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.

This book tackles some heavy topics and although it wasn’t at all the cute light hearted read I was expecting I didn’t totally dislike it. Just really packs an emotional punch on multiple levels I wasn’t prepared for. This is not a rom com in any sense of the word. If you know that going in you may enjoy it.

The Book Swap had such a cute premise, but it wasn't for me. I feel like the pacing was a bit slow and the storyline was disjointed. I wasn't invested enough to try and follow along.

I feel like classics lovers might appreciate this more though!

This is a second chance romance, but it does have a lot of miscommunication going on. Erin and James are best friends in high school. Something happens and they end their friendship. Years later they are pulled back together by a death of a mutual friend. They become reacquainted by writing notes back and forth in the margins of books at the free little library.

It has the young love reconnecting vibe and the books for people who love books vibe. They quote dozens of classic literature in this books- many that I have read and many I haven’t.


#netgalley #neygalleyarc #bookswap

I gave this 3 stars because:
1. I think Erin seeing her dead best friend was a mental health issue and it was never really dealt with or acknowledged that it was an issue.
2. Although I understand how betrayed and hurt Erin has felt, I think the stubbornness and holding a grudge was drawn out years too long and it was a little frustrating.
3. So frustrating that Erin kept treating James that way even years after what happened. I wish they had gotten together sooner so we could read more about their relationship together.

Now on to what I loved! I absolutely love the whole book-swap meet-cute scenario, it’s like a love letter to book lovers everywhere. I loved James’ character’s growth and how he grew as a person, friend, brother, and author. James and Joel’s friendship journey was a breath of fresh air from your typical male friendship and it’s a great role model for a deeper emotional relationship with friends. I’m also so happy that Erin and James finally found each other❤️

Excuse me???? You’ve Got Mail gone analog. This concept is so cute to me. And I appreciate the approach to including grief.

I was so excited to read this book after reading the blurb. However, it was a little bit more than I bargained for. I thought it was going to be a light and fun read but it was very heavy and not at all as advertised. It moved a bit slow and I struggled to finish it.

I love these characters. It is such a different idea for how to fall in love. I appreciate the dual POVs which gives insight into the main characters. The inner monologue of them gives such an idea to why they are perfect for each other. A must read this year.

Thank You NetGalley & Publishers for the chance to read and review this book. The Book Swap is a touching and thoughtful exploration of love, loss, and new beginnings. Erin, the protagonist, finds herself at a crossroads after quitting her job, leaving behind her demanding boss, Charlotte. As she navigates this transition, she forms a close bond with James, a kindred spirit who shares her love for books. Their connection deepens as they exchange stories, not just through the books they swap, but through their personal experiences as well.

The narrative beautifully captures the complexities of grief, especially as Erin copes with the loss of her friend to cancer. James becomes a source of comfort and strength, and their evolving relationship is tender and genuine. The book is rich with emotional depth, highlighting the healing power of connection and the importance of finding solace in the things we love. I’d give it 4 stars for its nuanced characters, engaging storyline, and the heartfelt way it portrays the intersection of love, friendship, and loss.