If someone asked me for a recommendation of an unpredictable, twisty book, I would hand them this one (as long as they were open to some scandalous content). This story had lots of twists and turns and went in directions that I never expected. There wasn't one character in the story that I liked but I was still on the edge of my seat, devouring the pages, waiting to see what would happen next. I love Robyn Harding's writing style, it sucks you in and doesn't let up until the very last page.

I highly recommend this twisted, disturbing book.

This book wasn't what I was expecting - but in a good way! It was a twisted tale of obsession and follows two couples and one teen, whose lives all intersect.

I didn't really bond with any of the characters but this was a quick read and suspenseful enough to keep me engaged throughout the book. I had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen next.

This is my second Robyn Harding book - both thanks to NetGalley - and I enjoyed both. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

Content Rating: 18+
Genre: Fiction, Thriller, Domestic Thriller, Suspense
Published: June 23, 2020, by Gallery/Scout Press

Obsession…Jealousy…Manipulation…. These three things drive The Swap. Robyn Harding has done it again, delivered a suspenseful story that is unique and original. The Swap is filled with impeccably developed characters that are so incredibly unlikeable that you will love to hate them. They are all wrapped up in toxic, dysfunctional relationships, intermixed with adultery, and spousal abuse that will have you shaking your head and saying, What the he!! is wrong with these people. The Swap seems purposely constructed around Freya, with all the other characters, Low, Jamie, Brian, and Max, telling the story from their perspective. Combine all these elements, and you get a fast-paced story that is highly addictive and entertaining.

Low Morrison is about to graduate from a high school where she has no friends, and she feels like she never quite fits in. The small-town people of Hawking views Low’s polyamorous parents, who live in a commune-like setting, as an oddity, and this causes Low to feel even more of an outcast. Beautiful Freya, a former social media influencer, breezes into Low's sad, lonely world one day at school, and Low becomes instantly mesmerized by her. Freya is there to talk to the principal about advertising the pottery classes that she is teaching. Low sees the classes as a way to get close to her. Freya gives Low everything lacking in her life, attention, validation as a person, a friend, and confidant, all wrapped up in a beautiful package.

“She saw me. She really saw me. I was not simply a misfit teenager, tall and awkward and outcast. I was a kindred spirit.”

Freya and her husband Max, a former professional hockey player, have escaped to this small island in the Pacific North West after a tragic mishap on the ice destroys their idyllic life. Freya has a seductive aura around her that attracts everyone she comes in contact with, or does she seek out weak people so that she can manipulate them?

Low starts taking pottery classes with Freya, and the two develop a fortuitous relationship that becomes more of an obsession than friendship.

"Later, people would say I was obsessed with her, but I wasn't. With Freya I was home."

Freya is lonely and depressed living in this small isolated town. Low fills that need in Freya to be loved, adored, and the center of attention. Low's obsession with Freya and her husband grows, she begins confusing friendship with lustful thoughts and dreaming about a future with them. To say that Low is confused is an understatement.

Things are going well between Freya and Low until Freya meets Jamie. Jamie and her husband Brian, have recently moved to Hawking, attempting to live a simple, healthier life in the hopes of having a child of their own. And then one day, Freya walks into Jamie's small gift shop, asking Jamie if she would be willing to sell her pottery. The two women become fast friends, and this leads to Freya distancing herself from Low. The two couples quickly become friends, and in a short period, Jamie comes to revere Freya too.

Then one-night Freya suggests trying shrooms, and the two couples end up swapping partners. Now, this is when things get very interesting, in more ways than just the swap.

“I wanted to be Freya’s fun, wild, adventurous friend, but I had a bad track record with the persona. But for Freya…maybe I could try?”

Harding intertwines these three women’s lives in such a deviously seductive way that it will shake you to your core. So that about wraps up my review, I will not be telling you one more deliciously deviant word about this book, except to say, read the book.

* Please note the quotes in my review are subject to change once the book is published. *


** I kindly received this galley by way of NetGalley, publisher, and author. I was not contacted, asked, or required to leave a review. I received no compensation, financial or otherwise. I have voluntarily read this book, and this review is my honest opinion. **

Low, a teen girl, befriends Freya, a woman new to their small island in the Pacific Northwest. Low falls under Freya's charm, but their friendship ends when Freya meets Jamie. Freya and Jamie quickly become friends, leaving Low on her own. After one drug-induced night of bad decisions, everyone's life changes.

