Thank you Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My rating: ★★★

When I first read the synopsis of this book, being the great The Holiday fan that I am, I screamed: YES!!! It's absurd to me that there aren't more books with the same premise, because what could go wrong, right?

Right.

I think my expectations ruined a bit the book for me. It's not like I think that it's bad, per se, hence my 3 stars, because it was a fun, entertaining read, but I felt like I needed a bit more flavor, you know?

It's a light, cute book, and I'm sure people who are looking for romcoms to spend an afternoon under the covers, maybe this is the book for it. Nothing life-changing, just a great time to pass the time.

Entertaining RomCom for a light summer, beach read.
The story revolves around a banker,James, who decides to swap houses with a writer, Cassie. They both need a change of scenery and time away.
Though the story line is a bit cheesy and quirky, it was a sweet read.
Thank you to NetGallery, Bookouture and author, Jo Lovett for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.

I have not yet had time to read this novel before the archive date. I am looking forward to reading it and once I do, I will come back and leave a proper review!

This was unfortunately a no from me.

I had high hopes for this book, the house swap trope sounded great, similar to The Holiday. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me. I liked Cassie a lot more than James. He was just written as a horrible person so well in the first section of the book, that I couldn't get past it. It also seemed jumpy from sub-plot to sub-plot, which made it a difficult read. The plot has real potential, but unfortunately, I didn't think it lived up to much of it.
I also could, unfortunately, tell the author hadn't spent much time in Maine since right towards the beginning, she described it as pristine white beaches with bright blue water... if you have ever been to Maine, that's not it!

Overall, I was fairly disappointed,

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

I started this book absolutely hating one of the main characters and was worried that I wouldn't love the book because of that.

BUT that's just part of the fantastic journey of this story!! You actually fall in love with all of the characters, even the ones who you can't stand. I actually found myself getting very emotional at times, and that never happens when I'm ready your basic everyday rom com.

And this is everything but that. It centers on Cassie, a woman living on a remote island off the coast of Maine, and James, a finance dude living in London. They decide to swap home for 6 months, as she needs to visit London for work, and he needs to escape from everything for a while. It takes James a bit to get adjusted, but Cassie spreads sunshine and kindness wherever she goes. These two DO NOT hit it off, to say the least, but they find themselves in constant contact as they settle in to each other's homes. And then eventually, they realize that they actually enjoy each other, and.......NO SPOILERS, but it's absolutely wonderful.

This lively cast of characters support the two main ones, and provide absolute joy and delight on every page. I highly recommend this book to people who love love. Warning: There is a discussion of a lost pregnancy, for anyone who may be triggered by that.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!!

CW: addiction, infertility struggles

This is a cute, fun story about these two very different people from two very far apart countries who needs to swap house for different reasons. James is this very serious city boy from London who just needs an escape from his old life and Cassie is this Glaswegian living in an island in Maine who needs to take necessary step towards her goal in life.

As they swap houses for the next six months, their old lives interfere with each other’s and they don’t get off on a good start as James’s stalker ex comes annoying Cassie and loner James gets a taste of the island life and having to socialize with the neighbors. They then constantly text and call each other to work out each of their problems and from there, their friendship start to bloom.

I really enjoyed reading this book! I loved the near-enemies to lovers, opposite attract kind of romance between James and Cassie! I also really love their friendships with each other’s neighbors.

I have to admit that I struggled getting through until 30% of this book because James was such AN ASS. I was fuming with anger with how curt and cold he was to everyone and I was annoyed reading his POV but as headjusted to the island life, he started opening up and I found him to be more likeable. I loved his genuine care for the alpacas and chickens and for Cassie’s neighbors especially Laura! He’s also such boyfriend material with how he can bake a mean cake 🙈 Cassie was such quirky character and I loved her to bits!! I felt so sad for her during her pregnancy journey even though it’s not something I want myself.

I enjoyed most of the middle part of the book but towards the last 25%, it felt a bit dragging? And too insta-love like. For some reason, I can’t find it in myself to feel that James was genuine but I just went along with the story for enjoyment’s sake.

Another personal issue for me was that this book’s smut was fade to black but that’s just me. I just wished we had more descriptions because with the sexual tension and chemistry they had, it would’ve been amazing to read about.

Overall, this was a quick, lighthearted read that I enjoyed mostly! I highly recommend when you just want to escape for a little while and read a really good, sweet romance!

I ended up DNFing at 16%. I didn't like James character and I couldn't get into the writing because of it.

