I absolutely adored The House Swap by Jo Lovett. Cassie and James’s story is such a lovely story - strangers who go on a house swap site - James in London wants to escape from his stalker ex, while Cassie in Maine, USA, needs to spend some time in London to research her next books. They start by disliking each other but as they get used to living in each other’s homes, befriending their new neighbours, trying out new things whilst facing their demons, they discover that they enjoy regular phone calls with each other. But there is a problem....... Cassie is desperate for a baby and James does not want to settle down or have a baby - so it looks like this is a romance to fail at the first fence......
A delightful, warm hug of a book. I loved it. I warmed to Cassie and James and found that I so wanted them to get together. Perfect comfort reading.

•A R C • B O O K • R E V I E W•
2021 Book #30 out of 80
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Thank you to @netgalley and @Bookoture for this ARC Ebook of The House Swap.
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THE HOUSE SWAP by JO LOVETT
Publication date April 19, 2021
⭐️⭐️ out of 5 stars
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I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
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QUICK SYNOPSIS: Two strangers trying to escape from their lives, swap homes through a house-swapping website. They each pack their current lifestyle up and swap homes with one another. Though they initially get off on the wrong foot, they manage to connect more than just living in each others' homes.

BOOK COVER:
~ Such a bold color choice for the cover of this book. This really caught my eye as I was searching for books to read.

STORYLINE & THOUGHTS:
~ A good and easy light-hearted read.
~ An epitome of enemies to lovers kind of charm to the book.

BOOK CONTENT WARNINGS:
Infertility/miscarriage and addition issues
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**This review is currently posted on Goodreads. Review for Amazon, and Instagram (Bookstagram account.) will be posted in the future..

The premise of this book sounded great and reminded me of The Holiday. I read this expecting something light and easy between books with more difficult topics., and it was. However, I really struggled with caring about characters. The writing didn’t draw me in, and I didn’t feel invested in the outcome of their story. I found myself frequently checking to see how much of the book was left, and certainly feel it could be edited more to be a bit shorter. I really wanted to like this one, but it fell a bit flat.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Cassie is an author living on a small island off the coast of Maine while James is a big finance bro in London. They end up meeting when they decide to swap houses for a bit. Although at first, they don't like each other since they are such different people, they begin to learn more about each other and themselves.

I found this book to be pretty cute overall, and James and Cassie were really lovable characters. I think all their interactions were written so well, and I absolutely love the whole "I have no emotions and will never love but wait why does this person make me so happy what is this foreign feeling" trope.

HOWEVER, I feel like this book was more telling rather than showing. We're told that James and Cassie both experienced some pretty traumatizing events and it really affects how they interact with others. We're also told that James and Cassie start calling a lot more and sharing quality conversations. But besides the few times that the author shows, most of this stuff is kind of skipped over and just told about later.

But the thing I DISLIKED MOST about this was the use of the cheap tropes at the end of the book !! Without trying to spoil it, the author used my LEAST FAVORITE trope ever to try to get things where she wanted and I just hate whenever people use this tactic because it kickstarts people on a certain path that they would probably not have taken otherwise, and I want to see your personal growth to be a result of you wanting to improve yourself, and not because the circumstances dictate it.

Lovett pens a light, cute romance between two people who seem to have nothing in common. James and Cassie have different reasons for swapping their homes with each other. Except each leaves out crucial Information, initially. I was slow to warm up to James,. Eventually his backstory is filled in so I could understand his decisions. Cassie was endearing and I loved her love of animals. I predicted what would happen, and the ending is befitting of the quirkiness for these two. It’s a light breezy read that is a welcome relief from the heavy atmosphere of reality.

