A charming, fun read. As a librarian at the library going through issues, I found the solidarity of the staff and patrons here both realistic and convincing.

It’s no secret that I love the library, so The Last Chance Library by Freya Sampson, a book all about saving one, was right up my alley!

June Jones works as a librarian in the small English village where she grew up. In fact, she’s never really been anywhere else. Always introverted and someone who preferred books to reality, June took over her mom’s job when her mom got sick and never left. Now the council is doing an “analysis” to see if the library is worth investing in and it seems likely the library will be closed. June must fight through a sea of self doubt to burst out of her shell and help save it.

The book is full of delightful characters. A precocious home-schooled boy who reads everything, a elderly man who comes to the library to do the crossword puzzle every day, a woman who complains about every book she reads but keeps coming back, and an activist who is ready to get back in the fight.

There is a small romance thread in this one, but this book is mainly a love letter to libraries and all the ways they are vital to communities. I really enjoyed seeing June’s journey which is partly about actually grieving her mother and figuring out how to move on with her life.

"Heartwarming" is a word that's thrown at a lot of books, and it definitely applies here, but there are also poignant moments and scenes where I was straight-up angry or tearing up on June's behalf. Sampson is great at making the reader feel things, but the book is still gentle enough to be somewhat escapist during a pandemic year. Loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley, & Berkley Pub Group for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.

This book is an ode to books, to readers, and to libraries - but most of all, it is an ode to librarians. Unfortunately, everything aside from the frequent extolling of both libraries and librarians felt a tad too surface level. The characters, while all serving a purpose for the story, felt as though they were placed there to fill a specific role to propel the main character along rather than having any story or purpose for themselves.

I know that it sounds like I didn’t like it, but I promise I did! I finished it in a single day and would not hesitate to recommend it if someone asked me - but I don’t know if I would recommend it outright.

Libraries are the world’s most wonderful place, right? I’m slightly biased because I work in one and I’m in library school, but we all know it’s true. And what happens when a community’s library is threatened by budget cuts? The community steps up, of course.

In this book, there are so many characters to love. There’s the brash former activist, who is STILL an activist and NOT old, thank you very much. There’s the young homeschooler, who reads and talks well-above his age and is just so sweet. And of course, there’s the shy library assistant, June, whose low self-esteem will feel somewhat familiar to many of us…

Reading this book felt like relaxing into a warm hug. I loved every minute of it, and it was a 5-star read for me.

Set in a quiet English village, June seems to be your typical quiet librarian. More at peace with books than with people. As this novel moves forward the reader see’s June as the villagers see her, the tie that binds her villagers together. I was pleasantly surprised by how moved I was by this novel. I thought I knew what I would be reading but as June dared to live outside the quiet comforts she knew the pages filled with color and emotion.

If this novel were only about June it may have been a typical story about a girl who likes to escape through a good book. Instead it was about June’s relationships with the people in her village and how her kindness helped them through their own trials throughout the years. Giving book advice, tutoring a high school student, teaching an older man to read, there were many facets of June that we don’t initially see. Each new light shone through a different character that was introduced and I have to admit there were some pretty outstanding characters that helped June shine so bright.

The Last Chance Library’s pace started off slow but as I got immersed in the story it quickly quickened. I found that sleepy English villages can be pretty exciting, or at least they can when the villagers decide to rise up.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher for my honest review and it was honest.

Another book about libraries, community, librarians and books! You had me at books! An enjoyable read that skillfully handles the intricacies of friendship, community, grief and loneliness. Serious and light hearted, definitely a feel good read.

**I received an electronic ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review of this book.

Some books just speak to you on deeply personal levels and this was one of those for me! The story follows library assistant June Jones, a thirty year old woman who has spent most of her life caring for her mother and not doing much living. When her local library gets put on the chopping block, she bands together with an eclectic group of patrons to help save the day. Along the way June finds her voice, reconnects with a childhood crush and makes a lasting friendship with a lonely library patron that changes both their lives. HIGHLY recommended especially for fans of The reading list. This book is very much a love letter to libraries and the important roles they play in small town communities. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy.

Favorite quotes:
"Libraries are boats and the books are life jackets. Without them we'll drown."

"Libraries aren't just about books, they're places where an eight year old can have his eyes opened 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 their homework and a recently arrived immigrant can find a new community. 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 impower them."

