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The House Swap
‘No one lives this way unless they want to hide something.’
When Caroline and Francis receive an offer to house swap, they jump at the chance for a week away from home. After the difficulties of the past few years, they’ve worked hard to rebuild their marriage for their son’s sake; now they want to reconnect as a couple.
On arrival, they find a house that is stark and sinister in its emptiness – it’s hard to imagine what kind of person lives here. Then, gradually, Caroline begins to uncover some signs of life – signs of her life. The flowers in the bathroom or the music in the CD player might seem innocent to her husband but to her they are anything but. It seems the person they have swapped with is someone she used to know; someone she’s desperate to leave in her past.
But that person is now in her home – and they want to make sure she’ll never forget . . .
When Caroline and Francis receive an offer to house swap, they jump at the chance for a week away from home. After the difficulties of the past few years, they’ve worked hard to rebuild their marriage for their son’s sake; now they want to reconnect as a couple.
On arrival, they find a house that is stark and sinister in its emptiness – it’s hard to imagine what kind of person lives here. Then, gradually, Caroline begins to uncover some signs of life – signs of her life. The flowers in the bathroom or the music in the CD player might seem innocent to her husband but to her they are anything but. It seems the person they have swapped with is someone she used to know; someone she’s desperate to leave in her past.
But that person is now in her home – and they want to make sure she’ll never forget . . .
294 pages, Hardcover
First published May 22, 2018
612 people are currently reading
14853 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Fleet
3 books218 followersRebecca Fleet was educated at Oxford and works in brand strategy. She lives in London. The House Swap was her US debut; The Second Wife, her second domestic thriller, is forthcoming from Pamela Dorman Books/Viking.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,643 reviews
December 22, 2024
3.5 Stars rounded up!
THE HOUSE SWAP by REBECCA FLEET is a slow-burning domestic psychological thriller novel that I found to be quite the enjoyable and entertaining read. I wouldn’t necessarily say that there is a lot of action happening here though as the scenes unravel quite slowly but the way that this story was written I found to be rather compelling and suspenseful. I really connected with Rebecca Fleet’s prose and I would say that is one of the main reasons why I found this book to be so enjoyable.
REBECCA FLEET delivers a well-written domestic suspense story here filled with marital indiscretions, addiction and healing that was a slower-paced read with some surprising twists near the end that I didn’t see coming. I was pretty much baffled the whole time trying to figure out who our unknown narrator was.
I really found the concept of house swapping with strangers to be quite intriguing but it isn’t something that I would find myself doing though but it was fun living vicariously through Caroline and Francis’s eyes though.
There were a few aspects within this novel that I wasn’t totally satisfied with but for the most part this novel worked for me! Would recommend!
This was a Traveling Sisters Read which I read along with Brenda, Susanne, Kaceey and Mackenzie. The discussion was great and it made for another fun read!
THE HOUSE SWAP by REBECCA FLEET is a slow-burning domestic psychological thriller novel that I found to be quite the enjoyable and entertaining read. I wouldn’t necessarily say that there is a lot of action happening here though as the scenes unravel quite slowly but the way that this story was written I found to be rather compelling and suspenseful. I really connected with Rebecca Fleet’s prose and I would say that is one of the main reasons why I found this book to be so enjoyable.
REBECCA FLEET delivers a well-written domestic suspense story here filled with marital indiscretions, addiction and healing that was a slower-paced read with some surprising twists near the end that I didn’t see coming. I was pretty much baffled the whole time trying to figure out who our unknown narrator was.
I really found the concept of house swapping with strangers to be quite intriguing but it isn’t something that I would find myself doing though but it was fun living vicariously through Caroline and Francis’s eyes though.
There were a few aspects within this novel that I wasn’t totally satisfied with but for the most part this novel worked for me! Would recommend!
This was a Traveling Sisters Read which I read along with Brenda, Susanne, Kaceey and Mackenzie. The discussion was great and it made for another fun read!
May 16, 2018
3 Stars.
The idea of “The House Swap” sounds somewhat intriguing right? Instead of taking a regular vacation, you swap houses with a stranger for a week’s time. Going to a different locale, living a different life. Caroline and Francis take the bait. Leaving their flat in England (and their young son Eddie) to go to a townhouse, right outside of London. It’s not something I would do, but hey, let’s give this one a chance, shall we?
2013: Caro and Francis’ relationship is in shambles. Francis has a problem: he is addicted to little blue pills, and therefore has a hard time functioning, leaving Caro to care for their son Eddie, though she has other things on her mind – mainly her own life. Caro cannot control herself: her wants and needs take over. Needless to say, both characters self-destruct in different ways.
2015: As soon as Caroline and Francis arrive at the townhouse, things go awry for Caroline. She begins to find little tokens that remind her of her past. A past that she has never truly gotten over – one that haunts her. Caroline and her husband Francis have been trying to rekindle their romance and reconnect and “this” throws a wrench into everything.
Whose house are Caro and Francis staying in? Is it someone Caro knows? What happens thereafter, to Caro, Francis and everyone else involved? It makes your heart go thump, thump, thump, right?
Told in two different timelines, from a few different perspectives, this is a novel that starts out extremely slow and stays that way until about 60%. Once it picks up, it definitely grabs your interest and is at times hard to wrap your head around. I would perhaps describe it as domestic drama v. a mystery/suspense. While some parts of the book are a bit far-fetched, I did end up liking it. The character of Eddie was, by far, my favorite. The premise for “The House Swap,” is very cool and I think a lot of people will enjoy this intriguing read.
This was a Traveling Sister Read which included Brenda, Norma, Kaceey and Mackenzie. The discussion was fantastic and it made the read so fun. Thanks sisters! For full Traveling Sister Group reviews, please see Brenda and Norma’s Amazing Blog: https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com/
Thank you to First to Read, Penguin Random House and Rebecca Fleet for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Published on Goodreads and First to Read on 5.16.18.
The idea of “The House Swap” sounds somewhat intriguing right? Instead of taking a regular vacation, you swap houses with a stranger for a week’s time. Going to a different locale, living a different life. Caroline and Francis take the bait. Leaving their flat in England (and their young son Eddie) to go to a townhouse, right outside of London. It’s not something I would do, but hey, let’s give this one a chance, shall we?
2013: Caro and Francis’ relationship is in shambles. Francis has a problem: he is addicted to little blue pills, and therefore has a hard time functioning, leaving Caro to care for their son Eddie, though she has other things on her mind – mainly her own life. Caro cannot control herself: her wants and needs take over. Needless to say, both characters self-destruct in different ways.
2015: As soon as Caroline and Francis arrive at the townhouse, things go awry for Caroline. She begins to find little tokens that remind her of her past. A past that she has never truly gotten over – one that haunts her. Caroline and her husband Francis have been trying to rekindle their romance and reconnect and “this” throws a wrench into everything.
Whose house are Caro and Francis staying in? Is it someone Caro knows? What happens thereafter, to Caro, Francis and everyone else involved? It makes your heart go thump, thump, thump, right?
Told in two different timelines, from a few different perspectives, this is a novel that starts out extremely slow and stays that way until about 60%. Once it picks up, it definitely grabs your interest and is at times hard to wrap your head around. I would perhaps describe it as domestic drama v. a mystery/suspense. While some parts of the book are a bit far-fetched, I did end up liking it. The character of Eddie was, by far, my favorite. The premise for “The House Swap,” is very cool and I think a lot of people will enjoy this intriguing read.
This was a Traveling Sister Read which included Brenda, Norma, Kaceey and Mackenzie. The discussion was fantastic and it made the read so fun. Thanks sisters! For full Traveling Sister Group reviews, please see Brenda and Norma’s Amazing Blog: https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com/
Thank you to First to Read, Penguin Random House and Rebecca Fleet for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Published on Goodreads and First to Read on 5.16.18.
July 28, 2018
I really enjoyed "The House Swap" by debut author Rebecca Fleet. I'm getting quite a lot of personal enjoyment from deliberately slow and character driven psychological thrillers at the moment and this one certainly entertained me.
Blurb - When Caroline and Francis receive an offer to house swap, they jump at the chance for a week away from home. After the difficulties of the past few years, they’ve worked hard to rebuild their marriage for their son’s sake; now they want to reconnect as a couple. On arrival, they find a house that is stark and sinister in its emptiness – it’s hard to imagine what kind of person lives here. Then, gradually, Caroline begins to uncover some signs of life – signs of her life. It seems the person they have swapped with is someone she used to know; someone she’s desperate to leave in her past.
"The House Swap" is an excellent example of domestic noir at its best and I truly connected with it. Dark and quite distrurbing it was still a fun read and I didn't guess the ending at all.
Well written with a very interesting concept I found the whole story gripping and compelling and didn't want to put it down. It does take a while to get used to the different timelines, points of view etc but once you understand where the story is taking you, you've become so engrossed it's almost impossible to stop reading.
