This was my 3rd book by Robyn Harding. I loved both The Party and The Arrangement so I was too excited to get into her latest novel, The Swap. Imagine my surprise when it didn’t live up to my expectations. The book was off to a good start, but quickly became a hot psychedelic mess.

.The book is told from several different perspectives- all tied to the supposed main character, Freya. Freya was a former popular social media influencer, until her husband, Max, hockey career came screeching to a tragic end. They move to a new town to start a new beginning, where they meet new friends.

Freya befriends, Low - (short for Swallow), a friendless high school student who wants Freya all to herself. She also befriends Jamie, who’s new in town.

My summation is that the book was more about how these people - Max, Low, Jamie, and Brian - were all spellbound by this little, blonde icon/goddess, Freya. They all seemed to have extremely low self-esteem, needing only a smile or compliment from Freya to feel accepted or talked into doing whatever she asked of them.

This one completely missed the mark for me; there were no thrills, no explanation for the domestic violence Max endured, no insight on any of the marriages. Everyone’s focus was their obsession on Freya, which was painfully annoying. Any a looming question for me is, Is it really a swap, if you’re high and never agreed to doing it? 🤔

Fast-paced psychological thriller who's main character is a manipulative, narcissist, solely focused on her own fame and online fandom. The narrative unfolds from various perspectives; her husband, her lover, her best friend (and lover's wife) and an awkward teenager who is infatuated with her. The individual personalities of the characters unfold while the plot races through various twists and turns to a thoroughly satisfying ending. Strongly recommended

Thank you to Netgalley, Gallery/Scout press books and the Author Robyn Harding for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Buckle up for a bumpy ride with this one, a tumultuous edge of your seat thriller that the actual "Swap" is in the middle of all the action.
I will definitely be following and reading more by this author.

Crazy train amazing! Robyn Harding has become one of my all time favorite authors! Every single book I’ve read has me grasping the pages waiting to see what happens next! The Swap didn’t disappoint! It had all the flavor of crazy, who done it, suspense rolled into one! I always look forward to Robyn Harding’s books and can’t wait for the next one!

Awkward, teenage loner, Low, finds her life infinitely improved when she is befriended by beautiful, glamorous Freya, a social media influencer, married to Max, a gorgeous professional athlete, and living the perfect life. Low spends pretty much all of her time with Freya, thinking about Freya, and trying to find more ways to be around Freya.
But of course, nothing golden can stay, right? Freya begins spending time with Jamie, a sweet, bland, small business owner, who recently moved to the area with her husband, and Low’s jealousy is peaked. Isn’t she Freya’s best friend? Aren’t they basically soulmates? How is she going to get Jamie out of the picture and keep Freya for herself?
Similarly, Jamie and her husband, Brian, are also enthralled with Freya and Max, the more exciting and adventurous couple. In their quest to become married BFFs with Freya and Max, Jamie and Brian find themselves in a compromising situation that neither are equipped to handle and which ultimately blows up their lives.
Despite all the adoration from Jamie and Low, Freya’s perfect persona starts to crack, and little by little, the other women start seeing a different side to her - she’s manipulative, narcissistic and quite possibly dangerous; Freya seems prepared to rip anyone to shreds who crosses her the wrong way. So, why can’t Low and Jamie seem to stay away?
This is the second novel from Robyn Harding I’ve read, and I’m adding more to my TBR list. Her books are like a guilty pleasure that I don’t feel guilty about; they’re fun, quick, engaging reads.
Thanks to #netgalley for this ARC of #theswap.

This book had me intrigued from the get-go. What would happen if two sets of new parents learned their babies had been swapped for each other in the NICU? What if those parents all had unusual personality factors and one was truly twisted. What if the babies may have been conceived during a wild drug-fueled"swap night." Whzt if an impressionable but socially immature teenager was so involved she was manipulated maliciously by one of the parents. If so, you have the plot set-up for this domestic tangle that I couldn't put down. I believe it will top the charts. Dont miss it!

I had the privilege of reading this book before it was published and it was an amazing read. I went through such a range of emotion reading it from feeling sorry for some of the characters to wanted to yell at them. I loved the changing perspectives and I felt like it really gave good insight into the characters. The story follows the loner 18 y/o Low who is desperate for love and belonging that when newcomer Freya shows interest in her she immediately attaches herself to her and interstates herself into Freya’s life. Everything is great until Freya also befriends Jaimie. This story dives into the human psyche and how sometimes circumstances lead us into situations we need thought we would be on. Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this amazing book.

I felt like some details were missing from this book. I really wanted to know why this rural area was known for wife swapping. They mentioned it but never really got into details. Not bad exactly but an odd mix of characters. They kept describing a girl as having "a bushel of hair"??!

A twisty, unpredictable, scathing novel of the toxic collision of friendship, ambition, greed....The characterizations are a bit thin, but the pacing crackles and there are surprises aplenty for the reader.

I finished this book in one sitting, entranced by the uniqueness of Low's character and tight plotting. We have all known a "Freya" in our time, but not many of us have known a "Low" that will go to these lengths, which is what makes her viewpoint so compelling. This novel explores parasocial-adjacent relationships, the toxicity of social media, the heartbreak of infidelity and infertility, the lengths lonliness and self-righteousness will push a person to, and all within the framework of an intriguing and fast-paced plot.

