Everything about this book called out to me. A cozy chick-lit in a small British village with a tiny library in an old red telephone booth!? Gimme it. And it definitely delivered on most of that. It's a very calm, very cozy, very gentle story. The small village setting is wonderful, and the tiny library in the telephone booth was an excellent focus point of the story.

BUT, I was let down a bit by the main character and by the romance, both of which I found a little lacking. I'm not sure if the main character was intentionally written to be bland so that readers could picture themselves in the story instead, but I do feel like she needed a bit more personality that wasn't tied to her grief. And the romance, while it wasn't the focus of the story, still left a lot to be desired. Not a lot of spark or heat between the MC and the love interest.

BUT, if you're not looking for something super romantic and maybe a story where you can imagine yourself as the lead character, then this is the right choice for you. If you like stories that are very calm and have low stakes (and there is nothing wrong with a story with low stakes--sometimes you just need something chill), then this is also the right choice for you.

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the e-ARC</i>

As a librarian, I enjoyed this book. I like how she talks about how little things in books can help change lives. I found the overall story enjoyable. I understand her fear of being able to find a job and feeling like you can do what is being asked of you. I did enjoy the side romance and the interaction she had with the other characters in the village that helped bring her out of her shell. I would love to read more by this author.

This book is so cute and made me want to build a little library and go to England. I fell in love with this one. It is an excellent book.

The Littlest Library had me at the cover and the title! The US cover, done by the same illustrator who created Ideal Bookshelf, is a full color wonder! It makes me long to have one in my front yard!

The Littlest Library is a lovely story about love, loss, finding yourself, and creating community. All set in an English cottage with lush gardens and a phone booth turned littlest library.

After the loss of her beloved Mimi, with no other family and the loss of her job, Jess finds a house in a small village she just can't resist buying. Both Jess and the cottage slowly mend throughout the book, and she finds friends (and maybe love) where she least expected (both human and animal).

This book creates a warm, cozy feeling that makes you wish you could live in this small community that comes together around the awkward newcomer who takes a leap of faith and shares her beloved books with them.

Thank you to NetGalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Jess has a lot of changes to make. Her dear Mimi has passed, leaving her their family home, and she's lost her librarian job as her beloved local library was closed.
Fate steps in and leads her to Middlemass and Ivy Cottage.
I was immediately entranced by this little village and all it's inhabitants. And loved reading as Jess became a part of it.

The Littlest Library by Poppy Alexander is a treasure of a story!

Jess is dealing with the loss of Mimi, the woman who raised her. Her life stalls, then when she is trying to get away and think, her car stalls, and she happens on the perfect cottage. Ivy Cottage needs work, it needs love, it needs Jess, and it comes with a red telephone booth, and a colony of bats. Village hijinks ensue, the bats have to stay, and the red telephone booth becomes the Littlest Library. Jess uses her training as a librarian to match people to books, to match people to each other, and to match people to solutions. She finds herself in Middlemass and in Ivy Cottage.

All of the secondary characters in the story are wonderfully full of life. They could each have their own book! The village characters are so wonderful and I wanted to befriend them all! Well, except for April, Blondie, and Lucie. They just seem like unhappy people who want others to be unhappy too. But every story needs some conflict, or we would be bored.

Ivy Cottage is such a dream! I was swooning over the things Jess found in the garden. Veggies, flowers, an orchard, berries, and a meadow! And I really want her recipe for Rhubarb Jam.

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is such a lovely book - perfect for a rainy day. Heart-warming doesn't even begin to cover it. As an avid lover of books and stories, this captivating story is perfect for all readers out there.

Poppy Alexander does a great job capturing the charm of England, which is really nice as well!

This story follows main character Jess turns a little phone box into the littlest library in England - and the magic of sharing stories get a life of its own. As the book continues on, Jess finds a new version of herself and has to decide if she's brave enough to start over in the country side village she is now the owner of.

Thank you for the early look at this book! Absolutely love it <3

My review in failed haiku mode -
I loved this novel
This heartwarming story was
so cozy and sweet.

In all seriousness though, this novel was charming and a wonderful read. It's a definite recommendation from me.

Cute, quick, cozy, romance book. The picturesque countryside of England lends to the charm of the book.

This is a perfect story that reinforces how much I dream of moving to the English countryside, where I can garden and read all year long. After losing her grandmother and her job in quick succession, Jess takes a leap of faith and moves to a cottage in a small village. Turns out, an old phone booth also lives on her property, and it becomes a place that brings the town together. Along the way, Jess learns more about herself than she ever could have in her previous life, and creates every bibliophile’s dream life.

