As someone in my twenties, I really resonated with Erin’s journey of self-discovery and grief, especially through the unique exchange of annotated books. The story unfolds slowly but meaningfully, making it an emotional and thoughtful experience. While the writing style can feel a bit disjointed at times, the heartfelt themes and literary appreciation kept me engaged. It’s a great read for anyone who loves books about books and the way stories bring people together.

The Book Swap by Tessa Bickers
⭐⭐⭐½ (3.5/5)
🌶️ (0/5)

• 📚 Book Lovers
• 💌 Anonymous Pen Pals
• 🎭 Hidden Identity
• 💔 Healing from Trauma
• 🤝 Found Family
• 🦋 Personal Growth Journey

Don't let the charming premise of a little free library meet-cute fool you - The Book Swap is less about romance and more about healing. Through margin notes in classic literature, Erin and James begin an anonymous correspondence that forces them both to confront their pasts. While their potential romance intrigues, the real heart of this story lies in its exploration of grief, friendship, and redefining success. Both characters start off prickly but grow on you as they learn to face their demons and embrace new beginnings.

This isn't the cozy romance you might expect, but rather a touching exploration of how books can bridge the gap between broken people. Perfect for readers who prefer their stories with more emotional depth than romance.

Here’s the updated review for The Book Swap by Tessa Bickers:

As a high school teacher, I found The Book Swap by Tessa Bickers to be a truly captivating and meaningful read. Bickers has a sharp eye for the intricacies of high school life, bringing the challenges, triumphs, and emotional rollercoasters of teenage years vividly to life. Her writing style is equal parts witty and heartfelt, making the novel both entertaining and deeply relatable.

What I loved most about Bickers’s work is how she uses the book swap as a central metaphor for growth and connection. Through her vivid, multidimensional characters, she explores themes of identity, empathy, and the transformative power of stories. Each character’s journey is thoughtfully developed, and their interactions feel genuine, capturing the complexity of high school relationships.

This book is not only enjoyable but also an excellent tool for classroom discussions. It invites readers to think critically about how sharing books—and by extension, our own experiences—can foster understanding and build bridges. Bickers’s accessible yet insightful prose ensures that students of all levels can engage with the story’s themes.

I found this book to be quite slow and I had difficulty finishing it. I wouldn’t classify this as a “rom-com”, it was much darker than I was expecting it to be. I think the cute cover and description wasn’t accurate. I think if you’re a fan of classics, a very VERY slow-burn affectionate romance, and tackling heavy themes such as grief and sorrow, you may enjoy this. I just couldn’t get into it due to the pacing and the fact it was so slow.

2 stars

This book was entirely too heavy for what it was marketed as, and that made it very difficult to get through. This is truly not a romance. I wouldn't even call this a slow burn, but just a long road to very anticlimactic ending. I did appreciate the emotional development for both Erin and James, but that was the focus point - not the romance, not their connection, but two people grieving and dealing with hardship and using this (not romantic) back-and-forth as a lifeline. This one was unfortunately not for me. Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was expecting a super cute cozy romance and that is not what this was. This wasn’t even a romance novel in my opinion. Super hard to get through and I wish I would’ve DNFed.

This book was not for me. I DNFed at page 99/33%. I felt like there were too many extra things happening that took away from the main storyline. I also was upset there were no trigger warnings at the beginning, as serious topics are talked about.

This one was really cute! I liked the play of using classic books to interact in a You've Got Mail sort of influence. I did fit it did drag on a little near the end but I still really enjoyed!

Erin accidentally donates her favorite written in copy of To Kill a Mockingbird to a little local library. When she realizes it is gone, she is devastated. Her book shows back up the next week with new notes added to it plus an invitation in a copy of Great Expectations. Erin and her "pen pal" continue to exchange comments in the margins of books. Is he who he said he is? Can they have a relationship outside of books? Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This was cute, but I wouldn't necessarily consider it to be a "rom com." I did enjoy the classic literature references especially to kill a mockingbird and the great gatsby.

