Very enjoyable. The main characters were working through some significant things and it was a unique twist to see literature pulled into the process of growth and healing. I loved the premise of the book and appreciated how well the characters were developed.

DNF @ 10%. Honestly i was just so bored. I could’ve kept going with the audio because the premise sounded ok but the audiobook narration just isn’t my fav.

Title: The Book Swap
Author: Tessa Bickers
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 2.00
Pub Date: September 3, 2024

I received a complimentary eARC from Harlequin Trade Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted

T H R E E • W O R D S

Cozy • Cheesy • Frustrating

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Still reeling from a recent tragedy, Erin Connolly knows she needs to start living, but has no idea how. When she accidentally donates her favorite book—a heavily annotated copy of To Kill a Mockingbird containing a memento she can’t be without—to a local little community library, she’s devastated. But then the book turns up a week later, back in the library with fresh notes in the margins, along with an invitation in a copy of Great Expectations to meet her newfound pen pal.

A life-changing conversation, written only in the margins of beloved classic books, begins between Erin and her Mystery Man. Following each other through the pages of their favorite novels as the book exchange continues, they both begin to open up, falling into a friendship…and maybe something more.

But Erin and her pen pal have a shared history that neither of them has guessed. Faced with painful reminders of the past—and the one person she swore never to forgive—Erin finds herself at a crossroads. One that could change her life forever.

💭 T H O U G H T S

Little Free Libraries are one of those little glimmers in my life, so when I first read the synopsis for The Book Swap it was an easy add to my TBR. I absolutely adore the idea of becoming pen-pals and sharing a love of books through a LFL. My expectations was that it would be a lighthearted romance centered around books, yet I definitely wouldn't classify it as a romance.

Exploring themes of grief, mental illness, abandonment, and bullying, I thought the book started out decently, solidly setting the stage, however, the further along I got the more removed I became. The characters weren't all that likeable and read a lot younger than they actually were. The writing style felt clunky and kept me at a distance despite some deeper themes. As the story progresses, the book swapping plays a smaller and smaller role, which was disappointing.

Overall, The Book Club was a major letdown. It was such a good idea, yet I didn't enjoy how it all came together, which is interesting given it contains a lot of themes I typically like. It's quite possible it tried doing and tackling way too many topics, which ended up causing a disconnect with me as a reader. Sadly, I don't think I this author's books are for me and this isn't a book I'd see myself recommending.

📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• books about books
• miscommunication

⚠️ CW: abandonment, bullying, mental illness, death, grief, cancer, terminal illness, vomit, chronic illness, emotional abuse, pregnancy, infidelity, cursing, suicidal thoughts, sexual content

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"Sometimes just one small achievement is enough. Just making it through the day is enough."

"Sometimes people are going through things you can't relate to. And you just have to show up."

The novel follows Erin, a woman still grieving the loss of her best friend. Struggling to move forward, Erin is faced with the loss of her favorite book, a treasured possession filled with her friend’s annotations and final words to her. This loss sets her on a journey of rediscovery, though she is unaware that the book’s next chapter is about to be written by someone completely unexpected.

When James finds the book in a local community library, the story takes a surprising turn. He begins to write messages back to the person who left the notes behind, sparking an anonymous exchange between the two. Through these intimate words in the margins, Erin and James form a deep connection, unaware of each other’s identities. What begins as a simple, anonymous conversation soon becomes a life-changing experience for both of them.

The emotional core of this novel lies in the shared history that Erin and James unknowingly have. Their relationship, once shattered by unforgiveness, becomes a pivotal point in their journey toward healing. When Erin finally uncovers James's identity, the revelation forces her to confront her past and the pain that has kept her from moving on. The question then becomes: can she forgive him and allow herself the chance to love again?

The author expertly blends themes of grief, love, and redemption, showing that sometimes the road to healing can be found in the most unexpected of places. The premise of the book exchange, in which two strangers unknowingly share their most intimate thoughts, is a unique and deeply moving concept that will resonate with readers who have ever felt the sting of loss or the need to reconnect with others.

This is a cute story about Erin and James. They both have a lot going on in their own lives and you get to watch them grow through it.. Tessa did a great job conveying this journey that they are on until they find each other again.

I really enjoyed this book. I read it while listening to the audiobook as well. It is very endearing. The idea of exchanging notes and feedback on your love of books with someone at a local little neighborhood library was so clever. It makes me want to run out and leave one of my own and try it. I loved how they shared their opinions of books and their love of books while also sharing themselves in each book they read. It would be a wonderful way to have a pen pal and book club in one. This book also shares the struggles of losing someone and grieving that great loss. It shows the struggles of finding your path in the world, while repairing friendships and families and finding love. I just loved this. I will definitely be adding Tessa Bickers to my list of authors to read everything they ever do. I highly recommend, and if you like audiobooks, it was fantastic as well.

At first this reminded me of another story of two people who fall for each other solely based on notes exchanged through the stories donated to a little library. While both presented romance with a bit of mystery, this one also touched on the dynamics or families, friendships and the trauma of losing someone close to you. With much of the history being somewhat emotional this is a very uplifting book that reminds us there are at least two sides to every story and to follow your dreams no matter wherever they may lead you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Graydon House for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from me!

