Kim Fielding is a go to author for me and while I liked this one, I didn't love it. The beginning started out great and the end was good too but the middle dragged more than I was used to for a Fielding book Too many dates, etc. I will say the ending was lovely, the epilogue was great.

3.5 rounded up to 4

Not my genre to read. Was ok. Uncomfortable for me to read. Selected it by mistake. Sorry. It did contain romance and typical dating and relationship issues.

3.5
I can't say I've read much (hmmm...any?) gay romance books. I requested this one from Netgalley because of the title (library!) and must say that I quite enjoyed it! I thought it was a nice story line that stayed interesting, though some of it seemed a little unreasonable. I enjoyed Elliot and Simon's relationship and interactions throughout the story.

The Little Library is a cozy book, well written and a lovely read. There is some angst here, but not too much.
Elliott is a former history professor who is now teaching online courses for a community college. At first we’re only told tidbits about what happened to him in his previous position, but the whole story comes out eventually. Elliott’s former lover is in prison. I won’t tell more about that to avoid spoilers, but suffice to say this is a train wreck in Elliott’s career and life. He half-heartedly searches for another tenure-bound position at a college but knows that no prestigious university or college wants someone tainted with scandal. He has returned home to Modesto, California where he is very unhappy and has cut himself off from everyone. His comfort mechanism is to order books from Amazon. His house if full of books. I mean, really full, so that he’s constantly having to build new bookshelves. Elliott has a loving brother and sister-in-law. They embrace the fact that Elliott is gay, and just love him for himself. All they want is for him to be happy. Elliott keeps in shape by running along a greenbelt path near his house.
One day Elliott notices another man out for exercise, a big bear of a man, who is walking along the path with a cane. Eventually they talk and discover that both are gay men, but since his new acquaintance Simon is well into the closet, that’s the end of it, for now. It turns out Simon is a police officer on medical leave after being shot in the knee. Simon is part of a huge Syrian family who are close and love each other deeply. He feels he cannot come out to his family because of their traditions and religion, which he is sure will cause them to reject Simon. That’s a price he just cannot pay. Also, Simon fears he cannot return to being a policeman with his disability so he is not sure what he is going to do about a career.
When Elliott becomes aware of Little Libraries, which are small boxes in people’s yards, he decides that’s a good way to reduce his book hoarding by sharing his books with others. Take a book, leave a book, that’s the idea behind Little Libraries’ borrowing. It seems to be popular in his neighborhood, except with his horrible, homophobic neighbor, who keeps inventing laws that Elliott is breaking with his Pride flag and his Little Library.
Elliott and Simon fall in love but the fact that Simon has not recovered sufficiently to return to the police department and Elliott is searching throughout the country for another professorship, means there may not be a way for them to be together in the long run. There is wonderful humor in the book to offset the drama. An awkward first date, with spilled ice water in a lap, a loud declaration about sex, and a clumsy waiter is hilarious.
I loved this book so much. The characters are wonderful. I feel like I know them and won’t easily forget them. In fact, this book will lead me to explore Ms. Fielding’s backlist for more books to read.

Solid 3 stars. As a bibliophile (and librarian) I could relate to Elliot on so many levels: hordes of books, Amazon spending sprees, introvert to the max, and the success of his little library was dream worthy. The story itself was standard "so deep in the closet is might as well be Narnia but maybe I'll come to the door for you" trope. Fielding did a good job writing a fairly convincing relationship but the ending felt too forced.

DNF at 48%

I have to be honest with you: I don’t belong to undisputable fans of the author and I don’t have a great experience with her works. Those few novels I read, in spite of their popularity, didn’t work for me. But the moment The Little Library popped up on my feeds I was listening to Rattlesnake and I was enjoying it so much, that I decided to give Kim Fielding's new book a new chance.

The idea of a miniature neighborhood library was sweet, but I had a little doubt about it. I had a mini library when I was 7-8 years old myself. Books were my faithful companions ever since I can remember and I became obsessed with a library idea myself when I got my first library card at the age of 7, so I started to lend my own books to the neighbor kids and friends. Though, I was more interested in my own nicely administrated booking list than in making recommendations. It was long ago.

Now I’m a convinced advocate of e-book-readers and the idea of a paperback neighborhood library appears a bit old-fashioned and...well, out-of-date to me. Especially when I read that someone who likes books, buys a lot of books, starts slowly to have a place problem because of many books and who teaches online classes (= he is well acquainted with a modern technique), still hasn’t come to an idea to get an e-book-reader. (?)

Ok, I understood that Elliott didn’t organize his miniature neighborhood library ONLY to get rid of the books, but also because he was lonely and not very social, because he was still recovering from his last (and only) relationship that cost him his job and a promising career. A self-made library could be such a nice possibility to get to know people in his immediate vicinity. But his exaggerated enthusiasm started to annoy bother me. I had to remind myself (again and again) that he was not 10 but 36 year old.

