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atamano's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Mental illness, and Grief
Moderate: Cancer, Terminal illness, Medical content, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
Minor: Infidelity, Sexual content, and Blood
dani_reis's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Abandonment
mels_reading_log's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I really loved this book! The way these two childhood friends turned enemies got back in touch as anonymous pen pals to help each other through some really horrible times was so beautiful. Destiny and a love of reading just brings them back together when they need each other most.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Pregnancy
Minor: Infidelity and Sexual content
katievallin's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Grief
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Medical content, and Pregnancy
Minor: Sexual content and Alcohol
gemloukay's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Erin is having a tough time finding herself again after her best friend, Bonnie, died of cancer. Her job is awful, she has trust issues after her mum slept with her favourite teacher but she’s decided enough is enough. One day she has a clear out of her room to start the process of really living again and accidentally donates a book that she meant to keep to the local book swap library box.
James is constantly having a tough time. His mum has bipolar, his brother has left the country to make his own life and his dad is a one hit wonder pop star. His school life was a mess of being badly bullied because of his dad’s hit song, and he lost his only true friends, Erin and Bonnie due to a silly mistake. When James spots an annotated book in the book swap library and decides to update the book with his own thoughts, he starts a journey that he didn’t realise he needed to make.
This one is a long lost love story with a gritty undercurrent. I went into it expecting fluffy romcom and it quickly became apparent that we had a mentally ill parent, both leads are dealing with grief and there’s some bullying and infidelity in there too. It’s 2 POVs which I think works really well as we can see both sides of the book swap happening alongside their other issues. Are the characters likeable? Maybe not, but they are realistically flawed people. James just wants his mum to be better, his dad to follow his own dreams and beyond that he is lost. Erin just wants her best friend to not have died and to be happy again.
It’s a fab story, well written and has made me want to go back and read some classics that the 2 characters swap! It’s very You’ve Got Mail in some respects, which is always a plus in my book!
Thanks to NetGalley for a free ARC in return for an honest review.
James is constantly having a tough time. His mum has bipolar, his brother has left the country to make his own life and his dad is a one hit wonder pop star. His school life was a mess of being badly bullied because of his dad’s hit song, and he lost his only true friends, Erin and Bonnie due to a silly mistake. When James spots an annotated book in the book swap library and decides to update the book with his own thoughts, he starts a journey that he didn’t realise he needed to make.
This one is a long lost love story with a gritty undercurrent. I went into it expecting fluffy romcom and it quickly became apparent that we had a mentally ill parent, both leads are dealing with grief and there’s some bullying and infidelity in there too. It’s 2 POVs which I think works really well as we can see both sides of the book swap happening alongside their other issues. Are the characters likeable? Maybe not, but they are realistically flawed people. James just wants his mum to be better, his dad to follow his own dreams and beyond that he is lost. Erin just wants her best friend to not have died and to be happy again.
It’s a fab story, well written and has made me want to go back and read some classics that the 2 characters swap! It’s very You’ve Got Mail in some respects, which is always a plus in my book!
Thanks to NetGalley for a free ARC in return for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Mental illness, and Grief
Moderate: Death and Infidelity
Minor: Pregnancy
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
smileymiley550's review
emotional
reflective
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? Yes
3.0
While this is marketed as a semi-"You've Got Mail" romance, this book is emotional and reflective at its best, and juvenile at its worst. The romance takes a backseat while character development, grief, mental illness, and complex family dynamics are in the driver's seat. It's pretty decent for general fiction , but I wouldn't categorize it as a romance.
The story follows 2 characters that were best mates in school until a misunderstanding causes a fissure in their relationship. These characters are stuck--unable to decipher their desires, pursue their passions, effectively communicate, and generally deal with the complex reality of life. AKA, they're in arrested development and stuck in their juvenile patterns of behavior and thinking. They are both coping with grief over their mutual best friend who died young of advanced cancer and they are both struggling with familial relations. A book swap through their neighborhood little free library brings them back together and re-ignites their love for literature.
"The Book Swap" had a very slow start that didn't feel entirely necessary, at least in Erin's part. The book swapping was easily the highlight. I did really enjoyed the siblings and their dynamics with the main characters. I'm the oldest sibling, but Georgia is a dream of a big sister. James I liked but Erin irritated me most times--I'm not convinced she's grown past her grief, abandonment issues, and inability to forgive.
I am grateful for the free ARC enook copy that was provided to me by NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Graydon House. All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Death, Mental illness, and Grief
Minor: Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, and Pregnancy
dabreu's review
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Terminal illness, and Grief
jcreads85's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
4/5
I first want to thank Harlequin Trade Publishing for approving my request to read this eARC via NetGalley of Tessa Bicker's "The Book Swap". I am glad I was approved. And if you like the premise, and anything jumps out for you from this review you should check it out when it is released September 3, 2024.
