So Martha is a helper at the library and known for doing favors for everyone. She receives a book inscribed to her from her nana three years after her supposed death. Martha goes on a hunt to trace the book to its source. I enjoyed the literary references and the mystery. A couple of twists are added.

Copy provided by the Publisher and NetGalley

Martha Storm could be described as a doormat. She never says no. She cared for her ill parents for 15 years before their deaths. She does favors for everyone; laundry, feeding fish, repairing items, even offering to fix a paper mache dragon when she doesn't know how to do paper mache. Her life and home are filled with stuff and obligations to others. She has no friends, no life to speak of. She is a volunteer at the library, I thought she worked there at one point, and she wants the job opening up but is worried she won't get it. Then one day a stranger gives her a book, and this book changes her life. Martha recognizes the stories in the book, they are her stories from her youth, and she goes on a quest to find out how the stories ended up in a book. How could her grandmother have published a book of her stories when she died when Martha was still young? What she finds out changes her past, her present and her future.

This is the first book by Phaedra Patrick that I've read and I'm definitely going to read more by this author. Who doesn't love a book about books and libraries and used book stores? This was a beautifully written story, which is very character driven. Martha was a character who grabbed me from the moment she was introduced. She was a harried woman who was nervous and a people pleaser, yet I wanted her to be my friend. She was caring, generous and a bit quirky. She doesn't know where she belongs and doesn't have any friends, just acquaintances, at least that is the way she feels. She had been dealt a bad hand in life and now that her parents had died, she lived in the house she grew up in, filled with their stuff as well as the stuff all her neighbours had dumped on her. Her sister, Lillian, is a cold, judgmental woman, her polar opposite. I enjoyed meeting all the characters at the library and those she meets along the way in her journey to find out more about "the book". As Martha searches for answers, we learn about her past and about secrets that her family has kept hidden for years.

This story is about self-discovery, family relationships, new beginnings, the damage secrets can do to people and the importance of stories and books. It is a slow moving story, that opens up like a flower, slowly revealing one secret, one discovery at a time as the reader learns how it affects both Martha and Lillian. I enjoyed this story a lot and recommend it to anyone who enjoys a well-written, beautifully described story of self-discovery, new beginnings, and the power of words in one's life.

The Library of Lost and Found is a charming story with colorful characters that leap from the page. Martha Storm's life is filled with helping others, whether it is through her job at the library or completing her long "to-do" list of other people's projects. But her world gets turned on its axis, when she discovers a book of fairy tales inscribed to her by her grandmother, but the date is after her grandmother's date of death. Martha delves into the search for more information and it takes her on a journey like no other.
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There are several unique and intriguing characters in the book and I really enjoyed the way the story evolved. I certainly routed for Martha throughout the novel and enjoyed each page. A solid four star read for me!

I received this book from Park Row through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this one, but at halfway through, I'm giving up. Martha is a doormat personified and even her acts of "rebellion" are so timid and sad that I just couldn't get invested. Maybe I'll give it another shot at some point, but as of right now I'm DNFing this one due to an overall lack of interest.

This title wasn't quite what I expected. I never made the connection with the title and the book and thereby my assumptions were misleading. However, I enjoyed the story. It was uplifting to see a character like Martha finally stand up on her own and come into herself as an independent and worthy person. I adored Zelda and wish I could have met her! It was a great weekend read!

I was intrigued for about the first two-thirds of the book, and I just knew this was going to be a fun, finding-herself sort of tale for Martha. I enjoyed the author's writing style and the sense of place she created, and I often like novels that go back and forth with the time lines, so that element was enjoyable too. But when I learned the Big Secret About Grandma, I just didn’t buy it at all. I think writers today are perhaps well intentioned, but when they try to impose modern-day sensibilities on past eras, that just doesn’t have the ring of truth to me, and this time, it ultimately made the book fall flat.

Thank you to Harlequin Books for my digital copy of this book!
I had a hard time getting into this book at first. Once I did though I was enchanted with Martha. I was able to see so much of myself in her. She was a lovely character. I ended up loving this book.

I loved this book. The main character was fun to watch as she grew and found her backbone as the book progressed. Martha was smart and fun to read with. I loved her nana and all the relationships within the book. I would definitely recommend this book to friends and family!

Martha Storm is a volunteer at the local library of a very small community. She has always hoped to get the librarian job but it has, so far, remained out of her reach. Martha is unable to say "no" to anyone who takes advantage of her and her lack of self-confidence keeps her from moving forward. When a book of fairy tales arrives on her doorstep with an inscription from her long-dead grandmother, something changes and Martha begins the journey of discovering who she is and how the story of her past is very, very different from what she remembers.

The Library of Lost and found was an enchanting exploration of family secrets and self concept. Quirky characters and lovely magical tales to describe real life. Thank you NetGalley for the e-reader copy. All opinions are my own.

I am always drawn to a book about books! The cherry on top of that for this book is that the middle-aged main character works at her local library as well. The author does a brilliant job at the beginning of the book showing, not telling, of Martha's fussy and pedantic yet selflessly giving nature. Martha lives on her own but fills her time doing thankless tasks for family and neighbors, like fixing her nephew's trousers and repairing a paper mache dragon. Her insular world is broken apart when she receives a book left at the library’s door that was inscribed by her beloved grandmother who died when Martha was young. This opens up a whole new world for Martha as she tries to puzzle out the mystery of how her grandmother could have inscribed a note to her in the book months after the elder lady supposedly died.

