I enjoyed this story immensely from start to finish. I received this as an ARC and was intrigued by the synopsis, especially the fact that the books main character is of a similar age and has a similar occupation as me. June is a library assistant who works at her small local library in England, where she has a cast of regular customers who visit her branch each day. Her life is difficult and we see this through her personal struggles with grief, loneliness, timidity, and her isolation from those around her. The one part of her life that makes her happy is her work at the library. But that happiness is in jeopardy as the library is earmarked for closure. The locals ban together to save their beloved library, and question June's commitment to her work and the community when she refuses to join their efforts. June's world crumbles and she begins to see how closing herself of to the world after the death of her mother has left her with nothing but her work. It was great to see June conquer her self doubt, forge new relationships with those around her, and overcome her fear of putting herself out in the world in order to rescue her beloved library. Things don't always go as planned and there are many twists, and turns that help June come out stronger in the end. A wonderful story about life, loss, love, and books that everyone must read.

Sometimes you just need a book you know will have a happy ending and this is one of those. Besides, how can a book about a beloved public library be bad? A smidge of possible romance, a bit of life gone off the rails, a shy person finding their voice, and the power of community banding together to save something important to them. Set in a small English town, you'll meet these interesting characters and more. Anyone who ever loved a library should appreciate this "we can do it" story.

A wonderful homage to libraries and librarians. Filled with a wonderful cast of characters.
I loved this story. Friendship, family and love. Beautiful.

A story of learning to live again after loss, finding friendship in unexpected places, and coming together to fight for the good of a community. All of this focused around a Library, and the important place it holds in the community member's lives.

This heartwarming story will bring fond memories for those of us who love to read. You can say it is a love story about libraries. One of the characters in the story states it well, "...libraries aren't made by books; they're made by librarians" and I would also add, "by readers.". I did get frustrated with the main character's timidness. (She does find her voice eventually) It is the supporting characters that make the story sparkle. Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure about this book for the first 40% or so. I know that June was supposed to be this lonely woman who’s very, very shy and socially awkward, but her character in the first part of the book was almost caricature-like in its ridiculousness. I did start to warm up to her more once she decided to break out of her shell a bit, and the cast of side characters were endearing and funny and I grew to like them a lot. I know this book was marketed as a romance, but I feel like it’s more fitting of the contemporary fiction genre instead. Sure, there’s a romance arc, but it was pretty pitiful and uncomfortable and I found that it detracted from the story rather than adding to it.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

What a wonderful treat to read this book. I love books about books and libraries, but this was also a lovely story about grief, lost dreams, hopes, a cause worth fighting for, new friends and even love. The cast of characters were eccentric and plot moved right along. I read it in one setting and will highly recommend it. Thanks to the author for a breath of fresh air and happiness after this terrible year.

June dropped out of college when her mother was ill and went home to care for her. And she stayed. After her mother's death, she took on her mother's job at the library and stayed in the family home, not changing a thing. June is content living in her rut and wants things to go on as usual. But, when the library where she works is threatened with closure, she ends up joining some of the locals (most considered misfits) in an effort to save their library. Astounded at her own courage, she even develops a relationship with an old school friend along the way.

Somewhat of a late-to-the-stage-coming-of-age book, June examines her own life choices and plans for change.

Readers who enjoy happy, though not quite predictable endings will enjoy this book.

When the local library is threatened with closure, quiet library assistant June Jones is forced to come out of her shell and help save it. She begins to realize what the library means to her community and meets up with an old schoolmate who might become more. A true love letter to libraries, the power of community and standing up for yourself and what you believe in.

This book was received as an ARC from Berkley Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

My heart was so warm after I finished this novel. Being a librarian, I can totally relate to the passion June had for her library and how it was a staple to her and the community. I loved that she was the heart and soul of the library that rallied the community together to save their library from closing down. Losing a loved one can be very hard and when there is a place that helps you carry on their memory, it is definitely something to fight for and this book demonstrated that brilliantly. A heartwarming story that is inspiring to all.