Now, this book is very well written. So well in fact that it was just too heavy for what it was advertised as being - a funny, heartwarming, contemporary romance of second-chance love. I don't know what subgenre of romance this would fall under, per se, but wouldn't recommend if you are looking for 'fluff' and a break from reality. I like romance books with substance – such as written by Emily Henry and Lyssa Kay Adams, just to name a few - but when they are too far removed from the romance, can we just label them as contemporary drama? Or, where do they fall? If ya'll could let me know and also label them on Goodreads and The StoryGraph, I'd greatly appreciate it.
To be honest, I almost DNF'd the book after the first chapter. The first chapter mentions the toxic workplace (triggers below), which is currently one of my only 'NO THANK YOU' triggers. It actually brought on a stress nightmare and a day full of anxiety. So, I typically avoid that topic in my chosen reading. I decided to persist as Erin rage quits the job the same chapter so pushed on and hoped for the best.
I know I was drawn to the book as a modern day "Diving Rivals", but was hoping for something lighter, and certainly something more in the adult fiction category of spice. This would be a 0/5 on the spice scale. Implied relations and one kiss with the MC, James, just doesn't cut it for me. So, closed door romance all the way through. I know many do appreciate a good closed door, so this may be for you!
I requested this book for the idea of mystery pen-pals, presented here as mystery annotators labeled Mystery Man and Margins Girl. We do get dual point of view (my absolute fave). And I appreciated the unique mystery romance through the exchanging of books via a free little library in a public park. That aspect almost had me wishing I had a mystery pen-pal, and am considering annotating myself (but how do ya'll write up your books?!?).
What this book has going for it is time. The story itself takes place over a year and six months. So, maybe believable to most in how we get our two main characters back together. I won't deny there is personal growth on both sides, and quite a bit of positive change in the areas of family relations and career exploration. Allowing passage of time within the tale itself lends well to these developments. Unfortunately, I just didn't feel that it overcame 15 years of baggage, including grudges, PTSD and a general lack of copying skills.
Erin is actually the worst in those aspects. She seems to lack emotional intelligence or any kind of coping skills for stressful, life changing events. And she tied way too much of her identity to others. This is probably why I preferred James, though he himself has not addressed his own backstory of drama. Both should have been in therapy immediately following their respective experiences in high school (FYI - in England and much of the world high school is referred to as college). Not sure why it was 15 years before anyone – family or friend or self – to take any steps towards an intervention...
Again, I'll reiterate that this book is very well written, and plays out strongly as a small town (with a lil city moments thrown in) drama. The cast of characters feels diverse (definitely some great side characters) and the flashbacks to what happened in 10th grade and since felt natural, though the general chatter implying something happened versus just revealing what had was repetitive.
In the end though, if I'd been friend or family member to either James or Erin I would place great caution on the happy ending ideal they still seemed to believe was their desire and fate. There really was just too many ugly years, not enough therapy, and a tendency for the parties to tie their happiness to others for me to genuinely believe they should have ended up together.
And just so we are all clear on what I mean when I say heavy, I'm going to write out some trigger warnings for you all here:
Graphic: Chronic illness (bipolar disorder), death, grief, terminal illness, mental illness, cancer, bullying, unaddressed trauma, panic attacks, PTSD, estranged family, hallucinations
Moderate: Infidelity/adultery, pregnancy, medical content, therapy, emotional abuse
Light: Toxic workplace
I first want to thank Harlequin Trade Publishing for approving my request to read this eARC via NetGalley of Tessa Bicker's "The Book Swap". I am glad I was approved. And if you like the premise, and anything jumps out for you from this review you should check it out when it is released September 3, 2024.
Now, this book is very well written. So well in fact that it was just too heavy for what it was advertised as being - a funny, heartwarming, contemporary romance of second-chance love. I don't know what subgenre of romance this would fall under, per se, but wouldn't recommend if you are looking for 'fluff' and a break from reality. I like romance books with substance – such as written by Emily Henry and Lyssa Kay Adams, just to name a few - but when they are too far removed from the romance, can we just label them as contemporary drama? Or, where do they fall? If ya'll could let me know and also label them on Goodreads and The StoryGraph, I'd greatly appreciate it.
To be honest, I almost DNF'd the book after the first chapter. The first chapter mentions the toxic workplace (triggers below), which is currently one of my only 'NO THANK YOU' triggers. It actually brought on a stress nightmare and a day full of anxiety. So, I typically avoid that topic in my chosen reading. I decided to persist as Erin rage quits the job the same chapter so pushed on and hoped for the best.
I know I was drawn to the book as a modern day "Diving Rivals", but was hoping for something lighter, and certainly something more in the adult fiction category of spice. This would be a 0/5 on the spice scale. Implied relations and one kiss with the MC, James, just doesn't cut it for me. So, closed door romance all the way through. I know many do appreciate a good closed door, so this may be for you!
