I started out disliking the hero so much that I thought this book would never win me over. But just as the hero, James, learned to lighten up and start interacting with other people, the book won me over. I enjoyed reading about how these two people, unlikely to meet given that one lived on a small island in Maine and the other lived in the heart of London, decided to swap houses and then began becoming long-distance friends as they communicated about their homes and communities.

One question I did have that was never touched on was how did Cassie get a visa that somehow allowed her to spend four-five years working in Maine writing her novels.

You have to suspend a whole lot of disbelief for the whole set-up of the book, but it’s a romance - what can we expect?

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

The overall writing of this book is well done, and the pacing is good. But I think this book just wasn’t for me. First of all, it was billed as a “funny and utterly gorgeous feel good love story“. There wasn’t one funny line in this book, and I don’t know anyone who would find the story funny. The disagreements and misunderstandings at the beginning of the story were just frustrating and anger inducing, not funny. The chemistry between Cassie and James was almost nonexistent, and a lot of the friendly overtures that James makes in the book seemed very out of character for him. But my biggest complaint with the book is that the baby/IVF storyline really should have been disclosed in the book description. There are readers who will find this content triggering, and readers who simply have no interest in reading about a baby-desperate woman. Just my opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley & Bookouture for this advanced reader copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

3 things I liked of this book & 3 things I didn't.

Likes
1_the house-swap storyline: it got me curious right from the start since I'd never read anything similar and it didn't disappoint
2_Cassie's house and life in the island: it felt cozy, peaceful and so charming; I also really wanted to be the one hugging Cassie's lamas!
3_The easygoing and friendly relationship that Cassie and James managed to form around the middle of the book: it seemed they could talk about anything and be a support one for the other even at distance. But this good point leads me to the bad ones.

Dislikes
1_James: I wasn't overly fond of him at the beginning (he was such a jerk) and while after a while he started to get better I never really connected to him. He changed so much around 35-40% of the book and it was a bit out of the blue to me. One minute he's trying to cozy up Cassie and the next one he's genuinely kind to her and her friends. I'm not saying I didn't like the change, it just wasn't as gradually unfolded as I'd have liked.
2_Cassie & James love story: I really liked them as friends but at the end of the book I realized I didn't like them as much as a couple. I felt as I didn't get a real chance to like them like that. The L-word was quite sudden, given their circumstances. I'm going to quote the words of another reviewer since they describe quite well what I think: "here was a lot of telling, and very little feeling or showing".
3_(I'll be as unspoilerish as possible) the 'trick' used to bring them back together after they had a fall apart: it was predictable and annoying at a certain level.

Overall ""The House Swap is an enjoyable enough book but I felt it lacked something on the romance department, maybe it's just me.

At last, I'd like to thank the author and NetGalley for the chance to read this book for free in exchange for an honest opinion

Jo Lovett’s previous book was very good but I absolutely loved this one. A good old fashioned romance conducted between two countries. Well described settings and lovely characters. A definite to add to your reading list.

Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for a ARC in exchange for a honest review.

2-2.5 stars

The concept of the book pulled me in with being similar to The Holiday, but this unfortunately hit the mark. I liked the story line with IVF as this is something many women go through and was nice to see included. I think the book was okay, but could have been better with a few changes. Including the attitudes of the main characters, I was so frustrated! Also, certain tropes used, particularly at the end which just ruins it for me and is a trope I hate.

Ultimately I think it could have been better with a few changes.

This was a super cute book! It was sweet and simple, but still incredibly fun.

I definitely enjoyed the beginning of this more than the end, but that's the case with most romances. The interactions and banter between James and Cassie were so funny, and I loved reading about them. I'm a fan of enemies-to-lovers, so their semi-hatred at the beginning had me hooked. The last 25% just got a bit too sweet for me, everything worked out too well.

But the real star of this book were the alpacas. Every time they showed up, i knew we were about to get an amazing scene. James slowly growing to care and worry about them was one of the best things I've ever read. Especially because he was some tough business man, and ended up crooning to an alpaca.

The concept of this was super unique, and it kept me hooked the entire time! It was a super fun read, and I'd definitely recommend it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Jo Lovett for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

This entertaining enemies to lovers Contemporary Romance follows Cassie a writer,who lives in a small island community in Maine and James,a venture Capitalist who owns a swanky flat in London - who decide to swap homes for the summer,using website swapbnb.

