Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book! I was really looking forward to reading this book. I really enjoyed it! I would definitely love to read another book by Poppy Alexander!

A quaint little town that Poppy Alexander sets her novel about. We are invited to read about the occupants of the town and share their thoughts and dreams. I admire the writing and was satisfied with the ending. Would love to catch up with the story in another book.

Losing the grandmother who raised her means going on without her guidance. Selling her grandmother’s home, she moves into a derelict cottage with an attic full of bats (that can’t be removed because they are a protected colony). How better to honor her grandmother’s love of books and her previous profession as a librarian than to open a free little library in an abandoned red phone box. Throw in a handsome handyman neighbor, friends, and a charming community which make this a very wonderful read.

I thought this was a sweet, adorable story! Sure, the plot was a tad bit silly (Can’t the phone booth hold both books AND a defibrillator?) and predictable, but it was still fun! All the book references were awesome, and the love story was heartwarming, and it was just what I was looking for! And the setting and descriptions were a lovely addition.

I was given an advanced reader's copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own

If this book doesn't put a smile on your face, I don't know what will! This is such a sweet, light-hearted story about rediscovery and love. As a fan of LFLs, I was immediately drawn towards this book and it did not dissapoint!

I enjoyed this book! I loved all the book references. This is a happy tale for any book lover! I enjoyed the escape, the characters and the setting! Don’t miss this one!

Synopsis
Jess Metcalf is extremely emotional over the loss of the grandmother who raised her and has lost the librarian job she loves. With no job, no prospects, and limited savings, she buys a country house with a lot of deferred maintenance in a rural area far from any conceivable job she could get.
My Overall Thoughts
You’ve likely already guessed from my synopsis that I did not love this book. Jess is a completely unbelievable protagonist. Her poor life decisions abound, yet she uses common sense and grit to solve the problems of all the townspeople. Nope. Not buying it.

What I Didn't Love

My biggest literary pet peeve is a novel that starts off with a female protagonist making a monumental poor choice. We all know where it is going from there. The protagonist strives to win us over with her fresh, sweet, kind personality. Poor little thing. She’s too sweet and innocent to be expected to think. Then, just when it looks like all is lost, someone sweeps in with buckets of money to save her from her poor decision-making capabilities. This someone is usually a tall, brooding hunk who has millions stashed in his mattress and a damsel-sized hole in his heart that he just figured out how to fill. Fortunately, that very last part is not the case in this book, so I’m not spoiling it for anyone.

Also, there is something else that really made me want to scream. Jess turns an old telephone booth on her property into a small library for the town, but there is a faction in the town that wants the phone booth to hold a defibrillator instead so that anyone in the town can use it in case of emergency. Never once did any character point out the obvious fact that a phone booth could hold both a defibrillator and books. Problem solved. Move on.

Potentially Offensive Content

Adult situations

What I Loved
The setting was lovely but was far overshadowed by the poor plot.

What’s more relaxing than escaping to the countryside with the cutest of libraries?

Following the death of her grandmother, Jess Metcalf makes a drastic decision to buy a cottage with a telephone box and move to the countryside. Much to her astonishment, Jess finds herself belonging in a community, thanks to her converted littlest library, something that she has never felt before.

I loved the characters in this book especially Diana, Mungo and Becky. This was cozy, delightful and heartwarming that I enjoyed this enough to finish but I don’t think I would remember anything in after a week.

Thank you to Avon, NetGalley and the author for my copy. All opinions are honest and my own.

This story had so much potential. After the death of her grandmother and loss of her library job, Jess goes for a drive and stumbles upon a quaint cottage in a rural town. She is purchases the cottage and the accompanying red phone box in her front yard. This town and its people do much to heal Jess's heart and help her to move forward. Her grumpy neighbor Aidan has a big part in that.

I wanted to like this story more than I did. I just felt zero chemistry between Jess and Aidan and found their love story my least favorite part of this book. I loved some of the quirky townspeople but at times found myself rolling my eyes and wanted more development for their characters. Normally I love books about books, but this one fell a bit flat for me overall.

An interesting premise and reminded me of Jenny Cogan novels - sweet, heartfelt. This is not though a light cozy book, there is a strong thread of grief, loss, and darkness placing it firmly more in the women's fiction (or contemporary fiction) than romance it is more marketed as so don't expect a HEA or the strong romance plotline.

The town and side characters all bring life to this book. It's a good choice for anyone looking for a low stakes book that will pull you along and still pull at the heart while not ripping it out.

DNF 41%

I listened to this on audio and at first I was really enjoying it and the quirky small town vibes and characters but around the 30% mark it started to lose me. The plot really started to drag right about there and Jess gets bogged down in all the problems of everyone who lives in the town. So far I'm not feeling the romance, really. It definitely takes a back seat to everyone else's drama. Normally I don't mind that but I kept feeling like the plot was trying to get me to get invested in the romance and it just wasn't happening.

