At first I assumed this would be your typical romance-book-with-a-cartoon-cover (which is gorgeous btw), which I tend not to read as much of because I’m not one for smut usually. This had no smut, but it was a very human story with a lot of unexpected depth, touching on grief, illness, trauma, mental illness, and more in a very sensitive and poignant way. I was very touched by this story, and I loved all of the bookishness of it as well. I’m a volunteer with Little Free Library, so I loved seeing a community library as the centerpiece of the plot. A rich and wholesome story with a surprising rawness to it. Very enjoyable read.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this one! It had some great tropes that were executed well. I was feeling the feels!

This book is a literature lover's romantic dream! I loved everything about Tessa Bicker's writing. The plot was so well paced, and the depth of characters we get in such a relatable way really sold me. This is a definite romance recommendation for me!

Erin is dealing with recent tragedies in her life when she accidentally donates her beloved annotated copy of To Kill a Mockingbird. When she finds it again in her local little library filled with someone's written replies, an exchange between Erin and a mystery man starts within the margins of stories. As someone who loves second chance romances, this book was just it! There was a great slow burn, mystery penpal, and a beautiful framing of the way friendships have their ups and downs. This book plays with the ideas of happy accidents, the idea of luck and being right where you need to be. You really see that in the way Erin keeps running into her past, and how it may be what she needs to grow and move forward through her grief to keep living and loving. Our lives are so unpredictable and Tessa Bickers perfectly captures the serendipity that can come out of not-so-great situations like accidentally donating your favorite book.

I think the way this book explores grief is so interesting. As someone who hasn't experienced much death in their life, I loved the way in which Bonnie was with Erin and James through the book. The people we love will always be there in our mutual friends, shared memories, and the beauty of life as we remember them, and I felt so much love for the characters in this book and what they have gone through.

All this to say, Tessa Bickers is now going to be on my radar! I need more from her. Her writing is so accessible and flows so well, and her creation of characters and complex conflicts hit so close to home that at moments, I felt like she was speaking to my English major soul. <3

Thank you so much for allowing me to read this ARC, and I cannot recommend this book enough.

This is a good debut and it is written well. But this is not a light, breezy, rom-com as the cover would suggest. This book delves into some serious topics including death, mental illness, cancer and bullying. Overall, the parts relating to the book swap are catnip for any booklover. The two MCs who have a shared past, unbeknownst to either, revealing themselves in the margins of classic books. The supporting characters are interesting, but the main FC, Erin is not very likeable. I suppose that's integral to her development, but the main MC, James, in my opinion deserves better.

The author, Tessa Bickers, has had an interesting journey, singer-songwriter, XFactor auditions, and festivals with her band, Tess and The Tellers. I will definitely look out for her next book.

I was drawn to this book because a love story through notes in books has me written all over it. It was so much more. It was about messy people, complicated relationships, and grief. The book started out slow but was perfectly paced for the rest of it. I was not able to successfully guess what the reveals would be, which I really enjoyed. I liked that Erin and James didn’t just fix their problems through the power of love and closeness. They put in work and had uncomfortable conversations. I can’t express enough how much I loved that. For once, the romance plot was the least important thing to me while reading. I was so much more invested in the personal growth journeys Erin and James were individually on. I would say this book is more about mental health and grief than romance. Overall, I really love this book and everyone should read it.

I enjoyed this book. It's a slow burn, which I love. This book is not a silly goofy good time. It has some more topics woven in and I really appreciated and enjoyed that.

An intense story of love, lies, and life. It’s not a tale for those looking for mushy, gushy tales (but doesn’t the world have enough of those already?). Tessa weaves deeply formed characters with the realities of the bonds of friendship, classics that capture our hearts, minds, and souls, and a happily ever after that’s so deserved it makes you cry and sigh with relief.

I found this book to be a tad slow at the beginning, and I didn't really like any of the characters. I did like the plot idea, but feel it just tried a little to hard to be cute and quirky.

Enjoyed this book a lot! I really thought I was going to read a cute rom-com book about 2 people exchanging books and falling in love with each other as time passed but WOW, this book was not that at ALL! It touches on grief, bullying, mental illness, family relationships and learning how to let go of the past to finally move on.
I will say hands down that I enjoyed James’s character more than Erin’s! He was more understanding about things than Erin. At times it felt like she was trying to make it all about her. What also really touched my heart and made me tear at times is Erin still seeing her best friend and talking to her while still holding on deep to her grief and the past. I liked how she also eventually realized her mistakes and tried to not repeat them with her sister. Lastly, the slow burn and the miscommunication trope here are HUGE! If you aren’t a fan of either then I don’t recommend.