I appreciate a lot of readers don't take to slow psychological thrillers, I didn't myself once but should you stick with it you'll find it's an excellent read and really quite enjoyable.
5 stars
Blurb - When Caroline and Francis receive an offer to house swap, they jump at the chance for a week away from home. After the difficulties of the past few years, they’ve worked hard to rebuild their marriage for their son’s sake; now they want to reconnect as a couple. On arrival, they find a house that is stark and sinister in its emptiness – it’s hard to imagine what kind of person lives here. Then, gradually, Caroline begins to uncover some signs of life – signs of her life. It seems the person they have swapped with is someone she used to know; someone she’s desperate to leave in her past.
"The House Swap" is an excellent example of domestic noir at its best and I truly connected with it. Dark and quite distrurbing it was still a fun read and I didn't guess the ending at all.
Well written with a very interesting concept I found the whole story gripping and compelling and didn't want to put it down. It does take a while to get used to the different timelines, points of view etc but once you understand where the story is taking you, you've become so engrossed it's almost impossible to stop reading.
I appreciate a lot of readers don't take to slow psychological thrillers, I didn't myself once but should you stick with it you'll find it's an excellent read and really quite enjoyable.
5 stars
May 16, 2018
3.5 Stars
Norma and I started off in the comfort of our favorite, familiar lush coulee reading The House Swap with three of our Traveling Sisters and we were swapping coulees while we read this one. Not too far into this story, we were looking to swap coulees and we patiently waited for things to pick up and were rewarded around 2/3 into the story.
The House Swap started off a little slow and a bit confusing for some us as we tried to piece together the mystery here and some of us were looking to swap coulees a few times. Once things started to pick up it took us by surprise and things started to move quite fast for us right up until the end.
Rebecca Fleet does a good job here with the house swapping concept and creating an unsettling setting here with the houses that were swapped. We all thought it was an interesting concept for a domestic thriller. We kept swapping ideas as to who is who and what is what as we read this story.
In the end, we did end up swapping coulees and were left in the barren coulee with mixed feelings towards this story. It lead to a very interesting and enjoyable discussion amongst us but I won’t go into it as we think this one is definitely one to go into not knowing too much about it. We recommend giving it a go and see if it has you wanting to swap houses anytime soon.
Review written and posted on our themed book blog Two Sisters Lost In A Coulee Reading.
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com
Coulee: a term applied rather loosely to different landforms, all of which refer to a kind of valley.
Norma and I started off in the comfort of our favorite, familiar lush coulee reading The House Swap with three of our Traveling Sisters and we were swapping coulees while we read this one. Not too far into this story, we were looking to swap coulees and we patiently waited for things to pick up and were rewarded around 2/3 into the story.
The House Swap started off a little slow and a bit confusing for some us as we tried to piece together the mystery here and some of us were looking to swap coulees a few times. Once things started to pick up it took us by surprise and things started to move quite fast for us right up until the end.
Rebecca Fleet does a good job here with the house swapping concept and creating an unsettling setting here with the houses that were swapped. We all thought it was an interesting concept for a domestic thriller. We kept swapping ideas as to who is who and what is what as we read this story.
In the end, we did end up swapping coulees and were left in the barren coulee with mixed feelings towards this story. It lead to a very interesting and enjoyable discussion amongst us but I won’t go into it as we think this one is definitely one to go into not knowing too much about it. We recommend giving it a go and see if it has you wanting to swap houses anytime soon.
Review written and posted on our themed book blog Two Sisters Lost In A Coulee Reading.
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com
Coulee: a term applied rather loosely to different landforms, all of which refer to a kind of valley.
October 31, 2020
EXCERPT: The key slides and turns in the lock, smooth and slippery as a silverfish. Lying in bed last night, gazing at the trembling shadows of the branches grazing against the window and thinking of this moment, I thought it would be harder. I imagined scratching metal. Jarring resistance. After everything that has led me here, it feels as if it should be more of an effort. But it's easy - an anticlimax even. An eggshell cracked in the hand and tossed aside.
The door swings open and the pinewood boards of the hallway unfurl ahead, gleamingly polished and clean. Just inside, stiff, green branches studded brightly with plastic looking berries protrude from an ornamental vase. Reflected in the mirror, I can see a row of framed photographs lining the far wall. Stepping inside and closing the door softly behind me, I move fast through the hall, keeping my back to the wall. I won't look at them, not yet. Soon.
The country style kitchen, oddly out of place in this third floor city flat - decorated in pale green, artfully hung with saucepans and dried bunches of herbs. On the oak table lies a torn-out piece of paper, darkly scrawled with ink. Welcome! it reads. Instructions for all appliances in the green folder in the kitchen. Bread, milk, etc. in the fridge - help yourself. Do call if you need anything. Enjoy your stay and make yourself at home! Caroline. I stare at her name for a long time. The confident slash of the C, the splatter of ink where the dot of the I has bled across the page. I touch the splatter with the ball of my thumb, half expecting it to rub off on my skin, but of course it has long dried up.
At last I get up and make a cup of coffee. I will do as Caroline invites. I will make myself at home. I drink it sitting at the table, imagining the rooms still to be explored. The secrets that might be tucked inside them, tightly curled up inside her possessions and ready to extract. I remember the fox that I saw crouched by the roadside as I drove past this morning, digging into some unidentifiable corpse - the sharp flash of bloodied silver on its claws as it teased out what it wanted. This will be like that. Dirty, unpleasant. That's the way it has to be. The way I want it. It's the only way to get under the skin.
ABOUT 'THE HOUSE SWAP': When Caroline and Francis receive an offer to house swap, they jump at the chance for a week away from home. After the difficulties of the past few years, they’ve worked hard to rebuild their marriage for their son’s sake; now they want to reconnect as a couple.
On arrival, they find a house that is stark and sinister in its emptiness – it’s hard to imagine what kind of person lives here. Then, gradually, Caroline begins to uncover some signs of life – signs of her life. The flowers in the bathroom or the music in the CD player might seem innocent to her husband but to her they are anything but. It seems the person they have swapped with is someone she used to know; someone she’s desperate to leave in her past.
But that person is now in her home – and they want to make sure she’ll never forget . . .
MY THOUGHTS: Oh, these characters! I started off quite liking Caroline. After all, we all make mistakes and, while not excusing her actions, she did have a lot to put up with. But I ended up not liking her at all. And Francis, whom I initially thought weak and ineffectual, turned out to have hidden strengths.
This is a slow burner of a book that takes what you think you know, turns it on inside out and upside down, then gives it a shake for good measure.
The story is told from the points of view of Caroline, Francis, and an unknown narrator over two timelines, 2013 and 2015. There is marital infidelity, addiction and a secret so big, so devastating, that I could not have lived with it.
The House Swap is a book that I would describe as quietly sinister. You may think that you know where this is heading but, believe me, you have no idea.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.4 very satisfied stars!
#TheHouseSwap #rebeccafleetwriter @RebeccaLFleet
THE AUTHOR: Rebecca Fleet was educated at Oxford and works in brand strategy. She lives in London.
DISCLOSURE: I listened to the audiobook of The House Swap written by Rebecca Fleet, narrated by Sian Brooke, Adam James, Josh Dylan and Kirsty Dillon, and published by Random House Audiobooks, supplied by Waitomo District Library, via Overdrive.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Instagram and my webpage
The door swings open and the pinewood boards of the hallway unfurl ahead, gleamingly polished and clean. Just inside, stiff, green branches studded brightly with plastic looking berries protrude from an ornamental vase. Reflected in the mirror, I can see a row of framed photographs lining the far wall. Stepping inside and closing the door softly behind me, I move fast through the hall, keeping my back to the wall. I won't look at them, not yet. Soon.
The country style kitchen, oddly out of place in this third floor city flat - decorated in pale green, artfully hung with saucepans and dried bunches of herbs. On the oak table lies a torn-out piece of paper, darkly scrawled with ink. Welcome! it reads. Instructions for all appliances in the green folder in the kitchen. Bread, milk, etc. in the fridge - help yourself. Do call if you need anything. Enjoy your stay and make yourself at home! Caroline. I stare at her name for a long time. The confident slash of the C, the splatter of ink where the dot of the I has bled across the page. I touch the splatter with the ball of my thumb, half expecting it to rub off on my skin, but of course it has long dried up.
At last I get up and make a cup of coffee. I will do as Caroline invites. I will make myself at home. I drink it sitting at the table, imagining the rooms still to be explored. The secrets that might be tucked inside them, tightly curled up inside her possessions and ready to extract. I remember the fox that I saw crouched by the roadside as I drove past this morning, digging into some unidentifiable corpse - the sharp flash of bloodied silver on its claws as it teased out what it wanted. This will be like that. Dirty, unpleasant. That's the way it has to be. The way I want it. It's the only way to get under the skin.
ABOUT 'THE HOUSE SWAP': When Caroline and Francis receive an offer to house swap, they jump at the chance for a week away from home. After the difficulties of the past few years, they’ve worked hard to rebuild their marriage for their son’s sake; now they want to reconnect as a couple.
