Whoa. Wow. WTF. Oh, you know...just some words flying out of my mouth while reading The Swap by Robyn Harding. This book is damn good, you guys! It gave me the sweats, chills, creepy-crawlies, and heebie-jeebies. All of the uncomfortable feelings. And I liked it. Obsession, desire, stalking, scandal, lies, betrayal, characters behaving badly, and toxic relationships. This book has all of the perfect ingredients for a gripping thriller. I basically inhaled this novel in just a couple of days. With short chapters, multiple perspectives, and an addictive storyline, it was very easy to do. Harding’s latest has officially made my list of favorite psychological thrillers. I’ll be reading her backlist immediately and everything she writes in the future. If you enjoyed The Wife Between Us and/or The Last Mrs. Parrish, this is the next book for you. Go in blind, skip reading the synopsis, and enjoy the ride. It’s always the best way when it comes to thrillers. You MUST pick up a copy on release day - June 23rd! 5/5 stars for The Swap!!!

What a thrill this story was. You are on a constant rollercoaster between the characters jockeying for approval of Frey’s, a talented, twisted, outwardly beautiful woman. She manipulates, controls and discards people’s feelings and emotions all in the name of self preservation. Brought to the island as a means to escape horrible press over a hockey death,and ultimate injury trial. Max and Frey’s once a golden couple are hoping to start again, she a rather powerful influencer and he a pro athlete had settled in and to the eyes of Swallow the perfect life. Restless Freya takes on Swallow or Low as she wishes to be called as a pottery student. It is clear Low is grappling with her life,looking for direction,ripe to influence. Freya usesLow’s insecurities to establish Low’s need for acceptance. Coming from a polyamourous family her sexual identity is still ambiguous a fact that Freya exploits. Enter Jamie a woman struggling with infertility and hoping the change will give her a bit of peace and her husband a place to finish his book. Freya works Jamie into believing they are close and fast friends, as she had with Low, often choosing one over the other always with each other’s knowledge. But Low is still technically a child and it is a night when the adults get together and indulge in mushrooms that the pace of the novel is kicked into high gear. High on shrooms provided by Low at Freya’s request that marriage partners are exchanged, Brian and Max believing that this is what each wife wants. The resulting pregnancy of Freya sets a climax in motion that I cannot spoil but is so worth your money! Happy reading

Darker that previous books, The Swap takes on a life of its own as the story progresses. I couldn't put it down as I kept hoping for a chapter from Freya herself - explaining who she was, why she was, why she acted the way she did. And while I was disappointed on that aspect, I was still impressed with an original plot filled with darkness. Chilling summer beach read!

"Evilicious — Something EVIL that is so COMPELLING it CONSUMES you!"

Just when you thought Robyn Harding could not possibly top her previous books: The Arrangement, Her Pretty Face, and The Party (all five stars)— she returns with her BEST yet!

Chilling, dark, intense, and oh, so evil!

The author is a mastermind when it comes to creating evil characters hiding behind a facade of glamour. THE SWAP is a smart, wickedly plotted psychological thriller packed with dark juicy surprises. Who will win in the end?

Atmospheric and hypnotic, set on an isolated island in the Pacific Northwest, we meet a cast of intriguing characters. Settle in because once you start reading, it will be hours and hours later before you look up. THE SWAP is captivating, and it will consume you, the well-developed characters, the skillful writing, and the dark humor.

#TheSwap Meet Low Morrison (Swallow). (laugh out loud scenes about the name). She does not seem to fit in. She is living with a family of hippie parents in a commune who partake in free love, sex, and pot. All the kids at school think she is weird, and she wants to belong. She is embarrassed.

When shes this glamorous ethereal goddess walk in her school, she must learn everything about this fabulous creature. Freya lives in a beautiful cliffside ocean mansion and married to a former famous hockey star (also a hunk-Max), and a fall from grace after a tragedy.

Freya was once a famous social media influencer; however, after her hubby's downfall, the couple has moved to this isolated island for a new start, and Freya has a pottery studio.

Low signs up for her pottery class and is mesmerized by Freya, and becomes obsessed and cast under her spell. Dying to escape her dreary home life, she spends all of her time at Freya's pottery studio. She stalks, and all she thinks about is Freya.

However, when another couple moves into town with their secret past (Jamie and Bryan), Low is jealous and cannot tolerate anyone coming in the way of her relationship with Freya.

Jamie is the owner of a local shop that sells Freya's pottery, so Low decides to take a part-time to keep an eye on the newfound BFFs. Jamie soon becomes obsessed with Freya as well.

