NetGalley Review: The Book Swap
Rating: 4/5 Stars

Tessa Bickers’ The Book Swap is a charming and uplifting story about love, friendship, and the magic of books. When two strangers with very different lives connect through a book exchange, their worlds are forever changed.

The characters were engaging, and their growth felt authentic as the story unfolded. The alternating perspectives added depth and made it easy to root for both protagonists. The plot was light yet meaningful, though a few predictable moments kept it from being a perfect read.

Overall, The Book Swap is a delightful escape for book lovers, reminding us how stories have the power to connect and transform. Highly recommended for fans of heartwarming contemporary fiction!

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House, and NetGalley for an Advanced Copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was such a heartfelt read. The Book Swap is a rom-com but it will also make you cry (a lot!).

Erin Connolly is dealing with grief and the recent quitting of a job and decides to do a “does this spark joy?” deep clean. In the process she accidentally drops off one of her most prized possessions: a books containing a note from her best friend who had died from cancer. She returns to find her book with her annotations in it, but also someone else’s.

This story and the characters in it feel so authentic and human. Grief and working through the good and bad days of it is a hard undertaking and watching Erin and James’ journey together will surely tug at your heartstrings.

And again, make sure you have tissues!

Loved this book! As a frequent visitor of Little Free Libraries, I could feel the anticipation and excitement Erin felt when she visited. Of course hers was more than just finding a good book! I loved the literary mentions. The was a real story about moving through grief and loss. I appreciated the rawness of it. So sweet and so fun to read!

Book Swap… I saw all the raving reviews for this so I couldn’t wait to dive in!

I’m not sure if I would say this is a romance. For me, it was more of a story about growth.

I wanted to love this one but felt it was a tad slow for my liking. The chemistry between the two wasn’t really there for me.

I also don’t read classics at all and there was so many references which took away from the book.

Overall, it wasn’t bad but just not a big fan.

3/5

Thanks to the publisher for my copy

Tessa Bickers' The Book Swap is a delightful and heartwarming romance novel that celebrates the joy of reading. The story follows two book-loving individuals who form an unexpected connection through a shared love of literature.

Bickers' writing style is engaging and filled with witty banter and heartfelt moments. The characters are endearing and relatable, and their chemistry is undeniable. The novel's exploration of themes such as love, loss, and the power of human connection is both poignant and uplifting.

While the plot may be somewhat predictable, the charm of the story lies in its celebration of books and the transformative power of reading. The Book Swap is a perfect escape for book lovers who are looking for a romantic and heartwarming read.

This was just very average. I didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it. It was indeed a book. Didn’t change my life but was mildly entertaining.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of The Book Swap by Tessa Bickers. This charming novel revolves around two strangers who exchange books and discover unexpected connections through the pages they share. Bickers’ writing style is warm and welcoming, making it easy to get lost in the cozy world she creates. I enjoyed the gentle exploration of friendship, love, and second chances, although some plot elements felt a bit predictable. The characters were likable and relatable, if not always deeply complex. Still, the overall warmth of the story and the underlying message about the power of stories and community made this a delightful, uplifting read.

This book is not what I expected at all. The prose was a little too muddled for me, and I just had such a hard time getting into the story. I got to page 60 before having to put it down. I gave this story a one-star rating because I just couldn't finish the book.

This was very much a skimmer for me. It had great potential but I did find myself skipping ahead as I often felt a bit bogged down while reading it. I am very much a mood reader so leaning towarss this being a case of bad timing rather than a failure to completely grab and hold my attention.

I had to put this one down after months of trying to get through it. The concept is great but it had no ways of grabbing my attention. I am a sucker for sister relationships so I wish that I had been able to get through it. It wasn't super poorly written just not very engaging..

I found The Book Swap to be a throroughly touching and very enjoyable book. The characters were likeable, there was plenty of back and forth between the love interests/enemies, all of the misunderstandings you'd expect and ultimately a happy ending.

This was such a cute and entertaining read! I loved the character development and writing style the author used. 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Thank you, NetGalley, Graydon House, and HarperCollins, for this ARC!

Unfortunately, this novel felt disjointed to me. I struggled to keep track of whose perspective I was in and what was happening due to time jumps and changes in perspective. I loved the idea of the book swap; however, it felt repetitive as the novel went on and fell flat for me, especially towards the end. I didn't care for the characters and didn't see them having the possibility of anything romantic.

I loved this book! Erin and James’ relationship was so beautifully developed and I loved seeing their journey. This book was unexpected but in a great way. I would recommend to any book lover!

I was really enjoying at first. But about half through the book I was at standstill and didn’t want to pick up the book again. So unfortunately I dnf it!

The Book Swap follows Erin Connolly who is starting over in her life. In the process she accidentally donates her favorite book, To Kill a Mocking Bird at her LFL. A week later the book turns up up at the local library with notes in the margin along with notes of her pen pal. Erin and the mystery man have shared a history that neither of them guessed. She soon finds herself at a cross roads.

Unfortunately the writing style was not for me. The concept of the story line was very interesting but did not really captive me. I had a difficult time finishing the book.

I DNFed this book. Which is a shame since I really wanted to like it. I couldn’t stand the main characters especially the male main character. I was sad he was bullied but the whole story get like adults that couldn’t leave high school. The story would have maybe fit better in a high school setting and could have been written in a YA style. Characters were just really mean and immature

The premise is good and it had potential.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free copy for review.

Cute and quick read. I really enjoyed the characters and the references to books that we many of us all love and know. I did struggle with the overall writing style of this one and it felt very slow in some parts but then rushed in others. I think all the elements are there but the way it was presented caused me to not love it as much as I wanted to.

When I started reading this book, I was ready for a light rom-com. Instead, I got a deep dive into grief, loss, and healing. Erin's journey starts with the accidental donation of her annotated To Kill a Mockingbird and a chance discovery of a new pen pal through book margins. The connection they build, full of heart and mystery, had me hooked. The story is a touching blend of friendship and love, with a twist of shared history that brings up past hurts and second chances. It’s a heartwarming yet heartbreaking read that made me feel all the feels. 3⭐

“Something that is loved is never Lost.”

“There isn’t a disconnection in the world that can’t be healed by Forgiveness.”

📌About the Book:
When Erin’s best friend Bonnie dies, she is wrecked with grief and her life halts. Floundering in her job, lacking a social life and having zero romantic relationships, Erin finds her solace in books, particularly her copy of To Kill a Mockingbird. The margins are all marked with her notes & she returns to it again and again. But when she drops it in a LFL accidentally, someone picks it up and is enthralled with her markings. He returns the book with a note to “meet in Great Expectations?” and thus begins a communication between Erin and this Mystery Man.

Erin wants to meet this Mystery Man, but when she discovers who he is, it brings the past crashing back and the waves threaten to drown her again.

💭My Thoughts:

Oh my goshhhhh, this book needs to be read more and have more time here on the ‘gram. It’s absolutely beautiful!! I read this book in a day! I couldn’t put it down and every time I did, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

The Book Swap is a love letter to literature, books, friendship and love. It’s Beautiful. Take my word for it. It’ll make your heart swell in all the best ways!🤍