I felt like this was more about individual character growth rather than a second chance romance, but I loved it! It had me in my feels, or what I like to call a five star feelings book. Were both character unlikeable at times? Absolutely, but I think that’s the point. I really enjoyed when they got called on their flaws and were ultimately able to grow. I can recommend this to those that like books about bookish things, those that are looking for romance books without spice, and those that love real characters and their development.

3.5 stars

The Book Swap is the kind of book that is going to make you feel some hardcore feelings as it explores different iterations of loving relationships and what happens when those relationships change.

I went in expecting to read a romance, and this is not really a romance. More women’s fiction with a slightly romantic B-plot. At times the plot leans a little too heavily on miscommunication, which works when the characters are still children, but not so much when they’re adults.

There are heavier themes of bullying and loss that you wouldn’t necessarily expect from the illustrated cover. Which makes me wish that this book was being marketed differently. I think there will be some readers that are disappointed because they’re expecting genre romance, though I think the book works as a whole.

If you’re looking for an exploration of love in all its forms, and the ways in which characters have to process trauma and loss in order to move forward, this might be the book for you.

📖 Book Review 📖
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
First off, thank you to Graydon House for the eARC!

Based on the cover, I expected it to be a cozy romance, but this book dove into tough topics like grief and loss.

Pick up this book if you’re looking for a book on trauma and growth with some romance added in.

Also a good one for anyone who loves classic book references throughout.

Read this book if you like…
💜 third person POV
💜character growth
💜 some spice

Release date: September 3rd

#bookreview #booksofinstagram #bookstagram #arcreader #arcreviewer #arcreview #booklover

"It makes me happy to think of someone else reading these books. Finding something in them that I didn't. Taking them somewhere that I've never been."

This was everything I wanted a Little Free Library romance to be, and then some. I don't want to say too much, but this is a story full of loss, grief, second chances, and redemption – it's finding yourself in the margins of your favorite books.

Love love loved this one.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the e-arc!

Thank you to Graydon House/Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC.

The premise of this one sounded so cute: an FMC grieving the loss of her best friend loses her favorite book and then finds it in a community bookshelf (think a Little Free Library situation) annotated by a stranger. It’s You Got Mail meets annotated classic. Unfortunately for me, it was a miss.

While this was a miss for me, I did enjoy watching Erin, the FMC, find herself amidst grief. On the other hand, we also get to watch James, the MMC, ditch his high-paying corporate job to pursue his real passion in life. Both career pivots were inspiring and enjoyable to read about.

I also loved that this book explored bullying, mental illness, and loss. These are heavy themes and are very present in the book. I was expecting a lighthearted romcom, but instead, I was faced with these very deep issues. I loved the exploration, but I was not in the right mindset to read about it.

The romance has You Got Mail vibes in that the characters have a shared history but do not realize they are each other’s mystery love interests. There is also a big miscommunication plot line that I did not enjoy. However, this is a very clean romance that centers on trauma and a grief journey.

I went into this book with expectations of a romcom, and I think that is why it was a miss for me. This is not a romance book; it’s more of a plotline around trauma and growth with a heavy emphasis on bullying, terminal illness, death, toxic workplaces, and mental illness. I think I may have enjoyed it a bit more if I knew those themes would be the crux of this novel. Instead, I was left wanting in the romance department.

Do not go into this book expecting a cute, fun rom-com‼️ that is not this. this book is a dive into grief and big emotions. The romance was a little all over the place. I appreciated the book much more as a general fiction piece than a romance book. this was a story about learning to love again after losing so much of your heart.

I found out this is the author’s debut novel, which is crazy!! It’s so sweet because the MMC writes his first novel in the book. Like stop that’s so cute #twins

The FMC highkey got on my nerves. It was hard to root for her at times when I just wanted to scream at her from the pages. In some ways, I feel like her character flaws were on purpose?? Like yes, I’m not a big fan of her, but I also couldn’t put the book down so.

I read this book in one sitting. Something about this was addicting, even when I wanted to slap the characters upside the head.

Also the side characters?! So cute!! I loved them.

Read if you like:
- second chance romance
- dual pov
- emotional reads

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book had a cute background but it was confusing on how it jumps from one point to another. I wouldn’t know exactly where we were for a little minute.

