Chloe Sampson is struggling in life, her Mum left and Chloe is now responsible in looking after her 3 younger siblings. Money is tight so when she comes across a rare addition of a book from the 60's, thinking she could sell it and finally be able to get a new dishwasher and a few things for her siblings, Chloe takes the book home.
It is not until her grumpy neighbour agrees to buy the book for a ridiculous amount, she realises there is writing on some of the pages, this leads her to a story that is decades old.
This book was set in two timelines, one was the present day and the other in the 60's. For me this book was only ok, I loved the idea of a love story told through annotated books but unfortunately it just didn't work. There were way to many literary references from classic books that I have never read or never heard of. It took some of the enjoyment out of this book.
There were also too many POV's, and I struggled to keep up with them.
The book in places felt rushed but in others it went into lots of detail which added nothing to the story.
What I did like was Jasper the grumpy next door neighbour, as the story unfolded we got to see Jasper not just as the grumpy neighbour but as a young man who was in love and got his heart broken.

4 stars!
Sometimes, we just have to pick up a book, open it and get together with the characters!
I love The Lonely Hearts Book Club because it has a lot of humanity in it. I guess that is Lucy Gilmore's signature- to write a book with varied and mixed complexity characters and a reader can just be with them, in their joys, their sorrows, their pain and their celebrations. The Library of Borrowed Hearts has multi-POV and split timeline about forbidden love, or should I say , the perfect love in the wrong time. This is a love story in a story and I can't help but enjoy every single bit of their journey. I love the children- their innocence, their expectations and their hopes. Who does not want a kid that is called Noodle! Jasper is your typical Mr. Loving Groucho that has lots of regrets and unhappiness in life. To read a book about characters love for reading and for books is like the ultimate jackpot and I highly recommend this book!
Special thank you to SOurceBooks Casablanca via Netgalley for the ARC in exchange of my honest opinion. I enjoyed this read!

Romance | Adult
{cover mage}
First, the book is set just an hour’s drive south of my town – cool beans! Second, it’s a romantic book mystery involving classic literature and marginalia – be still, my geeky heart. When Chloe Sampson finds a dusty copy of Tropic of Cancer in the discarded books stored in the basement of the Colville library where she works, she decides to sell the book in hopes of improving her disastrous financial position. At 24, she is the guardian for her three adorably troublesome siblings, after their mother abandoned them several years ago, forcing her to give up her college studies in Spokane. But leafing through the book, Chloe spots writing in the margins, and realizes the book’s value has just plummeted. She reads the marginalia and realizes it’s a flirty conversation between two people, J and C. When her cantankerous neighbour Jasper Holmes spots the book in her hands, he offers her an unsigned cheque in exchange. Chloe quickly realizes Jasper must be the J – who is the C? What happened to the sweet-sounding lover in the margins to turn him into the grumpy, lonely neighbour who terrifies her siblings? What happened to C? Jasper refuses to speak about it, of course, launching Chloe and her colleague Pepper on a literary scavenger hunt to find out. This dual timeline romance spans 60 years, as Gilmore, author of puppy-based romances and the book-themed The Lonely Hearts Book Club, slowly spools out the story from multiple points of view. The changing POV was distracting for me; I would have preferred a single omniscient narrator for both timelines. Additionally, I was disappointed in the too-convenient plot twists. I did like the pacing, however, and loved the way Gilmore wove in so many classics (she appends a list of them – more than 35!) from Lady Chatterley’s Lover to The Secret Garden. The library references are endearing for anyone who has toiled in the stacks, and I particularly appreciated the realistic approach Gilmore uses to describe struggling families and difficult personal decisions across the decades. Overall, a shade under 4 stars rounded up. My thanks to Sourcebooks for providing a digital reading copy through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
More discussion and reviews of this novel: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/179947229

The story started out with very vulgar content/language. I did not continue.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to preview this book.

I thought this was really well written and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I think it will find readers at our library, so we will definitely be purchasing for the collection.

Get your tissue ready-this tale of old and new love will tear you up and put you back together!

A dual timeline and multiple POV love story with a bookish heart and funny banter, this book will have you falling in love with its characters, setting, and low stakes intrigue. It’s really great at straddling contemporary literature and romance genres which makes it perfect for any former English major turned Booktok gal. The historical elements will rope in another chunk of readers, and the rest will enjoy the hunky lumberjacks. There’s something for everyone!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy. These opinions are my own.

