Thank you to Net Galley for this ARC!
Even though I felt underwhelmed at some points, I really enjoyed this story. I love the idea of anonymously exchanging books marked with thoughts, feelings, hopes, dreams, etc. I also like how Bickers approaches the second chance/friends to lovers tropes. However, the lead up to the grand reveal of why Erin and James had their falling out left me disappointed. The issue just didn’t feel as pressing to me as the reader as it might have been for Erin’s character. But I do like how James stood up for himself in the end and made her listen in a sense. Also, James’ fatherhood and failure fears being grand-revealed towards the end felt like they could’ve been explored more throughout. Overall, I really liked the writing style but there were a few parts that fell flat for me.

4.5

This was so cute!! The premise is so fun: Erin and James, who have an interesting history, start to write to each other through the margins of classic books left for each other in a Little Library. They get to know each other through their annotations and questions in the books, and start to develop a relationship through the pages...except they had a big falling out in high school and Erin is not over it...

Very much You've Got Mail vibes and I was here for it. I liked seeing little references to classic books I've read or want to read and it's fun to see their little annotations. The book got a little deeper than typical rom-coms do as it delved into some of Erin and James' best friend's death and how both of them coped with it. Loved the inclusion of therapy and bipolar disorder.

Overall a wonderful debut from Tessa Bickers and I am so incredibly excited to see what else she writes!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC!

The Book Swap by Tessa Bickers is a contemporary romance and also a debut novel. It’s a second chance romance story about Erin and James, friends-turned-enemies after a big fallout and the death of their mutual friend Bonnie. Erin’s life is in shambles and without thinking she accidentally puts her favorite book (which included a keepsake from Bonnie) in her local little free library. James gets the book, not knowing whose it was, sees all of the annotations and starts a back-and-forth exchange between the two of them.

Overall I thought this was a good book. It didn’t have as much romance as I would have liked but the storyline was satisfying with how it resolved. Some heavy topics are covered in this story, including death, grief, mental health, and bullying, but there is a HEA.

I was looking for a lighter read after a few heavy books lately and thought I would find that in this book based on the synopsis. It was not light at all but far heavier than I expected. It was a good story with sweet interactions between the pages, but it just wasn't what I was expecting. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing|Graydon House, and Tessa Bickers, for an advance reader copy of her debut novel “The Book Swap”.

This is a love story, on many levels, of abandonment, decisions made out of fear, longing, and of learning from our mistakes. It’s about life.

There are a few things I feel are important to know about this book.
1. Tessa Bickers can write about grief very well. I felt the pain and longing, the desperation, the denial, the mood swings, I can relate. Anyone who has loved and lost someone close, especially a friend (whether that be non-familial or otherwise) knows of this type of loss. It was palpable.

2. I adored the margin comments, the back and forth between Erin and James, the love of literature. It reminded me of times I have done this and the wonderful conversations with professors about the author, the background of the culture, the layers to a story, the commentary. I felt myself thinking I should enroll in college to study literature again..

3. The author knows how to write about mental illness, at least the really hard parts of living with and loving someone with bipolar disorder, especially when they stop taking their medication. She also did a good job of showing the effects of it on those around them.

This is a very good debut novel and I look forward to reading her future stories.

I struggled with a few things, too.
1. The cover and the synopsis really threw me. I anticipated more lighthearted rom-com but it was a very deep novel. I feel that covers of books these days are made by people not even trying to do something new. So many look the same (not the author’s fault) and so we project some assumptions onto the book.
2. There was very little overt romance and that’s ok. I wasn’t apparent in the editor’s synopsis though. There was definitely longing-much longing and anger. But it wasn’t until the last quarter of the book I felt a connection.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was a bit slow in the beginning but once it got going, I was engaged thoroughly.

I went into this book thinking it was going to be a rom com. This book is much different than what I was expecting. The main character deals with grief, mental health issues, and family drama. Overall this was a good book. Thank you Net Galley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC copy.

