You can feel the menace from the very first paragraph. You know something awful is about to happen, but even though a hundred scenarios flicker through your mind as you read, you will not guess the ending. A great read.

1 Star ( I received an e-arc from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review)

*Sigh* This is the third Robyn Harding I have attempted to read and I have to admit her writing just isn’t for me. Whether reading the physical, e-book or audiobook I have never been to get into it. I started reading the e-book for one chapter and then once the audiobook came out I read few more chapters that way. I just found Low to be creepy and initially thought the character was a boy when reading the e-book. Her relationship with Freya is uncomfortable for me and Jamie wasn’t a bad character, I just couldn’t bring my self to care about anyone. I didn’t even get to the two couples meeting for the first time. But the synopsis for her books always intrigue me.. They just never follow through for me.

I loved this book. The interactions amongst the characters and the impact that one bad decision could have on their lives was a well spun plot. The character development was so accurate, you felt sorry for Low and Jamie , angry with Freya, Freya was the small, cute, blonde, popular girl we all knew in high school who attracted people easily, but used their friendship to her own advantage. Jamie was the puppet who was the follower of this girl. Low was the person who did not fit in but desperately wanted to be part of the crowd and would do anything to be accepted. Then we have the jock and the nerdy guy. This is something like the Breakfast Club in print, except most are adults. Excellent book. Thank you for allowing me to read it and give a review. Review will also be posted to Goodreads.

I love Robyn Harding's books and was so excited to receive an early copy of The Swap!

Low, an eighteen year old girl just finishing high school, lives with her family on a remote island in the pacific northwest. Her parents have a polyamorous relationship, so she is used to sharing her life with their lovers. Low is a bit of a loner and has struggled to connect with any of her classmates. When she meets Freya, a beautiful, luring, social media influencer who has recently moved to the island, she is completely obsessed. She signs up for her private pottery classes to get closer to her.

Freya and her husband Max are friends with another couple on the island, Jamie and Brian. Jamie and Brian have been struggling in their relationship after being unsuccessful in trying to get pregnant. One night when the four are celebrating a dinner party, Freya orchestrates a partner swap!

I didn't read the synopsis before starting this one, so despite the title, I didn't really know what to expect! Though it is about a swap of sexual partners between couples, there are almost no sex details. It is one small part of the story, though it has big consequences! This is a story about obsessive, manipulative characters and their secrets! I think I was expecting a bit more of a mystery or intertwined story, but I was surprised by the twist right at the end. I love Robyn Harding's writing and was hooked right from the beginning! She set the dark, moody, isolating atmosphere perfectly. This definitely make you think about the power people can have over others!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another great book by one of my favourite authors. One of the things I loved about this book was the setting. The story takes place on a remote island in the Pacific Northwest of Canada and the culture and climate of the island are important parts of the story. Both the author and I are Canadian and I liked how she slipped in some other Canadian things like an ex hockey player as a character etc. But I digress, this is a fast paced suspenseful book that I flew through. The writing is so atmospheric and descriptive. The characters are all flawed and have secrets. Low is the teenage girl that is miserable with her life. She befriends a newcomer to the island, a woman named Freya. Freya and her husband have come to the island to escape from a personal scandal. Both Low and Freya hate living on the island and they develop a friendship, or so Low believes. Along comes Jamie who also becomes friends with Freya. With Freya pulling the strings she orchestrates that the two women swap husbands for a night. This of course causes more secrets, animosity, and problems between everyone involved. Low is always at the periphery waiting for her chance to have Freya to herself again. As everyone’s life begins to fall apart we are never really certain what is true and what to believe.. It isn’t until the very end of the book
that everything is wrapped up. Once I started this book I couldn’t stop reading until the end. Definitely signs of great writing and a mesmerizing story. Another amazing book by this author.

This was my 3rd Robyin Harding book and I'll give credit where credit is due, she certainly writes page turners. I couldn't put this book down and read it in virtually one sitting.

I enjoyed Harding's writing style, short chapters with changing POVs. Theoretically, I really liked the idea of this plot and it definitely makes for an intriguing story line.

That being said, there were too many unlikable characters. I don't mind an unlikable character (and I'm a fan of unreliable narrators), but I need to have some good characters to root for! I didn't find myself rooting for anyone here.

For those who read a lot of thrillers, there won't be too many surprises in store for you. There are lots of twists and turns but a seasoned reader will anticipate most of these.

Overall an enjoyable, easy read!

The Swap by Robyn Harding ⭐⭐⭐💫 3.5/5⠀
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- It is a fast-paced, easy read that I couldn't put down, I read it in an evening. ⠀
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- Low having a polyamorous family. I think this added an interesting element to the book. ⠀
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-A lot of unlikeable characters. I don't understand why everyone likes Freya. She is such a narcissist. ⠀
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-The lack of communication between Jamie and her husband was annoying. It felt very immature. ⠀
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- The book would have been more intriguing to me if the story had been told through Low, Jamie and Freya's POV since the story mainly revolved around them. In my opinion, having Brian and Max's POV was unnecessary and didn't add much.⠀
I think if we had those three points of view, it would have brought more depth to the characters, and it would have made the obsession with Freya more believable. ⠀
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Overall, I enjoyed the author's writing style; it was very addictive and entertaining. If you are looking for a quick, easy suspense read, then definitely check this one out. ⠀
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TW: Infertility, domestic abuse, infidelity, obsession, some stalking⠀
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A big thank you to @netgalley and @simonandschustercanada for an electronic advance readers copy of this book.

