The Swap

by Robyn Harding

Gallery/Scout Press

Publication Date : June 23, 2020

Pages : 336

Synopsis From Publisher :

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.

When seeing the cover of Harding’s latest release The Swap, readers will assume they know the storyline of the book. A marriage swap gone terribly wrong. Those readers would be correct, but there is much more to this story. 

The story has a wildcard in the form of a lonely teenager named Low Morrison. How does a teenager fit into a story about a marriage swap? Isolation draws Low to one of the couples. She has a family but they are absorbed in their own lives leaving little time for Low. Longing to connect with someone she signs up for a pottery class taught by a beautiful new arrival, Freya. This chance meeting sets off a course full of obsession and betrayal. 

Toxic relationships are the main characters in The Swap. The amount of manipulation and mental games featured in the characters is wonderfully wicked. That may seem odd but it is the most accurate description. However, I struggled to like any of the characters. The most I could muster was sympathy for some of them, but it faded as I continued to read. Although I disliked all the characters, their richly developed backstories made them interesting and complex. 

Readers on the hunt for a summer time binge read should look no further than The Swap. The story is filled with beautiful people behaving badly and loads of deception. Fast paced and binge worthy, readers will race to finish to find out how this twisted tale ends. 

Murder and Moore Rating:

4 out of 5 Stars