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.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a review.

The premise of this book held a lot of possibility. And I was really hopeful, because I am a huge fan of little free libraries (I have one in my frontyard) and a well loved copy of my favorite book, To Kill a Mockingbird, sets the story in motion. The plotline was clever. But it was a struggle to finish this one. The flow of the book was choppy, at best. It felt like significant points of the story were addressed with a few words, and then pages were spent on insignificant parts. There were so many subplots with the supporting characters that it felt like there wasn't time to really dig into any of it. They were all very interesting side characters, but it was too much going on that then had to wrapped up in a hurry.

“Sometimes redemption isn’t just about saying sorry, it’s about how you recover from the mistakes you make. Bettering yourself is the best kind of apology you can make.” @tessabickerswrites

James and Erin were besties growing up… until one day they weren’t. Since their late teenage years they haven’t seen each other… until one day they do.

Erin is struggling in all the ways. She’s mourning her best friend, harbors severe abandonment issues, has not repaired her relationship with her mom, hates her job, and is barely making ends meet.

James has a job that’s engaging but not his passion, he splits his time between London and home to help his father with his mom who is bipolar, he’s missing his brother in NYC, and is carrying a lifetime of bullies and one bad decision on his back every day.

Neither of them know that they’ve stumbled upon the same lending library in London. By chance, James reads an adored book of Erin’s with notes in the margins. In the best “You’ve Got Mail” way, they begin a friendship within those margins that ignites their desire to dream once again.

This book has a strong mental health focus with a welcomed dose of two male friends realizing that true connection is asking the hard stuff and the “typical male friendship” doesn’t always allow one another to share the hard things. @ explores friendships, bonds between siblings, bonds between parents, and grief of all kinds while she gently reminds us that despite the struggle, by taking one step at a time, day by day, you just may walk right into your dreams bathed in sunshine.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I adored this book and I’m so happy I read it now instead of last year before its pub date. The humor and individual growth of each character was just what I needed today. I can’t wait to read everything she writes. I’m in my “late-but-getting-there” era and so thankful to @netgalley and @harlequinbooks for this #advancedreaderscopy pub date was 9/3/24

#2025bookchallengebook3of100
#thebookswap
#netgalley

I really enjoyed The Book Swap! It’s such a love letter to books and how they can connect people. Erin’s story of healing after loss felt real and heartfelt, and the pen pal twist kept me hooked. I loved the literary references and the notes in the margins—such a cool way to build their connection.

It’s definitely more emotional than the cover suggests, but that just made it even better for me. A beautiful, moving story about second chances and finding your way back to life.

Thanks to NetGalley and Graydon House for the chance to read this one!

Tessa Bickers’ novel “The Book Swap” was a large undertaking of a story, with many layers and timelines to connect and Bickers did it well. This is a story about grief and connection that centers around two main characters but also brings in their family members and friends from all stages of their lives to play parts in the narrative. This story felt nuanced and mirrored the jaggedness of real tricky relationships. There is a heavy focus on the main character’s best friend who has died and the very serious psychiatric conditions of the other main character’s mother. Both of these characters are important to the story but are both complicated and at times hard to read about. I appreciated the way Bickers brought the many characters’ stories to a close but I wish I got to see more of the two main characters in the next phase of their lives.

Really was expecting a cute romcom from the cover and description, but this book covers much deeper topics and is more serious than anything. The characters were well-developed, the story is interesting, but the cover does NOT match the actual story. Thank you to NetGalley, Tessa Bickers, and Graydon House for the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

A tender story about healing and connection, where two people fall in love through shared notes in classic novels. With nine beloved books weaving through the narrative, this charming romance celebrates how literature can mend hearts and bring people together in unexpected ways.

📚Jenny’s Review☕️

Genre: Romance/RomCom
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Erin Connelly experiences a personally tragedy and struggles to regain her footing after. One day, she reaches her limit at work and basically blows up her life. In the midst of this, she donates a bunch of books to a little sidewalk library. Unfortunately, she unknowingly includes her heavily annotated copy of To Kill A Mockingbird. This begins a back and forth annotation romance between her and “Mystery Man.”

I loved the concept of this book and the cameos from some classic literature. I was torn at the end of my overall feelings because I didn’t love it as much as I thought it would. Here’s why:

👍🏻:
-Love story pen pal style in the margins of books
-Palette cleanser romance read
-Mental health representation
-Adult style coming of age in terms of finding your calling

👎🏻:
-Plot felt a bit chaotic at times
-Erin’s deep rooted hatred of James since high school. She has held onto this plus multiple grudges for YEARS and still acts like a teenager about them imo. Her character seems very immature for her age. She was hard to root for.
-Along those same lines, when you find out what he did in high school and how it unfolded, her hatred for him seems even more unnecessary.
-James’ never faltering love for Erin even after everything that happened and how she still acts towards him.
-Lack of communication between characters

This debut novel tackled many layers of interpersonal and family struggles. I felt the slow burn between the characters was a bit too slow for me, so I would say this felt more of a story about the personal growth of the two characters. I enjoyed the books in the book.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing & Graydon House, and NetGally for this ARC.