When I first came across the book, I expected it to be a You’ve Got Mail inspired rom-com with a little free library, and while it definitely delivered on the bookish characters and classic book references, this book is NOT a rom-com. It is very grief heavy and focuses on a variety of just heavy topics: suicide, death of a close friend, bipolar parent, heart attack, anxiety attack, infidelity, unexpected pregnancy. Definitely check out the trigger warnings before reading if any of this sort of thing bothers you while reading. This book did remain closed door, which I really appreciated, though I didn’t love how casual the main characters were about sex and the sexual innuendos and references throughout the book. This book had a lot of British slang, which I could mostly figure out by the context but was at times difficult to interpret, and there was more profanity than I felt necessary. Overall, I liked the premise and the ending was very sweet, but there were some aspects that made it not the best romance for me.

3.5 Stars🌟

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for sending me an eARC of this book! All thoughts and opinions above are my own.

I was expecting this book to be a little lighter based on the blurb and the cover but I do love a romance that deals with heavier topics. This was an interesting read and I did enjoy seeing how the story progressed.

This was quite lovely! I liked the sort of melancholy of it all, and I enjoyed the way it went back in time to Erin and James’s high school years. It had lots of nice discussions on grief and forgiveness, which made this a really insightful romance, I think. I also love the You’ve Got Mail trope of falling for someone through a written form of communication, not knowing that you know them already. And I love little free library representation! I wish someone would’ve fallen in love with me when I took care of one in college.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this ARC!

Although this is not a book that I would typically reach for, I'm sure it's someone's cup of tea! I was kind of expecting a light-hearted romance like some of the popular ones that we see these days, but it rather dealt with some particularly heavy topics that I wasn't quite prepared for. This wasn't something that I particularly aligned with, but I think that if I had seen that coming and known to prepare for a heavier read, I could've really loved this book. I think that Tessa Bickers has a really unique writing style that I enjoyed and I would definitely be interested in seeing where she goes with her next publishing!

3.5 stars.

Read if you like:
- books within books
- pen pals
- second chance

This book was not what I expected. It deals with some heavy topics: grief, loss, family issues, mental health, and the journey of healing. Based on the cover and the synopsis, I thought I’d really like this book. My favorite part was probably the main characters connecting through the free little library. The annotations and messaging back and forth was sweet. That being said, the main characters are hot messes and I had a hard time relating to either one of them. If you are looking for a fun, happy, meet cute romcom, this isn’t it. While I may not have thoroughly enjoyed it, I don’t doubt that others will.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing / Graydon House for a free digital copy of this book. This is my honest review. Publication date: September 3, 2024.

Erin is the worst, she is so self centered and does not act like an adult. overall quite a sad book, not a romcom

3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was decent just not my usual cup of tea. I think I was mainly just wanting more of a backstory and it felt as though I was missing that. I was left wanting more.

It also took me a while to get into the book. Once I got into it, it was better but the first few chapters I was struggling.

I would still recommend this to friends- just because it wasn’t my cup of tea doesn’t mean someone else wouldn’t like reading this.

I just didn't love this book. I wanted to love it and I do love the premise for the story. But, it seemed really predicable. I never loved the characters so it was hard to get really into the book. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley.

Thank you to NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book tried to do too many things. The romance premise is appealing and probably the best part of the story. James and Erin both visit the community library (we call them little free libraries that in the US) in their neighborhood. Erin accidentally drops off a beloved book of hers filled with notes that she's made in the margins. James picks it up and responds with his own notes back to her and drops the book back off. They go back and forth through several books and basically live out every English nerd's fantasy. A lovely and cute setup for a relationship and book.

However, the lives of James and Erin are both filled with a lot of heavy events and themes. They're both grieving the loss of a high school friend. James' mom is mentally ill and Erin's parents split up leaving her angry and depressed. They each have one sibling and one best friend going through their own stuff. It all kind of mixes to become a depressing soup with very little plot to interest the reader. The romance takes a back seat to the depresh soup while both characters slowly become quite insufferable. The writing feels rushed and/or edited down too much and it is so clear that James' perspective is written by a woman that he becomes unbelievable.

Unfortunately, the cute cartoon cover has duped us all yet again and it was the highlight of this book for me.

A book about the love of books, unwittingly shared through a little free library between two former best friends? Say less.

I started The Book Swap on Monday night, and it is now lunchtime on Thursday. What a wild ride it has been. You know you enjoyed a book when you are forced to put it down for adult obligations like work and child-rearing, and you continue thinking about it when it's not in front of you. That's how this book was for me.

I do admit there were moments around 80% where I felt the story was stalling out a bit and I just wanted Erin and James to get on with it already and either make up or walk away from each other for the last freaking time. But I hung in there, and my patience was rewarded. This was not the kind of romance I was expecting, not in the least, and the MCs' "shared history" is much more complicated than I could have anticipated. But I appreciated that. The characters in this story feel like real, relatable friends and neighbors and I enjoyed their journey.

The Book Swap is a strong debut, and I can't wait to see what other stories Tessa Bickers has up her sleeve.

Content warnings: Bullying, mental health crises

I loved the book swap, a story about Erin and a mystery man having life changing conversations in the margins of their favorite classic novels. While it started out a bit slow, seeing how Erin and James handled their own grief, miscommunication and growth all worked so well.
I typically do not like the miscommunication trope, but this author did it so well. I’d expected a lighter romance, but this was anything but between topics of grief, complex family issues, and the power of books.

