Books about books may actually be my favorite genre. The Book Swap is a contemporary romance novel with with the exchanging of books and annotations as a major plot device.

Erin, grieving the loss of her best friend, accidentally puts her prized copy of "To Kill a Mockingbird" in a Little Free Library. So begins a pseudo-text message conversation between Erin and James via annotations in the margins of novels. (I loved the references to classic literature throughout the story, it made the former Literature student in me giddy.)

The cover and blurb of the book had me ready to jump into a cozy, light read rom-com between book lovers. Unfortunately, that wasn't quite what happened. The Book Swap dives into some pretty deep themes of loss, grief, trauma, and terminal illnesses. The romance is a *very* slow burn and wasn't as much of a focal point in the story as I had expected. In fact, I wish there was an epilogue to let us know how things were going with Erin and James, but that was not provided.

Because of my expectations of how the story would play out, I wasn't mentally prepared for the emotions that this book brought up. I worry this may be the case for other readers who are expecting a rom-com based off the cover and blurb. I don't often read contemporary literary fiction because of the 'too real' aspect of the storyline. I know many people love that vibe, and I think those are the people who would really enjoy this novel!

Thank you to NetGalley & Harlequin for allowing me to read and review this arc of The Book Swap!

"Sometimes people are going through something you can't relate to, and you just have to show up."

The Book Swap is a beautiful book about two estranged friends unknowingly reconnecting in the margins of classic literature found in a little free library. It is also a deeply important reminder that everyone has difficulties in life that you may have no idea about. This book dealt with some difficult topics, and certainly brought me to tears a time or two, and is a great story of forgiveness and following your hearts desire.

As someone who has a Little Free Library of her own, I immediately loved this concept. However, I DNFed at ~30% (chapter 9). I really could not connect with the FMC, Erin. The start was a little slow for my taste, and I felt like it was a bit heavier than it seemed based on the description.

This book was fantastic! The FMC could come off a tad bit self-absorbed in the beginning, but I feel like she eventually addressees these issues in therapy. The MMC is a touch self-sacrificing, but only thanks to the guilt he holds inside. The other characters are all pretty great, except for the flat mate. He just makes me think of Carl from Aqua Teen Hunger Force. The banter back & forth between the books between two unknown people, excellent. I love when the characters in a book are book lovers, it immediately enhances the story. This book is inspiring, emotional, and funny. I think it's simply a book on life and how everyone's goal life might look a little different, but we have to choose to focus on the right things. The friendships formed and the friendships restored are beautiful. I feel like The Book Swap covered a lot of ground and was truly just a lovely story. I think it gives similar vibes to Midnight Library or a TJ Klune book. It's just a book that feels good to read, but makes you do a little self reflection too.

I loved this story - it wasn’t a cutesy romance. Bickers wove classical novels into this story, showing that a love of reading and books can bring people together. 4.5 ⭐️
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6427368710

https://www.instagram.com/p/C5vnzz4OO4t/?igsh=MWhhYnIwbjRubHVteg==

The idea of two people falling in love through the notes in the margins of books in a little free library was a concept that I immediately loved. However, The Book Swap took a different direction than I anticipated. Instead of a straightforward romance, the story delved into deeper themes such as trauma, personal growth, bullying, family issues, terminal illness and death, and toxic workplaces.

While the book offered moments of romance, these were often overshadowed by the heavier subject matter. Bickers' prose was lovely and well-crafted, so despite that it was still a very easy book to read. I very much enjoyed the writing style.

But...despite the intriguing setup and strong writing, I struggled to connect with the characters. They often felt self-indulgent and self-centered for adults, which made it difficult for me to empathize with them. For example, one character blamed himself for his mother's bipolar disorder without considering genetics, while another became so overwhelmed by life's challenges that she isolated herself for months. Both characters seemed stuck in their narrow views of what it meant to live a successful life.

I did appreciate seeing both characters make some progress in their lives by the end of the book.

I appreciated the parallels to The Perks of Being a Wallflower, but it just didn't work for me here.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with this ARC.

Though I didn't fall in love with The Book Swap as much as I had hoped, I appreciate the opportunity to read it and look forward to seeing how Tessa Bickers' writing evolves in future works.

I feel like this book was really slow, the characters were not connecting with me and i felt like it would get really heavy all the sudden and it felt like it would come out of left field. I think books that deal with heavier topics need to really find the balance of joy and fun and dealing with harder topics and I felt like this book just didn’t quite get that.