I adore the setting and the characters. Jess is so likable, and as somewhat of an introvert, I really found her to be a character that resonated with me. The reason I gave this 4⭐️ instead of 5⭐️ was because she came across as a pushover throughout the book (especially when it came to Aiden!!). That said, she shows a lot of personal growth throughout, and I would have loved more of an emphasis on that. All in, solid read.

Would recommend if you like: cozy fiction, English countrysides, books, libraries, village drama (of the generally harmless busybody kind), and the thought of moving to a delightful village.

What a wonderful story! I had never read anything from this author, but I really enjoyed reading this one. I have been to England once and could completely picture the red telephone box on the hill in the countryside. With a touch of romance and a plot of restoration, it's a highly recommended read.

This is exactly the sort of book I needed! I love books that feel like a warm hug and that's exactly what this book with it's adorable phone box library, grumpy neighbor, lovely townspeople, and solvable problems feel like. There was just enough angst in the form of mild custody battles and grieving a beloved grandparent to give this book weight without making it any less lovely to read. More of this!

When we meet Jess in The Littlest Library we learn that her beloved grandmother that she lived with has passed away and she lost her job at the library. Her life prior to these two events happening was stable and predictable. After exiting off of an impromptu drive up the motorway, she stumbles across an open house and encounters a very grumpy neighbour. Impulsively she puts in an offer on the home and readies her house to be sold. Upon hearing she is the new owner of a precious bungalow and decommissioned telephone box Jess makes the move to not only change her location but her future as well. Poppy Alexander writes a beautiful story of a young lady who grows into her own skin with heart warming characters.

What a delightful book! I love the protag, love her little cottage, and the village. The characters are exactly what you want when reading a book about a small village, and what reader doesn't love a book about books?

This was a great read. Jess is a multidimensional lead character, smart, introverted, hesitant but hopeful. She happens upon the perfect tiny cottage to start her new life in, after her beloved grandma passed away. She isn't sure what the future holds, but hesitantly starts setting down some roots in this tiny town. I loved all the spirited, wholesome, small town happenings, the variety of characters and friendships. The imagery of Jess's backyard flower garden and orchard was dreamy and helped me stay cozy during a wild snowstorm. It wrapped up really nicely and I would so love a sequel!

This book was joyful and heartwarming. I love books about books! This book had small town charm, lovable characters I was rooting for and, immense character growth.

I adored the main character Jess and all of the residents of the village of Middlemass. Jess wants to create connections and relationships but is afraid to reach out because she doesn’t want to get hurt. She has dealt with huge losses already in her life. This is the story of her path through obstacles learning to take chances, and the power of books to bring people together.

I highly recommend this book! Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for the ARC.

A very sweet tale to enjoy in a single sitting. No adventure or thrills to speak of, I certainly didn’t fully experience the trauma of losing the little library or the issue with custody. It all felt a little swaddled in twee countryside and obvious English characters.
However, I did enjoy the staid nature of the story and I loved the description of the house and garden. If you are looking for a light, no taxing read this would not disappoint,
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

The Littlest Library is a very cozy, cute book about a woman who is learning to take risks in life. I enjoyed all of the descriptions of the English countryside and the adorable cottage she is tasked with renovating. At times, however, I felt like there were too many details about the cottage and not as much about the other characters in the book. I sometimes would get confused about the side characters and not remember who was who. I felt like the book sort of dragged on at times and felt rushed at other times. If you enjoy savoring a book and just taking in all of the details, this one is for you.

First of all, a little library is my dream! I just love the cover and immediately wanted to dive into the picture. This was a gem of a book that highlights the transformative power of books and how they bring people together.

I received an ARC for an honest review. Jess Metcalf has spent her entire life in one place with her grandmother, Mimi. When Mimi passes away and Jess loses her job, she decides to make a change and buys a quaint little cottage complete with an old red telephone box.

This book has the potential to be something really lovely. The idea is very sweet. As it stands now, however, I think the book would benefit greatly from additional in-depth editing in addition to tightening up for minor edits. The characters seem to lack any agency of their own and almost seem forced together despite these external forces working to bring them into certain scenarios. Additionally, some relationships come out of nowhere with very little development and it’s difficult follow the train of thought. A bit of tightening and elimination of repetitive dialogue would also make it a much more cohesive read that feels less choppy.