On arrival, they find a house that is stark and sinister in its emptiness – it’s hard to imagine what kind of person lives here. Then, gradually, Caroline begins to uncover some signs of life – signs of her life. The flowers in the bathroom or the music in the CD player might seem innocent to her husband but to her they are anything but. It seems the person they have swapped with is someone she used to know; someone she’s desperate to leave in her past.
But that person is now in her home – and they want to make sure she’ll never forget . . .
MY THOUGHTS: Oh, these characters! I started off quite liking Caroline. After all, we all make mistakes and, while not excusing her actions, she did have a lot to put up with. But I ended up not liking her at all. And Francis, whom I initially thought weak and ineffectual, turned out to have hidden strengths.
This is a slow burner of a book that takes what you think you know, turns it on inside out and upside down, then gives it a shake for good measure.
The story is told from the points of view of Caroline, Francis, and an unknown narrator over two timelines, 2013 and 2015. There is marital infidelity, addiction and a secret so big, so devastating, that I could not have lived with it.
The House Swap is a book that I would describe as quietly sinister. You may think that you know where this is heading but, believe me, you have no idea.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.4 very satisfied stars!
#TheHouseSwap #rebeccafleetwriter @RebeccaLFleet
THE AUTHOR: Rebecca Fleet was educated at Oxford and works in brand strategy. She lives in London.
DISCLOSURE: I listened to the audiobook of The House Swap written by Rebecca Fleet, narrated by Sian Brooke, Adam James, Josh Dylan and Kirsty Dillon, and published by Random House Audiobooks, supplied by Waitomo District Library, via Overdrive.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Instagram and my webpage
May 17, 2018
A slow-burning story of domestic suspense that delves into the secrets of a marriage!
The House Swap by Rebecca Fleet was my first Traveling Sister read with Brenda, Norma, Kaceey, and Susanne, and I had a great time sharing my thoughts with these lovely women! This book is well-written, but very slow in its pace. It moves back and forth to past and present as we learn more about this couple, their marriage, where it went wrong, and how they have tried to put it back together. It’s a book that will make you think about how strong a marriage can be—how it’s possible for two people to withstand so much pain and hurt, and still find something worth fighting for after it all.
2013
Caroline and Francis once were so in love, they couldn’t imagine life without the other. But they are now going through the motions of a marriage—each struggling with their own demons that push them further apart. They are on parallel—but separate—self-destructive paths. And yet, neither has given up on their marriage entirely. They wonder how to reconnect. They wonder if they try, if there will be anything left to save.
2015
Caroline and Francis are reconnecting. They go on a week holiday, leaving their son home with his grandmother. This is an opportunity to continue to heal their marriage. Caroline signs them up for a house swap—a chance to step into someone else’s life for a few days. At first, the idea is exciting! But at the same time, something seems off… The house is almost completely void of personal touches or possessions. Save for a few tokens that remind Caroline of something… Of someone, more accurately, that she thought was buried in her past. Is there more to this house swap than she originally realized? Is there a connection to him??
Reflection
This book is SLOW at the beginning. It doesn’t really pick up until about 2/3, but from that point on I found myself completely engaged in the story. I would categorize this book as domestic suspense, and firmly not a thriller or mystery. But the pain and secrets of this marriage—they slowly embed into your mind until you need to find out what happens.
One thing I enjoyed about Rebecca Fleet’s writing is the way she uses texture and movement in her settings to accent what is happening to the characters. She uses incredibly descriptive language, and I found myself noticing the movement and texture of some scenes, and the flat, stillness of others. This was really effective, and it complimented the slow, somewhat sparse dialogue between the characters quite well.
I found Amber to be an odd character. I don’t want to spoil, but I thought she was going to serve a different purpose for the story than she did. I really enjoyed seeing her, Carl, and other characters through Caroline’s eyes, though, because they were a reflection of how Caroline herself sees the dynamics. I actually wondered if we could see those characters from a different perspective, how much would be the same at all from what Caroline sees.
All in all, it seems like most of the Sisters enjoyed this by the end, though some were drawn in sooner than others. I recommend readers give it time. By the end, I really was engaged in the story, which I’d never have guessed would happen during the first third.
Many thanks to Penguin Group, Rebecca Fleet, and Edelweiss for an opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The House Swap by Rebecca Fleet was my first Traveling Sister read with Brenda, Norma, Kaceey, and Susanne, and I had a great time sharing my thoughts with these lovely women! This book is well-written, but very slow in its pace. It moves back and forth to past and present as we learn more about this couple, their marriage, where it went wrong, and how they have tried to put it back together. It’s a book that will make you think about how strong a marriage can be—how it’s possible for two people to withstand so much pain and hurt, and still find something worth fighting for after it all.
2013
Caroline and Francis once were so in love, they couldn’t imagine life without the other. But they are now going through the motions of a marriage—each struggling with their own demons that push them further apart. They are on parallel—but separate—self-destructive paths. And yet, neither has given up on their marriage entirely. They wonder how to reconnect. They wonder if they try, if there will be anything left to save.
2015
Caroline and Francis are reconnecting. They go on a week holiday, leaving their son home with his grandmother. This is an opportunity to continue to heal their marriage. Caroline signs them up for a house swap—a chance to step into someone else’s life for a few days. At first, the idea is exciting! But at the same time, something seems off… The house is almost completely void of personal touches or possessions. Save for a few tokens that remind Caroline of something… Of someone, more accurately, that she thought was buried in her past. Is there more to this house swap than she originally realized? Is there a connection to him??
Reflection
This book is SLOW at the beginning. It doesn’t really pick up until about 2/3, but from that point on I found myself completely engaged in the story. I would categorize this book as domestic suspense, and firmly not a thriller or mystery. But the pain and secrets of this marriage—they slowly embed into your mind until you need to find out what happens.
One thing I enjoyed about Rebecca Fleet’s writing is the way she uses texture and movement in her settings to accent what is happening to the characters. She uses incredibly descriptive language, and I found myself noticing the movement and texture of some scenes, and the flat, stillness of others. This was really effective, and it complimented the slow, somewhat sparse dialogue between the characters quite well.
I found Amber to be an odd character. I don’t want to spoil, but I thought she was going to serve a different purpose for the story than she did. I really enjoyed seeing her, Carl, and other characters through Caroline’s eyes, though, because they were a reflection of how Caroline herself sees the dynamics. I actually wondered if we could see those characters from a different perspective, how much would be the same at all from what Caroline sees.
All in all, it seems like most of the Sisters enjoyed this by the end, though some were drawn in sooner than others. I recommend readers give it time. By the end, I really was engaged in the story, which I’d never have guessed would happen during the first third.
Many thanks to Penguin Group, Rebecca Fleet, and Edelweiss for an opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 26, 2018
I started reading The House Swap on 4/9/18 and finished it on 5/8/18. The title House Swap reminds me of a TV show I used to watch years ago called The Wife Swap. That is the main reason why I wanted to read this book. I like the title. I like how the secrets slowly seeping out letting readers know what’s all going on; however that’s also the downside because the mystery is achingly slow in revealing why Caroline seems to be so distracted. Francis’ past & present isn’t so interesting to read as Caroline’s. The story is easy to read but it moves slowly. Caroline is not a good person to read about because she bitches at her husband for his entertainment while she’s fine to continue with hers. Surprisingly Eddie is the easiest kid in the world while his mom and dad living the life, he happens to be sleeping like a rock.
This book is told in the first person point of view following Caroline and Francis as she and her husband move into another person’s home to stay for a week through the House Swap registry.They needed a getaway to patch up their tense marriage without their son, Eddie as the buffer. House Swap provided the perfect opportunity for a budget friendly getaway. This book is told in two timelines, home in the past and away in the present day. There is a mysterious narrative in italicize who seems to be talking about Caroline. In the past, Caroline’s marriage was irreparable. Caroline’s heart and mind strays to another, younger someone and Francis has an addiction problem. Their son Eddie is young. In the present, the couple seems to be working on fixing their marriage. Francis is understanding and seems to be trying while Caroline has a hard time focusing on Francis when she started to notice little signs in the house that reminds her of her past. There’s also that neighbor from their getaway house, Amber, that seems to remind Caroline of her past also.
This book is a good read if you enjoy slow burning mystery. I didn’t read the synopsis so I didn’t know what to expect when reading this book, and so when the first twist comes, it was so unexpected and comes out of nowhere. I like the subsequent twists that followed. I’m not sure I love the ending. It’s bittersweet. Francis is a good guy to forgive & forget as well as the mystery person. I have a feeling that if Caroline walks away with someone other than Francis, she would be ecstatic. I do like the concept of House Swap. I hope you enjoy your read if you decide to read this book!
Pro: mystery, suspense, easy to read
Con: Francis’ POV lacks entertainment
I rate it 4 stars!
