This book was deeper than a light-hearted rom com and dealt with topics such as loss and grief. It had potential, but overall wasn’t my favorite. I was confused at times when trying to follow some of the dialogue between characters and the switching POVs.

What a fantastic romance novel! We meet Erin and quickly learn that she has put her life on a sort of hold as she still mourns the loss of her best friend. We meet James who is also putting his on life on a timeout in order to help his father take care of his mother. They are two people until they accidentally discover a book swap or little free library. I struggled with a few chapters as the descriptions of depression and bipolar disorder are somewhat triggering for me but overall, the back and forth between the two characters in their own lives and through the margins of books was delightful to read.

Book swap is a romance with a fun bookish premise. Tessa Bickers perfectly captures the moments of finding someone who loves books in the same way that you do--a reading soulmate if you will. She also captures those early dating nerves that are similar to online dating–when will they write back?! Will they like me back?!

The novel flipped from the present to the past. Those scenes were tough at times. The reader need context for why James and Erin have cut each other out of their lives. However, these scenes depicted graphic bullying and scary situations. It was a lot for a book that seems to be marketed as a romcom by the description and cover art.

The Book Swap delivers a bookish romance that is full of hope. If you are in need of a frothy, fluffy romcom I dont think this would be a good pick for you given the heavy topics of bullying, mental illness, and grief. But, if you are looking for a romance full of depth, reconciliation, love and compassion, then look no further!

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an eArc in exchange for my honest review!

While it took me awhile to get into (reading slump), I really ended up enjoying the story!

The history between the main characters really adds something to the whole "mystery person in the margins" idea that I haven't seen before. I think the history makes it even better than if they were perfect strangers having a meet-cute! Plus, it was basically friends to enemies to lovers and I love that.

This story gives the readers a look into how two very flawed people handle their own grief and trauma throughout their lives. They are imperfect, lost, and sometimes mean and it's refreshing to see in a book. Sometimes they can be painted as unlikable but it's all part of growing and learning. It's refreshing.

I would have LOVED a tiny epilogue. I wish these romances would normalize a little "after the happy ever after" blurb. I know the journey is the lead up, but I love seeing glimpses into their lives once they find and love each other.

Overall, it was a great read. A little slow and frusrating sometimes. Definitely prepare tissues if your'e an emotional wreck like me!

This book is a mix of sweet, sad and funny. After the death of her best friend, Erin is trying to move forward. She accidentally donates a copy of her favorite book that contains notes she wrote along the margins. When she goes back to the library to retrieve it, she finds someone has written her back. This leads to a mystery pen pal through classic books.. The characters have real depth and have many layers. You see a beautiful love story between friends and family.

Thank you for providing an e-arc copy of The Book Swap! I loved it! It was 4.5 stars for me! The themes of grief and struggling with a loved one with mental illness were so well done and powerful!!! The premise of the book was just adorable. I love the idea of passing books and notes back and forth through a Little Free Library. That’s just so heartwarming. And I really enjoyed the character development both individually and together. All in all, I will be recommending this book a lot!

3 1/2 stars.

I was expecting The Book Swap to be a traditional, light-hearted rom-com. Instead Tessa Bickers has crafted a story about romance, yes, but also about grief, family, forgiveness, mental health challenges and coming to terms with your past.

Erin is trying to find her path forward after tragedy. James is trying to navigate a job he doesn't love, a family in turmoil and his own losses. Coming together through their community library by sharing messages in the margins of books gives each of them the space to share themselves and tell each other truths that neither of them have shared with someone before. It does help to have read the books that the characters swap, but I don't think you miss anything if you haven't. There were a couple I either haven't read or read them so long ago I don't remember much about the books and I still enjoyed the marginalia. (Also, that is two book reviews in a month where I got to use the word marginalia!)

Yes, of course, rom-com shenanigans and miscommunications ensue. Aside from the two enjoyable main characters, the secondary characters in this book were wonderful. I loved the family dynamics and interactions, even when they were painful or awkward and I genuinely cared about the outcomes.

The Book Swap is a quick, charming book and my only complaint is the lack of an epilogue. I would have enjoyed a peek into a happily ever after.

This book will be published on September 3, 2024. Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House and NetGalley for the advance copy.

The Book Swap is possibly the saddest romance I've ever read. Don't get me wrong, it's good and I'm definitely recommending it. But damn, it's sad. Despite his massive fuck up in his youth, James is too good for Erin. He definitely deserves better. Erin won't forgive people, leading to impossibly high standards and missed opportunities. She's very childish until she gets a wakeup call and realizes, "maybe I'm the problem". I love the book swaps this novel gets its' name from and how deeply they connect via annotations in the margins.

3 stars

This is a slow heavy subject exposition book. I think if you are looking for a deep dive into loss and mental health this is for you. I really think the romance (very slow burn) and literature parts are more of a side plot. There was this thing with a side character Bonnie that was completely out of left field, and really made the narrative a bit jarring and confusing. Ultimately I liked the male MC and how they communicated through books left.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

At first I assumed this would be your typical romance-book-with-a-cartoon-cover (which is gorgeous btw), which I tend not to read as much of because I’m not one for smut usually. This had no smut, but it was a very human story with a lot of unexpected depth, touching on grief, illness, trauma, mental illness, and more in a very sensitive and poignant way. I was very touched by this story, and I loved all of the bookishness of it as well. I’m a volunteer with Little Free Library, so I loved seeing a community library as the centerpiece of the plot. A rich and wholesome story with a surprising rawness to it. Very enjoyable read.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this one! It had some great tropes that were executed well. I was feeling the feels!

