Chloe Sampson is barely keeping it together. Being in charge of three quirky siblings is not where she expected to be but what else could she do when their mother decided to leave? Trading college for a job at the library to make ends meet, it leads her to an unexpected discovery and sends her on a search for answers. Who were the people writing love notes to each other in books? What happened to them and where are they now? What does it have to do with her grumpy old neighbor? Chloe sets out to solve the mystery and meets some real characters along the way. She discovers she had more than she realized all along and it truly does take a village. This story was touching, surprising and real. And as someone who tends to forget to listen to their audiobook while it's still going, I enjoyed this one very much. The voices were pleasant and did a great job with different voices for each of the characters.

This book started off strong for me and then just lost me with the MULTIPLE POV's and slower plot. This book is about an almost librarian named Chloe who is responsible for her younger siblings because her mom is MIA and she stepped up to be responsible. She finds a book that has writing back and forth between 2 young lovers and she is really intrigued. She has a neighbor who is a curmudgeon but he softens up as the book goes on. We get two timelines- present day with Chloe, her boyfriend, her siblings, the curmudgeon and the mom that comes back- as well as the past timeline in the 1960's where we follow the people who are writing back and forth in the books (Jasper and Catherine). You get at least 4-5 points of view and I didn't like some of them. I was also much more interested in the present timeline than the past. The plot was slow at times and I didn't like Catherine so everything involving her was annoying to me. The things I liked about this book were that its VERY bookish. This is clearly written by someone who loves books about people who love books. However, unlike most books about books, this one didn't motivate me to read more. It's very classics heavy which is not my thing, so maybe that was it. I love the found family and atypical family structure represented in this. That's one of my favorite tropes in books and I loved Chloe and how she treated her siblings. I like the curmudgeon trope, in theory, but I haven't actually ever liked it in execution. This book is not a romance, in my opinion. This is a contemporary. There are romantic relationships in each timeline, but honestly I think its more about all the relationships in the story, not just those, and a HEA is not guaranteed. Overall, this book was fine but I guarantee I won't remember it long.

Sometimes when I really love a book, I have a hard time writing a review! That’s the case for me with The Library of Borrowed Hearts. I just loved everything about this book: the setting, the characters, and the story.

We are in a small town in Washington State, a town that used to host an Air Force command of some sort (I recently read another book that talked about the air defense installations along our northern border, from back in the Cold War, so I guess this was one of those). Some of the chapters take place in the present day and others in 1960. Not to worry - they are clearly labeled.

In the present day, we have Chloe, who had to drop out of college, where she was pursuing a library degree, to take care of her three younger siblings after their single mother up and left. Chloe’s not really resentful, but she sure is struggling, mainly financially. Her job at the local library doesn’t pay much since she’s not a “real” librarian. One day she’s assigned to get rid of all the old books in the basement, where she comes across a copy of the spicy Tropic of Cancer, that was outright banned in the US when it came out in the 1930s. In 1960, it was still banned, and this copy was printed in Mexico a few years earlier. Chloe grabs it, thinking she could sell it for some much-needed funds, but upon further inspection, she finds writing in the margins and realizes the book won’t be worth that much. However, after looking at it some more, she realizes that the notes are a conversation between two people who were in love, and she wants to know more!

Jasper lives next door and at first you think he’s going to be the stereotypical curmudgeonly old man (“Get off my lawn!”). When he finds out about the book, he offers Chloe a lot of money for it and she realizes that he had to be one of the people whose writing is in the book. Thus starts a scavenger hunt of sorts to find the other books this young couple used for passing messages to each other.

This was so heart-warming. One of my favorite themes is found family and if that’s a favorite of yours too, pick up this book! I also loved that there weren’t any neatly tied-up happy endings, even though the ending was definitely optimistic.

None of the characters were cardboard cut-outs. Each of the younger siblings had distinct personalities, especially Theo, who liked to try science experiments that didn’t always end up well. Catherine was a complex person, and I admired her ambitions, especially given the societal pressures in 1960 to just marry and raise children. However, while meaning well, she certainly hurt others along the way.

The audiobook was terrific, with different narrators for a few of the different characters, including one for one of Chloe’s young brothers.

This was my first book by Lucy Gilmore and it will certainly not be the last one.

I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient, and allowed me to continue with the story even when I could not sit down and read - or when I could not listen.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book and to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

This was... disappointing. I did not find this to be charming, hilarious, or moving, like it promised to be. Instead I found it to be depressing... and upsetting?

Lucy Gilmore has written two books about books now and they are both very charming. Both this book and The Lonely Hearts Book Club include found family and grumpy sunshine aspects that aren't romantic and I really love that. There were more perspectives in this book than I anticipated but it was easy to follow especially because the audiobook is narrated by an entire cast. This book deals with some heavy topics like parental abandonment but the feeling overall is still lighthearted.