Both Low and Jamie seem to be under Freya's spell. They will do anything almost as a drug to be around his creature.

However, under the beauty lies evil, darkness, violence, and a sociopath. She manipulates and plays people. She is toxic, mysterious, selfish, and self-centered.

However, Low also has a dark side, and how far will she be pushed before she cracks? She is jealous, envious, and insecure. She also has a few tricks up her sleeve and maybe just as disturbed as Freya. She knows her crush is cruel and manipulative, but this makes her love her more.

Things take a turn when Freya and Max have Jamie and Brian over for a fun night of mushrooms. Freya manipulates, and there is a SWAP. Jamie desperately wants a baby and has been scammed in the past. Freya never wants to become a mother, because she's a narcissist and too self-centered.

There are secrets, lies, betrayal. Low is determined to get leverage to come out on top. She needs to be a top priority in Freya's life. She stalks, plans, schemes. Freya dismisses her. Nothing will stop her and even comes up with a brilliant plan to get back into her good graces.

Low uses her killer photographer skills to get back into Freya's good graces. They will become a team and back into the Instagram social media influencers. However, things do not go as planned.

An addictive and delicious evil game of cat and mouse. Freya, Max, Low, Jamie, and Brian. Who is the cat, and who is the mouse?

OMG! Holy Moly, what an addictive thriller! Out of this world entertaining. A perfect distraction and escape from reality with all the things we are experiencing today in our everyday lives.

THE SWAP is complex and multi-layered. The pottery was a nice touch. It is so much more than I could ever dream. Not only was it intense, heart-pounding, and riveting, it is brimming with superb writing, dynamite, and evil characters, and the dark humor was brilliant.

Max was a very dark and mysterious character and reminded me a bit of "Ranger" in the Janet Evanovich Stephanie Plum series. Freya was one evil badass sociopath. Jamie's naive character was a perfect opposite for Freya and Brian, the author who gets caught up in the game. Low was one of my favorite characters. I thought the scenes with her and the drug store photo guy, Thompson were hilarious!

If you are looking for a smashing psychological thriller that has it all, look no further. THE SWAP — five glowing stars and Top Books of 2020. A movie 🎬 or series, PLEASE!

For fans of authors: Kaira Rouda, Mary Kubica, Kimberly Belle, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Wendy Walker, Michele Campbell, and Victoria Helen Stone. Highly Recommend!

#JDCMustReadBooks

A special thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy.

Finally, A thrilling book that's slightly different in content. Low is obsessed by the beautiful Freya, New in town. They are besties, until Jamie comes along and Low gets dropped like a hot stone. Jamie and her husband are dining with Freya and her husband and there is a little too much booze flowing. Everything is fun, great, and going fine until........you heard it by the cover, they swap spouses. I had to laugh because I know people who did this, with disastrous results.

I bet you're wondering about Low and where it all ties in. Sorry no spoilers, but this book was a breath of fresh air after ahem....some books I've been reading. I'd grab this one.

A special thanks to NetGalley and Gallery books Publishing for my ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Whew!! That was good! I knew it would be! I loved The Arrangement, so the second I saw Robyn Harding had a new book out- I had to have it!

The Swap...what are we going to swap? Gum, cars, notes........oh...that...what could possibly go wrong with that? Well let me count the ways..this book is sex, drugs and well no rock n roll..but it is so good (even without the rock n roll).

Low is a lonely, odd (in my opinion) teenager that forms a quick obsession with the new woman in town. Freya Light is a new resident to town and the second Low sees her, well she knows she needs to know this woman better. She basically stalks Freya without Freya knowing it. As she gets closer to Freya she gets very possessive of her. This is bad news for Jamie who recently struck up a friendship with Freya...Everybody wants Freya...everybody...

Add in a drug fueled night and a couple swap...and things get really interesting....I must say I didn't like one single character in this book! I love unlikable characters though and it really worked for this story. A big twist at the end left me saying, yep she has done it again. Another page turner that I couldn't put down. Pulled me right out of my recent book slump!

4.5*
What do you get when you mix two lonely couples with a misfit teenage girl...THE SWAP! That’s what!💁🏻♀️

Max and Freya. The disgraced hockey player and the beautiful, feisty wife.

Jamie and Brian. The gift shop owner who desperately wants a family. Her husband, a struggling author desperate to make his deadline.

Then there’s Low, the misunderstood high school grad whose parents have a rather unusual marriage arrangement.

