This book will have you in your feelings, laughing and crying! Tessa Bickers knocked it out of the park!

A simple book swap or something more? Erin and James have a complicated past, can they move past it or will they remain mortal enemies? You will be cheering for all of the various characters by the end!

Thank you to NetGalley, Tessa Bickers, and Graydon House for this ARC!

I read this a few months ago but delayed leaving this review because I’m loathe to be negative, especially when I think this debut novel shows promise for the author’s future work; but I appreciate honest reviews and also hope that the author and publisher are open to constructive feedback. (Some spoilery inclusions ahead.)

The more I thought about this book, the more I disliked it. It’s not a cute rom-com, despite the cover and obvious influence from works like “You’ve Got Mail.” (This kind of thing is apparently trending - I had just read another book with exchanges via Instagram DMs and one via exchanges notes in a home.) The description does reference tragedy and starting to live again; but there’s also 1:1 and family guilt, a toxic work environment, past bullying, family dysfunction, mental illness, and more. It’s a lot.

I’ve noticed that there’s been a trend for women’s literature/chick lit to have main characters that are just not very likable. Representation of various issues and/or conditions is great, but those can’t be what makes entire personalities; and we have to be able to see why friends and family want to spend time with someone, why romantic interests find them appealing enough to embrace them issues and all. Even if we have explanation for why someone obviously needs therapy, their acting immature and selfish isn’t excusable; and if it’s a turnoff for readers, it has to be for a romantic interest.

I very much liked the references to various classic novels, appreciated the use of exchanges between Erin and Bonnie, and and I could buy into the use of a little library for exchanges; but the extra-fantastical aspect of the latter happening in a large city by two people who knew each other in a small town was too far for me - it would have been better served staying in the town. Also the limited interactions via books and notes wasn’t enough to show us how strong feelings grew - this wasn’t lengthy letters between penpals or online exchanges over time that bring feelings of intimacy; and inclusion of past friendship only goes so far. The main romantic pair simply had to spend more time together to get to big love.

Summary: A promising debut novel, I just hope that future work has better workshopping and/or editing to bring more realistic, well-rounded characters and plot.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my (obviously) honest review.

Copy/pasted from Goodreads: This book was... fine. I had some glaring issues with it that I think left it somewhere around a 2.5-3/5 stars. I'm leaving it at a 3 to give this debut author the benefit of the doubt since they're new and will hopefully only improve over time. I want to start by saying that I enjoyed the mechanic of the relationship in this book - using a Little Free Library as a way to almost pen pal with a mysterious person about books you love seems lovely! The premise certainly hooked me. I also thought the side characters, especially the best friends, were quite good. As for my personal gripes, I'll keep it relatively short: chronology, character insights into books, and the absolutism of the characters themselves.

Chronology - this was mostly in the first third to half of the book, where rather than changing perspectives when the bookswaps changed hands, the author would show a character dropping off the books at the library then sometimes at least a day would pass before we would switch back to the other MC and we'd have to rewind to them picking up their books and then everything they go through as well. This was most apparent when they'd interact between the drop-off/pick-up, so we'd get both perspectives. It wasn't a massive problem, but mostly came across as poor editing; as if the author felt they needed to include certain thoughts and events before being able to switch perspectives. More chapters/perspective switches could've easily solved this problem, but instead I was periodically confused about our timelines for no real reason. Other people might not have an issue with this, but it lowkey frustrated me for about 100 pages.

Character insights into books - several books are passed back and forth between our main characters, and for the most part I enjoyed their writings in the margins. Sometimes though, I had to wonder if the author had read the books themself or if they had revisited them since being a teenager. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, for example, featured heavily as the main leads' favorite book - and honestly, this book was massively underutilized. They only looked back on it with nostalgia, and I wish it had been one of the stories they exchanged with each other to give them the opportunity to reflect on it as adults as well. To grow and become kinder on themselves and each other as they realize part of Perks is how much stuff happens to the teenagers that they have no control over. Instead the characters take very few lessons from any of the books they read except towards their budding relationship (I'm sorry, but how has James not heard of Beloved?)

