Volunteer Librarian Martha Storm has lived a pretty solitary life since her parents passed. For years she has devoted herself to their care and the doing for others. Martha loves the rewarding feeling of a job well done, but has found herself frustrated by a boss that will not pay her to do the job she's been doing for years and "friends" that continue to rely of her good nature. When a book arrives for Martha at the library, her orderly world is sent into a tailspin. The book is inscribed to her by her grandmother Zelda... two years after she died.
Phaedra Patrick has written an easy to read cozy, mystery that will give the reader hours of enjoyment. The creative storyline with flashbacks will hold the reader's interest. However, at times, the clues laid make the twists a little too predictable. This is a nice light read.

What a wonderful example of a character that just makes the book! The character of Martha was so captivating and relatable she felt like a real person. Reading about her and seeing things through her eyes is what kept me turning the pages. You'll feel like crying and laughing along side her as she sets on her journey to find Grandma Zelda I was cheering her on so much I just wanted her to find the happy ending she deserved a timeless endering character that will make you fall in love with her story

“You should always make time for books”

I'm glad I made time for this book (and thanks to netgalley for the review copy)! The Library of Lost and Found shows such a love of stories and books, so I knew that I would enjoy it. The main character is Martha, who has given up her life caring for others, and who never even considers her own needs. When she is given a mysterious book that contains stories from her childhood, she goes on a search for the author. Some of the story takes place in the past, and we see Martha as a child, along with her parents and family. I especially loved the resolution of this story - it had a lot of good things to say.

This started out very charming, then turned into something much more than what I expected. The book grew on me and now wish there was more to the story.

There were many turns that I did not expect and I loved the character growth here. It did take me a while to realize how old Martha is in the story, as at first her actions seemed to be of someone at a younger age. But this book shows you are never too old to change, never to old to become a better version of yourself.

Martha Wood is a perpetual volunteer. She has an inability to say no and therefore doesn't get paid to take on the worst jobs at the library, watching her sister's kids, even washing laundry for one of her library patrons. Her life stopped when her parents needed her and she's been put upon ever since. But at a low point (she spent all day making cookies for a library event that was cancelled, though no one told her), she discovers a book that has been left on the library doorstep. But this isn't just any book, it's one inscribed to her from her long-dead grandmother. One that is dated two years after her grandmother supposedly died. Finding out more about the book threatens to shake up Martha's life and to reshape her past when long-hidden secrets are revealed.
This was a fine book and fairly easy read though it did drag some for me. The best part was Martha's character arc, moving from being put-upon and unable to get out of her rut to making decisions for herself (with a little help from her friends.)

Three and a half stars
This book came out March 26th
ARC kindly provided by publisher and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

This book had me at:

Library! What book lover doesn't like a book about books and libraries?

Mystery.. mixed in with a little magic.

Feeling like a caretaker/feeling invisible: many women feel this way, whether from being a wife/mother, or being a caretaker, or just getting older.

There was so much to relate to in this sweet book and so much to enjoy!

Thank you for the opportunity to read a galley version of The Library of Lost and Found.

I think I went into this book with too high of an expectation and the book couldn't live up to that expectation. It was very mediocre. I wanted to love it or really like it but it was just okay, if that. I felt like it was too predictable and therefore too long considering there was no big "ending" to come.

#TheLibraryOfLostAndFound #NetGalley

4 fun stars! I'm glad I found The library of Lost and Found. It was a wonderful change of pace from ‘serious’ reading. It has mystery, romance, and fun characters. Martha Storm, 60-something librarian has a goal in life - to be indispensable, a "Number One neighbor." Unfortunately, others take advantage of this until....

Phaedra Patrick’s writing is clear and evokes the senses without becoming wordy. “Martha stepped inside the library, closed her eyes and inhaled the earthy, almond scent of the books. If she could bottle the aroma, she’d wear it as a perfume, L’eau de la Biblioteque.” Martha’s friend Suki mixes us English words with great unintended humor.

Stories that Martha wrote as a child are found in a book that her wild and free Grandma Zelda self-published. These simple stories blossomed with multiple layers of meaning, even as Martha’s caregiving life shrunk.

Younger sister, Lilian chastises Martha, "'You're far too old for fairy tales, anyway.' Martha’s shoulders twitched at her sister’s spiky reaction. You're never too old for stories.' The Library of Lost and Found will delight anyone who is not too old for stories.

Unfortunately I DNFed this book because of it's inaccurate portrayal of libraries. While it may just be the difference between American and British libraries, the depiction of the library manager abusing the power of a volunteer is upsetting (of course it's fiction), but the volunteer would never be allowed to check out materials and act as a librarian given the sensitivity of personal information with library accounts. Again while it may be a regional difference, it was off-putting and so I DNFed it.

This is such a lovely heartwarming story that I was unable to part with it until the last page. It is utterly charming and wonderfully written. Martha works as a volunteer at a wonderful library. in a seaside village, She is known as a person who will do anything for others and often spends her time helping everyone else but herself. She always puts herself last and lacks confidence.. She even keeps a journal of how to help others with heroism. She likes to be seen but not heard. She also adores books and all the magic of reading that her library offers her.
Martha recently had to make a decision to give up her boyfriend to care for her aging parents. So her library work is what keeps her moving forward and helping others as she now feels the loss of her one great love.

One day she receives a book with an inscription to her from her grandmother. The inscription is dated after her grandmother had supposedly died! As Martha realizes the stories are familiar Martha begins to investigate and soon she is realizing that more secrets are coming to light ! She had a wonderful connection with her grandmother and hopes to find the answers she is seeking from the book and her investigation into her grandmothers death,

I like the way the author weaves the story between the past , Martha's childhood and present day. Martha‘s grandmother Zelda was her only relative who loved her and they had a wonderful relationship. Soon her details of her life and the clues her Grandmother left her are encouraging her to be her true self and her confidence builds as she finds more and more truth left to her by her grandmother.
I loved this book and highly recommend it for your reading enjoyment. This is a wonderful story of believing in one's abilities and taking chances to broaden your life. Martha is a great charcter to spend time with and I adored the story and how it was so well crafted. I look forward to further books by this author. Thank you for the ARC which does not influence my review. Very well done to the author !

I love books about books, and this is a book about a book. Nonetheless, this story, by Phaedra Patrick, was a bit challenging as it centered upon a character so self-effacing as to be almost invisible. She literally buries herself in doing for others; her house becoming a metaphor for her life. Her life changes when she discovers a book, inscribed to her by her beloved, quirky grandmother – several years after her grandmother’s death. Discovering the story of the book becomes Martha’s quest.

I enjoyed this book, although it was not compelling. It did remind me that we have only one life, and it is incumbent on us to live it according to our own values and interests. Resets are possible at any point in our lives.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin – Park Row Publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“The Library of Lost and Found” was the first book that I’ve read by Author Phaedra Patrick. Here’s the blurb:
Librarian Martha Storm has always found it easier to connect with books than people—though not for lack of trying. She keeps careful lists of how to help others in her superhero-themed notebook. And yet, sometimes it feels like she’s invisible.
All of that changes when a book of fairy tales arrives on her doorstep. Inside, Martha finds a dedication written to her by her best friend—her grandmother Zelda—who died under mysterious circumstances years earlier. When Martha discovers a clue within the book that her grandmother may still be alive, she becomes determined to discover the truth. As she delves deeper into Zelda’s past, she unwittingly reveals a family secret that will change her life forever.
As a bibliophile and lover of all bookish things I was super excited to read this novel! It had so many dimensions and layers. It was well developed, and I loved the characters although at times a bit too much was going on with the stories within the story , in my opinion. I loved the family aspect. Overall, this was a good read and I look forward to reading more from this author in the very near future!

* I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

I found this book to be very frustrating. I guessed a lot of what was going to happen before it happened, but it was tedious waiting for the author to get around to revealing anything. I found the lead character to be very pathetic. I would say this book is closer to 2 and a 1/2 stars but I'll read it 3 to be nice. I probably wouldn't recommend it though. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book featured a quirky, delightful protagonist. Her internal struggles and external conflicts with others made me root for her from the beginning. I love a book that's about a book. Nicely done!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary digital copy. All opinions stated here are my own.