This book is a literature lover's romantic dream! I loved everything about Tessa Bicker's writing. The plot was so well paced, and the depth of characters we get in such a relatable way really sold me. This is a definite romance recommendation for me!

Erin is dealing with recent tragedies in her life when she accidentally donates her beloved annotated copy of To Kill a Mockingbird. When she finds it again in her local little library filled with someone's written replies, an exchange between Erin and a mystery man starts within the margins of stories. As someone who loves second chance romances, this book was just it! There was a great slow burn, mystery penpal, and a beautiful framing of the way friendships have their ups and downs. This book plays with the ideas of happy accidents, the idea of luck and being right where you need to be. You really see that in the way Erin keeps running into her past, and how it may be what she needs to grow and move forward through her grief to keep living and loving. Our lives are so unpredictable and Tessa Bickers perfectly captures the serendipity that can come out of not-so-great situations like accidentally donating your favorite book.

I think the way this book explores grief is so interesting. As someone who hasn't experienced much death in their life, I loved the way in which Bonnie was with Erin and James through the book. The people we love will always be there in our mutual friends, shared memories, and the beauty of life as we remember them, and I felt so much love for the characters in this book and what they have gone through.

All this to say, Tessa Bickers is now going to be on my radar! I need more from her. Her writing is so accessible and flows so well, and her creation of characters and complex conflicts hit so close to home that at moments, I felt like she was speaking to my English major soul. <3

Thank you so much for allowing me to read this ARC, and I cannot recommend this book enough.

This is a good debut and it is written well. But this is not a light, breezy, rom-com as the cover would suggest. This book delves into some serious topics including death, mental illness, cancer and bullying. Overall, the parts relating to the book swap are catnip for any booklover. The two MCs who have a shared past, unbeknownst to either, revealing themselves in the margins of classic books. The supporting characters are interesting, but the main FC, Erin is not very likeable. I suppose that's integral to her development, but the main MC, James, in my opinion deserves better.

The author, Tessa Bickers, has had an interesting journey, singer-songwriter, XFactor auditions, and festivals with her band, Tess and The Tellers. I will definitely look out for her next book.

I was drawn to this book because a love story through notes in books has me written all over it. It was so much more. It was about messy people, complicated relationships, and grief. The book started out slow but was perfectly paced for the rest of it. I was not able to successfully guess what the reveals would be, which I really enjoyed. I liked that Erin and James didn’t just fix their problems through the power of love and closeness. They put in work and had uncomfortable conversations. I can’t express enough how much I loved that. For once, the romance plot was the least important thing to me while reading. I was so much more invested in the personal growth journeys Erin and James were individually on. I would say this book is more about mental health and grief than romance. Overall, I really love this book and everyone should read it.

I enjoyed this book. It's a slow burn, which I love. This book is not a silly goofy good time. It has some more topics woven in and I really appreciated and enjoyed that.

An intense story of love, lies, and life. It’s not a tale for those looking for mushy, gushy tales (but doesn’t the world have enough of those already?). Tessa weaves deeply formed characters with the realities of the bonds of friendship, classics that capture our hearts, minds, and souls, and a happily ever after that’s so deserved it makes you cry and sigh with relief.

I found this book to be a tad slow at the beginning, and I didn't really like any of the characters. I did like the plot idea, but feel it just tried a little to hard to be cute and quirky.

Enjoyed this book a lot! I really thought I was going to read a cute rom-com book about 2 people exchanging books and falling in love with each other as time passed but WOW, this book was not that at ALL! It touches on grief, bullying, mental illness, family relationships and learning how to let go of the past to finally move on.
I will say hands down that I enjoyed James’s character more than Erin’s! He was more understanding about things than Erin. At times it felt like she was trying to make it all about her. What also really touched my heart and made me tear at times is Erin still seeing her best friend and talking to her while still holding on deep to her grief and the past. I liked how she also eventually realized her mistakes and tried to not repeat them with her sister. Lastly, the slow burn and the miscommunication trope here are HUGE! If you aren’t a fan of either then I don’t recommend.

Overall it was a great read for me!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Hallelujah! That's the first thing I want to say about this book! After being so disappointed in the last book I read, this book renewed my hope in authors who can write about feelings that just make me smile as two people connect. I loved how the main characters communicate through a little free library in their London neighborhood. For me little free libraries are one of humanities delightful creations and to have one be the center of this book, of course, already had me wanting to love it, so I'm so glad I did.
The main characters have a history going back to high school and some of the things addressed are just so relevant: bullying and parents' decisions and health and how they affect their children. It is real what so many kids are dealing with and they have to show up at school every day and "perform" anyway.
Anyway, Erin and James are not perfect, but are so likable as they face their different challenges and decisions. I like that they were both humble enough to learn as they went. Tessa Bickers did such a great job telling their sweet, at times sad, story. I was so impressed when I realized in her acknowledgements that she is a debut author!! I can't wait to keep reading her books as she writes them.
Thank you SO much to #netgalley and #HarlequinTradePublishing for my ARC of this gem of a book.

I loved the conceit of this book but I HATE the miscommunication trope and it was deployed so many times here. Maybe I'm just confrontational but how hard is it to JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER.