs. I should have related to the main character, but I didn't, and I really wanted to smack her.

People don't become librarians because they are not clever enough to do anything else. Or because they are afraid of more 'cerebral' pursuits. Or because the 'pay is good' -- honestly, it's not that good. Those who do it and love it, do it because they love books and literature. And because they love to get other people excited about books and literature.

The second half of the book was only slightly less painful because at least the main character acknowledged she was kind of a moron.

[Sherri Bryant]

Didn't really care for this one. I thought Scarlett spent way too much time trying to justify her looks and REALLY if your so-called best friend resents you because you are more attractive than she is, then SHE ISN'T YOUR FRIEND!!!!

Since when is getting a man a competition? It shouldn't be, but sure feels that way with Pam. This woman came across as very bitter and I can see why she isn't in a relationship.

For me, the story just seemed to drag and Scarlett spent way too much time rambling. I found myself thinking more than once, "just get on with it already!"

I personally would have enjoyed this better if Scarlett just told Pam to piss off and live her life by her own rules and to hell what anyone else thinks...

[Jenni · Rating 2 out of 5]

I always finish books... wait, I still haven't finished Frankenstein, however, I will attempt it again. I almost put this book down one, two, three... countless times. However, I wanted to see if it "got better." Well, it didn't. Yes, I want to spend my spare time reading about how beautiful, thin, sexy and amazing one person is. Wow, Stella has never had to worry that I guy won't call her back. Come on! She also has a nice inheritance, so a librarian can up and move, take an entry-level job and copiously spend money? Her mom decorated the inside of the house with the covers of TV guide covers? Too much.

[Heidi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like Chick Lit. I never expect to read the best novel of our time, but I do expect to be entertained. This book sadly lacked any entertainment value. The story was alright and the end had a peachy lesson of the day, but getting to it was like getting out of quicksand. I struggled to get through it and gave up a number of times. The characters weren't really interesting or well developed, especially considering how Scarlett is supposed to learn so much about herself.

If I could have just read the epilogue I think I would be satisfied. So skip the book, read the lesson, and move on.

[Connie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Scarlett is a pretty woman with a nice figure and a good job and approaching her 40th birthday. She's never been married and seems content with that. It's her "friend," Pam, who tells her she needs to change her looks to make herself appear dowdy and see if men are drawn to her for her looks or for herself. She agrees and after a lot of hoopla, this "test" is shown to be what one would think: wrong. Hope I'm not giving too much away on this book, but while there were some funny places, the whole book was a bit boring.

[Duckpondwithoutducks · Rating 2 out of 5]

This chicklit novel tells the story of Scarlett Jane Stein. It is the reverse of the ugly duckling becomes a swan story. Scarlett decides to look the worst she possibly can, wanting to see if people treat her any differently. But, the book started off pretty slowly - the transformation doesn't start until a third of the way through the book. It was okay, but it wasn't particularly funny, and some of the character's actions bothered me - they didn't seem quite consistent. And it's quite explicit in its' love scenes and language. I personally prefer "less is more."

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not one of my favorite Red Dress Ink books. I liked the story, though it seemed to drag at times. I just couldn't get past the fact that Scarlett/Lettie didn't have much of a backbone until the very end. More than that, I couldn't read any pages where Pam was speaking without wanting to hurl the book across the room. With evil "friends" like that, who needs enemies?!

[Kaethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful. Hits the spot the way a big ol' spoonful of cookie dough does. Yum. Sweet, cute, sexy, but also some serious reflections on the lives of modern women and girls. And surprisingly, the real love story of a woman and her Best Girlfriend, much more than the story of a woman and a man. Fun, bright, charming, witty, and deeply nice in a totally-not-sarcastic-or-snide way.

[Danielle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I like this author a lot, but this book was horrible. Maybe I was just offended that they'd turn the libarian into someone dowdy and passive. Don't bother reading this unless you're stuck on a life raft and have stopped counting sharks.

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of the first books I've read that reversed the makeover process. A beautiful woman makes herself less attractive to determine the role that beauty plays in her relationships. The ending was just way too convenient, though.

[Heather · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't finish this book. I couldn't get into the book, the writing was sloppy and I didn't appreciate the language. Don't get me wrong, I can look past a few swear words, but constantly reading the "F" word really turns me off to a book. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. I was very frustrated that the main character didn't notice that her best friend was out to destroy her. What kind of friend is that? Do you think so poorly of yourself that you don't think you need friends who support you? Change was not the issue in this novel, but the way change came about.

[Katie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow...I usually love Red Dress Ink Novels, but this character goes against the classic heroine of Red Dress and hides the fact that she is intelligent and beautiful to find the perfect man. Please...

[Charity · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. Beautiful woman gives herself a makeunder to prove she is more than just a pretty face. Very cute.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a little change of pace from the normal chick lit book I enjoyed but still found it fun to read and hard to put down.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly entertaining chick-lit book...no literary masterpiece, but a fun read

[Bree · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, although it didn't have much depth to it. It was an easy read and entertaining at the time, so 3 stars it is!

[Melissa Imhoff · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought it was a little boring.

[B-original · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it was funny, sweet, and honest

[Maria · Rating 1 out of 5]

A very superficial and pointless book. I didn't even finish it.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an easy read and fun.

[Dawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Got it, she's pretty and has big boobs. Oh, and bad taste in friends. Poor little rich girl. Blah. 2 stars is generous.

[Shanon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Kind of insulting. And frustrating: how could she not see that Pam was a horrible person?

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting concept for a story but poorly executed.