This is the first time that I have read this author, and I was delighted by her in-depth characterization in this book. Martha at the beginning could very well have been a pitiable martyr, but the author managed to make her real in such a way that didn't allow for such a simple take. The book does meander a bit, but I have found that to be quite often the case for certain British writers that I’ve read (and enjoyed, like the delightful cozy mystery writer V. S. Vale). While some may find this annoying, this author pursues this path deftly, in part because of the very excellent characterization of not only Martha but the secondary characters she meets along her path but also because of the depth of the backstory and its secrets that are slowly revealed. I quite enjoyed Martha's transformation over the course of this book. A wonderful read.

Thank you to Harlequin Books for my digital copy of this book!

I'm not sure what I was prepared for when reading this book, but I ended up with so much more! Martha Storm is a character I can relate to. She has my dream job of being a librarian and she connects with books more than she does with people. One day a book lands on her doorstep published by her grandmother Zelda after she died. Martha learns her grandmother may still be alive and she goes on a journey to discover the truth.

I just loved this whimsical and magical tale. I had a hard time getting into it, but once I was there I was hooked. I loved seeing Martha finally come into herself and learn to take control of her life and not settle for anything less than she deserves.

I also listened to the audiobook and it was absolutely perfect because it was read by one of my all time favorite narrators, Imogen Church! I recommend this novel for when you want something a little quirky and uplifting.

This book was ok, I didn't really connect with any of the characters. It was a quick read. The author can write that is for sure. I am not sure if I just read this at the wrong time or what. It just seemed kind of forgettable for me. I really don't remember a whole lot of it. Aside from the fact that Martha's sister was a character I didn't like... lol

A cute book but I think it needs a different title. This book is really about a women discovering herself and living her life rather than hiding behind doing things for others. Along the way she discovers things about her family that were hidden from her and reunites with the favorite grandmother that she had not seen in 30 years.

Wasn't what I expected it to be. I work in a library so any thing library usually works for me, but meh, took have left his one. It's not that it's poorly written, it isn't! It's just not a story for me. I am sure others will find it an enjoyable read. Maybe as a summer read.

While Patrick's other books have been nice gentle reads for me, this one (ironically the one on one of my favorite subjects - a librarian!) was just too saccharine for me. Martha just struck me as a bit pathetic while her grandmother Zelda struck me as so self-absorbed she was cold. Even her goal to share stories with the world seemed to be more of a self-aggrandizing task rather than a humanitarian one. I really struggled with this book, which should have been simply some feel-good fluff.

The Library of the Lost and Found

by Phaedra Patrick

The Library of Lost and Found is Martha’s story woven by author Phaedra Patrick into a tapestry of several generations of women trying to survive, to see their way through. The background is emotional abuse and family secrets. Martha devotes her life to caring for her aging parents, Betty and Thomas, and later trying to please her contacts at the library where she volunteers. Because Martha does not value her own contributions, no one else appreciates her. As a child, Martha is imaginative and creative and her flamboyant nana, Zelda, encourages her to be a storyteller. Unfortunately Martha’s inventiveness is in direct conflict with the wishes of her overbearing father.

The basic plot line-up to this point in the story appears fairly straight forward, but much more conflict brews beneath the surface. There are past romantic entanglements that affect Martha and her sister Lilian. Zelda disappears from Martha’s life and is proclaimed dead. The past and its secrets affect the present and the future.

One of the fun characters is Suki, a young, single, pregnant co-worker with a tendency to misuse words. For example, speaking of her baby’s father she says “He says he can’t make up his mind between us. I’ll have to give him a culmination.” “Do you mean an ultimatum?” She may not always use words correctly, but she believes in Martha and ends up being an encourager for her as Martha takes steps to find her independence.

There are lots of surprises along the way as figurative skeletons in the closet are revealed and as Martha finds herself again. The Library of Lost and Found is appealing to book lovers as books, libraries, bookstores, writing and reading all play important roles. Its appeal spreads wider though as it addresses universal issues of power and control, love, whimsy, family, and self-worth, and their emotional impact.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Harlequin (Park Row) for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5

Category: General Fiction (Adult)

Publication: March 26, 2019—Harlequin (Park Row)

Memorable Lines:

She often felt like there was an electrical storm around him, and she could sense it crackling now, between him and Zelda.

She didn’t usually feel jealous, but as she watched her mother and daughter, it crept over her now like winter frost across a window.

“Why does something have to last forever to be classed as successful? Surely it’s okay to give things a try.”

Quirky characters, books and family secrets. A delightful read full of charm.

This book landed somewhere between The Bookshop on the Corner and The Thirteenth Tale for me. It was a beautiful mix of charming, character-driven narrative and a family saga. Martha Storm is a character you cheer for in a story that keeps you turning the pages. Add in the quaintness of a small-town library and it makes for an even more enjoyable.

Thank you very much for allowing me the opportunity to read this book! I appreciate the kindness. <3

The Library of Lost and Found sounded like it would be exactly my kind of book. However, this one fell a bit flat for me. It was cute and I found it to be a relatively quick read but it lacked that extra spark.

I enjoyed meeting all of the different quirky characters. They felt a bit over the top sometimes but that somehow added to the book’s charm. Martha, the main character, was my favorite. I enjoyed watching as she changed throughout the story. That being said, some of her choices near the end didn’t really make sense to me.

The Library Of Lost and Found was very oriented around family drama and how each family member constructs their own version of history. It was interesting to see how the stories clashed and to see the truth slowly spill out. But there just wasn’t enough tension or intrigue to really draw me in.

Overall, The Library Of Lost and Found didn’t quite work for me. While it was interesting at times, I wasn’t able to connect to the story and the characters weren’t quite good enough to make up for that.

*Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.