With a witty title, perfect for a book about libraries, this book entertained and made me nostalgic for libraries. There was a hint of Cyrano de Bergerac plot line, which was interesting. This was a sweet and clean read, I'd rate PG for kissing.

There was just something about this one that didn't quite work for me. I appreciated the Cyrano of it all - and I'm a sucker for librarian stories - but the characters just didn't click for me.

Greta is a small town assistant librarian, who loves her job. Her best friend Will, introduces her to his handsome cousin, Mac, appears to be a dream come true, the total package with the heart of a poet.



But when the Franklin Library's livelihood is threatened, Greta must come up with a plan to save the library. She also starts to notice that the Mac she sees seems different from the one that she's been texting.



Will Greta be able to save the library and find love?



Greta is passionate about her job as a librarian, and enjoys updating the library's social media with clever one-liners. When Mac walks into her life like a hero out of a romance novel, she is swept off of her feet. When the future of the library is put in jeopardy she must fight to save it, she comes up with many creative ideas, enlisting the help of her friends and family.



Will is Greta's best friend and rock, he is a great friend, unpopular in high school, and now a high school debate teacher, he has gained confidence and come into his own. I like how he is always there for Greta when she needs him.



This was a fun read, I loved the library setting, and Greta's passion for books. Great small town feel, with many colorful characters, this was a fun quick read. There were some enjoyable twists along the way too. A pleasantly sweet and enjoyable read.



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and testimonials in Advertising."

I'm a big fan of the Proper Romance series by Shadow Mountain Publishing - they are diverse in setting and story but I don't have to filter any overly racy content. I was expecting to love Check Me Out since I'm a bibliophile and generally enjoy reading books about or adjacent to books. This one didn't land for me and I didn't finish it. I think it was the main character who just seemed flat.

This book was okay. It wasn't great and it wasn't terrible. I enjoyed it, but overall I feel very neutral about it.

Romance, clean
This was a fun and interesting retelling of the Cyrano story. Greta's passion for her work, her friends, and her hope for her romantic life are so cleverly told in this story, updated for the present with texts instead of letters.
Greta is a fun character. Passionate, impetuous, and caring. Her relationships at work, and with her friends made for an interesting and compelling story. She loves her work, her town, and her friends. She puts her whole soul and energy into. While she isn't the perfect modern woman, I think telling this story from her perspective is lovely. She recognizes partway the power of the words of the heart, and recognizes in the end where they come from.
Always love romance with genuine honest hearts. Greta's fall with the love of her heart and mind is a beautiful story. Sometimes things have to come from a different perspective to help you see what is already right in front of you.
On the second read, I loved it even more!

i tried, but i DNF'd. i couldn't get into it, the main character was hard to like and the way she talked about will was just.... disappointing. it's such a bummer because the cover is gorgeous. i know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but we all know we do it. sorry, thanks anyway netgalley

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.

I thought that this book was ok.
I did struggle with the dialogue and the texting as it was quite confusing, but this may be down to it being an ARC.
I didn't like the character of Mac, but I don't think that we were meant to. I did like Will though, Greta, hmm not too sure. I felt sorry for her, seemed to have a sad life.
Thanks to NetGalley, Becca Whiltie and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I so wanted to love this book. There was so much potential—a librarian, a friends to more possibility, humor, and an outward vs. inward appearance debate. While a likable read, Becca Wilhite missed some opportunities in Check Me Out.
Greta has some flaws. She’s shallow—which she admits—selfish, and a little naïve. When Will, her best friend, gives her a late birthday gift—the perfect guy—she’s smitten, at first with his looks then by the wonderful words he texts her.
Here’s where the potential for this book gets missed. I would have loved to hear more comments from those who see Will and Greta together about their relationship. It is mentioned once, too near the end of the book to make much of an impact on the main character. I also wanted to learn more about those around Greta—even Will.
While there were missed opportunities that would have made this story shine more brightly, there was enough humor to make it an enjoyable read, just not one that I will gush about.

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

This book might seem like just another chick-lit on the surface, but don’t judge a book by it’s cover…or it’s description. Underneath the love triangle and the save the library campaign is the subtle imagery that things aren’t always what they appear.

Reading the first few chapters I thought it was kind of odd, we are given detailed descriptions of Mac and Marigold, and a general lack of description of any one else. Then there was a moments when I read this line, “And you can quote the first African-American woman mayor of Franklin on that.” And I realized this whole time the mayor is not only a woman but an African American woman. Then it hits you, this is brilliant writing! The technique Becca uses to subtlety portray that what you thought was, isn’t, caught me by surprise.

I usually want to connect with character’s, love them along in their growth, not want to strangle them. I admit there were times I wanted to strangle Greta. Then I realized, I was doing the same thing. I had been making assumptions about different characters the entire book. Admittedly my assumptions about Mac were spot on, but I think that was the point. There were a few other moments that though not astounding, added more beautiful plot devices to help people see that everyone has a story, everyone has life inside them that we may not understand until we get to know them. That was a remarkable message to read and a clever way to tell it.

I fetl like the chapter transitions were a little choppy, and sometimes the texts were a little too cheesy for my taste, but I would definitely recommend this cute read.

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*

3.5 stars Check out Becca Wilhite’s Check Me Out — from the library

Check Me Out is part of Shadow Mountain’s Proper Romance Contemporary line, and it’s not bad. It’s just not great either. Instead, it falls into — as the title suggests — the “check it from the library before you buy” category.

More than once I struggled with Greta’s character. As you might have already guessed, there’s a bit of Cyrano de Bergerac going on here. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work. Greta is supposedly a smart, independent woman, but when she meets Mac, it’s like all her brain cells ooze out her ears. She can’t hold an in-person conversation with the guy, but she’s willing to look past that for a few schmaltzy text messages.

