I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is definitely a page turner from beginning to end! I dare someone to start reading and not be so fascinated she tosses this book aside. It’s that compelling! Once I started reading my initial thoughts were quickly thrown in another direction. The characters are all so completely insane! Or, are they?!

In the Spring of 2019, Swallow (Low) Morrison is a 6’1” high school senior preparing to graduate from Bayview High. Since she was a loner and apathetic about a social life, she decides to take a gap year before college. Low is edgy and not easily impressed until she sees Freya Light enter her school to hang an advertisement for pottery classes. She immediately attracted to her and decides she needs to find out more about her.

She lives with her extremely unconventional family on a “hobby farm” on an island off the Pacific Coast. Her mother works as a bookkeeper from home and her father is a plumber. She also has 2 younger brothers: Leonard (11) and Wayne (9) until it’s announced that her mother is pregnant with her 4th child! They live on an island where couple swapping is called the Hawking Shuffle. It’s no wonder that Low is so ambiguous about relationships and sex. Her parents free loving hippie lifestyle was always a source of embarrassment for Low. In the end they seem to care and support her more than she realizes.

Freya Light and her husband Maxime Beausoleil move to the island for a fresh start after a tumultuous event turns them from loved celebrities to despised villains. Max has a career ending accident as a pro-hockey player which ultimately leads to the Freya the model turned social media influencer with no followers.

Low has developed an unhealthy obsession with Freya who easily changes friends when the mood strikes her. It’s no surprise that Low is receiving mixed signals from Freya. Jealousy has a way of creeping in when least expected. That is, Freya becomes friends with Jamie and Brian Vincent who are also new to the area. Things get messy when Low and Jamie feel like they are competing for Freya’s undivided attention.

Jamie is a married woman with no friends since they moved to Hawking. She latches on to the magnetic Freya as a lifeline to a normal social life. Little does she realize that Freya lives anything but a normal lifestyle. It’s when Jamie decides to trust Freya to be “a little wild” that her life turns upside down.

This story is a rollercoaster of emotions as these jealous and manipulative characters try to maintain their toxic relationships. No one is prepared for how their obsessions will ultimately change their lives.

Fast paced, sexy, dysfunctional, and fabulous story. This book addressed many topics such as obsession, social media, manipulations, mental health, infidelity, and infertility. Great characters and build up! Thank you NetGalley for the e-reader copy for review, all opinions are my own.

Think chick lit meets psychological thriller! Very enjoyable and sometimes shocking read. I kept thinking it was like a great big game of chess. Really kept my interest and I read it in less than two days. This is a story of a socially awkward teenager finding friendship with a popular social media influencer. Harding does a wonderful job with descriptions of characters (you won't like some of them) as well as the small town they live in. This is the second book I've read by Robyn Harding and I will read her others.

First, let me thank netgalley and the publishers for approving my request for an early release of this book. All reviews of my netgalley books can be found on goodreads and youtube. Please be sure to check out the links attached.

QUICK TAKE: I liked a lot about The Swap, however it felt a little middle-of-the-road to me and didn't really separate itself from the many other genre titles this year. I enjoyed the alternating POV, but couldn't understand why so many people were completely captivated by such a rude, horrible woman. If you're going to read a Robyn Harding book, I highly recommend Her Pretty Face.

Obsession at it's finest and creepiest! Everyone is obsessed with Freya in this mystery novel, The Swap. Who is Freya and why is everyone so enchanted with her? I'm not really sure why. There's Low, the teenage girl dealing with a lot at home who is quite obsessively captivated by Freya from her first look at her. There's Jamie, the woman hoping to become a mother, who also finds herself enthralled with the beautiful Freya. Who's Freya? Married to an ex-hockey player she basks in the adoration of the other women.
One night Freya and Jamie and their husbands end up on drugs and alcohol and decide to swap partners! Wait if Freya says so, it must be fun! But what a mess she makes...
The characterization in the book let me down. I wasn't as captivated with Freya as the characters. I need to know more about all of the women. I mean it's unusual and interesting but needed more to convince me.
3 stars. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC for my honest review.

