unfortunately, this book just wasn't for me. i normally love books about books but i just couldn't get into this one. could be a case of wrong book at the wrong time, i wanted to finish it before the published date so it did feel a bit like a chore at times, which sucks. i am sure other people will like this one, a cozy comfy kind of read, but it just wasn't for me.

Martha has spent her entire life setting aside her own needs. One day, adventure comes along in the form of an old book with a connection to her late grandmother. A simple enough story, but I had a hard time relating to Martha. If you enjoy relationship (not romantic) fiction this may be worth a look for you.

Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for a complimentary digital review copy of this title.

The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick is a contemporary novel about a librarian that will pull at your heart strings. The strong theme of family and the stories they tell make for an interesting read. Also, the main character, Martha, transforms throughout the book, and is one that is easy to root for.

Any book about libraries and librarians will instantly grab my attention. This is one setting that really seems to draw a reader in. Phaedra Patrick weaves Martha’s love of stories and her strong connection to her local library in a magical way. It is so heartwarming to read about Martha reminiscing about spending time with her grandmother at a seaside library.

❀ INTERESTING CHARACTERS

Martha’s grandmother, Zelda, is a character that is easy to fall in love with. She is quirky, fun, and quite eccentric. Her love for her family and her carefree attitude gives the book some laugh out loud moments. The confidence that Zelda exudes rubs off on Martha and really helps her to come out of her shell.

Martha is an interesting character when the book begins, as she has quite a lot of backstory. She is quite a push-over and really doesn’t take many risks at all. As the plot thickens, the reader learns that this wasn’t always the way for Martha. The book takes Martha on a journey of self-discovery through the past and a collection of stories in such a wonderful way.

❀ HEARTWARMING CONTEMPORARY

If you are in the mood for a feel-good contemporary, this is one to try. The Library of Lost and Found is a heartwarming novel that has a wonderful cast of characters and a lovely setting. Perfect for a spring TBR.

Do you know those books about a quirky individual, maybe someone very set in their ways who undergoes a life-changing transition for the better? They’re usually supported by a sweet gang of characters who follow them on this soul-searching journey, and maybe in the end, they all have a party? Well, this is one of those.
There’s nothing wrong with this formula. In fact, I love it. A Man Called Ove? Put me in starry-eyed wonder. Britt-Marie Was Here? I was here for it. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine? Yes, please. Even Phaedra Patrick’s previous novel, The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper follows this heart-warming formula.
The Library of Lost and Found is about a middle-aged woman who thinks of everyone before herself and learns to strike a healthy balance between caring for others and being a little selfish when needed. I can’t say too much more, because honestly, since I already laid out what formula it follows, you can kind of guess.
But again, I love a light-hearted story that inspires the reader to be a better person. There are serious notes blended in with the sweetness of the story, but it’s the perfect mix. Near the end, I even shed a tear, the kind you find yourself wiping away at the end of a rom-com.
Plus, who can say no to a book with books as a theme? I can’t.

This book started a little slowly for me, but once I got into it, I was hooked. The story is about Martha Storm, a middle-aged woman who has spent her adult life taking care of other people and making herself indispensable but not respected or appreciated. Everybody in her life takes her for granted and lets her know her time and life isn't as important as theirs. Then a stranger sends her a book that unravels the family secrets and reveals old resentments she's been carrying around for decades. Solving the mystery behind the book isn't the main point of the story, but it does give Martha the push she needs to start living for herself and learning to say no.
I really ended up liking this story of Martha taking back her time and her life. Maybe I'm grading on a curve because I don't find many good stories about middle-aged and older women, but I genuinely liked this story. I was expecting a romance, but it's not that. It's a story of self-discovery that doesn't require a big trip to Bali or a yoga retreat. Very sweet.

This is a story about Martha, a middle-aged library volunteer who spends so much time taking care of others that she has lost herself both physically and mentally. Her house is full of chores for other people and she does nothing for herself. Thankfully this begins to change with the arrival of a damaged book with an inscription from her deceased grandmother to her. This find sets off an adventure for Martha and she begins to find herself, both physically and mentally. While I thoroughly enjoyed the story, I found the writing a bit simplistic. Good thing I was distracted by being upset at the people taking advantage of Martha!

