It’s giving modern day “you’ve got mail” in every book readers dream. I enjoyed this book despite struggling to get into it initially but then quickly devoured it

I wish I had a physical copy of this book to highlight and annotate. It has been a long, long time since I’ve read a fictional story that has made me feel so many things at once, had so many moments of reflection, touched so many parts of my heart. There aren’t enough words to explain how much I loved this story. It left me inspired to write and chase after my dreams. It made me cry several times. It was more than I expected, and everything I needed it to be. I will DEFINITELY buy a physical copy and read this book again.

A beautiful, heartwarming and heartbreaking story. Loved all of the book references. Lots of wisdom on the meaning of life and what’s truly important. Sad I finished it so quickly!

Many thanks to NetGalley, for granting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I really wish I could give this a higher rating! There was just a lot of content in this that I usually try to avoid. But if you look past that, I LOVED this book so much! It reminded me of one of my favorite novels of all time, Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer.

Both Erin and James and going through grief and other hardships, but they are able to bond and communicate through books at a little local library. Though they have no idea who the other’s identity is! This makes things interesting, because Erin despises James in real life. I absolutely loved this concept, and how both of the characters were bookworms! This book covered heavy topics, and a lot of tears were shed, but it also made me smile. I will definitely read more from Tessa Bickers, if she ever writes another book.

THE BOOK SWAP by Tessa Bickers is a moving, heartfelt, ode to friendship, love lost and found, and of course, the power of stories. I really enjoyed this book! Quite a lot of territory is covered in this story including many forms of illness, pursuit of ones calling, building and sustaining friendships and the search for love. Bickers navigates some heavy territory with gravitas. This is a must read for lovers of literature.

And finally, as if my TBR wasn't long enough, now because of Mia Page I have to add Middlemarch and Great Expectations to my list. I would not be exaggerating when I say that the analysis of some of these literary titans would be useful for English teachers and professors to reference in their teaching of these works!

This is the perfect type of new release for our store to bring in because of all the references to the classics, which we carry by the armload as a used bookstore!

This book truly surprised me! I was expecting a cute romcom novel, but what I got was heartfelt novel that felt genuine between two people who are dealing with their own battles in life trying to navigate their futures.

The book starts off with our female main character Erin who is dealing with grief accidentally giving away a copy of her favorite book “To Kill A Mockingbird” that is heavily annotated to a little library near her house, which leads to our second main character James who is also dealing with his own struggles of grief and hardships comes in and takes the book noticing that it’s heavily annotated and decides to add his own notes to the margin, hoping that the owner of the book will see it. Before he returns the book he asks Erin to meet him in the pages of “Great Expectations”…

This leads to a whole journey of them essentially being penpals throughout the pages of these classical novels, which was really fun to see and along the way you see how much of an influence they have on each other and just how much they really needed this little gift from the universe to help them heal.

The best part about this book was that the two main characters actually have a history with each other and throughout the book you find out how they know each other and what happened between them that has led to who they are in present day. I wouldn’t say the novel is heavy on romance because it is truly a slow, slow, slowwwww burn but when you finally do get the connection between the two main characters, it felt very sweet and very deserved. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I thought the ending was perfect. 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trading Co for an ARC in exchange for my review

Publication date: September, 3rd, 2024

Thank you for this ARC! Overall, I love the premise of this book. I felt the description of many things were very accurate and painted a great picture for the reader. For example, the author did a great job at really conveying toxic workplaces! I really had a hard time connecting with the characters though, and that made the book a difficult one to get through.

I actually really loved this book. I thought it was just going to be a cute rom-com that I would breeze through, but I took my time and felt all the feelings this book delivers.

We are following Erin as she processes grief, guilt, shame, failure, abandonment. Most revolve around the death of her best friend Bonnie. You can see her many coping mechanisms for each feeling. She can be a bit self absorbed at times, which I’m glad she gets called out for, but when we are going through hard times it’s very easy to happen.

James is going through his own stuff at the same time with an unfulfilled career, trauma from past bullying, and a mother with mental illness who blames him for every bad thing that could happen.

What starts as a mistake turns into such a cute storyline. While purging her room, Erin accidentally donates her favorite book, with something sentimental inside, to a little free library. This book had been written in as she used it for school. The book is taken but then returned with notes written back and an invitation to read another book that he has read and taken notes in. This goes back & forth over many books, and a relationship of sorts begins to bloom.

When James finally finds out that the mystery woman is in fact Erin we find learn about their past together. They were best friends, who secretly loved each other, along with Bonnie. During one of his times of torment from school bullies, in order to get away, James says something that ends up ruining Erin’s life and she never forgives him. He on the other hand has never stopped loving her. When she finds out her mystery man is also James, she adds more reasons to hate him. So much more happens but this review can only be so long.