I requested this book for the idea of mystery pen-pals, presented here as mystery annotators labeled Mystery Man and Margins Girl. We do get dual point of view (my absolute fave). And I appreciated the unique mystery romance through the exchanging of books via a free little library in a public park. That aspect almost had me wishing I had a mystery pen-pal, and am considering annotating myself (but how do ya'll write up your books?!?).
What this book has going for it is time. The story itself takes place over a year and six months. So, maybe believable to most in how we get our two main characters back together. I won't deny there is personal growth on both sides, and quite a bit of positive change in the areas of family relations and career exploration. Allowing passage of time within the tale itself lends well to these developments. Unfortunately, I just didn't feel that it overcame 15 years of baggage, including grudges, PTSD and a general lack of copying skills.
Erin is actually the worst in those aspects. She seems to lack emotional intelligence or any kind of coping skills for stressful, life changing events. And she tied way too much of her identity to others. This is probably why I preferred James, though he himself has not addressed his own backstory of drama. Both should have been in therapy immediately following their respective experiences in high school (FYI - in England and much of the world high school is referred to as college). Not sure why it was 15 years before anyone – family or friend or self – to take any steps towards an intervention...
Again, I'll reiterate that this book is very well written, and plays out strongly as a small town (with a lil city moments thrown in) drama. The cast of characters feels diverse (definitely some great side characters) and the flashbacks to what happened in 10th grade and since felt natural, though the general chatter implying something happened versus just revealing what had was repetitive.
In the end though, if I'd been friend or family member to either James or Erin I would place great caution on the happy ending ideal they still seemed to believe was their desire and fate. There really was just too many ugly years, not enough therapy, and a tendency for the parties to tie their happiness to others for me to genuinely believe they should have ended up together.
And just so we are all clear on what I mean when I say heavy, I'm going to write out some trigger warnings for you all here:
Graphic: Chronic illness (bipolar disorder), death, grief, terminal illness, mental illness, cancer, bullying, unaddressed trauma, panic attacks, PTSD, estranged family, hallucinations
Moderate: Infidelity/adultery, pregnancy, medical content, therapy, emotional abuse
Light: Toxic workplace
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Terminal illness, and Grief
Moderate: Infidelity, Medical content, and Pregnancy
beate251's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this ARC.
Erin, Bonnie and James were great friends in school until something happened that made Erin hate James. We get halfway through the book before we learn what he did and why.
Then Bonnie died from cancer three years ago and Erin has been inconsolable with grief ever since. One day she tidies up and mistakenly leaves her favourite, heavily annotated book in one of these small free libraries that aren't more than three shelves under a wooden roof, standing somewhere on the roadside. When she races back to get it, it's gone, but some weeks later it reappears, with someone having added fresh notes in the margins. So begins a You've Got Mail-style correspondence over several exchanged classics between apparent strangers. Erin calls him Mystery Man and James calls her Margins Girl. Before they realise who they are corresponding with, they forge a deep connection through the questions they ask each other and which reveals their traumas and what they really want to do in life.
Lovers of classic literature will adore this book. I liked it but for me there was a bit too much trauma and therapy speak in this book for my liking - it's all about doing what you love, following your dreams and living your life to the full. The actual romance seems to come second.
But it's a love letter to books, and as such it really works.
"Sometimes redemption isn’t just about saying sorry, it’s about how you recover from the mistakes you make. Bettering yourself is the best kind of apology you can make."
Erin, Bonnie and James were great friends in school until something happened that made Erin hate James. We get halfway through the book before we learn what he did and why.
Then Bonnie died from cancer three years ago and Erin has been inconsolable with grief ever since. One day she tidies up and mistakenly leaves her favourite, heavily annotated book in one of these small free libraries that aren't more than three shelves under a wooden roof, standing somewhere on the roadside. When she races back to get it, it's gone, but some weeks later it reappears, with someone having added fresh notes in the margins. So begins a You've Got Mail-style correspondence over several exchanged classics between apparent strangers. Erin calls him Mystery Man and James calls her Margins Girl. Before they realise who they are corresponding with, they forge a deep connection through the questions they ask each other and which reveals their traumas and what they really want to do in life.
Lovers of classic literature will adore this book. I liked it but for me there was a bit too much trauma and therapy speak in this book for my liking - it's all about doing what you love, following your dreams and living your life to the full. The actual romance seems to come second.
But it's a love letter to books, and as such it really works.
"Sometimes redemption isn’t just about saying sorry, it’s about how you recover from the mistakes you make. Bettering yourself is the best kind of apology you can make."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Infidelity, Terminal illness, Medical content, and Pregnancy