When I started reading this book, I recognized that the story could be predictable. It was a bit predictable in the end but that’s what I enjoyed about it. I liked the variety of characters and found the backgrounds of Cassie and James to be interesting as they moved through their lives. This would be a must have book in your beach bag this summer!

A sweet romance, reminiscent of the Holiday, or the Flatshare. The characters are easy to like, despite James coming off as a bit unnecessarily abrupt in the first few chapters. The premise of the main characters switching houses for a few months was a bit weird, but did actually work really well and make for a great set up for the supporting characters to get just as much attention as the main ones, which was lovely to see.

It was both super cute and frustrating.

Allow me to set some thing straight before I say anything else. I loved the main couple. I think they are adorable together and they worked so great. I really enjoyed them. And I liked the overall plot and the book idea. It was good.

Now, this story was always moments away of being amazing and heart-breaking and I kinda can’t forgive the fact that it wasn’t. It’s weird when I find that I like all characters in a book and the author makes such a good job at creating authentic characters but I do feel motivations and in-depth inner monologues or some very serious introspective moments were missing from both main character and the result was a little bit lackluster. Like, take James’ motivations for not having children for example; I knew that it was going to result at then and while the struggle was there, I feel like it wasn’t hard enough. Long story short, I felt like when certain characters died in Infinity War and you knew they had contract for x number of movies so they’ll be back. That’s how I felt with all the stakes in this story.

Other than that, and I’ll argue that the lack of depth really hurt some important aspects of the book for me, I very much think this is a very funny and solid romance and I just wish it was more developed because the talent is there. And just another thing I like? The age. I feel like, as I get old and experience more stuff, I want the type of books I read or the stories I gravitate towards to reflect that a little bit. Not to say I'll dicth NA or YA, not at all of course fuck no but I like all these 30 someting people and their stories.

I was pleasant surprise by this novel,mostly because I didn't enjoy very much the previous work of this author.
Basically I was very skeptical from the beginning but it reminds me so much of the movie "holiday"…yes you know the classic one very cheesy and romantic one...
This is very sweet and feel good about yourself book. Very easy read, funny and yes little bit predictable but it's very difficult to be absolutely original especially in this gender.


Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Mein Leseerlebnis

“The House Swap” war ein recht unterhaltsames Buch, das mich vor allem in der ersten Hälfte gut unterhalten konnte. Die Idee mit dem Häusertauch finde ich generell spannend und auch wenn die Gründe für diesen auf mich doch sehr konstruiert wirkten, hat dieser Aspekt des Romans gut für mich funktioniert.

Die beiden Hauptcharaktere waren interessant, es fehlte beiden meiner Meinung nach aber an Tiefe. Hier und da wirkten Cassie und James auf mich wie echte Personen, zumeist waren sie aber “nur” etwas blasse Charaktere in einem Buch.

James fand ich als Charakter zudem teils unsympathisch, vor allem am Anfang der Geschichte. Gegen Ende konnte ich mehr mit ihm anfangen.

Wie auch den Rest fand ich die Liebesgeschichte ganz nett, aber leider nicht so einnehmend, dass ich nicht genug von ihr bekommen konnte.

Ganz ehrlich, “The House Swap” ist eines dieser Bücher, das beim Lesen ganz nett ist und man danach sofort wieder vergisst. Tiefe Emotionen sind beim Lesen in mir nicht aufgekommen. Daher habe ich zu dem Roman auch nicht allzu viel zu sagen. 🖤🖤🖤

Für wen?

Wer eine kurzweilige Lektüre sucht und Geschichten mit Häusertausch mag, sollte mal in eine Leseprobe reinschauen. Erwartet aber bitte nicht ein so tolles und emotionales Buch wie “The Flatshare” (Love to Share - Liebe ist die halbe Miete).

First off I´d like to thank NetGalley & Bookouture for this advanced reader copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Pros: - I really liked the whole idea of a house swap and the setting (an island in Maine, London).
- The animals were a cute addition to the story
- I enjoyed the friendships with the side characters (neighbors etc.)

Cons: - I just could not get into the love story of the main characters. James was such a jerk in the beginning and then all of a sudden he has this change of heart and does a 180. It was way too sudden for me.
- Missed fun banter

Overall I think the book just wasn´t for me personally, but I think other readers could really enjoy it.
If you enjoy non-smutty enemies to friends to lovers stories this might be right up your alley.

I was drawn to this book based on the cover, and the promise of cute and sweet meet cute, featuring a housing swap ala the holiday. I have made it 25% through the book and keep hoping it's going to be cuter, funnier, sweeter. But the characters are coming across flat and I find myself bored while reading. This is going into my DNF pile.

Thank you Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Cassie and James swap houses - USA and UK. James is looking to escape after breaking up with his girlfriend, and Cassie is in London to meet her publisher and also to have IVF.
They strike up a friendship - can it ever be more when Cassie wants a baby and James is adamant that he doesn't want children?
An enjoyable read, and I liked now it is told from both of their points of view. Some great characters, especially Cassie's neighbours!