***Disclaimer: Many thanks to the author Rebecca Fleet, publisher Pamela Dorman Books, and Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.
xoxo,
Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com for more details
This book is told in the first person point of view following Caroline and Francis as she and her husband move into another person’s home to stay for a week through the House Swap registry.They needed a getaway to patch up their tense marriage without their son, Eddie as the buffer. House Swap provided the perfect opportunity for a budget friendly getaway. This book is told in two timelines, home in the past and away in the present day. There is a mysterious narrative in italicize who seems to be talking about Caroline. In the past, Caroline’s marriage was irreparable. Caroline’s heart and mind strays to another, younger someone and Francis has an addiction problem. Their son Eddie is young. In the present, the couple seems to be working on fixing their marriage. Francis is understanding and seems to be trying while Caroline has a hard time focusing on Francis when she started to notice little signs in the house that reminds her of her past. There’s also that neighbor from their getaway house, Amber, that seems to remind Caroline of her past also.
This book is a good read if you enjoy slow burning mystery. I didn’t read the synopsis so I didn’t know what to expect when reading this book, and so when the first twist comes, it was so unexpected and comes out of nowhere. I like the subsequent twists that followed. I’m not sure I love the ending. It’s bittersweet. Francis is a good guy to forgive & forget as well as the mystery person. I have a feeling that if Caroline walks away with someone other than Francis, she would be ecstatic. I do like the concept of House Swap. I hope you enjoy your read if you decide to read this book!
Pro: mystery, suspense, easy to read
Con: Francis’ POV lacks entertainment
I rate it 4 stars!
***Disclaimer: Many thanks to the author Rebecca Fleet, publisher Pamela Dorman Books, and Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.
xoxo,
Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com for more details
May 2, 2018
Caroline and Francis receive an offer to house swap and take advantage of the chance to spend a week away from home. They have had a few troubled years where they have both worked hard to save their marriage and now look to build on it. The house they go to is mysterious though and Caroline discovers signs of her life before her husband. The person they have swapped with is a person Caroline would rather remains in her past but they have different ideas.
A story full of suspense and a very promising debut novel.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Random House for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
A story full of suspense and a very promising debut novel.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Random House for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
May 15, 2018
The House Swap by Rebecca Fleet is an extremely slow building domestic drama with an edge of suspense to the story. The book is mostly told from the main character Caroline's point of view with the occasional switch to an unknown voice and a few flashes to her Caroline's husband's POV. The story also switches back and forth between Caroline's present and two years before.
Caroline and Francis are a married couple with a young son that are trying to revive their marriage after mistakes on both of their parts were made in the past. With not enough funds to cover a conventional vacation Caroline had begun to look into the idea of house swapping to try to fund a getaway for her and Francis for some alone time.
When an offer was made on their home the couple happily set out for a much needed vacation but after they arrived little details begin to point Caroline to her own past. Before long Caroline is questioning just who set up this house swap and just who is staying in their home while they are away.
I have to say again, this one was an extremely slow build which of course is a big factor of my rating on this book. A good 2/3-3/4 of the book focuses on Caroline's affair in the past and her obsession with that relationship which really only had me wondering why she is even still with her husband and rather losing interest.
However with an ending that really stood out this one easily could have been a 3 or above but when finished with the wrap up I still felt a bit underwhelmed with the whole story leaving me to rate this book at 2.5 stars. There was certainly potential to the writing so I wouldn't be opposed to trying another story by the author that perhaps wasn't so focused on an affair.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via Edelweiss.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Caroline and Francis are a married couple with a young son that are trying to revive their marriage after mistakes on both of their parts were made in the past. With not enough funds to cover a conventional vacation Caroline had begun to look into the idea of house swapping to try to fund a getaway for her and Francis for some alone time.
When an offer was made on their home the couple happily set out for a much needed vacation but after they arrived little details begin to point Caroline to her own past. Before long Caroline is questioning just who set up this house swap and just who is staying in their home while they are away.
I have to say again, this one was an extremely slow build which of course is a big factor of my rating on this book. A good 2/3-3/4 of the book focuses on Caroline's affair in the past and her obsession with that relationship which really only had me wondering why she is even still with her husband and rather losing interest.
However with an ending that really stood out this one easily could have been a 3 or above but when finished with the wrap up I still felt a bit underwhelmed with the whole story leaving me to rate this book at 2.5 stars. There was certainly potential to the writing so I wouldn't be opposed to trying another story by the author that perhaps wasn't so focused on an affair.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via Edelweiss.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
June 9, 2019
With a promising premise I had high hopes for this debut novel.
But the lacklustre prose with zero jeopardy just left me unsympathetic to the main protagonist, when you start checking to see how many pages are remaining - the story just isn’t working for you...
Told over two time periods as we learn in the past (Home) of Caroline and Francis marriage hitting a troubled spot, whilst the opportunity in the present (Away) to House Sway a week away in a new location this seems like the perfect chance to reconnect.
But during their stay Caroline notices small signs that the person who they’ve swapped with must know her.
From flowers in the bathroom to the music in the CD player, realisation dawns that this person is in her house too!
Through the various chapters we learn that Francis is a recovering drug addict whilst during this time Caroline started an affair with Carl.
The numerous sex scenes felt gratuitously tacked on and added to my dislike of the main protagonist!
Lacking in suspense and with characters I started to loathe, I just accepted that this book wasn’t for me.
But the lacklustre prose with zero jeopardy just left me unsympathetic to the main protagonist, when you start checking to see how many pages are remaining - the story just isn’t working for you...
Told over two time periods as we learn in the past (Home) of Caroline and Francis marriage hitting a troubled spot, whilst the opportunity in the present (Away) to House Sway a week away in a new location this seems like the perfect chance to reconnect.
But during their stay Caroline notices small signs that the person who they’ve swapped with must know her.
From flowers in the bathroom to the music in the CD player, realisation dawns that this person is in her house too!
Through the various chapters we learn that Francis is a recovering drug addict whilst during this time Caroline started an affair with Carl.
The numerous sex scenes felt gratuitously tacked on and added to my dislike of the main protagonist!
Lacking in suspense and with characters I started to loathe, I just accepted that this book wasn’t for me.
April 8, 2018
The House Swap was well written, but not really for me this one. I kept up to the end simply to see the resolution which I wasn't even terribly bothered about to be honest but sometimes the end justifies the means. Ultimately though that was a bit flat too so...
Anyway the premise is sound - a house swap, a couple trying to save their marriage after one suffers with addiction and the other has an affair. Mysterious things in the house start sparking memory in the wife and she realises that there is a tie to her past there and what happened to end said affair and start a reconciliation with hubby.
This, in my opinion obviously, isn't a thriller at all, not even the psychological kind. It's more a family drama and it's a little slow to move. My main issue with it was lack of character depth - Caroline is self absorbed and her treatment of her pill addicted husband in the flashback sequences was not endearing and I didn't feel the author explored her motivations enough to allow us to know her. Francis, said Husband, was probably the most sympathetic character, but his addiction and the reasons for it were not fleshed out at all, leaving him sat there as a kind of wishy washy "Plot device for everything else" - even when we got his POV which wasn't much it was just well, as a plot device to let us know he knew something Caroline didn't think he knew.
The "Lover" was completely unbelievable to me. There's a lot of stuff about how "hot" he is and a lot of descriptive prose and inserts about their sexual activity which didn't really add to the plot - it would have been ok if this has been trailed as an "Erotic Drama" but honestly I could have done without it. It was SO cliche. Younger man, hot and heavy, older woman whose husband doesn't understand her. Yawn.
Plus that poor child. One parent with an addiction, the other who can't wait to get bath and storytime over so she can rush out the door and have very bad sex with her lover.
The resolution is a bit pulled out of nowhere. It does have a theme that, had it really been explored, could have given this a lot of depth and perception but as we see the "villain" only in portions and those portions are mostly rather randomly connected to the rest it didn't really make me feel anything other than pleased I'd gotten to the end.
So, The House Swap will probably please a lot of people - there's nothing wrong with the writing and if you happen to engage with one or more of the characters, or you like some erotic undertones to your reading, then this one might be for you. It wasn't for me.
Anyway the premise is sound - a house swap, a couple trying to save their marriage after one suffers with addiction and the other has an affair. Mysterious things in the house start sparking memory in the wife and she realises that there is a tie to her past there and what happened to end said affair and start a reconciliation with hubby.
This, in my opinion obviously, isn't a thriller at all, not even the psychological kind. It's more a family drama and it's a little slow to move. My main issue with it was lack of character depth - Caroline is self absorbed and her treatment of her pill addicted husband in the flashback sequences was not endearing and I didn't feel the author explored her motivations enough to allow us to know her. Francis, said Husband, was probably the most sympathetic character, but his addiction and the reasons for it were not fleshed out at all, leaving him sat there as a kind of wishy washy "Plot device for everything else" - even when we got his POV which wasn't much it was just well, as a plot device to let us know he knew something Caroline didn't think he knew.
