Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

3.5 stars ⭐

✦ ✧ ✦ ✧

James and Cassie, two thirty-somethings, decide to put their houses up on a housing swapping website, which is where they meet each other. James is looking for a place to stay after a bad break up and Cassie wants to research for her new book and step outside of the comfort zone that is her small island. Soon, James is living in Cassie’s cute but ramshackle beachside cottage, and Cassie’s living in James’s luxurious London apartment. It’s the perfect solution. Well, at least that’s what it seems at first, until it leads to a rocky relationship between the two. But as the tension wears off and gives space to friendly chatter, a beautiful friendship begins to form and then, something more.

✦ ✧ ✦ ✧

At first, James was really cold and off-putting and I really did not like him. Eventually, though, he warmed up to Cassie and they slowly started talking more and more and he became a lot kinder and understanding and less judgmental and presumptuous. On the other hand, I liked Cassie from the beginning. She is going through a bit of a hard patch in her life because she really wants to get pregnant and has been undergoing IVF treatments which, unfortunately, haven’t been working. When you initially put the main characters together, you can’t really see how they would end up falling for each other because they have such different life ambitions and personalities. However, both of them change and grow a lot throughout the story, especially James, and it made them a great couple. Something that I think a lot of people will like about this romance novel is that the protagonists are in their late thirties instead of their twenties, which, in my experience, you don’t see a lot. It was nice reading this romance from a perspective of two people who are in completely different phases of their life than what I’m used to.

The side characters added a lot to the story too, both Cassie and James’ neighbours. They gave a light-hearted tone to contrast the sadder moments and it all fit really nicely. Arguably not as important, but Cassie’s alpacas were super cute 🥺

Another aspect that is worth pointing out is that this book doesn’t have any explicit sex scenes. HALLELUJAH!!! The romances I’ve been reading have been full of them, so it felt really good to “detox” from all of that and read a romance that’s more focused on the emotional side, rather than the characters thinking about sex ALL. THE. TIME. (obviously, I’m not trying to shame any one, it’s just that I read way too many books with explicit sex scenes followed very closely by one another)

That being said, I wasn’t a huge fan of how everything wrapped-up. Without wanting to give away spoilers, the romance wraps up in a way that you could probably predict because it’s the only way to make it work, really. Personally, I do not like the trope used. The ending is still heartwarming but too picture-perfect in my opinion. The main conflict is resolved way too quickly and easily for its importance.

In addition, it took me quite a long time to get into this book because the romance is definitely very slow-burn. Also, although I like Cassie and James, I don’t love them and their story isn’t very memorable for me.

All in all, The House Swap is a romance novel that is able to tackle more serious topics such as grief and miscarriage, but does so whilst deliving a cute, slow-burn romance with a grumpy-on-the-outside-but-soft-on-the-inside hero and a strong, lovable heroine.


Content warnings: infertility, miscarriage, addiction issues (mentioned), death of loved ones (sibling and parent), childhood abandonment.

The House Swap was a cute, feel good romance. Readers will enjoy the development of the relationship from annoyed bickering to friendship and then more. The pacing was good but could have been sped up a bit.

I really, truly enjoyed this book! The premise is somewhat similar to The Holiday (a house swap leads to romance) except the romance is between the two swappers. There’s a bit of will-they-won’t they suspense, so I won’t give away the ending... but this book was a perfect, cozy read. Thank you to NetGalley and to Bookouture for the ARC!

A sweet romantic read and they learn about themselves and each other. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me review this book..

The House Swap is a book outside of my normal genre preferences but I wanted to read something out of my comfort zone. It was a really well written book that was easy to read and flew by. I liked the characters and the enemies to lovers trope. The story moved really well and there were times where I was frustrated (in a good way!) because as a reader you have so much more insight into the character than they themselves do, so I wanted to shake some sense into them.

