Review: The House Swap

The House Swap by Rebecca Fleet
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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 healing. 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.

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