This book was such a cute read and I absolutely loved it! The banter between the two main characters Cassie and James made this story very relatable and loveable. More often then I think we like to admit, first impressions tend to play an important role in creating friendships or relationships. The first impression of Cassie and James was not off to a good start, with both characters living very different lives and having very different personalities. Through their adventure of a house swap, James learns how to open up to others around him and create relationships with neighbours and other people in the community, where Cassie learns to take a few risks to try and accomplish her goals and dreams. Between the two exploring their new lives in their new homes, they both try to make the best of their new found life and how they each fit into it. I absolutely loved this story and all the characters you meet along the way!

Cassie is a children's book writer with writer's block. Her editor suggests that she come to live in London and see if new scenery can shake something loose. Cassie is hesitant because she's built her life in America for the last five years. Returning overseas might help her write her last few books but it also might bring up all of the feelings for the reasons she left. But it will be closer to an in vitro clinic and she wants a baby terribly. So she lists her house on a swap site.
James has been dating a woman for nine months but doesn't think it's very serious. She, however, does. And has created all sorts of expectations around that assumption. Expectations that, when not fulfilled at her birthday, cause her to become The Vengeful Ex. It's time for James to get out of town. So he lists his house on the same swap site and they come to an agreement for the course of several months.
During that time, they don't see each other in person very often but they do exchange emails and phone numbers and slowly grow closer together. However, there are large jumps in time that make it hard to really see any true connection between the two with most of the relationship being off-page.
I very much appreciated that the h/h were a little older (in their mid- to late-thirties.) It's more believable that they could be so successful in their jobs. I wish there had been more in the description about Cassie's search to have a baby. That is a HUGE plot point and takes over most of the back half of the book. There were also a number of smaller plot points that, had there been fewer, they could have been explored better making the book richer. Things like Jame's dead sibling and parent, his failing relationships with his only remaining family, Cassie's friendships on both sides of the ocean, James's friendships (or lack there of), Cassie's struggles with her writing, the difference between James and Cassie on listmaking the man James had made redundant, his ex-girlfriend's apparent in ability to let go, etc. Each of these was brought up and I thought "This will be a fun plot point later" and then it was resolved in almost buried single sentences. Even James's aversion to children which was built up and built up was resolved really quickly. If plot moppets could be anything other than children, these were all plot moppets, introduced solely to show one aspect of a character or relationship then moved quickly off page.
Overall a fast read but so much concentration was put on having children (with most of the "interesting" plot points going to that) that any other development for characters, place, relationship, or literally any other plot point was left behind.

Three stars
This book comes out April 18th, 2021
ARC kindly provided by Bookouture and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Being The Holiday one of my favorote movies, I was really excited for this book that has a similar premise.
At first it was a little slow start for me but as I continued reading, it started to being easier to read.
I over all enjoyed Cassie's quirkyness and how James charachter was developing.
This book is ideal for someone searching a cute, quirky slowburn with lower steam level

CW: Grief, infertility, and miscarriage

Such a fun read! Loved the slow burn of the story and the slight enemy-to-lovers trope. Also a reference to miscarriage and the desire to have a baby. Both the characters in the story have moments of self realisation.

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture and the author Jo Lovett for an ARC of The House Swap! The premise of this book reminds me of one of my favourite Christmas movies, The Holiday🤍

After a huge falling out with his psycho stalker ex girlfriend, James decides he needs to get out of the city of London for a while. His friends tell him about a site called SwapBnB which is exactly what it sounds like, a house swap.

Cassie lives on an island somewhere in Maine. She’s an author and her next series of books is set to take place in London. Her publishers push her to move to London for a period of time so she can research the city where her characters live. Her publisher tells her about a site called SwapBnB and that’s where Cassie meets James.

Cassie and James swap houses for 6 months. The two of them couldn’t be more different. From their lifestyle to the decor of their homes, they’re opposites. Their differences cause a lot of tension at first but before long they’re talking on the phone every day, giving each other updates on their neighbours and their lives.

Cassie and James develop a deep and meaningful friendship through their daily phone calls and they begin to fall for each other. But can they make their relationship work after they swap back houses?

I honestly found James to be very unlikable and I was surprised the author made him out to be such a meanie. For me, he never really redeemed himself but his character did show a lot of growth by the end of the book. I really loved Cassie’s character from beginning to end.

This book was a light and easy read. I loved the premise but wasn’t crazy about the love story between James and Cassie since James was such a tool in the beginning.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

I had high hopes for this book, as I love the house swap trope, and this book was compared to The Holiday, a movie I have watched far too many times. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me. I liked Cassie a lot more than James. He felt manipulative, and only after his own agenda the entire story. It also seemed jumpy, and I found myself having to go back more than once to see if I missed things. The plot has real potential, but unfortunately, I didn't think it lived up to much of it.

Overall, I was fairly disappointed,

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Let’s start at the end for this review. We all know how 99.9% of romances end, right? It’s not the ending necessarily that we’re wanting to wow us; it’s the journey the author takes us on to get there.