This is my 3rd book by Harding and I’m so impressed that she keeps giving us unique stories. Doesn’t hurt that they always include such a juicy topic too! While this isn’t my favorite of hers I still would consider it a binge worthily summer read. The Arrangement still stands as my favorite.

I think I expected the story to be a little juicier than it was. I didn’t find a lot of value in the male POVs and think it could have been kept out of the narrative. The females in the story were a little whiny for my taste as well. It was hard to like or root for any of them.

I’ll continue to read whatever Harding gives us and reviews are stellar for this one.

This is the perfect beach read, not too heavy, the chapters flow, and the characters are predictable, well, until they're not. You meet Freya, the beautiful yet odd social media influencer type who marries Mr. ice hockey calendar pin-up and make the ultimate 'wanna-be' couple. Well, all's not as it seems, because, it never is. They meet a sweet couple, Brian and Jamie, who are just darling. Swallow, or Low, the teenage local gets involved and yeah, you're just going to have to invest a day or two to read this one. #netgalley #theswap Have some fun this summer!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview The Swap by Robyn Harding. This is a hard hitting novel that will keep you guessing till the end.
I can see this book turning into a movie - a really crazy chic flic.
Good Summer Read. 4 stars.

Today's post is going to take a look at Robyn Harding's The Swap. This book was released June 23, 2020 so it's out there for those of you interested in thrillers to pick up! I received an eARC of The Swap from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Swap takes place on an isolated island in the Pacific Northwest and focuses on a few quite toxic relationships between main character, and sullen teenager, Swallow (Low for short) Morrison, the pottery teacher she idolizes, Freya Light, and her boss, Jamie. The book also follows, to a somewhat lesser extent, Freya and Jamie's husbands.

Low is the daughter of a polyamorous couple. While this makes her a bit of an outsider, the lifestyle is accepted on the island. As well as regular partner swapping among couples on the island. One day at school, Low sees this beautiful woman pinning an advertisement to the bulletin board--an ad offering pottery classes at Freya's home.

Freya had been an Instagram influencer, until her professional hockey player husband accidentally paralyzed another player on the ice. They moved to the island for a bit more privacy to get away from the limelight. In her loneliness, Freya becomes quick friends with Low, and shares some of her secrets with her. Low sees herself as the center of Freya's world--until Jamie enters the picture.

Jamie and her husband desperately want to have a baby, but cannot conceive. They moved to the island in hopes of getting over losing out on an adoption. Being of a similar age, Freya and Jamie become the closest of friends going to lunches, getting drinks, and Low is left out.

After a couples' night drinking some special mushroom tea, Freya and Jamie swap husbands for the evening, without the other knowing. But what happens when Freya becomes pregnant? She hates children, doesn't read parenting books, and in general doesn't prepare for the coming child. Both Freya and Low are concerned, though for their own selfish reasons, for the safety of the baby, and everyone manipulates each other to reach their own desires.

The Swap was an interesting book to pick up. It went places I never thought it would go. I thought I had it figured out several times but I didn't! I'd recommend this to anyone that likes a story with twists and turns.

Happy reading :)

This book grabs you from the beginning and does not let go. This is a psychological thriller exploring obsession and jealousy. You never know what you have until it is gone, and sometimes what you wish for is not what is best for you. The writing is great. I engaged with the characters, liking some, feeling sorry for others, and not liking some at all. Sometimes these emotions were for the same characters. A riveting story that drew me in and kept me wanting more. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

Wow! Talk about crazy women! This book is a fast-paced read touching on subjects such as mental health, abuse, infidelity, infertility and most of all, obsession. This author is never afraid to touch on different subjects that are relative to today’s society. If you haven’t read ‘The Party’ by this author, you MUST! If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it thousands of time....it should be required reading for all tweens and parents of tweens!