Actually nothing really happened here, Elliott went for his morning run, sometimes it was afternoon jogging and sometimes it was an evening run. At one of those outdoor activities he met a big attractive guy with a cane, who seemed to be nice and chatty.

In his free from online teaching time he was busy with arranging of his new hobby. “Oh, someone put a new book there, with a half-naked cowboy on the cover. Who could it be?” I bet, you’d never guess.

The first date, the first meal, the first kiss, a lot of uninteresting dialogues. Now I had to remind myself that not only Elliott was an adult, but Simon either. (Sorry, but you can be either 10 year old or your IQ is not very...er...developed). I couldn’t get rid of a feeling that Simon’s IQ was less than an average one. The feeling intensified when I found out that he was since recently gay, deeply closeted and not ready to do the big reveal to Mom and Dad. And again, sorry, but it was difficult to imagine that Simon liked books, actually it was difficult to imagine that he could read at all. Don’t get me wrong, I love Muscling Through, and MCs don’t need to be academics for me to fall in love with them, but Simon…sigh…I expected a little bit more of grey cells, he is an ex cop for heaven' s sake!

Actually these two were the most boring and dull characters I’ve come across in MM Romance genre recently. I just didn't care about their problems and about them at all, I just couldn't go on with their story.

I am in a dilemma now: judging from Rattlesnake, I’d like to read more of Kim Fielding. Judging on this book- never ever.

But as I said, I didn't have a great experience with the author' works, so it is probably me.

Please note: it is a review for the first half of the book. Maybe it turns into a great romance in the second part, but I will never find out, I just don't have enough patience.

4.5*

The Little Library is such a great metaphor for Elliot's life.

Stuck in his "snail" shell, his brother encourages him to get rid of some of his hoards of books and try to live a little. After escaping a scandal Elliot got wrapped up in by extension of his ex, he tucks tail in his home town. He doesn't do much except read, run, and teach online courses.

So after some talks with his brother, they decide to build him a Little Library. If you're not from a place that has these, a little library looks like a little house and has a door with a window. The house sits on top of a post and you set it up outside of your home, (not unlike a bird house) maybe the end of the walk way or bottom of the stairs. Inside there are shelves for your books. It's an honor system.Those who take a book replace it with one of their own and so on.

After building the house Elliot keeps track of the comings and goings of the books. Then decides to set up his work space in the front window so he can see. He's greeted with smiling faces of his neighbors. He even gets a visit from a little girl and her mother, asking if they can do children's books, etc...
So something he has done to unclutter his life is now bringing in people and it's becoming a community thing. It even brings in the one guy he's most interested in is Simon, ex-cop, who he originally meets in one of his runs.

These two are so sweet. Though Simon hasn't come out to his parents yet, it actually takes them on some pretty interesting dates. They kind of have a "date-off" in the beginning to see who can top the last. It's all very light and sweet.


Then something bad happens to Elliot's library and some things kind of topple in his life and he's trying to sort it all out, but that community in which he unwittingly created comes through for him, and Simon, and in the end everything ends up bigger and more colorful.

This truly is a sweet and fluffy story that's pretty low on drama. Just a feel good book. Now that I've finished I am writing this with a smile on my face.... and a hankering for getting my own library And a snuggle from my dog, Ecko Super Duper Dog :)

Lovely story about an ex cop who is trying to find himself and an introverted college professor who's been burned by love before.

I loved Elliott and Simon. They both have a lot of baggage (Elliott's ex screwed him over big time and Simon is an ex cop with a huge and slightly conservative family that doesn't know he's gay) and I loved how honest they were with each other. There are no secrets and games between these two which I found immensely refreshing. There's also a dog thrown in the mix which is always a plus. Their problems and the way they dealt with them felt realistic and very relatable. 

The story might be a little predictable (even the epilogue) but it's still a cute story with lovable characters that was thoroughly entertaining.

We're served a small helping of relationship angst, but nothing overwhelming. While I would have liked a longer ending, I can't begrudge this story much. The Little Library is about two different men coming together like they were always meant to be. It's a romance, yes, but it's also an ode to friendship, community, and books.

I knew as soon as I saw the cover that I had to read this book because my community has little libraries, and they are so much fun to browse and contribute to. Add in the fact that one of the MCs is an in-the-closet-former-cop, and I had to assume that this book had been written with me in mind.

I admit I did find it hard to stick with the story at first. I thought main character and bibliophile Elliott Thompson was too immature for someone his age, and I found the point of view to be somewhat alienating. So many of his thoughts and actions felt as though they were being recited, and I began to wonder if he wouldn’t seem more relatable and personable with a first person point of view. However, once potential love interest and former police officer Simon Odisho entered the story, much of the focus shifted from Elliott’s past mistakes to his promising future.

