Robyn Harding has another winner! I was intrigued with her 2019 book, "The Arrangement."

Now, in 2020, she's given us "The Swap". Again, it has twists and turns you don't see coming. The characters, and there are only six, are well crafted. At different times, I liked and loathed all of them . . . . . except the baby. Robyn takes us down roads we think are familiar, only to slam on the brakes and take us on a detour to who knows where.

The story of "The Swap" is not a new one. The way Harding tells it makes the theme fresh and exciting.

A night of drinking and drugs leads to two married women swapping their husbands for the night. What could go wrong? Told from multiple points of view the story weaves a tale that you are never really sure what tale is the true one. It's a captivating thriller that kept me turning the pages. One I would recommend you read by the pool or at the beach.

Thank you to Netgalley and Galley Scout Books for the review copy for my honest opinion.

The lady can write!!!!!!!!

Ms. Harding has done it again. A riveting suspenseful story designed to keep you glued to your seat. Ten stars to this author in all categories--writing, plot, characters. Why did the book have to end?

Highly highly recommend,

3.5/5 Although this is being hyped as a thriller, I found it more like a family drama where everyone comes with a ton of baggage. I didn't particularly find anything shocking or surprising, but I did think most of the characters were a little odd/off. None of them really felt like real people. They all seemed to only have interactions with one or two other people in their lives and they made decisions that didn't seem normal at all. It was an easy and entertaining book though, so there's that.

If you enjoy dark, twisted thrillers, then "The Swap" is the book for you! Robyn Harding crafts a spellbinding tale of seduction, paranoia, and deceit. As you read, your idea of the "bad guy" will change with each chapter. I wouldn't say this is a fun book to read, but it will definitely keep your attention!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

As far as Robyn Harding's upcoming novel The Swap is concerned, no one’s talking about a BOOK swap, that’s for sure!!

Low is a lonely high school senior who is either ostracized or ignored by her peers. Living on a small island in the Pacific Northwest with her polyamorous parents and their lovers, she keeps hoping something better will come along and take her away from her boring life.

And then she meets Freya, a beautiful, ethereal blonde offering pottery classes to anyone interested. Low jumps at the chance to spend time with this woman, whom it turns out is married to a handsome former pro hockey player. They spend a lot of time together and Low feels seen, feels appreciated for the first time. Freya tells Low she's the only person who understands her, tells her how special she is to her.

But when Freya meets Jamie, a woman closer to her in age, the two hit it off, leaving a jealous Low to seethe on the sidelines. Jamie and her husband have moved to the island to recover from the anguish of not being able to have a baby.

One wild night when the two couples are enjoying some illegal substances, Freya proposes swapping spouses. They don’t plan to speak about it again—and everything goes off the rails from there.

Harding throws in some good twists so I’ll leave my plot summary here. Suffice it to say there’s all the betrayal, double crossing, manipulation, and melodrama you’d expect, and even some you don’t. She is great at keeping you hooked!!

NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Scout Press gave me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!

The book publishes June 23.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. Freya moves into town and manipulates her way into the lives of Jamie and Low (Swallow). She also tricks Jamie and her husband into swinging for the night. This book was weird and not sure I could recommend it. #theswap #robynharding

Low (short for Swallow, the name given to her by her hippie parents) is a lonely, isolated teen who meets Freya when she signs up for her pottery class outside of school. Wait, let me back up just a bit. Low sees Freya come into the school to hang up a flyer for her pottery classes and falls hard core girl crushing on the beautiful, glamorous Freya. So Low signs up. Good or bad., Well, as far as Low's decision to take the pottery class and become friends with Freya.... I will leave you to decide but I had to keep reading this addicting, mind spinning book.

Their friendship develops, which is kind of interesting because they are two main characters that are hard to actually like. Relate to them, at times? Yes, I can relate to them at times as I think they represent some of our (humanity's) worst traits: our selfishness and insecurities. They are much easier to hate/dislike that to relate to, which I think is part of the points that Robyn Harding is making in The Swap. Holding these characters out in front of us like mirrors into our souls: our selfish deeds and thoughtless words wrapped up in societal manners. Hmmm... That is making me think way too hard, could write a long paper on this part of the book and how it got me to reflect on the shallowness of social media and superficial friendships.

