I had such high hopes for this book. 2 former flames reunite anonymously over books left at their little free library and fall back in love, what could go wrong? Well, I guess I’ll never really know. I DNF’d this at about 40%. To be honest, I couldn’t really stand either main character (especially James) and I feel like these people don’t need love, they need therapy.
Like Erin needed grief therapy 3 years ago when Bonnie died, and because she didn’t she should probably be on stronger meds for the hallucinations. Because lets be honest, if you’re checking the chair in your room to make sure someone is no longer sitting in it when you take your roommate to bed, and the “someone” you’re looking for is dead, thats crazy. That’s “see a Dr ASAP because you’re at least somewhat convinced a dead person is really there” crazy. It doesn’t help that she doesn’t have a job and has zero sense of self. Or respect. You don’t randomly hook up with your roommate when one or both of you have been drinking for months if you have respect for yourself.
James is actually worse in my opinion. James should have been in therapy as a child because of everything with his mom but he wasn’t and now he has a victim complex. Like the way he thinks and talks about his Dad and how his Dad gave up his one-hit-wonder career to deliver pizzas, which is terrible because the other kids at school decided it was lame AF, is crazy. The way he thinks about his mom? So much worse. I totally get having resentment towards a parent with severe mental health problems, I’ve been in those shoes, but this is beyond resentment to borderline hatred. He hates how she is and looks at every good day as just another day towards the bad days. He’s negative about the whole thing while also feeling insane amounts of guilt, and feeling like his brother is a terrible person for abandoning them to live in the US with his new family. Like bro, he grew up. That’s ok. Expected of kids even. But no, it has to be a direct slight against James.
Speaking of his mom, I feel so bad for her. Something clearly has messed with her head and I doubt she’s getting proper help for it. Why do I think that? Because when she told her son that if she had a knife she’d stab herself & kill herself he didn’t get her medical help, he just put all of the knives in the back of his car and drove away. No, just no. That is not how you handle that situation. You call a medical professional. Because that isn’t “just waiting for the meds to kick in” time, that’s “maybe mom should be committed so she can be in a safe environment getting meds that will work for her while she is in a place that will make sure she can’t commit suicide.” Like yeah, lets just leave her to be a potential danger to herself. That will certainly end well…
I’m sure this book probably delves deeper into their need for therapy and help, but I will never know. Because while all of this sounds quite enthralling it was actually quite boring. There were time jumps and sometimes the jump moved backwards, and there isn’t actually that much about the book swap going on so far (despite it apparently getting James back into writing his book).
Also, really? Just the classics? Could they be any more pretentious?
Also, also, really? They self identify with Perk of Being A Wallflower? Could they be any more millennial outcast?

3.5 rounded up

A beautifully moving second chance friends to lovers romance for book lovers of all ages. Erin is grieving the death of her friend and feeling lost and alone after a bad breakup and James is dealing with his mother's advancing dementia. Erin rashly decides to 'Marie Condo' her life and drops off a bunch of her books in a little free library only to later regret it. When she returns she finds someone has made notes in her copy of To kill a mockingbird and she decides to respond.

What follows is a series of anonymous exchanges between two supposed strangers as they form their own book club sharing bookish insights and asking one another important life questions. As Erin and James become more and more emotionally attached to one another, James is the first to realize he might know who the mystery women he's been writing actually is.

This was a tender story of forgiving oneself, moving on from the past and rekindling a joy for books and writing. Perfect for fans of authors like Poppy Alexander and good on audio too. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Steam level: kissing only

Thank you, Netgalley, Tessa Bickers, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ebook! This was a story of finding oneself after a tragic loss. A story of regret and building back a life worth living and finding love along the way.

Oh Gosh I really really wanted to love this but it was a DNF at 60%. I found myself bored waiting for something to happen. I may pick it up again at some point but I just wasn’t feeling it.

First thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Synopsis: Erin is struggling and turns to a little library by her house. She leaves a classic book with notes and ends up striking up a relationship with someone she has a history with.

What I liked: this book is so much more than a romance. Erin and James are more than your typical leads. They both have overcome so much and still dealing with a lot. I like how they learn from each other and bare their souls to each other first. I loved their family dynamics and how that shapes them. Of course being a reader I loved the books and their communication through them.

