I am very conflicted in how I feel about this book, and I feel it’s because this book tried to be two different stories that did not mesh well.

It started off very rom-com like before it turned into
a moving book about grief, loss, and overcoming hard truths about yourself and your life perspectives.

The romance aspect lacked - I did not feel the connection between the characters, and I wonder if it was the clunkiness of how the book exchange chapters were written. We would get Erin’s perspective of reading James’s words, and then we would get a chapter of James writing his commentary that we just read - so it felt choppy. It didn’t flow well. And I did not feel the chemistry between the two of them through the book swap/annotations.

The author DID do a fantastic job with each individual character’s growth. I genuinely enjoyed their separate journeys on learning how to navigate their flaws and become better people to themselves, as well as their family and friends. In this aspect, it was beautiful and emotional.
I actually feel like the book swap aspect took away from the above.

At the end of the day, I did enjoy this book as it emotionally moved me.

Thank you for giving me a chance to read!

I really enjoyed this book overall. It had an interesting plot line that had a good mix of some very real, complicated, human issues and more light-hearted positive aspects. I loved seeing the author address themes like grief and mental health, and it definitely felt very real and raw.
I also really loved the supporting characters! Cassie, Joel, Georgia, and Jordan were all fantastic and really brought a lot to the book.
The beginning of the book was a little slow for me, but it was definitely building up to a great ending! If readers stick with it through the slower parts (or are just fans of a slower-burn romance), it is definitely worth it in the end.

I liked the depth of this story and the sweetness of the notes left for each character. I didn’t expect this to be as heavy as it was but I really enjoyed it.

Tessa Bickers delivers a heartfelt romance for book lovers in *The Book Swap*, a charming tale of second chances, self-discovery, and a passion for reading. The story centers around *Erin Connolly*, struggling to heal after a recent tragedy. Erin longs to start living again but doesn't know where to begin. One day, she accidentally donates her most treasured possession—a deeply annotated copy of *To Kill a Mockingbird*—to a community library. The book contains a memento that Erin can't bear to lose.

To her surprise, the book reappears in the same library a week later, but with fresh, thoughtful notes in the margins. Along with it is an invitation inside a copy of *Great Expectations*, initiating a pen-pal relationship through the pages of classic novels. Erin and her mysterious pen pal share personal thoughts, emotional vulnerabilities, and a growing connection through these annotated books.

As the book swap deepens into a friendship, Erin slowly opens her heart to the possibility of more. However, she has no idea that her anonymous pen pal has a significant connection to her past—one tied to the pain she’s tried to leave behind. Now, faced with painful memories and an unexpected reunion, Erin must decide whether to embrace the future or remain stuck in the past.

Tropes
- Love of Books
- Second Chances
- Pen-Pal Romance
- Hidden Connections

If you enjoy books that celebrate literature and include romantic correspondence, like *The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society* by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows, or *84, Charing Cross Road* by Helene Hanff, *The Book Swap* will capture your heart. It’s perfect for fans of uplifting, feel-good stories with plenty of warmth and emotional depth.

The Book Swap is a moving love story that celebrates the magic of books, personal growth, and the power of connection. This novel is an uplifting, tender tribute to the importance of second chances and the unexpected ways love can find us, even in the most ordinary of places—like the margins of a book.

I got this book as an ARC and really enjoyed it. I'll go into the pros first: I thought the premise of the book was great; it's something I could see happening with two people if not in real life then definitely in a really great romcom. I thought the book selections were great (though who hasn't heard of Beloved? That was a bit far fetched for me).

I appreciated the conceit of having Bonnie be a present character even though she had passed away. That caught me off guard at first in the beginning, but once I understood what was happening I was very on board. It makes sense to me that a young woman who lost her best friend would see her still. I also appreciated the backstory between the two MCs, and their strained relationships with their families. I was rooting for both MCs to succeed both in their own lives and in a relationship with each other.

The few things that were less great: it may because I was reading an ARC, but the book was hard to follow at points. The author could have used a line to delineate when they were moving through time within the same character's chapter. I was constantly recalibrating after reading a next paragraph that had nothing to do with what I'd just been reading. It also rubbed me really the wrong way that Erin held a grudge against her mom for so long and that she never even thought James might have done what he did for a reason rather than just to throw her under the bus. WTF?

Similarly, I didn't really understand James's dynamic with his parents and why his dad wouldn't get his mother into treatment when she clearly needed more help than either he or James were able to give. Overall though I thoroughly enjoyed the book and think it was a great debut. I'm looking forward to reading more.

Booklovers and second chances are my favorite plots.
The story is unique. Both heroes go through their personal drama.
It's not the lightest reading but I still enjoyed it.