But...I digress from the plot... so here you go... (back to The Swap)

When Freya befriends someone new to town, it makes Low feel threatened and jealous. Jamie and her husband seem really nice. One night, there's a fancy smancy swap between Freya, Jamie and their two husbands... and Low finds out. Which is not good news at all. The remaining part of the story is intense and easy to imagine.

Writing is impeccable as well as addictive! I would love to read part two of this book though. There was plenty of closure, but it would be interesting to see where the characters were say in 5 or 10 years after some time had passed. Told from different perspectives, which really helped see the character's motivation.

Definitely highly recommend this one!

Thank you to NetGalley, Robyn Harding and Gallery Press for this temporary digital advance review copy of The Swap for me to read and enjoy. As always, my opinions are my own.

This was an easy read, finished it in a day. I didn't love the characters but I don't think I was supposed to! Twisted but I think I expected something even darker, which is probably my fault. I predict this will be a hit this summer!

The Swap is the third book that I have read by Robyn Harding. Like The Party and The Arrangement, it did not disappoint. Fast paced and drama filled, The Swap captures readers and keeps them guessing from beginning to end. Definitely recommend!

This book is delicious I binged it in 2 days. Low very appropriately named is a teenager with your typical and not so typical self-esteem issues. She is awkward and gawky and quite frankly the type of teenager you don't want to be around even if you are a teenager. Freya is gorgeous and used to be a popular social media influencer (Freya is also the goddess of love in Norse mythology). Low meets Freya and you know the old saying the grass is always greener. To Low, Freya is beautiful, polished, knows the right thing to say and moves through life in an effortless way. Freya's self-assuredness draw Low like a moth a flame. Low begins to feel special by virtue of her being close to Freya. And Freya, well Freya likes the admiration its been a while since she felt that mindless adoration for doing nothing other than just existing. Make no mistake Low and Freya in some ways have more in common than meets the eye and neither is very likable and that is what makes this story so good.

Just as Low is beginning to feel that she has found her place and she has her very own special friend, Jaime makes landfall on the island. Jaime and her husband have moved to the Island because they are having fertility issues and think a slower pace of life might improve their chances of conceiving. Much like Low, Jaime is drawn to Freya and soon Jaime and Freya are becoming close friends. Which leaves awkward Low out of the picture, One drunken night Freya suggests to Jaime that they should swap husbands. At that moment Low realizes just how far she is out of the friend circle and Low is pissed off. Some people say hell hath no wrath like the fury of a woman scorned I would say that sometimes losing a friend can hurt more than losing a romantic partner.

To say anything more would be to spoil the book. You definitely want to pick this up for your beach read. And you will also want to think twice before you befriend an awkward teenager.

This was a fun read book. An interesting mixture of plots and subplots keeps the reader interested. Along with an interesting ending. This is a book which I would recommend to others.

For those of you that have been following my books for a while, you might know that my favorite author is Robyn Harding. She’s the author of The Party, Her Pretty Face, and I RAVED about last year’s, The Arrangement. Once again, I was fortunate enough to receive an advanced copy of her latest book, The Swap. Let me be the first to tell you that Robyn has done it AGAIN!!! I’m not even sure which I loved more...The Swap or The Arrangement!!
Here’s the plot:
Low is a high school senior who signs up for pottery classes taught by the glamorous and “perfect” Freya. Low quickly falls under her spell, almost becoming obsessed with Freya. Low will do just about anything for Freya…and Freya is well aware of this and pretty much takes full advantage of Low. Low is young and probably unsure about her sexuality, so these feelings for Freya teeter between friendship and love/infatuation.
Jamie, a young 30 something woman, also walks into Freya’s pottery studio and becomes fast friends with Freya. Jamie and her husband have desperately tried for years to have a child of their own, but unfortunately have not had any success.
One night the friends and their husbands get together for a night of fun (leaving Low in the dust). One thing leads to another and things really get out of hand, changing their lives forever. (I won’t spoil it for you here!!) What will come of all of this and how will Low be sure that Freya is hers forever??
The book is told through several character points of view and it just flows together so nicely. With each view of the story, the reader is really able to really see and hear all the characters take on the events happening throughout the book.
I loved this book from the very first sentence! Just when I think Robyn Harding can’t outdo herself, she does it again!