The "Lover" was completely unbelievable to me. There's a lot of stuff about how "hot" he is and a lot of descriptive prose and inserts about their sexual activity which didn't really add to the plot - it would have been ok if this has been trailed as an "Erotic Drama" but honestly I could have done without it. It was SO cliche. Younger man, hot and heavy, older woman whose husband doesn't understand her. Yawn.
Plus that poor child. One parent with an addiction, the other who can't wait to get bath and storytime over so she can rush out the door and have very bad sex with her lover.
The resolution is a bit pulled out of nowhere. It does have a theme that, had it really been explored, could have given this a lot of depth and perception but as we see the "villain" only in portions and those portions are mostly rather randomly connected to the rest it didn't really make me feel anything other than pleased I'd gotten to the end.
So, The House Swap will probably please a lot of people - there's nothing wrong with the writing and if you happen to engage with one or more of the characters, or you like some erotic undertones to your reading, then this one might be for you. It wasn't for me.
June 25, 2018
The whole idea of this novel was fantastic ... until I started reading... such a big disappointment for a psychological thriller sorry but I wasn’t a fan there are too many better thrillers I could recommend that are worth 4 and 5 stars but not this. The ending was awful and really book could of been told in like 150 pages lol. Waste of money.
January 25, 2021
**this book was won through a Goodreads giveaway by the publisher.**
I’m not usually a huge thriller person, but I really enjoyed this book! The suspense was slow and unnerving, so much so that I didn’t read it late at night. The twists and turns were unexpected, and I love the guessing game. The characters were also very well written, so that I felt empathetic and connected with each one in different ways. I will definitely be following this author’s work from now on!
I’m not usually a huge thriller person, but I really enjoyed this book! The suspense was slow and unnerving, so much so that I didn’t read it late at night. The twists and turns were unexpected, and I love the guessing game. The characters were also very well written, so that I felt empathetic and connected with each one in different ways. I will definitely be following this author’s work from now on!
March 3, 2019
Well i was looking forward to The House Swap by Rebecca Fleet for a while but for me it was a slow burn that just went nowhere the prose sounded interesting but not even the characters were appealing they were quite mundane Caroline was a mess she was very indecisive & bland Always consumed with guilt for her work collegue Carl they shared texts unbeknown to Francis who was battling his own demons with pills ... This was a domestic thriller yes thriller that did not make me thrilled.
There wasnt any suspense which made me bored i may be in the minority as it rates between 3 & 4 stars with the occassional 5 but me was 2.5
There wasnt any suspense which made me bored i may be in the minority as it rates between 3 & 4 stars with the occassional 5 but me was 2.5
November 24, 2018
Absolutely loved this book and amazed that this is Rebecca Fleet’s debut novel. She is definitely an author to look out for.
Caroline and Francis are a couple trying to rebuild their marriage after one of them has had an affair. Can their marriage survive such a betrayal of trust and will it ever be the same?
Caroline organises a house swap from their flat in Leeds to a house in Chiswick, thinking a change of scenery will do them good. The house has few possessions and slowly Caroline gets the feeling that who ever owns the property is someone she knows and was hoping never to meet again.
Portrayed over several timelines, this is told in such a way that you gradually find out who owns the house and why they set up the house swap. The tension builds gradually, making this a book very difficult to put down, loved the twists and new characters along the way.
A must read book that has a surprising ending that I did not see coming.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
Caroline and Francis are a couple trying to rebuild their marriage after one of them has had an affair. Can their marriage survive such a betrayal of trust and will it ever be the same?
Caroline organises a house swap from their flat in Leeds to a house in Chiswick, thinking a change of scenery will do them good. The house has few possessions and slowly Caroline gets the feeling that who ever owns the property is someone she knows and was hoping never to meet again.
Portrayed over several timelines, this is told in such a way that you gradually find out who owns the house and why they set up the house swap. The tension builds gradually, making this a book very difficult to put down, loved the twists and new characters along the way.
A must read book that has a surprising ending that I did not see coming.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
April 21, 2018
A nice slow-burning debut. If you're looking for a lot of action, this isn't it. This book doesn't seem very concerned with shocking the reader, just meandering along and letting the secrets come out tantalizingly slowly. It's a look inside a marriage that has been on the verge of failing for some time. Addiction and indiscretions from both sides. Caroline and Francis have both wronged each other, but they're trying to make things work out... joined by the love of their son and the memories of the fierce love they once shared. Looks into their past show the reader exactly how they got here.
Feeling that some time away might help them heal and reconnect, Caroline jumps on an opportunity to house swap with a stranger. It's an inexpensive way to get a little vacation, even if the idea of allowing someone into your personal space while you invade theirs miles and miles away is a little odd. It isn't long before Caroline starts noticing strange little touches in the weirdly barren house that will be their home for a week... a photo here, some particular flowers here... they just keep coming. They send her mind straight back to her past, to things she's been trying to move on from. Almost like they've been carefully planned and placed by the only other person who knows the meaning they hold... her old lover.
I wish Chris hadn't been portrayed as so entirely perfect in the past with so much focus on their love life, and the child Caroline and Francis share seemed almost like a footnote. It felt like he was just there to give a solid reason for the characters to want to work things out. Neither is portrayed as a very attentive parent in the past, but then again they both have some sort of addiction that keeps them from their son. There is definitely some suspense, and the book managed to surprise me more than once. I would recommend it to fans of slow-burning domestic suspense and give it a 3.5 out of 5. I'm interested to see what else the author comes up with!
I received a copy of this book from Penguin's First to Read program, thank you! My opinion is honest and unbiased.
Feeling that some time away might help them heal and reconnect, Caroline jumps on an opportunity to house swap with a stranger. It's an inexpensive way to get a little vacation, even if the idea of allowing someone into your personal space while you invade theirs miles and miles away is a little odd. It isn't long before Caroline starts noticing strange little touches in the weirdly barren house that will be their home for a week... a photo here, some particular flowers here... they just keep coming. They send her mind straight back to her past, to things she's been trying to move on from. Almost like they've been carefully planned and placed by the only other person who knows the meaning they hold... her old lover.
I wish Chris hadn't been portrayed as so entirely perfect in the past with so much focus on their love life, and the child Caroline and Francis share seemed almost like a footnote. It felt like he was just there to give a solid reason for the characters to want to work things out. Neither is portrayed as a very attentive parent in the past, but then again they both have some sort of addiction that keeps them from their son. There is definitely some suspense, and the book managed to surprise me more than once. I would recommend it to fans of slow-burning domestic suspense and give it a 3.5 out of 5. I'm interested to see what else the author comes up with!
I received a copy of this book from Penguin's First to Read program, thank you! My opinion is honest and unbiased.
December 19, 2020
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As I usually do, I look at others reviews to see what others thought. I think it’s a middle of the road when I looked at others reviews, but I really liked it.
It had the completeness of a good mystery type thriller based around a domestic noir with a few sexy scenes thrown in.
As it says in the title House Swap. Yes this is based around swapping your home for a vacation in each other’s houses, but this is so much more.
A husband with a good profession but a problem.
A wife undervalued and under temptation.
Yes it has an affair in it but it’s very much a part of the drawing the reader in.
I was very invested in this book.
I read some, and I listened on audio to some.
The audio is ok but the woman’s voice sometimes didn’t give it enough umf enough expression. It didn’t deter me though because I was so into this equation that was happening.
I definitely didn’t guess some of this.
Characters very well rounded, real, and relatable.
I’ve now got her other book. Loving her writing style.
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Blog |
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As I usually do, I look at others reviews to see what others thought. I think it’s a middle of the road when I looked at others reviews, but I really liked it.
It had the completeness of a good mystery type thriller based around a domestic noir with a few sexy scenes thrown in.
As it says in the title House Swap. Yes this is based around swapping your home for a vacation in each other’s houses, but this is so much more.
A husband with a good profession but a problem.
A wife undervalued and under temptation.
Yes it has an affair in it but it’s very much a part of the drawing the reader in.
I was very invested in this book.
I read some, and I listened on audio to some.
The audio is ok but the woman’s voice sometimes didn’t give it enough umf enough expression. It didn’t deter me though because I was so into this equation that was happening.
I definitely didn’t guess some of this.
Characters very well rounded, real, and relatable.
I’ve now got her other book. Loving her writing style.
September 2, 2019
Unfortunately, one of the dumbest and most boring books I've read in some time. Warning: the following review will contain profanity, because the main character was such an insufferable moron it took everything I had not to throw my Kindle across the room.
This should not have been sold as a thriller. More like 300 pages of Caroline blathering on about her adulterous affair with Carl.
The entire premise is based on characters behaving in ways that don't resemble any earth-bound logic.
