Robyn Harding | THE SWAP

 Plot (via Goodreads):

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.

Review:

Robyn Harding's stories just keep getting better with time. For an author who isn't afraid to push the boundaries within the domestic suspense genre, Harding is back with another scandalous and captivating drama that will reel you in with the first chapter and spit you out with your head spinning on the last page. The Swap is easily one of my favorite 2020 reads thus far and quite possibly my favorite Robyn Harding novel yet. 

My advice for this one and for most of Harding's novels is to go in blindly. When you read a novel by this woman you know you're in capable hands. Every story is completely different, yet the plot is complex and seducing, the characters are vivid and intricate, and the places they will take you as a reader are twisty and beguiling. The Swap is no exception to these rules. These. Characters. Were. AMAZING. I absolutely love the way Robyn Harding (who is incredibly kind by the way) can write such terrifyingly manipulative people that are alluring and yet three-dimensional. The layers with this story and the layers you peel back as you really get to know these characters compliment each other beautifully and made this such a sensational read. Did I love all of the characters in this one? Yeah, they were all great reads. Do I have a new favorite character that I love and sympathize with and a new favorite that I love because they are so devilish? ABSOLUTELY.

Listen, you know you're in good hands with Robyn Harding. Go into this one blind and enjoy this story because once page one is in the past, you are going to need the entire day to read this incredible story. Reader beware, once you start this one it is actually impossible to put down. 

Special thanks to Robyn Harding and Gallery/Scout Press for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 5/5