I will start by saying this book is a great casual read - one of those feel good, simple books. It didn't have any cliffhangers, spicy romance, or big dilemmas. It follows the life of Jess who's MiMi has just passed away and she lost her librarian job in her hometown and now Jess is left to figure out what she wants to do with her life. She finds a quaint little town and a rundown cottage to live in. She makes friends with everyone in town and decides to turn the red phone box into a library that eventually takes off and brings lots of good to the community.

There were a lot of miniature plots in this book. Learning about the neighbors and their lives, Jess's life, her friend Hannah, the library's life - sometimes it felt monotonous. There were a lot of characters and their stories to keep up with.

I was upset the romance didn't play a bigger role in this book because I feel like it was set up perfectly that the MC and love interest was going to be a huge story line but in reality it was only talked about for a handful of pages throughout the whole book.

Again, loved the book and happy I finished it. This is a great book for anyone needing a simple, slow read.

Thank you so much for an advanced copy of The Littlest Library.

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Women's Fiction
Pub Date: July 19, 2022

This book is such a delight. If you're looking for a story about the healing power of books, letting go of your reservations, and finding your place in life, The Littlest Library is the book for you. This story is an ode to growth and change as much as learning to say goodbye to those we love. I was so invested in Jess' journey, and I was also so intrigued with the life she carved out for herself. Jess' character was so well-developed, and her slow slide into the community was very genuinely written. This is just a feel good book, and I'm so happy I got to read it.

This book has some darker/more triggering aspects to it, too. I found myself identifying with Jess' grief a lot and her struggle to come to terms with her grandmother's death really spoke to me. My own grandmother died in 2008, and I still struggle with the grief of her death. I was comforted by this story not glossing over the ugly, hard aspects of grief and instead it gave a very realistic depiction of grief. I appreciated that more than I can write.

While there are triggering topics in the book, this book has a lightness to it. I thought the author did a wonderful job balancing the dark with the light to ultimately write a tale of hopefulness. This book is just really well done and enjoyable. I laughed, I teared up, and I enjoyed the heck out of this book.

Very cute book about a library that is converted from an old telephone booth. The way the author brings the characters to life, makes the reader feel like you could step into the little town and enjoy your own time in the little library.
Jess comes across as a meek character in the beginning but the more I read the more I saw her strengths in her convictions.

This is a warm, feel-good story of the power of community, books, and love.

Jess has felt loss, the loss of her parents at 4, the loss of her grandmother (Mimi) who loved and raised her and the loss of her beloved library position. This could be a book about grief, but it's so much more.

Fate brings Jess to a small village where she buys ivy cottage and starts anew. The new home comes with a red phone booth and the requirement the new owner maintains the towns landmark. With 10 smallish boxes of Mimis books, Jess opens the littest library in that red phone booth in her front yard.

Jess and her neighbors each struggle with something in their lives, much like we all do. They find connections with each other, new purpose and hope. Each of the residents of the village is endearing. Middlemass is a charming place I would love to live. It is a community that comes together via the magic of books. I especially enjoyed Mimis books were filled with her thoughts and reflections of the individual stories, notes of family purpose in Swiss Family Robinson are a wonderful example.

This is the first book I have read from Poppy Alexander, and through her words, she has filled me with hope and renewed purpose, exactly what she does for the inhabitants of this small village. Interlaced throughout Alexander's book is the common thread for the love of books- they magically guide, inspire, and provide and escape from life.

Thank you, NetGalley and Harper Collins, for this magical, heart-warming tale of the beauty of books and community. I whole heartedly recommend others pick it up and enjoy the wisdom and love contained.

Thank you to the publisher and @NetGalley for the E-ARC copy of this book. The rating of this book is entirely of my own opinion. #NetGalley #TheLittlestLibrary #FunRead

This book is my cup of tea! I am a librarian and so I loved the connections with books and libraries. This book is delightful, charming, and I enjoyed reading it. I am so glad to read about people who value books! I am giving it five stars because I just loved reading this book and escaping into the little English town where Jess lives.

In this book, Jess purchases a charming cottage in a small English town. She needs a change of pace because her grandmother has passed. The property also includes a red telephone booth that she is not allowed to move. So, she decides to make it into a library...like the little libraries we have all over many towns. In the process, she makes friends, grows to love her town, has romantic feelings for the man who lives next door, and manages to help make lives better through the books and her friendships.

This book is similar to Jenny Colgan's books. Such a wonderful and sweet escape.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from Net Galley. Look for this book to be out in July 2022.

