The Book Swap

Good book! This book was definitely a light read! It did have some suspense, intrigue, mystery, and some what the heck is going on?! Lol it was a quick good read! I will recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

JE Rowney has written a wonderful emotional mystery. Laura is lost and feeling the pain of a marriage breakdown. Then a disturbing note falls from the book she received from an internet book swap club. Laura finds the strength to team with new friend Carley and track down the person who wrote the note. The novel is full of drama and intrigue that leads to a rewarding ending. Great writing and excellent story worthy of five stars.

I had never heard of this author before but the cover and the description were definitely my thing, and I couldn't wait to start. I was not disappointed. I finished this book in two days and found it hard to put it down. I was curious where the story was going and had many theories - which none turned out to be true.

The story was fast paced and was straight in with the action, which is something I love with thriller books. Laura, the main character was believable and like her, I suffer with depression and use books as an escape. When she started trying to find out where the note came from, I wondered where it would lead and the trouble that could be caused. And I wasn't wrong.

When the plot started to come out I was surprised and it definitely wasn't what I expected, but I did enjoy it and found that the author kept me hooked and thrilled to the very last page. I would highly recommend for a quick read that will keep you on the edge of your seat

I had never heard of this author before but the cover and the description were definitely my thing, and I couldn't wait to start. I was not disappointed. I finished this book in two days and found it hard to put it down. I was curious where the story was going and had many theories - which none turned out to be true.

The story was fast paced and was straight in with the action, which is something I love with thriller books. Laura, the main character was believable and like her, I suffer with depression and use books as an escape. When she started trying to find out where the note came from, I wondered where it would lead and the trouble that could be caused. And I wasn't wrong.

When the plot started to come out I was surprised and it definitely wasn't what I expected, but I did enjoy it and found that the author kept me hooked and thrilled to the very last page. I would highly recommend for a quick read that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

I received a copy of this from netgalley for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. Laura participates in a book swap with a member of her online book swap group and it comes with a mysterious and worrying note - help me. And so she sets out to find out who sent it and why.
I can see why others might not connect with Laura, but actually I thought she was quite real, with genuine emotional response to her life situation.

This book is a quick, easy read. A bit like cosy crime in the thriller genre. I zipped through it, keen to find out what was going to happen. I would definitely read more by this author.

Thanks to the author, publishers and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for review.

Heat book! Fast paced and interesting, it is more than a thriller/mystery as it explores deep emotion and personal change. I really liked the writing style and found the characterisation and dialogue very convincing.

If you found a note saying "help me" in a second-hand book, what would you do?

With thanks to #NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review.

The book started off slightly slow, the part that held my attention was the book swap, as I am part of a book swap group. Smiling along at little similarities until the twist hits, a note in the book Laura has been sent. From there the book gripped me and I found it very enjoyable.

A quick, easy and suspenseful read with a good amount of twists to make me wuestion what was going on. An enjoyable read.

In The Book Swap by J.E. Rowney, the reader meets Laura, who is on leave from work for depression after separating from her husband. She is back living with her mother and doing a lot of reading. A two-worded note found in her book swap exchange sets her life on a self-discovery course and helps her reevaluate what she wants out of her life.

Laura mets a new friend, and they set off to find answers and get more than they bargained for. Laura eventually discovers how confident and competent she was all along and what was truly important to her.

I liked the ending and her forming the book club. The story held my interest, and once you got passed the first third, it began to pick up and become fast-paced.

I would recommend this book. It's a quick and pleasant story.

#TheBookSwap #NetGalley @LPOBryan

A story that is both entertaining and engrossing. The writing was fantastic and kept me on the edge of my seat. This was thrilling read.

Newly-separated Laura is back home living with her mum. She spends her days reading and escaping from the realities of her new life alone - until that life suddenly becomes more complicated than she could ever have imagined.

When a novel received from an online book swap contains a chilling note, Laura has to overcome her own fears to help a stranger.

First, she must uncover just exactly who is it that needs to be saved, and from what.