A smart funny and witty story . Two strangers who swap house and finding love . Great secondary characters .
I received this novel from net galley and the publisher as an ARC. Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for sending me this ARC! This review will also be published on my instagram @Lemonpietrick on publication day.
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Short summary: Cassie and James moved to each other's place due to circumstances and ended up getting involved in each other's life.
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I wasn't a fan of James' character in the beginning (what a jerk), but I'm definitely jealous of him: imaging owning a penthouse in London, and when life gets messy, you just swap your house for a place on an island with alpacas? When I'm in a optimistic mood I'd definitely try to make a calculation for how much I should earn for a lifestyle like his. I'm also jealous of Cassie's position: imaging quitting your job as a lawyer, only to become a famous children's book writer and your agents pay to you to travel around the world for inspirations. I'm not sure if I can manage any of these but thanks to this book I get to experience both.
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James's character arc is heartwarming. I don't now exactly how he changed from a jerk to a super chill guy, but I guess alpacas have that magic. The romance was mediocre and I'm not feeling the chemistry, but it was an okayish cute and *clean* read.

James and Cassie have swapped houses. James is a cold, brash business man. Cassie is a friendly, hospitable writer. James doesn't see any reason why they should have to speak to each other during their individual stays in each other's homes. Cassie assumed they would have semi-frequent contact. What could possibly go wrong? As you might suspect, both are going to get something very different from what they imagined. 

This book was an unexpected delight. I smiled my whole way through reading it. The relationship between James and Cassie was both believable and adorable. Jo Lovett effortlessly touches on some sensitive topics in the pasts of the characters, which made their inevitable closeness that much more rewarding to read. I found the story to slow quite a bit in the middle, making it easy to put down at times, but found I blew through the last 25 percent in my eagerness to know what happens. It was an easy and heart-warming read. 

Special thanks to @NetGalley and @Bookouture for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A feel good story with interesting characters and settings. I enjoyed this fun story about two strangers brought together when they decide they need to go to another place for a few months and arrange a house swap. London and a small Maine island provide the background for James and Cassie. A quick read. I found it irritating that the cover appears to whitewash Cassie, as she is middle eastern and described as such in the story. Doesn't impact the enjoyable of the book, but I dislike when the cover and story don't match.

This was a lovely read, very cheesy and pretty predictable at points but overall that didn’t lessen how much I enjoyed reading it. Sometimes you just want a sweet book where you know you’re gonna get a HEA, and this was one of those books. The premise definitely reminded me of The Holiday, and I really enjoyed the slow-burn enemies(ish)-to-lovers storyline. Occasionally the pacing felt a bit strange, since it seemed like we were skipping through time quite quickly (e.g. Cassie is waiting for James to arrive at the pub so they can hang out with friends, he arrives, and then it instantly cuts to them leaving the pub; this sort of thing happens a few times) but this wasn’t a major issue. I would put a CW for infertility/miscarriage and addiction issues.

A sweet feel-good romance that was mostly predictable and yet enjoyable.
37-year old children's books author, Cassie Adair has to temporarily relocate to London to do research for her new book series. 35-year old James needs a break after his ex begins to stalk him. Both Cassie and James find the solution to their respective predicaments in each others homes, when they log on to SwapBnB. Though initially they get off on the wrong foot, Cassie and James's awkward relation slowly shifts from that of landlords to friends and eventually, something more. But what hope does a relationship between them have when they live in different continents?

The author has described Cassie's island home and James's London penthouse in such a charming manner that I am tempted to do a house swap in either of these places myself. The book moved at a slow pace and the chemistry between the protagonists was almost negligible until about 50% of the book. From there on, it read at a decent pace giving out all the feels and the happy ending that I was looking forward to. More than romance, the plot revolved around the personal growth or 'slaying of demons' for each of the main characters. The sub-characters were well-written too and added to the charm of the book.

Overall, a light-hearted and engaging read. Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I would say this was a enjoyable book! I liked the characters at times! I did find it to be a little predictable. Which I didn't care for! Other than that this was a quick fun, cute book!

The House Swap was a sweet, predictable, nice lockdown escapism read. The story revolves around Cassie, a children's book writer living in Maine and James, a successful London businessman. They are two quite different personalities who swap homes for business and personal reasons. Over a series of texts, then phone calls, then in-person meets they slowly developed a relationship. I am giving this book a three star review. The writing and plot were fine but I just did not feel the chemistry was there for Cassie and James. I am going to read the first book by this author as I did like the way she writes.

