3 More Than A Swap Stars
* * * Spoiler Free-A Quick Review
Today there is an answer for everything...they are called Apps. Yes, you want a romance, click on the app. You want to just hook up, no emotions, yup, there is an app for that too. So when you have a writer who needs more backstory and understanding about London, there is an app for her to swap her beloved, "unique", Maine home.

Lucky for Cassie, James needs to get away from his London apartment due to a casual dating partner didn't realize it was supposed to be casual and becomes a stalker when James ends it.

Arrangements are made, James comes to Maine, isn't the most lovely to Cassie, Ms. Friendly/Nice, and off she goes to live in James' home. When she gets there she is shocked to see how unwelcoming it is, no sheets, towels, or food. Again, what a lovely reflection of the man.

What happens is this continuing texting and calls about what is needed for them to live in each's home. This communication reflects more about them and over time, a sort of relationship develops.
The plus of this story is that they are not 20, they are grown people who still are able to see their needs to adapt and maybe change. There is no insta-anything, more a rolling, developing of feelings. Nice.

The House Swap takes two characters who each need a break from their own routines. They find each other on a house swapping website and they decide to switch houses for the next six months. Like the synopsis says, it has similar vibes to the movie, The Holiday. Instead of being like the movie where each character finds their love interest in their new “homes,” this story has the two main characters get to know each other, while still interacting with those around them.

Cassie is a 37-year-old children’s book writer, which has been turned into a TV series. Currently, she resides on Hawk Egg Island in Maine after moving there from Glasgow, Scotland. She is working on creating more books for the series, but has a case of writer’s block. Her agent suggests a trip to London for both book research and a change of scenery. She is reluctant at first as she is comfortable with her life on the island with her alpacas, chickens, and her found family of characters that all reside there. I love all the people on the island as they are supportive and delightful in general. Eventually, her friends convince her to do a house swap and the top choice is James, a 35-year-old consultant from London.

One of Cassie’s main journeys in the novel is that she is desperate to become a mother, even if it means having a baby alone. She suffered a miscarriage during her previous relationship, which worked out for the best due to the romance not working out. As Cassie’s desire to become a mom is a huge part of the novel, I wish that a little more was explained about the medical possibilities for why she suffered the miscarriage. I realize that in the majority of cases it is impossible to give a central reason, but it would be nice to know if this was her first one, did the doctor suspect it is due to her age, is there a possible underlying medical condition, etc. Those are typically the most common reasons, but in no way is an exhaustive list. I think it would have given more background to Cassie’s journey as she is now determined to complete IVF – one side point is that it makes me seriously wonder how rich Cassie is as IVF is well over ten thousand dollars every time (can go extremely higher than this for costs) and she is willing to try multiple times. Again, as this is a central plot, it would be nice to have more depth given to her journey. The pieces that we do see at the beginning are raw and emotional, but I just wanted more.

The other main plot is, of course, the relationship between Cassie and James. The two of them start off as mere acquaintances linked only by their house swap. They are complete opposites as James prefers to interact with his group and is not very outgoing. He likes his job for the security and finances, but his love for it is never there. Due to a lot of trauma from his past, he is closed off from the idea from serious relationships and he does not wish to have children. Over time, the two of them get to know each other through texts, phone calls, and in-person interactions where you can see them naturally opening up more to the other. They each find the other initially attractive, but it is not insta-lust or love. Instead, their relationship is a slow-burn even to get to official friendship levels, which is a nice refreshing take on this type of story and also fit the plot really well, given that the two of them live in opposite countries and start off as complete strangers.

Overall, this story has many elements to make it a fantastic story. It lost me a little as there were tons of side stories that either ended up being dropped or not given the time they deserved. Some of the main ones that come to mind are James and his ex-girlfriend, Emily, the workers that were made redundant during James’s last consulting project and each character’s relationships with their own families. They are excellent ideas for storylines, but with a ton of focus on the house swap itself and the accompanying emotional journeys for each character, the growing bond between the two main characters, and Cassie’s journey to potential motherhood, the novel just did not have the time to fully wrap everything up. This was an enjoyable read with a delightful premise. It was not perfect, but it was very enjoyable and I would be curious to read more from this author!

**I want to give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Bookouture, for a review copy of this enjoyable novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

In Jo Lovett’s The House Swap James and Cassie both need to get away from their lives; James needs to get away from his crazy ex Emily and Cassie needs a new location to write. After swapping houses, they initially do not get along. They are just too different. Both James and Cassie are in search of something in their lives and both are dealing with events from their past; the problem is that they have no idea what they really need or want. A light-hearted, fun read, The House Swap shows the power of taking a chance by opening up to others and learning to really live again.

The House Swap by Jo Lovett

Rating: 3.5/5

Warnings: Miscarriage, IVF

Read this book if you liked: The Switch by Beth O’Leary

Summary: Cassie, living in Maine needs to go to London to research for her new book. James, living in London needs to get away after his awful breakup with his ex. Cassie and James find each other on a house swap website and decide it’s meant to be. In the beginning there is a lot of tension between the two, but when it comes time for them to swap back their houses, they realize that there is more to their relationship than they once thought. Will they swap back and not see each other anymore or will they stay in each other’s lives to see where things go?

Things I liked: The evolution of Jame’s personality, the unique idea of swapping homes!

Things I didn’t like: how much Cassie spoke about her IVF journey and wasn’t really open to finding a partner to have a child with.

Overall, I did enjoy this book and how everything turned out. However, I do feel there could have been more substance within the book to emphasize the evolution of each character. This book had many unexpected turns, but also many touchy subjects like losing a child, IVF, etc. I’d definitely recommend his book if you enjoyed ‘The Switch.’

Happy Reading!

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I really enjoyed this book, you connect with he character immediately and everyone is so likeable, it’s well written between the two main characters and it’s a style of writing I am really enjoying and I really couldn’t put it down
Give yourselves a treat and enjoy.

I only got part way through this book. I had a hard time connecting with the characters - I don't know if it was because I didn't like them or what. But it made it really hard. I eventually gave up.

James, at his girlfriends 30th birthday party her mother puts him on the spot expecting him to propose after a mere 9 months of dating, to then have his girlfriend now stalking him, giving his personal contact info out on social media decides to move a way for a time. His Friends suggest his try's a SwapBnB.

Cassie, needs to move temporarily due to a book deal, someone suggests the same, swapBnB. And so the story begins....

From a testing start, James is quite clear how he'd like the swap to go, Cassie's not quite so prepared initially. At the start they meet briefly, who appear to be very different characters, what each wants in life is quite the opposite. On doing the house swap and communications from here, this eventually shows a different way of life and a touching friendship blooms.

Told alternately from James and Cassies perspective, a great lighthearted read with touches on personal sadness too. I've not read any by this author before, but look forward to reading more. Overall a great should read.

This was a very easy read and the concept of the book intrigued me. However, it didn’t really hold my attention. I’m normally big into romances but I just didn’t connect or enjoy the characters very much. I would recommend this book but it wasn’t for me.

I loved this book from the very start. For fans of The film, The Holiday and of The Flatshare it said, and boy was that correct. I loved it. It’s a perfect feel good read.
Brilliant engaging characters and perfect backdrops on Maine and London, this had everything- laughs, romance and definitely some emotional bits. I loved meeting Anthony and Juliette in London and the friendly neighbours in Maine sounded a hoot. Just the pickmeup kind of book I was looking for.

I really enjoyed this book. I had already enjoyed Lovett's first book: The First Time We Met, but I think The House Swap must be my favorite Lovett book now.
I must admit that at first I strongly disliked one of the main character - James. He came across as a pretty rude and rigid character, which I didn't really like. Luckily, this changes throughout the story. Luckily, both main characters - Cassie and James - turned out to be pretty funny and friendly, both with their own haunting past.
From the moment on I felt like the book was picking up pace, I quickly flew through it.
This story is both funny and emotional all at once. It has been a long time since a book made me tear up, but The House Swap managed to do that to me.
Another factor I liked is that the scenery of the island on which Cassie/James lives is explained so well. I loved imagining how the island looks with the alpacas and chicken.
This is basically a slow burn romance book, but in a way that makes you squeal when finally something happens (at least that's what I did).
The only reason why I didn't give this book 5 stars is that at times I had a feeling that there were too many time jumps. We'd suddenly make a time jump of for example 3 weeks, which I didn't really like.

Thank you NetGallley and Bookouture for the free e-copy. This in no way affected my opinion.

DNF 50%
When I read the synopsis of the book, I just felt like I had to read it! It sounded super cute, and I thought this book is going to be great. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed. I think that the idea is super great, and I felt like this book could have been really good, but it just did not work for me. I am still not sure of it is because it contained storylines, I am generally not a fan of or if it is just bad.

I think the problem for me was the main heroine. The hero got an arc where he got to evolve and discover the island. You actually felt the island atmosphere and how he interacted with it. The heroine on the other hand could have been literally anywhere in the world and you hardly knew she was in London at all. Her entire story was surrounding one thing (and I am not a big a fan of this type of story to begin with, would not have picked It up if I knew) and she did not get much of an arc. She is a writer and moved to London to get a feel of the city to be able to write about it, but we did not see any of this discovering at all. This felt like a missed opportunity. It felt like her entire personality was just characterized as being nice and having one wish and this became a big contrast to the hero’s storyline at the island. And I think because of her storyline being very one sided the book became pretty slow. I am also not a super fan when her best friend is interested in the main guy, but this is just a personal preference.

In my opinion I would say that it was maybe not for me, but it is not really a bad book, and I can see that other people would enjoy this. But I think that it could be beneficial for the book that the girl’s storyline is mentioned in the synopsis because I do think that it is a storyline that people either would really like or not really care for.