Absolutism - James in particular was guilty of this one, but Erin had her moments. All I will say here is that far too many issues were resolved by a brief conversation where someone tells the MCs to consider something from another perspective and the MC goes "oh, shit, I've been an asshole about this the whole time! They're totally right!" A lot of the topics addressed were not black and white - they could've had nuanced takes OR acknowledged they were being judgey and rude as hell but stick to their guns. Instead they switched sides with little to no pushback, then moved on with their lives.

This romance between Erin & James was so cute! And it includes so many topics of discussion like bipolar disorder, bullying, cheating, death, etc. it was SUCH a good story that touched on many topics that are real.

Erin struggles with losing her best friend and doesn’t know how to cope with many things in her life. She can’t move on from the past and does some drastic things like quit her job… but when she starts writing notes in books with Mystery Man in a library, she starts to change her perspective on life.

James is unhappy with his life knowing his mom struggles with bipolar disorder and he hates his job. Once he starts writing notes in books with Margin Girl, he realizes he needs to chase his dream and finish writing the book he started writing a long time ago.

Erin and James find their way back to each other through a love of books. They discover many things about themselves as people and go after their dreams… and eventually find each other 💛

Erin’s sister, Georgia, was my favorite character. She is so real and honest with Erin and is an intense character, but her adoration of her sister is inspiring!

It was an easy read and I highly recommend reading it!!🥰

This was super cute! Going to be a great fall pick up weekend read. Would make the perfect book exchange book and one I would love to just gift to a friend or put in those little free libraries because of the theme of the book.

Under the premise of “a love letter to books and reading,” I was a hundred percent on board. When first reading the description and title, I thought I was in for another cute book people rom-com (think Emily Henry) that would leave me on a high note. Instead, I found myself with a book with a little bit of romance and a whole lot of trauma. Now, this isn’t to say that these aren’t topics I would read, however, the push to make it seem like a light-hearted romance felt inaccurate and misleading.

On a technical note, the story was extremely choppy and lacked clear transitions between scenes and chapters. It was extremely hard to keep up with the story and sometimes felt as if key information and background knowledge were just never given. I hope coming back to this book later on with a fresh pair of eyes and a clear understanding of what genre this book is (or in this instance, isn’t) will make me like it more on a second reading.

Thank you to both NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing this digital ARC.

Author Cesca Major called THE BOOK SWAP "a love letter to books and reading." There are no truer words. For all of my mildly mixed feelings about this debut contemporary romance, it truly is a love letter to books and reading.

THE BOOK SWAP is narrated by the story's two main characters, Erin and James. In an impulsive moment, Erin decides to declutter her space, gathering up items that she never even unpacked from her latest move. She fills a roller suitcase with books and walks to the little free library in her London neighborhood. It's only after returning home after a memorial for her best friend that Erin realizes what she did: drop off her beloved copy of To Kill a Mockingbird at the community library. It isn't just the loss of a favorite book that she has meticulously annotated, it's the postacrd from her best friend that was tucked inside. Heartbroken, Erin is stunned to find the book returned to the library a few days later--along with more notes in the margins and an invitation to "meet up" in another book.

So begins a unique correspondence between Erin and James. The one-time childhood friends haven't spoken in years—and, to be fair, they don't know they are speaking through this book exchange either—at least not at first. Through the books, notes in the margins, and questions left on the endpapers, Erin and James find a connection that leads each of them to understanding, healing, and a little bit of hope.

I loved so much about THE BOOK SWAP. My one complaint is a strong one, but not one that derailed my enjoyment. By the halfway point of the novel, Erin's self-centeredness began to wear and grate on my nerves. Everything was about her, without question or preamble. She was a constant victim. Thankfully, Erin's sister was there as a counterbalance and called her on her behavior.

