Name: Patrick Book's review of The Swap by Robyn Harding
Item: The Swap
Rating: 3
Author: Patrick Book

Robyn Harding

“No list of thrillers is complete without Robyn Harding,” proclaims Real Simple. Now the USA TODAY bestselling author of The Party delivers a riveting tale about the toxic relationship between two couples after a night of sexual shenanigans, and the manipulative teenager with an explosive secret at the center of it all. Low Morrison is not your average teen. You could blame her hippie parents or her looming height or her dreary, isolated hometown on an island in the Pacific Northwest. But whatever the reason, Low just doesn’t fit in—and neither does Freya, an ethereal beauty and once-famous social media influencer who now owns the local pottery studio. After signing up for a class, Low quickly falls under Freya’s spell. And Freya, buoyed by Low’s adoration, is compelled to share her darkest secrets and deepest desires. Finally, both feel a sense of belonging...that is, until Jamie walks through the studio door. Desperate for a baby, she and her husband have moved to the island hoping that the healthy environment will result in a pregnancy. Freya and Jamie become fast friends, as do their husbands, leaving Low alone once again. Then one night, after a boozy dinner party, Freya suggests swapping partners. It should have been a harmless fling between consenting adults, one night of debauchery that they would put behind them, but instead, it upends their lives. And provides Low the perfect opportunity to unleash her growing resentment. Robyn Harding brings her acclaimed storytelling, lauded as “fast-paced, thrilling, gut-wrenching” by Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author of Daisy Jones & The Six, to this dark and suspenseful thriller for fans of Megan Miranda and Lisa Jewell.

The Swap

Krystal Campbell 

Patrick Book

I don’t know that I’d go so far as to call this a “thriller,” but as far as relationship dramas go it’s not bad! I’ve never read anything by Harding before but if I find another one at the library I’ll probably give it a shot too.

Carol

My biggest gripe with this book is with the characters. Lo practically screams "I'm not like other girls" which only makes her obsession with Freya more baffling seeing as she is everything Lo seems to hate. I feel like all the characters fascination with Freya wasn't at all earned. I feel this book would have been miles more compelling (and believable) if she wasn't such a cookie cutter narcissist villain. The book tries to establish her as "complicated" but she really isn't. Like I get that toxic relationships exist but this book kind of oversimplifies the whole issue entirely.

Other issues: predictable plot and twists, excessive telling instead of showing...

And not that I have a dog in the fight or anything, but I'm not really a fan of the portrayal of polyamory.

On the positive side, its a fun enough guilty-pleasure type read. Fans of Ingrid Goes West or Dare Me might find it enjoyable. The audio book was also well done.

Lauren Attaway

This was a heck of a book that I essentially finished in 1-2 reading breaks. The story was so dark and yet I couldn't look away. There is no one to root for, here, but I had to know how the book ended. The story switches between several points of view, but this is a story of a lonely high school student (Low), a former insta-famous bored artist (Freya), and lonely in her marriage store owner who just wants a baby (Jamie). Even though I could see where the book was heading, I had to get to the ending. This is a book that's about obsession and the desire to be liked, and how both are destructive whether we give into them or not.

Dani Edgin

** spoiler alert **
           3.5 Stars 

I honestly don't even know where to start with The Swap... This book was a lot to take in.

We have Low, the lonely high school senior who becomes enamored with the beautiful newcomer and former Instagram influencer, Freya Light. Freya and her husband are new in town, hiding out from the disaster that was Max's pro hockey career, which lead the to ruin of Freya's 'career'. The two form this odd friendship, if it can even be labeled as such, and Low's crush quickly turns into obsession. 

Freya soon learns that Low is a creep in the highest form, and tosses her to the side for a friendship with the newest couple in town--Jamie and Brian. Much like Freya and Max, the couple have moved here for a fresh start. Jamie and Freya form a fast friendship (which Low becomes insanely jealous about and tries to sabotage), and the two spend all of their free time together. 

During one of their hangouts, Freya gets the grand idea that they should get high on mushrooms and partner swap. What could go wrong? Everything apparently. Seriously, everything goes to shit after this. Marriages are strained, friendships are tried, there's lots of arguing and spousal abuse, a surprise pregnancy, and even a murder. 

This book is nothing at all like I expected it would be, and honestly I'm not even sure if I think it's a good book or not.

Jordan Heustis

First off, what happened between two of the characters was not consensual and while the book is fiction and that doesn’t need to be brought up, it rubbed me in the wrong way. The book also brought a lot of really cool psychological ideas but there were so many being introduced that we couldn’t really get a deep look at any of them.

Ruth Parker 

I gave this 5 stars, and I really enjoyed it when reading - I could barely put it down, wondering what was going to happen. I might have been a tad generous, but I still loved it. The Party is my favourite Robin Harding but I think this has overtaken The Arrangement as a second place winner!

Krystal Campbell &
The Swap by Robyn Harding

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Krystal Campbell &The Swap by Robyn Harding

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Krystal Campbell &
The Swap by Robyn Harding