The Book Swap by Tessa Bickers 5⭐️

When I requested this book on NetGalley, I was expecting a cute little fluffy romcom about falling in love through annotations. What I was not expecting was an absolutely heart wrenching story of loss and how grief can be paralyzing. This book brought me to tears multiple times. The way Erin loved Bonnie and agonized over their friendship was palpable. Watching both our main characters reconnect with their siblings/family members was beautiful. I honestly did not like Erin as a main character. She can be very selfish and judgmental. It was nice to watch her realize that she needed to give people grace and take responsibility for her own life. James also had his flaws and I think that’s what made these two relatable in their struggles. I loved this book and will be recommending it to my friends!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Book Swap is about two twenty somethings in London who begin exchanging books at a local community library when Erin accidentally leaves a favorite book there after a clear out after a terrible day at work.. Her mystery man intrigued by all the notes left in the margins, adds a few of his own then returns the book and invites Erin to borrow the book that he has begun to annotate from the community library. From this simple premise comes a book full of tenderness and growth as both Erin and James begin to forgive the mistakes, and grudges of high school. A long and sometimes bumpy journey to HEA, I'm glad I came along for the ride.

I devoured this book in 24 hours. There was so much packed into one story. Some of the themes were really heavy such as bullying, abandonment, loss of a best friend, and mental health. But wow did Erin and James have me in a chokehold. Knowing they were swapping stories through a #lfl makes me NEED to buy a copy of this one and put it in a #littlefreelibrary near me. Truly a must read. It has me laughing and crying.

The Book Swap is a sweet romance built through the love of books. I mean what better way to meet the love of your life? Unfortunately when Erin accidentally starts a book swap with mystery man, it turns out it’s the opposite of the love of her life. The Book Swap was a quick and sweet read. The plot not only centered around our main characters but how each person has a role to play. If you’re into meet cute s and enemies to lovers this is a good read for you.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to be an ARC reader for this book in exchange for my honest review.
My first thought about this story is that using a free little library as the main feature of this story is not only genuine but made the story 100% more appealing to a book lover like myself.
Erin is in a rut. She is depressed, can't find her way, and is in a downward spiraling cycle of depression. Her family has issues, her career leaves her feeling less than adequate, and she misses her deceased best friend, Bonnie. The only thing that is priceless to her is her copy of To Kill A Mockingbird with a special message inside of it from Bonnie, and it is annotated by her with so many thoughts and notes. Erin accidentally donates it to a little free library and searches it frantically, hoping someone returns the precious book.
James isn't living his life to the fullest. He feels like he is just going through the motions with his job, family, and life. Until he comes across Erin's book in the little free library. Her notes in the margins of the book sparked something in him, and before he knew it, he was replying to her throughout the book and returned it, hoping she would see the book. At the end of the book, he included an invitation to join him in the next book... this contined... back and forth... until they finally discovered each other's real identities.
Wow, just wow! This book is so unique, and I loved every minute of it! The happy ending was a bonus! I highly recommend this book to all book lovers. You will adore it!

Thank you to @netgalley @htpbooks @htphive and the author for the gifted e-book.

I went into this book thinking it was going to be a lighthearted romance. Instead, I found a much deeper and more profound novel.

Narrated from the perspectives of Erin and James, the story delves into the tragedies they have faced, overshadowing the romantic elements. Both characters are grappling with family issues and struggling with their own self-worth. They are stuck in unfulfilling careers and are burdened by their family's demands. But what really drew me in was the moment Erin began exchanging classic books with a stranger. Their correspondence led to the sharing of innermost thoughts, pushing both of them to pursue new directions in their lives. I was captivated by how annotated books connected these characters and unveiled their shared history.

This novel is a beautiful exploration of self-discovery, the acceptance of our flaws, and the enduring love for family, friends, and those we may have lost along the way. Be mindful that it does touch on themes like mental illness, bullying, and death, which made the characters both unlikeable and endearing at different points in the story.

If you're in search of a meaningful and introspective read, look no further. This compelling book is set to be published on September 3rd.

This book was not what I expected. I expected two people who traded notes in margins who actually knew each other to meet and fall in love. While that is what we got, it actually didn’t happen until the last 2% of the book.

Most of this book was about a few things: (1) James’ life now, his family, and what happened between him and Erin and Bonnie when they were younger; (1) Erin’s life now, her awful job, talking to her dead friend, and her family. Most of the book focused on most everything else and less about the romance.

They exchanged books at the library with notes in the margins. This was a really cute idea. Unfortunately, it was just overdone. It should have stopped sooner and then have them figure out it was someone that they knew sooner.

The way that it was written was a little difficult too. Sometimes the scenes change from present to flashback and I couldn’t tell what was happening. It just felt very disjointed.

I will say this – there is a lot of discussion on grief, and it is handled very well. I just wasn’t prepared for that based on the description of the book.

I really wanted to love this book, but it just fell short for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! This was a unique story and I enjoyed it! Erin was hard to root for at times, but I loved reading through James’ POV. I also love books set in London.