In contrast, James is the quintessential Good Guy. Always giving, always forgiving, especially where Erin is concerned. As I read more and more about his life, his family, and his past, I started to think that he was way too good for Erin. I early shouted a cheer out loud when he finally--FINALLY!-- called her out.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book and was satisfied by its conclusion. I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

This was my first romance book that I have rad in a while. The title of it alone had me interested because I love to read. Tessa Bickers made me feel a lot of emotions while reading this. I felt both happy and said throughout this book. It made me realize that grief is okay to go through and that the best things come at the most unexpected time. The flourishing relationship between the main character Erin and her “Mystery Man” was so adorable. This book was a very heartwarming read. Me being the hopeless romantic that I am I was hoping to hear that Erin and James ended up having a bit more clarity and closer about their relationship. All in all this book was so cute. I highly recommend.

I received an e-ARC of this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publushing.

That said, I struggled a lot, and I mean a lot to finished this book because I was sent a pdf and I normally read epub. I struggled to adjust the size of the page in my phone. It took me several sessions during almost 2 months. I don’t want that to affect the review of the book.

This book felt like it had a little bit of romance and a lot of trauma from their younger days.

I think Erin and James chemistry build reallyyyyy slow. For me personally it lacks romance. And I liked James personality but not Erins. She is selfish.

If you enjoy classic literature this book mentions a lot of that. I liked that. But other than that I felt happy until the end of the book. I loved the ending but boy! I did struggled to finish it.

First I would like to thank NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

England, literary classics, little free library, and a correspondence between two readers.... What's not to love?!

I so enjoyed this fun little romance. Our characters were great and believable, with such heart-tugging back stories. We learned to love them and also get angry with them when the time was right. It gives hope to all of us single readers, hoping that somewhere out there is a person who loves to read as much as we do and who is ready to bare their soul to a stranger.

While not a great piece of classic literature on its own, it was warm and cozy, a good read between heavy hitters. Another author to be added to my list!

DNF. I didn't feel connected to the main characters, Erin and James. I went into this book thinking it was going to be more of a romcom. I was surprised by how heavy the book was. Besides the characters, I struggled with the writing. I found it choppy at points. The first chapter really threw me. I was thrown off by Erin talking to her dead best friend. I was very confused by it and had to go back to see if the chapter started off with a "past" heading. There were a bunch of little things like that that led to a DNF. Thank you to NetGalley and Graydon House for the ARC.

The story sounded so promising and the MMC sounded like an absolute sweetheart. I was looking forward to the meet cute but it felt like it was taking too long before they finally met each other. Unfortunately, I didn’t even get to the FMC before I stopped reading since it felt too slow and focused a lot on the MMC’s family life. I didn’t finish this book but I’m still might give it a shot when it’s released.

While I found the plot a bit busy and wouldn't strictly categorize it as a romance, it delves into figuring out what you want in all aspects of life—work, family, romance, and friends—and prioritizing them. These four elements shared equal focus, rather than romance dominating the story.

At times, the details from each aspect felt a bit slow and didn't always keep me engaged. However, the emotions experienced by the main characters, especially Erin, were deeply important, and the book handled them well. I just wasn't expecting such depth from a "romance" novel.

That being said, I really enjoyed the book swap plot. It was unique and cute, and I loved the sections where they shared notes with each other. I wish their romance had received more pages because it was definitely my favorite part to read!

Wow! This book exceeded my expectations. Happy tears. Sad tears. The Book Swap has them all!

The Book Swap is a dual POV s l o w burn that follows FMC, Erin, who is having a hard time grieving her best friend. She’s screwing her loser flatmate, quits her job, and hates her mom and life for a good portion of the book. Then we have our MMC, James, who was a bit of a social pariah in school with a severely mentally ill mother and almost-pop star father. James suffers with an inferiority complex but a heart of gold. The two share The Perfect History for a rekindling but not without the muddying of waters first.

