A quirky librarian finds a book from her late grandmother that she never expected. Add in the whimsical people around her and you have a adventure.

I loved this book. It was a lovely story about a woman who has to find out who she is and take care of herself instead of others. I was really drawn to Martha and Betty’s stories. There was a tragic veneer over the whole story and lots of wasted time. I loved the bookish elements of the book.

Martha spends most of her time helping others and volunteering at the library. Her house is stacked full of her unfinished projects and her deceased parents belongings that she doesn't have time to sort through and she runs herself ragged trying to keep up with her projects. She is overworked and under appreciated. Her life is turned upside down when a old book of fairy tales is delivered with a mysterious inscription addressed to her from her dead grandmother. As she figures out what the book is and where it came from she uncovers family secrets and rediscovers who she is.

This is a great example of what I like to call "uplit". This is a story that makes you feel good as you read it and has you rooting for the characters along the way. I previously read "The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper' written by the same author and when I saw this new book by Phaedra Patrick, I had to read it. I was not disappointed. Both books are great and had me smiling at the end.

You can check out for yourself "The Library of Lost and Found" on March 26, 2019.

Thank you to NetGalley and Park Row Publishing for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

In this heartwarming novel, readers are introduced to Martha Storm, a middle-aged woman who has lost her sense of self. Using her time and energy for others, Martha measures her self-worth by how much she can do for those around her, but the more she does the more others take her for granted and do not seem to appreciate her good deeds. One day a book arrives at the library for her and starts Martha off on a journey of self-discovery. The book contains fairy tales written be her childhood self and her deceased grandmother. The inscription in the book written by her grandmother adds to the mystery.

This novel contains many quirky and charming characters and the coastal beauty of Martha’s town are beautifully and vividly brought to life by Patrick’s prose. We can all find ourselves or our loved ones in the descriptions of the Martha’s family members from past and present.

Treat yourself and settle in with a warm drink, a cozy blanket and this delightful novel!

I love Phaedra Patrick so I was beyond excited to be offered The Library of Lost and Found. I had high expectations for this book after falling in literally love with all the characters in The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper (if you haven’t read that book DO IT NOW!!! That was one of my 2016 favorites). I was not let down with the characters of this book. Martha Storm is your typical “yes” person. She does everything for everyone else and has spent so much of her life worrying about her work instead of taking the time to enjoy her own life. That all changes when she is giving a book that will change her life!
So many reasons to love this book, I loved reading the growth and change of Martha. I felt like her biggest cheer leader on the side line screaming “ you can do it” and “yay Martha”. And the fact that I felt so connected with Martha goes to show you how awesome Phaedra writes her stories and characters. In a world filled with hate and just blah it was so amazing to read such a light tale that made my heart happy!
I look forward to reading more from Phaedra!!

Light, enjoyable, for people who like other Women's Fiction novels. The pacing was a little jumpy, but it was nice to seem the main character make some realistic-feeling realizations about herself and her family. Recommended for all public libraries.

Martha is a meek mannered librarian who tries to help everyone out with their troubles. One day a mysterious book is left for her that starts her on a journey to discover the author and to solve the mystery of whether or not her Nana is still alive. Along the way, she learns the truth about her family and herself. She learns to start to live life for herself and to stand up for herself.
I thought the book was quaint and touching. It was a little predictable but enjoyable nonetheless.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of the book.

A breezy, albeit predictable read. Not quite on the level of her Charms of Arthur Pepper, but not unpleasant.
I did find it a bit too "sweet." More geared to YA, perhaps.

Similar in overall feel to Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, The Library of Lost and Found introduces us to Martha Storm, a mid-life volunteer librarian who has given far more to life than she seems to have gotten from it. Raised by an authoritarian father, a mother who meekly went along with his directives, and alongside a sister who was the family's golden girl, Martha gave up love to care for her sickly parents and now moves from day to day, blending into the scenery - until she receives a mysterious book, written by her grandmother, in 1985. The grandmother Martha was told died in 1982. As Martha tracks down and reconnects with her grandmother, she finds herself unraveling a family mystery that she lies in the heart of; she also finds the desire to embrace life again, and put herself first, for the first time in her life.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book; the characters and backstory are well-written and plotted out, and the pace keeps things moving and interesting. This one will make a good book talk/book club pick.

The Library of Lost and Found is such an interesting read. The reader follows the life of Martha Storm, who in the beginning is kind of a doormat, doing everything for everyone without any compensation. She is constantly worried about whose projects she still needs to work on and it seems like her life is pretty humdrum and not much fun.

That all changes when she is given a book of fairy tales. Her life really changes and so much for the better! I loved watching her story unfold and her discovering that she's just as important as everyone else.

I loved the fairy tales that were part of the book also.

This is a delightful, light read that will probably make you smile (it did me) and have you cheering for a woman who is finally finding her spot in life.

Thank you to the author, publishers and Netgalley for permitting me an ARC at my request. My thoughts in this review are my own.