This book wasn’t bad, however I didn’t find myself enjoying it at all until the end. I think the cover and description of this book make it seem like something it definitely is not. When I went into it I was expecting a cute romcom, and that is not what I got. If I had gone into it knowing what to expect, with the level of grief and parental neglect for a lack of a better word, I would have enjoyed it more.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is a cute palette-cleanser type of book. Overall it is a solid romance, and I greatly enjoyed the idea of communicating through notes in the margins of classic books left in a little library for each other. The characters (main and side) are well-developed with flaws and strengths. The writing is fine - nothing overly well crafted but clearly this has been edited. I did find myself thinking Erin and James were a bit self-absorbed and tedious at times, but overall I enjoyed this and would recommend it if you are in a reading slump and need something to pull you out, or if you have been reading a lot of heavy literary fiction and need something light and airy.

I think the concept of this book was really cute but it fell short for me. The two main characters were not very likable and I couldn’t connect with them. The fmc’s attitude was very annoying and draining. She was constantly playing the victim in every situation and acting like she couldn’t do any wrong. She was very self-centered and selfish and it made me so angry at parts.

I really wanted to like this book but it was just sooo boring. It took me forever to finish it and I felt like the author was trying too hard but everything just landed flat.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a cute quirky read. The premise is one that I have read before recently with communicating within the pages of books and leaving them behind for the other to read and respond. So, not a new idea.
I liked the story, I was invested and overall I enjoyed it!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As so many other reviewers have mentioned, I went into this thinking it had the same vibes as "You've Got Mail" which is one of my favourite movies, and was a little surprised at how heavy a lot of the themes were: death, grief, trauma, bullying, mental illness, toxic workplaces. It also, however, dealt a lot with growth and introspection (ironically mostly by the secondary characters), which I appreciated.

I found Erin to be less likeable than James - judgmental and waaaay too willing to hold on to a grudge much longer than she reasonably should. It would perhaps make more sense to me if she was presented as younger, but I found her behaviour eye-rolling and immature. I liked James better, as I felt he had a better handle on his emotions and a better understanding of the reasons why he acted (and continued to act) the way he did (but, really, James - I think you could do better than Erin).

I enjoyed the references to the various books although, truth be told, I should have realized I might have more issues with this book than expected with the numerous references to The Perks of Being a Wallflower, which is a book I didn't enjoy.

I thought this was a solid turn out for a debut author; it just wasn't quite what I was expecting (which is perhaps more of a marketing fail than anything else).

This was a very nice book. I enjoyed a lot the back and fourth between the characters with the book. It was a very nice plot and set up. Definitely a nice book for booklovers

I always love a book about books which usually contains book loving characters. And this one checked all the boxes!

An adorable story about characters who leave notes in library books slowly sharing more and more about themselves. Once the characters agree to meet, it doesn’t quite go as planned.

This was a very enjoyable and charming read that was easily four stars. I would highly recommend this for fellow readers who enjoy books about books; who love romcoms; and for fans of Melissa Ferguson’s Meet Me in the Margins. This is available now so I recommend checking it out immediately!

⭐️4.5

Dealing with a tragedy, Erin Connolly accidentally donates her beloved favorite book to the local little library. It is not only filled with her own annotations, but a special memento from a loved one. Heartbroken, she searches every day for her book until it reappears with a new set of notes and a request to continue in another book. As they communicate through the margins in these books, Erin and Mystery Man begin to open themselves up and write honestly about their lives. Unbeknownst to them, they share a past that is dark and heavy, but connect again through the books and margin notes that forces them to face the sins of the past if they ever want to have a future.

Holy slow burn!!! This book shocked me in the beginning and pulled me right in. I LOVED the dual POV. Erin and James feel like real, raw people. I love their insights on life as they relate to the books they are reading. They are both dealing with heavy issues that hurt my heart. This book touches on really heavy topics and forces the main characters to take a good look at themselves and make changes. It was hard at times, but also freeing as they acknowledged their own wrongs. Definitely cried more than a few tears.

This isn’t just a love story between a couple, but a love story between best friends, sisters, and parents. It was beautiful how they blossomed and faced the hard things, they stopped taking the easy way out.

My only gripe is that sometimes I felt like Erin’s anger wasn’t warranted. It felt unfair for James, even if he did mess up a lot. Erin wasted so much time in their life needlessly holding a grudge! But she’s only human, I guess.

I really loved this book! It hit me hard and is so much more than just a romance. I can’t wait to see more from Tessa Bickers!

Thank you to Net Galley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

Ugly cried during this book. Lost a friend to cancer a few years ago and this book was exactly what I needed ❤️

The Book Swap is the poignant story of a unique, ongoing book swap with “You’ve Got Mail” vibes.