I adore unique stories, and this is such an interesting premise. I recommend because of the story itself, writing style, and its ability to transport you into a different world (plus that cover!!).

The premise of this is very cute, and as a bookseller I had to try for an eARC. For the most part, this lived up to its synopsis, though it was overlong in my opinion. And when I want a cozy, soft story, I REALLY want cozy. This book had a very brusque love interest who was truly a jackass for much of the first chunk of the book, and while I realize this is an archetype in romance/women's fiction, it's definitely not to my taste. (And while there are the rare exceptions, this wasn't one of them.) Overall, it was a fun enough time, but it just wasn't quite chill and fun enough to be a keeper.

This book was a book. That's really the only thing I can say about it. It wasn't bad, but I didn't love it. I feel like this book definitely caters to a specific audience and that audience just isn't me. I usually get through a book like this in 1-2 days, but this one took me ages to read and that's probably because I wasn't into it. If you like whimsical story-telling, you'll probably like this novel, but it didn't work for me.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Avon and Harper Voyager and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Charming, quirky and quaint. Lovely characters with a story to tell.

If you are looking for a sweet and charming read that highlights the healing power of books, then you should read The Littlest Library. The story is about Jess, who moves to a new town after losing her grandmother and job in a matter of months. When she purchases a cottage, she doesn’t realize that it comes with an old and no-longer-used telephone booth, and community leaders are eager to learn her intentions for the landmark.

Since she brought a large collection of books that her grandmother left her, Jess decides to put them to good use and turns the phone booth into a little library. Soon, people across the small community are visiting the little library. As Jess makes new friends and becomes more ingratiated in the community, she makes friends and even manages to break through her handsome neighbor’s tough shell. But is Jess ready to move on and make this new town her home?

This is a lovely story about friendship, community, starting over, and finding love. Jess is a well-developed and layered character, and I loved her physical and emotional journey throughout the book. She goes from being a woman who thrives in predictability and is in a bit of a slump to a woman who takes risks and opens herself up to love. Jess lost her parents when she was young, and she was raised by her wonderful grandmother. So, it’s logical that she feels untethered when she loses her grandmother too. Jess spends a lot of the story figuring out who she is and what she wants in life.

The story depicts grief well, and I really connected with Jess’s feelings over the loss of her beloved grandmother. I like how it suggested that there is no timeframe for grief and that people grieve and heal in their own ways. It also shows how Jess has to redefine herself and figure out who she is without her grandmother’s influence, which is exactly how I felt when my mother died. Who was I without this strong and supportive role model? Losing someone that important to you changes you, and the author showed this journey well.

The story addresses other heavy issues, including divorce, toxic relationships, aging, and more. However, it isn’t a heavy or dark read. Instead, it offers hope and optimism and shows how one community supports each other in little ways. Do I want The Littlest Library in my neighborhood? Yes, yes I do. It sounds lovely, and it’s a perfect way to repurpose something that was just taking up space. The more I thought about this, the more I realized finding new purpose is a major theme throughout the story. There are many strong messages about transforming, repurposing, renovating, and taking risks, and it isn’t just in regards to inanimate objects like the library. Many of the characters transform and find new purposes throughout the story, which I loved. Jess and her neighbors learn so much about each other and themselves, and it’s wonderful to see how one small thing can affect an entire community for the better.

Though the romance is not at the forefront of the novel, it is a nice addition to the story, and it has total grumpy-sunshine vibes. I like that both characters have built walls around their hearts and are fearful of taking that step toward being vulnerable and connected to one another. They have a lot of emotional obstacles in their way, as well as an ex that causes problems, but I really wanted to see this pair find happiness. They’ve both been through so much and deserve to find a partner that supports and loves them unequivocally.

The Littlest Library is a charming read with great messages, a wonderful group of people connected by books, and an interesting enemies-to-lovers romance. I would definitely recommend the book to readers of contemporary romance and am very thankful to NetGalley, the author, and Avon for providing a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

After she loses her job at the local library, Jess decides to uproot her life and moves to Ivy Cottage in the small English village of Middlemass. At the entrance to the cottage is an old rundown red telephone box, which also happens to be hers. Throughout the transformation of the telephone box into the new village library, we meet a cast of interesting townspeople and a possible love interest for Jess. This book combines the love of books, family and the importance of community.

When Jess's grandma gives away most of the books out of her library, Jess is concerned. "Don't worry, ma cherie," she had said "All the books that matter are still here. They are yours to keep and to take with you wherever you go." "but I'm not going anywhere," jess protested. "Not now, but you will, and when you do - when you are ready - you will unpack these boxes and it will be like I am standing there beside you; all our memories, all our precious times together, wrapped up in these books...Trust me. You'll see."