First off, I love the classic books referenced in”the Book Swap”. A few books mentioned are: the great gatsby, to kill a mocking bird, beloved, great expectations.

When Erin accidentally donates her heavily annotated copy of To Kill a Mockingbird to her local little free library. Her copy contained a memento she can’t be without - she is devastated. I mean, who wouldn’t be? Luckily, for her, it turns back up, with a twist.

This book is everything a book lover wants.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for the chance to read this book prior to publication in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited going into this one as I thought the premise of swapping books via a little free library was really cute. But unfortunately it ended up being a miss for me. For one, I wouldn't have marketed this as a romance. The cute cover and synopsis were really misleading and I thought I was going into a second chance rom-com. It's not. It's stuffed full of heavy topics and not a light-hearted read at all. Also, it's not even really a second chance romance as the main characters didn't even have a first chance. So adjust your expectations going in and you may enjoy it more than I did.

For two, I don't mind a heavy read. So after I figured out it wasn't a rom-com, I still could have enjoyed it. BUT... main character was Erin was awful and although there's a bit of a character growth journey, she never redeemed herself enough to be likable. So I never found myself rooting for her happiness which made the romance aspect uninteresting. Definitely the most selfish and immature character I've read in a long while.

That said, I did like the classic book references, but sadly that was about it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Graydon House for providing me a digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I am DNFing this book at 30% in.
I read about 30% in and just did not like it at all. So, I decided to restart and try again. I made it two chapters (%) in and finally gave up.

The title and description give off the vibes that this book would be a rom-com. Now, the book is listed as a romance and women’s fiction. But it barely feels like it fits any of those three categories. This just feels like a contemporary fiction novel. There are VERY heavy topics throughout the novel (mental health, grief, etc.).

This book has a writing style that just does not fit for me.
The FMC was unlikeable and intolerable. GO TO THERAPY.
The MMC was flat and had no personality. Everything about him was about those around him.
Once I finally got to the book swap portion (20% in) I did think it was sweet. But it also didn’t feel like a romance… And I may just not have read far enough.

I think this book could be for some readers, I was just not the correct demographic.
Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Maybe it was the wrong time for this read but it fell flat for me. It was kind of hard to follow at first, and the writing felt a little disjointed. There was something about the slow plot that didn’t let me get fully invested. Not my favorite read but it could be for the right book lover.

While I received an arc for this book, I actually pre ordered a copy because I love books about books. Sadly, this was a DNF for me. I found the writing style one that didn’t agree with me. I may try again because my mood could be impacting this.

2.5 rounded to 3 ⭐️ this book is definitely one for book lovers. it follows erin and james, two former friends who had feelings for each other when they were younger but never acted on them, fast forwarding to the current timeline where they are strangers. they end up unknowingly becoming pen pals, sending messages and writing to each other through a book exchange from a local neighborhood bookshelf. i really thought the idea was so original!

unfortunately, both characters did have very stubborn tendencies and if they would have just talked it out, all things could have been solved years prior. erin had a lot of grief she was still working through with her friend who had passed away, to the point that she was still seeing all premonition of her. this book did have quite heavy grief and mentions of death.

i thought it was quite heavy on the characters and family relationships and did not have much romance unfortunately. the concept was really cute, but i did not connect with the characters and do wish that there was more second chance.

*i finished this book on september 13th*

Let me start by saying that I had zero expectations for this book. I thought the cover was cute and I love stories that have book related events and storylines. That being said, I was blown away. Plus it’s a debut novel! I was expecting a fluffy rom-com but it was so much more than that.

This story is a celebration of everything beautiful about storytelling. It's a heartfelt tribute to the act of reading, writing, and crafting a narrative. To those who guide us through grief and help us heal. To friends who will always hold a special place in our hearts. And to ourselves, for being courageous and pursuing our dreams, no matter how big or small.

I was all set to give this book 4 stars until I ugly cried my way through the last couple chapters making it my favorite kind of 5 star read. I will recommend this book to anyone who will listen.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tessa Bickers for the ARC!

The Book Swap is a story of love, loss, and forgiveness. The story focuses on Erin and James from childhood to adulthood while they go through heartache and bullying and the death of their best friend. During adulthood, they begin to heal and forgive themselves and other and find their way back to each other by being pen pals through a variety of books. I loved how this book shows how literature could connect people in shocking and unexpected ways. I wasn't expecting to like this book as much as I do now. Overall: 4.5/5

Thank you @netgalley and @graydonhousebooks for a copy of the book!

I'm going to tell you right now that you can't judge this book by its cover. Just looking at that cutie cover, you may think this is a light-hearted and fun rom-com, and it absolutely is anything BUT one.

The Book Swap is part You've Got Mail meets a Little Free Library. The romance parts of this story are adorable and oh so sweet. It's a true love letter to the classics and the joy of finding someone to nerd out about books with. However, this is really a story about dealing with depression, being a caregiver to someone with chronic illnesss, grief, bullying, and finding what gives you joy and purpose. Heavy, right?

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Be ready for a very slow burn romance and a lot of heavy-hitter topics along the way.

Bottom line: Recommend, but please read more about it before starting. It may not be a book for all romance readers.



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