We will consider adding this title to our Adult Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this delightful book. The Last Chance Library is a charming book about courage, finding yourself and your family where you least expect it, and of course the value and special role libraries play in society. I'm a huge fan of libraries and feel privileged that they are part of our society.

June is the assistant librarian and her mother had previously been the librarian. June’s mom died eight years ago and June is stuck. She goes from the library to home and back. She is borderline agoraphobic and uncomfortable in unfamiliar settings. She orders the same meal every Monday from Chinese takeout. A request to substitute lead a library children's group has her terrified and your heart goes out to her as all falls apart. Suddenly everything is about to change in her life - the library may close - and June and her library patrons decide to take action. All kinds of surprises occur.

It takes place somewhere outside the US - either England or Australia - I wasn’t quite sure and it’s never mentioned. But the language differences help make the book special.

What I liked: June made a great protagonist. She is a shy young woman who has very little life experience, but has lived and traveled through her love of reading. She is a sympathetic character that you root for as a reader. The way she blossoms as the book progresses is heartwarming and done just enough to feel real.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend to others.

A book for book lovers, bibliophiles, and bookworms about book lovers, bibliophiles, and bookworms...and libraries.

June Jones is a library assistant who has never left her hometown. After her mom passed away, June never stopped grieving for her, and still lives in her childhood home (that has “fecal-colored carpet for a bathroom floor”) with her cat, Alan Bennett.

June is socially awkward due to her shyness, and likes to stick to her routines of working at the library during the day, and going home to read in the evenings. The routine breaks when the Chalcot Library is threatened with closure. The library holds a special place in June’s heart because her mother used to work there too and take her there as a kid. It also hold a special place in the hearts of the eccentric patrons.

So, when a few of the patrons start a group called FOCL (Friends of Chalcot Library) to save the library and the books that have touched them, June decides to step out of her shell and campaign with them. Not only will this give her a chance to break out of her comfort zone and shine, but she might be able to move past the funk she’s been in and find happiness within herself and with the help of those she lets in.

“...It’s never too late to find your voice...”

What a charming book! I absolutely enjoyed every minute of reading it. Debut author Freya Sampson does a phenomenal job of bringing together a group of characters that are so vastly different from each other, but all lovable in their own way. I really cared about June and the rest of the gang, and wanted nothing more than for her to be happy.

The story is heartwarming and endearing, and just what I needed. It’s humorous, has depth, and even has a bit of romance. I was touched by this sweet book. I laughed, I smiled, and I cried (some of these at the same time).

I highly recommend supporting your local library and checking this book out when it is published on: 8/31/21.

Thank you to Elisha at Berkley for providing with a widget of the ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com

Thank you SO much Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for this advanced readers e-book. I'm so glad I got the opportunity to read this story! The Last Chance Library resonated with me so much you don't even know. This book brought up so many fantastic memories of my upbringing. A library is so much more than a place where you can check out books. Freya Sampson said it perfectly here:

"Libraries aren't just about books. They're places where an eight-year-old boy can have his eyes opened up to the wonders of the world, and where a lonely eighty-year-old woman can come for some vital human contact. Where a teenager can find precious quiet space to do her homework and a recently arrived immigrant can find a new community. Libraries are for everyone, rich or poor, wherever you come from in the world, can feel safe. Where they can access information that will empower them."

I have fond memories of my mother taking me to the library in Lethbridge on a daily basis. I would sit for hours reading books, going to the puppet shows, rhyme time, and story-tellings. These were some of the happiest moments during my childhood. As a teenager I could never focus at home doing homework, the library was again there for me, providing me that quiet safe place. Now having my own children, I get the opportunity to take them to the library and let them explore their creativity and attend the fun events they hold for kids, just like they did when I was small.

This story is about June and not only her fight to keep her community library open but also her fight to rise and break out of her shell and fight for the things in life that mean the most to her. I have nothing but gratefulness towards this book. Every character had amazing development, every relationship built in this story was amazing. There was moments of happiness and sadness. This has easily become another favourite 5 star read.