I am not at all a believer that there is a huge population of people out in the world that quote lines from books frequently in their daily lives to other people who immediately recognize exactly where the quote is from. This happens all the time in books and movies and I roll my eyes every time but it’s not a huge deal breaker.

Lucy Gilmore's The Library of Borrowed Hearts is an interesting and creative novel. Alternating between present time and the 1960's, Gilmore's book follows several different stories with interesting famiy drama. I enjoyed getting to know Jasper, and uncovering his lovely tale.

The audio version of The Library of Borrowed Hearts is nicely performed by four talented narrators: Leanne Woodward, Aven Shore, Joe Jameson, and Bob Ball.

This was a sweet story about the way books can bring people together.

We get present-day Chloe, who is raising her younger siblings while working at the local library and her grouchy neighbor, Jasper. We also get flashbacks to Jasper and the woman he was secretly seeing when he was young. The love story was fun because it references a lot of popular books, but I also found the privileged girl + boy from the wrong side of the tracks story was tired. Without the book references, the love story wouldn't have stood out from all the others.

The present-day storyline was more fun. The kids all have unique personalities and their shenanigans, especially with their silly dog in tow, were fun to read. I enjoyed watching Chloe grow as she explored being a caregiver, with the echoes of her mother leaving still impacting her and her siblings. balanced against pursuing her own interests, and Jasper's transition from cranky to caring reminded me of Ove in A Man Called Ove, which I loved.

This was a good read on audio with different voices for different characters to help differentiate between the different points of view. This had the potential to be a five-star book but the ending felt too abrupt and unfinished to me.

A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

A charming novel that blends romance, mystery, and the magic of books. Initially, I found myself hesitant since I didn’t like how the book began, but as I persevered, the story unfolded into something unexpectedly heartwarming. The characters—Chloe, Jasper, and the others—come alive, their struggles and growth adding depth to the tale.

Chloe Sampson, a librarian juggling a low-paying part-time job and the guardianship of her three younger siblings, finds a rare edition of a once-banned book. But it’s not the book that captures her—it’s the marginalia. Notes from star-crossed lovers that reveal a forbidden romance.

Jasper Holmes, her grumpy neighbor. Once terrifying for Chloe and her siblings, their friendship warms as they unravel the mystery together. But this isn’t just about love in the margins; it’s about the lives behind the words.

When things slowed down, I switched between audiobook and written pages. And it was in the final third that the magic truly happened. The friendships across age groups resonated, and the coming-of-age moments felt endearing.

I guess this is another case of embracing the unexpected when you are ready to give up.

2/5

As a librarian, I had a love/hate relationship with this story. It pained my soul for the premise of this romance to be centered around writing in library books. It especially felt unrealistic for the FMC to be a librarian herself and writing in said books.
<spoiler>I also was broken by the way their romance ended! Catherine leaving him while carrying his baby made me despise her. Before that point, I loved her and her relationship with Jasper. After, I felt like she was a vapid, spoiled, rich girl that played with Jasper's heart, especially after having her parents try to pay him off and fake her death.</spoiler>
Overall, I enjoyed the writing style and the present day characters, but I just couldn't forgive the damaging of the books or my heart.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This is my first read by the author but won’t be the last since I’ve had Lonely Hearts Book Club on my shelf for too long!

In Library of Borrowed Hearts we meet Chloe who has been doing her best since she had to drop out of college to take care of her three younger siblings after their mom abandoned them. But she's struggling, barely getting by. But when she's cleaning out the basement storage at the library, she finds a hidden early bootleg edition of Tropic of Cancer. So, she decides to take it and sell it since all the books in the basement were bound for the trash. But when she investigates more, she finds that it contains a bookish conversation and some flirting from two people and she's hooked. She must find out who these people are and know their story! I liked the curmudgeonly neighbor, though other than our first intro to him, he didn't really seem all that much of a grump. I'm also a sucker for a found family story and this one fits the bill to me.

Leanne Woodward, Aven Shore, Joe Jameson, and Bob Ball did an excellent job narrating the audiobook.

Wow, what an emotional roller coaster this book took me on. I absolutely adored it! The characters were charming and sweet. Their stories were heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time. I loved the connection to books. I loved the multiple stories of love and heartbreak through the entire story. I loved the story around family and how the meaning of family changes from person to person. The love story in the past that is brought into the present when they are an old man and woman. The love story between a young couple. The trauma that family can bring a person. I just adored it all. The main characters and supporting characters were all incredible. They were real, they were flawed and they were amazing. This book made me laugh and cry and smile. Just a wonderful story - with stories woven into it!
Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

3.5. Chloe Sampson is a library worker in her small hometown, struggling to make ends meet, take care of her 3 younger siblings and find herself. She discovers a copy of Tropic of Cancer while cleaning out the library's basement, that has notes between 2 old flames in the margins. Love notes. Chloe is led on a scavenger hunt to find the other books and piece the story together.
The ending was very abrupt and the character of Catherine wasn't as likable as maybe Gilmore intended. You can be a strong feminist and still apologize to people for your terrible actions. Still, a solid story with a lot of heart and memorable characters.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this audio e-arc.*

I absolutely love books about books. A librarian finds an old copy of a book with love notes in the margins. The more she reads, the more books she finds the sweet notes and the more of the story she uncovers.

