I severely enjoyed The Book Swap! At times it reminded me of much of what I loved from Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, but with books instead of video games.

Highlights: Two people find their way back to themselves... and to each other, through the magic that is literature. The concept is so fun - how often do we walk past and patronize the Little Libraries in our neighborhoods? What if it led to something more? I found the back story to the main characters to be complex yet deliberate.

While some plot points seemed obvious, each page shared a story worth hearing regardless of where I thought it might end up. Would absolutely recommend The Book Swap to friends and honestly may have to re-read myself!

Unfortunately, this one wasn’t for me.

Erin is very selfish and seems to have only slight character growth. She is seeing a therapist but there is little mention as to what she is learning in therapy.

Her and James have virtually no positive interaction during the entire book besides a few notes to each other written in the margins of books. That’s it! They only see each other in person a few times and Erin is horrible to him every one of those times. It makes absolutely no sense why James would be in love with her…he was briefly friends with her in high school, they had a falling out and haven’t spoken since.

James’s mother has very severe mental illness and is absolutely awful to James. She says the cruelest things to him and, while it’s the mental illness doing the talking, not one other person in his family seems to care. His dad and his brother do absolutely nothing to protect him during his mother’s tirades against him. His dad is supposed to be this sympathetic character but he let James go through terrible bullying at school and by his mom.

I just had a really hard time connecting with these characters. I found them to mostly be pretty awful to each other throughout the book. I didn’t really find that this was a romance at all; maybe more women’s fiction? I know this is a debut and I think that it isn’t bad for all that. But it wasn’t for me.

I really enjoyed this book. I ended up listening to the audiobook due to time issues and maybe that helped. The narrators were awesome and really fit the characters.

I can see how people wouldn't love this, it's definitely more of a general fiction book than a romance. There is a love interest but the story mostly focuses on the events of the two characters and things that happened when they were children. as long as you are in the mindset of a good, fiction read and not a romance, you'll fair well.

Thank you so much to HTP, the author and Netgalley for this ARC. I am leaving my review voluntarily and honestly.

The Book Swap is a sweet, feel-good story that’s perfect for a cozy afternoon. It’s about two strangers who accidentally swap books, and from there, their lives slowly start to intertwine. The whole book has a fun, lighthearted vibe, and it’s full of little moments that make you smile.

The characters are relatable, and you can really feel the connection they build over time. If you love books about books (and who doesn’t?), you’ll probably find this one pretty enjoyable. It’s the kind of read that just makes you feel good by the end.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Erin had been mourning the death of her best friend for the past few years. Feeling a bit adrift, she decides to clean house and accidentally donates a beloved book holding a postcard from her friend to a free little library. When she tracks down her book, she finds that someone had responded to her margin notes. As they continue to swap books, their relationship grows, but this mystery man is no stranger to Erin. He was once a good friend who she vowed never to speak with again. When all is revealed, will Erin be able to forgive her former friend for what happened in the past?

I loved the idea of the book swap. The way Erin and Mystery Man met in the margins of so many wonderful books. These comments went beyond the books and allowed them to reveal pieces of themselves. And what a blessing it was for them both.

Erin was not only grieving the death of her friend, she was wracked with guilt and also grappling with forgiving her mother for what happened many years ago. At the same time, Erin was sort of going through the motions and not really living. She stayed in living situations she did not like, in a job she did not like, and in a hook up she did not like. Thank goodness she found Mystery Man because she really needed something to push her out of this limbo she was stuck in. Mystery Man also had a lot to deal with his in life and in his past, and it brought me great joy that they were able to find each other.

Both of the book swappers have fabulous story arcs. They embark on finding and chasing their passion while also making positive changes in the present and come to terms with their pasts. Both were definitely in a better place post book swap than they were before, and I was left feeling happy and hopeful for them.

Overall, this was an emotional and touching story of love, friendship, forgiveness, and second chances. It was about opening your heart after it's been broken, showing grace, and the power of books.

You’ve Got Mail, but with a little free library instead of an AOL account.

There is nothing, and I repeat nothing, that I love more than a book that is a love letter to books. I also am a major sucker for a Ryan/Hanks movie. I immediately requested this eARC because obviously, this was promised to be that. And that part of this novel definitely was executed well - a romance that buds through a love of annotations and books passed back and forth anonymously? Count me in. However… the characters here felt very surface-level and just plan unrealistic at times. They dealt with very heavy, serious topics, but still somehow seemed to be unlikeable, immature, and self-centered. Couple that with a burn that was just a bit too slow for me, and you get a pretty average romance. 2.5 stars from me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was an okay book. I did enjoy it, but I was expecting more. I was not a fan of the way the two main characters acted towards each other. Erin was holding on to a grudge waaaay too long, and she didn't even want to give James a chance to explain things to her. I really liked the book swap part of the story, and found the choice of books interesting.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC! I did enjoy the premise of this book, and I think if you like deeper meaning books and not just a fluffy romance, you'll enjoy it. Tessa's writing is very captivating, and the book contains a pretty heavy grief aspect but does it very eloquently. If you enjoy Emily Henry books, I could see you enjoying this. You have to get through the first bit of it being slow before the book picks up, but it's worth getting through.

