I love books about books. I will admit to not being a margin writer, but I can understand the urge. The idea of connecting with someone through the margins of books in a little free library is undeniably romantic. However, there is so much more to this story which really is about trauma and grief. It is better to not give it all away.

I highly recommend this read but make sure you have a box of tissues handy if grief can bring up your emotions.

Thank you to NetGalley, Graydon House, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the eARC!

The Book Swap by Tessa Bickers is a story of love, loss, and forgiveness. We follow Erin and James from adolescence to adulthood as they experience heartache and bullying and the death of their best friend. As adults, they start to heal and forgive and find their way back to each other in the most unexpected yet appropriate way.
Thank you, NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, for an ARC copy of The Book Swap by Tessa Bickers in exchange for an honest review. I loved the idea of meeting someone through notes in the margin of a book.

In this captivating novel, Erin Connolly, a woman grappling with a tragic loss, embarks on an extraordinary journey of healing and self-discovery through an unexpected literary exchange. After accidentally donating her cherished annotated copy of 'To Kill a Mockingbird,' Erin is devastated to discover it missing. However, a week later, the book miraculously reappears at the local library, bearing mysterious notes in the margins. Intrigued, she finds an invitation in a copy of 'Great Expectations' to meet her newfound pen pal. As Erin and her 'Mystery Man' continue their book swap, they engage in profound conversations, sharing their innermost thoughts and feelings. Their connection deepens with each exchanged novel, leading to an unexpected friendship and the possibility of something more. However, fate has a twist in store. Erin and her pen pal share a hidden past that neither of them has anticipated. Faced with painful memories and the person she vowed to forgive, Erin grapples with difficult choices.
Bickers skillfully weaves a captivating story that explores themes of grief, forgiveness, and the transformative power of human connection. The use of classic literature as a medium for communication adds depth and nuance to the characters' interactions. The characters are complex and relatable. Erin's journey of healing is both heartbreaking and inspiring, while her pen pal remains an enigmatic figure until the very end. The supporting cast is equally well-developed, adding richness to the narrative. Overall, this is a beautifully crafted novel that celebrates the power of literature and the transformative nature of human connection. It is a poignant and thought-provoking read that will stay with you long after you finish the last page.

Wow, this book really snuck up on me 🥲

Premise: still heavy with grief from losing her best friend to cancer, Erin makes a spontaneous decision to quit her job of seven years and get rid of anything that doesn’t “spark joy”. Including accidentally giving away her favorite book - a heavily annotated copy of To Kill a Mockingbird containing a precious memento she cannot live without - to a local little free library. But a week later, the book turns back up with fresh notes in the margins along with an invitation, “Meet me in Great Expectations?”

Life-altering conversations, written only in the margins of beloved classic books, pass 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 have 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.

I was not expecting this book to be so heavy…but it was heavy in such a great way. The tangled relationships between past and present and finding out a way to move on to the future were so uplifting. Each character had such growth throughout the book. I loved the whole idea of the “book swap”. And falling in love through books was just all together swoony, and what every girl dreams of, am I right?

I’m giving it 4 stars and not 5 only because there were certain parts that did drag or felt slow for me.

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

TW: this book really touches on bipolar disorder and cancer and the way it effects those around you.

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I could not get into this book. I found the plot hard to follow and the characters were not relatable. Then add on the heavy content dealing with mental health and a toxic workplace. It tried to do too much and wasn’t overly successful.

This book covers a lot of topics: bullying, trauma, terminal illness, death, toxic workplaces etc. I really wanted to like this book but had a hard time especially because I didn’t relate to any characters.

I got this book to review so thank you NetGalley for the kindness! As far as the book goes I just couldn’t get into it. Wasn’t a fan of the story line and it wasn’t what I expected. I thought this was more of a rom com but that’s not what it really turned out to be, it talked more about heavy contents such as mental health and toxic work environments. The story was also kinda hard to follow. I tried so hard to push through and read it but ended up giving up and DNFd it. I think it should be moved from a romcom to another genre. It’s just bad and a struggle to get through.

If you like meandering British romance novels (think: The Flatshare) this is very much in this tradition and lovely. I kind of wish we could have had more fleshing out of what makes Erin great (there's sometimes so much lying to herself or refusing to think about things that I as a reader couldn't tell what was going on), but I loved the story and exchange of books, and I liked the characters, and I really felt like this was a whole world that could exist and I would like to visit.

I received a free ARC copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5

I really wanted to love this book I thought the concept was so cute.

There are some heavy trigger warnings (cancer, bi polar disease and depression). These didn’t take away from the book and I thought the author handled them very well.

The book was a very slow burn and I honestly didnt love the Erin (fmc). I also felt there the flashbacks were a bit confusing.

Rating: 4⭐️

I would say that overall I enjoyed reading this book, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys literary fiction with a strong sub plot of romance. The reason that I would categorize this book as literary fiction, because the plot of book mainly focuses on the personal growth of the female main character and the male main character. This book features dual POV, which initially confused me at first but it was overall beneficial to the story line. I was satisfied with the ending; however, one of the most frustrating thing was the main misunderstanding. The book was well paced; however, once the misunderstanding was cleared up the plot sped up too quickly.

An absolutely adorable book by debut author Tessa Bickers! I found this to be a much "deeper" book than anticipated as it delved into dealing with grief and loss, bullying, mental health, youth, communication and misunderstandings, and a myriad of family dynamics issues all in a very well-written style that keeps the reader engaged.

Erin/Margin Girl and James/Mystery Man accidentally begin a "book swap" at a freestanding little library in created to honor/memorialize of Eileen. Although Eileen is dead before the story starts and the reader knows little of her, Eileen and her library are prominent pieces of this book. Over the course of about a year, Bickers tells the story of Erin and James from each of their viewpoints as these two book lovers share their deepest thoughts and secrets through a correspondence carried out in the margins of classic novels.