Told from multiple points of view - Low, Jamie, Brian, and Max. Low is a bit of a loner. She doesn't quite fit in with others on the island, and struggles to find her place. Jamie owns a local gift shop. Brian is Jamie's husband. Jamie and Brian want children, but have struggled with conceiving. Max is Freya's husband. His career ended suddenly, and he and Freya relocated to the island. Freya owns a pottery studio and was once a social media influencer. The chapters from Low and Jamie's viewpoints are good. They are both charmed by Freya, who is confident, but narcissistic. The chapters from Brian and Max's viewpoints don't add much to the story.

Intriguing domestic thriller full of flawed characters. It's tough to like any of these characters, but they do make for an entertaining story. Scandalous and twisted.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Low is eating lunch at school all alone when she sees Freya put an announcement on the bulletin board. Freya is gorgeous, the kind of woman you can’t turn away from. And when Low goes to see what she put up, she finds an offer for pottery classes. Low knows immediately that she will be learning to throw pots, or really, taking Freya up on any offer she makes. A head taller than everyone else at school and not at all interested in the typical high school drama, Low needs a friend. And she wants that friend to be Freya Light.

Freya and her husband Max have recently relocated to this small island in the Pacific Northwest, to a gorgeous house where they can recover from what happened in L.A. and start over. Max, a former hockey player, had been involved in a violent incident on the ice which accidentally paralyzed another player. His fans turned against him and against Freya, who had been making a living as an Instagram influencer. Now, Max has his kayaking and fishing, and Freya is lonely. But she finds Low, who takes her pottery classes, and she finds Jamie, who can sell her hand-crafted pottery in her gift shop.

Jamie and her husband are looking for a new beginning too. After spending several years trying in vain to have a baby, they moved to the island to follow their other dreams. Brian is writing a series of young adult novels, and Jamie is opening her high end gift shop filled with artisan products for tourists and locals. But Jamie’s disappointment at not being able to get pregnant is her constant companion, until she too falls under Freya’s charming spell.

These women’s lives are all changed forever, starting the night that Freya and Max and Jamie and Brian experiment with the island’s relaxed attitude toward relational mores. As the consequences of that night play out, every person in the story will confront their inner demons and face a new future that looks nothing like the present.

Robyn Harding is known for her complex thrillers, and The Swap fits right in. With complicated characters in emotional relationships, Harding takes readers on a treacherous ride filled with secrets, twists, and an ending you won’t see coming.

I loved The Swap. The dysfunction of the relationships kept me feeling for these women, wanting more for them, but unable to stop myself from watching as they raced 100 miles an hour towards danger. The stakes are high, the drama feels real, and the story is compelling from the first page until the last. So amazing!

Egalleys for The Swap were provided by Gallery Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.

This book was just okay for me. It has unlikable characters, which I should know by now are not my thing. It also has a strange story arc. I have not had much luck with this author, I think I have really liked 1/3 of her books that I have read. I think it is more me than her. #unpopularopinion

Thank you for the early copy.
#TheSwap #Netgalley #GalleryScoutPress

This book was odd because there is not one single likable character. If I had to pick one, I would say Jamie is my favorite, but she’s still pretty much trash.

That being said, I absolutely adored this story. Its interesting, well paced, and kept me intrigued until the very end.

The story centers around Freya, a beautiful social media celebrity who is currently taking a break from the public eye due to her husbands role in the death of a fellow hockey player.

Then we have Low and Jamie, who both meet Freya and become a little bit obsessed with her in their own ways. Along with Freya’s husband Max and Jamie’s husband Brian, the four of them unknowingly center their lives around Freya.

I honestly did not understand the obsession with Freya; she was beautiful yes, but all of her interactions with Jamie and Low you could tell she was being condescending, manipulative, and just plain awful. Her entire personality is basically the equivalent of the phrase “bless your heart”.