I’m not going to lie, the first 40% felt very slow and anticlimactic. But I was hooked with the references to literature. Some of my favorite classics growing up were brought back to life through the pages of this book. I don’t think I made it through more than one page in the last few chapters without bawling my eyes out! The characters were relatable, every last one of them. Multidimensional and real.

This book is a must read for the book lovers who write in the margins, the hopeless romantics, and the girlies who’s heart’s swell when they read “And in that moment, we were infinite” in The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Fantastic debut from Tessa Bickers! I’d love to see this on the big screen. Can’t wait to read more in the future.

Erin has lost someone close to her, and in a desperate attempt to heal, ends up accidentally donating a beloved book, with a cherished memento, to a library box. She's devastated, until it is returned. Someone has read the notes she left in the margins, added their own, and left another book with notes of their own. As the story unfolds, you learn more about Erin and her book penpal, as well as some shared history they have. The story is so cozy and fun, but it does dive into difficult issues like grief, mental health, and family trauma. However, it's also full of love, redemption, and finding yourself when you've given up hope.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

First of all, the description and cover are very misleading. This is NOT a romance. It's grief-filled and depressing. I should have gone with my gut and DNF'd before I was halfway done. I hated Erin. I didn't like James for most of the book, either, but he grew on me towards the end. I was more invested in the side characters.

While there was a lot more to this love story than a simple romance, I found that actually a little misleading. The traumas of grief and bullying in the story were so prevalent that it felt a little too involved for the look of a light-hearted romance that it was represented as. I didn't find the main female character to be very kind or likable, which made it difficult to root for her.

This was a cute rom-com with such a great concept, that I thought I would love it. It follows Erin, who is still processing the death of her best friend, and her former friend James who betrayed her in the past. They begin an anonymous relationship by swapping notes back and forth via book margins from a little free library. This book tried to dig deeper than a typical rom-com, but I felt like it fell a little short with some of the flow of the plot and the character interactions and dialogue. I normally appreciate a dual POV, but this one was a little confusing some of the time. Overall, I enjoyed the story, and rooted in the characters. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was more of a story about grief, forgiveness, and second chances rather than romance though love is woven throughout this book. For a debut novel, I was impressed. There is no spice if you're looking for it but this is a very heartfelt and thoughtful story.

Erin is still reeling from the death of her best friend Bonnie. She's been gone for 3 years but Erin has not been able to move on. There are a lot of hurt feelings and abandonment fears that Erin has not processed. These fears stem from her mother and also a betrayal from her former friend James. As she begins to work through these feelings and figure out the next steps for her life, she starts a pen pal relationship with an unknown man who leaves her notes in the margins of books from the library.

This man turns out to be her former friend James. Unbeknownst to both of them, this friendship born out of anonymity and love for books, helps them grow and realize the choices they have made for their lives up to this point might not have been the right ones to make them happy. James is a kind, mild-mannered man focused on stability. He grew up being bullied and with a mom who struggled with mental health. As an adult, he is stuck going through the motions in a job he is good at but not passionate about. Through his conversations with his "margin girl, " he starts to work through what is important to him and his thoughts go back to the girl he loved but betrayed & lost years ago - Erin.

This story has major "You Got Mail" vibes. This is very much focused on their individual journeys. Still, as the details of their past relationship are breadcrumbed throughout the book, their current paths come together beautifully. It's only in the last 10% of the book that you see how their own journeys bring them back together.

💖 Second Chance
✌🏻 Dual POV
❤️‍🩹 Mental Health Rep
🫶 Found Family
❣️ Grief & Childhood Trauma
📝 Pen Pals & Secret Identities

After reading the description I felt this book would be right up my alley. I wanted to love this book, and I tried, but unfortunately I had to (soft) DNF. The concept is there, but both the writing and editing need improvements for it to reach it's full potential. I felt no connection to the MC, the dialogue lacked emotion or authenticity, and I felt as though I was running through the chapter. One minute they're doing one thing, and the next paragraph they're somewhere entirely different, and it continues that way.