While this book focuses a lot on the unfolding love story found in the pages of the books, it also is about rolling with the punches life has dealt you and making the best of your situation. The librarian who discovered the books was left to take care of her 3 younger siblings when their mom walked out. I loved reading about her sacrifices and her deep love for her siblings.

The narration was very well done and I liked that they had different narrators for the different characters and different voices when there was a time jump.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

This book had a lot of potential - dual timelines, multiple POVs, librarian character, and about book lovers, but the execution fell short for me. I was initially interested and engaged in the story of an overwhelmed young woman (Chloe) who is taking care of her siblings alone and working as a librarian. She finds a rare old book with notes from lovers in it and begins to investigate who these people are, when an elderly neighbor (Jasper) insists on buying the book from her. After this, the paced slowed and I found myself getting bored and struggling to connect with the characters. The promised romance story that spanned decades was minimal and disappointing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an audiobook arc to review in exchange for my opinion.

"The Library of Borrowed Hearts" by Lucy Gilmore is a heartwarming tale that intertwines the lives of four siblings, a dedicated librarian, and a grumpy neighbor. Chloe Sampson, known as the "Almost Librarian," sacrifices her college education to care for her siblings after their mother's sudden departure. Amidst the chaos of their lives, Chloe discovers an old book in the library's basement, sparking a journey into a sixty-year-old love story. Along the way, she crosses paths with Zach, a survival instructor, who helps her unravel the mysteries of the past. As their stories intertwine, each character finds solace and support in unexpected places. Gilmore's narrative is a delightful blend of love, heartbreak, humor, and introspection. Narrated by Leanne Woodard, Aven Shore, Joe Jameson, and Bob Ball, the audiobook is a captivating listen, seamlessly bringing the story to life. Overall, "The Library of Borrowed Hearts" is a charming and engaging read that will leave listeners thoroughly enchanted.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing early access to this delightful audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

As a librarian I really connected with this book, I felt I understood Chloe and Catherine on a slightly deeper level. I could really see myself going full detective like Chloe if I were to find something like this at my branch.
I enjoyed this book from start to finish, always wanting to jump back in and figure out the mystery along side Chloe!

I"m not sure if it was my headphones but I feel in the last chapter the conversation between Chloe and Catherine the volume kept dropping a little when Catherine was speaking - but otherwise the narration was great!



**SPOILERS***

I did 100% catch on immediately when Zack said the book came from his fairy godmother and was stoked to be right in the end !

The Library of Borrowed Hearts by Lucy Gilmore was very enjoyable. We have Chloe and her three siblings Theo, Trixie and Noodle (Aloysius) and their next door neighbor - a grumpy old man who never returns anything that goes over into his garden.  That's Jasper.

Chloe was left to care for her sister and brothers when their mother just up and left them. She has done so with a very low paid job at the local library. Then she comes across the book with all the notes that two people have made in the margins of a book quite a long time ago. The mystery begins!

Soon we are down that rabbit hole of a story which is utterly fascinating. It eventually plays out into the lives of Chloe and her brothers and sisters. We meet along the way Zac who rescues Noodle when he gets in a spot of bother. Zac becomes quite significant.

This story is a whole listening experience, I went along for the ride and I came to really love these characters. It has some sad parts to it and equally it has some laugh out loud moments and very heart warming moments. It's one of those books I hate to say good bye to the characters.

The narration is very good, the story as it moves along is told from a few of the characters viewpoints, and different narrators voice these characters.

What a wonderful and whimsical read! How could you not fall in love with a story about a literary scavenger hunt and a love story written within the margins of a book!

I have a soft spot for books about books and this one comes off as a love letter to book lovers! I enjoyed the dual timeline and that this “romance” also had an intriguing mystery!

It’s a touching tale about love and family that was just so delightful and filled with so much heart. It’s sure to pull at all your heartstrings and give you all the feels!

A multigenerational love story of heartache and loss and secrets. Loved the multiple perspectives and twists. Such a fun read! I’ll definitely have to read more by this author.

The Library of Borrowed Hearts is a multigenerational delight that’ll draw you in with the cover, not letting you go until well after the very last page. If you are in the mood to feel all the things, this book is it! It is both heartwarming and heartbreaking, and so deeply heartfelt. In addition to a well crafted story with complex relationships and realistic trials and tribulations, the author delivers fantastic characters and a well written story. I absolutely LOVED this book, and highly recommend. It had me full crying several times, and was nearly impossible to put down.

I listened to the audiobook, which was superb with different narrators who really brought the story to life. I listened at 1.75x speed, with my normal audiobook listening speed being 1.75-2.0 x speed.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this advanced audiobook copy. It was an absolute pleasure to listen to and review this story.