Y’all. Jo Lovett wrote ONE. CUTE. JOURNEY.

A banker from London with a tough exterior and a deeply hidden past trades his messy life to hide away on an island off of Maine. A kid’s writer with dreams of being a mom and a career that’s taking off decides to stay in London to develop plots for her next few books. Their homes are perfect for each other after connecting on SwapBNB. I definitely got “The Holiday” movie vibes.

What I appreciated so much about this book was the character development. The way each character flourished in their new environments and grew as people both separately and together made the story irresistible.

The first 50 pages or so I was slightly skeptical about this book simply because if I’m going to love a romance, it has to be special. And I was waiting for that feeling. Let me tell you, I got ALL the feelings. If you need a feel-good story, this is it!

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for the advanced digital galley of The House Swap by Jo Lovett in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw some reviews that compared The House Swap to the movie The Holiday, I knew that I wanted to read it, and I am so glad I did. There were so many elements of The House Swap that I enjoyed — the long distance (slow burn) romance, the quirky cast of side characters, James and Cassie.

I will say that I was a little surprised by some of the content because for a book described as “A funny and utterly gorgeous feel-good romance”, The House Swap dealt with some heavy themes. It would have been nice going into to know that infertility, miscarriage, and grief plays a large role in the story. None of this is mentioned in the summary of the book and that does a disservice to readers who might find these topics difficult to jump into without warning (nevertheless in a book described as “feel-good”). Overall I enjoyed the book but couldn’t write my review without mentioning this aspect.

I would recommend this for fans of romance novels with heart and those looking for a happily ever after with a lower steam rating.

The House Swap is truly an experience. We follow the life of James and Cassie as individuals in their own world, individuals in the other person's world and eventually when they crossover.
James wants a break from the chaos of his life and Cassie needs a change for more opportunities. They enter their houses for a swapbnb and expect to continue with zero communication. However things never go as planned and their day to day life gets intertwined.
I was wondering how a romance would begin with such a setting of a house swap in different countries no less, but it did evolve in one of my favourite tropes and really enjoyed their back and forth banter. It was such a slow burn, and such a character centric book and their romance was so cute. Cute because it was a closed door romance and i would have liked to read a little steam because both the characterswere older, but I understand it is the author's wish.
For a book that has a pretty easy going stroyline it does deal with serious issues. James has had a difficult childhood which has molded him into a cynical person undeserving of having his own family. Cassie has had a rough few years of her own which made her seek solitude, but still keeps her energy high and likes getting involved with her neighbours. Throughout the story we see how well they both are for each other and how their own insecurities pull them back from having the best.
I liked how their ages showed in their life experience and their naiveness through doubt. It was a mature romance wherein they discussed the practicality of their situation towards the end as much as it frustrated me, I do appreciate how James' decision unfolded. After believing in something for his entire life, Cassie didn't deserve an impulse decision on his part.
I dove into this book for the concept and didn't want to know the storyline in advance, however, I feel some TW are necessary. Loss of family members, miscarriage, neglect. On the other hand the books focuses on the family they choose and friends they can rely on for the good and the bad. It is a well paced book even though it has time jumps but seriously with a story that like this, I want to see their progress than day to day chitchat.
The House Swap is my first book by Jo Lovett but this author is definitely going in my look out list. And James and Cassie will remain a memorable couple.

Cassie and James both need a break from their homes and their lives- so why not switch homes on different continents?
They find one another on a website made for house swapping and agree for a 6 mos swap.
James is escaping a crazy ex-girlfriend and looking for a quiet place to work away from London and Cassie’s cozy Maine beach house seems like the perfect place to be. But when the spotty WiFi and nosy neighbors mix up with Cassie reminding him of his ex showing up and how tightly wound he was back in London... the two find one another talking almost daily.
Is the house swap more than just a change in location or an update in life?

I loved this heartwarming romantic read, l especially loved the crazy antics that James and Cassie went through while switching houses, how their chemistry became more and more romantic as they got to know each other more, and I loved how they interacted with the neighbors in Maine and London. I definitely recommend this to all Romantics and fans of the movie The Holiday. It’s so reminded me of that movie throughout the story.

This is the sort of easy reading book that you can devour in one sitting! A quick, simple and predictable story but one that I lost myself in and thoroughly enjoyed. I loved the different settings - flashy flat in Holland Park, and cute island home in Maine. I liked both of the main characters, and the supporting casts of friends and family. Definitely the kind of enjoyable, romantic escapism that is nice to dip in to from time to time...

This book unfortunately fell flat for me. I was excited to read a book reminiscent of the Holiday but i just did not feel any connection between the two characters. There were a lot of time jumps that made the writing feel a little sloppy to me.