Martha Storm cared for her aging parents for 15 years before their deaths. She does favors for everyone. She wants to be The Good Neighbor.....the one who is always there to help out, to be kind, to be useful. Her whole house is filled with these favors....laundry that needs to be done, fish and plants that need looking after, items to be repaired, pants to hem.....her whole life is filled with self-imposed obligations to others. Then one book....a book given to her by a stranger....changes everything. Martha recognizes the stories in the book....and goes on a quest to find out how the stories ended up in a book. What she finds out changes not only her view of the past, but her future.

Beautiful story! The Library of Lost and Found is a complex and quirky but heartwarming story about a woman searching for her true place in the world. I loved how the stories Martha wrote as a child were woven in with the book's plot, revealing a deeper meaning. The stories meant so much to Martha as a child....and they come to mean even more to her as an adult as she discovers family secrets and lies, and overcomes them.

This is the first book by Phaedra Patrick that I've read. I'm definitely going to read more by this author. I have added The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper and Rise and Shine, Benedict Stone to my TBR list! :)

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Harlequin via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

The premise of the book was definitely an intriguing one. The book had an uncertainty for me in the beginning but once Martha received the book inscribe to her, that’s when my curiosity piqued and the book took off. From there as the story unfolds, you can’t help but not want to root her.

Martha was definitely a likable character despite her story being a bit depressing at moments. I don’t mean that in a bad way but as you get to know her and where her life is in the present and I say as a result of her past, you want to see her have a happy ending. She was one of those people that gave all of herself because she was so kind but as a result, people just took advantage of that. One of my favorite moments from the book was the moment she said no. When she finally got the courage to stand up for herself, it was such a great moment.

The overall plot of the book from the dedication that Martha found of her grandmother to the shocking revelation that changed her life, really was heartfelt. The storyline surrounding her grandmother really makes you appreciate life in the moment. We get a chance to not only get the present perspective but we get taken back in the past which fills in the blanks and makes an interesting story. The supporting characters complemented the book and it came together good. I thought it was a nice read.

As a librarian, this story made me smile! A heartwarming contemporary book with a splash of mystery. I highly recommend this book.

Martha has spent her whole life being selfless. She gave up love to take care of her ailing parents. She gives up her time and space in her home to help her community with various tasks and uses those tasks to guide her day. She's not sure she has any friends. People take advantage of her and her charity. Frankly, it's hard to read and I felt like reaching in the book to shake some sense into her. Luckily, something happens that sets the wheel in motion for her to discover herself again.

One evening a stranger leaves a book of fairytales on the doorstep of the library where she volunteers. This collection is odd for two reasons. First, it has an inscription signed by her Grandmother to her several years after she died. Secondly, this collection contains stories Martha wrote as a little girl. She is then on a mission to figure out how this collection came to be.

Along the way she unravels some family secrets and rediscovers who she is and what she wants from life. I loved this novel. It has some twists and turns, all of which were not surprising, but it was still so enjoyable. In a lot of ways it reminded me of Kate Morton's The Forgotten Garden.

The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick. Harlequin, 2019.

I got off to a slow start with this book, I and almost didn’t finish the first chapter. It took awhile to appreciate the writing style and the heroine’s odd characteristics. But by the end of Chapter 2, I was engaged and enjoying it, and then hardly put it down.

Martha is an odd heroine, an unpaid library volunteer with more responsibility than she should have working under the careless direction of a library manager with questionable qualifications and poor ethics. As seemingly random bits and pieces of the story fit together, we become quite fond of Martha. One of the passages that particularly resonated with me involved a situation involving Martha’s mother wishing for a job and money of her own.

Phaedra Patrick is an author new to me. The very appropriate byline on her website is “Curiously Charming Fiction”, which this book is. I warmly recommend it.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of The Library of Lost and Found by via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a charming touching story . Martha is a a volunteer at her local library doing favors for others all day . Everything changes when she receives a book of fairy tales written by her dead beloved grandmother . As Martha starts to solve this mystery family secrets unravel and she must face some harsh truths . The book changes her life and everyone around her. You will feel yourself pulling for Martha every step of the way .