I liked the premise (very reminiscent of The Holiday) and thought it was quite entertaining. The romance between both characters takes quite a while to get going as they’re living on different continents,mostly communicating via texts and later phone calls.

We also get the backstory of both characters-which I both enjoyed and found quite tear—jerking (but I always cry a both happy and sad endings).

Overall, I did enjoy it. If you like Contemporary Romance and don’t mind a slow burn,enemies to lovers style romance-then you should check this out.

Also justed wanted to give a huge thank you to Bookouture and Net Galley for the ARC.

thanks to netgalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.

this had potential but unfortunately fell short to deliver. the writing was okay, but it was just very bland. nothing special about it and it bored me frequently. it didn’t feel like i was reading the story, more like the author dictating what happened. and what happened wasn't really that worth it, unfortunately. the characters were boring and predictable, done before in many ways. the romance between these two main leads was so frustrating to read. it wasn't enjoyable at all and i wasn’t invested in their relationship. maybe it was the writing or the set-up itself, but the whole thing felt forced and stiff.

This is one of those books that screams potential but falls through with the outcome. I honestly think this book could have been so good but there were so many small issues that made me dislike it.

The writing: okay, so there’s nothing wrong with it but it’s just plain, boring. I didn’t feel immersed in the story and it felt like the author was telling us what happened rather than showing us.
The characters: bland, boring and I have read them a thousand times. The guy (I can’t even remember his name at this point) was so annoying and seemed to think the world owed him a favour. It was frustrating to read.
The romance didn’t feel believable or even good. I wasn’t invested in their relationship and I honestly wouldn’t have put them two together in a million years. It was stiff and forced.

This book just wasn’t for me. I wanted a fun romance but this felt bland to me. I could see why someone else might like it - maybe a forty year old mum on holiday, but twenty two year old me? No.

I received this via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Entertaining but not exceptional. The premise is set forth in the title. A straightforward cozy (no steam) romance.

This is a funny and cute story. It's a bit enemies to friends to lovers (though there's no 'lovin' going on until near the end.) The two are both looking for an escape of sorts and decide to swap houses while they get away. He's the city boy and she is the country bumpkin. He is uptight and very British while she is a more carefree spirit. He comes across a bit brass in the beginning while she is quite friendly and likable. He warms up after awhile when he realizes that he actually enjoys the little island he's staying at... once he gets the internet working that is. Good thing she is a forgiving person and easily overlooks his previous behavior and sees the change in attitude he's recently showing. As the two become closer (via phone calls and text exchanges) they grown fond of one another, but they also have very different things they want on life. She desperately wants a baby and he basically wants nothing to do with settling down or starting a family. They got their work cut out for them if they want to have any sort of relationship. This is an easy read, that alternates between POVs. It is a clean read. (Any sexual content is behind closed doors.) There is talk about IVF treatments and also miscarriage's (so if you are sensitive to these topics you may want to go in with caution.) It's a well told story and the characters were well developed.

*I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley.

*Arc kindly given by NetGalley*

I tried to like this book that this wasn't it. The plot sounded super interesting at first but I got to 50% into the book and kept wondering where was the chemistry between the couple? Where was the tension? I understand that the romantic aspect of the plot intended to be mature due to the ages of the main characters but I feel like there's certain elements within the romantic genre that need to be in the story (every single cliché can be mastered and worked through creativity) and this story lacked them. This isn't necessarily a bad but there were times I forgot I was reading a love story, and that kind of is a big deal since we're talking about a romance book.

I love a good, cheesy, lighthearted romance every once in awhile, and that’s what I was hoping for in this book. Cassie and James swap houses and get to know each other over the course of 6 months, mostly over the phone. Cassie goes through IVF because she’s 37 and desperate for a baby, James runs away from a crazy ex-girlfriend because he doesn’t want commitment, and eventually they come together to figure out friendship and romance. I really liked the premise and storyline of this book, but unfortunately just wasn’t feeling any strong chemistry between Cassie and James.

I received this book for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley.
I fun Rom-com with ❤️ heart. Fun and sexy that had me hanging on every word!