"Don't be fooled by the cover—what looks like a breezy romance packs a punch with some deeper, heavier themes. Erin, our leading lady, is super relatable, though not always the most lovable (I mean, girl, get it together?). Meanwhile, James...this guy totally stole my heart, and honestly, he deserved so much better. The supporting cast? Absolute scene-stealers! I’m hoping for a sequel just to see where they all end up. Now, about that ending... James was way too forgiving, and Erin? She needed a serious growth moment and a redemption tour! All in all, it's a solid 3 stars from me. Big thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

I thought this book was just okay. I think the premise is cute, but the execution just wasnt there for me. I think the characters were incredibly surface level even as they were dealing with pretty deep issues.

Itjustwant forme. I tried to like it. I did t find the characters likeable in any way. It was disconjointed and I honestly don't remember anything about it.

The Book Swap by Tessa Bickers is an engaging and heartwarming read, perfect for fans of contemporary fiction. The novel centers a book swap, leading to unexpected life changes and new friendships. Bickers captures the power of stories and human connection in a charming and relatable way. While the plot is predictable at times, the characters are well-developed, and the writing is enjoyable. Overall, it’s a delightful and cozy book, ideal for a relaxed weekend read. A solid 4-star story about the magic of books and the relationships they inspire.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read this digital ARC copy in exchange for my honest opinions of this read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
This is not your typical love story. First off, congratulations to @tessabickerswrites for this phenomenal debut novel. It’s the type of romance story I love with characters who are clearly meant to be together, but their history gets in the way time and time again. They’re flawed like us in the most infuriating of ways because it’s the flaws we see in ourselves. This book is more than the love between Erin and James back then and now. It’s also about all the types of love between best friends, parents, siblings. Loves once had and lost. Loves we have to work to find again. It’s about being inspired, inspiring others, and learning to be brave. That the easy choices aren’t always the right choices. That each person’s choice is theirs even if you don’t always understand it. It’s that the people you love and lose, and the grief that ensues - how it follows you and weighs you down, but also about how they never really leave you. Tessa Bickers prose is easy to read and the dual POV is key to this storyline. I can’t wait to see what else she comes up with!

Thank you #netgalley @netgalley and @graydonhousebooks for the #ARC offer #thebookswap

REVIEW: The Book Swap

A book about the love of books? Count me in! There are many fun book references, including one of my favorites, Perks of Being a Wallflower. It was so fun to see all the nods to many classic books.

Going into The Book Swap, I thought this would be a light rom-com, but I was wrong. While the story has some romance, it tends to focus on grief, family trauma, bullying, and finding yourself. I like how the story slowly revealed details of their history throughout the book. It was fun discovering more about them as you read on. James seemed like a giant sweetheart that just has gone through so much in his life. Erin is a significant bookworm who can sometimes be pretty selfish but is clouded with her intense grief. The Book Swap is great for Slow Burn, Second Chance, and Friends To Lovers/Enemies to Lovers romance tropes.

There were a few things I wanted to have more of in The Book Swap. I wish there were more romance; the slow burn was too slow for my tastes. I also wished there were more in-person interactions with Erin and James now. It would have helped show their chemistry a bit more. I also really wanted an epilogue to find out where they were in the future. Some grudges and anger were stretched out of proportion. There were so many things they could have just discussed together to save time and heartbreak.

Overall, I still enjoyed The Book Swap. I love the alternating POVs, especially the different voices in the audiobook. This book gave me the warm fuzzies with all the book love; I just wished I would’ve gotten more of that feeling with the characters.

Thank you, Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Graydon House, for the free advanced copy for my honest review!

Not for me. It was hard to follow and didn’t find the characters chemistry to be super believable. I was intrigued by the plot and cover but it didn’t live up to what I was expecting.

I really was excited about this premise....

But did it deliver? Hmmm....Erin was awful. Very selfish. immature and self-centered.
James was sweet and props for a boy who reads.
I've read the books referenced in this book and I use my little community library. Let me tell you, no one communicates in the margins and the books are raided daily. So, that magically leaving a book in there for the specific person you want read it, is beyond a fantasy. That being said, it had a strong premise, but a miss for me in Erin. Who is tied to James and not in a good way.

I was not a fan of this book. The character’s both had faults from childhood traumas. Erin has played the victim throughout her life. When she’s confronted and made to realize it’s not always about her she still gets jealous of a friend being there for another one in need. James had it rough as a kid being bullied in school. He had made something of himself but is self sabotaging his life by having a fling with a girl that was one of the bullies in his past. He let his mother’s mental abuse also affect his day to day life. They were just two messed up people that shared a love of books. Thank you to NetGalley for this free advanced copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily

What a cute and tender book. Definitely a good book for fans of contemporary romance. I enjoyed reading this one. If you are fans of Emily Henry, Katherine Center or Jill Shalvis, you must read!

This is the book that set me on my beginning love of reading romance. So cute! The enemies to lovers trope is a trope for a reason, the journey and ending is worth the ride, and in this case absolutely precious. As an English major I appreciated every single literary reference and now have new dream goals for how someone would woo me with literature. Sigh. Thank you.

I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this book when I started it but I ended up really liking it. I will say, Erin’s character REALLY annoyed me. I liked her development at the end but she was so selfish. I adored James. I loved the whole concept of them writing notes and exchanging them. And I still loved his character even when I wanted to yell at him through the pages. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The character development was done well even though she annoyed me. Would recommend if you love literature and want a cute romance novel to touches on grief and the other struggles you encounter in life.