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reading_ladies_blog's review
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Death, and Grief
spow's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
As much as I love a super steamy romance, there are times where all I want is a sweet cheesy romance, and “The Book Swap” more than checked that box for me. I liked this book for the simplicity in the love story…for how simple and pure it is to fall in love with someone within the margins of a book. This is book is not all unicorns and rainbows—both Erin and James have messy pasts and messy present lives that the reader sees them deal with. With as messy as their lives are though, the actual reading and romance part was so simple and heartwarming.
This is not a perfect read by any means. There are times I felt like the author included drama for drama’s sake, and it feels like every character in the book comes with some kind of conflict. This book also talks to some really heavy themes, so if you aren’t up for anything serious, you probably won’t like this book. As book nerd myself though, I really loved the way the romance plays out so I enjoyed this read. 3.5 stars/5.
**Thank you so much to NetGalley, Harlequin Trading and Tessa Bickers for the advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. I appreciate the opportunity!**
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, and Mental illness
ofclumsywords's review against another edition
A lot of depressing themes that I really don’t want to read about. Both characters had more things to complain about than not, and hardly anything about books. I was reading for the books; not the dead best friend, sick mom, past bullying, or both characters complaining about how terrible their parents are.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Blood, and Grief
lololovesthings's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3.5 stars.
"The Book Swap" by Tessa Bickers is a lot heavier than I expected it to be. That doesn't detract from how good this book is. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. I made my heart squeeze and ache the entire time I read it. It's cute, reflective, intimate, and interestingly explores grief. and loss. The strongest parts involve the main characters, Erin and James, who each have quite a bit of individual baggage in their lives. When they begin exchanging books at the little library, they divulge who they really are and who they want to be to each other in the process. These moments made my heart swell. But, as with all books like this, things eventually go wrong. I am glad this was a dual point of view book because without it, I fear James would have been basically erased. His character would have been stronger and more bold. Erin definitely needs to go to therapy, hahaha. The story has quite a few moving parts, which bog it down here and there. My focus felt all over the place, but overall, I found this to be an engaging and compelling read.
Thank you to NetGalley, Tessa Bickers, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Graydon House for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
"The Book Swap" by Tessa Bickers is a lot heavier than I expected it to be. That doesn't detract from how good this book is. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. I made my heart squeeze and ache the entire time I read it. It's cute, reflective, intimate, and interestingly explores grief. and loss. The strongest parts involve the main characters, Erin and James, who each have quite a bit of individual baggage in their lives. When they begin exchanging books at the little library, they divulge who they really are and who they want to be to each other in the process. These moments made my heart swell. But, as with all books like this, things eventually go wrong. I am glad this was a dual point of view book because without it, I fear James would have been basically erased. His character would have been stronger and more bold. Erin definitely needs to go to therapy, hahaha. The story has quite a few moving parts, which bog it down here and there. My focus felt all over the place, but overall, I found this to be an engaging and compelling read.
Thank you to NetGalley, Tessa Bickers, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Graydon House for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Mental illness, and Grief
ivi_reads_books's review
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I appreciated the characters' deep love for reading and writing, as well as the strong portrayal of friendship. However, the focus on bullying and mental health issues often overshadowed the romance, which made the balance of the story feel uneven for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Mental illness, and Terminal illness
annlouise's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Mental illness
Moderate: Death
jg34's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
For a cartoon cover I was shocked at how much this book made me FEEL! What I was expecting was a rom com but what I got was a meaningful story about late 20 somethings dealing with grief, trauma, and the all too familiar quarter life crisis.
Bonnie, James and Erin were the best of friends back in high school. Think Perks of Being a Wallflower. The girls brought James in and became his first real friends after years of relentless bullying. They were INFINITE. Until James broke Erin’s trust and the friendship group with it.
Years and years later, Bonnie has passed away and Erin and James keep running into each other in chance encounters. Erin still holds a grudge for James’ betrayal and all James wants is a chance to explain himself. The two unknowingly start up an anonymous correspondence with each other where they slowly form a friendship again.
However, those looking for a romance do be warned this is much more about the characters individual journeys than it is about their relationship. The two spend this novel learning about themselves, how they treat people and how they want to spend their life going forward. I will say my hopeless romantic heart felt the ending was very underwhelming, but I enjoyed the time it took to get there! ALMOST got some tears outta me too.
I’m glad I read this! I loved all the book references too, makes me want to go back and brush up on some of the classics. If you love Mhairi MacFarlane I think you will love this as well. I’m excited to see what else this author has to offer.
Bonnie, James and Erin were the best of friends back in high school. Think Perks of Being a Wallflower. The girls brought James in and became his first real friends after years of relentless bullying. They were INFINITE. Until James broke Erin’s trust and the friendship group with it.
Years and years later, Bonnie has passed away and Erin and James keep running into each other in chance encounters. Erin still holds a grudge for James’ betrayal and all James wants is a chance to explain himself. The two unknowingly start up an anonymous correspondence with each other where they slowly form a friendship again.
However, those looking for a romance do be warned this is much more about the characters individual journeys than it is about their relationship. The two spend this novel learning about themselves, how they treat people and how they want to spend their life going forward. I will say my hopeless romantic heart felt the ending was very underwhelming, but I enjoyed the time it took to get there! ALMOST got some tears outta me too.
I’m glad I read this! I loved all the book references too, makes me want to go back and brush up on some of the classics. If you love Mhairi MacFarlane I think you will love this as well. I’m excited to see what else this author has to offer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, and Death
Moderate: Infidelity
baileyneville99's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Bullying
ashleybarnes's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
The Book Swap by Tessa Bickers really surprised me. I expected a sweet romance set around a book mistakenly discarded in a community library featuring some literary classics. And while that is a central part of the plot, the book tackles bigger themes of grief, mental illness and where to find happiness.
In the opening chapters, Erin quits her job and says goodbye to a toxic boss. She decides to turn her life upside down and Marie Kondo’s her apartment - taking her beloved, annotated copy of To Kill A Mockingbird to a community library in error. When she finds the book again, someone has responded to her through more notes, questions and annotations - which begins a delightful back and forth with a mystery man.
I found Erin tough to like as the FMC. She undergoes some growth throughout the book and embarks on finding her calling after being inspired by her pen pal. The book had quite a few secondary characters and quite a lot happening outside of the main plot of the book exchange. I did like James more, but was confused by parts of his personality and actions.
The book spans quite a bit of time, and there were many moments where I wanted it to be faster paced or was confused for a moment of where we were in the timeline.
I was definitely touched by parts of this book, and appreciated that it didn’t shy away from tough topics.
Big thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Mental illness, and Grief
Minor: Suicide
kerosenelit's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
2.0
From the very start, this story was a challenge to follow. Even halfway through, I found myself struggling to grasp what was happening. The narrative structure was super disjointed, with sporadic flashbacks and timeline shifts, making it difficult to initially tell whether a scene was set in the past or present.
At the heart of the story are two grieving characters, Erin and James, who communicate through the margins of classic novels in a community library. Their shared history is heartbreaking, and while I couldn't care less about classic literature, it was touching to see them connect through a mutual interest, unaware that they actually know each other in real life.
I really sympathized with James and the burdens he carries—losing a friend, the complicated history with Erin, his past experiences with bullying, and caring for a parent with bipolar disorder. I wanted to give him a hug. Despite these hard-hitting elements, which are usually things I love in a story, the writing and incredibly slow-moving plot made it difficult to truly feel invested.
(heat level: closed door)
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own
At the heart of the story are two grieving characters, Erin and James, who communicate through the margins of classic novels in a community library. Their shared history is heartbreaking, and while I couldn't care less about classic literature, it was touching to see them connect through a mutual interest, unaware that they actually know each other in real life.
I really sympathized with James and the burdens he carries—losing a friend, the complicated history with Erin, his past experiences with bullying, and caring for a parent with bipolar disorder. I wanted to give him a hug. Despite these hard-hitting elements, which are usually things I love in a story, the writing and incredibly slow-moving plot made it difficult to truly feel invested.
(heat level: closed door)
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Mental illness, and Grief