Overall, I thought this was good. Not great, but good. The first half of the book was SO well done, but then the second half lost momentum for me. I felt like there was a huge build up for the plot, but then not a lot really happened. It was like the first half was plot driven, then the second half was character driven - there was just a big disconnect. However, I loved the setting and I loved how the author wrote about an alternative lifestyle (i.e. polyamorous). It was an interesting perspective. This would make a good book club read. 3.5/5 stars.

Huge thanks to #Netgalley and Gallery/Scout Press for my e-arc of Robyn Hardings’s The Swap.

What do you do when you make a mistake that haunts you? That is the question two couples have to figure out after a night of “harmless” fun turns into a night of endless regret.

Not only are the two couples affected, but so is a troubled teenaged girl named Low. Low is lonely and has some major boundary issues with other people. (Some would say stalkerish tendencies)

People are not what they seem, secrets are revealed (and they are huge life changing secrets), and not everyone makes it.

I think this is Robyn Harding’s best novel and I have loved all of her books. It’s suspenseful and unpredictable. With so many unreliable characters you are not for sure who to root for.

The novel begins off strong. It held my interest the whole time and I couldn’t put it down. It definitely ends with a bang. Pick this one up when it releases in June. You will not regret it!

Spilling the teaaaaa on my most anticipated read of 2020... The Swap - I have been waiting for this book since I heard about it and OH BOY, it did not disappoint. Full of juicy drama, *husband swapping* and deceit, The Swap was everything I hoped for following The Arrangement - this 5 star book releases everywhere June 23rd so get it on your radar now!

Low lives on an island in the Pacific Northwest with her parents and brothers.Her parents "love" others and two women even live on the parent's farm. Making friends is not something Low is especially good at doing. This, until one day when Freya walks into Low's senior high school with Pottery Class invites. (At $100 for 10 sessions). Low takes an interest immediately to Freya.

Low is the only person in the pottery class. She already feels a "soul connection" with Freya. Freya is 7 years older than Low and is married to an ex-pro hockey player. Freya and Low share a lot about their past and present lives.

Jamie and her husband, Brian, move to the island and set up an expensive trinket shop. As Freya becomes friendly with Jamie, Low becomes very jealous. Managing to get a job for the summer with Jamie (at Freya's recommendation) Low keeps track of Freya and Jamie's relationship.

Maybe we need to be even more interested in Jamie and Freya's get-togethers...

Lots of suspense and a quick read. After reading The Party, I knew this story would be a winner as well! Happy Reading!

Many Thanks to Gallery/Scout Press and NetGalley for a great opportunity to read and review this book!

When Low, an awkward, lonely teenager, begins taking pottery lessons from an Freya, an unhealthy obsession begins. With no friends of her own, Low is excited to form a sort of friendship with the also lonely adult women. But, when Freya meets Jamie and a friendship blossoms quickly, Low becomes jealous... really jealous. But this is just the beginning. What happens next will change everything. Freya suggests swapping partners during a night of getting high. This sets in motion a series of twists and turns that will keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat.

I absolutely loved this thriller. I read it in one evening because I had to see how it all ended, and I wasn’t disappointed. I can imagine this being turned into a movie or Netflix series. Highly recommend! 5+++ stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw the author has another book after The Party, I couldn't wait to read it. The Swap was just as good. I'm anxious to talk about it but know I have to wait. Twisted plot with unlikable and unreliable characters. Yum.

What a twisting and exhilarating ride on a dark twisted roller coaster! There is live, obsession, violence, romance and a dark ending that leaves you feeling. Masterful plot!