This was difficult to get through and I almost DNF’d it. Erin is completely unlikable. She has a piss poor attitude and truly thinks everything is about her. She is grieving her friend’s death from 3 years ago but it turns out she was a shitty friend when her friend needed her most. She’s also super childish.

James was likable but very flat. He’s been pining for Erin for 15 years even though she hates him and he has not seen or years from her in all that time. Side note, Erin hates him for something that happened when they were 15. He was an actual child.

Erin’s sister is a hot mess and super overbearing. Very annoying. She keeps trying to make Erin get her life together while her own is basically in shambles.

The plot was extremely predictable and the writing disjointed. It skipped around too much and in all honesty was boring. I started skimming and missed nothing. There were some dark subjects so trigger warnings are needed for some.

Overall this was “You’ve Got Mail” from Temu and instead of email it’s messages in book margins.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Book Swap by Tessa Bickers tells us of Erin Connolly who quits her job and tries to get her life in order by organizing and donating books from her book collection. She accidently donates her very special and heavily annotated copy of To Kill a Mockingbird to a little community library. She is devastated that when she returns it is going. She checks and checks for the book and one day it appears with more notes from a mystery man, and an invitation to read another novel together. I have begun checking out Little Free Libraries a little more carefully after reading this book!

This story invited me on a heartfelt journey. I was so engaged in learning more about Erin and the Mystery Man. The characters in the story were so interesting and felt like people I personally knew by the end of the story. The author delves into grief, forgiveness, healing, and the beauty of second chances. I was invested and drawn into the story which was beautiful and gritty at the same time. I enjoyed it so much!

The Book Swap by Tessa Bickers is a story for anyone who loves books, has felt grief, and believes in personal change and second chances. I greatly recommend.

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

This book falls into the category of a decent read, but it doesn’t quite reach its full potential. The storyline is straightforward and easy to follow, but it lacks the depth or complexity that might make it truly memorable. The characters are somewhat developed, but they don’t stand out as particularly unique or compelling. The writing is competent, with no glaring issues, but it also doesn’t have that spark that makes a book hard to put down. There are moments of interest, but they’re scattered, and the pacing can feel uneven at times. Overall, it’s a solid, if unremarkable, read. If you’re looking for something to pass the time, this book will do the job, but don’t expect it to leave a lasting impression.

Such a fun read! I had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed my time! I’ll be sure to recommend this one! Thank you for the opportunity to read an arc!

Thank you to the author and @netgalley for providing this ARC

Erin donates her favorite book to a community library, but it's lost. When it returns with fresh notes and an invitation to meet her pen pal, she forms a connection through classic books. Unfortunately, their shared past may jeopardize their friendship and potential romance before it even starts.

The cover makes this look like a light rom-com, but this book has so much depth, as well as some very touching and impactful themes and dialogue.

This debut novel reads like it's from an established author. It is insightful and poignant, featuring flawed characters and their self-discovery through natural and uncomplicated storytelling. I really appreciated all the classic book references and how they revealed little bits of each character over time. A solid first book that has me anticipating what the author will write next.

Unfortunately this is a DNF for me. I just couldn't get into it and found myself confused throughout. The two different POVs felt disjointed and something about the writing style was hard to follow.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Book Swap by Tessa Bickers. The idea of old friends unknowingly communicating through the margins of books and getting to know one another all over again totally tickled the bookishness in me! Although some of the events in the book seemed overly dramatized, the plot was good and it was an enjoyable read featuring complicated family dynamics, grief and loss, as well as romance and friendships. Thanks NetGalley and Tessa Bickers for letting me enjoy your debut novel!!

Ahhh, a love letter to books about books! This one was cute - totally predictable, absolutely sweet and the enemies to secret courting to lovers might be in my top three. A book lovers dream - I loved the annotation, the highlighted passages and the way Bickers draws you in with the references to books that obviously mean so much to her. This is a perfect book-loving book club type of book!

I really enjoyed this story that had all the You’ve Got Mail vibes! Erin dislikes her job and is feeling lost in the years following the death of her best friend. James has only ever wanted to feel secure and has spent his adulthood chasing stability at the expense of his own happiness. When Erin loses a book in a little free library by mistake, she’s incredibly distraught, until she happens to find it back in that little free library, with margin notes to match her own. Erin and James begin swapping books back and forth, writing and getting to know one another in the margins. What they don’t realize is they were formerly childhood best friends turned ex-best friends following an incident that hurt Erin deeply. Can the margin writers fall in love or will their relationship be doomed when they find out who’s on the other end?