The book was advertised as a cute rom-com but it had a lot of heavy topics that took away from the romance aspect of the story. I think the author had good intentions for the story but I think it was a bit too much at once. I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would.

If you like “You’ve Got Mail,” you’ll likely enjoy this book as it revolves around characters writing back and forth to each other through books in a little library. In similar fashion, the main characters know each other and have a love-hate relationship in real life. Heavy on the hate. This story has a few added twists of a mother with a mental illness and shared loss of a beloved friend, as well as formative years filled with challenges, which is a nice take.

Liked:
- relatively tame romance which focused on romance over physical
- the realness of dealing with grief and mental health struggles
- the reality of how our parents actions can impact our lives for years into the future
- how serious bullying can be in school
- cancer can take a toll on so many relationships
- a bisexual and gay side characters where it wasn’t treated like a weird thing that needed to be called out, just normal. Nor were they treated like they were promiscuous.
- normalizing single motherhood
- normalizing stay at home fathers
- how suicide impacts everyone
- Use of literature to share with each other. It’s one of my favorite things about books as well.
- Perks of Being a Wall Flower

Disliked:
- how long it took for the story to get going. I definitely struggled to stay awake reading a few times. It took a lot to set-up the exchange, and it feels like maybe there was a way to condense it or perhaps intertwine it more
- everything “worked out” perfectly in the end. Everyone for most part paired up. The mental health struggles of James’ mother magically just became easier for everyone to handle.
- making Elliot seem like he left the family and was selfish when he chose to put his mental health first.
- so many different things going on with every person, it was sort of like traumatic experiences were a main plot device. It was a lot.


One thing particulate for me, and maybe it’s just my area but I feel like most little libraries rarely have many books, especially ones that people might want to read. lol. But I do enjoy calling attention to these little wonders and also how they often end up in disrepair. I hope people want to go check theirs out and maybe help it be in better shape. 💜

First thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had a very hard time getting into this book. Initially I was intrigued by the concept, I love books about books. So this seemed promising. However it was not until I started reading that the concept of the book became a little lost on me. I ended up DNF"ing this book after only getting a few chapters in.

The formatting of the text made it difficult for me to read, I am not sure if it was because this was an ARC and so it had not been formatted yet for printing but it definitely impacted how I read this book. The writing was also not the best and I found it to be disjointed and choppy. Which in turn made for a difficult reading experience.

Overall, I was extremely disappointed with this book. Which was such a let down because I truly had been looking forward to this book.

This book certainly touches on some deeper topics, but I think it’s done in a very real way; very human. It was such a lovely read and honestly what I really needed as of late. I love when that mesh of real life and fiction happens. It makes the characters that much more relatable.

“Someone I should have made way more effort with just died and I blame myself. I was so focused on my job, I didnt notice a human being beside me was struggling.” - on suicide

I adore the way that Erin and her Mystery Man connected through books. So effing romantic!! All the stops by the little free library to read the margins. 🥰 I actually thought this was just going to be a cute little romance book and that’s it, but it was actually quite a bit more than that. And I’m so glad for it.

“Sometimes people are going through something you can’t relate to and you just have to show up.”

If I had to critique anything at all, it would be the writing a bit. I just felt that sometimes we were in a scene and then suddenly we’ve been ripped from the scene and we are somewhere else. For example, the characters will be having a conversation on the phone and the next thing you know she’s leaving her house and mentions the conversation she had earlier on the phone. No transition, just we are talking and now we’re doing something else. Keep up.

Other than that, this book was totally adorable and I would recommend it to anyone. Especially to those who are having a hard time and need to know that they are not alone in their feelings and that not everyone is perfect. Everybody makes mistakes it’s what you do after the mistake that counts. And that love can be found in the margins of life. ❤️

“And in that moment, I swear we were infinite.”
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ʏᴏᴜʟʟ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
•books about books
•romance
•family drama
•deep discussion

A heartbreaking, beautiful second chance love story. Not at all like you expect but it gives you everything you need. If you’ve ever felt lost after loss, like the world keeps spinning but you no longer have any sense of direction or purpose, to be afraid to love so deeply because you know what it’s like to lose it so you don’t bother with it at all, I recommend this book to you. Their invisible string of not realizing they’ve always been exactly what the other needs, but also that they both needed to grow and grieve before they fit back together is so beautiful. This book ripped my heart out and then put it back together with so much love. I was fully sobbing by the last two chapters. This perfectly encapsulates grief and love and what it’s like to struggle with forgiving yourself for something you’ve blamed others for for so long. The writing is done well, the content and topics covered are heavy but necessary and real. Overall, even though this wasn’t what I was expecting from this book it was phenomenal and I really enjoyed it.