Going into this book, I was expecting a cutesy romance, but there was so much more. Beyond the romance, the story delves into deeper themes of grief, loss, and the complexities of moving forward after tragedy. The romance is very much a slow burn, almost too slow to be engaged, but it was still a great connection. The nods to classic literature serve as backdrop for the romance, which allows for deeper emotional truths. Also, I enjoyed the relationship of Erin with her sister Bonnie; it adds a layer of authenticity that portrays the difficulties of siblings and their dynamics.

"The Book Swap" may not fit my romance standards, especially from my expectations being completely different than what it truly was, I do believe others would enjoy this. It's a story that will resonate with anyone who has experienced loss or found solace in the pages of a book, reminding us of the healing power of literature and the importance of forging connections, even in the midst of pain.

Although I rate this 3 stars, I still liked it, just maybe didn't love it and it wasn't for me. I may have to sit on this and come back to it later!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing | Graydon House, and Tessa Bickers for granting me this advanced review copy.

You can see a more in depth review of this book on my blog here: https://leylaslibrary.wordpress.com/2024/04/21/the-book-swap/

I got to read the book as an ARC through NetGalley.
I unfortunately DNF'd this book in the 3rd chapter due to the FMC being frustrating. When it comes to females portrayed as damsels I can get behind it but the self deprecating things where a bit much. Also if her sister was really a therapist I find it really hard to believe she would tell her sister who was grieving her friend to basically get over it.

Pulls at the heartstrings while taking you through a stroll through the pages of classics. Perfect for book lovers!

I requested this book because I loved the premise. It's a second chance romance where the two characters fall in love by communicating through the margins of books they love. They don't know they are communicating with their childhood crush.

It's such a great premise, and the description and cover art on NetGalley suggested a sweet, fairly light romance. However, the focus of this book was more on healing from grief than falling in love. It was much heavier than I was expecting, and I was frustrated with both of the characters' wallowing. It felt heavy handed at times.

Based on the description, I was hoping this book would be amazing, but it was only ok.

What an adorably entertaining read! I loved the premise of secret pen pals communicating through their favorite novels... "Meet me in..." almost made me swoon.

Erin, the FMC, I will admit was at times, difficult to relate to. Her guard was all the way up, especially when it came to James, our MMC. The only person that she even remotely opened up to was her Mystery Man.

James, our MMC, was certainly the more relatable character. Despite everything that life had thrown at him, he was still able to open himself up to the possibility of love. And when it came to Erin, he was all in.

Their relationship starts off rocky at best, but their happily ever after is hard-earned which makes the story that much more enjoyable to read. This is definitely a slow burn romance "IRL", despite moving quite quickly between the pages of their favorite stories. This story gets a high score from me for the premise alone!

4.3 ⭐️

I requested this Arc solely based on the cover & yes my judgement was correct , I LOVED it !
I love books about books & the overall excitement for reading ! 🤓 #nerdlife 📖❤️
This book does touch on some deep topics though which personally I loved because that's real life. As much as us readers want real life to be a book .. it's not & that's why we escape to our worlds of fiction.
I also love the idea of 2 people coming together through a book club of their own making from a little free library. Super cute.

Erin wasn't my favorite character overall . She came across in the beginning as childish & self centered .
BUT throughout the book she grows so much & I love that character development.
Also I love her book selections 🙃

James though is my favorite! Maybe I could relate to him more ?? But I think I just liked his character better .

The supporting characters were outstanding also. This book ends with maybe the possibility of a sequel.. I hope so ! Maybe about some of the other characters.
Either way outstanding book & now I think I need to brush up on the classics .

#TheBookSwap #NetGalley ❤️🤓📖🤘

I received a copy of the Book Swap in exchange for an honest review by NetGalley.

First off, what a CUTE book. The premise of bouncing between two main characters who are partaking in a slightly anonymous book swap is adorable. I loved reading their little love connection with each other and following their story.

This book touched on some heavy topic matter as well, including grief & loss, bullying, and a heavy hand of mental health as well.

The romance aspect was very much a slow burn, but I really enjoyed it.

A Little Library at the center of a story! Count me in.

I loved this story, the dual perspectives between James and Erin were amazing. Both are struggling with life - family, relationships, and careers- but neither has an outlet, until an accidental book donation brings them together. Between swapping books and annotations (this book made me want to annotate more) they slowly fall in love, without knowing who the other person is. Erin and James have a shared history and best friend, but they are not on speaking terms because of past events.

There were so many emotions of this story and themes from bullying to mental illness, and finding your family again. Sometimes your own perspective gets in the way of you growing.

I liked this book and thought it was so fun! I love how they met and wrote to each other over books. I also love how they fell in love through writing. I do wish the ending gave a little more though or that they didn’t get together and it end so quickly!