I loved the cast of characters, including Erin’s deceased best friend who kept popping into her room to have deep chats with Erin, and James’ best friend Joel, who really brought humor to a somewhat heavier story. I found myself laughing and crying throughout!

Read this story if you like childhood friends to lovers, stories about finding yourself, mental health representation, and stories with complicated family dynamics.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author Tessa Bickers, and Harlequin Trade Publishing / Graydon House for providing an early copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was not what I expected, and I really liked what it turned out to be. It was a love story, but not a typical romance book. It was a story of grief and loss, betrayal and forgiveness, friendship and family.

Erin is deep in grief over losing her best friend to cancer when she accidentally donates her cherished copy of To Kill A Mockingbird to a little library. It surprisingly turns up a week later with new notes in the margins, and a pen pal friendship has begun. It is an emotional read that follows the characters’ journeys to healing.

This book beautifully references beloved classic novels while also being a fresh take on contemporary romance. I had a little trouble following the transitions in the timeline, but that is my only complaint. I highly enjoyed this book and recommend it to book lovers wanting an emotional story about second chances.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Tessa Bickers, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Margin Girl meet Mystery Man! Erin Connolly finds herself lost when she accidentally donates her treasured, annotated To Kill a Mockingbird to a local library. Heartbroken over the loss of this special keepsake, Erin is astonished when the book returns with new notes and an invitation in a copy of Great Expectations to connect with a mysterious pen pal. Through their exchanges in the margins of their favorite novels, Erin and her enigmatic counterpart develop a profound bond, uncovering both a shared past and the potential for something more. As Erin confronts painful reminders of her past and the person she swore never to forgive, she faces a pivotal choice that could alter the course of her life.

**Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Tessa Bickers for an eARC of The Book Swap.

Content warnings: bullying, cancer, grief, lasting psychological issues from bullying and grief

Erin Connolly has been living a half-life since the death of her best friend Bonnie, but she's determined to start living. She finally quits the job she hates, and starts cleaning up her apartment by donating the books she doesn't need to the little free library in a nearby park. Erin accidentally donates her copy of To Kill a Mockingbird with a card from Bonnie inside. She obsessively checks the library box until she finds her copy of the book with the card inside, only there have been some changes -- someone has written in the margins in response to all of Erin's notes.

Erin begins exchanging books with copious notes in the margins with her Mystery Man and it changes her life in unexpected ways. As she opens up more and more to her margins pen pal, she finds out more about herself and learns to let go of some of her past. But Erin also learns things she'd rather not know...

The flawed characters in this novel were refreshing at first, but they began to grate as they continued to make the same choices over and over again. The ending was predictable, but I'm still not sure if it was satisfying. Recommended for readers who enjoy flawed characters and the tropes of second-chance romance and enemies to lovers.

A love letter to all book readers! It is not only about romance, but also covers more difficult topics such as trauma and growth. It is extremely relatable even though I'm not sure I would have wanted to read about those topics in what I thought was a rom-com. Personally, I don't mind that in my romances and usually even prefer it if it is done well, so that didn't bother me. But definitely consider trigger warnings before reading! Some topics include: grief, loss of a loved one, mental health issues, bullying, terminal illness, and more.

The premise of this book was a neat way to build a relationship. Grieving the loss of a friend, Erin is trying to figure out life. Via a free library (and an mistaken donation), Erin connects with a mystery man through books. Their relationship builds through the margins. But here's the thing, she actually knows this guy, and there's a reason they lost touch. . . .This one was heavier on the feels than I anticipated. Not a critique, rather just a summation of my reading experience. I really dug the way that literature was woven into this story. It made me want to go read and reconnect with these classics, too.

Thanks to NetGalley for the look at this September 2024 release.

Thank you to Hive and Graydon House for my advance electronic copy via NetGalley. My opinions are my own.

Erin Connolly's life is a stalled mess: she hates her job, is still grieving the loss of her best friend, and is seemingly unable to find a man. When she accidentally leaves her favorite, heavily-annotated copy of To Kill a Mockingbird in her neighborhood little library (with an important keepsake inside), it's the final straw. But when the book shows up in the library a week later, she's stunned to see that someone has read through it and left their own comments as well. Plus, there's an invitation to continue the book discussions in another book, Great Expectations this time. And so begins a long conversation in the form of notes in the margins and the back of classic books, that has Erin longing to explore something more with the mystery writer. But when the mystery writer turns out to have a past with Erin, will they be able to take responsibility and forgive? Or will their shared tragedy be too great?