While the book is classified as a romance, it is definitely NOT your run of the mill romance novel - it's so much better than that and a truly refreshing read! I'm hoping Tessa Bickers and Harper Collins Publishers have plans for a sequel about Cassie and Joel.

"The Book Swap" by Tessa Bickers offers a sweet, slow-burn romance that follows the journey of Erin and James, two high school friends who reconnect through shared books filled with notes in the margins. As they communicate through these annotations, they embark on separate paths of self-discovery, reminiscent of the disconnect and lack of communication seen in Marianne and Connell from "Normal People" by Sally Rooney. With its cute and quick pacing, "The Book Swap" is recommended for those seeking a heartwarming yet contemplative read.

3.5 stars rounded up because we love lifting up debut novelists.

The set up was charming. These characters teemed with reality, hardship, and complex relationships. As Tessa Bickers referenced works by renowned authors, beloved by our MCs, she wove her own sort of poetry into the MCs’ commentary.

The trope was cute. The conflict was a bit annoying as it emphasized our female MC’s immaturity, which made me like her less.

I read this as an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It took me awhile to get into this book, lots of buildup, but I’m glad I stuck it out because it was a sweet ending. It was a good debut book with lots of nuances and character development.

Thank You To NetGalley, Tessa Bickers, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for granting me access to an e-Arc of this book in exchange for a honest review.

Erin-our FMC-deals with the grief of losing her best friend and quitting her job. Erin decides to donate old books to a little community library. Days later she realizes that she accidentally put her favorite copy of “To Kill a Mockingbird”, with a card that the friend she lost gave her as her last gift. When she goes back to get it, it is gone. Days later she passes the community library again and inside is her book and the card, but that isn’t everything. The margins of her book have little notes from the person who borrowed it from the community library.

James-our MMC- lives in London but comes home to care for his mother who needs constant supervision during her “manic” spells. James was bullied all through school, and he lost the two people who were there for him, Erin and her friend Bonnie. Years later James starts questioning what’s important in life..money or passion. One day as he was walking by the community library he decides to pick up a book “To Kill A Mockingbird”.

We follow the story of Erin and James relationship and how it builds through the notes left in the margins of books. However, will their love for books and their relationship outlast the history and past they have, once they realize who they are writing to. I enjoyed reading this book! Any book about books is a win for me! Cute and Cozy!

I was so thankful to be provided an ARC copy of this book and it was just perfect.

This book follows the FMC Erin and the MMC James on their journey of dealing with the obstacles life throws while still trying their best to find love. Erin and James were best friends in highschool until they weren’t.

Erin is dealing with the death of her best friend Bonnie, abandonment issues with her mom, and starting to realize she does forgive and forget, she holds grudges and doesn’t see the other persons POV.

James has been bullied is whole life, his mom blames him for being bi-polar, and he never followed his dreams or the girl he loved.

Follow their love story and see how it truly feels to try and overcome grief, death, and past trauma but to in the end find the person who only ever wanted you.

Book lovers and readers, this one is a love letter to you. Erin and James have always connected over reading but after a falling out in their late teens, they lost touch. Of course it makes sense that a book in a little free library brings them back together. As light-hearted as the premise seems, both Erin and James are dealing with the weight of life and struggles of mental health and past trauma.

Their first book is To Kill a Mockingbird, which is a great book, but they specially discuss a love for Atticus Finch, whose character changes dramatically in the second novel, and yet there is no mention of that. For such bookish characters, this feels like an oversight.

I adore a good epistolatory romance, and this was a good twist on the trope. The idea of connecting with someone through their annotations is so clever - an amazing way to cut straight past awkwardness and social niceties to the core of who someone is.

This is labeled as both Women’s Fiction and Romance, and I feel it pretty well straddles that line. Much of the plot focuses on James and Erin’s traumas, with each of them receiving their own, well-defined plot arcs. Their shared past and notes help to weave the whole story together in a well that feels well-paced and cohesive.

This is an extremely slow, slow burn, so if that’s not your thing, fair warning. I think a slow-burn romance, when done well, can be extremely satisfying, as is the case with this book.

I really enjoyed this one, might even revisit it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for the advanced reader copy of this book, provided in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

The Book Swap by Tessa Bickers

This book takes the reader through Erin’s journey with grief, loss and explores self-discovery and healing. A charming second chance story following the lives of two high school friends who experienced not only the loss of their best friend, but the loss of their shared love for one another.

Erin accidentally left a copy of her book in a little free library. Upon retrieving it, she noticed that another person added notes in response to hers. Who will she meet in the margins?

I enjoyed this one and always love a happy ending!

*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.8 ⭐️
Overall I really enjoyed reading this book!! The bookish vibes were everything. It did take me a little bit to get into it but I became very invested in the story as it went on. I absolutely love the concept of this book - I adore little free libraries so the idea of two people connecting through one really intrigued me. This book had me so much more emotional than I thought it would (I cried 3 times lol) and had me on my toes, especially in the last 20% of it. I genuinely didn’t know how the book was going to end! I do think that there were quite a lot of moving parts to this story, side characters and their stories, and sometimes it got a little overwhelming for me. And I wish that things happened a little quicker than how they played out, but it also felt very real. There were a lot of heavy topics in this book that I wasn’t expecting going into it, so search the content warnings before reading 🫶🏻 I loved the development of Erin and James and how much growth and healing they had individually and together. This is a story about grief, love, mental health, growth, and acceptance. I think Tessa’s debut novel was good and I really look forward to reading more of her work in the future!
Thank you Netgalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Tessa Bickers for allowing me to read my (first!!!) ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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