Fair warning, this one will get you emotional quickly! I really enjoyed the storyline, setting, the characters and the love of reading. There's just something about learning from someone through books that just makes sense. It opens our minds and let's us be ourselves. This read will also make you sit and think about how your are living and whether you are living for yourself. Be prepared to laugh, cry and really think during this read.

Title: The Book Swap
Author: Tessa Bickers
Genre: Romance
Format: eARC
Rating: 4 stars

Premise: After grabbing books from the local Little Free Library, Erin and James become pen pals via the books they annotate inside. They know each other in person, though they haven't spoken in many years due to a falling out in school, but do not realize they are the ones writing back and forth. A connection unfolds as they communicate through books, and a lot of heavier topics are woven into the story that create obstacles each have to overcome.

-secret pen pals
-friends to enemies to lovers
-heavy topics
-family drama

Thoughts: I absolutely loved this story. I am a major bookworm, so the fact that they both shared a love for books and discussing them, made my heart happy. The premise was interesting and unique; and what I thought would be simply a light and fluffy romcom, turned into a romance with comedy as well as heavy topics that I felt through the pages. This was a read that is easy to get into and will cause you to fly through the pages.

Thank you NetGalley, HTP books, Harper Collins, and The Hive for an advanced copy to read and review in exchange for my honest opinion!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 ⭐️

Loved the premise of this book, but numerous things were problematic for me. The first 20% of the book did not flow at all. It was often confusing and hard to get into. It also relies heavily on you loving all of the “famous” books discussed. You can certainly get by with the quotes given, but not having read or enjoyed all of those books, it has a tendency to exclude the reader or at the very least, become boring and tedious. Finally, there was far too much dysfunction in the book. It made the FMC almost unbearable, and while you’re rooting for the MMC, I feel that he gave and deserved far more than he received.

I thought this book was incredibly well written and had well-fleshed out characters. All of the characters felt extremely real and relatable. What both Erin and James were going through made them relatable and it was very nice to feel out one's own flaws and insecurities in a character and see how they push through. Similarly, the families they had felt real too and the element of family. James having to come to terms with and understand the choice his father makes was of particular interest to me. With his mother however I felt it was hard to see if he felt much for her past resentment. The story developing with Erin, James, and Bonnie was interesting and you could feel how that relationship changed but stayed the same throughout the years that passed and grief was a very valuable feeling there.

Overall, I enjoyed the writing style and the realness of the characters but I felt the book was too busy. There was too much going on in James' and Erin's separate lives that made it challenging to feel their story between the two of them was the forefront of the story. James and Erin could have had their own separate books with all of the external conflict they were going through that would have spaced out the story better for me.

As a librarian and reader, I loved the premise of the book with two people falling in love through their experiences sharing beloved books. I really enjoyed getting to know James and see his struggles and growth through the book. Erin was a little harder for me to connect to and her growth felt a little rushed to me. Overall, a wonderfully written book and a very enjoyable slow burn. Thanks for the chance to review this title.

**Thank you for the ARC, NetGalley!**

"The Book Swap" by Tessa Bickers is a heartwarming novel that celebrates the power of books to connect people and transform lives. The story follows two main characters, one of which is Erin. Erin is a young woman who forms a life-changing connection with a mystery man through the margins of beloved classic books. James is the other main character, and he is learning how to grow as a person through the trials and tribulations that life has set forth.

The novel excels at developing relatable, multi-layered characters with multi-layered backstories. One of the novel's greatest strengths is its love letter to reading and books. The premise of a book swap as a means of connection is engaging and heartwarming, and frankly it is a novel premise (please excuse the pun).

Overall, "The Book Swap" is a beautifully written, uplifting read that will resonate with anyone who has ever found solace in a good book. I highly recommend "The Book Swap" to anyone looking for a heartwarming, feel-good read about the transformative power of books and connections.

This is a slowwww slow burn. So if that’s your thing you might like this! For me, it was too slow sadly. I also never connected with the FMC so it was tough to feel the romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Graydon House Publishing for an advanced digital copy of this book.

Erin Connolly is one of those readers. One who painstakingly pours her heart and soul into the margins of a book, annotating her thoughts, feelings, and dreams onto the pages as she consumes them. When she accidentally donates her well worn and beloved copy of To Kill a Mockingbird to a local library, she is devastated. When it is returned one week later, she is thoroughly relieved, but is shocked to find that the previous reader has left their own notes in the margins, along with an invitation to join them in reading another book, Great Expectations. What follows next is a book swap, where two avid readers learn about each other and themselves while working their way through different works of literature together. Although neither of them is aware of it, the two have a shared past which, when uncovered, has the potential to dramatically alter the course of their lives.

