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.

thank you netgalley for the e-arc. i did not enjoy this one, i thought from the cover i was getting a cute lil romcom and it was not. it also was not well written and hard to keep going because of the pacing. the characters are awful and treat eachother even worse.

The premise of The Book Swap is truly delightful—a heartfelt story of two people reconnecting through classic books and a Little Free Library. The idea has so much potential for a sweet and charming narrative. I was sort of hoping for a modern day You've Got Mail vibe with a second-chance romance.. However, as much as I wanted to love this book, I found the rude behavior and the trauma and grief themes to be overwhelming, often overshadowing the lighthearted moments I was hoping for. I went into it expecting a rom-com, but the heavy focus on emotional pain made it difficult to find the levity I anticipated. Additionally, I struggled with the frequent point-of-view shifts, which felt disjointed and sometimes made it hard to stay connected to the characters. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to finish the book, but I appreciate the unique concept and know it will resonate with readers who are looking for a more emotionally intense story.

I really enjoyed this original story about two people communicating through writing in the margins of classic books to express themselves. Erin does not know who picked up her copy of To Kill A Mockingbird, and write next to her margin critiques. As their communication becomes regular, both Erin and James reveal a lot about their inner selves to each other. Erin is still trying to get over the grief of losing her best friend to cancer, while James deals with his bipolar mother. As the story begins to reveal their past connection, the reader roots for these two to find their way to each other and to their own paths. Recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

In The Book Swap, Erin accidentally donates her cherished copy of To Kill a Mockingbird—containing a personal note from her late best friend—to a local community library. When she returns for it, it’s gone, but soon reappears with notes in the margins from another reader, James, who’s back home caring for his mother. Through their shared love of books and these margin notes, they unknowingly form a bond.

This was a cozy, heartwarming read with a unique and charming premise. Perfect for book lovers who enjoy stories about second chances and connections made through literature.

When Erin finds out the mystery man she’s fallen for is the one person she swore never to forgive, she finds herself with a choice between love or memories.

Single POV
Second Chance
Pen Pals
Small Town
Friends from High School
Friends to Strangers to Lovers
Classic Literature
Cancer
Overcoming Grief
Set in England

Please do not let this cute cover fool you. This book is much less a romance than it is about overcoming grief and pain and finding your way back to the love of your life. I ached (in all the ways you hope a book will hit you) while reading this book.

Erin's life is in a bit of chaos, so she does a little Marie Kondo-ing of her belongings and drops off some books at a neighborhood free library. Unfortunately, she didn't notice that her favorite book was in the stack! When she goes back to try to find her beloved book, she discovers someone else has added their comments to her note-filled margins... and thus begins a correspondence that becomes a much-needed bright spot in her days.

This book follows a predictable arc, but does so in a fresh-feeling way. From the cover, I was expecting something in the vein of Emily Henry, and the author delivered while still feeling fresh and having her own voice. I love that in this digital age, she found a very believable way for two people to communicate through old-fashioned written word. The use of the free library was heartwarming, and the added details of the library being a memorial to a fellow book lover (Eileen) was touching. Erin is flawed, but likable. James is flawed, but likable. The supporting characters are interesting and relatable. I loved, loved, loved James's male best friend and their friendship--it was such a treat to see two men have real conversations and break through any toxic masculinity to find support and honesty with each other. Erin finding a way to create new friendships despite her lingering grief over losing a friend was believably paced and charming. The story was everything I'd hoped it would be, with more depth and heart than I anticipated. Warm fuzzies and food for thought, with a satisfying ending. Loved it!