This entire story is a bit of a mess, but its an intentional mess on the authors part. Between Low’s obsession with Freya, her hippie family, her entire personality, its all a mess. And then Jamie’s desperation for a baby, her desire to have a real friend, her relationship with Brian, all just a mess. Don’t even get me started on the worlds biggest pushover Max – I hated Max about 95% of the time because he is a DOORMAT. Literally anything Freya says is cool – “hey hunny can I shove you down the stairs?” Sure thats fine!
He is an absolute wreck of a person and I feel like this entire story would’ve been different if Max just showed the tiniest bit of a backbone.

There’s honestly not too much else I can say about this story without giving away too much. It’s an absolute disaster, its full of unlikeable characters, but its the type of disaster you just can’t look away from. You’ll cringe whenever Low does something super creepy, or when Jamie gives Freya the benefit of the doubt for the umpteenth time, or basically anytime the husbands do something stupid. You’ll want to throw the book, curse out the characters, tell them to just get some common sense, but you won’t be able to stop.

I really enjoyed this book, and there were moments that I never would have guessed were coming. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a new thriller, or anyone who just wants a fast-paced read.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher Gallery/Scout Press for a free galley of The Swap in exchange for my honest review. OMG this might be the craziest, most drama-filled book I've read in a long time... and Freya, a fame-obsessed social media influencer, might just be the most seemingly normal yet deranged character ever. Or maybe that award goes to her #1 follower, Swallow aka "Low," a recent high-school graduate from a polyamorous family whose infatuation with Freya may be more than just a healthy teenage crush... can we say stalker? Or should we hand over the award to Jamie, Freya's newly-minted best friend, who after years of dissapointing attempts to have a baby, decides to give in to Freya's pestering and let loose a bit by doing some 'shrooms on a Tuesday night.... and then swapping husbands for a sexual encounter. Did I mention The Swap is chock full of drama? These three characters are all careening into one massive train wreck that you won't be able to turn away from. I don't consider this to be a thriller, but it's definitely a quick, easy-read that you won't want to put down. The perfect solution for some mindless entertainment this summer.

Special thanks to Robyn, NetGalley and Gallery Books for the advanced readers copy! This was another fantastic read!

Freya, the beautiful former social media influencer, Low, a lanky teenager with a crush and Jamie, the woman who yearns to be a Mom. Three very different personalities on a small, free island. This book explores abuse at the hands of a woman, crushes that are not reciprocated, lust, partner sharing, and so much more.

This read was addicting, it was hard to put down and easy to get into. It wasn’t a straight shot book that you can predict what will happen, you think you do but, the twists turn that around.

Robyn Harding is extremely talented and I loved The Arrangement, her last book so, I had a good feeling I’d love this one too and I was right. Highly recommend this one!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Do yourself a favor and read this!

One night of drug induced decisions and NO ONE's life will ever be the same.

WOW... after having read The Arrangement last year by Harding I was a fast fan of Harding for life. Talk about another shit show party here we come.

HOLY shit balls... haha I can ALWAYS count on Harding to have the craziest, dark, and delusional characters in her thrillers.

I can't quite put my finger on who I loved more? Low or Freya? Everyone loves miss Freya over here top notch beauty with her instagram handle at it's finest. Low and Jamie are playing a game of cat and mouse to win over best friend award for Freya.

But, then you have the mix of Freya's husband Max and Jamie's husband Brian. One night of having a party with drugs and these two couples land themselves in a delusional hot mess of a train wreck.

I can't tell you much more about this plot... other than this is twisty and fun fast paced thriller that you don't want to miss. I have to say that I loved The Arrangement more but this is equally as fun!!

Overall, I can't wait to see what Harding comes out with next year!

4 stars!

Thank you so much to Gallery and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Pub date: 6/23/20
Published to GR: 6/29/20

Ah I love books about obsessions! They feel a little bit more sinister than just a run of the mill psychological suspense novel. And this one was exactly that - just a tad more sinister, darker, evil.

The story is told from multiple points of view. The main being a teenager who is a little lost in the love department. She's not sure of her own sexuality, and finds it easy to obsess over a love interest. This time her love interest becomes Freya - a beautiful, rich, charming and a bit crazy woman.

The story is about Freya and something imminent that the book hints at right from the beginning. Freya pulls people into her orbit, manipulates them, and you're just waiting for all of it to crash. Add the weird teenager, who adds a level of creepiness and you got yourself a great suspense novel.