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin/Park Row Publishing for allowing me to read this book for a review. I wanted to read this book based on the title alone. It wasn't what I was expecting it was a whole lot more! Martha Storm volunteers at her local library, hoping to one day work there. She spends her days agreeing to do favours for everyone around her, forgetting to live her own life. As a child, Martha used to write stories, and one day a mysterious book shows up that shakes up her whole life....I LOVED this story! It struck a chord with me, and Martha was a character I wanted to read about. All the characters came alive for me while I was reading. The only small disappointment was I thought it ended abruptly.

A heartwarming and charming story! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick
Source: NetGalley and Park Row
Rating: 4/5 stars

Martha Storm’s life isn’t exciting nor is it all enviable. In fact, most of the people in Martha’s life do one of two things, use her or pity her; worst of all are those who both use and pity Martha. While some of the circumstances of Martha’s life are not of her own making or choosing, she has left other circumstances get out of hand which has led her to a most unhappy and unenviable place.

As a child, Martha was keenly aware of her ultra-controlling feelings towards her and they were, at best, tolerant. Martha was also keenly aware of her mother’s absolute inability to stand up to her father, think, and/or live for herself. Finally, Martha was keenly aware that the only member of her family who truly appreciated, loved, and encouraged her was her beloved grandmother, Zelda. Unlike everyone else in her life, Zelda fosters Martha’s creativity, she supports her imagination, and encourages her general zest for life. Right up until Zelda suddenly dies, Martha is certain she will make it through her childhood and her life.

From the moment Zelda exited Martha’s life, nothing seems to go to plan. Though Martha works towards her goals, there always seems to be an impediment. For example, just as her love life appeared settled and set, Martha’s parents took a turn for the worse and her mother begged Martha to care for them . . . . 10 long years later, Martha has essentially given up on every dream and goal she ever felt dear. She has no love life, her parents are gone, her job at the library, though she loves it isn’t going anywhere, and she has a serious need to please others at her own expense.

And then, one day, a book from her childhood comes back into her life and changes absolutely everything in Martha’s life.

From the moment Martha discovers the book her life takes a path she never could have conceived of. In the process, Martha doesn’t just discover the truth of her past, but also of her present and her future. Martha begins her adventure by learning to stand up for herself, asserting herself, and slowly but surely discovering she indeed matters and what she wants and needs from her life is just as important as what everyone else wants and needs from their own lives. The discoveries Martha makes on her journey are often painful, but once she is able to see beyond the pain, she is able to see her life from an entirely new perspective and in a far more positive light.

The Bottom Line: I can’t say I loved this book, but I think, based on the Goodreads rating, I enjoyed it far more than most. In large part, I enjoyed the total transformation Martha Storm goes through; in fact, this is one of the best character evolution books I’ve read in quite some time. In the beginning, Martha is a thoroughly disagreeable character and then that book comes into her possession and the switch flips! Martha taking control of her life, overcoming her insecurities, and finding the person she had so much promise of becoming as a child is truly entertaining. The cherry on top of the character evolution had to be the change in the others around Martha following her own transformation. The moment Martha begins to respect herself the pity and the using stop and that is a beautiful thing. Though I think this book may be a bit of a rough read for some, I found it to be totally worth the time and effort especially if you are particularly interested in total character transformation.

Equal parts Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day and Auntie Mame: An Irreverent Escapade, The Library of Lost and Found follows middle-aged spinster Martha Storm, a lonely woman who lives to help others. One day, purely by chance, she discovers a book ostensibly written by her late grandmother, the flamboyant and fun Zelda Sanderson. The only trouble is that the publication date is three years after Zelda’s death in 1982. So, completely out of character, the heretofore docile Martha sets out to unravel the mystery of Blue Skies and Stormy Seas, a book of children’s fairytales, and of what became of her grandmother. And so Martha’s own adventure begins.