4.5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
The Swap was one of my most anticipated reads this summer and the story did not disappoint! It was engaging, and had surprising reveals and plot twists. Just when I thought I had things all figured out, Harding delivered a turn of events I hadn't anticipated.
I devoured this thrilling read in one afternoon. I thoroughly enjoyed the premise, the odd characters, and the way everything came together in the end.

If you're on the hunt for your next thriller, consider adding The Swap to your reading list!

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*Complimentary copy for review provided by Simon and Schuster Canada. All opinions expressed here are honest and entirely my own.

I wanted to love this book. I had read a number of great reviews from fellow bookstagrammers, but it just missed the mark for me. There was too much going on. As the book continued it became increasingly unbelievable and bizarre. While I am sure it was intentional, Freya was such a demon that I got tired of watching her abuse those around her. The best part about the book was reading references to Canadian locations.

In any event, this book wasn’t for me. I’ve heard great things about Harding - I’m going to go back and read some of her other work!

I read Harding's book The Arrangement a few months ago and I was immediately hooked on her writing style. Harding's newest book, The Swap, was just as thrilling of a read. The story follows a teenager named Low, as well as two married couples that live in the same vicinity. The island in which they live is known for their nonconforming sexual practices, and one night the couples decide to switch partners. From this decision, trouble ensues.

Harding does such a great job of writing about obsession and toxic relationships... I'm excited to read her other books as well!

I gave Her Pretty Face two stars, then Robyn Harding's last book, The Arrangement, three stars, so I when I saw The Swap on Netgalley I figured, well, maybe this would be four stars or even five!

My Review
› The Swap begins during Spring 2019, in a small, island town called Hawking. Seventeen-year-old Low lives on a small hobby farm with her family. She has two younger brothers and her parents are in a polyamorous relationship.

"It wasn't uncommon for couples to swap partners on the island. Locals called it the "Hawking Shuffle" or "the island way". But this behaviour was strictly sexual, a party favour even. My parents and their partners considered themselves a family."

› The first time Low saw Freya was at high school, putting up flyers for pottery lessons. Freya grew up in Pacific Palisades, a coastal neighbourhood west of Los Angeles and moved to Hawking with her famous husband, Maxime after he killed someone by an illegal check during a hockey game. Freya HATES that they had to move to a small town where she's bored out of her mind.

"Freya hated these people who had lost their son, their brother, their uncle, she had no compassion, no empathy for them. Perhaps I should have taken note."

› Freya also has a close friendship with Jamie, who was born and raised in Vancouver and married to Brian. They desperately want to start a family and recently had their hearts broken by a surrogate mother scam. Freya makes Jamie feel young, carefree and alive, so, when Freya suggests they have a couples party with just the four of them and some mushroom tea, Jamie figured, well, what's the harm? The only problem is...Low saw everything.

› Likes
Characters are well-developed for the most part except Max and Brian didn't have much of a personality. The writing style was okay, I liked the dialogue.

› Dislikes: I despise when characters don't call the police without an explanation. There is a lack of diversity and this needed more world-building, descriptions. VERY slow pace, nothing really happened until 95% with the convenient, quick ending tied up in a neat bow.

› As of May 2020, I use the CAWPILE method to rate books.
0-3 Really bad
4-6 Mediocre
7-9 Really good
10 Outstanding
Characters: 5
Atmosphere: 4
Writing Style: 6
Plot: 4
Intrigue: 4
Logic: 6
Enjoyment: 6

add up the scores
find the average 5

1.1-2.2 = ★
2.3-4.5 = ★★
4.6-6.9 = ★★★
7-8.9 = ★★★★
9-10 = ★★★★★

My Goodreads Rating ★★★

› Final Thoughts
• The Swap has some interesting characters and a compelling premise, yet the slow-burn was too slow and the fire burned out for me. I do like Harding's writing style, so I will give her next book a try! If you liked Her Pretty Face or The Arrangement by Harding then I think you'd like The Swap as well. It also reminded me of Sister Dear by Hannah Mary McKinnon.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.

*Quotes taken from an ARC copy and subject to change*

#bookreview ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.5 stars! Wow! This was a page turner in all the right ways. I was entertained from beginning to end. The storyline was unique, the characters were very well developed and the writing was great. The only thing that was missing for me is a few answers to some questions I was left with but I know some people like the open endings so I’m still putting this one as a win. 🙌🏻

Thank you to the publisher and @netgalley for providing a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Swap is a domestic drama surrounding one night when two married couple friends, Freya and Jamie, swap partners for the night. Little did they know that Low, a teen obsessed with Freya is watching the whole thing.