Librarian Chloe Sampson has been struggling, her mother deserted them years ago and she takes care of her three younger siblings, Trixie, Theo and Noodle. Chloe is tired of juggling credit cards to make ends meet, and she finds a rare edition of a banned 1960's book while cleaning out the libraries basement and she wonders how much she could sell it for?

Jasper Holmes lives next door to the Sampson’s and he’s the epitome of a grumpy old man, he’s a recluse and Chloe can’t believe it when he wants the buy the book. Chloe finds it odd, she looks closely at the novel, it has notes scribbled in the margins, between two sweethearts and they use it to communicate with each other. Chloe discovers it’s not the only book, she finds one more and she wonders how many others are floating around Colville. Chloe wants to uncover what happened between Jasper and his long lost love, they didn’t get married as Jasper lives alone and maybe it’s why he's rude to everyone?

The dual timeline narrative, alternates from present time and goes back to the 1960’s and Chloe discovers there's much more to Jasper Holmes, than the gruff exterior and he even offers to help her with Noodle, and they have something in common.

I received a copy of The Library of Borrowed Hearts from Sourcebooks in exchange for an unbiased review. Lucy Gilmore sets her stories around libraries, books and reading and it’s a winning combination. The characters in this novel are likable and most people will be able to relate to them and the social themes. Young love, unexpected friendships, breaking down barriers, financial struggles, raising children and everyone is different and that’s not a bad thing. I adored The Library of Borrowed Hearts, especially the quotes and references to classic books, and the author’s previous book The Lonely Hearts Book Club, I highly recommend both and five stars from me.

The Library of Borrowed Hearts by Lucy Gilmore
Fiction, women’s fiction. Chick lit. Dual time line.
Librarian Chloe Sampson has been struggling to take care of her three young siblings and to make ends meet. Chloe is cleaning out the basement of the library when she finds a rare book from the 1960’s. It’s filled with handwritten messages in the margins between two people, one of whom seems to be her cranky neighbor, Jasper Holmes. When Jasper gets involved with her siblings, caretaking and supervising,, it’s a surprise to all of them, but they seems to fit. They’ve made a new family. Then their mother returns and the whole family is turned again on its axis.
A love story from the 60’s, a potential love in the current day, family unbuilt and built again. It’s an emotional journey with sprinkles and quotes from classic and infamous books made to apply to life then and now.

You can be unique but also find similarities in the pages of the thousands and thousand of available stories.
This book includes a number of different growing relationships both past and present. I sympathized with Chloe struggling to raise her family when she’s young herself. She is determined and strong. Her empathy had me crying. And Jasper. So cranky with marshmallow insides. And Zack, such a charmer.
It may be a bit slow and underwhelming in the first half, but there are rich and heartwarming family ties in the end. But also know that not everyone fits and that’s okay too.

Excerpts I loved:
“You know, the thing I’ve always loved most about books is how they make it possible to live a thousand different lives.”

“If you don’t like where you are, you don’t have to pack up your whole family and abandon everything you know and love. All you have to do is grab a different story from the shelf.”

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. Includes Reading Group Guide and list of the books referenced. This will be recommended to a couple of my reading groups.
4.5

I received an advanced readers copy of this book from Netgalley (thank you Sourcebooks Casablanca)
Audience: Adult
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Keywords: Star-crossed lovers, love, found family, forgiveness, two time periods, librarians, books and reading

This is a romance story which takes place using multiple POVs during two time periods (1960 and modern day). It focuses on the thrill of new love, the sacrifices one makes for love, and forgiveness, for oneself and others for their choices.
Throughout the novel, there are multiple references to great literary classics — from Shakespeare to Brontë to Hemingway — which have direct influence on the story and the characters. Catherine, a librarian, and Jasper write notes to each other in several of these classics, and we get to watch as their love blossoms and grows. Chloe, also a librarian, discovers the notes 60 years later, and begins on a literary scavenger hunt to find out what happened to Catherine and Jasper. The reader also watches as the characters themselves seem to mirror the heroes and heroines in the classic stories they read.
The pacing of the novel was very good — and the chapters denoted whenever there was a POV or time period change, which was very helpful for me. The overall vibe of the novel reminded me of a Hallmark movie — where the romance was sweet and clean. Overall, I would recommend this novel to anyone who might enjoy classic literature, romance, and found family.