It lost a bit of steam at about 70% for me, as it seemed like it became a domestic drama and not really an obsession story anymore. But the end redeemed it for me. Those last lines per perfection. I loved Low and her weirdness, she's definitely going to be added to my list of favorite grey characters.

Definitely recommend this.

You sense, long before the appropriately named Low does, that the bright shiny Freya is not nearly as bright and shiny as her ethereal Nordic beauty would have you believe. The same goes for Jamie, who, at twice Low's age, really ought to know better. But the devil takes a pleasing shape, so Low and Jamie don't merely allow Freya into their lives, they keep pulling her closer and closer, deeper and deeper, refusing to loosen their grips.

On the surface, Low and Jamie don't have much in common. Low is a recent high school graduate who feels untethered. She's 6'1" and lives with an unconventional family, two things that separate her socially and emotionally from her classmates, people she's known since birth. She is, in fact, socially and emotionally disconnected from everyone in her life. "Low" may be short for Swallow, but in this case, it could be short for lonely.

Jamie, meanwhile, has just moved with her husband Brian to the tiny northwestern island, where they hope a change of location will help them overcome a recent heartbreak. Whereas Low knows a lot of people but has no connection with them, Jamie knows no one and is almost afraid to do so. She does not want to reveal what brought her to the island.

Freya shares a name with the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility, sees something in Low and Jamie that she can exploit. There will be times when you want to reach into the pages, grab Low and Jamie by their shoulders, and shout at them to please stop wanting Freya. For Low, the pain that comes from Freya's games carries a sharp bite. She finally believes she has found a friend--a connection--only to be left doubting and wanting. Jamie's pain is more visceral. Not only does she put herself at emotional risk, she makes herself physically vulnerable as well.

Robyn Harding uses four narrators: Low, Jamie, Brian, and Freya's husband Max. We don't spend much time in the men's minds (this is largely Low and Jamie's show), and I'm not quite sure what purpose their perspectives serve. Max is undeveloped from start to finish, lurking on the fringes of the story like a bit player unsure of whether he is talented enough for more lines. Brian is a bit more fleshed out, but it feels as if he gets chapters because Harding thinks we need to know why he does what he does. I don't think that's necessary.

There aren't twists and turns--you know what's happening, and you can see things that Low and Jamie cannot--but Harding does have a surprise or two for you. She also leaves some questions unanswered, particularly where Freya and Max's marriage is concerned. You're given some insights but left still curious and confused.

You won't be able to put the book down, so set aside some time and get to reading. Then please come back here, hit up the comments, and let me know what you think. I liked this book a whole lot, and I'd love to talk about it with you. If you're looking for a book club selection, this one has plenty to unpack.

This had me HOOKED. The characters, plot, twists...I LOVED EVERYTHING! This was easily one of my top 5 reads this year!

Wow! This book was so much more complex than I initially expected. The characters and storyline are so unique and interesting. I didn’t want to put it down!

When an author introduces a character who is just too beautiful, too perfect, you know there's trouble brewing! Throw in her charismatic but troubled husband, and it's a recipe for disaster.

When two other women in the small town that Freya and her husband Max have moved to become obsessed with Freya, it becomes a contest to see which one of them survives the friendship. One is a teenager, whose family background leaves her clinging for the acceptance of someone like Freya, who takes her on board as a pottery student, but then takes advantage of their friendship. The other, Jamie, is just looking for friendship after a disappointing attempt at adoption.

Freya takes advantage of both women's affection, and drags both her husband Max and Jamie's husband Brian into her manipulations.

I enjoyed Harding's previous books, and this one was a thrilling read!

Amazon review: https://www.amazon.com/review/R2FXZ5IPXUAIHY/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Whew! What an interesting group of people and crazy lifestyles! Fast paced and definitely a psychological mystery thriller that will hold your attention. Others and the jacket cover give details of characters and story so I'm not going there. It's a quick read and has some controversial lifestyles in it and a few disturbing events, but it's fiction to read and enjoy!
I received this book as a complimentary advanced copy. I was under no obligation to provide a review. The opinions expressed are my own.
Thanks to the author,publisher,and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

What a fast paced, enjoyable thriller. This is my first Robyn Harding book and let me just tell you that I will be looking into her other novels. She’s phenomenal. From the very beginning I was hooked. The characters were all over the map and the situations they were going through. I was guessing until the very end. This was most definitely a guilty pleasure for me to read.

