I really enjoyed this. Her books are definitely what I consider to be cozy and heartwarming books. It had a great group of characters although I wasn’t the biggest fan of Catherine. I found Chloe to be relatable and I enjoyed the dynamic of her and her siblings and with Jasper as well.

I enjoyed the dual timeline and the changing POV as I felt that kept it interesting. I also enjoyed the setting of the library and Washington. A fun heartwarming read for sure!

Will post my review on Goodreads on April 1st, 2024.

two romances in one book, with a dual timeline and a love of books this book was truly a book lovers dream.

I loved this book! The description grabbed me immediately. It was super cute and a “lighter” read which I loved, will be recommending to my friends!

I was happy to have received this e-arc for review! My favorite character was Jasper— mainly because my grandpa loved gardening just like he does. Jasper is the opposite of him in that he’s cranky and grumpy.

The beginning and middle of this book was a tad slow. . There were also so many POV switches, which could add to a little confusion.

The romance felt a bit underwhelming. The references to classic literature was fun to read but overall this was not for me.

This book pulls the reader in and keeps them until the end. The literary quotes throughout the book added another layer to it. The romance and mystery throughout the book kept me turning the pages. There were so many characters that I liked but especially the three kids and Jasper. There is a little spiciness and swearing in the book.

Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.

This is such a cute concept. I love books that are based in bookstores, libraries, cafes, and other cozy places. I found that the setting created the perfect environment for me to love these characters and follow their stories. Gilmore has a great way with words and I find that I was smiling throughout much of the book because it made me feel good to read about these characters I can relate to and see them interact with an environment that I love

Chloe works in a library, and is also supporting her three younger siblings. She always needs more money, so she is thrilled to find a rare first edition book at the library book sale. Oddly, her eccentric next door neighbor offers to buy it from her for a crazy-high price. That leads to her getting to know him better, as the book begins a relationship. A fun, heartwarming story.

3.5/5. I love any story about libraries and books. This one pulled at my hearstrings with the librarian references and literary love story. Every time I read a librarian joke I had to chuckle because Lucy Gilmore conveyed the nuance perfectly. Being an introverted librarian/bibliophile, I could easily identify with Jasper and his preference of expressing his emotions with the written word rather than verbally. His relationship with Noodle was heartfelt and I could have read more chapters about that. It wasn't always easy to resonate with Catherine, and it wasn't until the end of the book that I grew to respect her more as a character. Maybe it's because I indentify more with people like Jasper, but I wish there had been a bit more embellishing on her empathy rather than her vigor.

4.5 stars rounded up

I really did love this book! It started very interesting and I was enthralled by the entire Jasper & Catherine storyline. There was a section in the middle where the story dragged a little bit for me, but other than that small bit - this was fantastic! I loved the story, the jasper character and the ending. So sweet, definitely made me tear up and the ending was realistic. Well done!

Advanced reader copy from NetGalley + Sourcebooks Casablanca but all opinions are my own.

Oh, boy did I love this book! The story unfolded in a way that was unpredictable and the characters were so easy to get to know and I just didn't want it to end. The novel takes place in the same town and tells of a love story in 1960 and it unfolds to a young librarian in current day via love notes written in the margins of books. She makes it her mission to find out what happened between the two lovers. My words don't do it justice but the fact that I read this in 2 days shows how much I liked it.

I wanted to give this 5 stars for the sheer readability and the delightful fluff that this. Buuuuut…
Everyone felt like such a caricature of a personality in this book: completely over the top. I won’t go into too much detail, but two examples are Theo and Trixie, who felt like 8 and 9 year olds instead of teenagers. Not unpleasant, but unbelievable. Yeah, I know - this is a work of fiction, but it’s should still be somewhat believable.
Also, a couple of loose ends that bothered me: given his hardscrabble early life, where did Jasper come into so much money? And why was Ravenna’s “Until the” left with no explanation when it was given so much focus in the moment?
All of that said, this was a quick, fun read. I’m not sure why some people are saying Catherine was so awful, and that the ending was too sudden, because both made sense to me.
I did enjoy this book immensely, and it definitely gets a recommendation from me. I just wish I could have given it five stars.

