You’ve Got Mail, but with a little free library instead of an AOL account.

There is nothing, and I repeat nothing, that I love more than a book that is a love letter to books. I also am a major sucker for a Ryan/Hanks movie. I immediately requested this eARC because obviously, this was promised to be that. And that part of this novel definitely was executed well - a romance that buds through a love of annotations and books passed back and forth anonymously? Count me in. However… the characters here felt very surface-level and just plan unrealistic at times. They dealt with very heavy, serious topics, but still somehow seemed to be unlikeable, immature, and self-centered. Couple that with a burn that was just a bit too slow for me, and you get a pretty average romance. 2.5 stars from me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was an okay book. I did enjoy it, but I was expecting more. I was not a fan of the way the two main characters acted towards each other. Erin was holding on to a grudge waaaay too long, and she didn't even want to give James a chance to explain things to her. I really liked the book swap part of the story, and found the choice of books interesting.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC! I did enjoy the premise of this book, and I think if you like deeper meaning books and not just a fluffy romance, you'll enjoy it. Tessa's writing is very captivating, and the book contains a pretty heavy grief aspect but does it very eloquently. If you enjoy Emily Henry books, I could see you enjoying this. You have to get through the first bit of it being slow before the book picks up, but it's worth getting through.

"Don't be fooled by the cover—what looks like a breezy romance packs a punch with some deeper, heavier themes. Erin, our leading lady, is super relatable, though not always the most lovable (I mean, girl, get it together?). Meanwhile, James...this guy totally stole my heart, and honestly, he deserved so much better. The supporting cast? Absolute scene-stealers! I’m hoping for a sequel just to see where they all end up. Now, about that ending... James was way too forgiving, and Erin? She needed a serious growth moment and a redemption tour! All in all, it's a solid 3 stars from me. Big thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

I thought this book was just okay. I think the premise is cute, but the execution just wasnt there for me. I think the characters were incredibly surface level even as they were dealing with pretty deep issues.

Itjustwant forme. I tried to like it. I did t find the characters likeable in any way. It was disconjointed and I honestly don't remember anything about it.

The Book Swap by Tessa Bickers is an engaging and heartwarming read, perfect for fans of contemporary fiction. The novel centers a book swap, leading to unexpected life changes and new friendships. Bickers captures the power of stories and human connection in a charming and relatable way. While the plot is predictable at times, the characters are well-developed, and the writing is enjoyable. Overall, it’s a delightful and cozy book, ideal for a relaxed weekend read. A solid 4-star story about the magic of books and the relationships they inspire.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read this digital ARC copy in exchange for my honest opinions of this read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
This is not your typical love story. First off, congratulations to @tessabickerswrites for this phenomenal debut novel. It’s the type of romance story I love with characters who are clearly meant to be together, but their history gets in the way time and time again. They’re flawed like us in the most infuriating of ways because it’s the flaws we see in ourselves. This book is more than the love between Erin and James back then and now. It’s also about all the types of love between best friends, parents, siblings. Loves once had and lost. Loves we have to work to find again. It’s about being inspired, inspiring others, and learning to be brave. That the easy choices aren’t always the right choices. That each person’s choice is theirs even if you don’t always understand it. It’s that the people you love and lose, and the grief that ensues - how it follows you and weighs you down, but also about how they never really leave you. Tessa Bickers prose is easy to read and the dual POV is key to this storyline. I can’t wait to see what else she comes up with!

Thank you #netgalley @netgalley and @graydonhousebooks for the #ARC offer #thebookswap

REVIEW: The Book Swap

A book about the love of books? Count me in! There are many fun book references, including one of my favorites, Perks of Being a Wallflower. It was so fun to see all the nods to many classic books.

Going into The Book Swap, I thought this would be a light rom-com, but I was wrong. While the story has some romance, it tends to focus on grief, family trauma, bullying, and finding yourself. I like how the story slowly revealed details of their history throughout the book. It was fun discovering more about them as you read on. James seemed like a giant sweetheart that just has gone through so much in his life. Erin is a significant bookworm who can sometimes be pretty selfish but is clouded with her intense grief. The Book Swap is great for Slow Burn, Second Chance, and Friends To Lovers/Enemies to Lovers romance tropes.

There were a few things I wanted to have more of in The Book Swap. I wish there were more romance; the slow burn was too slow for my tastes. I also wished there were more in-person interactions with Erin and James now. It would have helped show their chemistry a bit more. I also really wanted an epilogue to find out where they were in the future. Some grudges and anger were stretched out of proportion. There were so many things they could have just discussed together to save time and heartbreak.