This book was entertaining and wasn’t overly sweet/romantic. Even though I felt it was a bit predictable, it was enjoyable. The pace is slow but chemistry starts to flow about 50% into the book. I liked that both characters had their issues, were working through them and how the romance unfolded. I was a bit disappointed we as readers weren’t in on some of Cassie and James’ conversations via messages and phone calls or in places like the pub. I felt it would have provided more of the chemistry I was looking for within.

Overall, I think the subjects in the book were a bit heavier than I was expecting with the baby/IVF/addiction storylines. That being said I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a slow burn with some heavier topics.

I want to thank NetGalley, the author and publisher for the e-ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are honest, my own and left voluntarily.

4 stars

A cute (fr)enemies to lovers clean romance reminiscent of “The Holiday” (yes, that gloriously cheesy film starring the gorgeous Cameron Diaz!), featuring an uptight CEO with (initially) the emotional range of a teaspoon & a writer who has 3 alpacas & 11 chickens & wants to be a mum. They’re adorably not on the same wavelength & annoy each other to no end when they swap homes for a few months, finding love & fielding spotty wifi issues along the way.

[What I liked:]

•The writing & dialogue are genuinely hilarious at points! Over all, good prose.

•Alpacas!! Yes, I’m a sucker for alpacas. You should be too.

•Okay so the romance is cute, but the love is really deep. The MC’s have to work through some serious stuff, & it was honestly so rewarding to see them grow & figure it out & be together!

•There are lots of great side characters! All the island neighbors, James’ neighbors & mates, Cassie’s parents, Jennifer, etc.


[What I didn’t like as much:]

•Minor quibble, but sometimes Cassie’s American neighbors in Maine spoke using British phrases, which felt odd to me.

•Cassie & James are a very unlikely couple, it was a little hard for me to buy their attraction early on. James is a bit lacking in emotional intelligence, & Cassie is a person who is so emotionally deep. But James does grow a lot, so I started buying it 50% into the story.

•This is mainly due to my genre preferences, but for the first 50% of the story the pacing felt really slow. I mean there’s no drama or action or mystery, so until the emotional & relationship stuff started getting deep I wasn’t fully engaged. But it was definitely worth it to keep reading, it did eventually get really good & emotionally satisfying! (The pacing is what you’d expect for a contemporary romance; I just usually like romances with some action better.)

CW: addiction, infertility struggles

[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]

Cassie and James need some changes. James needs to get away from London and his ex-girlfriend (and perhaps the funniest scene I've ever read in a the opening pages of a book?) and Cassie needs to get to London from Maine to research her new book. So what better way to get away than to swap houses? They each fall in love with each other's space right away. But they don't just swap houses, they begin to open up to other and each other. Soon James and Cassie are spending hours on the phone with each other getting to know the person who lives in their temporary home. But will swapping houses also lead to giving away their hearts?

I really loved this book. It's funny, enduring, sweet, and just makes you feel good. It's the kind of book you can read and smile, and right now, a year into a pandemic, isn't that what we all need right now? Something comforting and fun. I can't wait to read more by Jo Lovett!

*I was provided an ARC by Netgalley and the publisher for my honest opinion.

*special thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review!

3 stars
I wanted to read this one because the premise sounds a lot like The Holiday!

I really like their individual storylines and their personal character development throughout.
However, I think the romance was missing some magic for me, and I think that is because for some of the novel they are apart. I also felt like when they were together there were a lot of things as readers we were not a part of. I would’ve liked to see more things first hand than being told about them later.
Also, the very end is a little irksome to me. I would liked a million other reasons for them to get together.

Overall, a pretty cute romance, I just wish we could’ve witnessed more of the things we are told about.

The House Swap is about two people with very different lives who swap houses, the title sums it up well.
Cassie is a writer whose agent wants her to set her next series of books in London and James is a venture capitalist who needs to escape from a very messy breakup. As expected in this rom-com set up the two are complete opposites and clash right from the start.
Overall I would say this book is fine. I liked the setup and genuinely enjoyed James and Cassie's relationship and how it developed in the second half of the book. But what was hard for me to get past was the complete 180 James's character takes. At the start of the book, he is cold and distant and starts befriending Cassie just to buy her land to build a hotel. Then about 50% into the book that is just dropped, along with his ex-girlfriend who is mentioned once when Cassie arrives in London and then is never heard from again. I do like where he ends up, but I felt like the shift was sudden and the reasoning wasn't there. It was almost like the author decided that he needed to change so he could end up with Cassie.
On the other hand, I liked Cassie as a character. I loved her connections to her neighbors, both in Maine and in London. Her growth was much more subtle and realistic to me.
This is a sweet book, and I enjoyed reading it, I laughed out loud at a few parts but it just lacks some depth.

Initial Thoughts:
I’m getting distinct “The Holiday” vibes, with just a touch of “The Lake House.”