I am split on how I feel about The Book Swap. The trope sounded really cute but it was very hard for me to get through.
The story follows Erin, who accidentally donates her heavily annotated copy of To Kill a Mockingbird (containing a irreplacable note) to a little free library. Luckily the next week she finds the book returned with the note AND extra annotations. This starts a back and forth between book buddies through classic literature, which was fun and cute. Where I personally got lost was all of the backstories and background characters. There was so much going on outside their story and back and forth in time that it was really hard for me to finish. I believe the book would have been a much better read for me if the story was based more around just the two main characters and their relationship with each other. I understand why Bonnie was included but I feel that it took away from the love story.

I mean…come on. Of course I was going to love this! I love romance: I love books. This book is a match made in heaven for me.

I don't think this book was bad, it just was REALLY not for me. I was expecting a fun rom com with such a fun premise, but it's really just a general fiction story with a romance. everything felt so sad and dreary and depressing. I didn't like how the romance was executed - the insta love, him lying, them not meeting until quite late in the book. would recommend if it sounds interesting, but not my jam.

I really did want to like this more. I love the concept at the center of the story with the books being swapped. But the romance was SO slow and that ending was SO unsatisfying.
I really did just feel pretty bored for most of this book and then let down.
I think with the removal of the minimal adult content that made me nauseous, this book would be a better fit for YA readers.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this eARC; the review is my own.*

I had requested this book hoping it would be a little bit more <i>You've Got Mail </I>, a bit more lighthearted than it was. The book was much heavier than I'd anticipated, which isn't necessarily a negative thin on its own; however, I wanted . . . happy. And I don't really feel like I got much of it. While reading this book, I felt similarly to how I did when I read Emily Henry's <i>Happy Place</i>, which is my least favorite of her books. So much of the book is just depressing with the characters holding on to guilt and resentment, letting themselves coast along in lives that don't make them happy. I don't feel like the book contained nearly enough good to compensate.

I nearly DNF'd the book a few times (perhaps the publisher would prefer it if I had opted for that choice), not only because of the things I described above but also because of the characters. Let's start with Erin (30), who had a standing booty call with her slacker roommate, whom she didn't even have feelings for. She was unforgiving of anyone who did anything that hurt her, unwilling to receive explanations or apologizes, even over a decade later. And she constantly had conversations with her dead best friend. In addition to having his own booty-call-of-convenience (with someone who was essentially one of his school bullies), James was judgmental (yes, I recognize the irony that I'm pointing it out), assuming that other people's choices were not valid if they weren't what he thought they should have chosen. He spent his whole life being embarrassed that his dad was a one-hit wonder and thinking that he had given up that life too easily. He looked down on his brother for choosing to be a stay-at-home dad rather than getting a new job. Despite my annoyance, they were decent enough people that I kept reading. I liked the relationship between Erin and her sister, Georgia, and I appreciated how much James tried to help his parents.

So yeah, not my favorite book this year. But if you're looking for something with a lot of painful memories and resentment that eventually works its way towards forgiveness and healing, this book might be one you like. It just wasn't for me.

One thing I did like was the actual book swapping and notes in the margins. If you're looking for something a bit happier, try out [book:Meet Me in the Margins|58429255]. I loved that one.

Notes:
Language, including an uncountable number of f words. Emotionless fade-to-black sex.

“Books teach us, and I want to make sure I'm learning everything they're offering. I write in the margins to remember the book. To keep the words in my heart.”

“The world make no sense without you.” I am speechless, this quote hit me so hard.

- Booklovers
- Penpals/ Hidden identity
- Strangers to friends to lovers
- Found family
- clean romance with tension

I read the blurb and I immediately wanted it almost as much as I needed air. The concept of writing notes in the margins of the books and leaving it in the free little library was so good and executed well. And did I mention they use classical books? that makes it more romantic. It had the perfect balance of lighthearted and dealing with more serious topics.

thank for an eArc, Grayson house and harlequin.

I am a huge lover of classics so it was so great to see all of the great ones referenced in this book! I think Tessa did a great job exploring deeper themes such as grief and loss and the journey of healing, but I will note that I did expect more of a lighthearted, fluffy rom com just based off the cover and book blurb.

I absolutely loved The Book Swap by Tessa Bickers. Such a heartfelt story about love and loss. This was a delightful premise for a book.

"The Book Swap" by Tessa Bickers is a heartfelt novel that intertwines themes of love, loss, and the healing power of literature. The story follows Erin Connolly, who, after a personal tragedy, inadvertently donates her cherished, annotated copy of "To Kill a Mockingbird" to a local community library. When the book reappears with new notes in the margins, Erin embarks on a unique correspondence with a mysterious individual, leading to a profound connection. Lovvvvvvved it!

A cute little romance book of two people exchanging book, with notes written in the margins, thru a little free library after she accidentally puts in her book that her best friend had written in.

I thoroughly loved this book! It had “Sleepless in Seattle” vibes and I really enjoyed how the characters connected. I’ll be finding more books by Tessa Bickers in the future.

I was really excited when I got the chance to read this book because I always love books about books- but to be honest I couldn’t get into it.

I was looking forward to a cute romance, but this most definitely was not that. It touches on grief and mental illness and to be honest I was not prepared tomorrow find those topics in this book.

A different time I may have enjoyed this, but it just wasn’t for me.