Overall, I still enjoyed The Book Swap. I love the alternating POVs, especially the different voices in the audiobook. This book gave me the warm fuzzies with all the book love; I just wished I would’ve gotten more of that feeling with the characters.

Thank you, Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Graydon House, for the free advanced copy for my honest review!

Not for me. It was hard to follow and didn’t find the characters chemistry to be super believable. I was intrigued by the plot and cover but it didn’t live up to what I was expecting.

I really was excited about this premise....

But did it deliver? Hmmm....Erin was awful. Very selfish. immature and self-centered.
James was sweet and props for a boy who reads.
I've read the books referenced in this book and I use my little community library. Let me tell you, no one communicates in the margins and the books are raided daily. So, that magically leaving a book in there for the specific person you want read it, is beyond a fantasy. That being said, it had a strong premise, but a miss for me in Erin. Who is tied to James and not in a good way.

I was not a fan of this book. The character’s both had faults from childhood traumas. Erin has played the victim throughout her life. When she’s confronted and made to realize it’s not always about her she still gets jealous of a friend being there for another one in need. James had it rough as a kid being bullied in school. He had made something of himself but is self sabotaging his life by having a fling with a girl that was one of the bullies in his past. He let his mother’s mental abuse also affect his day to day life. They were just two messed up people that shared a love of books. Thank you to NetGalley for this free advanced copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily

What a cute and tender book. Definitely a good book for fans of contemporary romance. I enjoyed reading this one. If you are fans of Emily Henry, Katherine Center or Jill Shalvis, you must read!

This is the book that set me on my beginning love of reading romance. So cute! The enemies to lovers trope is a trope for a reason, the journey and ending is worth the ride, and in this case absolutely precious. As an English major I appreciated every single literary reference and now have new dream goals for how someone would woo me with literature. Sigh. Thank you.

I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this book when I started it but I ended up really liking it. I will say, Erin’s character REALLY annoyed me. I liked her development at the end but she was so selfish. I adored James. I loved the whole concept of them writing notes and exchanging them. And I still loved his character even when I wanted to yell at him through the pages. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The character development was done well even though she annoyed me. Would recommend if you love literature and want a cute romance novel to touches on grief and the other struggles you encounter in life.

Loved the cover and the summary! I was drawn into the bookish theme and thought it would be a cute romance. The story was super slow and didn't keep my interest (slow burn). The characters were also unlike able and some of the themes were heavier than I thought the plot would be. Great premise and idea just not for me.

I started off not liking the story. The cover made me think it would be a light hearted beach read-wrong! There was a note at the beginning naming the issues that might be a problem for people, like mental illness, but of course I ignored it. oops.

The first chapter made me think the characters were much younger than they were. Why would a group of college students be such bullies, hadn't they grown up at all? Why did he just take it and not fight back or do anything about it? That was when I started to not like the story; I was frustrated that he wasn't fighting back so I didn't like the character.

I neglected to see the next chapter was a different name so it made no sense to me until I went back and checked. That's on me, not the book, but I didn't really like this character either. It was tempting to put it down and not pick it up again, but I did. I can't say I loved it, but it wasn't as bad as I had expected; no more than a bare 3 stars.

James had a lot on his plate working and helping his dad when the mom had her bipolar episodes. Erin had lost her best friend and was wallowing in misery 3 years later. These were not the 2 fun loving book lovers I expected from the cover.

Erin did decide to clean up her room and her life and accidently gave away her favorite book to a local free library. It had been annotated several times over as that is how Erin reads her books. When she got it back, someone else had appreciated her notes and suggested another book with some notes in the margins. It was a fun game really writing their feelings to a stranger, things they might not have allowed themselves to say out loud.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy. Honest opinions expressed here are my own and are freely given.

An ultimate second chance romance for book lovers. She is trying to move on after quitting her dream job that was slowly killing her. He is trying to ignore the existence he wanted to have and live the life he has. She leaves a bunch of books in a local little free library. He happens to pick one up and notice all the notes and commentary throughout. The friendship unfolds from there.
This book was fascinating and so much fun, seeing how all of the pieces were going to come together, to see how the past and present come together in pieces, and all the levels of forgiveness and friendship. With the added bookish excitement of an annotated analysis of the classics (don't worry, it's in passing). I love a good book that revolves around a library and books.

#arc
#netgalley
#thebookswap

This is a slow burn, not a lighthearted romance which is what I expected from the cover and summary. This is a debut novel so I have great hopes for future books, the writing is good, but it was the pace I struggled with.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the complementary digital copy.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6776560021

This was a DNF. The cover was cute and the description sounded interesting, but I couldn't get into the story or the characters.