This book appealed to me because I always love a book that is related to a library or a book shop. Martha the librarian is a people pleaser who finally learned how to say "no" but for me, it just wasn't in time and I felt frustrated with her character just being such a pushover. Her journey to find out more about her family's past did intrigue me at first but ended up feeling all rather dull. Unfortunately, The Library of Lost and Found just didn't keep my attention as I didn't feel very connected to the characters.

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Martha Storm is a book lover and works at the library. Not in the position she wants, but she has come to terms with not getting what she wants. She is what I would call a doormat. Everyone uses her and she just lets them. 

She is also a bit depressed it seems. Her joy for life never found after the loss of her beloved best friend and grandmother. To this day she isn't sure what happened to Zelda except her mother telling her she died.

And a lie is a lie until it isn't. When the universe conspires to right the wrongs And that is what happens to mousey Martha. One day a book shows up on her doorstep and suddenly she isn't sure if her grandmother is dead or not. In the book are all of the stories they made up and the date in the inscription doesn't match what she knows of when her grandmother died.

For me this was when things got interesting. I was a little peeved at Martha for being such a little mouse but I am glad I stuck with her because it was a fun ride. I cried for her and her grandmother. A poignant and moving story of families and love.

So many secrets in a family just fester and darken over time and when Martha finds out all the truths, it is truly a beautiful thing to behold!


NetGalley/ March 26th 2019 by Park Row

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Martha Storm, awkward librarian, finds herself in the middle of a mystery when a copy of fairy tales authored by her late grandmother arrives at her doorstep. When she discovers that her grandmother might be alive. she sets out to uncover family truths while learning more about herself as well.

Everything about this book appealed to me upon first look: the characters, the plot outline, and even the cover. Unfortunately, I did NOT care for this book, and had I not been reviewing it, I would have stopped reading it altogether. I found all of the characters completely unlikable, the mystery of Grandmother Zelda to be lackluster and uninteresting, and the transformation of awkward and gawky Martha to be ineffective. I did not connect with this story at all.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, for this free eARC.I enjoyed this Novel quite well. I was rooting for Martha. She learned to say NO! She learned to say YES to happiness. Nicely done.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, for this free eARC.

Books about books are some of my favorite things to read. So when I saw this on NetGalley, I quickly requested it.

Th Library of Lost and Found was a cute story, that had some really touching moments. I loved Martha as a character! She is a librarian who is always willing to help people, until the day she finally tells them no.


One day she receives a book that is full of fairy tales, that was dedicated to her, by her late grandmother. She notices the deduction happened years after her grandma passed. As Martha starts to find out more, she soon learns a lot of family secrets.

I really enjoyed this book, and it was a solid read. I enjoyed the ending, as it really helped tie everything together. This was my 1st book by Patrick, and I look forward to reading another one!

I thought the blurb sounded like this book was a mystery, however, it was more of a light fiction book.
It was okay but not very memorable.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

I loved this book. You can't help but wonder what happened in poor Martha Storm's life to make her the way she is - meek and afraid to say no to the people around her. She loves to help people and seems to be taken advantage of. One day a mysterious book is left on the library steps and this book holds the key to her past and changes the way she views life.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was the ideal book at the perfect time for me. I love books about books, bookshops, libraries and almost anything to do with reading and this book had all of those things. I have read some reviews that simplify this story down to a cute quick read but I am of a different opinion. I found this book had many layers and examined independence, happiness, personal growth, family drama, secrets and regrets really well.

The main character Martha is known for being reliable, cheerful and honestly quite a pushover. She has buried herself, literally and figuratively in tasks she has taken on to help others. This book has a wonderful colourful cast of characters from an eccentric grandmother who loves to wear turquoise to a coworker who mispronounces words consistently to a woman who is looking for a man who looks like he belongs on the front cover of a romance novel but doesn’t quite meet those standards herself and she wants them to be able to fix her washing machine!

It is a book left on a doorstep that changes everything. Little is known of the strange book when it first appears as it is a poor copy with the cover and the title page torn off. It is the inscription inside the book that starts a mystery for Martha to find out the book’s origins and author.

Within the story are chapters about Martha’s childhood and her family dynamics which open the reader’s eyes to the complications that likely formed Martha as an adult and from which she made decisions that affected her life path.

Interspersed here and there are short stories written by Martha, her mother and grandmother that are like little telling fairy tales.

The Library of Lost and Found will be on store shelves March 26, 2019

Thank you to @netgalley and Park Row Books for this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have a soft spot for books with settings in bookstores or libraries (The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore, and so on). If you’re a bibliophile who feels the same way, or if you like heartwarming tales about quirky characters set in the UK, you’ll like this one.

The Library of Lost and Found is a charming, cozy read. It took a little time for me to warm to the main character Martha, who is a people-pleaser to the point of being a doormat. However, her journey to uncover her family’s past and how that changes her unfolds naturally, and I enjoyed following it.

Cute story, but a bit disjointed at times. A few twists and turns, but nothing too dramatic. Overall, a good story to read on a rainy day with a cup of tea.