Really enjoyed this book read in one sitting totally recommend
Thank You NetGalley and BooksGoSocial
I just reviewed The Book Swap by J.E. Rowney. #TheBookSwap #NetGalley

This was such a fun book to read. It is a fairly short book, but a delightful cast of characters with some mystery thrown in.
It is the characters that really make this story enjoyable.. Catherine who handles her struggling daughter with kid gloves. Laura whose separation and pending divorce has caused her to lose herself and confidence that she was usually able to muster for “at work” Laura has deserted her.
Carly who runs her own business and lives alone, and is lonely and aimless.
and the other characters that are woven into the mystery. A light hearted read but a gem of a book

I am writing this review for Net Galley.

What would you do if you received a book from a stranger one day, a note fell out of the book and all it said was Help Me?

In this story we are following Laura who is in the midst of a divorce and living with her mom. While trying to get over her divorce, Laura signed on to a book swap club. One day she received a parcel from one of the members of the book club and a note fell out that said Help Me. Laura's first instinct was to call the person in charge of the book club swap to get the name of the person who mailed it to her. Little did a quiet shy woman like Laura know her life was about to change.

I do not read a lot of books in this Genre. The title and description caught my eye. I really enjoyed reading about Laura's character and how she found her love of books. I also was very into the story whilst watching her go on this journey to try to help someone that she had never met. I highly recommend if you are looking for kind of a cozy thriller/mystery to read. The author did a good job adding a little bit of thriller into Laura's life when her favorite genre to read were thrillers. It made it even more fun to read.

Oh this was such a fun and easy read. Just devoured it with the morning coffees, well I am on holiday. Such a perfect read for the occasion. The author always delivers. Pure escapism

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

This book started out slow for me until about halfway through then the twists started coming. How far will someone go to save someone they have never met? As avid readers we are all on these book swap sites on Facebook. If you received a book with a written message saying HELP ME, what would you do?? I also liked how the protagonist was able to find herself throughout this book and able to finally realize her worth. We all go through bad times in our lives but that does not have define who we become. Thank you NetGalley and J.E. Rowney for this ARC review. I would recommend this book!

Laura is struggling after her life falls apart, she moves in with her mom and spends her days getting lost in books until something unexpected happens. When Laura opens up her latest package from a book swap group, a note falls out, and Laura is left wondering whether she can help someone else if she can’t help herself.

I was in the mood to be creeped out and The Book Swap fit the bill! I loved that it was so mysterious and brought the element of being a book lover and avid reader into the story. I can honestly say I didn’t see the twists coming in this one, and I finished it in a day!

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read this book.

When Laura receives a book from a book swap group on Facebook she discovers a note that says “HELP ME”. She initially contacts the person who sent the book and this starts a string on events that helps her overcome her fears and help a stranger. But first she must uncover who the note is from.

Brilliant read.

Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for a honest review. Laura is living back with her mother following the break down of her marriage. She is struggling and still off work. Laura fills her days with reading and is a member of the Facebook group Book Swap. She receives a thriller in the post. When her Mum accidentally drops the book a note falls out saying Help Me. Laura sets about to find out who needs help and ends up putting herself in danger.

I needed some time to get into the story but from the middle of the book it just flew by. This was a quick and easy read. The story is really original. Liked all the characters and loved the last part of the book. This was my first read of the author but surely not the last.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. This book was a quick read. I enjoyed the character development of Laura and how she became more confident as the book went on. She and Carley were very brave and maybe even a little foolish in risking their own safety for someone they didn't even know. It was a fun ride and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a nice smooth read.

first of all thank you netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of the book swap - j.e. rowney!

this was my first book from this author and i was really intrigued by the title!
i felt a slight reading slump coming on so i read this & i am so glad i did, this is a fast paced, gripping and overall really interesting read! great amount of twists and thrill. i 100% recommend this book if youre into thrillers and need something fast paced, quick and interesting to get you back into the swing of reading!

The Book Swap
by J.E. Rowney
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
It was a good read. Not too long, but fun reading. Laura came out of her shell She and Carley were very brave and helped.

Absolutely lovethis book! I am the lady thos book is dedicated to! My book group inspired the author to write this book! Book Swap Central is real! Totally thrilled to have this book and read it in a couple of days. Highly recommended. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers and the author Jayne Rowney for this book and the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion

First, I want to thank JE Rowney, Little Fox Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.