This Romance novel involves James who I’d looking to escape from a former girlfriend and an author,, Cassie who needs to move to London to do research for a series of books following twins. When James and Cassie agree on a swap after much research., Cassie arrives at a stark sterile condo in London with no necessities, not even sheets or any food, while James arrives with written directions all over the house, beds made with all new linens, and a refrigerator and freezer stocked with food. This disagreeable start. Soon James and Cassie exchange texts and phone calls over WiFi, planned parties, neighbors and all types of petty grievances. When James finds out that Cassie owns adjacent property which would be good for an echo=hotel, he decides to soften up Cassie in order to sell him the property. So they have a few pleasant conversations. This all comes crashing down when Cassie finds out he had been trying to utter her up. The books goes on throwing obstacles so they alternate between hate and love. This is a typical Romsnce with all its barriers but a standard ending. It’s a light and fluffy novel.this is not my genre so I’m possibly good for a review.

James has a crazy ex stalking him and needs to get away. Cassie needs to be in London for a book series she is writing. After each listed their house on a swap website, they agree to move into each other’s places for six months. At first, they can’t stand each other but as time moves on, feelings change.
Opinion
This book is a slow burn novel. The romance doesn’t pick up until the second half. I found the book to be an enjoyable read. I think this book would be good for long winter nights.
Many thanks to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Overall I’d give this book 3.75 stars. It’s the perfect beach read/rom com type book that’s a bit lighter and let’s one escape reality for a bit.

Starting out, I didn’t care for either of the two main characters, but with time they both free on me and I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next between them.

Definitely recommend if you are in the mood for a lighter book.

I’d like to thank both NetGalley and the publisher for and advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw the description for The House Swap, I instantly thought of one of my favorite movies, The Holiday. I think the premise of the story is super cute. I really was looking forward to watching this enemies to lovers story play out and while I enjoyed it, I would argue that it was a bit cheesy and I really didn’t love James, one of our main characters. He was unlikeable from the beginning and I feel like the path to redeeming him was filled with gaps. I also was a bit frustrated with the IVF storyline. I felt like there were some serious holes here. I would also provide a trigger warning here for infertility. However, I like that we are seeing two mature, adult characters. Overall, a cute premise and one I had high hopes for that just don’t quite live up to the hype. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

What a sweet story with to enjoy when you want to read an unexpected love story between to people who evolve and find a new version of themselves after a house swap across the ocean. I really enjoyed this book! Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

The House Swap follows two young professionals as they swap houses and countries for 6 months. I thought the story was cute, even though it was a bit predictable. While one character was unlikeable in the beginning, we are allowed to follow him through his growing and maturing. I would definitely recommend to those looking for a fun romance.

Although James has been dating Emily for almost a year he isn't looking for anything serious. Happy to continue as they are, however, at her birthday party it is clear she is expecting a proposal. Fighting with him when it doesn't happen he breaks up with her, however, she doesn't take the hint and becomes somewhat of a stalker. He needs to get out of London for a while.

Cassie loves her home on an island in Maine, but with her publisher pushing for her to write a series of books based in London she knows she'll have to return to the UK for research. Advertising her home on SwapBnB she matches with James who asks her 101 questions about anything and everything - so much so that the swap almost falls through.

Making a poor first impression on each other they keep in touch across the first few months as they come across issues. Grumbling to each other about WiFi issues, stalker ex-girlfriends and animals. Somewhere along the way, they start looking forward to their phone calls, with attraction blooming when Cassie visits for a birthday party. Neither of them acting on their feelings especially given that Cassie is upset about a failed round of IVF treatment.

Meeting up again they grow closer in lots of ways but James has baggage from his childhood that is affecting how he lives his life now. Can he overcome past hurts to discover a brighter future? and will Cassie feature in this future?

Thanks to NetGalley! I really liked this book. Usually when I read these types of romcom books, I’m left wanting more of a build up or friendship and often find the books skip around too much. The build up in The House Swap was perfect. I wasn’t sure how the relationship would develop, but I thought the amount of traveling and phone communication was perfect. I would’ve loved a longer book, almost!

Cassies character was well built and developed, but I wish she grew a bit more. James started bland but developed into a 3D person.

Let me start by saying that I absolutely love the premise of this book. Swapping houses instead of just visiting, and a romance ensues? Sign me up! I was immediately drawn to this book because it reminded me of The Holiday with Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet. Unfortunately, I was not able to get through this book after giving it a few chances, but I would like to try it again in the future. Where a book about travel might be an escape for some, personally it put me in a bit of a funk.

This story follows our grumpy hero James, and our very friendly heroine Cassie, who have agreed to swap homes for a few months, as they both need a getaway for personal reasons. Their conversations are quite forced and awkward over the phone, and they both have poor first impressions of each other. A perfect setup for an enemies to lovers trope.

While I really enjoyed the Maine to London swap, I had to put the book on hold when both characters were describing their new surroundings... mainly the decor of the house. It was very descriptive, and they seemed very negative. It was hard to read and enjoy knowing that travel is out of reach for now (in my country, at least).

To sum it up, a super fun concept, and is probably a very enjoyable read for those who are perhaps living in a country that has Covid handled, and who are not currently in lockdown.