Dueling point-of-view story from Erin and James as they navigate life after the loss of high school friend Bonnie and their own friendship.

Both Erin and James' present and future is bleak. Life isn't going anywhere near as planned, until James stumbles across a heavily annotated book that never should have been in the 'little library' in the first place.

Little does James know, Erin is the annotated author. An idea sparks... should they book swap? Both don't know the other is who they are talking to. What will happen when they find out? Can hearts heal after so much time?

What is the most exciting part of this book is I love this idea! I initially had the idea from the book S. By: JJ Abrams (you should read it/get your hands on it if you can). I did a few 'buddy reads' where we passed/mailed the book back and forth leaving our thoughts in the margin as we went. It was really fun!

Anyways, back to the review of The Book Swap ... overall, cute idea. Execution ... eh. The first 10% was rough. I wanted to DNF, but I hate doing that to ARCs, so I kept with it.

The rest of the book wasn't bad, persay. But it was so slow. Painfully slow. The only category I'd place this book in is, "Snail Romance".

On top of the pace, Erin is so unlikable, so selfish, daft .. it's hard to root for her. On the other hand, James is so likable you just really wish he would move on with his life. I'm a big believer in, you don't have to like the characters to like the book. In romance genre though, maybe you do. The reader has to be wanting this to work out because they are so invested in the characters.

If you take out all the romance and overarching plot line ... this book has a lot of fun nuggets that saved it for me. Actual quote from actual good books, books that all readers would love. The book swap idea, again, so cute and could inspire any reader to get together with a friend and do the same. For me, I was reading for these type of nuggets and the nuggets didn't disappoint.

For me, this was an overall boring, anti romance. I would not recommend to my friends, but I would tell them about the 'nuggets' I found while reading this book. If I had a physical copy I would love to annotate the heck out of it.

Amazon Link - The Book Swap By: Tessa Bickers

***Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, NetGalley and of course, Tessa Bickers, for a  copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Publishing on Sept 03, 2024.

 A book-lovers dream! References to the following classics can be found in The Book Swap.   

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

WUTHERING HEIGHTS

MANSFIELD PARK

THE GREAT GATSBY

MIDDLEMARCH

BELOVED

ON THE ROAD

THE BELL JAR

UGH! my heart!! this friends to enemies to lovers book was the cutest and such a heartwarming book. Erin and James helping one another find themselves and find their passions was beautiful. But, Erin’s stubbornness through the whole book made me so mad!! Like, just love him!!!! However, I saw a lot of myself in her so maybe that’s why. James self discovery was really well done and I’m so so happy he got the ending he deserved in every way. I’m so happy to have read this book and I can’t wait to pick up a physical copy for myself!

Erin, grief-stricken over her best friend’s death, accidentally donates a beloved and heavily annotated book to a community library. James finds the book and they begin to communicate via classic novels. At first neither knows that the person they’re sharing their love of books with someone they know and avoid in real life.

James and Erin’s character arcs are beautifully constructed. Both characters, while great at their jobs, have abandoned their true callings and are dealing with stressors related to their immediate family members. I liked how they have support systems, James in his high school best friend and Erin with her sister and work friend Cassie.

For a romance, James and Erin spend relatively little time together on the page, apart from their interactions through the books. While we see both characters hooking up with other characters, the structure doesn’t allow the opportunity to see them much together as a couple. While an epilogue could have accomplished that, I found the ending satisfying.

James and Erin’s mutual love for literature make this book special as does the secondary characters and the way the community library is practically a character in its own right.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to Graydon House, an imprint of Harlequin Enterprises ULC, for providing an Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley.

If you are looking for a funny, lighthearted, and easy romance novel, this is not it. Some trigger warnings included Death, Grief, Cancer, Divorce, Mental Health, Suicide, and Bullying.