I admit the premise of this book drew me in. What self respecting romance reader doesn't stop on The Holiday every single time its on tv? Such a classic love story movie that would make a delightful book. I assumed this book would be somewhere in that same realm so I obviously wanted to read it.

This turned out to be a trust me book. What I mean is a it'll get better, just trust me. The first half the characters seemed very one dimensional. James wasnt a man any woman should be interested in let alone sweet Cassie, and she was painted in an odds girl light that didn't match her personality. However, mid way thru its almost as if the author fleshed everyone out and their personalities truly came thru.

This is a good story and a good book, it just could have been a little better. If you get a chance to read this one, trust me its gets better. ❤

3.5 stars. Thank you to Jo Lovett, Net Galley, and the publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own.

Four and a half stars.

Cassie is a Glaswegian writer who relocated to a small island in Maine several years ago when her children's books became successful. Her wonderful, but pushy, agent wants her to set a new series of her books in London, a city that Cassie has rarely visited. She loves her quaint island with its patchy Wi-Fi and quirky neighbours.

James is a very successful venture capitalist. Determinedly single he is blind-sided when his half-hearted relationship with his girlfriend becomes conflated into an expected marriage proposal and then she won't take no for an answer.

The answer for James and Cassie is Swapbnb, James will swap his swanky flat in Central London for Cassie's rambling house in Maine and vice versa. Cassie and James couldn't be more different if they tried, she is desperate for a baby and intends to try IVF while she is in London, James never wants children. Cassie is sociable and friends with everyone she meets, while James doesn't even know his neighbours. Cassie left pages and pages of notes about her home, her animals, the locals and things to do in the local area, she even bought new bedding and filled the freezer with home-made food for James. James stripped his flat of towels, bedding and food ready for Cassie.

Although their interactions are prickly at first, 'why didn't you tell me there was only Wi-Fi at 3am?', 'why didn't you leave me any sheets or a pint of milk?' type of thing, they tentatively begin a long-distance friendship.

What I really liked about this novel was the maturity of the characters (both late 30s) and the way in which there was nothing forced about the romance. James comes back to the UK for his godson's christening but whereas in a rom-com he would have invited Cassie as his plus-one and the romance would have taken off like a rocket, in this book they meet briefly and chat then he returns to the US. It all feels very organic and grown-up. There's no teenage angst-fest, that's not to say that there isn't tension and 'reasons' but it all feels very real and unfolds over several months.

Just loved it!

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

I wanted so badly to like this book. It has a deeply charming premise and lovely locations and interesting side characters. But it felt like watching something through a snow globe, you can see what’s happening, but it’s at a distance and you can’t forget it’s not real.

I almost DNF’d at 35%, told myself if I still felt meh about it I would stop at 50% and then it got better. I was enjoying the story more, the characters were somewhat less annoying, and actually getting to know each other. Then about 75% in after a very closed door sex scene (ugh), I wished i had stopped at 35%. It never really recovered for me, and did not end at all satisfactorily.

There was a lot of telling, and very little feeling or showing in this book. All the pieces were there, but it just wasn’t quite right, and I never connected with the characters. Lots of scenes where the characters narrated (in third person) about how much they enjoyed a conversation they had together but that we as readers weren’t part of doesn’t actual endear readers to the characters. So the only reason the characters fall in love is because that’s how romance novels work, not because we can feel their chemistry and see how their lives start fitting together. So close, yet so far.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance copy, all opinions are my own,

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Truthfully, I found this book hard to get into at first. James seemed completely unlikeable, and I held out hope for a redemption arc. There was one, of sorts, although not everything was resolved (what happened to the man who lost his job? Did parenthood make James reconsider his rather cutthroat approach to doing business?) neatly.

I found the writing style quite dry, and the dialogue and interactions between the main characters didn’t strike me as particularly romantic, so I wasn’t that invested in their relationship.

It was an enjoyable enough read by the end though, with a sweet ending, and I loved the premise, as well as the alpacas :)

This was just an OK read for me. It wasn't exactly what I was looking for. I felt like the chemistry between the main characters was a bit lacking and I was looking for a little bit more development. Overall was a cute read. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was not for me. I struggled to find any real positives to either character and was generally disengaged from the story and plot right from the beginning. I failed to see how their relationship was sustainable and felt that the story dragged on far too long.

Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.