The Swap
By Robyn Harding
Gallery/Scout Press, 9781982141769, June 23, 2020, 336pp.
The Short of It:
In a pandemic, you need quick, fast reads that take you out of your current situation. The Swap accomplished that.
The Rest of It:
Swallow, “Low” for short, is an awkward teen whose family is polyamorous. Meaning, she has more than a mom and dad. More like an entire support team who have agreed to live as one happy family. No jealousy. No competition. She lives on an island that is open to these types of relationships. She thinks it’s a little weird but kind of gets it too. As for herself, she has no idea what she wants.
In walks Freya. She’s blonde and beautiful and magnetic. She’s also a grown woman. After she posts a flyer about pottery classes Low decides she’s buying whatever Freya is selling. As their pottery sessions turn into more than a friendship, at least in Low’s eyes, Freya begins to pit Low against another close friend of hers and the two compete for Freya’s attention which begins a dangerous game of tug of war.
Harding knows how to tell a story. She loops you in no matter how far-fetched the plot is. I read this in two sittings. Had it not been for work I would have finished it in one day. It ended in a surprising way and was a little over-the-top but that didn’t prevent me from savoring those last few pages. Have you read Harding before? I really enjoyed The Party a few years back.
The Swap comes out June 23rd but do add it to your list.
Source: Review copy provided by the publisher.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.
Book Chatter 
The plot does sound far fetched but I’d give it a try since you found it compelling.
The setting and the obsession between the three women is what pulled me in.
I really liked your enthusiastic review of The Swap but the story doesn’t appeal to me. The Party sounds like one I’d really like though.
Without judging, there is a lot to digest as far as lifestyle choices, etc. The Party though, I could actually see happening. I also forgot I read another book by her Her Pretty Face. That was good too but not my fave.
Sounds interesting. I’m not really into the story line, but it might be a good quick read
I read The Party way back and think I have at least another book by this author on my Kindle. This one sounds good, but quite odd. I don’t really get the whole polyamorous thing, but I’ve seen it on a TV show recently. Just odd to my thinking. Anyway, I’ll keep this one in mind. It seems to have held your interest.
The polyamorous thing explains the protags way of thinking. It’s mentioned many times but isn’t central to the story.
I too really liked Harding’s novel The Party, which I listened to as an audiobook in 2018 & reviewed. Wow that one totally captured me. But I haven’t read any of her other ones. I’m not sure the plot of this one intrigues me off the bat … but it could useful during these pandemic days. Still I might look at a couple of her others.
This sounds a little creepy, but I’m glad it got your reading attention. I really need that right now. I’ve put down the last two books I’ve started and tonight I’ll try a third. Fingers crossed that it captures my attention.
I don’t know that I would have picked this book just by the description – I have a soft stomach for books about relationships between grown people and kids. But since you found it compelling, I’m interested in trying it.