Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook ARC!

I really wanted to like this book. And at first I thought it would be one of those 'I liked it even though x,y, and z kind of bugged me' reads. But then x, y, and z turned into a,b,c,d,e,f,g... etc. Only appropriate that a library-based book would have a whole alphabet of irksome plot woes.

Just to name a couple:

(A) I'm from Idaho, and a lot of the major plot points don't reflect the reality that is Idaho in any way. It's like the author was looking for a place to set her novel, looked at a map, picked a cute small town with a catchy French name, and that was the end of her research into the setting of the novel. What makes this even more maddening is that the author is from Eastern WA, which is practically the same thing as Northern ID, and so she should have been able to do better.

(B) The characters are so unbelievable. No one acts the way normal people would act in a similar situation. I think that's the main reason I found them so unlikeable. Also, the things that are supposed to make them 'who they are' are taken so far to the extreme that they become obnoxious. Mr McLachlan is so curmudgeonly that it's no longer heartwarming. Maisey is so busy-bodyish that she just becomes completely annoying. Brett is such a cliche that he might as well have been replaced by a cardboard cutout.

I'm giving this book 2 stars because of the excellent narration by Angie Kane. She got me through this one. Otherwise would have been a 1 star read.

One word review: Heartwarming! Oh, you want more information? Okay, the story is told through the perspectives of multiple narrators but centers on Sloane, a librarian who becomes the unexpected heroine of her own life as she is empowered by the love of her found family. This book is about loneliness, love, and being open to connection and community. I loved the literary references, the intergenerational friendships, and the diversity of characters. The book navigates some heavy topics in a respectful way without drowning the reader. 

Would like to give it a 3.5 out of 5 but since I have to pick I’m giving it a 4. 

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for this ALC!

Loved it!

I’m a sucker for “book club” books, “library” books and “book store” books. Usually I’m disappointed; this was an exception and I thought it was a lovely and heartwarming story.

Sloane is a librarian and Arthur is a crotchety old man who visits the library. They develop a comradery; Arthur becomes ill. A whole host of characters are developed as The Lonely Hearts Book Club progresses. The author Lucy Gilmore pulls this book together magnificently.

I was able to review the Advance Review Copy (ARC) in exchange for a honest review. Angie Kane provided the narration for the audiobook. She did such a great job narrating, I seriously thought that a full cast was narrating this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley for introducing me to (yet once again) a “new to me” author for providing the ARC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review. Also thank you to Lucy Gilmore the author, Angie Kane the narrator and Dreamscape Media for the approval of my request to review ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author Lucy Gilmore, narrator Angie Kane and publisher Dreamscape Media.

What an absolute pleasure! Everyone was saying how marvelous Lucy Gilmore's The Lonely Hearts Book Club was to read, so when I got the chance to listen to the audio edition, I couldn't resist.

I was impressed by Angie Kane's narration. This is a huge cast of characters, and I think Kane performs it well.

Emotional, insightful, and beautifully written, Lucy Gilmore's The Lonely Hearts Book Club is simply delightful.

Lucy Gilmore's THE LONELY HEARTS BOOK CLUB is a delightful and charming novel that will leave you feeling uplifted and inspired. The story follows Sloane Parker, a small-town librarian who forms an unlikely friendship with a grumpy old man named Arthur McLachlan. When Arthur falls ill, Sloane creates a book club to bring more joy and companionship into his life. As the club grows, they discover the power of books to connect and heal, and they form a bond that transcends age, gender, and background. The writing is warm and engaging, and the characters are lovable and relatable. This book is a touching and hopeful story about the transformative power of friendship and the magic of books. Highly recommended!

The Lonely Hearts Book Club is a cute book with some charming characters if a bit predictable. The plot centers around a librarian named Sloane and her cantankerous patron, Arthur. When Arthur mysteriously stops showing up at the library, Sloane breaks the rules by looking up his address to check on him, finding out that he has had a health scare and causing Sloane to lose her job. Having found a strange connection with Arthur, Sloane takes on the task of watching out for him, building a tiny support group of one of Arthur's neighbors, a colleague from the library, and a mysterious man hovering around Arthur's house (it's not as creepy as it sounds, but it's a spoiler). I wondered at the length of the audio book when I started, but then found out that it breaks off into sections covering each character's POV, which I really enjoyed. The only part that I didn't enjoy was anything to do with Brett, Sloane's fiance, and his family as they were just not nice at all and I couldn't picture why Sloane would put herself in that position after seeing her interaction with her own family. All in all this was a good listen and I enjoyed the characters learning that family isn't always the one we're born with, but the one we make. Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the early listen in return for my honest opinion.

This was a sweet one! I picked it up because I love books about book lovers. It reminded me a lot of The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams. The book centers around several different people who meet and develop a friendship with a grumpy old man, naturally all characters love to read.

This is such a delightful novel! The title and cover convinced me to read The Lonely Hearts Book Club by Lucy Gilmore, and thank goodness they did. I'm adding this to my list of bookish novels that captured my heart

This story which begins with library employees and one of their patrons includes:

- a bookish curmudgeon
- intergenerational friendships
- found family
- quirky secondary characters
- complicated family relationships
- 'inside baseball' on library operations
- book club discussions

This novel kept surprising me in the best ways. I didn't realize the story would be told by several characters. I didn't expect teen parenting advice to be offered by an unlikely source. I didn't anticipate a subplot to remind me of Schitt's Creek. And I was definitely surprised by the depth and number of emotions this novel evoked.