I really enjoyed this debut book by Tessa Bickers.

I loved the storyline of Erin and her, Mystery Man, falling in love through their shared appreciation for books. The way they unknowingly helped each other grow and find their passions in life was heartwarming. The way Tessa navigated discussing mental health and loss, was done beautifully. This was not the light hearted romance I was expecting but I think that’s what made me love it even more.

The reason this isn’t a five star is because the beginning of the book was a little too slow for me. Once I got a third of the way through the book I flew through it and couldn’t put it down.

I think this is a must read romance about love, loss, healing and discovering what makes you truly happy. I can’t wait to read more from Tessa Bickers.

I loved the premise, and the book felt like a nod to You've Got Mail but darker with death and mental illness tied in. The supporting characters were fantastic, and even James was okay - but I could not stand Erin. She was so fixated on something that "she didn't do" that she took everyone down with her, even us readers. I was close to putting it down about midway through. I was so over Erin passing judgment on someone, and that became a fact forever. She was so closed off to other's feelings, thinking just her own were valid, that she ruined many relationships - and I was surprised at how easily they were all mended.
Because of Erin and how much time we spent in her head, I had to give this book 2 stars. Also, the teeny bit of supernatural felt so forced. We could have done without any of that.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to receive this early & give feedback as feedback helps authors a lot. Thank you thank you.

The book swap was a good book. I loved it. It was slow @ the beginning but the more you read it, the more intrigued you get.

˗ˏˋ꒰ 🌇 ꒱ 2 stars

“‘I want you, Erin. I've only ever wanted you.’”

: ̗̀➛ thank you to netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for my honest review!!

: ̗̀➛ with that said, i’ll be very honest. i think this book was kind of boring, and it had a very slow beginning. at some points i even wanted to dnf.. but i pushed through!!

: ̗̀➛ another reason this book wasn’t my favorite is i never really liked erin, the fmc. on the other hand, i was always rooting for james. yes, i sympathized for erin’s struggles, i just never really liked her character.

: ̗̀➛ if you’re a fan of slow burn romances, this book is for you. it was definitely slow burn. im talking the slowest burn ive ever read in a standalone book.

“‘I'm in you. Around you. Part of you. Like... like the Snowman.’
I frown, not following.
‘You know in The Snowman where he's just a heap of clothes and a pile of melting snow at the end, but he isn't gone. Not really. The snow keeps falling. The boy's got a constant reminder of their time together.’
I nod.
‘I don't want to be snow though,’ she says, screwing up her face. ‘I'll be the sun. Every time the sun is shining, that's me.’”

: ̗̀➛ ok guys i feel like ive been slamming this book for too long 😭. now we can talk about all the things i liked about this book!!

: ̗̀➛ i enjoyed watching erin finding her calling. although i don’t think i’d ever enjoy a job like hers, it had such cute moments and i loved how we could see erin finally loving her work. i hope that when i get a job, im lucky enough to find one i love, too. 🤞

: ̗̀➛ the same with james. i liked reading about how he rediscovered his passion for writing. both erin and james were kind of… inspiring(?) in the aspect that they both found their dream jobs and went for it.

“I know that while I'm not okay at all, one day I will be. And for the days that I'm not, there's always the sunshine.”

: ̗̀➛ the book also had a large theme of grief and loss. it made me so sad to see the characters struggling with it, but so optimistic as they continued their journey with their loss.

: ̗̀➛ despite my dislike for erin, i really loveddd the side characters. i need more cassie and joel!! and georgia pleaseee 🙏. and jordan 🥹.

“‘I'm so proud of you. Don't forget to make all your dreams come true!’”

: ̗̀➛ oh i forgot to mention something earlier, in reasons i disliked the book. erin literally like… hallucinates her dead best friend???? ik it’s like a coping thing but it just came off really weird to me. especially added with the fact that they had full on conversations, in which erin was completely aware of the fact she speaking to a figment of her imagination..

: ̗̀➛ i feel like we should’ve been given more flashbacks of scenes where bonnie was still alive, so we could’ve actually gotten to know her and care about her character. again and again and again we are told stuff about bonnie, but what’s much more effective is to show us.

: ̗̀➛ another complaint: this book was advertised as having tons of references to classic books. yes, it did mention them, but not as much as i thought coming from the little blurb about the book. eventually (which occurred pretty fast), erin and her mystery man’s conversations in the margins of books shifted from talking about the book to talking to each other.

: ̗̀➛ honestly, i did not love this book. but, i genuinely think that other readers could really enjoy it. so maybe give it a shot. who knows, maybe you’ll love it? <3

“Meet me in happy ever after?”