O.M.G!! All of you book lovers and book worms out there need to read this book! Thanks to JE Rowney The Book Swaps and book clubs will all be buzzing about this book! What a brilliant twisted story that she took her passion for books and writing thrillers and combined them into a 5 star must read!

Out of all of JE Rowney’s books I have read this is the one I enjoyed the most. Instantly, I felt as if I connected with Laura’s character on many different levels. JE made her character so relatable that I feel like we both could have been friends.

So many times I commended Laura for reaching out of her comfort zone in trying to help someone out! Even though she knew she could be putting herself in harm's way she had a good heart.

If you love a good mystery with a lot of twists and turns then this one's for you!! So much so that the ending came as a total shock to me!

This was a thrilling, exciting quick read. It started with a bang and just didn’t let up at all. I read it in a day and loves the intrigue. A great unusual story-line. Another new author which is always a plus for me especially if I’ve enjoyed the book. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Laura is separated and living at home. She finds a note in her new book and it says, Help me. She goes on a mini adventure to find the author of this note. This journey is perplexing and takes her out of comfort zone. An adventure that will keep the story interesting. A short story with drama and a mystery all packed in a short amount of time.

Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley and Little Fox Publishing for this ARC, I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read an advance copy of The book swap by J.E. .Rowney. This was a new author for me, and i found myself getting quickly into the story of Laura, who has moved in with her mother after separating from her husband. She is having a hard time dealing with the break up, and loses herself into reading books, joining a online group that swaps books. But she is thrown off course when her latest book arrives with a note, Help me...but no other information. what can she do...what would you do? This was a quick read, and I enjoyed it, but expected a bit more from the plot.

Loved the premise of this book - Laura (depressed and desperately trying to ignore the divorce looming on her horizon) finds a note in her online book swap book that simply says “Help Me.” Can she actually track down the writer of this note and get to the bottom of the mystery?

The plot is very character driven (more like a cozy mystery), and is a slow burn start. Once Laura begins to track down the note writer, the place picks up, morphing into more of a suspense/thriller.

This is a quick, enjoyable read with short chapters that kept me turning the pages. I really enjoyed Laura’s perspective as a book lover. Two of my favorite lines:
-“She was an estate agent from Sheffield, not Jack Reacher.”
-“Well, we have each other. […] And we have books.”

Thank you Netgalley, Booksgosocial and JE Rowney for the ARC of this book.

This was my second Rowney book and it didn't disappoint. It was a quick read that I binged in one sitting. A great mix of mystery, suspense and a satisfying ending.

It was well written and other than feeling like the protectiveness of the main characters mother was slightly overbearing/overprotective it was really enjoyable.

I can't wait to read more work from the author!

3.5/5 stars

The plot of this story is interesting and it has a little bit of a twist though not one that was hard to figure out. The main character, Laura, is well written and goes through a dynamic change as you make your way through the book. I voluntarily reviewed an advance readers copy of this book.

Ignore the cover. It is so misleading! I think this book was a cozy trying to be a thriller and anyone looking at the cover is going to think they are in for a solid thriller and be disappointed. This book was not that! Instead, this story does a very good job in that very small area between the two. A woman suffering from depression on the cusp of an unexpected divorce receives a book in the mail from a social media reading group. (Hey! I belong to a few of those!) Inside is a mysterious note. And, like anyone trying to avoid the things they must face, she begins to investigate. Had this been a thriller, things would have gotten quite a bit darker on the path Laura followed. Instead there was an interesting mystery for her to solve as she comes to find peace with herself. I thought the connection with internet book groups was also a fun little addition.

This was a great book. I loved every paragraph, every sentence and every word of this masterpiece! I read it in 12 hours, which is a lot for me to do! It had everything and more laid out in the novel! I sure hope she writes more! I am totally hooked!

Really enjoyed this story!
A quick and easy read, kept me guessing!
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to read!

Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me a chance to read this ARC.

You find a note in a book in second hand bookshop. Saying "Help Me"?......what would you do.