When Jess randomly pulls of the main road and enters the small town of Middlemass, she falls in love with a cottage and impulsively buys it without so much as touring the cottage or obtaining an inspection. Her first order of business is to do away with the old-fashioned red phone box (phone booth in the US). Due to certain circumstances, it instead becomes a home for her grandmother's books and becomes the "Littlest Library". In the process, the phone box library brings the town together and helps Jess become part of a community, and at long last, she becomes part of a family.

This was a sweet book and look at that cute, cute cover! I would have liked it better had the characters been developed just a little bit more and if there was a bit more flow to the various storylines.

Exceptionally cute small-town romance that showcases the hidden power of books.

Thank you, NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager, for the opportunity to read an advance reading copy.

The Littlest Library by Poppy Alexander

Jess Metcalf is perfectly happy with her quiet, predictable life - it's just the way she likes it. But when her beloved grandmother passes away and she loses her job at the local library, her life is turned upside-down.

Packing up her grandmother's books, she moves to a tiny cottage in a charming country village. To her surprise, Jess finds herself the owner of an old red telephone box, too - and she soon turns it into the littlest library around!

It's not long before the books are borrowed and begin to work their magic - somehow, they seem to be bringing the villagers together once more...


————————————

Thank you NetGalley and Orion Books for an ARC of The Littlest Library! This book felt like a warm hug. One of my favorite book tropes is communities coming together around books. It feels meta to me and I absolutely love it. This book was just that. I also loved and connected so much to Jess’ grieving process of losing her Grandma as I deal with my own grief and loss over the loss of my Grandpa. This book could be slow at times, but overall, it was a happy little read.

4⭐️

3.5
A love letter to how books bring us together. This is a cozy story about our protagonist starting a new life in a small charming community. It's full of beautiful descriptions. It moves at a slow pace but was a comforting read.
It was a good book to read when I wanted to relax. I just wish the romance was a bit more developed.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

📚The Littlest Library 📚

“The right book can be the cure for everything from fear to loneliness.”

This book was certainly a balm to my heart. A charming story about Jess, who moves to a new village to start over after recovering from the loss of her grandmother. In her new village, she starts “The Littlest Library” from the red phone booth in her front garden where her grandmother’s book collection becomes a cornerstone of the community, bringing people together, helping them find their way, and helping Jess find herself and love along the way.

Check this out if you are looking for:
📚 a heartwarming story about the power of community, and leaning into joy & gratitude
📚 a glimpse into life in the English countryside
📚 grumpy / sunshine trope
📚 single dad male lead
📚a mischievous pair of kittens
📚a tale to honor that, “Reading will never go out of fashion”

Thanks NetGalley for this arc !

What brought me in was the telephone booth!
It’s so cute. Loved it ! Jess’s character evolves throughout the book. It’s wonderful to read. I really enjoyed the writing she describes it so well ! I would recommend this book!

So this was cute.
I read it all in one sitting, even though it meanders a bit (ha, thats a joke, cause well if you read it, you'll get it).
Imagine if Stars Hollow was in the UK. I liked how we explored grief, how to build community, what shouldn't be done in home buying, and general day to day things that happen in small towns that keep things running. The author does a good job of explaining the area and the decor of the house, so you can feel a little english cottage-y-ness in your mind.

All of the characters were pretty fleshed out, with the exception of Lucie... that will continue to boggle me, but if you consider that she is an entitled white lady who is just doing what she wants, it becomes less boggling. Maisie was well rounded for a kid, especially one going through house things. I felt Becky's parenting struggles in my soul. Diana and Mungo were also fab. I did pull back a little when they were dicussing Mungo's life situation because he is a gay man, and they were discussing his history and such, and it felt a little too nosy, but you can also chock that too small town things. I just would have preferred to here his history from him, instead of through Jess and Diana. Paddy was a delight. And as for Jess and Aidan... I would have liked more. This book was more a romance of her falling in love with her small town and the people, and less about the relationship with her hot neighbor. Which is an expectation thing, so adjust yours accordingly.

Overall, just a good little read.

For readers who like The bookshop on the corner series, The Littlest Library is the story of a grieving librarian, who loses both her grandmother and her job. She lucks into a quaint cottage with a red phone box out front, which "accidentally" becomes her new library. While the story was cute and was full of new friendships and romances, it dealt a lot with the grief of the main character. A bit slow moving and a whirlwind wrapped up ending made it a little hard to get into, but a solid readalike for readers looking for a British cozy romance.