Not the best romance book I've ever read, but solid. It took a bit longer than I personally like for the characters to come together, and the burn was so slow, it fizzled out completely at some points. Being a lover of the Little Libraries near me, I absolutely loved the concept of interacting through sharing books, but most of the story was "meh" for me. I won't read this one again, but I would recommend to those who like the slow burn romances with little to no spice in them.

A dual POV story of love, grief, forgiveness, and books! Swapping annotated books using a neighborhood little library is the cutest thing and had me feeling alllll the feels. By chapter 2 I didn't want to set the book down. Both Erin and James are real, relatable characters that are trying to navigate growing up the best way they know how. The second chance romance as well as touching so gracefully on sensitive topics have made this is a story I will surely be thinking about for a long time.

Thank you to Net Galley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read an E-ARC of The Book Swap by Tessa Bickers in exchange for my honest review.

From the very first page, I was drawn into a world where love and literature intersect in the most beautiful and unexpected ways.
What truly sets this novel apart is its exquisite attention to character development. The protagonists are not just characters on a page; they are living, breathing individuals with hopes, dreams, and flaws. Each character must face their fears and confront their pasts in order to embrace a future together. Every reader can find a bit of themselves in this diverse group of characters.
But what truly elevates The Book Swap is its diverse collection of literary nods. From To Kill a Mockingbird, Mansfield Park and Great Expectations to the Bell Jar and more, the author's love for literature shines through.The Book Swap reminds us that literature has the ability to change our lives in ways we never thought possible. This book made me appreciate Little Free Libraries and gave me the desire to contribute to the ones in my community.

I really wanted to love this book as I love all things bookish. Although this story showed a great deal of promise with Erin dealing with grief and James sharing feelings through the margins of books, That sounds amazing and some parts of it was but honestly the language and cursing in the book threw me off I felt it took me out of the created world of the ok. Overall the story was good and well thought out but it still made me feel like it was lacking.

Erin is struggling with the loss of someone in her life and things that happened in her past while trying to navigate her life in the present. When she accidentally donates her very special copy of To Kill A Mockingbird containing a very special note from her past to a Little Free Library she is heartbroken. One day the book magically reappears in the library with her note and new annotations in the margin. This sparks a new friendship with a total stranger in the pages of their favorite books. Through these conversations Erin...and Mystery Man begin to realize what matters most to them in life.

I loved this story. I went into it thinking it would be a light and sweet romantic comedy but it was actually a story that really made me think about my regrets in life and what I really wanted for myself. Highly recommend. I can't wait to read more from Tessa Bickers in the future.

An exploration of grief and a love story happening in the margins of books. Also has a straight man reading Marian Keyes!

I DNF’d this book because I knew fairly early on that it wasn’t going to be my kind of book! a lit of explicit language in what I was expecting to be a light, happy read!
If you’re someone who doesn’t mains language, I’m sure this would be a fun read!

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for granting me this ARC!

I think this book was really cute! A great premise and something I hadn't seen done before. The story and characters had real promise, but it felt like a lot of it fell sort of flat. Where there were opportunities to take the story a little further and explore the characters in more depth, I thought that the easy way was taken out. I felt like there could have been so much more. But that being said, for being a quick book, it was fun to read!

This book had a lot of heavy topics and overall was an easy read for me but I wouldn’t say it was “good”. It was just easy. It lacked chemistry and depth. It felt slow and boring in the aspect of the characters growth, romance and overall plot! I’m giving it 3 stories because it could have been a really cute story and it has a good foundation!

I loved loved loved this book. The characters are real, flawed and likeable (even when they're not). The story is funny, exciting, heartbreaking.... I genuinely wasn't sure how it was going to end. I hope to read more of these character's stories soon.

The book Swap by Tessa Bickers was a slow burn romance that was a little hard for me to get into. I had to keep pushing myself to get back to the book and was looking for a more feel good quick read. This being an advanced reading copy that I sent to my Kindle maybe partly to blame as it was not quite ready for the format— weird spacing and no breaks between chapters. Saw a few typos which again could be a formatting issue. Overall thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy to read and share my honest review. I’d rate this 2.5-3 stars again nice story and premise, but a little slow with formatting issues lost my interests. I’d consider reading again after release to see if the problems with the format are resolved and help grip me more.

I really enjoyed this wonderful story about Erin and James.

This was an overall slow burn romance that made you feel all of the feels. There’s themes of bullying, mental health, grief, and loss.