One sentence plot summary:
Two 30 somethings get more than they bargained for when they swap each other’s houses, and romance ensues.

My thoughts on the book:
I read this book in one sitting, even being so bold as to subtly prop my kindle up to the left of my dinner plate - at least until the husband saw and gave me a disappointed look. I thought the story flowed really well at first and kept you reading. The ending was a little clunky and wrapped up slightly too tidily.

James was a total ass at the start of the book and somehow had a miraculous transformation into a loving, dreamy protagonist. I think the author’s point was that Cassie and her lifestyle changed him, but it felt a little convenient.

I forgot that British writing often uses single quotation marks, and it’s remarkable how much that threw me as I was reading. It was hard at times to distinguish between thoughts voiced out loud and internal thoughts of the characters.

All in all, I liked this book and found it compelling. I feel like I’ve given 3-star ratings to books I liked a lot more, but it isn’t a 2-star book by any means as it was well-written.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for sharing a digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

4 1/2.

I really liked this one, even though it's not completely perfect. The writing is really good and the settings worked great for the characters' needs.

Let's talk about Cassie and James. I can't remember a pair of main characters that grew as much as they did throughout the story, especially James. He was such a jerk in the beginning, and by the end, he had really grown on me.

I couldn't see at first how the house swap would be a medium that would bring them together and interacting, but it did, and they were able to grow into friendship and attraction, and eventually more.

I loved the island and all the neighbors and animals in Maine, and the neighbors in London, and they all related to Cassie and James.

The ending was perfect and I highly recommend this book!

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

The House Swap didn't work for me. It was well written, but I didn't connect with the characters. I was completely uninterested in the baby aspect of the story. Obviously, your mileage may vary. We'll still buy a copy for our library.

The House Swap was a classic enemies to lovers story! It was a light, slow burn, and closed door romance ( left everything to the imagination!). Cassie and James both have their reasons for needing a get away. They chose each other for a house swap, a relatively new and remarkable concept. I wondered how they’d be able to fall for each other when they were miles away, but I was pleased to read how their romance unfolded.
In the first chapter, I felt like him knowing a girl for a full year and not being as into the relationship seemed a little outlandish. Maybe 4-6 months would have been more believable. Perhaps that was to show how unaware James was to the feelings of others. However, it was a very funny opening to have James fleeing from a stalker ex! I liked how’d James changed his demeanor after staying a few months on the island. It was satisfying to see him breakout of his shell and join in on community activities. I don’t think I would have enjoyed it as much if James continued to be unfriendly and closed off. Some great character development!!
I loved Cassies character! She’s expressive, friendly, and knows what she wants in life... a baby. This novel tackled difficult issues with pregnancy and IVF treatment. A topic that is not typically used.
What a perfect ending! I consumed the last few chapters. Everything tied together so well and made me smile! No spoilers, but I can tell you it’s worth the read.

The House Swap is a lighthearted story which is easy to read. The story is told by both viewpoints and I found James' character irritating at first and I'm never a fan of the "crazy ex-girlfriend" trope. However he did start to redeem himself throughout the novel. I thought Cassie's desire to commence IVF was interesting and I really liked the main characters were in their mid to late 30s as so many romances feature women in their 20s. 

However, despite touching on heavier issues, I felt the story was a bit superficial. I didn't feel any real chemistry between the two main characters. I actually preferred it when they were bickering! There was just a bit too much of a personality change in James to feel authentic and the ending was cliched and predictable. I love a happy ever after ending but I was left feeling a bit underwhelmed.

My full review can be found at https://mmbbookblog.com/the-house-swap-by-jo-lovett-book-review/

Cassie is a successful author living in a beautiful, rural area in the US. James is a very successful businessman living in central London.

Both are looking for a change of scenery and they decide to swap houses for a few months. Each are facing decisions for very different futures and both are dealing with trauma from years before wondering if they will ever comes to term with the past to enable them to move forward.

Cassie and James are both thirty somethings so this felt a little different to your average book and I thought the story was different and had a lot to offer.

What does the future hold for each of them and will their long distance friendship help them to deal with the hidden heartbreaks they have both endured so they can truly move on ?

The characters were so relatable and likeable. I want to house swap with Cassie myself!

The style of writing really appealed to me and I found myself flying through the story. We have alternate chapters from both Cassie and James’ viewpoint.

A wonderful story of coming to terms with grief and learning to live again. I would definitely recommend.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The whole time I was reading this book, I was thinking “I wish I had an extra copy to give to my mum to read too”. It was just so cute ! I loved both of the main characters and their groups of friends. However, the main character was a little bit baby obsessed and these bits of the book did make me want to put it down at times... it just wasn’t something I was interested in reading about... but I loved the friendships they make at their respective ‘swap’ locations and how they got to know each other remotely. I do think if I’d have known in advance about how baby obsessed the main character was I wouldn’t have read the book....