It’s an enemies to lovers, second chance romance following Erin and James’s lives years after their friendship fallout and death of their friend Bonnie. Erin is having a hard time dealing with Bonnie’s death and is determined to fulfill her promise to her of living her life to the fullest. She quits her job, starts decluttering her room and accidentally donates a special book with a note from Bonnie in it. James happens to grab the highly notated book from the little library near his apartment. This starts the two going back and forth exchanging notated books. They return the previous book and write a note at the end “meet me in (book name).” This exchanges helps James fall back in love with writing as well as help him cope with his mother’s bipolar disorder. For Erin, the exchange helps distract her from the pain of losing her best friend, and it also helps her come to the realization that she wants to be a teacher.

This is a debut novel?! The author did an amazing job writing this book and I look forward to anything she may write in the future. If you love Colleen Hoover or Kristin Hannah, you should definitely give this a chance!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an Arc of his book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 out of 5! This was such a cute read, and my first read by Tessa Bickers! I'll definitely be picking up a physical copy come September when it hits shelves! Definitely recommend.

This was a cute book. It was heartwarming and funny. It's the story of starting over after the loss of a loved one. It also is a tribute to amazing books and the amazing transformative power of reading books. It's cute and I would recommend it.

OOOOH-EEE. Wow was this book great. I was nervous after reading the summary that the story would not hold up but James and Erin's story was so well done. Their mutual grief and dealing with the loss of a friend, home-struggles, and trauma from school was fleshed out enough but not in a triggering way. I found myself giggling and loving every moment. The Book Swap feels like the classic 90s/ early 2000s romance. Well done.

When I first started The Book Swap, I wasn’t sure it would be the right book for me. I was so wrong! I ended up loving this story about love, loss, and forgiveness. The first few chapters were a bit slow, but the story picked up once I started to get to know Erin and James. Overall, there was good flow throughout the story, easily switching between points of view. We see the story from both James and Erin.

I thought The Book Swap fits its genre and tropes well without falling into typical cliches. Both Erin and James were relatable, and the dialogue felt natural. Both of them changed from who they were when the book started. The dynamics between the main characters, their friends, and their family were excellent. There was plenty of tension to go around, too, not just between Erin and James. I want to see a sequel starring Cassie and Joel (and maybe a third with Elliot and Carl).

I thought the messages in the book's margins were a great way to move the story forward. I could also picture the cute little library! I thought Bickers did a great job painting the locations of the story. I could see this as a cute rom-com.

The Book Swap was easy to read with relatable dialogue. Overall, the flow of the book was good, but there were a few hiccups at the start. I would recommend this to people who love an enemy-to-lovers book. There are some descriptive scenes involving mental health and bullying that may not be for everyone.

I was initially drawn to this book because of its title and cover image. Romance isn’t one of my go-to genres, but I was really glad to have read it! It was enjoyable.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin for sending me this ARC to review. All opinions are my own.
Posted on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6409092680
Will be posted on May 6, 2024 to Runs on Espresso blog https://runsonespresso.com/blog

Wow! I loved this book so much I could not put it down. James, Erin, and Bonnie have a place in my heart. This book was filled with so much heart and truth. I cried and laughed. The references to so many of my favorite books was so welcome. Tessa Beckers LOVE of all things books came through on the page. To Kill a Mockingbird is my favorite book of all time and that part of this book spoke to my heart. I know this is Tessa Bickers first book, I cannot wait to see what she writes next. 5⭐️

This is not a rom com and barely even a romance. I think the blurb and cover are a little misleading. The Book Swap follows Erin and James as they navigate grief, mental health issues, family drama, toxic work environments all while trying to figure out what they want from life. I wasn’t expecting so many heavy themes but would’ve been ok with them if Erin wasn’t so immature and selfish. I found it hard to root for her. I was also disappointed with how little interaction the main characters had. I loved the swapping annotated books but that doesn’t make up for the lack of face to face interaction. I’m not even quite sure why they want to be together? Calling this a second chance when they didn’t really even have a first chance because they were friends in high school 15 years ago is a bit of a stretch. This just wasn’t for me.

Erin and James have a shared history and are both lover of books. They are a trio in school with their other best friend Bonnie. An event occurs that forever fractures their trust and friendship, furthered hardened by the death of Bonnie.