The Swap has multiple POVs, obsession, and I didn’t love it as much as I wanted to. I was hoping for a lot more drama around the actual swap and it’s implications than teenage drama and obsession. That being said, once I got over my own expectations of what I thought it would be, I could not put it down. The writing is as impeccable as you would expect from a master like Robyn Harding, the twists and turns along the way were surprising and fun to read. There is no one in this book to really root for and I love that too. Overall, a fun beach read to lose yourself into for a while!

Content warnings for drug use and fertility issues. DM for details.

This was a fun read! I read this for a buddy read @sammycataspires created and I really enjoyed it. It’s a psychological thriller based on obsession, infatuation, and jealousy between three ladies. I honestly couldn’t put it down and the plot was insane 😂❤️ If you’re into books that are fast paced, full of drama and crazy characters, you would love this one! I would give it 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣ ⁣
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I just loved this book. It caught my attention right away and I read it in 24 hours. I just couldn’t put it down! I loved the twists and turns. I also was very invested in every character, which is quite unusual. Great writing and would definitely recommend.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy for an honest review.

"A riveting tale about the toxic relationship between two couples after a night of sexual shenanigans, and the manipulative teenager with an explosive secret at the center of it all.” @simonschusterca 👏👏👏
Perfect for fans of psychological thrillers (and I’ll admit the island setting had me dreaming of travel even with all the disasters the characters were dealing with)

Hot Swapping dang!!! These besties are not swapping books!! Get this one now and put aside some time because once you start, you will not want to put down this book. It’s one not to be missed! This is a Traveling Friends group read and a few of us flew through this one in a day!! We all enjoyed it!!

The Swap is one fascinating, delightful wickedly bold and delicious fun, entertaining page-turner!! The story is well-paced for a fast read with those chapters that end with a sense of dread and foreboding that made it impossible not to read one more chapter.

There is no shortage of stories that explore toxic friendships out there; however, Robyn Harding takes toxic to a whole new level here with these friends and creates a fresh and fascinating triangle here with Freya, who has them under her spell. She creates an exciting twisted story while creating some interesting unlikable characters who are very different from each other. That left me with a creepy feeling right from the start and I had a few questions I wanted the answer to.

The setting here on an isolated island off the Pacific Northwest adds to the character’s actions and development. I loved the mention of the Canadian cities that I know very well, and I had to chuckle to myself when one was mentioned.

I loved how the story ended with some things wrapped up while others left me thinking about the story and characters. I highly recommend it.

Fantastic read by Harding! It kept me guessing until the end, and I thoroughly enjoyed the tiny revelations. Great plot and gripping writing style. I’m a big fan of this author, I can’t wait to read more by her.

This is the definition of a story about toxic, obsessive and manipulative relationships. This was a crazy whirlwind of a story and definitely recommend to anyone who loves a wild ride. It was extremely fast paced and easy to read, which I always appreciate in a psychological thriller. This novel also incorporated modern theme and seemed extremely relevant to 2020 in terms of social media and social commentary. Moral of the story, never do drugs with your friends and swap spouses — it’s not a good idea under any circumstance.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

A dark and intriguing story. A wild ride!!

17-year-old, Swallow (Low) Morrison is graduating in three months but she could care less about prom, parties, or even college. As usual, Low is sitting by herself the day Freya Light walks into the high school and posts an advertisement for pottery classes. Low feels a magnetic pull towards this woman. She texts Freya about the classes. It takes a while but Freya finally responds saying classes start the following Monday.

This woman is going to change her life in a big way.

Soon Mondays are Low’s favorite day of the week. Every Monday she heads to Freya’s after school. Freya is patient and encouraging when teaching pottery to Low. She tells Low how much she enjoys her company.

“Her attention nourished me“

Freya loves the fact that Low so obviously adores her.

Freya and her husband, Max moved to Hawking after a very public incident turned everyone they knew against them. They've had to deal with a lot of online and real-life harassment.

Jamie Vincent and her husband, Brian also moved to Hawking for a fresh start. Jamie and Freya became friends and their friendship quickly became Janie's lifeline. They went out regularly and even their husbands got along. One night while partying a suggestion is made that takes them places they never expected. “ We all knew what we were getting into. At least we thought we did“. There’s some confusion about what actually happened that night. However, there is one person who knows exactly what happened.

It seemed like that night was going to haunt them forever.


Whoa!

I flew through this clever and unique novel.

I thought this was a great read. The story is told from multiple perspectives. We learn a lot about Low and her home life. We also learn about Freya and Jamie and their past and backgrounds. The characters were well-developed and though I may not have liked some of them (and occasionally felt the need to shout at them), they were definitely memorable. There were many intense moments that had my heart beating double time.
A thrilling and intense story about jealousy, sexuality, obsession, and toxic relationships.


I'd like to thank the publisher for providing me with a copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.