I 100% recommend reading this book, especially if you are like me and love libraries. Reading this book during these crazy covid times makes me miss my library so much. I hope it opens up again soon so I can walk down the rows of books, take my kids to the activities and be grateful we have such a great place in our community.

Mark your calendars - this book releases August 30th, 2021

This book was nothing short of beautiful. It was the perfect mix of quirky, heartfelt, heartBREAKING, comedy, loss, romance. I just loved how unique the story was in general. I love how unique the characters each were.
We’ve all heard many stories about trying to save a park, a store, a neighborhood, etc - but they way that this author takes the task of this community trying to save a library and turns it into such a riveting story is just absolutely fascinating to me.

The writing style was lovely. The character development was extraordinary. I am so glad that I’ve chosen and had the opportunity to read this.

This book gave me all the feels. You first feel sorry for June that she's basically all alone, has never left her small village, and can't speak up for herself. I loved the small village setting, bonus that it's about saving a library from closure, and the author does a great job of making each character feel real and you come to have feelings for them. The book includes characters with a wide range of ages so it would appeal to many audiences.

This book is for anyone that loves reading about small town England, for those cheering on a shy heroine to come out of her shell, and of course, anyone that wants a bit of romance, too.

I enjoyed this book tremendously and would willingly read anything by this author.

I’m sure it’s because I am a librarian, but I really was touched by the book. The struggles the small library encounters are very real, but more importantly, the impact it has on individuals in the community are accurately described. The love story is predictable, but satisfactory.

A huge thank you to Penguin Random House International, Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

“𝗟𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲, 𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝗼𝗿, 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱, 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺.”

It almost felt like this book was giving me a hug all throughout reading from the amount of comfort it gave me. This book is a love letter to those who are long time lovers of libraries and just anyone who has found solace in between the pages of books.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘓𝘪𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘺 follows June, the shy library assistant in this small town library in England. She dropped her dreams of going to college and started working to help support her mom but years after her mom has passed, she’s still stuck working within the comfort of her books and has let her life passed by without actually living it. When budget cuts threatens to close down the library, June is left with the choice of lying low or breaking out of her shell to help fight for her beloved library alongside its loyal patrons and her friends.

I loved June! Though some might find her annoying at times, I personally felt for June and understood where she was coming from. She is so relatable in the way her anxiety works when it comes to public speaking and being around crowds and the way she dissoiates with life and the people around her. A part of me feels that this could be me and I felt her fear of thinking she might be too late to experience things but I’m just glad that she had a strong support system. I also love that thing she does with strangers and making up stories about them! I found it so investing and entertaining!

Sampson did such an amazing job in highlighting the importance of libraries in this book and how these communal spaces mean to different types of people. I also love the sense of community I got to read given how small the town is. All the characters were so individually engaging and interesting!

Alex is such a sweetheart! I love his back and forth of giving book recommendations with June given how different their go-to genres are! Stanley had my heart with his story! I also enjoyed being in the company of Mrs. B, Vera, Linda, Leila, Jackson, Charlant, Marjorie and everyone else who has whose lives were touched by June.

All in all, this book was so heartwarmingly relatable especially for all readers! There were moments where I laughed out loud, teared up and overall just had the best time reading! With the wide range of characters, all types of readers are bound to find someone they relate to! I highly recommend if you’re looking for funny, heartfelt and emotionally investing books about books!

This is an absolutely charming, gentle hug of a book - moving, funny, and occasionally infuriating (but that's only because Sampson is painting an accurate picture of the political/social landscape and what happens when vital services are cut). It was a delight to live inside June's head and watch her grow, and I wanted to move into her library and visit her village. The entire cast was so well portrayed that everyone felt real and believable, so despite there being so many supporting characters, they were easy to keep track of. This book was also a love letter to libraries, and a powerful reminder of the important role they play in communities. And I can't lie - I got a little teary at times.

Well, I wouldn’t be a proper librarian if I didn’t love this story! Sweet June. I wish she was my neighbor and friend. Love all the book/character references throughout. Her group of fun misfits is charming and a pleasure to have met. Just a breath of fresh air to read right now!