The Book Swap did such an amazing job of handling such heavy topics such as grief, having to deal with a mentally ill parent and finding one’s self and one’s purpose again. Although this is a romance book, it does not only talk about the romantic parts. It shows the sides of our two main characters in a different light than what normally comes from a romance book.

Oh boy. This book was... frustrating.

The characters, writing style, and overall plot just weren't it for me.

I can't say that I liked much about this book. I feel like I'm being really mean giving it a 1, but I just really did not enjoy myself and wanted to DNF it so many times (but felt committed to this ARC, so I didn't).

My feelings for this book were quickly coloured when we were introduced to our FMC, Erin. She's... a piece of work. I wouldn't call her a narcissist, but she's extremely self-centred and very unlikable. I usually don't mind unlikable main characters, but I couldn't stand Erin from the very first chapter. We're first introduced to Erin as she heads into work at a job she hates under the boss who apparently hates her (honestly, with what comes next, I think the boss's reasons for not liking Erin are kind of justified). The night before our first scene, Erin worked late into the night with a client, allowing them to sample clothing items. She then went home without cleaning up the mess they made in the communal workspace. In the morning, so the morning of our first scene, Erin's boss calls her out and tells her that she has to clean up the mess Erin made. Erin immediately starts complaining, claiming it's so unfair that she was called out for making the mess in the first place, and insists that everyone else should also be responsible for cleaning up the mess despite the fact that they didn't make it. Immediate ick.

My dislike for Erin only continued to grow from there. She complained incessantly and tried to make everything about her. I mean jfc, her best friend was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and Erin somehow found a way to make that about her too! I think there's a fine-line between an unlikable character and an insufferable one. Erin's character crosses that line. What makes it worse is that Bickers wrote it so that everyone is just so mean to Erin and makes her into a constant victim. I think the intended effect was to have us sympathize with her, but for me it was just aggravating.

As for the MMC? Flat. I couldn't tell you anything about him apart from the fact that he did something really hurtful to Erin in their teenage years, and the author wrote it off as "he was just young, boys will be boys". The only thing about James that was memorable at all was that he called Erin out for being so egregiously self-centered. That whole scene was very vindicating. Other than that, he (and Erin) display an abysmally low EQ. Maybe if you combined their EQs, they'd reach the double digits.

The writing style was very bizarre as well. It felt all over the place, and it was often hard to figure out how characters got from here to there, and when in the timeline events were happening. In the beginning of the book, Erin speaks to and interacts with the best friend (the one with terminal cancer), but a few chapters later, we find out that the best friend died before the start of the book?? I was so confused and had to double back to make sure I wasn't reading a paranormal romance.

Bickers tried to represent a variety of mental illnesses in her writing, but everything came off as performative. Now, I'm not saying that now one has experienced mental illness in the way that Bickers wrote it, I'm just saying that every single affliction was exaggerated for effect.

I just can't recommend this book to anyone. If you enjoyed it, I'm really glad that you did, I just couldn't find any redeeming qualities in it.

1.25 stars (the 0.25 is because there was nothing overtly offensive in this book, but I just can't make myself give it a 2 or even a 1.5).

My entire heart feels achey after this story. I love the way it deals with grief and the pain of moving on without a loved one. The way the little library even felt like a character was really clever writing.

The characters are so interesting, and the secret of who is behind the notes in the book is so much fun. It was really intriguing to see how they would get together. But as much as this was such a good romance, it was also so much about family, and healing the hurts caused in those relationships.

The entire thing was beautifully written. And left me feeling hopeful, with a small ache.


Death (friend); cancer(friend); broken friendships; bullying (past, on page); cheating (parent); divorce (parent); heart attack; pregnancy (side character) and birth;

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book.

I enjoyed The Book Swap. James and Erin were friends in high school before having a falling out. Now they both live in London and are both struggling with their purpose in life. Erin after quitting her job decides her life needs a full clean up. She puts a bunch of books in a Little Free Library not realizing she gave away one of her favorites with a postcard in it from her best friend. James happens upon the same library and enjoys all the notes in the margins of the book he picks up. Unbeknownst to James and Erin they begin writing to each other in the margins. Read on to see if James and Erin can get past their history.

