THE BOOK SWAP turned out to be a wonderful read for me. Secrets are not so easy to hide, what happens if it all comes out? THE BOOK SWAP is all about Erin Connolly trying to come to terms with a recent death that has left her drowning in grief and not being able to move forward. One day, she figures that maybe moving forward could start with her cleaning out the clutter in her home. She begins with her books and decides to donate them to a community little free library. But things turned out badly when she realized one of her favorite books was donated. Like a mad woman, she races down to the library and the book isn't there. After checking the library for almost a week, she finds the book. Once she is home she discovers that someone has added their notes to the notes Erin wrote in the margins. This begins a new friendship for Erin. But the friendship isn't really new as Erin will soon find out.
I enjoyed the small-town setting. There is a great set of characters and I wish I could read more about the secondary characters as well. I think the pacing in the book is great and gives a good foundation for the story. I had a great time reading THE BOOK SWAP. Tessa Bickers pulled me right in and hooked me from the very first page. She is now an auto-buy author for me. Her characters feel very real. They aren’t perfect and while they all have flaws they are also very lovable. I now know I will devour everything this awesome author writes and do it all easily with a smile on my face and tears in my eyes. How can a book about books not capture the reader's heart?
THE BOOK SWAP is a sweet novel about letting go of the past and making amends, rediscovering what it's like to be in love again, friendships and coming to terms with loss. In a week where I have started four or five books and given each up at between 30% and 50%, I read THE BOOK SWAP straight through because the story is an easy read with engaging characters, a fun plot, and a believable storyline. Tessa Bickers writes snappy dialogue, fantastic female friendships, and laugh-out-loud moments to give the story the perfect balance of humor and will somebody pass the dang tissues?! Erin deals with some heavy situations, and several shocking revelations change everything for her. Hang on to your seats, trust me!! THE BOOK SWAP is my first book by Tessa Bickers and it won’t be my last!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Fresh Fiction. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
A story of second chances and new beginnings, this is a love letter to books—and a love letter to life
Still reeling from a recent tragedy, Erin Connolly knows she needs to start living, but has no idea how. When she accidentally donates her favorite book—a heavily annotated copy of To Kill a Mockingbird containing a memento she can’t be without—to a local little community library, she’s devastated. But then the book turns up a week later, back in the library with fresh notes in the margins, along with an invitation in a copy of Great Expectations to meet her newfound pen pal.
A life-changing conversation, written only in the margins of beloved classic books, begins between Erin and her Mystery Man. Following each other through the pages of their favorite novels as the book exchange continues, they both begin to open up, falling into a friendship…and maybe something more.
But Erin and her pen pal have a shared history that neither of them has guessed. Faced with painful reminders of the past—and the one person she swore never to forgive—Erin finds herself at a crossroads. One that could change her life forever.
A book-lovers dream! References to the following classics can be found in The Book Swap.