I thought the use of the ghost element worked perfectly with the story, it had that romance feel that I was looking for and enjoyed how the characters were written. Brian Rayfield has a great writing style and worked with the overall concept that I was hoping for. I thought it worked with what I wanted and glad it was so well written.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Brian Rayfield for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Exchange of Love coming out March 26, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I really wanted to love this book. I thought the plot seemed interesting. I love ghost stories, especially when the ghost is from the past. This book just didn’t work for me. I thought it was pretty confusing. I didn’t understand why they were obsessed with each other right away. I’m not really a fan of books with cheating. I just couldn’t get behind it.

I liked the sound of this book. On first impressions, I liked its eerie quality, and the suggestion of romance. As I read on though, I found the characters weren't really what I expected. I didn't expect the profanity and crudeness.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

In Brian Rayfield's captivating novel, "Exchange of Love," the lines between life and death, past and present, are blurred as a stone mason encounters a ghost with whom he falls deeply in love. John Townsend, a pragmatic man, is thrown into a whirlwind of emotions and philosophical quandaries when he meets Penny Peverell, a ghost from the Elizabethan era. Penny, unlike other specters, possesses a warmth and vitality that makes her feel like a living human. Their encounters are both passionate and enigmatic, leaving John yearning for more while grappling with the complexities of their unusual relationship. Rayfield deftly explores the themes of love, loss, and the nature of existence through John and Penny's extraordinary connection. John's initial disbelief and curiosity gradually evolve into an all-consuming love, forcing him to confront the boundaries of time and the possibility of transcending the divide between the living and the dead. As Penny's past unfolds during the turbulent English Civil War, John is drawn into a world vastly different from his own, witnessing her struggles, sacrifices, and unyielding spirit. The novel delves into the timeless nature of love, questioning whether it can truly bridge the chasm of centuries. John's love for Penny is both intense and unconventional, challenging societal norms and his own understanding of reality. Rayfield's evocative prose captures the beauty and anguish of their forbidden romance, raising profound questions about the choices we make and the consequences they carry. "Exchange of Love" is a captivating and thought-provoking tale that lingers long after the final page is turned. Rayfield's masterful storytelling transports readers to a realm where the ordinary and the extraordinary intertwine, inviting them to ponder the mysteries of love, life, and the enduring presence of the past in the present.

I really loved this book, I was a captive reader from the first page! The story is told in dual time lines, the present day and events happening in 1620, the period of the English Civil War, all Roundheads and Cavaliers. The two warring families in both timelines collide in unexpected ways, and the ghostly, courtly love makes for a magical story.
Present day, John Townsend is a stonemason, who has been tasked with the restoration of Peverell House, a ruin that dates from the 1620’s. As he examines a room in the building, his senses take him back in time to when the house was new, painted , richly furnished and he meets the ghost of Lady Penelope Peverell. She mistakes present day John for a deceased cousin , also named John.
As the central characters time slip across the centuries, we learn much about the Civil War campaigns, the arrogance of the King and his Courtly followers, and the contrast between them and Oliver Cromwell’s more austere puritan families and the Roundhead/ Parliamentarian troops.
I loved the ideas of restoring the house, using knowledge from Lady Penelope, this really makes for an intriguing back story. You realise why the National Trust place such emphasis upon exact reconstructions of the properties in their care. Who hasn’t wondered at the events that led to such buildings being created, and the people who turned bricks and mortar into a home? The playfulness of mixing past and present via love affairs is such a romantic device, so well imagined and I felt it worked perfectly. I loved the diary of Penelope, her emotions, fears and plans for the house, all dovetail with what John is planning in his job.
As a piece of history, it doesn’t disappoint, the research is so detailed. The fantasy aspect of a love affair over the centuries I really liked. It added feelings to what was a very grim and bloody piece of English history.
My thanks to Netgalley and Cranthorpe Milner Publishers for my advanced digital copy, freely given in exchange for my honest review. I have given this a five star rating. I will leave reviews to Goodreads and Amazon UK upon publication.

So I wanted to like this it had a super promising premise but it just fell short. The book was very hard to follow and had a little bit of everything including desired incest. The time traveling John is thought to be a dead cousin of Penny and yet she pines for him and he’s turned on by the forbidden aspect of the incest despite not being the dead cousin. Penny also freaks out when her husband cheats and then doesn’t care about John doing the same because he’s just so amazing in bed. I was disappointed.

Could have been an interesting read but did not capture my attention. Would require another write out for crispness and plot development.

Thank you to NetGalley and Cranthorpe Milner Publishers for the e-arc of this book.

I went into this one loving the premise but there wasn't enough world building and plot in the story for me to like it.