The hold that narcissistic Freya has over the others is over-the-top! What price does one pay to be Instagram famous? How far would you go for someone you love? All the characters are broken in their own way. Yes this book and storyline is exaggerated....or is it? This really could be picked out of the headlines of people, obsession and becoming unhinged. You will feel sympathy for most of the characters and their situations.

Thanks to Ms. Harding, Gallery Books and NetGalley for thisARC. Opinion is mine alone.

4.5⭐ Disturbing. Toxic. Obsessive. You can use these words to describe any character in this new thriller by Robyn Harding. This book will draw you in from the beginning. Unlike most thrillers, I didn't spend the pages trying to figure out who did it. I flipped each page completely mesmerized by these incredibly messed up people (each in their own way). You become a voyeur watching them from the outside. Only to witness and ending that you probably wouldn't believe if you hadn't been there. Thank you to Scout Press, Galley, and netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a very fast paced addictive book.

Low, who is an awkward teen and quite an outcast in high school, becomes enamored with Freya, a local woman who was once a social media star. Freya is everything Low isn't, yet Freya seems to enjoy Low's company, which boosts Low's confidence.

When Freya befriends another new resident, Jaime, in their small town, Low becomes very possessive. What could possibly go wrong when Jaime and Freya decide to swap husbands? Everybody is not as innocent as they seem and Low realizes she has some leverage on the participants.

This book is a crazy ride, shocking at points, disturbing at others and sometimes a bit sad.

Thank you Gallery Books and NetGalley for this digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

Major trouble ensues after a night of couple swapping in Robyn Harding’s latest, THE SWAP.

High-school senior Swallow “Low” Morrison is immediately taken by the striking Freya Light. She seems so independent, spirited, different from those who surround her—a sharp contrast to her hippie, poly-amorous parents. Low has never quite fit in with those from her Pacific Northwest island community and she innately knows they have a lifelong “soul connection.”

After signing up for her pottery class, Low falls deeper under Freya’s spell. And once Freya begins to share secrets with her, Low begins to see her as her best friend—she’s no longer alone.

“Freya was a best friend, a parent, and a crush all wrapped up in one worldly, glamorous package. Later, people would say I was obsessed with her, but I wasn’t. With Freya, I was home.”

But in comes Jamie, who recently moved to the island with her husband after a devastating failed adoption. Jamie and Freya become fast and unlikely friends, as do their husbands, and once again, Low is on the outs.

Then one boozy night, Jamie and Freya swap partners and it changes everything. Worse yet, Low uncovers secrets with the power to destroy them all, and she’s willing to do whatever it takes to get Freya back.

Harding weaves a spiraling narrative rife with tension. Feelings of adoration, obsession, jealously and desire ratchet dangerously, in a way you know won’t end well. But it’s Harding’s characters that shine in this unnerving tale. It’s a character study that reveals the darkness and desperation within. The need to be seen and loved. The vanity and violence that lurks in the shadows. I was rapt, unable to tear myself away from seeing just how far these people would go.

Read it—it’s a provocative, page-turning tale of obsession perfect for a weekend binge.

Read in July 2020
This is the first novel of @RobynHarding that I have had the pleasure of reading. First of all, I loved the twisted plot and characters, but it was difficult for me to keep the characters’ chapters and perspectives straight. If they would have been easier for me to follow, I would have rated this novel higher. I look forward to reading #TheParty, Robyn Harding’s other novel, to gain more perspective on her writing. I love suspenseful novels with drama infused, so I believe her other novel will be wonderful. So glad I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. #goodreads #giveaway @RobynHarding #TheSwap

I was very anxious to read this book. It definitely kept me interested. This is not a normal read for me but it had lots of twists and turns. I did enjoy reading the book and could hardly but it down.