This was such a delightful read. First this is a book that celebrates books and a love of all things literary. The main character, Chloe, works in a library and the tale starts out with her finding a message in a book. These characters are well developed-the curmudgeonly neighbor, the precocious siblings and the handsome stranger.
There are many layers to this story, including love, grief, abandonment, friendship, and sacrifice. The POV alternates between various characters and also between the present and the 1960’s. These layers are woven together to create a heartfelt tale that I will continue to think about for some time.

At the beginning, I did not have high hopes. I had trouble embracing the characters but my 25% rule strikes again and there was no turning back! I was so fully invested in how the story would turn out and I was emotionally attached to the characters. This book was light enough to read quickly and holds your interest. Her writing keeps you rooting for your favorite characters and you can actually feel your disgust for others. I will be buying this to have on my personal book shelf.

Enjoyed this book very much. Loved the different POV & timelines. A sweet story of love, family, friendship, and curmudgeon turned happy. Also enjoyed all the book references & why we love books so much. Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy!

DNF @ 36%

I wanted to love this book, but the pacing wasn't working for me.

pros:
It had such an interesting setup. I was enjoying the past timeline story. This book is filled with relatable moments for book lovers, readers of classics & if you've ever worked in a library.

cons:
The pacing was so slow. I felt like not much was happening, it was just a lot of talking but not actually doing anything (if that makes sense).

Maybe this writing style isn't for me, but to avoid a reading slump and a low rating because I was forcing myself to finish this book, I decided to DNF.

I loved every word of The Library of Borrowed Hearts by Lucy Gilmore. There were so many fabulous interesting characters in this book. I love both present day & years past chapters. The story was funny, heartwarming & thought provoking! Definitely recommend this one!

I thought I loved The Lonely Hearts Book Club, but The Library of Borrowed Hearts has nothing on it!
Lucy Gilmore does such a great job writing an old curmudgeon of a man that you can't help but love, flaws and all! Jasper was such a character, he had the best banter and his heart of gold still seemed to shine through his hard exterior, no matter how hard he tried to hide the shine.

The Library of Borrowed Hearts is a dual-timeline romance with multiple POVs, but it seems the main characters are the stressed older sister/guardian who gave up her dreams to care for her siblings after her mother abandoned her three younger siblings and the old, nightmare of a neighbor who has a habit of stealing the balls and frisbees that fall in his yard. We are thrust into a mystery romance documented in the margins of old library books. We meet a young, sensitive, backward Jasper falling for the new rebellious librarian, Catherine, as well as present day grumpy Jasper. We also meet Chloe Sampson, the not-yet-librarian, who is taking care of her three siblings who prove to be a handful. We are introduced to Zach, who saves "Noodle" Sampson after a nasty fall as well as a cast of other characters throughout the novel.

Cozy down in your reading spot, because you will not want to close this book until you've reached the end!

“𝙏𝙤𝙬𝙣𝙨 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙤, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙤 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙖 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠.“

Rating: 2.5/5 ⭐️⭐️💫

Pub date: 4/30/24

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I found this premise very appealing, who doesn’t like books about books? Add in some good old fashioned romance? *chefs kiss*

While this story started off strong, giving cozy curmudgeon vibes (think A Man Called Ove), it quickly fizzled out. I was bored for most of the middle of the book, while it was not moving anywhere and delivering grandfatherly morals and advice (which I think was the point). I enjoyed the last few chapters when we got a resolution to the star crossed lovers story- but did we?
I also felt a bit unfulfilled at the conclusion of this novel.

I enjoyed Chloe and Jasper, Noodle, even Pepper. The other characters including Catherine, I didn’t find very likable at all.

Overall a good read about two characters that find a bond and friendship in an unusual way.

3.5/5
I am always gonna grab a book about books or libraries or bookshops. As soon as I saw "library" in the title and a romance carried on through the margins of books, I was all in!

