"The Book Swap" by Tessa Bickers is a poignant and heartwarming tale that celebrates the power of literature to heal, connect, and inspire. Bickers' storytelling is both tender and compelling, drawing readers into a world where the magic of books brings two strangers together in unexpected ways.

At the heart of the story is Erin Connolly, a woman grappling with grief and longing for connection in the aftermath of a tragedy. When she accidentally donates her favorite book to a Little Free Library, she is devastated—until the book mysteriously returns with fresh notes in the margins and an invitation from her newfound pen pal.

What sets "The Book Swap" apart is its exploration of the transformative nature of storytelling. As Erin and her Mystery Man exchange messages in the margins of beloved classic novels, they embark on a journey of self-discovery, healing, and friendship. Through their shared love of literature, they find solace, understanding, and the possibility of something more.

Bickers' characters are richly drawn and relatable, each with their own struggles, hopes, and dreams. As Erin confronts painful reminders of the past and grapples with forgiveness, readers will find themselves rooting for her every step of the way.

Overall, "The Book Swap" is a beautifully written and emotionally resonant novel that will leave readers feeling uplifted and inspired. Bickers' heartfelt exploration of love, loss, and redemption is sure to touch the hearts of book lovers everywhere.

This one was cute. If you are a margin writer, you'll enjoy The Book Swap. So many literary references, dual POV, old friends finding each other again. The friendships and family dynamics felt interesting but realistic. I love the premise behind the book, even though I'm not a margin writer. The ending felt just a bit rushed, but not enough to bother me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read an advanced copy.

This one is for the book lovers and missed connections. There are not many books that crack me open, this one did so slowly and with precision. It took me more time to read this than most books. It was a slow start and I really wasn't sure where I hoped it would go, but the twists got me. There were surprises and heartbreak, literary references and life struggles, seeking forgiveness and finding themselves. There isn't much about this book that I didn't like and it had be sobbing by the end.

This is the first ARC that I've given 5 stars to and for a new-to-romance writer, Tessa did not disappoint.

This is not a spicy novel. It's a tale of making mistakes, learning from them, finding flaws in oneself, accepting yourself, and finding a way to move past life's hardest moments. There are some TW: cancer related death, mental health struggles, and pregnancy complications.

Really looking forward to hearing the audio book and sincerely hope it is a dual narration.

Well done. Looking forward to your future books, Tessa Bickers. Meet me in happy ever after.

Erin is dealing with the grief of a major loss when she accidentally leaves her favorite copy of her favorite book in her local Little Free Library. The book shows up again with new notes in the margins and a note to meet the Mystery Man in a different book, and thus they begin communicating via a book swap in the Little Free Library. Who is Erin’s Mystery Man, and how will she react when she finds out they have a deeply personal history?

This book surprised me in a lot of ways! I thought I was in for a cute romance about people who love books and, while I did get some of that, there was a lot more to this book.

This story captured the overwhelming feeling of grief and how it plays a part in our everyday lives in a really beautiful, heartbreaking way. It touched on some sensitive topics I wasn’t expecting, but each was handled with grace and thoughtfulness. My favorite thing about the book was the idea that two people can grow to know each other through reading and writing and sharing pieces of your heart through a love of literature. The book swapping plot line was really cute and well written! The cover is also great work and matches the story perfectly!

I did feel like the main characters acted immaturely for most of the book, and really only started to grow to love them toward the end. I felt like they were stuck in high school and never moved on with their lives, which came off as petty some of the time. The book is slower paced, which I didn’t mind as I like a build up, but some of the big reveals didn’t shock me like I hoped they would.

The end of the book though. It was BEAUTIFUL. I had chills. I cried. I was convinced I knew how I would rate it until the end, and then I decided on 4 stars because.. Wow. What emotion! I loved it. LOVED IT. It was a love story book lovers will adore for sure.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Read if you love..
Literature related love stories
The classics
Dual POV
A really great, heartbreaking, beautiful ending
Sensitive topics beautifully written about

The Book Swap is a tender, heartfelt story of loss, love, and second chances. I adore this book. It has a little bit of romance, but it is mostly about growing past grief and learning how to live again. Erin and James' story broke my heart, and put it back together multiple times throughout the story. I only wish that they showed more of their relationship in the end. I cannot wait for this book to come out so I can buy a physical copy!

Tag yourself: I’m the 15 year old obsessed with Harry Styles (I’m 24 but once a directioner always a directioner 😙).

2.5 stars

I agree with the other reviewers stating that the book description is misleading. I wasn’t expecting the bullying scenes to be so descriptive that it threw me off guard. I think the author should have provided a list to forewarn the readers of the sensitive topics that were covered in this book.

I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing in exchange for an honest review/Pub date: 09/03/24

I loved the premise of this book and had high hopes for it. It was a sweet read, but had a good amount of sadness. For some reason Erin rubbed me the wrong way though, and James’s mom ruined a lot of his storyline for me. I also found the timeline slightly wonky. The dual POV jumped back in time from where the last chapter ended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. The Book Swap is out in September 2024.

I really enjoyed Tessa Bickers debut, The Book Swap. Strong You’ve Got Mail vibes, but so much more thought-provoking. I was expecting this to be a lighthearted rom com, but was pleasantly surprised by the more serious subject matter- grief, loss, mental illness, depression, and what ultimately makes people happy and fulfilled. I love that the characters connected with these topics and each other through books. They often read to escape the heaviness of their lives and I can relate to that in a big way.

I struggled a little in the beginning to get into the story and connect with the main female character, Erin, but once she and James started swapping novels, I couldn’t put it down. I would have loved to see how their story progressed after their reconnection.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC!