In Norse mythology, Freya is the goddess of fertility, as well as the most beautiful diety. In The Swap, Freya is the daughter of an Icelandic mother, and a sensual, beautiful artist who moves to the island with her husband, Maxime Beausoleil, after his career as a professional ice hockey player comes to a tragic and notorious end. So too does Freya's lucrative and ego-feeding status as a social medial influencer. She loses the lucrative endorsement deals, luxurious trips, and free products she has become accustomed to receiving, as well as the adoration of her followers. Max is a large, brooding presence in the life to which Freya is now consigned -- in a gorgeous, cedar-and-glass home situated on a rocky cliff above the sea.

Low lost at least one previous friendship as a result of questionable behavior. Since then, she has been a loner both at school and in her commune-like home, where she feels left out and ignored. Her parents have incorporated other partners into their unconventional marriage, and Low is mortified when she learns that her mother is pregnant with a third younger sibling. The island, with its rugged coastline boasting waterfront mansions, is a summertime escape for the wealthy, but is populated full-time by organic farmers, artisans, and locals employed in the hospitality industry. In the eclectic community, alternative lifestyles are accepted. Nonetheless, Low finds her parents' lifestyle embarrassing.

One day at school, Low notices Freya speaking with the principal and placing a flyer on the bulletin board. She immediately sensed that Freya was "different. She exuded glamour, significance, and a palpable sense of cool." Low quickly signs up to take pottery lessons from Freya.

Brian and Jamie Vincent have moved to the island for "a fresh start." Jamie left her stressful marketing career to open a gift shop, and Brian sold a series of young adult fantasy novels, permitting him to leave his job as a teacher. They liquidated most of their assets, including a Seattle home and stock portfolio, to put their painful past behind them. Infertility has thus far rendered Jamie's dream of carrying a baby impossible. When Freya brings her handmade bowls, vases, and platters to Jamie's store, hoping she will stock them, the women strike up a friendship. Indeed, Freya becomes the only friend Jamie has on the island, and Freya convinces Jamie to give Low a part-time job in the store.

Low's obsession with Freya manifests quickly. She becomes unreasonably jealous that Freya and Jamie have also commenced a friendship. She wants Freya to herself. One evening, as she lurks outside Freya and Max's showcase home that boasts massive windows, she is able to observe the two couples' activities. After Freya and Jamie share intimate secrets, Freya convinces her that the four of them should consume "'shrooms." Jamie agrees, even though she had a bad experience with mushrooms in college. But Brian is game, and Jamie is so desperate to maintain her friendship with Freya that she will do anything to win Freya's approval and affection. Jamie has found Max attractive since meeting him, and becomes convinced that Brian and Freya are engaging in sexual activity, so she agrees to sleep with Max. She instantly regrets her decision.

That evening sets in motion a series of reactions and events that are the focus of a story inspired by author Robyn Harding's awareness that some people with whom she is acquainted are "in open relationships." That knowledge "piqued" her curiosity, causing her to wonder, "How would that work? Or, (more appropriately, for a thriller) how would that not work?" Although her characters only swap partners once, the ramifications are far-reaching and permanent. Harding employs multiple points of view to convey the details: alternating first-person narratives from Low, Jamie, Max, and Brian. Jamie and Brian relate the ways in which their relationship changes after that fateful night. Each harbors secrets from the other and experiences guilt, frustration, and anger, in part due to erroneous assumptions about the state of their marriage and each other's desires. Low lurks in the pottery studio and the home Freya shares with Max, determined to be in Freya's good graces and presence. Part of her preoccupation with Freya is incited by her exploration and discovery of her sexual orientation. She ponders whether she is in love with the much-older Freya. Low learns damaging secrets about Freya and Max, and is willing to use that information, if necessary, in order to stay close to Freya. Freya's relationships with both women are on-again, off-again, with each reveling in the fact that, at least for the moment, she is Freya's very best friend. Freya recognizes how insecure and needy both Jamie and Low are, and revels in using and manipulating them for her own purposes and gratification. Recognizing Low's talent not just as a potter, but also as a photographer, Freya permits Low to serve as her unpaid personal photographer when she decides to resurrect her social media accounts in an attempt to repair her image and standing as an influencer. Low's parents are not as indifferent as she believes, and they become concerned about the amount of time and effort that Low is devoting to Freya.