Overall it was a great read for me!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Hallelujah! That's the first thing I want to say about this book! After being so disappointed in the last book I read, this book renewed my hope in authors who can write about feelings that just make me smile as two people connect. I loved how the main characters communicate through a little free library in their London neighborhood. For me little free libraries are one of humanities delightful creations and to have one be the center of this book, of course, already had me wanting to love it, so I'm so glad I did.
The main characters have a history going back to high school and some of the things addressed are just so relevant: bullying and parents' decisions and health and how they affect their children. It is real what so many kids are dealing with and they have to show up at school every day and "perform" anyway.
Anyway, Erin and James are not perfect, but are so likable as they face their different challenges and decisions. I like that they were both humble enough to learn as they went. Tessa Bickers did such a great job telling their sweet, at times sad, story. I was so impressed when I realized in her acknowledgements that she is a debut author!! I can't wait to keep reading her books as she writes them.
Thank you SO much to #netgalley and #HarlequinTradePublishing for my ARC of this gem of a book.

I loved the conceit of this book but I HATE the miscommunication trope and it was deployed so many times here. Maybe I'm just confrontational but how hard is it to JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER.

Erin Connolly accidentally donates her cherished copy of "To Kill a Mockingbird," with personal annotations and a significant memento, to a local community library. When the book reappears in the library, now bearing fresh notes in the margins and an invitation hidden within a copy of "Great Expectations." Erin's interactions with her mysterious pen pal, James, written in the margins of beloved books, offer a unique mode of communication. The characters' narrative delves into their shared history and reveals a past connection, resulting in them confronting painful memories and unresolved issues.

Erin's internal struggle makes the reader feel sympathy for her. She is seeking forgiveness and on a quest for self-discovery throughout the book. James has a heart-wrenching narrative about the courage to face one's demons. This book also highlights the impact of literature and how it brings people together. It was a heartfelt story about overcoming trauma; I think readers will enjoy it.

I received an ARC ebook for my honest review. Thank you, NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydone House.

Our story starts with Erin Connelly as she sets out on a new path after the death of her best friend (Bonnie) 3 years prior. Erin dealt with some tough childhood experiences that make her hard to trust others that want a relationship with her. On her new path, Erin accidentally gives away a treasured book. To her surprise though, she finds the book again with notes written inside. Thus begins a book exchange between herself and a mystery man where they reveal things they’ve never told anyone else. This book exchange slowly begins to break down the barriers in both of their lives and help them heal. Enter James. James used to be best friends with Bonnie and Erin in school but an act of betrayal put him on the outs. Imagine Erin’s surprise when she finds out mystery man is James! Will they be able to move on from the past or will new secrets tear them apart for good?

The beginning of the book started off rocky for me. I instantly did not like Erin and her self-loathing behavior but began to understand it better as the book went on. The dual POV’s helped move the book along and kept me engaged to see what would happen next. I ended up really enjoying the healing journey of Erin and James in this book. I think as a clinical social worker, I have a unique viewpoint as I understand the mental illness playing part of Erin and James’ issues. I think my favorite character was Erin’s sister!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I felt like this book tried too hard to be cute. I overall enjoyed it, but may have hyped it up in my head too much before reading.

Overall 3.5 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Tessa Bickers for allowing me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book was a cute and quick read. The book focuses on Erin and Bonnie as they become pen pals through a little free library. It took me some time to connect with the characters and it was quite an emotional read which I wasn't fully expecting but overall I enjoyed the book. I'd recommend to someone who wants a quick emotional read.

I thought this was gonna be a romantic, light read but it ended up being a lot more than that. It felt a little corny at times but overall wasn’t a bad read

This was a really fun romance novel. It had to banter and I enjoyed the characters and the story a lot. Overall I would recommend it and advise you to read it. It was lovely.

Oh my god. So adorable! First off for a first book this was absolutely incredible! I thought the characters were so cute and fleshed out, the story was just adorable. I wanna trade love notes through a library now! I felt so much for these characters and all their struggles, and I was so happy to watch them improve by the end. I did feel some parts of it dragged a bit but that happens to the best books. I even thought the time jumps were well done, which is impressive. You can just tell that the author put their entire heart into this book. There's romance, angst, and a great sister. The side characters were fantastic and Georgia became one of my favorites in the book. She's just so cute and caring and I love the choices she made. Obsessed, will be recommending to all my friends when it comes out!

a love letter to books and book lovers. deeply emotional and very entertaining read, would def recommend to other book people

Thank you to Net Galley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this digital ARC.

3.5 stars rounded up. This book is set in England, which I normally don’t like, but the setting was not a main plot point.

This is, basically, a love letter to books and reading. Since I love both, picking this up was a no brainer.

It’s a cute, quick read based on two people getting to know each other via writing in book margins and then discovering they knew each other all along.