When I first read the synopsis I was sold and immediately intrigued. I’m quite glad I was able to read this early on since I really enjoyed the story. I was a little hesitant to read it instantly at first because although the concept is a house swap and they’re bickering and what not, they’re not physically with each other, there’s that long distance and I knew there would be crazy slow burn. Regardless, I liked the slow burn and the pacing was good. No insta-love here thankfully. And they surprisingly did stay in each other’s company more than I expected. Their phone calls and interactions were cute as well. I read it really quickly and it was nice.

This didn’t grip me. I struggled to get into it. I didn’t really like the characters, particularly the male lead. I also didn’t love the dual point of view narrative. Not for me this one. It couldn’t hold my interest. DNF at 20%.

The House Swap by Jo Lovett is such an adorable read and I loved every second of it. This story is funny and it is loaded with many outrageous characters you can't help but smile while you read this book. This is a great book for fans that love a cute romance.

This is a little awkward for me to write because I usually love these kinds of books. The premise of the house swap reminds me of the movie The Holiday, which is one of my faves to watch during the Christmas season. At the beginning, this seems like it has all the makings of a cute, cozy, romantic read. We meet the two leads and they honestly can't be more different from each other. But I found it difficult to actually really like either of them. Cassie was ok, but James was a more challenging person to like. I found myself making excuses for James (oh, he's probably just introverted, etc...) until 37% into the story I just gave up. Didn't really feel like continuing either and waiting for them to fall in love. I didn't find any redeeming qualities in James, and you kind of need something to propel the reader forward. I found the side characters more lovable than the main ones.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookoture for providing me with an e-arc to read and review.

Jo Lovett’s ‘The House Swap’ follows Cassie and James as their lives begin to entangle when they spontaneously swap houses, with Cassie moving to London to research her new book, and James to the little island not far from Boston to escape his ex.

While in many ways, ‘The House Swap’ is an uplifting romance offering a few hours of pure escapism, it also deals with some heavier topics, such as grief and miscarriage. For Cassie, the trip to London also means trying the IVF round. And for James, moving away from the rush and business of a big city means finally coming to terms with painful memories.

I found the book easy and a little predictable, but it was a nice evening read. I think the favourite parts of ‘The House Swap’ for me were the neighbours in London and the island’s community. In both cases, they brought so much joy to the story!

The premise of ‘The House Swap’ reminded me a little of the film with Jude Law, ‘The Holiday’ as well as the book by Jenny Colgan, ‘Five Hundred Miles From You’, so if you have enjoyed those, ‘The House Swap’ may appeal to you too.

Honestly, I loved this book. I read it all in one sitting, I could not put it down. The plot was interesting and fun. The characters are so relatable and lovable. I felt everything they were feeling, it was so easy to relate and connect with the characters. The writing was so amazing you really do feel everything. The book was just so sweet and wholesome I truly did love it and would recommend it to anyone.

Also, as a side note, as a Jordanian-American, it was wonderful to see some representation in a book. Seeing the word mensaf in a book really was something I never thought I would see and it was so lovely to see it.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Actual rating: 2.5

After having some problems with his ex (aka she becoming a stalker), James decided to put an ad for his house in a house swap website and finds Cassie. She wants to go to the big city to do a research for her new book and his London apartment is the perfect opportunity for that.

Throughout this time, they communicate because of problems they are having in the new houses, but they start to develop a kind of friendship and then something else obviously. Well, I was disappointed by this book. I thought it would have a vibe like the movie The Holiday and the book The Switch and to be fair, it kind of does, but it doesn't have the same sparkle.

I didn't really feel chemistry between the characters and I was not invested in the romance at all and considering it's a romance book, it's a pretty big deal. Also the writing was not doing it for me at all. Is it bad? Not really, but it didn't make me really connect to the characters and it was a bit shallow at times.

I feel like there could be other readers who might enjoy it, but for me, it was a disappointment.