A few things I thought could be improved were the adjectives and giving James more of a detailed background. On the adjectives front, the words "gorgeous", "cute", "yep" (not an adjective but thought I'd put it in here while I have it fresh in my mind) were used way too many times in the story. For James, I thought he budged kind of quickly with the whole baby situation and think fleshing out his story more and really dedicating time to showcasing just how hard of a childhood he had would really make his decision to be a father and be with Cassie (both big deals for him) more impactful.

Overall, the story was cute and I thought well written. If you like rom-com type movies, you'd like this book.

I received an advanced reading copy of this book for honest review. Thank you to the author, Bookouture, and NetGalley.

One of my favorite movies is The Holiday about two women swapping houses (and lives) for a week during Christmas, and coming to know themselves better AND falling in love at the same time.
The House Swap is exactly that and more! I fell in love with Cassie and James and was totally rooting for the two to fall in love even as they were exchanging barbs.
Lovely, lovely read.

The House Swap by Jo Lovett is a lighthearted rom-com about Cassie, a successful writer and homeowner on an island near Maine who swaps homes with James, an uptight and control freak from London. Cassie is an energetic gal with a chic boho lifestyle (including chickens and alpacas) who desperately wants to have a child independently. At the same time, James is a financial genius with visions of making money without girlfriend responsibilities. Eventually, the home swap also results in a bit of personality swap as they try to work out their differences. The first 3/4 of the book was adorable. The last 1/4 could have used some more depth. Still, a sweet and cute romance without too much steam. Thanks to NetGalley for the free ARC...my review and opinions are my own and without bias. ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This was a DNF at 40%.

I wanted to love this book. I tend to really like books where the main characters do a house swap and fall in love that way. But I just couldn't love this one. I didn't like either of the main characters. Both were completely oblivious to their own flaws in a way that just didn't seem realistic. Not only that, but I just really hate when female characters are so completely focused on having a baby, as if that's the only thing that's important to being a woman. I saw where this plot was going between the two main characters regarding the baby and I can't bring myself to read it. I'm sure there is an audience for this book, but these tropes are not my cup of tea.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book!

I loved House Swap by Jo Lovett.  Cassie lives in an island house off the coast of Maine, writes books, and raises her alpacas.  She needs to spend some time in London researching her new series and looks for a house swap.  James has a gorgeous penthouse in the perfect location and needs to get away from it all for a while.  Okay, he needs to get away from his crazy ex.  The swap is perfect.  Even if James really doesn’t know the first thing about keeping the animals alive.  Not a problem, Cassie left him detailed instructions.  Neither of them was looking for a new pen pal, but somehow, they end up spending a lot of time talking via text and phone.  Throughout the book, each of them works through some pretty significant history and finds a path forward. 

I had read a few heavy books coming into this one and loved the humor in the writing.  I wanted a feel-good story and House Swap delivered. 

Trigger Warning: Miscarriage, IVF Struggles

I am thankful for the electronic copy of the book that I received from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

If you love 'The Holiday', then you'll enjoy this book!

A book set in England with a house swap? And let's not mention that there's romance involved, how fun is that! This was a sweet book that is meant to give you good feelings and positive vibes throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the earc in return for an honest review.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The House Swap' by Jo Lovett.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Jo Lovett, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 19th April 2021

This is the second book I have read by this author. The first book I read is called 'The First Time We Met' which I highly recommend!!

I was originally drawn to this book by its interesting title which reminded me of the film 'The Holiday' and its intriguing synopsis. I loved Jo Lovett's 'The First Time We Met' and am hoping this will be just as good. It also stated in the synopsis 'fans of The Flatshare, The Hating Game and movies like The Holiday will fall head over heels for The House Swap.' I am a huge fan of the movie 'The Holiday' so am looking forward to see if it loves up to this. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of 32 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in London, UK 🇬🇧 and Maine, USA 🇺🇸. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture.

This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonists are James and Cassie. The benefits of third person perspective especially with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.

Well done Jo you have done it yet again!!! Absolutely fantastic and you are definitely my go to author for when I'm looking for an uplifting and heartwarming read!!!! I hope your busy working on your next success, cannot wait to see what you come up with next!!!!