This book is soooo cute!! I definitely recommend this! The romance was well done and I also really liked all the deep stuff that was described.

The Book Swap
Tessa Bickers
3.5 stars

Thank you @htp_hive @htpbooks for the #gifted copy to read and review!

I knew when I read the synopsis of this book it was something I’d love. The fact that two people who used to be friends start swapping books using a little free library without knowing is the cutest storyline. The notes in the margins and the questions they asked back and forth were so sweet.

I do feel as though there were moments when the storyline had so much going on. It almost felt a bit busy. However, because there was so much happening it will probably resonate with so many readers. A lot of what was mentioned in this book are things many people come in contact with.

Make sure to check trigger warnings as some of the content is heavy. This book mentions the following…
-Depression
-Grief and Loss
-BiPolar Disorder
-Bullying
-Cancer

This was totally a book lovers romance. I loved the pull of finding someone that gets you in the margins of book pages. Of course it wouldn’t be a good romance without some discourse and finding their way back to each other. Even while being centered around grief it wasn’t too heavy to not be enjoyable.

The Book Swap is a love letter to books and how they connect us as well as taking a chance to try something new.

This book was a little more serious than I expected based on the synopsis and it deals heavily with grief, depression, bullying and family health issues. I loved the community bookshelf idea and how two people connected through books and the notes they left each other in the margins.

That was my favorite aspect of the book -- and seeing Erin and James realize how to make the changes they wanted to see in their loves. I thought this was a little more of a women's fiction than a romance -- I wouldn't say the romance was the main theme of the book.

I did like seeing a main character with my name -- I don't see too many Erin's in books!

Thanks to the publisher for my copy.

5 Stars
Genre - romance, "women's fiction", books-about-books
Tone - regretful, tender, bittersweet
Tropes & devices - second chance romance, enemies to lovers, dual perspectives (FMC & MMC)
Reps - MCs read straight & white; secondary characters - bipolar, gay, bi, several characters have ambiguous racial identities, one is "half-Malaysian"
CW - (there are way more than I expected, and a lot of them I didn't see coming!!) (view spoiler)

Erin's been wandering ever since she lost her best friend, Bonnie. She finally gets up the nerve to quit her terrible job and start making her dreams come true - expect she doesn't really know what her dreams are, and she's mostly just wallowing in bed and sleeping with her roommate. In a dramatic effort to move on, she clears out her old books and donates them to the nearest little free library. But when she goes back for a beloved title she accidentally included, she finds new notes in response to hers in the margins and quickly falls into a back-and-forth with a guy she calls Mystery Man. Together they annotate a string of classics, and Erin is reminded of better (and worse) times with Bonnie - and their third friend, James.

Guess who the other perspective in this dual-perspective novel is!? It's James! And he's been having a terrible time getting over the mysteriously painful end of his friendship with Bonnie and Erin as well. He's working a terrible job for the sake of financial security, going back to his home town every few months to help care for his mum during her worst bipolar episodes. But he's got one thing going for him - his book exchange with the mysterious Margins Girl. DUN DUN DUNNN.

I really loved this one; I read it in two days and picked it up every chance I got. The pacing is great, and I was gasping a lot at twists and reveals. This read is less about the books themselves (although the sections of The Perks of Being a Wallflower had me feeling sooo nostalgic) and more about the social aspect of reading books - remembering the time when that book impacted you, and the people who shared that love. It's about regrets, forgiveness, responsibility, starting over, and returning to who you were as a child - before life broke you. I saw a blurb that recommended this title for fans of Sophie Kinsella, and I would definitely suggest The Burnout if you like this one. If you like bittersweet books about little free libraries, try Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books; and if you want another in-the-margins romance with family issues, try The Library of Borrowed Hearts.

I received a free digital copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a tough one to review. Based on the cover/description I expected more of a light hearted read, but this book dealt with real issues such as experiencing a loss, grief, being unemployed, infidelity and mental health issues with a parent. It was well written in regards to these topics.