I am an absolute sucker for books about books. Books are unmatched in their ability to evoke in the reader a tidal wave of thoughts and emotions. So when an author uses phrases and events from other works of literature and weaves them intricately in and around their own words to create an original story, it makes my heart soar.

While The Book Swap was certainly a love story, I felt that it was uniquely done in that, in many ways, it was a deconstructed love story. The Pen Pal nature of the interactions between Erin and her Mystery Man meant that their stories happened almost completely independently of one another. Yet while the two main characters infrequently shared a page together, they still had a spark and chemistry between them that emanated throughout.

While love was the permeating theme of the debut novel for this author, what Tessa Bickers delivered was much more than a fluffy romance book. Her characters were diverse, flawed, and refreshingly authentic. She portrayed complex family dynamics that were both raw and relatable.

The Book Swap is a heartwarming tale of grief, forgiveness, and self actualization that will simultaneously have you falling in love with it, while also urging you to go back and rediscover the books that stole your heart in the past.

Such a cute read! Love the characters and the book made me laugh all throughout! Would love to see more of the characters and how they lived after the book ended.

Unfortunately, this book is not for me. I don’t mind a redemption arc in romance books; but I couldn’t connect with these mcs or find empathy for their grudges and misfortunes. Excellent writing, however, hence the 4 stars. All the best to the author and publisher. I know this book will find its audience and do very well.
dnf 20%
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC to read and review. All opinions are my own.

I’m not going to lie to you, this one had a slow start for me. I wasn’t sure about it. But once I was in (it was only like 10% anyway) I WAS IN. I spent the entirety of my day today crying like a little baby over this book in public. Tessa, you outdid yourself for your debut. I’m recommending this book to every person I meet. What a lovely exploration of your dreams and love and books and forgiveness and grief. There are a lot of heavy topics discussed here and I think they’re done so well.

Slow burn: check
Literacy connections: check
Emotional: check
SUPER slow beginning that made it hard for me to pick up the book: CHECK!
Don't get me wrong; this book was a really nice love story. It was written sweetly and I liked the characters and their development. As I mentioned, the beginning was very, very slow. I found my attention waning quite a few times and felt like I was making myself push through. I'm glad I did! The book began to pick up and the story took flight. I feel like the side plots were well-written and complemented the story nicely. I believe this is Tessa Bickers debut novel, so I cannot wait to see how much she grows as an author! Thank you so much Netgalley for the opportunity. Thank you, Tessa, for a beautiful story.

“The Book Swap" by Tessa Bickers is truly one-of-a-kind. I found it not only entertaining but also a real page-turner, featuring a unique storyline that made me root for each character.

One of the highlights of "The Book Swap" is its exploration of the value of forgiveness. Tessa Bickers delves into how forgiveness can liberate someone from heartache and resentment. The book is filled with powerful lines, and if I were like Erin and James, reading this in physical format, I would have underlined these lines and added my own comments in the margins! One line that stood out to me was when Erin realized she should have listened to her mother's version of events. Even if she still disagreed, her mother deserved to tell her story. Isn't that powerful? Imagine if we all listened to each other's sides during an argument instead of jumping to conclusions based solely on our own truths. So many misunderstandings could be resolved instantly.

Another element that kept me engrossed was, of course, the theme of books and the role of the little free library. It amazed me how a beautiful story could be woven around these small community libraries. It’s a reminder of the treasures these little libraries can hold and how much they can enrich a community.

I also loved the side characters and their real-life representations — Bonnie, Cassie, Georgia, Elliot, Joel, James’ mom and dad, and Erin’s mom. They added depth to the story, and their flaws and complexities made me root for their healing, success, and happy endings.

As for the main characters, Erin and James, I must admit I had mixed feelings. I wasn’t a huge fan of the older Erin and younger James but loved the younger Erin and older James. Confusing, right? You'll understand once you read "The Book Swap." Old Erin was consumed by anger, struggling to function in front of the person she despised, while young James was too weak, using others’ flaws to save himself. Meanwhile, young Erin was good, trusting, and deserving of protection, and old James was remorseful, willing to do anything to earn forgiveness. Erin and James are two flawed characters who discover there’s no easy path to peace, healing, and forgiveness.

Overall, "The Book Swap" is an enjoyable read, perfect for readers who appreciate meaningful dialogue and memorable lines. Mark your calendars for September 3rd, and be sure to add this gem to your TBR pile!

Thank you, Tessa Bickers, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Netgalley, for the early access to read "The Book Swap" in exchange for an honest review.