Those mysterious boxes of books were just... popular books she'd enjoyed as a child? Generic almost - the sort of books that end up on school reading lists and everyone reads. Also I was a little offended that in all those 10 boxes of books there was not a single fantasy or sci-fi title. Like, really?

When it gets to the point that I'm actively avoiding reading a book I know it's just not working for me and forcing myself to continue will only make my opinion of it sink further.

The narrator does a good job with the unique character voices and believable accents. I enjoyed the experience of listening to it (at least until the plot lost me).

*Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for providing an early copy for review.

A nice light uplifting read. I was glad to turn to this after a couple of very heavy titles. A fun story where everything works out in the end. I love books like this where a character is starting a new life and creating their nest in a new home. Lovely cover!

This heartwarming tale, "The Littlest Library," is sure to put a smile on your face. It follows the journey of Jess Metcalf, a librarian who undergoes a series of life-altering events, including the passing of her grandmother and the loss of her job. Seeking solace, she purchases a cozy cottage in a close-knit community, complete with a charming old red phone box—an instant source of fascination.
During her initial encounter with the cottage, Jess crosses paths with a grumpy man who has deep connections to the house. Undeterred, she embarks on a mission to give back to her new community, transforming the red phone box into a delightful little library, housing her late grandmother's cherished books. While the endeavor gains popularity among the townsfolk, there is one individual who harbors different intentions for the beloved phone box.
"The Littlest Library" is a must-read for book lovers and enthusiasts of charming stories that delve into the intricate tapestry of close-knit communities. The characters are endearing, and the author skillfully weaves together the threads of community, friendship, and the love of books, creating a truly marvelous reading experience. From the very first page to the satisfying conclusion, this book promises to be an absolute pleasure for anyone who picks it up. Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this delightful tale.

This was a lovely story in the vein of a Jenny Colgan novel. It was nothing earth shattering but it gave me all the cozy happy vibes. Adding in a little library in a phone booth made it near perfect.

3.5 rounded to 4. This is a cozy, charming story about Jess. Jess has had a hard life, starting with the death of her parents when she was just a little child. She was raised by her grandmother, Mimi, who has recently passed away when the story begins.
With no family or friends around, Jess sells her grandmother's house and impulsively moves into an old cottage in Middlemas, a village she's never been to before.
While getting her new house in order, Jess settles into village life and starts to put down real roots of her own.
It's a charming village with a cast of lovely characters.
While it was a pleasant read, I wasn't won over by the love story. I didn't feel the couple had any chemistry or any reason to be attracted each other in the first place. Aiden was grumpy and standoffish until the moment he suddenly wasn't...and that was enough for Jess to fall in love? I didn't buy it.
Lackluster romance aside, this is a calm, soothing read when you just want something nice to read.

The Littlest Library is a heartwarming and uplifting novel about the power of books and the importance of community. Jess Metcalf is a librarian who loses her job and her grandmother in the same week. She decides to move to a small village in the English countryside, where she finds an old red phone box that she turns into a library. The Littlest Library quickly becomes a beloved fixture in the village, and Jess finds herself connecting with the people of the village in a way that she never thought possible. The Littlest Library is a charming and delightful novel that will stay with you long after you finish reading.

Here are some specific things I liked about the book:

1. The characters: The characters in The Littlest Library are all charming and relatable. Jess is a likable protagonist who is easy to root for. The other characters in the novel are also well-developed and interesting.

2. The setting: The setting of The Littlest Library is a small village in the English countryside. The author does a great job of bringing the setting to life. The village feels like a real place, and you can almost smell the fresh air and hear the birds singing.

3. The message: The Littlest Library is a story about the power of books and the importance of community. The book shows how books can bring people together and help them to connect with each other.

Overall, I thought The Littlest Library was a great read. It is a heartwarming and uplifting novel that will stay with you long after you finish reading. I would definitely recommend it to others who are looking for a feel-good read.

While this was a nice read, there is no new territory here for readers of book loving novels. Another small town with cutbacks to their library system looking to secure use of a building to distribute books. I loved the cover and the idea, but just felt like this was another book I had read with slight variation. This said, I would read more by this author as it was an enjoyable listen while driving and doing tasks. I received the ARC free from #NetGalley

If you like books about (loving) books, cozy small town settings, slow pacing with low stakes, and romance-adjacent stories (that don't quite evolve to a true romance), this is for you. Pretty inoffensive in the vein of The Little Bookshop on the Corner and other Jenny Colgan stories, this is a good one to do a buddy read with grandma or your work book club, if you work with primarily retirees.

Cute but trite book about a woman who moves to a small village and changes everyone’s life for the better because of books. Fans of Jenny Colgan will like this book. My biggest complaint is that most of the conflict/angst comes from the MC’s job search and possible need to move out of the village. So… why did she BUY A HOUSE in this tiny village if she didn’t have a job/had no prospects?? If she had been renting I would not have been taken out of the story by this.
Thank you to Net Galley and Harper Collins for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.