Check Me Out

This book is SO ADORABLE!
You will love it from the very first page as the setting is in a LIBRARY -- what a perfect place that we all cherish!

The writing is fantastic with lots of humor and wit.
The texts that go back and forth are heart-capturing.
Do you have a "history crush?" Greta does-- Wait until you find out who it is :)

Grab a copy and then come back and tell me what you think of Greta, Will, and Mac
LOVED. LOVED. LOVED. THIS ONE!

Greta is a small town Assistant Librarian who really loves her job. Only her local library is in trouble and she takes on saving it single-handedly. She has been best friends with Will, the civics teacher and debate coach at the local high school, since they were little an he has always been there for her. Greta’s mother likes to criticize Will because he is chunky and therefore, in her opinion, not worth her time. This year for her birthday, she has asked for the perfect man and Will has delivered him in the form of his cousin, Mac. He is a poetry-spouting, drop-dead gorgeous man who likes to give her free hot chocolates whenever she visits him in the cafe that he works. Who wouldn’t want that? Plus he seems to be really into her. Is he too good to be true? To find out read this modern adaptation of Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac, and decide for yourself which man Greta should end up with. 3-1/2 stars.

First things first, I usually do not read adult romance books. I would much rather read a historical fiction or a manga that has romance in it but is not the main focus. This one was pretty formulaic, and after I found out it was based on Cyrano de Bergerac, I knew exactly what was going to happen. The library element did add a bit of a twist, which I enjoyed, but pretty much everything was tied up in a nice bow at the end. Overall, I did enjoy the book.

I picked this one up because it was about librarians, the main character has an MLIS (like me) and she thinks she might’ve found the perfect guy (courtesy of her best friend). And Mac is perfect: curly dark hair, loves poetry and writes it for her, and is gorgeous. He’s the total package, or is he? No surprise that this handsome guy can’t think on his own or that his bigger cousin is supplying all his fabulous lines. I didn’t so much like the whole “Will is fat so he can’t be a good choice for me” mentality that the main character, to an extent, and definitely her mother seemed to have. Just because you’re overweight doesn’t make you less of a person or less deserving of love and attention. I mean it was pretty obvious early on that Greta had a thing for him even if she never mentioned it out loud, especially the longer she hung out with Mac. And Will definitely had the hots for her, even if she was too dumb to figure it out. I always find it a little funny how some people can have advanced degrees but be totally clueless when it comes to love and sex. And no, this is not everyone, but it has been this way in my experience.

The librarian part of the story I enjoyed the most. While I’ve never worked as a small-town librarian, I have worked in small city branches and know all about the fight to keep yours open and viable, and the constant funding issues that you face in one. Greta was incredibly lucky to find a job right out of graduate school, as library jobs are few and far between these days. I have very personal experience with that issue. You really gotta love your job to stay a librarian long-term. I also loved her historical crush on Dr. Silver, and how he fought for integration in the local public school. I’m glad she eventually got to meet him and be a bit of a radical herself, even though the results were not exactly what she had planned.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Shadow Mountain Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

Interesting premise to a familiar storyline. Young, small town librarian is passionate about the historical library in her Ohio town. The library is a throwback to the 20th century with polished woodwork, tall ceilings, and stained glass windows. The patrons of the library, though, are 21st century and not everyone appreciates the "old-fashioned" library building. Greta, who grew up loving this library and is now a librarian there, finds she now has to fight to save it.
Running throughout the story of the battle for the library is another storyline, reminiscent of Cyrano de Bergerac. Greta's very best friend, Will, is the one who makes her laugh and shares a lifetime of secrets and jokes with her. Will wants Greta to have everything her heart desires, even if it's not him. Enter Will's cousin who is lovely to look and Greta thinks he's everything she ever wanted in a man.
It's a wonderfully plotted, clever trip to the end of the story for Will and Greta and the library but worth the journey.

Check Me Out was a fantastic, fun read that I raced through in just a few sittings. Will and Greta have been best friends forever, but all they'll be is friends because as much as Greta loves talking to Will--she's just not attracted to him. So when Will sets her up with his gorgeous cousin who seems almost too good to be true, Greta falls head-over-heels for him. But things aren't always quite what they seem...

In addition to the romantic plotline, Greta is also working to save the library she works for, which was really interesting as well! The book signing/diva author had me laughing so hard (and cringing. The laugh/cringe of someone who understands.)

Wilhite nails the banter between Will and Greta, and I also loved Greta's spunk! The minor characters were all fun and well-developed too--but Will was the best. *sigh* LOVED him.

Great read!

Check me Out is a great book. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot and the characters. I recommend this to readers who enjoy a good romance.

I mean, I am always going to give a book about a librarian a chance. I loved the humor and wit in both the writing and characters dialogues. Glad I gave this a chance!

Great read. Picked it out because libraries are the best place for love!

A fun book that I really enjoyed. I love books where best friends fall in love and this one did not disappoint. Loved the quirky characters and how the girl discovers the best thing is right in front of her. Engaging and well written I really enjoyed this book.

[Excerpt]:
While skimming through the ARCs available for request on NetGalley, I came across this one. The cover and title immediately caught my interest because 1) the pile of books (irresistible to a true bookworm) and 2) the pun in the title (like, check out this book, right? An oldie but a goodie). And since I obviously love to read, I decided to, for lack of a better phrase, check out “Check Me Out”. (I’m so sorry, that’s so lame of me, but how could I not?)