Entering into a house swap without any idea of the person you're swapping with? Huh? I don't use AirBnB, so maybe it works that way, but it seems like a veeeeeeeeeeeery risky endeavour not to meet the person who's going to be living in your fucking apartment for a week. Here's how the scenario would have played out if they'd taken that initial logical step:
Caroline and Francis meet up with the person they'll be swapping with:
Sandra: Hi, we're swapping houses.
Francis: Honey, she pretended to be my patient and told me about how you ran over her daughter.
Caroline: Oh. Sorry about killing your daughter, Sandra, but we won't be house swapping with you.
Okay, so we come to the alternate scenario that the book takes, where Caroline and Francis don't have any idea who they've swapped with. Caroline comes to suspect they've swapped with Carl, a man she had an affair with two years earlier, but whose relationship was cut off, based on what appears to be a serious incident in their past. Now, Francis is well aware of the affair. They've spent two years rebuilding from that and his addiction to (unidentified) drugs that basically drove Caroline into the affair in the first place. Here's what could have happened if Caroline used normal person logic:
Caroline: I think this house actually belongs to Carl, and he's in our apartment, and I don't know what he's up to.
Francis: Let's go back there now and I'll kick that fucker's ass.
But, no. Caroline thinks Francis wouldn't be able to handle this reminder of Carl, for some reason, even though they've had two years to work on this. In any case, when Caroline discovers it's a woman in the apartment (but doesn't yet know who it is), here's what could have happened:
Caroline: The person staying in our apartment is a woman, and she's pretending to be Carl. Isn't that weird and creepy?
Francis: Let's go back there now and I'll kick that fucker's ass.
Of course, it turns out that the person they've swapped with is the mother of a teenager that Caroline ran over and killed (see above), which Carl took the rap for to protect her, and the reason they could never see each other again despite being madly, madly, madly in love. But surely the next logical scenario would have been:
Caroline: Honey, I ran over a teenage girl and killed her the last time I was with Carl, and now that girl's mother is in our apartment plotting nefarious things.
Francis: Oh, yeah. She pretended to be my patient and told me everything. I've been waiting for you to confess. Well done! Let's go back there now and kick that fucker's ass.
In any case, I just couldn't buy into it, and all I was left with was Caroline behaving like a complete and utter moron, blathering on some more about how all these different things reminded of her all powerful love affair with Carl. For example, finding an attic and exploring it to see if she can learn more about Carl (this is still at the stage where she thinks they've swapped with him), when it was just as easy to go back to her apartment and fucking ask him herself face to face! In fact, no matter who she thought was in her apartment, I couldn't for the life of me understand why she just didn't go back there and see what was going on . It was just too, too stupid.
Also, how is it possible that Francis didn't even know that Carl had gone to jail? Hit-and-runs and the driver's prison sentences are usually leading news items because of journalism's if-it-bleeds-it-leads mentality. Also, Carl operated in circles close to them, so news would have got back to him eventually, especially since this is around the time he started kicking his drug addiction.
And if Sandra knew the truth about her daughter's death, why not go to the police? Instead, she's somehow managing to locate good real estate conveniently close to one of her targets and buying a fucking house to get her revenge. Seems excessive.
The chapters from Francis' point of view are close to pointless. Sure, we eventually get the reveal that Sandra visited him and confessed all, but that little event didn't make those previous chapters have any relevance.
And after all this long, slow build-up, is there any suspense or any sort of pay-off? No. None! Sandra briefly considers killing Caroline's son Eddie as revenge, but realises she could never do that and hangs herself instead. Pretty anti-climactic.
This was a dull domestic soap opera. If you were being kind, you could call it a character study. But it was NOT a thriller. There was no suspense. It was mostly Caroline carrying on about how wonderful Carl was and how everything reminded her of him. I was very, very bored throughout. The characters were stupid, I didn't like any of them, and their actions made no sense.
This should not have been sold as a thriller. More like 300 pages of Caroline blathering on about her adulterous affair with Carl.
The entire premise is based on characters behaving in ways that don't resemble any earth-bound logic.
Entering into a house swap without any idea of the person you're swapping with? Huh? I don't use AirBnB, so maybe it works that way, but it seems like a veeeeeeeeeeeery risky endeavour not to meet the person who's going to be living in your fucking apartment for a week. Here's how the scenario would have played out if they'd taken that initial logical step:
Caroline and Francis meet up with the person they'll be swapping with:
Sandra: Hi, we're swapping houses.
Francis: Honey, she pretended to be my patient and told me about how you ran over her daughter.
Caroline: Oh. Sorry about killing your daughter, Sandra, but we won't be house swapping with you.
Okay, so we come to the alternate scenario that the book takes, where Caroline and Francis don't have any idea who they've swapped with. Caroline comes to suspect they've swapped with Carl, a man she had an affair with two years earlier, but whose relationship was cut off, based on what appears to be a serious incident in their past. Now, Francis is well aware of the affair. They've spent two years rebuilding from that and his addiction to (unidentified) drugs that basically drove Caroline into the affair in the first place. Here's what could have happened if Caroline used normal person logic:
Caroline: I think this house actually belongs to Carl, and he's in our apartment, and I don't know what he's up to.
Francis: Let's go back there now and I'll kick that fucker's ass.
But, no. Caroline thinks Francis wouldn't be able to handle this reminder of Carl, for some reason, even though they've had two years to work on this. In any case, when Caroline discovers it's a woman in the apartment (but doesn't yet know who it is), here's what could have happened:
Caroline: The person staying in our apartment is a woman, and she's pretending to be Carl. Isn't that weird and creepy?
Francis: Let's go back there now and I'll kick that fucker's ass.
Of course, it turns out that the person they've swapped with is the mother of a teenager that Caroline ran over and killed (see above), which Carl took the rap for to protect her, and the reason they could never see each other again despite being madly, madly, madly in love. But surely the next logical scenario would have been:
Caroline: Honey, I ran over a teenage girl and killed her the last time I was with Carl, and now that girl's mother is in our apartment plotting nefarious things.
Francis: Oh, yeah. She pretended to be my patient and told me everything. I've been waiting for you to confess. Well done! Let's go back there now and kick that fucker's ass.
In any case, I just couldn't buy into it, and all I was left with was Caroline behaving like a complete and utter moron, blathering on some more about how all these different things reminded of her all powerful love affair with Carl. For example, finding an attic and exploring it to see if she can learn more about Carl (this is still at the stage where she thinks they've swapped with him), when it was just as easy to go back to her apartment and fucking ask him herself face to face! In fact, no matter who she thought was in her apartment, I couldn't for the life of me understand why she just didn't go back there and see what was going on . It was just too, too stupid.
Also, how is it possible that Francis didn't even know that Carl had gone to jail? Hit-and-runs and the driver's prison sentences are usually leading news items because of journalism's if-it-bleeds-it-leads mentality. Also, Carl operated in circles close to them, so news would have got back to him eventually, especially since this is around the time he started kicking his drug addiction.
And if Sandra knew the truth about her daughter's death, why not go to the police? Instead, she's somehow managing to locate good real estate conveniently close to one of her targets and buying a fucking house to get her revenge. Seems excessive.
The chapters from Francis' point of view are close to pointless. Sure, we eventually get the reveal that Sandra visited him and confessed all, but that little event didn't make those previous chapters have any relevance.
And after all this long, slow build-up, is there any suspense or any sort of pay-off? No. None! Sandra briefly considers killing Caroline's son Eddie as revenge, but realises she could never do that and hangs herself instead. Pretty anti-climactic.
This was a dull domestic soap opera. If you were being kind, you could call it a character study. But it was NOT a thriller. There was no suspense. It was mostly Caroline carrying on about how wonderful Carl was and how everything reminded her of him. I was very, very bored throughout. The characters were stupid, I didn't like any of them, and their actions made no sense.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 21, 2018
“Once upon a time I was falling in love. Now I'm only falling apart.”
All marriages have secrets, all partners have things they would rather keep to themselves. Some marriages fall apart, while others seem to go forward no matter what obstacles have been placed in their path.
In this novel we follow Caroline and Francis, a couple whose marriage has been on the brink of ending. Caroline had been carrying on a torrid affair with a coworker while Francis seemed to be always strung out on drugs.
However, they are trying to mend their marriage. They have a son and for him and themselves they have decided to patch up their relationship and what better way to do so then by going away together. Caroline arranges a house swap, a cheap way to find other surroundings and work on a marriage that seemed to be ill fated.
When a young woman living across the way from the house they wind up in becomes too interested in Caroline, things bubble to the surface and the secrets and lies begin to unfold in an alarming rate. Will all the deceptions, the lies, and most of all the relationship that draws Caroline like an obsession be solved or will Caroline's love for another and a deep terrible secret be the ending of her marriage?
While the whole story seemed fairly well written, it seemed to take quite some time to get into the meat of the tale. Truly it was not until almost two thirds into the story, that the book became a compulsive read.
Thank you to Rebecca Fleet, Penguin Random House Publishing, and Edelweiss for a copy of this book.