The Library of Borrowed Hearts by Lucy Gilmore features a literary scavenger hunt, a love story, heartbreak, disappointment, and found family.

I adored the book references. I swooned over the romance in the margins, but then I was just sad. I don't want to give away the ending, but some parts of this story are just heartbreaking. There were a few somewhat extraneous characters, but I was willing to overlook it because I loved the book references so much. However, I don't understand when characters just wreck others lives with no consequences really. At any rate, I adore Jasper and his love of books, and that alone makes The Library of Borrowed Hearts worth it.

Told in dual timelines with multiple POVs, this story has book references galore, making it a good pick for book and library lovers. There are a few secondary plots, but the main premise follows librarian Chloe Sampson as she unearths a decades-old love story scribbled in the margins of various library books.

The story is a mishmash of contemporary fiction, mystery and mild romance and is filled with many literary references - some I got (Anne of Green Gables) and others I didn't (Hemingway, Wuthering Heights). I enjoyed the mystery element as Chloe tries to piece together the identities of the couple from the 1960's who wrote love notes to each other in books.

But despite dysfunctional family issues and a couple memorable characters (Jasper and Noodle), the story fell a little flat for me and I finished it wanting more depth, more connection to the characters and believable motivations for a female character's brusque and (I feel) heartless decision.

There is a delightful grumpy, tell-it-like-it-is elderly neighbour in Jasper and even though Ove (A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman) has my heart, some of Jasper's comebacks to characters were some of my favourite parts of the book.

This story had a good premise about lost love, books and libraries and will delight fans of easy-going, small-town stories.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for the complimentary digital copy of this book which was given in exchange for my honest review.

I love the premise and the dual timelines, but this was just a little slower than I expected. I also felt that it ended abruptly and left lingering questions, which may just be personal preference. Overall cute idea, and I think would be great for the right audience!

A delightful novel, “The Library of Borrowed Hearts” by Lucy Gilmore weaves together romance, mystery, and the magic of books. Lucy Gilmore invites readers into a world where lonely souls find solace within the pages of old library books.

Meet Chloe Sampson. She’s a librarian who is juggling the responsibilities of caring for her three younger siblings, finding her own path, and making ends meet. Her life takes an unexpected turn when she stumbles upon a rare edition of a book from the 1960s at a local flea market. This serendipitous find seems like a sign of better luck, but Chloe is in for an even greater surprise. Meet her reclusive neighbour, the curmudgeonly Jasper Holmes, who offers to buy the book at an exorbitant price. Intrigued, Chloe discovers the margins of the book contain notes exchanged between two young lovers decades ago, and possibly even Jasper himself.

So begins a literary scavenger hunt. Chloe becomes determined to unravel the mystery behind the romantic marginalia. What happened to the tragic lovers who corresponded through various library books? As she follows the clues, Chloe discovers that there are more old books in town with hidden love stories waiting to be uncovered. But it's not just about the books; it's about the people behind them, from their hearts and secrets, to their connections.

Gilmore's writing is both charming and moving. She captures the essence of bibliophilia: the way books can bridge gaps, connect souls, and offer refuge. Chloe's journey is not only about solving a mystery but also about discovering unexpected friendships. As she opens her heart to Jasper, she realizes that love stories can begin in the unlikeliest of places.

The characters come alive on the page. Chloe's determination, Jasper's hidden depths, and the quirky townsfolk create a rich tapestry of emotions. The setting is a small town filled with cozy bookshops and hidden treasures. It adds to the enchantment. Gilmore's prose is like a warm cup of tea on a rainy day, comforting and inviting.

The Library of Borrowed Hearts celebrates the power of literature to heal, connect, and transform lives. It reminds us that sometimes the most profound stories are written in the margins from the spaces between the lines where hearts whisper their secrets.

In this novel, love transcends time, and the library becomes a sanctuary for lost souls. Whether you're a book lover, a romantic at heart, or simply seeking an uplifting read, Lucy Gilmore's tale will leave you with a smile and a renewed belief in the magic of books.

A literary scavenger hunt of love and mystery, “The Library of Borrowed Hearts” by Lucy Gilmore is a gem that deserves a permanent spot on your bookshelf. Gilmore has crafted a heartwarming story that will resonate with readers long after they've turned the last page.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for a temporary e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.