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.