None of Harding's characters are particularly likable, even though, as she was crafting the novel, she wanted Jamie to be. But Harding acknowledges that Jamie "is going through so much drama and strife. It brought out the worst in her." There is more to it, however. Jamie is not empathetic because she is weak and clingy. She calculates her self-worth according to her inability to conceive a child, and whether Freya has, on any given day, deigned her worthy of being Freya's friend. Freya is a devious, scheming narcissist who in incapable of feeling true compassion, but manages to convince those in her orbit to comply with her wishes by employing charm, false praise, and the threat of abandonment. The exclusion of Freya's point of view from the narrative invites readers to draw their own conclusions about the source of her dysfunction and motivations.

Low, meanwhile, is a disturbed young woman whose upbringing in a nontraditional environment and unconventional appearance have compromised her ability to gauge and navigate social relationships, and inhibited her development of healthy friendships. Her moral ambiguity contributes to her issues. Her fascination with Freya is grounded in her insecurity and desire to emulate Freya's self-assured glamour and style. Max is also troubled -- his anger issues, exacerbated by hormone use, have brought tragic consequences that he must live with on a daily basis. His marriage to Freya is teetering on collapse. Brian is easily the most likable, relatable character. He is struggling to pursue his dream of being a writer, and genuinely cares for Jamie and their marriage. He wants to make her happy, but makes one terrible decision that has far-reaching ramifications. His consternation about how to make things right between them again is the most heartrending aspect of the tale.

The Swap is an engrossing and entertaining look at the lives of five flawed people who make terrible choices. It's a compelling consideration of the fallout from their bad decisions, and whether good can ultimately flow from her characters' actions. The story moves at a steady pace. Although the back and forth nature of Freya's relationships with Low and Jamie grows tiresome, those plot developments propel the story forward and illustrate the dysfunctional, toxic nature of their purported friendships. Harding's creative and deftly-timed plot twists and disclosures are surprising, and the conclusion is shocking, but decidedly satisfying.

The Swap is dark and atmospheric. Harding tackles unsettling themes by creating captivating, unbalanced characters, particularly the diabolical Freya. Psychological thriller fans will enjoy the twisty, evil story and find much to discuss with fellow fans.

In The Swap, teenager Low Morrison has found a new best friend in former social influencer, Freya Light. Freya looked at Low like “I was not simply a misfit teenager, tall and awkward and outcast. I was a kindred spirit. Freya and I had a soul connection.” Low begins to be the sole attendee of Freya’s weekly pottery classes. But Freya’s interest in Low is dropped when a new couple moves to town.

Brian and Jamie have a history of trying to get pregnant. Brian leaves his teaching job to write the second novel in his fantasy series in the drizzly Northwest. Jamie opens a gift store in the small tourist town. Their marriage is strong until The Swap with Freya and Max happens.

This novel starts out well. It definitely has many twists and turns in plot. But therein lies the problem. The twists are stunningly obvious. I wasn’t surprised by any of them. Plus, you will eventually hate all the characters. All seem to adore the manipulative witch named Freya just because she’s beautiful. Everyone is shallow and self-pitying. Just be glad I read The Swap so you don’t have to waste 4 hours of your life too. A complete miss for me. 2 stars.

Read the author’s earlier book, The Arrangement, as it is a compelling 5-star read!

Thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

When awkward teenager Low spots an advertisement for pottery classes on a bulletin board one day, she has no idea the turn her life will take. Former instagram star and pottery teacher Freya is magnetic, dynamic - all the things Low is not and wishes she could be. Plus she's married to a hunky ex-hockey player. All goes well at first - until another couple enters the picture, and then things get weird. And then weirder. This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. I couldn't wait to finish it - but at the same time I didn't want to! The ending is fitting and satisfying. Another great read by Robyn Harding!