To give away anything else would be to ruin this novel. Author Phaedra Patrick weaves a novel as magical as any of the stories in Blue Skies and Stormy Seas. Readers will likely find themselves devouring this poignant, uplifting book. Highly, highly recommended.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from Harlequin and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to love this book. It begins with a discovery of an old book at the door of a library. Martha, our heroine, opens the book and finds there is an inscription addressed to her. She has never seen the book before in her life -- and the inscription is signed by her deceased Nana, dated three years after her death. A mystery, to be sure. There are two timelines in the narrative. One is present day and Martha's story. The other is from Martha's childhood before Nana disappeared from her life. I really liked Martha, but she was hardly ever at her library. I think she might have gone into work a handful of times in the book. There were too many characters who were half-baked. In my mind, too many threads were introduced and then left hanging. Not a favorite for me.

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Middle-aged Martha Storm goes out of her way to make everyone around her happy, at the expense of pursuing her own happiness. In <u>The Library of Lost and Found</u>, she finds her assertive side and starts living for herself again. A mysterious storybook turns up at the beginning of this novel, prompting Martha to discover that her grandmother, previously thought to be many years dead, is actually still alive.

I personally found Martha's character to be very relatable -- who hasn't been in a situation where they've felt small or unable to decline a requested favor? Her journey of finding herself is interesting to watch, and I certain felt refreshed once she started standing up for herself. The novel is sprinkled with bits of her family's backstory, which explain how Martha came to be so timid. Admittedly, some parts of the backstory were a bit hard to read due to the harsh nature of her father, and at times I felt like the characterizations of her family members were a bit hard to believe.

For example, I found the juxtaposition between Zelda's character and Betty's to be a little puzzling. Given how vibrant a personality Zelda seems to have, it was hard to believe how submissive Betty (her daughter) behaved. Truthfully, I also had a hard time believing the sisterly chemistry between Martha and her sister, Lillian, which made some of Lillian's actions at the end of the book feel a bit unnatural.

Those points aside, I greatly enjoyed reading about Martha's transformation across this novel and was enchanted by the prospect of the storybook that kicks off the entire journey. I found this to be a fairly quick and easy read and would recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

This was a very sweet story. Although I felt that Martha was not the most unique character, I still rooted for her and felt a small sense of pride every time she stood up for herself. The mystery within the story wasn’t overly surprising and I felt that many of the characters were just caricatures with not a lot of depth, I still found myself invested in the story. The setting was probably my favorite part of the story. It felt welcoming and familiar (even though I’ve never been there). I would recommend this book for anyone looking for a nice cozy read.

Thank you to NetGalley for a Kindle ARC of The Library of Lost and Found.

This is a standard, formulaic story about family secrets and drama.

When librarian Martha Storm discovers an unique collection of fairy tales dedicated to her by her grandmother, Zelda, predeceasing the woman's death, her journey to investigate the origins of the book leads her to discover what caused a rift that nearly tore her family apart years ago.

Martha is hard to like; I didn't hate her but I couldn't stand her wishy-washy, doormat personality. Her constant need to be liked and perform chores for neighbors was not a selfless act; it was an act of a person who possessed no self esteem or regard for oneself.

Even that ending was trite; I neither believed in Martha's evolution of empowerment and self-discovery.

The drama that unfolds is ho-hum, nothing I haven't read or seen in novels or television shows before. In fact, I called each secret revelation before it happened.

All the characters were ingratiatingly stereotypical; the male librarian who is fond of Martha, the quirky, library patrons, her wild spirited grandmother, Zelda, her mousy mother, the colleague who eventually becomes Martha's only good friend, the mean sister.

I assumed the plot had something to do with the library and books, and though it does, the storyline was dull and nothing new, I neither rooted for Martha nor cared about her journey, and I found parts of the novel incredibly slow.

Some people might enjoy this; I did not.