This book is very smoothly written and very easy to read. The style kind of reminded me of Bridget Jones at times. Brilliant descriptions and captivating writing style which really had me hooked. The cover and blurb complimented the storyline well.

I absolutely LOVED this book. It was a very realistic storyline which absolutely captured my interest and heart and kept me sucked in until the end. It was an amazing and beautiful story of friendship, love, loss and a very true account of how complicated things can become when you fall in love with someone who wants the opposite of what you do !!! I loved the settings which fitted the plot perfectly. I was in complete breath stopping suspense on several occasions and many times I felt like screaming at James and Cassie. I loved how it ended, absolutely perfect! I also loved the city mouse and country mouse vibes. If you loved 'The Holiday' then what are you waiting for??? Grab your copy of 'The House Swap' now!!!!

I absolutely loved James and Cassie's down to earth and realistic characters. I could have strangled them both on a few occasions mind but their personalities were excellent and they will stick with me for a while. I also loved Dina, Laura, Anthony and Juliet who were both such fantastic characters and all made me laugh on several occasions, especially Anthony and Julie's big reveals. All of the characters had such amazing personalities and were larger than life, I would have loved to meet them in real life and of course I can't forget the alpacas and chickens!!!

This would make an absolutely fantastic movie and I am looking forward to reading more of Jo's books. A very talented author who is definitely on par with the likes of JoJo Moyes. Congratulations on yet another very successful novel!!

Overall a very easy to read, heart warming, cosy, page turning romance which will captivate your heart.

Genres covered in this novel include
Romance, Contemporary, Women's Fiction and Adult Fiction amongst others.

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Jojo Moyes, 'The Holoday' movie and Bridget Jones along with anyone looking for a heartworming cosy story.

337 pages.

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5/5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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💫The house swap is a story with an interesting concept, where Cassie and James have to work in different cities temporarily and are looking for perfect accommodation for their stay. They find the perfect solution with Swap BnB.

💫Jamie is handsome, intelligent and reserved while Cassie is beautiful, compassionate, and kind. They are totally opposite from each other and want different things from their life.

💫They both have had their fair share of misery and pain in life. They have a past; they are running from. It’s never easy to share a part our life or our painful memories with others. Sometimes not even with our close friends and family. But it’s strange how we end up pouring our hearts in front of complete strangers.

💫The characters are very interesting. I love Cassie’s life in a small island surrounded by friends and people who support each other with all their heart. I love how people of the Island help and stand by each other. Everyone has a role and contribution. The way they selflessly share things with each other melts your heart.

💫The Island life was surreal for me. Island house off coast, with private beach, sea views and the occasional farmyard animal, with perfect neighbours to spend the day and enjoy a meal.

💫I love a story with the characters starting off the wrong foot and then the impressions changing over the course of time. How the irritating conversations change to the favourite part of day. And how we end up falling for someone even without realising it. The unexpected moments and conversations have my heart.

💫It is always painful to see when two people are madly in love with each other and yet cannot be together because they don’t want the same things in life. But it is also delightful when they come together after for each other.

💫The book also deals with topic of motherhood, miscarriage, betrayals, drug use and death.

Cassie is a writer living in Maine that needs to spend time in England gathering inspiration for her next novel. James works in finance living in London and needs to visit his firm’s US headquarters in Boston. The two decide to swap houses for a few months. Cassie leaves her house with lots of directions and details, even stocks her fridge for her houseguest. James leaves his apartment bare, even taking away the linens and towels. Cassie is a huge part of her local community and is friends with everyone. James doesn’t know the names of his neighbors.
Once they switch homes, the two first talk to handle household issues, but it slowly turns into a friendship. They finally meet in person over short visits and the tension is high. It turns into way more than two strangers switching homes.
While on the surface, this is a cute, closed door romcom, but both of our leads are struggling with personal issues. Cassie is battling infertility and James is mourning the loss and disconnection of family members.
I really enjoyed this book, especially as a huge fan of the movie: The Holiday. This book published on April 19th.
Thanks to #NetGalley and @Bookouture for the review copy.