I didn’t really find Erin to be likeable, I actually thought she was kind of a brat. I enjoyed the other characters and their contributions to the story. Jordan, Cassie, Georgia and Ethan were all great characters with interesting storylines that came full circle. I also expected this to be more of a “book lovers” type book, but it never developed to its full potential.

I will say it was a quick read and I felt the pacing was great.

the first fourth of the book felt very confusing to me. this is a book that throws you in and forces you to play catch up. the idea of the romance between the two MC’s was super cute. not my favorite read.

I'm not really sure if this was a literary fiction or if it was a romance. It was a lot like You've got mail, but much more serious. It was a homage to books and how they help to raise us (if you are a reader). It was also somehow a coming of age story.

The pacing was good.

The prose was easy to follow, and uncomplicated.

All the characters were so messy. Sometimes I felt bad for them, sometimes I wanted to shake them, and then by the end they weren't too bad after all.
All the family and personal drama was a bit frustrating for the most part.

I really enjoyed the idea of exchanging books back and forth, leaving notations with the expectation of others reading them. That was my favorite part and very sweet. I also wanted to make a booklist of all the books exchanged for myself to read later.

Overall I enjoyed this story.

Content: intense school bullying, fade to black and brief open door.

I am so thankful to have received a complimentary digital copy of this book in advance from Harlequine Trade Publishing through Netgalley. This review contains my honest opinions and views.

Are you ready to fall in love through the pages in the margins of a book ?

The Book Swap is a love letter to books and their power of healing.

This book isn't just about falling in love, it's about grief, about family, about healing.

I felt so many emotions while reading this book. But mostly, I was mad. I was mad at those two flawed characters who couldn't see what was in front of them. But it felt more real. Those two felt like real life.

They live through so many difficult things in their life and books help them see each other differently, and see each other from another angle. The books and their annotations helped them feel hopeful, feeling open to everything around them.

It felt like Books were a side character in their story. Here to make them see better and feel better.

I don't want to say too much because you need to read this story to fully comprehend and experience all this book has to give you !

⚠️ There were some scenes of bullying that happened to the MMC in the past. It was hard to read and I think it could be a trigger to some.

I cried so many tears while reading and at the end I was a mess, in the best way possible. Like only a great book can make you feel !

Thank you so much HarperColllins Canada for the ARC for an honest review.

Read this book if you love :

✨ Books about books ;
✨ Second Chance Romances :
✨ Best friends to Lovers ;
✨ Slowburn ;
✨ Meeting through letters, through books ;
✨ Depression, Anxiety, Mental Health Rep ;
✨ Family, friends ;
✨ Grief.

Thank you for letting me read the advanced copy! It was a delightful read although I almost DNF’d in the middle! The premise was great: two people with struggles in life connect through book exchange and find their way through grief.
I almost quit because I got annoyed with Erin. The writing also got a little dull in the middle. I’m really glad I pushed it through. I loved how it ended.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ARC Review

Such a lovely book and is highly recommended for book lovers. This is a love letter to books and a love letter to life! This one is a bit of a deep read. It covers lots of triggering subjects, such as: mental illness, bipolar, cheating spouse and death of a loved one. So just know those heavy subjects are there. Still a very worthy read.

I loved the MMC James, he was such a dreamy main guy. He was thoughtful and reliable and generous… also well read and successful. Our FMC Erin is still reeling from a recent tragedy and needs to get back into her life, but can’t. Becoming pen pals is what helps her break though.

This was such an enjoyable premise and I loved the dual points of view. I enjoyed all the book references and the fun book swap community library. Also the mental health rep is always good to see represented.

What to expect:
❤️ Heartfelt
🖊️ Mystery pen pals
📖 Notes told through margins in books
❤️ Tear-jerker
🖊️ Emotional roller coaster
📖 Second chance
❤️ Enemies to lovers

Quotes:

"None of us know how to handle something we've never been through before. All we can do is learn from it. Use it to better ourselves."

"It makes me happy to think of someone else reading these books. Finding something in them that I didn't. Taking them somewhere that l've never been."

Thank you to the author Tessa Bickers and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of the book.