Now young adults, they are navigating jobs that provide little joy and passion and learning about themselves. Erin decides to Marie Kondo her life and puts all the books that don’t “spark joy” into a community little library, but accidentally includes a beloved, heavily annotated book with a written message from her late best friend Bonnie. She checks the little library daily hoping for its return, to one day find it returned, with responses to her annotations. This begins a book swap with her mystery writer, both slowly finding the joy renewed for reading and writing, and finding themselves in the process. What happens when Erin learns the Mystery Man is none other than the guy she swore never to forgive.

3.75 out of 5. This book reminded me of Meet Me in the Margins and I loved the nods to all the classic literature I read in high school. I overall enjoyed the book, though the writing in the second half is significantly more developed compared to the first. The FMC Erin was rather one dimensional, whiny and self-centered at times compared to James who had much greater development as a character, where topics of high school bullying, mental health, and challenging family dynamics were explored. This book takes place in the UK, and some of the cultural words/phrases were new to me. This is a good book for those who enjoy chick-lit, enemies to lovers trope, angst, without spice.

I would like to see a book two with Cassie and Joel as MC, with further development on Erin and James.

“That’s when I realized if I want a home, I’ve got to build it myself. It’s up to me.” This line resonated a lot with me. We let fear of the unknown, of not meeting our hopes, dreams, desires, sometimes prevent us in taking that next step. We are complacent with “status quo”, but if there’s someone we want, we need to take that first step ourselves, it’s up to us. “Basically, the step I was so terrified of taking has actually given me the life I’ve always dreamed of, and I’m not sure I’d have done it if it wasn’t for the people around me. Erin relit with the fire in me. Joel reminded me how much I loved writing. Elliot made me realize I was living my life in fear of failure and that’s really no way to live”

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher Hodder & Stoughton- thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own. Book releases 9/5/24.

The magic of a little free library. This book is about second chances, forgiveness, self-discovery, and love. So many lessons and character development was packed into this book, in a good way. I loved it!

You know how you meet someone one day, and realize you share a true love of reading and stories? Instant friend. I could not imagine not falling in love with someone after this book exchange. I adored Eileen. Georgia was a bit too intense for me. I'll admit, that Erin had her flaws and might be the queen of grudge-holding, but let's also point out that maybe James could have been a little less passive. But flaws are what makes characters real, right?

Thank you NetGalley, for swapping me this book, I guess this makes us instant friends too.

Thanks to NetGalley & Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me an e-ARC! (Seriously, thank you. This will likely be one of my favorite reads this year.)

**5 STARS–NO TAKE ALL MY STARS** I was in such awe after finishing this. From the cover, you'd expect a palette cleanser, lighthearted read but I was honestly not expecting this to be such a heartfelt, emotional read. I LOVED it. This book touches on grief, self discovery, love, and forgiveness in the most captivating way.

Told in dual POV we follow Erin who is still grieving from the loss of her best friend, Bonnie. After having an epiphany at her toxic workplace, she changes her outlook on life and lives by her new mantra, “What would Bonnie do?”. One day she decides to donate her old books to a local free library, accidentally donating her beloved and heavily annotated copy of "To Kill a Mockingbird." Enter our other protagonist, James, an old ex- friend of Erin’s who is living a stagnant lifestyle; he randomly picks up said copy and finds the annotations fascinating that after a week, he returns the book with his own notes. Erin happily reclaims her lost book and is surprised to find a note to continue this exchange in a new book. From there, begins a clever mystery book exchange.

Through their book exchanges, we readers start to piece together what happened to them to completely wreck their friendship. The history runs so deep that it spirals into what seems like a decade long conflict. What I loved the most about this book was the fact that both characters were going through their own journey of self-discovery and acceptance, not one character was overshadowing the other. They both had their own set of problems and the author took great care in showcasing each of their hardships.

What an amazing debut novel, Miss Tessa Bickers. Take all my money.