Odisho is deeply closeted and afraid to come out to his ultra-conservative family. He’s also tired of denying who he truly is. He’s caught in a cycle of fear and uncertainty which leaves him stagnant when it comes to moving forward in his relationship with Elliott. Elliott had his career destroyed by a selfish partner and is caught in his own seemingly unbreakable cycle of pushing people away and fearing that his professional and personal lives have both come to a desolate, unfulfilling end. Author Kim Fielding balances their situations with a symmetry that compliments the story and builds momentum for the decisions they both must ultimately make.

Overall, this is a sweet love story of two men struggling to overcome life’s obstacles and deciding what each is willing to sacrifice for a chance at a future together.

Even though I haven't read a paper book since 2011 (when I bought my first Kindle and never looked back), I still keep my favorite books in hardback on bookshelves in my basement. Prior to to the Kindle revolution, I was a book hoarder (still am, but ebooks take up less space), so I could relate to Elliott's book shopping addiction.

Elliott is a former up-and-coming scholar and university history professor who now teaches online courses at a community college. There was a sandal and although Elliott was exonerated from all wrongdoings, he's become a bit of a recluse and self-medicates with books.

In an effort to cut down on the piles and piles of books cluttering up his house, Elliott builds a little neighborhood library. Watching people use his library brings him joy.

Simon, though . . . Simon is even better than books. A first-generation American born to Assyrian immigrants, Simon is a former cop with a bad knee (thanks to a suspect with a gun). He meets Elliott on his daily walks (Simon walks; Elliott runs) and is smitten immediately. Simon uses food as comfort and has a bit of a belly, but watching Simon eat makes Elliott happy.

Despite Simon not being out to his traditional parents and Elliott seeking a tenure-track position out of state, the two begin an easy relationship.

My favorite scene in the book is Simon's and Elliott's first date. Y'all, I laughed so fucking hard, my stomach muscles started to cramp. This was possibly the most awkward (and endearing) date ever. Everything went wrong, and when Simon proclaimed (loudly) that he's had sex with men to every patron in the restaurant, even the waiter couldn't control himself.

This date is the beginning of a beautiful thing. Simon and Elliott are respectful of each other's thoughts and feelings, and come up with various creative outing ideas. I loved watching these two interact: so much sweetness, and some sexy times too (not too many, but enough).

There are two conflicts in the story: Elliott's homophobic neighbor who makes Elliott's life miserable and Simon's closeted existence. Elliott never pushes Simon to come out to his big Assyrian family, but eventually Simon WANTS to, for Elliott, yes, but also for himself.

"I'd take a bullet a dozen times over if it meant meeting you."

Fielding has a gift with words, so the story, told from Elliott's POV, has plenty of grace and charm. The secondary characters, both the bad (fuckwad neighbor) and good (El's brother and sister in law, the neighbors who love the library, Simon's cousin Miri) come alive. There is even a really cool dog!

We're served a small helping of relationship angst, but nothing overwhelming. While I would have liked a longer ending, I can't begrudge this story much. The Little Library is about two different men coming together like they were always meant to be. It's a romance, yes, but it's also an ode to friendship, community, and books.

"Now it was just the music and the primal sweetness of two bodies moving in harmony. That was enough . . . ."

The Little Library, due out 26th March, 2018 by Kim Fielding is a very well written, sweetly cozy M/M romance. The main story balances love and career choices for two outwardly different guys, former cop Simon, injured in the line of duty, and historian and professor Elliott, a book hoarder / nerd.

They meet in their neighborhood and catch one another's eye, but it isn't until Elliott builds a Little Library that they find a common ground. The library becomes a center point for the entire neighborhood and introverted Elliott begins to come out of his shell and interact with the people around him as his neighbors enjoy borrowing and sharing books.

There is an awful lot to love here. The theme of books is ever close to my heart. I find it very difficult to weed through my own library, even those books which I've bought in e-format. I love it that Elliott built a little library and shows incredible strength and growth as a character which is believable. I found myself rooting for Simon and his issues with his family and his burgeoning relationship with Elliott.

I love that the author is clearly a huge book fan herself. This book is chock full of real book references to chase down for further reading and reference. I really like books that turn me on to other books!

There was some drama, but relatively low-angst and sweetly reassuring. I just really really enjoyed this book. Their first date was hysterically funny. Real laugh-out-loud funny is very difficult to write, but Ms. Fielding does a great job.

The author manages to sneak some really good messages into the narrative without being preachy or smug. Themes such as tolerance, community, strength in adversity, love over money, personal growth, family, and the importance of education and preserving our cultural history, the author handles all of them deftly and with sensitivity.

Four and a half stars. Well written, well edited, and entertaining. Bonus points for rescue dog Ishtar.

300 pages, due out 26th March, 2018 from Riptide Publishing available in print & ebook formats.