The story begins as Erin is sorting through her possessions and decides to donate a stack of books to the small community library. Later, she realizes that she has accidentally donated a book where she had placed a precious note written by her best friend who recently died. She rushes back to the library to retrieve the book but it’s not there. She returns to the library again and again hoping that whoever borrowed the book will return it with her note inside. When the book is returned, she is relieved to find her note but also intrigued by the note that the borrower leaves for her. This leads to an anonymous exchange of book recs and notes and a growing friendship. Will Erin and the Mystery Man meet?

The Book Swap is promoted as a romance, but the content is heavier than you might expect in a romance (and what the cover implies). We do get our HEA, but it’s a long road to get there. I do like the aspect of a friendship growing into love more than insta-love, so that’s refreshing for the genre! I also love that the story is told from a dual perspective and we hear from both main characters in his or her own words.

The heaviest themes involve Grief and Bullying. Erin struggles with the loss of her dear, best friend to cancer. It affects every aspect of her life and has caused some mental health issues (her best friend appears in her room and they carry on conversations). James has been a victim of extreme bullying by classmates in the past and was also emotionally abused (abandoned/cut off) by his parents as a child and older adolescent. Both Erin and James are stuck in life….in relationships and in pursuing their dreams.

This story centers around a small community library and a love of books. With “You’ve Got Mail” vibes, Erin and James leave book recs and margin notes to each other (many classics are mentioned) before their identities are eventually known to one another. A literary friendship and book talk is a fun part of the story for book nerds!

In addition to heavier themes such as bullying, grief and loss, guilt, and emotional abuse, there are some lighter and more hopeful themes such as second chance (slow burn) romance, new beginnings, friendship, book love, and finding your path/following your dreams. I need to note that I especially appreciated the friendship between James and his best friend, and the emphasis on men being real with each other and sharing from their hearts about their lives.

Content Consideration: cancer, death, grief, bullying, neglect/abandonment, mention of suicide

If you’re OK with heavier themes and appreciate multi-layered plots, I recommend The Book Swap for fans of books about books. I enjoyed the dual perspectives which helped to fully develop each main character.

Thanks #NetGalley @HTP_Books #GraydonHouse for a complimentary e ARC of #TheBookSwap upon my request. All opinions are my own.

When I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley, I expected it to be a cute, superficial romance, but I found it boring and slow-paced. It turned out to be more of a slow burn than anticipated, which didn’t work for me. I didn’t like Erin, the FMC, and I rooted more for James throughout the story. I enjoyed watching Erin eventually find her calling, and I admired how James rediscovered his passion for writing.

The book dealt with heavy themes like grief and loss, and while the characters struggled with these emotions, they maintained a sense of optimism, which I appreciated. The story also woven themes of bullying and mental illness. I liked the side characters, especially Cassie, Joel, Georgia, and Jordan, as they added much-needed depth to the story.

I didn’t enjoy the reliance on flashbacks to scenes where Bonnie was still alive. It felt weird and unnatural, which pulled me out of the narrative. I also felt misled by the advertising, which suggested there would be many references to classic books, but there weren’t as many as I had hoped.

Despite my criticisms, I can see how other readers might enjoy this book, and I think it’s worth giving a chance, especially since it’s a debut novel. While it wasn’t what I expected, it might be a good fit for a slower-paced read with emotional depth.

When we meet Erin Connolly, she is still trying to process the death of her best friend. Dissatisfied with her life in general, Erin abruptly quits her job and comes home to “Marie Kondo” her life. She gathers up a huge stack of books and donates them to the local community library, not realizing until later that she accidentally donated her heavily annotated copy of To Kill a Mockingbird, which also contained a treasured momento from her best friend.

Erin goes back to the library and is devastated to see someone has taken her book, but then later relieved when it is returned, filled with fresh annotations, as well as an invitation to meet her in Great Expectations, which has been left in the library filled with notes in the same handwriting as in her book.

Erin and this mystery man start a regular swapping of classic books. What starts just as simple literary commentary soon gives way to more personal comments as the two of them start to really bond.

What the reader realizes long before Erin and the mystery man is that the two of them not only have a shared history, but this mystery man is James, someone Erin swore she could never forgive. Will this wonderful relationship be cut short as soon as it begins or can Erin find a way to make peace and give James a second chance?

Oh gosh, you guys! I really enjoyed this one. I’m such a total book nerd when it comes to the classics so I was practically giddy waiting to see which book each of them would choose next. I also thought the whole idea of “meeting” and getting to know someone in the margins of swapped books was just so romantic! It was admittedly heartbreaking to realize Erin and James had a painful shared history, but because Erin had barely been living her life prior to reconnecting with James, I was hard core rooting for them to resolve their past issues and give each other a second chance.

Charming, a little bit heartbreaking, and an ode to the classics, The Book Swap is just a delightful read!

one of the greatest book ever written, i hope the writer will keep her style of writing and write more books in this perspective