This was a wonderful delight to read. From the moment I opened this book to start it, until the end I was intrigued.

This felt like somewhat of a romance and but geared more towards women's fiction. I loved the writing overall and particularly enjoyed the writer's astute psychological insights into both the FMC and MMC. I really enjoyed this idea of bookish penpals swapping notes and trying to figure each other out. The inclusion of mystery element surrounding their identities (that overlapped with their past) was also cleverly explored in the book. Another winning element is the inclusion of both POVs (FMC and MMC) so we get a sense of what each one's going through/thinking around the same time!

I feel like this book should come with a trigger warning though :) I was expecting it to be more lighthearted than it actually was! The story was quite intense in parts (especially the last half) and a little lighthearted at times. One of my main comments about the book is that most of the issues could have been resolved by communication (at least at some stage during the development of their relationship), something almost entirely lacking from the FMC's point of view. This is also evident in the FMC's own relationship with her family. As a result, it gets harder as the story progresses, to continue rooting for the FMC.

That being said, I do enjoy the author's writing style, seamlessly taking us from one scene to another and would definitely check out her upcoming books! Booklovers- If you like stories about personal growth with some heartwarming moments, this one is for you!

Rating 3.5/5

Thank you to Harlequin and the NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#TheBookSwap #NetGalley

This was more of a 2.5 rounded up. This book is a great choice for fans of Beth O'Leary, which admittedly is not usually my cup of tea. But if you fall into that category, then this is for you! I thought the plot was a little busy and wouldn't necessarily brand it as a romance-- it focused more on with kind of figuring out what you wanted in every aspect of life (work, family, romance, friends) and prioritizing it. Those four aspects all had equal shares of the book, rather than romance dominating the story. Additionally, the details from each of those aspects got a little slow at times, and didn't always keep me engaged. However, I do think that the emotions that the main characters (specifically Erin) were feeling are super important, and I thought the book did a good job of working through them-- I just definitely wasn't expecting that from a "romance" book.
That being said, though, I did really like the book swap plot. It was super unique and cute, and I loved the sections where they were sharing notes with each other. I wish that their romance had gotten even more pages throughout the book, because it was definitely my favorite part to read!

This was such a cute and quick read for me! I loved the love in this story and would recommend to anyone seeking an emotionally intelligent, lighthearted read!

As an avid reader and a lover of books that transport you through real life and into realms of fantasy and romance, I highly recommend Tessa Bickers’ “The Book Swap.” This novel is not just a story; it’s a journey through the power of words and the unexpected connections they can forge. With a compelling narrative that intertwines grief, love, and the serendipity of finding messages in the margins, it’s a book that resonates deeply with the heart. For anyone who cherishes the escapism of reading and the hope that comes with new beginnings, “The Book Swap” is a treasure waiting to be discovered.

Erin and her pen pal have a shared history that neither of them has guessed. Faced with painful reminders of the past—and the one person she swore never to forgive—Erin finds herself at a crossroads. One that could change her life forever.
love love love a book about books
such a fun and interesting read
I love it so much

A beautiful romance! I loved the characters. I laughed out loud, and rooted for the romance. A must for all rom com lovers!

This book was a 3.5 for me! The idea for this book was super cute and unique. I enjoyed the dual POV's! There was a lot of trauma to unpack from both sides but I did love the book swapping idea. It threw me off when I realized her friend was dead but could still see her due to emotional attachment ;(.
While I have my own trauma, as most of us do, I had a hard time connecting and loving the characters. It felt as if I was sitting on a bench and watching two people live out their lives but never forming any attachment for them. With my failure to love these characters, I had a had time picking up this book but I wanted to finish as quickly as possible to give a review in a timely manner.
I think with the right audience, this book would be a complete 5 stars. I recently lost someone I loved and some points really hit home and broke me in a good way.
Thank you for the approval of reading this arc :) I am excited to see how others will respond.

This is by far one of the best debut novels I have read in a very long time, and is now one of my favorite reads. This is a beautifully unique love story that follows characters as they deal with very real hardships in life. It touches on some very hard topics such a loss, grief, forgiveness, bullying, and mental heath. Along with giving all the vibes and feels this books whole premise of strangers becoming pen pals in the margins of classic books it’s just so fun. I now want to go read some of the ones I’ve never gotten to along with already wanting to reread this one. I cannot wait for more from this author.

Are you kidding me?!? This was the most beautiful heartbreak that I've ever experienced.
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Both Erin and James are struggling with their own mental health and they're trying to navigate their way through life without their best friend.

I wanted nothing more than to scream at them both the whole book and I loved every second of it. After James finds out that Erin is the one leaving notes and trying to keep it from her while I fully know how she will react was such a frustrating feeling.

I absolutely cried my eyes out the last 3 chapters.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and of course Tessa Bickers for giving me the opportunity to read this book. Can't wait to explore more from Tessa!

I expected this to be more light hearted than it was chile it still was a quick read, it tackles tough topics and has depth but was a fun story that bring out all your emotions.

I love a good physical book and I love a romance and then throw in the way to meet each other being a free library…. You had me hooked.

Erin, who is spiralling and can’t seem to find her footing, by mistake, puts her beloved copy of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD in a local free library complete with a postcard from her recently deceased best friend and in this book she has all of her notes written in the margins.

She finally finds her book, but it’s been borrowed and returned with new notes.

James is dealing with a lot in his life, a job he doesn’t really like, a bi-polar mother, and the loss of two very important relationships in his life. Then he “checks out” Erin’s book and discovers a true fellow reader.