I loved this book! It was a lighthearted rom-com balanced with some deep issues and serious personal growth. Tackling infertility, IVF, and addiction without stigma or shame, it was definitely not what I was expecting.

James is a little predictable with his rough childhood forcing him to set hard rules for his adult life regarding his relationships, both romantic and familial. Recognising this from the beginning, rather than rolling my eyes at the cliché, Lovett's writing had me hooked, wanting to know how she was going to bring out the predictable change. Cassie is almost perfect from the beginning but it's her heart and honesty that won me over. She's honest with herself and her friends and family and her level of self-awareness is wonderful. It was refreshing to read a book about an accomplished, successful woman making decisions after she thought through her options and was honest with herself. She didn't rush into things without thought but also didn't deny herself experiences, even if she was aware they wouldn't end the way she wanted them to. She went into relationships and situations with her eyes open, ready to embrace all aspects involved.

The whole book was well-written and the story flowed easily. I couldn't put The House Swap down and would readily recommend it to any chick lit/contemporary romance fans, or just anyone who loves a good story.

This was a cute, enemies to lovers, slow burn of a story. James and Cassie both have their reasons for needing to get away for a few months, so they both agree to a house swap. James leaves busy London for a peaceful island in Maine, while Cassie leaves her alpacas and chickens behind for James' apartment in London. Along the way, both James and Cassie learn a lot about themselves and end up learning on each other for support.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. This story touches on infertility and various family struggles that are pretty deep and require the MCs working through. I did not care for James throughout the first 1/3 of the story, but he does become more likable. I also thought the pacing of the story was odd - at times it felt like it was dragging on, but at others they would skip several weeks.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

A slow-paced book with very slow relationship development that takes place over several months. The characters grew on me and I liked seeing them grow in life and overcome their issues. Their bond really made sense. It's good as a slow book to pick up on a Sunday afternoon as a comfort read.

I honestly thought the book was 400+ pages because of the slow pace. It feels like a longer book. I do think some things could have been cut off or at least written better in order to give a better sense of pace. Sometimes there were time jumps which I didn't catch on about quickly.

But overall, a comforting read.

The House Swap packs a lot of heart into its romance surrounding Cassie and James. When the two swap houses, they embark on journeys that point out similarities they have.

This book had a start that hooked me, and while there were parts in the middle that took me a bit longer to get through, I'm glad I read this overall. It was a cute read and I think I would recommend it to friends.

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

The House Swap is about two successful people, James and Cassie, doing a ‘house swap’ between London and an Island of the coast of Maine in the USA. The story switches the narrative between the two protagonists and describes their situations and feelings about what is happening. The story was ok.. The quite abrupt changes in James’ character did not ring true. I was not really convinced by this story and could predict the ending pretty easily. A bit disappointing. Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for an ARC of this novel

One of my favorite movies is THE HOLIDAY with Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet so when I read the description of THE HOUSE SWAP, I knew that I had to read it. Normally I stick to the mystery/thriller genre and don't venture to romance in my reading, but I'm glad that I made the exception for this book. While I didn't find it laugh-out-loud funny, I definitely found it entertaining!

Both main characters, Cassie and James, couldn't be more opposite if the author had tried. But I loved seeing their personal growth throughout the book and how they helped bring out the best in the other person. Definitely recommend for readers of the romance genre.

I received an advanced reading copy of this book for honest review. Thank you to the author, Bookouture, and NetGalley.

Wow! Jo has absolutely delivered again. Though I think it’s fair to make comparisons between this book and The Flatshare by Beth O Leary and The Christmas Swap by Sandy Barker (both excellent books, by the way!), there is something about the way Jo writes that gives this book an original feel.

I love the way she creates the characters and ensures that we as readers, are able to sympathise with the characters and follow their journeys despite being on either side of the Atlantic.

This is definitely a fun and exciting opposite attracts romance, and I loved seeing how their relationship developed.

I loved how, like her previous book, the romance in this story feels organic and realistic.

This author is fast becoming one of my favourite authors in this genre, alongside Mary Jayne Baker and Milly Johnson, and I would definitely recommend her books!