I love a book about books. Throw in a curmudgeon and a little bit of mystery, and I'm hooked. This story was very heartwarming and is a testament to the power of "found" family. I will be looking to read more books from this author.

Thank you netgalley for this ARC.

I loved this book! Captivating and heart breaking, full of lively characters and a great storyline. I honestly could not put it down.

I loved the found family, multiple pov, and it’s a book about books!! I loved each of the characters separate stories. I really enjoyed this one!

Enjoyed this book once I got into it. Found t a bit slow at
Some parts . However will be looking for more
Of the Aurora
Books

Following The Lonely Hearts Book Club is the wonderfully charming The Library of Borrowed Hearts. Authors who obviously love books, writing stories about books and the people who love them always always appeal to me, and once I saw the synopsis for this, I knew I wanted to read it.

Women’s fiction with a dual timeline, “found family”, multiple POV, literary references, a touch of romance, and excellent characters (except for Catherine). I enjoyed this one a lot and look forward to reading what the Ms Gilmore writes next 🙂



Thank you Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the DRC

This is my second time reading Lucy Gilmore's work, and I really enjoyed it. I'm a librarian, so I was immediately drawn in just by "library" being in the title. LOL. I also enjoy stories with dual timelines, and this one bounced back and forth between 1960 and present day. The characters - Zach, Catherine, Jasper, and Chloe - each have their own unique stories, and it was fun diving into all of them. I would happily recommend this book to everyone, and I look forward to Gilmore's next book.

Libraries, books and a host of wonderful characters - I just knew I’d enjoy this book and I certainly did.
With a dual timeline of 1960 and the present, we follow Jasper, Catherine, Chloe and Zach as their stories unfold over their love of books.
A secret love affair, and a young girl left alone to look after her 3 siblings - 2 wonderful storylines that had me smiling and crying too.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Library of Borrowed Hearts
by Lucy Gilmore
Pub Date: April 30, 2024
Casablanca
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
A.J. Fikry meets The Bookish Life of Nina Hill in this charming, hilarious, and moving novel about the way books bring lonely souls together.
I love books about books and libarians!
The premise of this book grabbed me so quickly I needed to know more about it. The characters in this were lovely and charming. The setting was whimsical and cozy and I found myself constantly being lost in the magic that was this story

Where the book lost me a bit was the abrupt ending, it didn’t feel as developed and after such a wonderful story it was a bit of a let down.
I will continue to look for books by this author, this one just didn't hit the mark for me.
4 stars

The Library of Borrowed Hearts by Lucy Gilmore is a dual timeline story about some residents of a small town. In the present day, Chloe, a young woman who is a librarian and also the caretaker for her three younger siblings, comes across an old banned book (The Tropic of Cancer) and plans to sell it to help pay the bills, however she notices that there is correspondence between two individuals written in the margins. Quickly becoming invested in solving the mystery of who the writers are and what happened to them, Chloe starts her quest of trying to find more books that might give her the answers. The other timeline takes us to the 1960's and follows the two mysterious margin writers as their story unfolds.

I gravitate towards books about books/librarians/etc. and so when I saw this pop up on NetGalley I knew I had to request it. I am so glad I was approved because I LOVED this book. It was delightfully heartwarming. I felt so invested in the characters’ journeys and wanted to learn more about them. I fell in love with all of the characters. They were all well-developed and interesting. I loved the curmudgeonly neighbor Jasper, Chloe's dedication to support her unfold and the book progresses. My only complaint is I wish it was longer because I was not ready to finish the story. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for granting me an eBook ARC in return for my honest review. This book is expected to be published on April 30, 2024.