Fast paced ,enjoyable read .4✨️✨️✨️✨️

This was a wonderful surprise , The author was new to me, I loved the pace of the book and cant wait to read more by this autor.

Wow! I absolutely love this from page one, kept me hooked right up till the end, I warn you, this is a read in one sitting thriller.

How far will someone go to save someone they have never met? As avid readers we are all on these book swap sites on Facebook. If you received a book with a written message saying HELP ME, what would you do?? I also liked how the protagonist was able to find herself throughout this book and able to finally realize her worth. We all go through bad times in our lives but that does not have define who we become. Thank you NetGalley For a copy of this book.

I really could relate to Laura as a book lover and a member of several book clubs. This one started out great for me but I lost a bit of interest because I found it to be more of a mystery then a physcological thriller although it did pick back up at the end with a surprise twist. I did enjoy this book and it was a fast paced read. Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this ARC all opinions are solely my own.

Being a member of a book swap group online I liked the idea of this book. The main character is believable as living at home with your mum is where most people want to be when things go wrong. The story seemed to fit together nicely even if towards the end it seemed slightly rushed. A good short book that will keep you entertained for a few hours.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ebook copy.

The Book Swap
by J.E. Rowney
Pub Date 26 Aug 2022
BooksGoSocial
Mystery & Thrillers


I am reviewing a copy of The Book Swap through BooksGoSocial and Netgalley:


Laura who is newly separated is living back home with her Mum. Her days are spent reading and escaping from the realities of her new life alone - until that life suddenly becomes more complicated than she could ever have imagined.


After a note is received from an online book swap, one that contains a chilling note, Laura has to overcome her own fears to help a stranger.



But first she has to Uncover just exactly who is it that needs to be saved, and from what.


I give The Book Swap five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

I loved reading this book, I loved our main character and how she saw this as a way to get her out of the 'funk' she was in, I loved the little twists too. Well written and I'd love to read more from this author.

Loved the uniqueness of this book and that the plot idea stemmed from the founder of a Facebook book swap group I have been part of since lockdown. Very easily a page turner you won’t want to put down.

Laura has moved back into her home with her mother Catharine. She is separated from her husband and is discouraged with life. Her only outlet is reading. When she finds a message in a book she wants to look deeper into the meaning.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC and Little Fox the Publisher.

This is a new to me author and I have to say I am looking forward to reading more by this author! I loved this book

I am part of the Book Swap group on Facebook so I knew I wanted to read this. I loved the characters Carley and Laura and how they're love of books bonded them. A few times throughout I did wonder if Carley had good intentions but really loved the fast paced ending and feeling of danger.
A really great read.

This was such a fun book to read. It’s nice to think that this book was based on real life events. Everyone loves a book club and the latest book swap trend is everywhere at the moment. Great to read this novel - bringing reality to the page.

I loved the premise which is why I requested an ARC last year. I found the concept fairly unique. Very quick read for me - I read it in a weekend. I twisted to the MC a lot and was rooting for her. This was my first book from this author but I doubt it will be my last.

The Book Swap is an intriguing read that keeps you guessing. It's very easy to get absorbed in and read in one sitting as you want to find out what happens.

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I LOVED J.E. Rowney's "Other Peoples Lives," so I knew I had to request this to read!
I really enjoyed Laura's character and the pacing of this book. I was intrigued by the mysterious note, the twists, and the surprise ending! J.E. Rowney once again held my interest and can't wait to read whatever she writes next!

Highly recommend!

This was a decent book. I loved the twists and it was fast paced and easy to read. Thank you netgalley for making this book available to read.

This author is fast becoming one of my favourites and this book showed why.
A book swap which turns into a fantastic mystery and whodunnit.

Although the storyline is up to date, some of it was a bit contrived, but I still have a great time reading it.
The characters were easy to connect with, which I love.
The story was present, so it made me wonder if finding a note in a second hand book is an actuality.
Saying that I found it hard to put it down.
The author knows how to keep the suspense up, making the reader NEED not WANT to keep reading.

I loved it, and if you like the premise of the book, read it I am sure you will enjoy it.
And a nice introduction to a fantastic author.