One evening will involve a baggie full of magic mushrooms and a peeping Tom. What could possibly go wrong with that combination? By the end of the night their lives will change course completely! No one will come away unscathed.

This book was so much fun! I loved how the author wove the story between the two couples with Low always in the background pulling strings where she can to get what she wants!

There are so many mixed reviews for this one! I am so happy that I came away loving it! My favorite from this author so far! Anxious to see what she conjures up next!

A buddy read with Susanne that left us complete polar opposites! It had to happen at some point!🤣

Thank you to Gallery/Scout Press Publishing via NetGalley and Edelweiss for an ARC to read and review.

Thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my review.

The Swap starts off with Low, a lonely high school senior on a remote island in the Pacific Northwest who after signing up for a pottery class from a former influencer, Freya and falls under her spell. Once Freya finds another friend in Jamie and their husbands get along, Low finds herself feeling left out. The catalyst to the start of some problems is when Freya suggests swapping partners with Jamie and it's not just a night of fun.

While the swap is the catalyst, I think the real story is about the almost obsessiveness of Low in her "friendship" with Freya and how far she'll go to stay in her life. A lot of this book is about the weird friendship triangle and far jealously will take some women.

It was fast paced, I liked the multiple POV and it was a fascinating book!

The Swap by Robyn Harding begins with Low, an awkward 17 year old girl with hippy, poly-amorous parents. She starts pottery classes with glamorous Freya and becomes enamored of her right away. They become fast friends and Low learns about Freya's past. She's from Los Angeles, where she met her hockey player husband Max. They had to leave because Max injured another player in a game. When this happened, they lost nearly everything and had to move to the island.

When Low gets a summer job with Freya's friend Jamie at her gift shop, she grows jealous of their friendship and becomes infatuated with Freya. One night, Jamie, her husband Brian, Freya and Max all get together. A spontaneous indiscretion that night leaves one big secret between them on this island known for loose ideas on monogamy. The question is, did Low see everything?

The chapters alternate from several characters' perspectives in a fast paced, exciting style. Even though the plot was slightly predictable, I enjoyed every minute of it. I think it is because of the snappy writing, short chapters, and developed characters. Even though I might have been able to foresee the story line, I couldn't guess at what the characters would say or do in response to the events as they transpired. That was really the fun of having it in limited third person from multiple perspectives.

The end is so exciting, so thrilling, that it took my breath away from gasp after gasp as the characters' truly dark sides come creeping out like a toxic gas, slow and nearly imperceptible, but deadly. All in all, a fast paced, exciting, character driven thriller well worth the read.

I'm really at a loss as to how to review this book. It was weird, it was intriguing, it was good, it was bad. I wasn't a huge fan of any of the characters. I supposed I felt sympathetic to Low given her loneliness and isolation. But then her clingy, almost psychotic side sort of negated any sympathy I might be feeling for her. I had zero emotions for Freya (which I guess is fitting, since she was lacking any emotion herself). So I guess I would have to say that my loyalties sided with Jamie, but even that didn't quite seem right either. My other issue is that the the preview of this book makes it sound like it's all about some big partner swap between friends, while in reality this focused far more on female friendships, hero-worshipping and other relationship drama. So the preview is somewhat misleading.

Overall, this was a semi-decent drama/thriller type story, but it just didn't hit me as one I would highly recommend. It was okay, but not spectacular.

I. Loved. This.
Obsession. Jealousy.
This was a page turner from the beginning and I finished it in one sitting. Just how I like my thrillers.

4.5 stars!
Scandalous, salacious, and twisted!

After reading "The Arrangement" last year, I quickly became a huge fan of Harding's writing. Much like that book, I dove into The Swap and was immediately immersed in the storyline. Sex, drugs, and lover’s quarrels. The book had it all! Thrilling from the first page to the last; I couldn’t depict who was the most demented character – Freya, Low, or Jamie. These three women were a trip! From Instagram influencing, to swapping partners and sex cults, this is not your average thriller!

I now know to turn to Harding for an absolute must-read, fast paced, thriller! I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley! Out 6/23!

Trigger Warning | Domestic Abuse, Infertility

Thank you so much @GalleryBooks/@Scout.Press & @NetGalley for giving me this eARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 23 June 2020)

SYNOPSIS | It should have been a harmless fling between consenting adults, but one drug induced night alters two couples lives forever.