I’m really glad I did because I really loved most everything about it! Greta’s career as a librarian is 100% relatable to me because, well, I’m a librarian-in-training. I’m in grad school right now getting my master’s degree in library and information science (MLIS). So I was very excited to see someone else’s take on the world of libraries. The author also incorporated a few controversial aspects of library life by talking about how some people don’t think libraries are necessary anymore. I still get this from random people when I mention that I’m hoping to become a librarian or work in a related field, so I feel Greta’s pain and indignation.
[Full review on my blog!]

Cover love and a book about a librarian won my heart from the start. Greta has spent a good chunk of her life working her way up to head librarian at her charmingly old local library. She's good at what she does, but she lacks some social qualities. You see, Greta is a little superficial, oblivious, and selfish. Her best friend is not physically attractive, but definitely her soulmate. Will is quite heavy and it's mentioned numerous times, but man, that guy is a poet at heart, with his silvery, smooth tongue and irresistible personality, he could melt any girl's heart.

Every year, Will delivers an amazing gift to Greta for her birthday and this year, it's his cousin Mac, the "perfect" man. Is there really such a thing as perfect? It seems rare to get the whole package deal--either you go for personality or for looks and in my honest opinion, personality can help make or break looks. Greta is ecstatic with her "gift" and can't see what's right in front of her, although it's obvious to everyone else, including the reader.

One thing that I loved best is that although Greta is blind, unknowingly hurtful, and living with her rose colored glasses on, she eventually comes to a crossroads and has to make that choice--personality or looks? It's a tough choice for her to make, but I love the growth that gradually happens through her journey.

Greta is also campaigning for a library bond on the voting ballot to help her beloved workplace stay open. She goes about things in an interesting way, which really shows her extreme flaws and shortcomings, but once again, her journey and learning experiences make her feel like an average person and not some idol. However, I'm not completely convinced that she's all the way "grown up" yet and I'm not sure she'll find her HEA without more time.

All in all, the voice is entertaining and the flaws make for realistic characters. No one can judge by a cover and no one can expect perfection.

Content: mild romance

*I received a copy through Netgalley, which had no influence on my thoughts and opinions*

This was such an enjoyable book.  The crux of the story (to me) was the fate of our public libraries.  Larger cities are blessed to have wonderful libraries but smaller towns might have problems keeping them open if they do not have a large town base.  In this story, the Franklin Library is on the verge of being shut down because it cannot be made ADA compliant. The library is housed in a historic home with lots of charm and character, but if you know anything about those older homes, they weren't built with wheelchairs in mind.  So Greta takes this as a personal challenge to make sure the taxpayers vote for the bond to build a new library.  Some of her methods are a bit crazy, but she is passionate and will do whatever it takes to keep her job and the library open.

The story also has a local history aspect.  It seems that whenever someone dies all of their papers end up at the library.  So Greta, with the help of Will, is tasked with sorting through the boxes and digitizing the photos and documents.  In the midst of all the documents, she comes across a Dr Silver who was something of a radical for his time and helped end segregation in their town in Ohio.  However, she can't find any information about him after that time period and it sets her on a quest to figure out what happened to him.  She even admits to having a historical crush on him.  This story has a nice ending but I'm not going to say how she finds Dr Silver.

The romance was delightful, perhaps a bit predictable, but it unfolded nicely.  Greta apparently asks for something on her birthday each year and Will gives her whatever it is despite how hard it might be to come up with her wish.  Apparently this year she wished for the perfect man, handsome with the soul of a poet.  Will being Will, he introduces her to his cousin who is very handsome and seems to be saying all the right things.  But everyone else knows the truth about Mac and his words, how long will it take Greta to figure it out?  I'm sure you can guess where this is going but I'm not going to spoil it for you.

We loved this book and suggest reading it especially if you are about saving the libraries...just don't go to some of the lengths that Greta did in this story!

I was really excited to read Check Me Out by Becca Wilhilte because it's got a cute cover and it's about an assistant librarian. Libraries are one of my favorite places to be!

Greta loves her small town and she's worked at the library since she was a teen. She's passionate about it, and when it's threatened with being closed down, she starts fundraising and being somewhat of an activist to help shine awareness on how important libraries truly are. There are a lot of fun characters and situations in the library thread of the story that are cute and funny. The main thrust of the book, however, is Greta's love life. Her best friend Will is a sweet and supportive, all around lovable guy. He's heavy-set, however, and firmly in the friend zone for Greta. He does help her get a date with Mac, a hot guy who wants to kiss her a lot. When Greta starts to wonder why Mac's amazing, romantic texts don't really match up to what Mac is like in person, the puzzle pieces start to fall together, and the fallout might not be pretty.

I loved Will as the hero. It's not very often that heroes aren't muscular and perfect in nearly every way and I loved that this story showed that looks aren't everything. Will makes the reader fall in love with his heart and I really wanted him to get a happily-ever-after. He was so sweet! Greta also has a lot of good intentions, but makes a ton of mistakes on her path to love. She's funny and loyal, but a bit on the shallow side. I thought the author did a great job with making Greta three-dimensional in her interactions with the secondary cast like Marigold and her mother and readers will definitely be invested in who Greta will choose at the end---Will or Mac? No spoilers here, though.

This Cyrano de Bergerac retelling has just enough tension to keep the reader in suspense about what will happen when the secret comes out. It's a nice addition to the Proper Romance line and romance fans will close the book with a smile.