First off, thank you so much to NetGalley for giving me this arc. This book may not have been my cup of tea, but a book is always loved by someone. ❤️

Erin Connolly, a victim until the very end.

I think this may be my first ever 1 star read. Don’t get me wrong, the author is amazing at what she does. I loved James so so much and I usually would not give a bad review just because I disliked a character but Erin is a different breed.

Everything bad that happens to Erin is somebody else’s fault. She never takes a second to reflect and just immediately wallows in her victimhood. Even so, this book was a good 3 star read for me. That was until this:

“Bonnie had never rejected me before — and she was the one person who I thought never would.” The girl had CANCER and was DYING and you got so butt hurt that she needed a little space, that you abandoned her for MONTHS?

And then James shows up at the hospital and is clearly upset and instead of asking why he’s there, she runs after him and tells him to move his car because her sister is in the hospital. GIRL, PLEASE USE YOUR CONTEXT CLUES! Somebody speeds into a HOSPITAL parking lot, usually that indicates an emergency does it not?!

I wish I could say she had a redemption arc but unfortunately Miss Connolly will always be a victim in her pretty little head. She apologized to everyone she’s ever blamed just for her to turn around and do it again.

In conclusion, if Erin has no haters, it’s because I’m dead.

Thank you for this ARC!

I was initially attracted to this book because it's description mentioned a pen pal potential romance via the margins of a well loved book. The characters are united after one accidently donates one of her favorite books during a clean out. The book finds its ways back to her with new notes and a friendship begins to emerge.

I enjoyed the book, though the cute cover and book description did not clue in very deeply the trauma and grief elements involved. I don't think that detracted from the experience, it was just a bit of a surprise.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing | Graydon House and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy to read and review.

This was not the fluffy, cute rom-com that I was expecting from the cover or the brief description. There were a lot more elements of grief, trauma, bullying, and mental illness than I anticipated. So, I guess a little more life-like?

I was frustrated with the character development at first, but then finally there was some growth. That had more to do with the story than the author’s ability though!

Parts were definitely charming and overall a satisfying read.

This book had such a beautifully sweet and touching storyline. I have always wondered about the notes left in the margins of books and the curious items that I have found used as bookmarks over the years. This book took that idea and added to some the fun, romance, expectation, and subtle longing of letter writing to build a mystery, tension, and the room for the characters to connect through. If you liked the classic movies Little Shop Around the Corner, In the Good Ole Summertime, and You've Got Mail then you love this book because it offers that same sense of connection, ironic humor, and a hidden identities. With that said, I found this book a little slow for me, but again all three of the films I compared this to, they all share that same character development, slow build-ups and burn romance. The author had a great writing style and the weaving in of classic literature gave this a connection to my own reading history that help me throughout the whole read.

Thank you Harlequin Trade Books and NetGalley for the ARC that I read.

I am so honored to be a part of The Hive influencer program and to get this arc. It was such a fun and quick romance read that had me interested in the characters the whole time. I am excited to read more of Tessa's books in the future

Firstly, thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for this ARC. It is a privilege to be able to read books before they hit the shelves- especially as someone with such a small social media following.
To find my review on my platform, you can go to https://www.Instagram.com/bigmama_reads
Or
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6602792202

After quitting her job and doing a thorough declutter, Erin finds she donated her favorite annotated book to a free little library. She soon finds that someone has returned it with notes of their own. Through the margins of books, Erin and her pen pal are brought together. Will romance spark in the pages? You'll have to read to find out!
This book has some heavy themes which should be noted at the beginning incase of triggers.
This book was super cute even though it took a bit for me to get into it. 4.5/5 stars for the pacing but I can't wait to have a physical copy on my shelf.

It was cute, but it just wasn’t for me. I’m not a slow burn romance lover, but there will definitely be people that LOVE this book.

I adored that this book was about characters who loved books! I love reading that kind of trope and when people communicate in ways besides face to face. Although I did like the book, there were parts that were a bit slow for me. I did appreciate the grief and mental health representation. It is relatable and tugged at my heart strings. Parts of the book made me choked up. Overall, this was a good book.

"The Book Swap" is an absolute gem for all you book lovers out there! Erin Connolly, still trying to find her way after a tough time, accidentally donates her annotated copy of "To Kill a Mockingbird." Total nightmare, right? But then it reappears with fresh notes and a mysterious invite tucked in "Great Expectations." Cue an epic pen pal romance that unfolds in the margins of classic novels. As Erin and her Mystery Man bond over their favorite books, they dig deep into their pasts and face some serious feels. It's cozy, emotional, and packed with literary love—perfect for anyone who adores a good story and the magic of books. 📚❤️

I loved this book! This is the kind of romance I don't feel weird recommending to my mother, or reading where someone could look over my shoulder.

My outward facing review is here (GR: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6487762796). I tagged this one as: would-read-again, and great-covers.

The actual grammatical English is perfect and I appreciate it. No copyedit notes or confusion regarding the mechanics of the writing itself.

My only note/request to the publisher is to put the book in the e-reader format next time, please, as opposed to PDF? That way we can read in night node, adjusting formatting, etc.

Can't wait to read more from Tessa Bickers.

Thanks for the ARC!