This one had three of my favorite things: book references, a book swap community library, and a strong mental health rep! I loved all the book references, plus there are serious You've Got Mail plot points (albeit with a different slant). There are such strong vestiges of tragedy in the lives of both protagonists, including some serious baggage that they keep slogging along, together with an unhealthy avoidance of responsibility that manifests itself differently in each. I really didn't like the miscommunication trope, although I see why the author used it. It's absolutely tragic and yet hopeful, and I devoured it in one day, it was so good!

Triggers: death of a loved one, bullying, infidelity

I really enjoyed this book, I thought I was starting a lighthearted rom com but it was a beautifully tragic romance, with a happy ending. The characters James and Erin have been through so much in their lives. The story follows them as they rediscover themselves and their passions, along with each other through notes in margins in shared books. Sometimes I didn’t always know we were getting flashbacks, but I think that’s just the format of the uncorrected proof. I look forward to following what the author puts out next.

Erin and James find an unexpected connection with each other through the margins of books in a community little library. Erin accidentally puts one of her books in the little library. When she goes back to retrieve it, there are notes written back to her in the margins. They have no idea that they know each other, they have a history that goes back to high school that includes love, heartbreak and unresolved emotions. They are both grieving the loss of their best friend while dealing with issues. They both seem a little lost. We get both sides of their story because the chapters alternate between Erin and James.

Wow, this book is not what I expected! I went in thinking I was going to read some cute little romcom but instead I went on an emotional journey with Erin and James. This story deals with grief, bullying, mental illness, cancer and cancer. This one is a tear jerker, I was bawling the last couple of chapters. I think if you approach knowing this is not a quick read romcom, you will love it.

Review: I was so excited to get my hands on this one! It’s Tessa Bickers’ debut novel and I enjoyed it.

This movie reminded me so much of my favorite rom com ever- You’ve Got Mail! The two main character, Erin and James, used to be great friends but had a falling out after their friend Bonnie dies. Fast forward a few years, Erin is down, she quits her job, and lost her best friend. She accidentally returns her copy of To Kill a Mockingbird that had a gift from her best friend Bonnie. That leads to her a mystery man leaving notes and annotations to each other through classic books.

I liked the idea of the mystery for the two characters while writing in the books. I thought the premise was so cute and unique. As for the characters, I did connect with James’ story so much more. It had more depth and I could relate to. His story brought some depth to the book.

I do wish there were more flashback scenes to get to know Bonnie better. I didn’t really feel connected to her, and I think knowing her better would help me understand and care more about their group friendship. Also the book was a little slow to get started, so I encourage you to get through. It does pick up. The characters don’t have the steamiest chemistry, but it works.

If you like classical books and You’ve Got Mail, I think you’d enjoy this! This book comes out Sept. 3. Thanks to Harlequin and Netgalley for an advanced copy.

The Book Swap was an emotional and heartwarming read.

I thought the author did a great job tackling themes of grief and healing from loss. It was well represented and sensitive.

The emotional journey of Erin really tugged on my heartstrings. I haven't experienced a loss liked hers, but I could sympathize with her. I think the author did a great job representing Erin's grief and trying to heal from such devastating loss. When she realizes she accidentally donated "To Kill A Mockingbird" which was a gift from her late friend, her reaction was heartbreaking. When she finds it again, there are notes in the margins from a mystery man, hence the beginning of a budding romance.

I liked the romance here. I felt the characters truly connected on a deep level. This reminded me of the romance in Yours Truly with the characters interacting through letters first. It also had a bit of You've Got Mail vibes. I think annotating the book was a great way to get them to connect as it allowed them to be vulnerable and truly themselves. I thought the romance was beautifully written and swoon worthy. Very romantic. I love pen pals romances.

While this is an emotional read, it does have it's lighthearted moments. This is definitely a book for people who love books haha.

I am in awe this is a debut book, it's so fantastic. An emotional, heartwarming romantic tale.

I absolutely loved the idea of this book, which is initially why I wanted to read it so bad. Reading the summary really drew me in, but once I had started the book, it just didn't feel the same. I ended up dnf-ing at 80 pages. I tried so very hard to continue reading but I just could not make it through. The first part that made ne want to put the book down was at the very beginning with James and his mother. As someone who is bipolar, it is so tiring reading and see media that displays bipolar people as unstable, unable to care for themselves and hurting the people around them. Reading that bit had been very off putting, but of course I wanted to give the book a fair chance. But ad I continued on with the book nothing had really caught my attention. Reading how kids had bullied James because his father was a delivery driver jsut seems out of touch. Which is the feel I was getting with the book as a whole. Everything just felt very out of touch, very out dated.
The writing is good, the details are good, but I just feel the correct details are lacking.