I really enjoyed this book! Teenager Low becomes obsessed with her pottery class teacher, Freya. Low begins borderline stalking Freya & her husband Max, catching them in a few unsavory situations. Just when you think you know where the story is going, it turns in another direction. Highly recommend!

Another home run for Robyn Harding. As a huge fan of Robyn Harding I was thrilled to get a copy of The Swap, and I was not disappointed. Twisted, addictive story about a trio of friends and their narcissistic, toxic leader. Freya is a beautiful Instagram influencer who thinks the world of herself. Freya and her gorgeous former hockey star have their friend Jamie and her husband over to try some magic mushrooms and make the huge mistake of swapping partners. This mistake changes theIr lives. Enter an impressionable teenage girl from an unconventional background, who works for Jamie, but worships Freya and you have a twisted, fast paced story that is impossible to put down. Highly recommended.

The Swap tells the story of "Low", a teenager on an isolated Pacific Northwestern island who becomes enamored with a pottery teacher, Freya. Freya's magnetic personality and gorgeous appearance cause Low to become desperate for connection, to the point that it becomes an obsession. The Swap simultaneously shares the story of Freya and her former professional hockey player husband and their relationship with another couple. One night, Freya proposes that the couples swap partners for one night of fun. Chaos ensues and Low is entangled in it all.

This was my first Robyn Harding book, and while the dramatic premise hooked me, the story itself fell a bit short. Freya and Low aren't likable characters, and while that normally doesn't bother me in a book, I found that in this case it was difficult to connect with anyone. You're frequently told how obsessed Low is with Freya, and I would have rather seen more examples of how this obsession was actually demonstrated in their relationship, or have some of the existing scenarios be drawn out further. The story is told from the point of view of all of the people in Freya's orbit, bit it seems unnecessary to have the perspective of some of those characters (particularly the husbands--having their angle doesn't seem to add much to the story). The middle sags a bit and I kept checking to see how far into the book I was to try and figure out what the real story line was and when it would start. The action does pick up in the last few chapters, tying everything up tidily at the end.

I've seen great reviews of this book, so it's possible that the style just wasn't for me. I might have to try another book by this author to see if it's a better fit!

Swallow, Low to her friends, is an outcast teen in desperate need of friendship. She is finishing high school and lives at home with her hippy, polygamous family. Low befriends Freya, a dysfunctional adult who recently moved to the area with her ex-hockey player husband. Low latches on to Freya and will not let go even when Freya tells her to leave, repeatedly. Low knows she does not mean it; Freya needs her.

Freya befriends another adult in town, Jamie. She and her husband become couple friends with Freya and her husband. At least until the night they went too far and swapped husbands. Jamie did not want to and her husband did not want to but Freya instigated the whole plot. Nothing is the same after but how do they move forward? Low, unknown to the group, saw the couples that night.

This is an extremely dysfunctional situation with dysfunctional people. It is hard to read sometimes, but was certainly entertaining. I enjoyed the writing, the revelations, and the satisfying ending.

Wow, not at all what I expected ........ I really enjoyed this book even though the main character Low is quite strange and vindictive she’s not all that bad...... some things I just didn’t see coming .....

3.5 stars.. Good story. Entertaining. However, a bit anticlimactic.. Wrapped up a little too neatly at the end.

I had a hard time connecting to this book, particularly because very few characters seem relatable or likable. With respect to Low, I felt like the author repeatedly tells the reader what to think about her. I lost count of how many times the text said something like "I was so lonely and I felt at home with Freya. Freya filled a hole for me." Etc. Instead of showing us through the story, Harding almost lectures us/beats us over the head with it, which makes the story and characterization less convincing, less genuine and organic. So when Low becomes insanely jealous about Freya's new friend, I could not relate to her. Meanwhile, Freya is extremely self centered, unlikable, and shallow. I suppose Jamie is okay, but by the time we get her perspective we are already weary and jaded...

Talk about your toxic relationships! Talk about a toxic person! OMG I could not put this book down.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS:

There are three women who the story revolve around Low (Swallow) Morrison who is in high school and lives with her hippie parents who believe in free love. Low is the oldest child of them.

Then you have Jamie, who is new to town and desperate to have a baby.

Lastly, you have Freya, who is a social media influenster, married to a hockey player and recently dealt with a scandal when a player that her husband injured during a came, killed himself.

Low becomes obessed with Freya, and everyone views their relationship as inappropriate. She's jealous of Jamie and Freya's friendship. Meanwhile, Jamie and Freya click and go out to lunch and have gotten together with their husbands. Then a night between the four of them changes everything.

There are twists and turns at every corner and while Low is a teenager with many problems, I couldn't help but sympathize for her as she struggled to find her place.

Its another great novel by Robyn Harding!

Going in, I had no idea what this was gonna be about. I knew Robyn Harding was the author, and that was enough for me. Then I started reading. To keep it short and sweet, we have three women, two husbands, one pottery studio, and a whole mess of drama. I want so badly to spoil it for you with lots of exclamation marks, but instead will let you get that dose of drama all on your own. But I will say this, whatever you think it's about - if you go in blind like me - you will not be expecting what really happens.

And to top it off, I read it in one day. That's a little unusual for me, unless the book is short. But I hurried through The Swap, because, dang it, I had to know what was going to happen. And it did not disappoint.

The Swap publishes 6.23.2020.

5/5 Stars

I love how Robyn Harding writes and I am so happy I was able to read another great novel by Robyn! Seriously the characters in this will make you not want to stop reading. Great plot!