I'm grateful to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for access to the audiobook narrated by Angie Kane. She brought each unique character to life and made it easy to follow the large cast.

4.5 stars rounded up

I just can't help but love the stories featuring the curmudgeonly older characters. Throw in the quirky side characters, and I'm in love. I enjoyed the multiple POV, but I would have preferred if the audio for each chunk of the characters POV would have been narrated by different individuals. I fell in love with this little found family and I'm sad to leave this little book club and now have a strong urge to read Anne of Green Gables.

The book was a cute premise but ended up having a few issues I couldn’t get past. The perspective changes felt really abrupt, all of the characters seemed despondent and the relationships between them weren’t completely believable.

What a nice treat. A sweet book about a book club of unlikely friends who find themselves meeting each of their individual needs. Told from the perspective of 5 members of the book club, it’s a great story in character development and perspective.

Themes: 👯‍♀️👴🏻🦯📚🏘️💗

My feelings: 😁😍🥰🤩

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“She was in every book I read” -Arthur

Books always teach us something. This was a book about libraries, books, book clubs and an amazing cast of characters. I really enjoyed this one and loved how it was written. I chose to listen to this book as an audiobook and Angie Kane narrated it. She was a great fit for this. I highly recommend it.
Thanks Dreamscape Media via NetGalley.

I like books about books and how they inspire community and understanding of strangers.

This book has a unique collection of broken people. There are several chapters from the perspective of each character. It has the people pleaser, the old curmudgeon, the overly friendly next door mom, the confused gay guy, and two mysterious men.

The fact that the last few chapters contained excerpts from Anne of Green Gables, raised my rating a full star.

Angie Kane is an incredible narrator! She fleshed out each character with their own voice and emotions.

Thank you for the opportunity to listen and review this book.

The Lonely Hearts Book Club by Lucy Gilmore is a heartwarming and charming story about the power of books to bring people together. Sloane Parker, a small-town librarian, never thought of herself as lonely until she realizes that her favorite patron, Arthur McLachlan, hasn't been coming to the library. When she checks on him, she finds him bedridden and struggling to hide his delight in seeing her.

In an effort to bring some cheer into Arthur's life, Sloane creates an impromptu book club, and the misfits of their town slowly begin to find each other through their shared love of books. The author expertly weaves together the stories of these quirky characters, each with their own unique struggles and challenges, as they learn to open up to each other and find joy in unexpected places.

Gilmore's writing is engaging and witty, and her love for books is evident throughout the novel. The characters are endearing and relatable, and their interactions are both heartwarming and humorous. The book also explores important themes such as friendship, community, and the power of literature to heal and inspire.

Overall, The Lonely Hearts Book Club is a delightful read that will appeal to fans of books about books, romance, and charming small-town stories. It is a testament to the power of books to bring people together and reminds us that even in the loneliest of times, there is always hope for connection and friendship.

This was the cutest, most heartwarming story I have read in a very long time!
While this fact alone would make me recommend this book, what made me truly love it was that there were no far-fetched situations where everything fits just-too-perfectly. No unnecessary dramas, no ridiculously mean partners, or perfect new romantic partners who just happened to be right there from the start.

These were all people you can easily meet any day, with normal occurrences and common traumas, who decide to welcome eachother into their lives and become family.

NetGalley kindly provided me with a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review, but I am definitely going to buy a copy of this book to keep at home :)

Five stars!!!!

Cover ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This cover is very eye catching and would make me click on it in the kindle store.

Narrated by Angie Kane ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Great voice

Story by Lucy Gilmore ⭐⭐⭐

The blurb for this story definitely peeked my interest, however I didnt love it as much as I was hoping to. The characters were OK but I couldn't imagine being friends with any of these people. Overall the multiple POVs made it interesting.

I would recommend it to my book club and audience but probably wouldn't buy it for a friend.

This is my first time trying Lucy Gilmore and while I didn't love this one I did like her writing style so would absolutely try another book.

This book was cute! It was fine to listen to and kept me semi-interested. It was a little over-done at some parts.

The Lonely Hearts Book Club by Lucy Gilmore was like a warm hug. I loved the characters and how different sections of the book focused on one character. This really helped me connect with the characters and get inside their head. This was such a wonderful read but there were parts that moved a big slowly for me which is why I was happy to have had the audiobook.

Overall, a book that I would recommend if you enjoy found family and book clubs.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sweet and endearing read about a group of lonely people coming together. This book was charming and left me with a smile. Plus, this book will have readers looking up and wanting to read the book selections of this club.

If this book isn’t on your to-read list, then go get it now and read it anyway! One of my favorites of the year by far. The Lonely Hearts Book Club by Lucy Gilmore is a poignant and beautifully written novel that explores the depths of people and all their foibles. And it does so without making you feel like you’re doing it. Full of laughter and joy and heart, it will allow you to explore your emotions and come away grateful to be human! The only part I didn’t like was that it ended! I’d love to continue reading about these lovely souls!