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.

I just reviewed The Book Swap by Tessa Bickers.
#TheBookSwap #NetGalley you know those books that makes you feel that you are not actually reading. Everything about this book is everything that I needed to hear. This book found me in the perfect timing.

I really tried to get into this one. I’d DNFed about 15% in. The main character was just a bit too whiney and victimized for me. The writing was also super clunky. Thank you to the publisher and net galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was made for the book lovers and annotators!

Erin has gone through a tragedy and doesn’t know how to move on. She accidentally donates one of her favorite book that’s she annotated - she is so upset!

Surprisingly, the book shows up later with comments under her annotations!

I absolutely LOVED this spin on pen pal romance. It was so unique and hit all the right spots as a book lover!

This was not a “light” book. It had so much depth and touched on multiple hard topics!

Erin and James connected through their annotations and both grew as people as a result! And that slow burn - so good!

If you’re a fan of slow burn, second chance, AND pen pals - then read this book!

“Meet me in happy ever after”

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

When I first picked up this book, I thought it was going to be a cute fluffy light-hearted rom-com about two people who love books but there was so much more depth and emotion to this book. I honestly can't believe this is a debut novel!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin publishing for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Things I Loved:
- How this story beautifully captures the experience of grief and loss, as well as healing in a way that is reminiscent of Ashley Poston's "The Seven Year Slip" (another 5 star read for me).
- How this book touched on some delicate topics with grace and thoughtfulness. I especially loved the way this book depicted various struggles with mental health
- The slow-burn. I loved watching the main characters slowly get to know each other through their book swapping.
- All the books that were featured in this novel!! (Yes, I loved that so many classics were features, but I especially loved all the references to "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" - Stephen Chbosky). This book is definitely a love letter to all the book lovers out there <3
- The character development. Both main characters are flawed, and carry their own past trauma/hurts but I loved seeing them grow throughout the story

The story was heart-warming, tender, and beautiful. I can't wait to read what Tessa Bickers writes next!

What an emotional and sweet story. I loved seeing Erin and James interact through their books and share their real, deep emotions in such a new way. I was super invested in all the characters and their growth. It was also such a touching story about grief and forgiveness and how holding onto the past can really stifle you.

I do wish we had more interactions between Erin and James in person and that the ending was a bit longer or more wrapped up.

Overall, a very tender story.

This was a bit deeper than what I like to read in a “rom-com”. I didn’t connect with the characters or location. But none of that is the fault of the author - it’s just my personal preference.

I loved the premise of this book, kind of The Flatshare meets You've Got Mail in the very best way possible. It revolves around Erin and James, two childhood friends who have grown apart, and how classic literature brings them back together. The storytelling was beautifully done, and I deeply felt for all the characters.

I would categorize this book as a contemporary fiction with a strong romantic subplot. It also deals with some heavier topics, and I thought the author did a great job handling them.

One of the most compelling parts of the story to me was the emphasis on family. I loved seeing the importance placed on children and unconditional familial love. It made me feel appreciative of the wonderful family I have.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the e-ARC!

To start, I have to admit that I figured out the identities of Margins Girl and Mystery Man pretty easily, but the character and plot development is good, so it didn’t really affect the story. On pg. 127 - nicest breakup ever? Powerful writing, I really connected with James at that moment - the whole chapter, really - poor Joel. And at the end, I was sobbing. I believe this is a debut novel? I’d definitely recommend reading this book, and I’d keep the author’s name in mind for future books, for sure.