When I started this book by Phaedra Patrick, I confess I had misread the blurb and with a mystery and a book of fairy tales, was expecting something more along the lines of magical realism. (Oops) While it took me a bit to right myself with the plot, I soon fell into the rhythm of this surprising sort of coming of age story. (Surprising as Martha is quite middle aged.)

Martha is a librarian who sees her own worth what she can do for others. She set aside her own life to care for her parents (despite the awful, controlling way her father treated her.) She spent her life bending to meet the will of her father, who forced her to read encyclopedias instead of stories, forbid pretty gifts from her mother and grandmother, and even after his death, still heard his voice in her ear criticizing her. While some may not get her, I see a woman damaged from emotional abuse, the same abuse her mother endured, and my heart ached for her. Patrick does a remarkable job building character, and brought Martha to life in awkward and painful full color, along with the delightfully odd Seigfried, Owen, Suki and Zelda.

Despite the tangible sadness in this book, it is a wonderful story of self discovery, of being true to oneself, of secrets and what they do to families, and ultimately, of forgiveness and acceptance. When Martha reaches a moment of realization, the pace of the book changes as she grows stronger, and I rooted for her.

This book was a delight.

Martha Storm is on a road for self-discovery. Her life has been about taking care of others, and now it is her time to find out who she is. It is never too late to love the person you are destined to be. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read a great book.

The Library of Lost and Found is full of gloriously quirky characters. The actual storyline was a bit sad but I loved Martha and needed to know she found her way. I really loved all of the references to books and found the short stories created by Martha to be insightful to her childhood. This book will always stand out in my mind because of the unique manner in which it was written.

Martha Storm is someone that always helps everyone except herself. She gave up her life 20 years ago to care for her parents and she has been caring for others since that day. She volunteers at the library, sews, cleans, washes laundry, or anything anyone asks her to do. She feels it is her job to help people.

One day a package arrives outside the library addressed to her. When she opens the package she discovers a damaged book with a missing cover. When she looks closer she sees that the book has an inscription made out to her and it was dated 1985 from her grandmother. This isn't possible because her grandmother died in 1982. Her grandmother was her best friend and biggest fan. She contacts the owner of the bookshop to find out more about the book. As she learns more about the book she also learns about herself and her past.

This is a a very sweet and heartwarming story about loving yourself and loving your family. I enjoyed this book and would love to read more from this author.

Thank you Netgalley and Park Row for the Opportunity to read and review this book.
General Fiction (Adult)
Expected Release Date: March 26, 2019

“The library had been her Narnia, and it still was.”

Every now and then I like to lose myself in a quick Women’s Fiction novel, and the bright and happy cover page with two of my favorite things (books and coffee) initially drew me in. Of course, for any book lover (and a woman whose grandmother is their twin soul), the description was captivating, as well.

There were some drawbacks to my reading experience. I thought the dialogue was a bit juvenile and it took me a while to adjust. Many of the events of the story—and even simple interactions between characters—felt rather forced. For example, Suki’s mispronunciations of words were meant to add some humor, but I didn’t find them funny in the least. Frankly, she was one of the more annoying characters in the story. I also wasn’t sure how old Martha was supposed to be. When I started reading, I was under the impression that she was in her late twenties or mid-thirties (perhaps the dialogue’s fault), but then we find out she’s possibly in her forties? Even now, I am unsure.

I most loved the flashback scenes and exploring the relationship between Martha and Zelda. Oddly, it is a love story of sorts between granddaughter and grandmother, which was personally relatable for me.

Enjoyable for lounging around in the afternoon, fast-paced, but needs a bit more development, particularly when it comes to characters like Gina, Owen, and Siegfried. I wanted to know more about them. At times, it felt like characters were introduced and then the author either forgot about them or didn’t care enough about them to give the reader more.

At first, I wasn't sure about this book. It took me almost half the book to get interested in the main character and even to care about what was happening in her life but I did enjoy the second half of the book. It had a satisfying ending. However, I ended up skipping over the little stories throughout the book. I'm guessing they added more to the story but I just wasn't interested in reading them.