The book was slightly confusing. Definitely too many elements going on, the FMC is almost surface level and there isn’t much depth to her. The only good thing is that she writes in book margins? She almost is there for fluff and doesn’t need her own sections?
Our MMC is slightly more developed, I enjoyed reading his sections of the book. He’s struggling with multiple things and grows a lot.
Overall…this book was slightly disappointing and I will rate it 2 ⭐️⭐️

As a librarian and an English major, I understand the power of books and like to read about books and libraries. I also like the "Little Free Library"
concept. This book is about second chances, dealing with grief and how books truly can help one in times of crisis. It is heartfelt and poignant. And as a bonus, here is a ready-made introduction to Classic Literature.

How do you not enjoy a book that's about book lovers?

Erin is grieving the loss of her best friend and can't seem to move on to living her best life (a promise she made to her friend). When she loses her favorite book from her friend it lands in the hands of James (courtesy of the free little library). When James finds notes and annotations throughout it gives him an idea to respond in the margins before returning.

A book exchange forms and these two find themselves being more vulnerable with their 'book mate' than anyone close to them. This book is romantic, and a book lovers dream come true.

This book sort of styles itself as a romance, but there’s not a lot of light within. Heavy themes feature in both main characters’ stotylines, and the plot resolution is a long time coming. It’s not a tedious read, though; the main plot driver is a neighborhood little library and its borrowers, and supporting characters lighten some of the load.

I was hooked as soon as I read that this was a "love letter to books" & I have to agree. The dual POV was a great way to get into the characters' minds as they wrote out their notes in the margins of some of the greatest literary classics of all time (as an English major, I LOVED all the references).

The book handled some very big topics (grief, loss, mental health, childhood trauma) but didn't feel "heavy". The idea that a book or even a good teacher can help you through some of life's biggest challenges hits very close to home & I believe gives the book a very relatable feel.

Though it wrapped up a little quickly, I felt like each character was able to grow in the end & process/understand their past trauma & how it shaped the people they became. I will admit that I liked James' character more than Erin's - he had his own set of issues but something about her character just rubbed me the wrong way.

Overall, it was a very interesting concept that has me wanting to donate books to our local little library. A great read for book lovers.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of The Book Swap in exchange for an honest and independent review.

Book lovers beware, The Book Swap is essentially one long dedicated love letter to everything that made readers like us fall head over heels with the art of literature and the stories it weaves through space and time.

As Erin Connolly's life is suddenly thrown off course in a matter of moments, she resolves to use this time as a rare chance at true self discovery. In a moment of clarity (or complete insanity) Erin cleans out her entire bedroom to Marie Kondo her life and remove the clutter in the hopes of finding clarity. As a lover of English literature and novels that have charted their own course through history, Erin has amassed quite the collection of books in her tiny bedroom apartment. In hopes of sparking joy in another to bring the them the love of the written word, Erin goes through her collection and decides to donate the books that no longer spark joy for her to the little community library erected at a nearby park. This very moment will alter the courses of her life forever when she accidently donates her precious copy of To Kill A Mockingbird, which she received from her childhood best friend, who is now deceased. Erin is beside herself knowing that she just gave away the last thing her best friend, Bonnie, ever gave her.

Unbelievably, in only a weeks time, the book suddenly reappears in the little community library filled with not only new notes in the margins, but a new companion book coaxing her into entering into a life changing pen pal relationship that spans the course of several life altering novels. Over the course of reading through these next several novels, Erin and her new correspondence begin to develop a friendship and a relationship that can no longer be contained just within the pages of these books. They both start to slowly reveal themselves to each other and see the world in a way they never thought was possible. What they also never thought was possible was that maybe the person on the other side of the page wasn't just a stranger, but rather a ghost of their past, opening the door to an opportunity to write all their wrongs and move forward together in a new direction.

Can they move past the pain of their shared history or will the damage done be unrepairable when the time finally comes to be face to face with their worst memories?

As a deep lover of literature myself (really, who isn't here if you're on these platforms), I resonated with so many levels of this books. The books referenced are ones I've experienced myself, but the notes in the margins of this story have me seeing them in a whole new light. A beautiful story of love and forgiveness spanning many years and countless tragedies that have formed them into who they are today. A beautiful lesson on being human is to be flawed, but in turn, we learn and grow from those mistakes to bring us to where we are today. A reminder that love is wonderful and painful and scary but can be so worth it when you let it in and realize it just may be worth the risk.

A very well done second chance romance novel that not only centers on the love that exists between two people, but the love we experience with the novels we share and the journey's we take through their pages that can translate over into our own lives.

Sweet, poignant story that book lovers will… love! It makes me wish I still had a little free library at my house.