This book follows the two of them as they grow in their careers, life, and in their relationship with their families. I loved watching them move past their hurts and really learn what love is. Only then could the time be right for them.

I loved all the other characters as well and would love to see spin off books about them, especially Cassie & Joel.

*Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, Grayson House Publishing, and Tessa Bickers for the advance copy. What a great debut novel!

I got teary-eyed a few times, which truly means a lot. This book was beautiful! There were so many moments where I laughed, but also moments where I cried. Deep meanings within this book about grief, a loved one having depression, loss of friends, changing careers, and just truly finding out what you want to do in your life to make yourself happy.... but also learning to forgive. It's such a beautiful story and so well written. I was truly invested in all of the characters' lives and how they were woven together so neatly. I will absolutely be checking to see if this author has more books as I plan to devour all of them now! Perfect, deeply moving, and a beautiful ending to wrap it all up!

I received this from NetGalley and Graydon House to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙎𝙬𝙖𝙥 𝙗𝙮 𝙏𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙖 𝘽𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙖 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠. 𝙄𝙩 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙖𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠/ 𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙛, 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙪𝙢𝙖. 𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙀𝙧𝙞𝙣 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙅𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙚𝙣𝙟𝙤𝙮𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙥𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙄 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙗𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙛𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙡𝙚, 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙜𝙤𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧.

Two old friends that no longer speak, stop at the same free little library to browse. What they don’t expect is to find themselves exchanging books with each other without their knowledge. Thru their love of classic literature, Erin and James get closer and closer. But the past has a way of getting in the way. Can they learn to forgive and come to an understanding?
I’m giving it a 4/5 ⭐️ 🫶🏼

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 @harlequinbooks , @netgalley 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙚-𝙖𝙧𝙘. 𝙄𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙎𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧 3, 2024 🤍✨

I loved The Book Swap (TBS) BUT I don't consider this a romance. The blurb and cover are a bit misleading. I was expecting a rom-com but got sucker punched with really heavy topics. I really think this should be marketed as a general fiction work with a bit of romance. TBS focused more on coping with grief and past traumas much more than love. And that's what I avoid in my reads. I have enough trauma in the real world and I almost didn't finish it because it hit a little too close to home.

I am rounding up as a 4 because it was a good read overall; it just didn't belong in the rom-com genre as most would expect.

📖 I really enjoyed this story! I appreciated the character development through their trauma and grief. By the end, I was really rooting for James and Erin.

As a book lover, I loved how the relationship they built in the margins of books. I thought it was a super romantic and creative take on a romance story. I’m glad I picked it up!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trading Co for an ARC in exchange for my review.

3,5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book didn't feel like your typical romance. Despite abiding to the genre's structure, it definitely strays into character study territory instead. If you like Mhairi McFalarne's work, you might find this one a very good book. But if you prefer cheesier, easy to read romances, I don't think this will be for you.

As mentioned above, this book focuses very strongly on the character developments of our Macs, Erin and James. This is a second-chance romance between two people who were very close during their school years until a crucial event led to their never talking again. They were not "together" per se, but their relationship had been marked by severe yearning on both parts.

Years have passed and both Erin and James are coming to terms with the fact that they are not leading fulfilling professional lives, while struggling through painful grieving over a dead best friend (Erin), and caretaking for a mother with bipolar disorder (James). Then, they find each other through the margins of books they start exchanging at a local little community library and romances starts to bloom again.

This book is not for the faint of heart and could be triggering for some (leaving tw below), but the romance's premisse felt very fresh and original. Books about books are always comforting. I recommend it to people who want to explore the romance genre but who also want more out of it.

tw: bullying, grief, cancer, bipolar disorder

This review has been published on GoodReads on May 20, 2024. The link is: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6512100890

Both of our main characters begin trading secrets and thoughts in the margins of books they exchange in the free little library. We learn that they have met and used to be friends before a falling out. Throughout the story we learn about the trials and tribulations each has faced since their childhood and into adulthood as well as what transpired all those years ago. Our characters are flawed and relatable and I love them and my heart ached for them.

I really enjoyed this story. I didn’t expect it to be as emotional/dark as it was but that only made me enjoy it more. Using literature as a way for our main characters to heal their minds and their hearts was beautiful. We are dealing with some tough topics and I feel like their were handled with the care they deserve.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tessa Bickers and Harlequin Trade Publishing for granting me access to an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. When I requested this ARC I was under in the impression this would be a light, easy romance story. I was pleasantly surprised that it is so much more. This book had many weighty themes: bullying, grief, trauma, self-discovery as well as the slow burn romance between our main characters. Erin and James our two main characters are victims of the past who haven't healed. They rediscover one another through notes in the books that they leave at a little library. Through the sharing of books, they both are able to let down their guard and become the people they were always meant to be.