I really struggled to get into this one and I felt like in the beginning we're thrown in the deep end with no guidance.

It was quite a jaring experience and kinda read like fanfiction.

3 stars⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Cranthorpe Milner Publishers for the e-arc of this book. I really wanted to like this book but there wasn't enough world building and plot in the story for me to like it. The premise of this book sounded really interesting too.

The ides of the book was great but it just wasn’t right for me. I really struggled from the beginning with the first chapter. I can’t understand where this kiss came from, there was no reasoning behind it. The following chapters spent so long talking about work needing to be done to the house.

I don’t understand where this story was trying to take the reader, not for me unfortunately.

Drawn to this book by the blurb, it failed to deliver.

Alternating between1645 and present day, the story follows a stonemason hired to renovate a home, who meets and falls for a ghost.

The plot and writing style were jumbled and there were stretches of the book which made no sense to the overall plot. It was a hard book to read, as there was nothing driving the events of the plot.

I’m very grateful to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read the ARC of this book! I honestly wished that I liked it. Giving it a one seems a bit harsh but also there wasn’t a lot I liked about the book. I feel the beginning just sort of threw you in the story. Sometimes, that works out really well and you feel like you’re along for the roller coaster ride of the book. This however didn’t feel like that and it was more bewildering than thrilling. I never felt connected to the characters in a meaningful way. I felt the world building was not strong enough. Most of the time I found myself wondering what was happening. Nothing was particularly confusing I just didn’t know where the story was going. The premise to the story honestly sounded so cool but for me the story didn’t live up to my expectation of what could’ve been.

I wanted to like this so I could up the ratings in this book, but unfortunately it wasn't for me. The premise was interesting it just was achieved as much as it could have been.

This was my first ARC read ever, and I was so excited! Unfortunately though, this book really just wasn’t it for me. The premise of the story sounded very interesting, but the book didn’t live up to this premise at all. It felt as if it was written in one sitting and then never looked at again, which resulted in very jumbled writing and plotlines that didn’t add anything to the story. For many parts of the book, I was wondering how the events that were happening mattered to the bigger storyline. And for a part of it, I thought there might be a plot twist coming through which it would all start making sense, but this never happened. I therefore got a bit bored with the story after a while, because I didn’t feel like there was anything driving the story’s events. Even though I didn’t like this book, I still think the premise is extremely interesting and could make for a really great story!

This was not a favorite. I didn't really like the characters, the story was far-fetched, and I couldn't get into the writing style.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this e-ARC.

Thank you to Cranthorpe Millner Publishers and NetGalley for the ARC copy. The story goes back and forth between present time and 1645 when Penny Peverell. The ghost of Penny manifests itself to John Townsend who was hired by Judith to renovate the house that Penny had lived in. All characters of the story have major flaws and they have love affairs. Though the most curious one was that of Penny and John how is it that they were able to have sexual relations? I do wish that some of the main characters in the story had been a bit more loyal to their significant others.

This was bad. You jump into a story without caring about the characters and it’s impossible to keep any momentum when you’re dropped without a backstory. The flow and pacing felt like this novel needed a better editor to guide it through the process. The idea itself has merit and I would love to see the author explore something like this again with more world building and development.

Published on Goodreads: 02/12/2024

I wanted to like this so badly because it had a really interesting premise. However, the writing didn’t read well and there was also a lack of world and plot building that left the story feeling very lackluster.

I think someone out there will really enjoy this book but that someone is not me.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Stone mason, John Townsend, begins work on a new project where something isn’t quite right. On his first day he meets Judith Ransom, the woman who commissioned his work on the 17th century house, AND Penny Peverrel, the ghost of the woman who lived in the house in 1645. John and Penny have an instant connection, but she’s constantly leaving, married, and dead. What will they do?

I can tell you right away this book was not for me. I tried so hard, I promise. When I say John and Penny’s connection was instantaneous, I mean it. This isn’t a spoiler because it happens on the first page, these strangers meet and then immediately kiss. No build up, no character introduction. All of the characters seem two dimensional, and the timing of the book feels off. Very jumpy, like everything is on fast forward.

I understand that characters need to have flaws, but I genuinely found it difficult to root for any of the characters. They made terrible decisions.

It’s not often I’m reading and surprised by a sexual assault, but this book got me. There was also child violence/death. It was very off putting since given the description, tags, and cover art, I wasn’t expecting it from this novel.

Lastly, I don’t think the last chapter needed to be included. It didn’t make sense when it felt like the previous chapter had drawn a natural conclusion to the book. It felt jarring and extraneous.

Thank you Cranthorpe Millner Publishers and NetGalley for this ARC.

I felt as though this book was a little lacking in the world building and in the plot. I did ended up finishing it but it was not my cup of tea.