ARC Review:

When I applied for The Book Swap, I was going into it thinking it would be a simple romance novel, but I was so wrong. Not only is it a romance but it also touches on subjects like grief, bullying, and mental health. We follow Erin and her journey of self-discovery and her struggle to overcome her grief. When the death of her best friend tilts her world off its axis, she finds herself bumping into their old best friend James. As Erin goes through the struggle of starting from scratch after quitting her toxic workplace, she finds comfort in a "stranger" by passing notes through books in her local library. Only her stranger is from her past... While James is at a loss after losing both his best friends, he finds himself taking comfort in writing to his mystery person. As words are swaps between pages of a book, Erin and James work their way back to each other and figure out how to heal their broken hearts.
This was a well told story of how we can find acceptance and love with a complete stranger or your best friends.
Thank you so much Netgally and Harlequin Publishing for my arc of The Book Swap!

An annotated book left in a community library—like a Little Free Library—leads two people stuck in limbo to connect through the pages. The margin notes become questions, and soon the two are having full conversations nestled among the passages of literary classics.

When their identities are revealed and they discover their shared past, will they be able to reconnect or will their blossoming relationship be confined to the notes in the novels they’ve already traded?

In turns heartwarming and heartbreaking, The Book Swap put me in my feels and put the characters through the emotional wringer along the way. Thankfully, this one has a happy ending for the couple that made me feel cozy and like I was wrapped in a warm hug.

I received an advance copy from Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

TW: grief, death of a friend by cancer, manic depressive swings (secondary character), bullying, abusive language, cheating (secondary characters), divorce (parents)

I was given an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I am a sucker for flawed characters that actually show growth by the end of the story and Tessa delivers that in her debut novel. The Book Swap tells a story of grief, love, forgiveness, and self growth all wrapped up in this sweet and quick read. I love how the clever usage of annotation and classic literature adds a unique flare to the book. I found myself just as eager as the characters were for them to swap books and see what the other had written, and I sped through reading this! The Book Swap is available for pre-order now and releases on September 3rd, 2024.

I could not love this book more! This book had my laughing and sobbing. The ending was perfection! If a book can make me cry, it will get high rating. The characters were great. The story was great. I cannot wait to be able to have a physical copy of “The Book Swap” for my shelves!

First, thank you to NetGalley and Harlequinn Trade Publishing for the ARC copy of this book.

This was not what I anticipated. At all. But in the best possible way. Our two leads, Erin and James, deal with the loss of a best friend to cancer, mental illness in their family, infidelity, bullying, and jobs that make them miserable.

James and Erin connect as teenagers when Erin and Bonnie defend James from the torment of bullies at school. After several years, James betrays Erin’s trust (even though he is madly in love with her) and Erin and Bonnie make a pact to hate him forever.

When Erin leaves some old books in her local free little library, she begins passing notes and swapping books with a stranger. And they begin falling in love.

Erin is very flawed. She has some super selfish tendencies, but she has a lot of trauma and anger from losing Bonnie to cancer. As someone who just lost their father and experienced those last few days of hospice and who has a best friend currently battling, this hit me hard. Tears were shed. We have to learn, sometimes the hard way, that we have enough room in our hearts for love and grief and anger all at once. We have room in our hearts to love someone else while still grieving loss and processing anger. Tessa Bickers does such a stunning job of showing how 2 people process loss and anger and resentment and pain differently, but also in a way that brings them back together. This is not a lighthearted book. It has some really heavy themes with moments of lightness spread within. But it still tells a beautiful story that touches the heart.

4/5
This book took a few chapters before I got hooked. But the story was so moving. It's about finding yourself and recognizing that the mistakes you made in the past don't define your future. It's about being there for your friends and knowing that other people's problems aren't your fault. I would recommend not reading this book if you are going through a tough time in your life, as there is a lot of soul searching and sadness throughout. The ending was very beautiful.

This one gets a 4 star rating from me (1 star docked for pacing, it was kind of slow and dragged on in some parts) but I had a good time reading this.
I loved the premise of this story with the little free library acting as the connector between the fmc and the mmc. It's super relevant and I think that this is a meet-cute that many of us wish could happen to us in real life!
For a standalone book it was definitely a bit more slow-burn than I would like, but once it burned I enjoyed the romance aspect of the book much more!
This was an easy to read albeit kind of slow book, and I would definitely recommend it to my friends.

This book was a surprising highlight of my year so far! I was swept up in all the emotions Erin was facing from the first page. This was more than just a typical rom-com, and I found myself delving into themes of grief and the human experience. It was a heartwarming read overall. I loved the inclusion of annotated books as a means of communication between the two characters. It was rewarding to see their dynamic unfold in such an authentic way. The easter eggs to beloved classics was a nice touch as well. My only issue with this book was the ending. I felt as if there needed to be more closure to the story beyond just a happy ending for Erin and James, which is why I gave this book four stars.

3.5 stars!
While I enjoyed this book, I was not expecting the amount of tragedy and serious topics this book would address. I wish the premise was worded in a way that would prepare people for a deeper read. (The cover is also a bit deceiving)
As for the actual story, I did enjoy our characters and I thought they were all fleshed out quite well.
I would recommend but just with a warning!

I tried, but just could not get into the book. It was sadly a DNF. The writing is not great and the plot is slow. I am going to give the book another try when it is published and available as an ebook from my local library.