I enjoyed reading the story of each character and witnessing the growth that each had in this book. At times I felt the book moved a little slowly but overall I think it was a solid debut novel. I also loved the nods to many of the classics and enjoyed the book banter between the two main characters. Also, the supporting characters were fantastic, especially Cassie and Georgia. The author did a fantastic job of developing each and every character and made the reader care about each one.

Still reeling from a recent tragedy, Erin Connolly knows she needs to start living, but has no idea how. When she accidentally donates her favorite book—a heavily annotated copy of To Kill a Mockingbird containing a memento she can’t be without—to a local little community library, she’s devastated. But then the book turns up a week later, back in the library with fresh notes in the margins, along with an invitation in a copy of Great Expectations to meet her newfound pen pal. A life-changing conversation, written only in the margins of beloved classic books, begins between Erin and her Mystery Man.

Following each other through the pages of their favorite novels as the book exchange continues, they both begin to open up, falling into a friendship…and maybe something more. But Erin and her pen pal have a shared history that neither of them has guessed. Faced with painful reminders of the past—and the one person she swore never to forgive—Erin finds herself at a crossroads. One that could change her life forever.

Diving into some pretty heavy themes of loss and grief, this book ultimately ends up with forgiveness, love, and happiness. It was a little slower at the beginning, but this was totally up my alley. I love books, I love the idea of sharing books and ideas through conversation. I really enjoyed this a lot, but beware that this is NOT a light read. It's definitely not for everyone, but it is well-written with wonderful characters and deep conversations about real life.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

2 / 5 ⭐️
This was unfortunately not for me. I dont really think this should be classified as a Romance Novel. I was excited about it because of the premise but I felt like DNF it a few times.

This book had me feeling all the feelings. I thought it was going to be just a cute romance book but it was so much more than that.
With references to great books and some gut punching quotes. This book could connect with anyone.
It’s about following your dreams. Doing what makes you happy. And to not always judge a book by its cover.
I loved it and would highly recommend this to anyone.
Thank you for the opportunity for such a great read!

The Book Swap has a compelling premise of two people anonymously exchanging books at a little free library and leaving comments for each other in the margins, akin to a one-on-one book club. While this initially suggests a cute romance, the story delves much deeper, exploring themes of grief, loss, bullying and parental trauma. This depth gives it a more significant coming-of-age feel rather than a simple romance.

Erin, disillusioned with her job, finds solace in a mystery book exchange after discovering her cherished copy of To Kill a Mockingbird is missing and left in a little free library. She discovers notes from a stranger, leading her to engage in a literary exchange with James, who finds inspiration and connection through this anonymous interaction. Their journey, while heavier than anticipated, is interspersed with moments of humor and warmth, making for a well-rounded, quick, engaging read.

The narrative’s epistolary style, the concept of the little free library and the intricate dynamics of friends-to-enemies-to-lovers, along with the flashbacks and near misses, kept me thoroughly engaged. Despite the heavy themes, the characters' wins felt well-earned and satisfying. However, the resolution seemed a bit too optimistic and fast-paced given the characters' struggles.

Overall, The Book Swap wrapped me up in a literary hug, and I look forward to reading more from this debut author. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for providing an ARC for review. All thoughts are my own.

The Book Swap by Tessa Bickers Erin and James were best friends in school until Erin thinks James did something unforgiveable. 15 years later they are both struggling to find happiness in London, still processing their pasts, when they find solace in books from a local book swap library. They begin a greedy exchange of books and ideas, never knowing they are corresponding with the other.

I was excited to read this debut when they were comparing it to a Beth O'Leary book The Flatshare, but I think its depth has more in common with The No-Show. It also has traces of Meet Me in the Margins by Nelissa Fergeuson. I enjoyed both of these books and love The Book Swap!

There is such depth to this novel, which at first glance, could've been a run of the mill romance. I've certainly read other You've Got Mail type books that were shallow but fun. The Book Swap explores mental health and grief in realistic and profound ways. James and Erin are both stuck in patterns that keep their lives safe, comfortable, and small. From the start you are rooting for them to grow and find their path (which quickly becomes their path back to each other.) This book captures adolescence with its drama and aching and then does the same for your late twenties, when you are deciding what kind of adult you want to be (or if you even feel like an adult at all.) This book made me feel so much; I laughed, smiled, was on the edge of my chair, and cried.

The supporting characters in this book were amazing! Bonnie, Cassie, Elliott, Georgia, and Joel, I can't choose who I love more! And don't get me started on James' dad being a one hit wonder... brilliant! Also the use of novels within this book from The Perks of Being a Wallflower to Mansfield Park and even Rachel's Holiday, helped set the scene and crystallize the characters. I can't believe this is a debut novel. A definite must-read. Can't wait to see what's next from Bickers! 4.5 stars Thanks to Net Galley, Harlequin, and Grayden House for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.