This book was a stunning exploration of love, loss, forgiveness, and healing. I loved seeing both James and Erin grow as they navigated their past wounds and slowly opened their hearts again. Bickers weaves in plenty of nods to classical literature, perfect for book lovers who enjoy annotating. The lack of spice didn’t take away from the romance—it gave us a deeply sweet and meaningful journey of rediscovering love. 🌿 Be sure to check the trigger warnings, as several sensitive topics are covered. This heartfelt story about learning to forgive and move forward is one I highly recommend! 💌

Erin and James are both a little lost—working in unfulfilling jobs, feeling alone and somewhat disconnected from family and friends, and feeling unsure of what to do with their lives. They were best friends in school before they had a massive falling out, and now they haven't spoken in years—that is until they start corresponding in the margins of books that they leave for one another in the little free library in their neighborhood. You might enjoy this book if you like books about books or exploring topics of grief and loss.

<i>The Book Swap</i> wasn't what I was expecting at all, and I don't know if I would classify it as a romance. <spoiler>The two main characters barely interact in person until the last few pages of the novel, and when they do, it's brief and they don't <i>actually</i> communicate.</spoiler> While there was some character growth throughout the story, I never really grew to love the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Graydon House for the complementary digital copy. All opinions are my own.

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Book Swap
Author: Tessa Bickers
Contemporary

Thank you Netgalley and Graydon House for this ARC! This was an enjoyable read. Our FMC is going through a hard time having recently suffered a tragedy. She ends up accidentally donating one of her beloved classics to a little library near her home. It turns up later with messages in it and she begins an exchange of letters through classic books. It was a cute and unique spin on You’ve Got Mail. There were a lot of serious topics in this, and watching our FMC navigate them all was really inspiring. This book was just as much sad as it was happy. Definitely not a romcom. It was overall a good read.

this book was both adorable and heartwarming. this story was written beautifully and the characters were immediately so likable. i found myself not only enjoying the romance of this book but its overall message as well. this was my first tessa bickers book and i hope it's not my last!

thank you netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. A fun debut! The tone of this story felt a little hard to follow, but very intrigued with where it went. I look forward to more work by this author in the future.

I feel like I went through a lot of emotions reading this book. I feel like Erin is honestly so immature and dramatic. She held grudges over things that she should have been over in way less time. I really enjoyed the book exchanging and the notes they left in their books. It was so cute and romantic. I felt like the second half, after Erin learned who James was, was a little all over the place and seemed to just drag. The bones of this book is good, just didn’t love how a lot of it actually played out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for this ARC

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing Company for the ARC and allowing me to read this prior to publication!

The Book Swap was a delightful summer read for me! I went in thinking cutesy rom com/Nora Ephron vibes, and I got so much more.

This book goes deep into tough topics like loss, grief, mental illness, bullying and so much more.

More than a book about two people falling in love with each other, this is a book about falling in love with yourself and your life and until you truly do that you can’t begin to fall for someone else in a way that matters.

If you’re looking for a book loving, make you smile, think and maybe spill a tear or two, this one’s for you!

The Book Swap is an enjoyable read and would be good for fans who like:
- Dual POV
- references to classic literature
- characters on a journey to better understand themselves
- second chance friendship/romance is reignited through writing to one another
- books like Clare Pooley's The Authenticity Project and Erica Baeurmesiter's No Two Persons.

Overall, I enjoyed reading the book and got through it quickly. It was heavier in subject manner than I initially expected and wish I had known that before reading (see CW warnings).
CW: death due to cancer; grief; depression; a parent with mental illness

Thank you Harper Collins for a physical copy and Netgalley for an e-arc to review.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. Interesting premise, especially for a book lover like myself. But this book was very slow for me and i found it boring overall.

I am really surprised by some of the reviews of this book on Goodreads. People seem to have really mixed feelings about it, but I really enjoyed it. It is not a cute, fluffy romance like one might assume but instead a story about being true to yourself, relationships with friends and family, loss and growth.

Erin and James were friends when they were young and have always carried feelings for each other. They had a falling out, and they both lost their best friend Bonnie to cancer. They are reconnected by a free little library, unknowingly at first and everything unfolds from there. I found the characters in this book extremely relatable and the topics that were dealt with were just real life; loss, success, growth, mental health. It was an emotional and realistic story that left me rooting for the love story of course, but that wasn't all this book was about for sure.

I recommend.