All marriages have secrets, all partners have things they would rather keep to themselves. Some marriages fall apart, while others seem to go forward no matter what obstacles have been placed in their path.
In this novel we follow Caroline and Francis, a couple whose marriage has been on the brink of ending. Caroline had been carrying on a torrid affair with a coworker while Francis seemed to be always strung out on drugs.
However, they are trying to mend their marriage. They have a son and for him and themselves they have decided to patch up their relationship and what better way to do so then by going away together. Caroline arranges a house swap, a cheap way to find other surroundings and work on a marriage that seemed to be ill fated.
When a young woman living across the way from the house they wind up in becomes too interested in Caroline, things bubble to the surface and the secrets and lies begin to unfold in an alarming rate. Will all the deceptions, the lies, and most of all the relationship that draws Caroline like an obsession be solved or will Caroline's love for another and a deep terrible secret be the ending of her marriage?
While the whole story seemed fairly well written, it seemed to take quite some time to get into the meat of the tale. Truly it was not until almost two thirds into the story, that the book became a compulsive read.
Thank you to Rebecca Fleet, Penguin Random House Publishing, and Edelweiss for a copy of this book.
April 12, 2018
Caroline and Francis are looking forward to an escape from their city apartment to a house in a London suburb after receiving an offer to house swap for a week. They are hoping that some alone time with each other will help their marriage. But a neighbor at the house they are staying at won't seem to leave Caroline alone and the house is full of eerie reminders of a past Caroline is trying to forget. It looks like someone knows Caroline's secrets and there might be a significant price to pay.
This book had so much potential but the final product almost feels like a wasted opportunity. As a suspense novel, it just didn't deliver as it dragged on in parts and it never felt like edge of your seat reading because so few characters were introduced as potential suspects. I also thought the character of Francis was never fully developed and would have liked a little more backstory for him. However, I did enjoy the depiction of the marital strain between Caroline and Francis. I think if you go into this book as more of a fiction read rather than suspense you won't be as disappointed.
Thank you to First to Read for an advance digital copy! All views expressed are my honest opinion.
This book had so much potential but the final product almost feels like a wasted opportunity. As a suspense novel, it just didn't deliver as it dragged on in parts and it never felt like edge of your seat reading because so few characters were introduced as potential suspects. I also thought the character of Francis was never fully developed and would have liked a little more backstory for him. However, I did enjoy the depiction of the marital strain between Caroline and Francis. I think if you go into this book as more of a fiction read rather than suspense you won't be as disappointed.
Thank you to First to Read for an advance digital copy! All views expressed are my honest opinion.
June 6, 2018
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Okay, this is one of those books that I’ll probably forget all the details about in less than a month so I better get something written down pronto.
Caroline and Francis are attempting to rebuild their marriage after going through a seriously rough patch. They decide to take a week away all by themselves and do so via way of a . . . . .
Despite the house they end up with being more than a little cold and impersonal, the location is perfect and the couple have plans to experience some great meals and “touristy” types of daytrips. That is, until Caroline starts noticing little details from a time in the not-so-distant past she’s been trying to leave behind.
This was decent. Y’all know I’m a stingy butthole when it comes to the Starzzzzzz so 3 is good. I liked the slow burn presentation, the fact that both the husband AND the wife were kind of horrible people rather than just one of them, and I didn’t see the additional twist coming until it was right up on me (I actually was thinking a completely different direction so that was a pleasant change of things). Once again, if you prefer a little “Lifetime Mystery of the Week” for your beachy type of read, this one may be a winner.
Oh and NetGalley? You can go ahead and decline my pending request already. The liburrrrry hooked me up.
Okay, this is one of those books that I’ll probably forget all the details about in less than a month so I better get something written down pronto.
Caroline and Francis are attempting to rebuild their marriage after going through a seriously rough patch. They decide to take a week away all by themselves and do so via way of a . . . . .
Despite the house they end up with being more than a little cold and impersonal, the location is perfect and the couple have plans to experience some great meals and “touristy” types of daytrips. That is, until Caroline starts noticing little details from a time in the not-so-distant past she’s been trying to leave behind.
This was decent. Y’all know I’m a stingy butthole when it comes to the Starzzzzzz so 3 is good. I liked the slow burn presentation, the fact that both the husband AND the wife were kind of horrible people rather than just one of them, and I didn’t see the additional twist coming until it was right up on me (I actually was thinking a completely different direction so that was a pleasant change of things). Once again, if you prefer a little “Lifetime Mystery of the Week” for your beachy type of read, this one may be a winner.
Oh and NetGalley? You can go ahead and decline my pending request already. The liburrrrry hooked me up.
August 15, 2023
An awesome book to get stuck into!
This book had me hooked early with the characters, a plot that kept me on my toes and excellent writing. A solid psychological thriller.
Refreshing. A psychological novel that doesn't feature a child abduction, baby stealing or anything similar that has dominated a lot of books this year. From the title to the cover and the words in the middle I was mesmerized in this book.
Caroline and Francis are imperfect people surviving in a damaged and painful marriage. The characters are all strong in this book and easy to imagine and listen too. The dialogue is brilliant and I loved that each chapter is an opportunity to get into the head of each person.
Nothing is as it seems and soon the plot takes us sideways with new characters and complex secrets and lies. Often deceiving themselves. This is a book that tackles some tricky relationship dynamics and tests !oyalties.
When the book starts to twist I was so thrilled. I thought I had this one all wrapped up but how wrong I was! The complex, darker truths are revealed after you have hung on and can't wait to know the ending. It was worth the wait.
Rebecca has given the reader a book that pulls no punches and gives thrilling aspects to each main character. Set in a way that moves through the past to present a featuring different perspectives, all done smoothly with no frustrating moments of not knowing what is going on.
I read this eager to have more and loved how despite being fiction it could I fact be a real situation. Nothing is simple. Who we are at home may well be hidden behind a mask.
A fabulous read, great twists, addictive plot and memorable characters. This one may well be your next surprise package. A big thumbs up from me.
This book had me hooked early with the characters, a plot that kept me on my toes and excellent writing. A solid psychological thriller.
Refreshing. A psychological novel that doesn't feature a child abduction, baby stealing or anything similar that has dominated a lot of books this year. From the title to the cover and the words in the middle I was mesmerized in this book.
Caroline and Francis are imperfect people surviving in a damaged and painful marriage. The characters are all strong in this book and easy to imagine and listen too. The dialogue is brilliant and I loved that each chapter is an opportunity to get into the head of each person.
Nothing is as it seems and soon the plot takes us sideways with new characters and complex secrets and lies. Often deceiving themselves. This is a book that tackles some tricky relationship dynamics and tests !oyalties.
When the book starts to twist I was so thrilled. I thought I had this one all wrapped up but how wrong I was! The complex, darker truths are revealed after you have hung on and can't wait to know the ending. It was worth the wait.
Rebecca has given the reader a book that pulls no punches and gives thrilling aspects to each main character. Set in a way that moves through the past to present a featuring different perspectives, all done smoothly with no frustrating moments of not knowing what is going on.
I read this eager to have more and loved how despite being fiction it could I fact be a real situation. Nothing is simple. Who we are at home may well be hidden behind a mask.
A fabulous read, great twists, addictive plot and memorable characters. This one may well be your next surprise package. A big thumbs up from me.
January 2, 2019
Formally The House Swap is structured like a mystery thriller though it is actually neither; the only real secret is perfectly well-known to the characters, especially the principal narrator Caroline, wife of a psychiatrist Francis. In 2017 they are living in Leeds, with a young son Eddie, when offered a fortnight’s house swap with a woman living in Chiswick. Finding the opportunity to spend a couple of weeks so near to London, they accept. We discover soon that they are both in very fragile condition. Francis is a recovering drug addict, and Caroline seems only a heartbeat from a panic attack. Soon she reveals that in 2015, when Francis was constantly high, she had an affair with a younger coworker. That, however, is not the big secret, and we only find it out near the end. Especially because Caroline’s narrational technique is pretending to address her absent ex-lover Carl, I found that very artificial and inartistic. When you’re talking to somebody who is not there, do you keep remembering that you are really the narrator in a storybook and carefully avoid alluding to the matter which is most on your mind? It would be like writing a novel in which the proverbial dead moose is lying in the living room but never mentioned, because the mystery is the fact that there is a dead moose lying in the living room and you don’t want to “spoil” the story. But other than my problems with narrative technique, I found House Swap a very moving book. It unfolds slowly and sometimes I wanted to lose patience with Caroline, but the length was appropriate to the emotional territory Rebecca Fleet covers. The book is a brilliant depiction of guilt, remorse, contrition, repentance and recovery. It is a more than realistic portrayal of the power of conscience and the revelation that our acts often have much wider implications than we imagined. Yet it’s also a very sexy story. The love scenes between Caroline and Carl are very sensual without quite being erotica--really bringing out the physical and emotional attachment Caroline’s obsession created for her. We appreciate how neither Francis nor Caroline herself trusts not to suffer a relapse. I also found Caroline’s new neighbour Amber, with whom Caroline finds she has something in common, most appealing. At the levels of moral and spiritual values and portrayal of character, The House Swap is superb. Stylistic, narrative and plot deficiencies raised some doubts but still I’ll go for the whole five stars, but the last one’s a bit dim. It’s still one of the very best domestics I’ve read.