Mac is completely one-note. He feels more like a prop than a person. Will, on the other hand, is smart and funny. He’s the stereotypical fat best friend that everyone loves but isn’t romantic material. I wish the author had explored more on the Will front — introducing alternating perspectives could have added much-needed depth.

While it may sound like I have nothing but complaints about Check Me Out, that’s far from the truth. Becca Wilhite’s writing is warm and inviting, and her passion for libraries rings true throughout. Check Me Out is perfect for curling up. It’s fast, clean and enjoyable.

I'm glad I kept reading to the end, because the beginning was a bit rough. I loved the aged library setting and Greta's passion for her job as a librarian. Being in her head however, was a bit of a trip. There was a lot of random information passing through her narrative that showed her personality and life and seemed like they were supposed to be sassy/snarky/quirky, but I have to admit it was rather annoying and I began skimming. Her thoughts about Mac and his hotness were so shallow... and she completely embraced that shallowness in her own thoughts on more than one occasion. Flawed and totally frustrating.

Greta has an amazing friend in Will, but because he's fat, he's stuck in the friends-only zone. She laments about how others don't give him a fair shot or the attention he deserves because of his appearance, and is self-righteously defensive of him. Hypocrite, much? Other thoughts of hers come across as judgemental, but right when I get fed up, other redeeming qualities come forth- her work in bringing local history to light by organizing and digitizing forgotten scraps, letters, and photos. Her focus on fundraising to save the library from budget cuts. Her activism in standing up for the library on social media and in other... attention-grabbing ways. Her SLOW realization that Will is supportive in all the right ways, and Mac is coming up short.

By the last third of the book I was invested in the outcome- it's obvious that Will is the words behind Mac, but the way Greta finds out was a little belated, and then it's Will who is the villain. But honestly, as much as Will is a good friend to her- is she a good friend to him? I wish the author would have made Greta more likeable by showing the ways she supports Will and is there for him in his life, besides letting him be her friend. Maybe because it's written in first person, it comes across as "the Greta show" but I don't think that's just it. The way it's written, I think she comes across as self-centered and selfish, but would never see herself that way. Even in the end, when she forgives Will and decides to "try" a romantic relationship, it's about the words he tells her, not what she feels for him.

Some other secondary characters were interesting and I think the book would have benefited from exploring them a bit more, or at least making them a bit more three-dimensional- Greta's mother, Marigold- the young hippie, Mr. Greenwood- the neighborhood hoarder, and the other librarians- Julie, Bonita, and Kevin.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

Greta has worked for the Hamilton library since she was fourteen years old. It was the part-time work at the library that helped her to decide upon her career in library science. After obtaining both her undergraduate and graduate degrees, she's happy to be back in Hamilton township and working at the Hamilton library as the assistant librarian. The only thing missing from her life is a boyfriend and then voila, in walks Mac and he appears to be everything she's everything wanted in a man. After checking her out, and a book, he hands her a card indicating he's her 24th birthday present (kind of, sort of, almost, maybe) from her best friend Will. Greta wishes she could say her relationship with Mac is perfect, but it isn't as he never seems to ask her what she wants when going out on dates and just takes her to his favorite places initially (Greta doesn't do well with the Indian restaurant, but he took her out so points to Mac). Mac never says much when they're together and he always has his phone out, which Greta finds annoying, but he sends her the best text messages ever. Then she finds out that the library may be closed unless a local bond issue passes and Mac just doesn't seem to get it. He tries to be there for her, but she's always turning to her bestie Will for advice, help, etc. Greta does everything she can think of to try and bring the library into the spotlight including a literary-themed battle of the bands, bringing a favorite children's author, and more but it seems like the bond issue is dead before the election day. Then she finds out the Mac isn't who he seems to be and that Will may have had a hand in the situation? Cutting off Mac doesn't seem to be so bad but can she sever ties with her best friend? That seems bad enough but then Greta does something that puts the future of her job on the line.

Check Me Out is a quick, romance read and the first I've read by Ms. Wilhite. I found the subject matter to be quite timely because my local library system was dealing with a local bond issue a few years ago and it was unclear if it would pass or not until the last few hours of election day (thankfully, it did). I enjoyed the meet-cute story with Greta and Mac, as well as the best-friend to lover quandary that she finds herself in with Will in the end. Obviously, this is a romance with an HEA, so all ends well but it how Ms. Wilhite gets there that's important. I don't know what it says about me, but one of the most enjoyable parts of the storyline were the somewhat snarky tweets that Greta sent out on behalf of the library with the hashtag SaveTheLibrary (which is the exact same hashtag my library system used when it was fighting to secure funding). There's a bit more than the meet-cute romance set-up, friends-to-lovers angle, and save the library in this story, there's also an interesting story about the history of the town and one person in particular that Greta gets a chance to meet and befriend. For all of you romance readers that enjoy library-themed reads, you'll want to grab a copy of Check Me Out to read. For those of you that enjoy library-themed reads and aren't quite sure about the romance angle, go ahead and get a copy of Check Me Out to read. You'll enjoy the library action and history in the story and, hopefully, get a laugh or two from the tweets.

[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!]

I appreciate that the publishers allowed me to review this book but it was not for me at ALL! I loved the cover and the concept but I will get straight to the point of what killed this story for me. The main character and the story drove me insane with her shallowness! It seemed every moment that it was possible that she couldn’t get over how “big” aka overweight someone was! It was ridiculous that this was made in too such a big of a deal. As a woman who has struggled with weight problems because of health issues it made me very uncomfortable to read this book.