Geez, these are crazy people! The story takes place in the Pacific Northwest on a small island. There, a disgraced hockey player named Max buys a beautiful retreat to start a new life with his gorgeous, charismatic wife, Freya. She is a potter and advertises for students. One answering the call is a teenaged misfit loner named Low (short for Swallow), the daughter of hippies who practice free love. In fact, the whole island has a history of being fairly experimental regarding sex, including swap parties.

So when Max and Freya make 'couple' friends with fellow newcomers, Jamie and Brian, the idea of swapping begins to float, especially once drugs ease the inhibitions...but with unintended consequences.

Freya is the kind of character that I don't think I've ever met in 'real' life, thank goodness--manipultive, even evil, but who can get away with almost anything because of her physical attractiveness and charm. I'm a firm believer that people show you who they really are--so believe them! Don't keep going back just to be hurt again! 'Oh, but she loves me!' How many strikes does a friend get before you decide they are out of your life for good? And good riddance?

This is a wicked, entertaining read--pack it in your getaway bag this summer. (If anyone can get away this summer!)

I received an arc from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Robyn Harding never fails to deliver the goods!

I have mixed feelings about this book for various reasons, most of which are SPOILER comments but I will try not to give anything away.

I will say, if you've read Ms Harding before and enjoyed her, I think you will also enjoy this novel.

The Swap is what I could label a "trigger" book. There are some darker themes/topics that might be too sensitive for many readers- including but not limited to: domestic abuse, violence,infidelity,sexual awareness/awakening.

The Swap is told from multiple view points, something that I usually don't mind but somehow it feels lacking here? I don't know if that's the right words? I'm trying to say that the characters lack - well - character maybe? I didn't have strong feelings/connection either way for ANY of them. This made it hard for me to really really like the book.It's about a 3.5 -but I'd up it to four if asked where I'd round it off LOL-Star read.

Don't get me wrong - I still enjoyed it and do recommend it, because it is one of those novels bound to open up a world of questions and conversation based on the themes/topics. The plot development and pacing of this book make it shine, plus if you aren't hooked with that opening...(and that ending...)

The Swap was my first Robyn Harding book and I was honestly amazed by the writing and the pace of the novel. This is a story of deceit, manipulation, debauchery and resentment between two couples and an outlier teenager.

Freya & Max - popular, until a freak accident destroyed Max’s Hockey career and forced them to move to an island in the middle of nowhere.

Jamie & Brian - need a change in environment after there hopes of adopting a child was shattered by a scam and Brian needed to calm his mind so that he can work on his book deal.

Low - an abnormal teenager who finds hard to make friends, for which she blames on her polyamorous family.

Freya and Low click when Low takes Freya’s pottery class, and all is well until Jamie comes along and Low is left alone again. Low feels betrayed by Freya and deliberately wants to split them up, because Low has this unexplainable attraction towards Freya. One night after an innocent Magic mushroom party, the couples swap their partners which paves a way for Low to create a wedge between them.

This may sound like a normal rural setting story, but the backstabbings and manipulations start after this. This is definitely not a unique story, but it kept my attention and even though I guessed the ending, I didn’t stop reading. Its that good!

The characters were well suit the story. I hated Freya from the beginning I could see right through her shiny beautiful facade. I felt sad for Jaime and Low because they felt the need to impress Freya!! Why though?! Its justified that Jaime and Low had Freya as their only friend in the whole Hawking Island, but why didn’t they realise Freya was a b***h sooner?! I never understood that..

I felt that the author should have added more backgrounds to the husbands and I felt it weird to not mention any small town talks about these people. Small towns love their gossips and they love to talk.. if that part were included, this would’ve been a 5⭐️ read. The ending although was a but predictable had a small twist which actually made me feel bad for the husbands.

4.25/5 ⭐️

Thank you Netgalley, Robyn Harding and Gallery for the ARC. This review is my own and not influenced in anyway!