WHAT I LIKED:
- The discussion about creating the right aesthetic on instagram and the effort that goes into staging, photographing and editing a photo whilst fulfilling sponsorship opportunities.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- I am honestly struggling to understand why so many people gave this 5 stars. It isn't as shocking as Gone Girl & it isn't as clever as Behind Her Eyes. For me, it's a mindless thriller that kept me turning the pages purely because I wanted to know the ending.
- The writing itself was not my cup of tea at all. One of my biggest pet peeves is when an author asks a series of questions like "Why wasn't she my friend anymore? Doesn't she know that she needs me? etc"
- Instead of insta-love there was insta-obsession and I do not understand Low's motivations for trying to infiltrate Freya's life.
- The entire idea that a baby will fix everything
- The coverup of Freya's murder was extremely convenient. Of course she just happened to have an outhouse with a kiln that heats up to an appropriate temperature to burn a human body and of course the police won't even check inside the kiln.

I found this most of this really entertaining. interesting topic and Low is such an interesting character, but the ending fell really flat for me; everything was just tied up too neatly and too perfectly. I also never really understood everyone's obsession with Freya and would have liked some chapters to have been from her POV to show her thinking behind her manipulative behavior. I wouldn't really consider this a mystery/thriller, more of a dark contemporary and the conflict isn't really centered around "the swap" - it's more about obsessive and toxic relationships.

Thank you Publisher and NetGalley for the early copy!

Review:

I was over the moon when I was accepted on NetGalley for Robyn Harding's latest thriller. I've read almost all of Harding's thrillers and will keep reading them! I enjoy her writing style and once again found myself loving her writing and plot building in this newest thriller coming out late June.

The novel follows Low, a teenager obsessed with Freya, a pottery teacher who has complex relationships with her husband and her couple friends, Jamie and Brian. The novel dives into the point of view of each character as everything starts to crumple around them.

The plot and conclusion were pretty interesting and I did think that Harding did a great job of crafting an original concept. I did find the big twists a bit predictable but still enjoyed the read.

I felt some disconnect with the plot because of the constantly changing of the character's point of view. I think the suspense and twists would have been better for me if it followed only one of the characters. I also struggled to like most of the characters or root for any of them besides Jamie. I recommend checking out this newest and well-written thriller from Harding! I also suggest checking out her earlier titles.

Rating:

4 Stars Out of 5 Stars

An unputdownable story of girl crushes, betrayal and jealousy. How one beautiful social influencer can turn everything topsy turvy, maneuvering intense feelings, extreme devotion and unhealthy fixation in those within her orbit make for one heck of a story.

I find a common theme recently in books read that are incorporating social influencers. An interesting and fresh angle. I had no idea that such a thing could be so lucrative.

A fun, quick read from Robyn Harding! Low is a teenage girl living on a small island, who is a loner with Hippie parents. Then she meets Freya, a once famous Instagramer who has just opened a pottery studio. Instantly Low feels a connection with this woman and thus begins a rather obsessive relationship.

Then Freya meets Jamie, a lonely shop owner, and they become quick besties. Until one night when the friends invite their husbands for a fun night which turns into trouble.

This night leads to future fights, jealousy and a secret that turns their worlds upside down. And Low knows it all.

Lots of twists which made for an enjoyable, gripping novel

5/5 - One, if not the best, psychological thrillers of 2020!!

Robyn Harding is an auto buy author for me. Having the chance to preview an ARC of one of her titles was a great process.

I have zero complaints about this book. The cleverly crafted crafted story about a group of couples swapping partners was delicious. The twist and turns, amazing. I’ve come to expect nothing less from Ms. Harding.... I can’t wait for her next release!

Robyn Harding has done it again!

Sex, lies, murder, swinging-what could go wrong?! Just two close couples switching partners and behaving badly, no biggie.

The Swap was addicting, juicy and a crazy domestic read.

Freya is CRAZY AF YO. I kinda love it? For me, she is consummate baddie that I love to hate.

I feel sorry for Jamie-girl is just so desperate!

Low freaks me out. Stalker much? Then again, I don't blame her-that family life is bonkers. And the last words...like woah.

So this one was a great binge read! It took me a while to get into it, but once I did IT ZOOMED BY.

The relationships are complex, twisted and down right sordid. For those who are looking for an addicting domestic drama this is totally it!

Like seriously what did I just read????! I wasn’t sure about this book in the beginning about this weird girl named Low and this shallow woman named Freya. Then throw in Jamie and both obsessed with Freya. This book was beautifully written and engulfed me. I love the writing style of this author and the different POV’s. This book is disturbing on so many levels yet I couldn’t put it down. There is sex, drugs, affairs, fighting and secrets. This author is becoming one of my favorites! Another well done book!!!