June 25, 2018
This is a hard book to review or recommend because it's so.....odd. It's marketed as a thriller but it's equally a domestic drama about a troubled marriage. I liked it, but it wasn't at all what I was expecting.
A sexual affair is a BIG part of the plot, so if infidelity or sexual content (it's not over the top) is a trigger, best to steer clear. Personally, I empathized with all of the characters in the story. It's a bit of a sad story, actually - not weepy sad, but nobody comes out unscathed here. Lots of bad decisions with painful, life-changing consequences.
The thriller aspect is pretty good; it's a tense read. You won't be able to imagine at the beginning of the book what the ending will be - I appreciated not knowing ahead of time where Fleet was going with the story.
A nicely assured Amercian debut by Fleet but this won't be everyone's cuppa. I have a feeling this one will stick with me longer than most thrillers.
A sexual affair is a BIG part of the plot, so if infidelity or sexual content (it's not over the top) is a trigger, best to steer clear. Personally, I empathized with all of the characters in the story. It's a bit of a sad story, actually - not weepy sad, but nobody comes out unscathed here. Lots of bad decisions with painful, life-changing consequences.
The thriller aspect is pretty good; it's a tense read. You won't be able to imagine at the beginning of the book what the ending will be - I appreciated not knowing ahead of time where Fleet was going with the story.
A nicely assured Amercian debut by Fleet but this won't be everyone's cuppa. I have a feeling this one will stick with me longer than most thrillers.
May 5, 2018
The House Swap by Rebecca Fleet was a bit slow for me. The story seemed to drag out, which I know a lot of people like. I did enjoy the story of Caroline and Francis who take the opportunity to House Swap for a week near London - leaving their son with grand parents. Their marriage has been struggling to survive and they see it as a chance to get away and try to repair the cracks. That is until strange things start to happen and Caroline is forever looking over her shoulder.
Thanks to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Doubleday for my copy of this book to read in exchange for my honest opinions.
Thanks to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Doubleday for my copy of this book to read in exchange for my honest opinions.
June 15, 2020
This might of been a slower paced book. But I actually found it quite entertaining and found it to be an enjoyable, page turner.
July 5, 2018
3.5 stars
Although this was a slow burn domestic thriller, I soon "fell" into the story. Alternating between two different periods of time 2013/2015 and narrated by three different characters, The House Swap is simmering with obsession and sex. I enjoyed the writer's way of weaving enticing clues all throughout the book and look forward to what she will write next.
Yes, I am deliberately keeping quiet on the details because the less said, the more intrigued you will become.
Although this was a slow burn domestic thriller, I soon "fell" into the story. Alternating between two different periods of time 2013/2015 and narrated by three different characters, The House Swap is simmering with obsession and sex. I enjoyed the writer's way of weaving enticing clues all throughout the book and look forward to what she will write next.
Yes, I am deliberately keeping quiet on the details because the less said, the more intrigued you will become.
April 21, 2018
The House Swap by Rebecca Fleet is a thriller that keeps you guessing.
Caroline and Francis are trying to save their marriage and trip away by themselves sounds like a good idea. They house swap with a person on the Internet for a week on a townhouse near London to try an reconnect with each other. Strange things happen in the townhouse that causes more difficulties and Caroline thinks she is being watched and becomes afraid. I enjoyed this book and all the twists and turns in the story. I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House UK Transworld Publishers for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
Caroline and Francis are trying to save their marriage and trip away by themselves sounds like a good idea. They house swap with a person on the Internet for a week on a townhouse near London to try an reconnect with each other. Strange things happen in the townhouse that causes more difficulties and Caroline thinks she is being watched and becomes afraid. I enjoyed this book and all the twists and turns in the story. I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House UK Transworld Publishers for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 26, 2018
3.5 Star
"A house swap becomes the eerie backdrop to a crumbling marriage, a torrid affair, and the fatal consequences that unfold."
As a person who reads a lot of thrillers, it's few and far between that I find one that truly stands out or gets to me much these days. This one did but in a subtle way where I could weirdly relate to certain tangents portrayed in the book. I think anyone who has been in a long term relationship or marriage understands how hard it is to maintain a good one and how easy it is for people to take their partners for granted... and how any relating actions impact not just their own lives, but the lives of others.
We mainly see through Caroline's POV - in the past during her marriage crumbling, the affair that ensued and then in the present, on holiday with her husband, Francis, trying to repair and piece together the shards of the marriage they once had. Occasionally we get to see through Francis's eyes and then through a narrator, the person she house swapped with, that is unknown for most of the story. Fleet does a great job in showing how it takes two people to rock the boat, two people to destroy a marriage and two people to repair it, if repair is even possible.
Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.
Well thriller lovers, I can tell there's going to be some split on this book. It doesn't give you that big twisty feel or that AHA moment that most people tend to love from these types of books. What it does is give you a look inside a broken marriage and the reasons why. A look at how the actions of both Caroline and Francis impact the people around them.
I don't know you guys, there's just something I really liked about this book. While it may not have had me eagerly turning each page with the urgency of needing to know what happened, I did become engrossed in what was going to happen. There's no real sense of thrill or suspense until further into the book as a lot of build up is given. I do wish there was more into the background or character build of both Francis and Carl. I need more answers about these men.
I would put this more into a domestic drama/suspense read rather than a dead on thriller. This suits well for a quick, easy read if you're looking for something to read pool side or as a lighter "thriller" than what you might expect.
A very solid and compelling read for a US debut!
Thank you to Pamela Dorman Books for this copy!
"A house swap becomes the eerie backdrop to a crumbling marriage, a torrid affair, and the fatal consequences that unfold."
As a person who reads a lot of thrillers, it's few and far between that I find one that truly stands out or gets to me much these days. This one did but in a subtle way where I could weirdly relate to certain tangents portrayed in the book. I think anyone who has been in a long term relationship or marriage understands how hard it is to maintain a good one and how easy it is for people to take their partners for granted... and how any relating actions impact not just their own lives, but the lives of others.
We mainly see through Caroline's POV - in the past during her marriage crumbling, the affair that ensued and then in the present, on holiday with her husband, Francis, trying to repair and piece together the shards of the marriage they once had. Occasionally we get to see through Francis's eyes and then through a narrator, the person she house swapped with, that is unknown for most of the story. Fleet does a great job in showing how it takes two people to rock the boat, two people to destroy a marriage and two people to repair it, if repair is even possible.
Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.
Well thriller lovers, I can tell there's going to be some split on this book. It doesn't give you that big twisty feel or that AHA moment that most people tend to love from these types of books. What it does is give you a look inside a broken marriage and the reasons why. A look at how the actions of both Caroline and Francis impact the people around them.
I don't know you guys, there's just something I really liked about this book. While it may not have had me eagerly turning each page with the urgency of needing to know what happened, I did become engrossed in what was going to happen. There's no real sense of thrill or suspense until further into the book as a lot of build up is given. I do wish there was more into the background or character build of both Francis and Carl. I need more answers about these men.
I would put this more into a domestic drama/suspense read rather than a dead on thriller. This suits well for a quick, easy read if you're looking for something to read pool side or as a lighter "thriller" than what you might expect.
A very solid and compelling read for a US debut!
Thank you to Pamela Dorman Books for this copy!
June 8, 2018
what a sad/ depressing ending! I was really torn on how to write this book and couldn't decide between 3-4 stars so I will give it a 3.5. it was a very slow burn mystery and very much so a domestic one at that. Not a whole ton of action, at all. But somehow it worked in this specific case. quite possibly because the writing was amazing, I would normally put a book without much action and a slow burn mystery at that down after about 50 pages of effort, but this one kept me going. I knew something was going on with her neighbor, and I knew there was something that had happened in this couple's past that had not been revealed yet and was quite intrigued to find out what it was and if it had anything at all to do with the present mystery. I don't want to say much more because I think it will spoil things but the ending for me was good yet a little bit of a letdown. Once again no action - just kind of an abrupt solution to the problem and then a few more pages to wrap loose ends up, and then bam the book is over! I think if there had been just maybe one event during the book that had some sort of action or excitement to it and the ending on this would have went even further then it did, this would have been a very strong 4 Star Plus read, and this is coming from someone that reads tons of Thrillers and is pretty hard to impress. I would recommend anyone read this book just for the pure enjoyment of Fleets' prose, which I fell in love with. if I had to compare this book to any other book that I have read in the same genre I would say it reminded me a lot of a book by Clare Mackintosh called 'I Let You Go,' however not quite as good. So if there are fans of Macintosh out there looking for something similar you might want to check this one out!
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