I'm so happily surprised at how much I enjoyed this book! There was a lot of heavy content throughout, especially dealing with grief and mental health. From the cover and description, I expected this to be more of a light, fun read, so be prepared if that's what you're expecting too. I wish I hadn't put it off because of that, because I would have loved to read it sooner! There is just so much beyond the romance in this book to absorb. My only wish is that there was an epilogue that dove deeper into the two main characters finally being together. I left feeling like I had to imagine their happily ever after. Otherwise, I absolutely recommend this read!

Thank you to Netgalley, Tessa Bickers and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Book Swap: The romance novel about book lovers and for book lovers - uplifting, moving, and full of love by Tessa Bickers is a British novel. To me, its serious topics did not feel like a rom com. My favorite thing about this book is how it’s a love letter to books and reading. It’s a novel of misunderstandings and second chances. The plot was okay but the story did not flow well and was hard to read at times. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

I really like the concept of this book, but the execution or writing style just didn't work for me for some reason.

Such a cute read!! Absolutely recommend, especially if you like Second Chance romances- lost love redound. Thank you for the chance to read this

I DNF’ed this book pretty early on. It came across like a cute romance in the synopsis but was more a story of grief that I couldn’t get past. And the characters seemed obsessed with their school days. Every conversation with any character involved talking about schoolmates which felt weird.

This book is being marketed as a "book lover's dream" and I feel like that was a bit misleading. Given that FMC Erin Connolly is recovering from a recent tragedy, I knew it would be a bit sad for whatever she was going through...however, I did not expect this book to be so freaking sad.

I liked the premise of her donating her favorite book and meeting a pen pal through annotations in the margins of classic books that they pass back and forth, but I kept thinking about how quickly this scenario would have ended in real life if someone took the wrong book from the library.

Overall, I did enjoy this story even if it was a bit too sad for me. I would not purchase this book for myself or a friend, but I understand that there may be some people out there who really love a story like this.

I ended 2024 with the perfect 5-star book - The Book Swap.
For every book lover, this one will capture your heart and tug on the strings. A tribute to classic literature, it wades throughout topics of family, friendship, forgiveness, loss, grief, and love. Proving that love can exist together with grief.

"Don't forget to make all your dreams come true."

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this arc in return for my honest review.

Pub Date: 03 September 2024

Review: 3/5 Stars

The Book Swap by Tessa Bickers offers a heartfelt and creative premise, using books as the medium for a unique relationship to blossom. Erin’s journey of healing and rediscovery through her pen pal’s notes in classic novels is an inventive way to explore themes of grief, forgiveness, and self-growth. The literary references add depth and will resonate with book lovers, creating an engaging and nostalgic backdrop for Erin’s story.

However, the execution doesn’t fully deliver on the promise of its premise. The pacing feels uneven, with the connection between Erin and her mystery pen pal sometimes lacking the emotional weight necessary to make their relationship feel truly transformative. The twist regarding their shared history is intriguing but predictable, and Erin’s internal struggle with forgiveness, while compelling, occasionally feels repetitive and overly drawn out.

Despite these shortcomings, The Book Swap is a warm, comforting read for fans of second-chance stories and literary romance.

📚The Book Swap by Tessa Bickers 📚

Thank you @htphive for this book surrounding classic ligature, friendship and growth.

Pages: 336
Book Goal 2025: 3/130

✨Have you done a buddy book swap with annotated books?✨

It’s interesting that I read this book recently as I have been seeing so many stories & reels about friends exchanging books that have been annotated. It has really peaked my interest and I think I want to do this.

The Book Swap is about our main character Erin who accidentally donates her favorite copy of “to kill a mockingbird”, that is annotated with all of her notes, feelings and discoveries, to a little library. She ends up being horrified but then discovers the book has been returned with newly added annotations alongside a copy of Great Expectations. Through this builds a relationship that is sort of pen-pal style through these classic books.

I can’t really say that the book swap is a romance as I found it was more about the friendships built and new perspectives on love, life and friendship overall.

Overall I think if you go into this book expecting romance, you will be slightly disappointed but if you want a book about pasts, overcoming things and friendship building that happens to tie in a love of literature then you’ll enjoy this.

I wanted to love this book. I really tried to stick it out. I just couldn't keep up with the bouncing around POV and writing style.