There’s a lot of layers to the book and it is pretty heavy which I think made it a slower start. The FMC and MMC share books back and forth and write in the margins they reach for books such as The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Wuthering Heights, Great Gatsby, Great Expectations, To Kill a Mockingbird, and more. So a book lovers paradise essentially!

It’s rare that a book makes lets you connect and relate to the characters the way this one did. Overall I think it’s a really strong debut novel by Tessa Bickers.

Some additional formatting notes:
In the kindle version the letter “f” separated from words, like f ather, f lower, etc.

The indentation was also random throughout the book.

This book was a mixed bag for me. From the jump, the pacing was sort of all over the place. It starts really strong but slows down and I found it hard to keep picking the book up. It's also a lot heavier than the cover and blurb would indicate, which isn't necessarily a bad thing BUT something I think should be made clear to readers! The romance (which I liked) is merely a plot point in a larger story about grief and finding yourself again.

I think readers looking for something a little heavier and with less emphasis on romance will really like this one. For me, it was a 3 star read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Tessa Bickers for this Advanced Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest review!

The Book Swap is a love letter to romance, reading, and books.

The Book Swap follows Erin and James, two individuals who unknowingly find solace in each other as they overcome their pasts. I loved this story. I loved how the character's grew and overcame their respective issues together, without them realizing who the other was. This story is most definitely a slow-burn romance.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves reading. This is a cozy romance read, and a perfect palate cleanser for all the fantasy/romantasy readers



I'll be posting this review to goodreads today, and to instagram (@le.midnight.chaptre) in the next week!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was super excited for this book. I love to read books about books and how they impact people. I was hoping that this would be more about the romance between James and Erin, but it mainly revolved around the trauma of losing a friend and how that can deeply affect a person and the relationships they have with other people.

I loved that Erin and James both discovered more about themselves and what they wanted to do with their lives. Erin quit her job that wasn't bringing her joy and went on a journey of self-discovery. She discovered her love of literature again; she was pushed to find a job that would bring in money and then also look for something that would include her passion for literature. Starting over is difficult at the best of times, but especially difficult when also working through a trauma from years past.

I loved that James rediscovered his love of literature while communicating with Erin through the margins of a book. I myself have never been able to write in a book, but it makes me wonder how much more I would get out of a book if I allowed myself to write my thoughts down as I have them while reading. His passions for writing being reignited and affirmed by his family and friends was a bright spot in the story.

This book was a slow start. It took me a long time to get into it. I was hoping for a quicker paged book. In the end, I still enjoyed it, but it was a more challenging start than I anticipated.

I really enjoyed this book!! i thought the characters were real and felt relatable on so many different levels. I really like the portrayal of the mental health aspects. I think it did a great job of showcasing those things. I loved how the characters developed through the story as well. The only problems i ran into was the format to read on my kindle was read and hard sometimes. Also for some reason all the f’s were separate to the rest of the word. I also wish we did get to see more of Erin and James story together like an epilogue or even just an extra chapter of the future.

I went into this book thinking it’d be a cute lil romcom between two bookworms; it was much more than that.

There wasn’t as much romance as I thought it would be and even less comedy, but Tessa Bickers touched on important matters that affect more of us than we think: loss, grief, adulting, and trying to find our way on a path that we told ourselves we were meant for before we even became full-fledged adults.

Sometimes, what you think you want and the ways you measure success aren’t what is meant for you - and that’s okay! This book touches on that in so many ways.

While I did dock a star for the uneven pacing, I did keep it at a 4 because it broke me in ways other books haven’t and then put me right back together again, stronger than before.

The Book Swap" explores themes of loss and moving on after tragedy, with a slow-burning romance interlaced with references to classic literature. The depiction of Erin's bond with her sister lends credibility to the story. While it does not quite match romantic expectations, it is a moving read that speaks to the healing power of reading. Despite being awarded 3.8 stars, it's still a fascinating voyage, particularly for those seeking emotional depth in storytelling. Thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing | Graydon House, and Tessa Bickers for the advance copy.

OBSESSED!!!!! I finish this up in 2 sittings! Since the second I pick it up it grab me and I was HOOKED 😭 it’s so cute and the sadness in it it’s described in such a beautiful way 🥹 I love this so much it’s cute and funny and sad and just amazing 💜

This book was a different genre than what I normally read but I thought it was amazing. Once I got a few chapters in I was hooked. The storyline was so interesting and really kept my attention. The romance was minimal but sweet, it is more heartache than comedy which i wish was advertised more