The Last Chance Library is Freya Sampson’s debut novel. June Jones is a library assistant whose life revolves around work, home, and books. June has not been able to move forward with her life since the death of her mother eight years earlier. When the Chalcot library is threatened with closure, the townspeople rally to save it and expect June to lead the charge. Unfortunately, June has trouble with large crowds and speaking in front of anyone including children at Rhyme Time. The local residents form FOCL (Friends of Chalcot Library) and work to keep the library they love with some help from a helpful anonymous insider. The Last Chance Library sounded like such a fun story which is why I was disappointed with the end result. I found the pacing to be slow with expected characters. There are some quirky residents like Vera and Mrs. B (she is really over-the-top). I loved Stanley. He was a kind soul. Our protagonist, June is a timid woman who seems afraid to live. Being afraid of public speaking myself, I could relate to her fear. I just expected more from the main character. I wanted to see her leading the charge and coming up with creative ideas to save the place she loved. The ending was a mixed bag. Most of the story followed a predictable path, and I like how things ended for the library. June’s story was disenchanting. There is a potential romance for June with old school chum, Alex. I never felt any sparks between the pair and the pairing felt forced. I was especially offended by the amount of foul language in The Last Chance Library. I did enjoy the book references and how the library patrons worked to save their local book haven. A library is so much more than a place to get books. That is the one thing that non-book lovers fail to see. It is a place to meet other people, get help with homework, use the computer, watch a movie, learn a new skill, and where our children can learn to love books as much as we do. My favorite quote from The Last Chance Library is, “You are never alone when you have a good book.” While The Last Chance Library is not my cup of tea, it does appeal to others. You should read a sample, to see if The Last Chance Library is for you. The Last Chance Library is a debut novel with a bevy of books, a shocking closure, a bully for a boss, activist patrons, and a tentative library assistant.

This is just the sweetest book! Truly I would classify The Last Chance Library as a feel-good read, although I did shed a few tears of both the sad and happy variety. It is a book about books and a lot of different titles make appearances. At it’s essence, this book is a love letter to libraries and librarians. I have 3 highlighted passages/ my favorite quotes

This was cute. I love small town gets together to save a thing stories. In this case, they're trying to save the library. This is definitely a book for book/library lovers. It's also a story of a woman (June) who is at the crossroads of living in her past or moving into her future. It's sweet, heart-warming, and feel good. It's full of quirky characters that make it just delightful.

I'm always a fan of books set in libraries, bookshops, or about reading. This book was no exception and I enjoyed this gentle read. I definitely have an audience for this book and will be recommending to library patrons who prefer gentler reads.

3.75 stars

This fun feel-good story will appeal to library lovers everywhere. June Jones' life sort of stalled out after her mother died when June was in high school. Her mom was a dynamic, fun, outgoing librarian, much beloved in the community. June stayed in their home and sort of slid into a library assistant job. But she is unlike her mom in many ways: June is an introvert, terrified of public speaking, dowdy and buttoned up emotionally, and hasn't any social life.

But when the local council threatens to shut down the library, June and the local community step up. We see that she shares her late mother's passion for what libraries mean to her neighbors and village. In her own quiet way, June is continuing her mother's legacy of helping.

This is a bit of a sentimental story, but leavened with unexpected humor. June is an easy character to cheer for and the reader really wants a happy ending. And this part isn't fiction: in the U.K. nearly 800 libraries have been closed down since 2010. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

In Freya Sampson's "The Last Chance Library," twenty-eight-year-old June Jones has been stagnating socially and emotionally since her mother, Beverly, died eight years earlier. Unlike her mum, who was a dynamic librarian and activist with many friends and admirers, June is shy and reclusive. Her only companions are her nosy but concerned next-door neighbor, Linda, and June's cantankerous cat. Ten years earlier, June was hired as a library assistant in Chalcot, "a drafty redbrick building erected in the 1870s" that leaks, creaks, and is home to a family of mice. Her job enables her to share her love of reading with young and old alike. When the local council threatens to close the Chalcot branch and five other libraries in the county as a cost-saving measure, the patrons are outraged and embark on a crusade to rally support for their cause.

This is a good-natured and low-key tale about loneliness, community, the power of literature to unite and inspire, and the stranglehold that grief has on those who cannot let go of the past. June is attracted to her old schoolmate, Alex Chen, a solicitor who is temporarily in town to help his ailing his dad with his business, but she is convinced that the handsome and accomplished Alex could not possibly be interested in her. The engaging plot involves June's fear of changing her life for the better; the battle between advocates for the library and their venal antagonists; and the close friendships that develop between the library's devoted patrons. June is unaware that she has wonderful qualities that most people recognize and admire. She is resourceful, considerate, and skilled at recommending appropriate books to Alex and others who seek her advice. In addition, she regularly encourages the teens who frequent her library to make the most of their talents.

The characters in "The Last Chance Library" are lively, and Sampson shows that even society's misfits can be assets to their communities. We ache for June, who is stuck in place and is panic-stricken at the possibility of losing her job. She has a close bond with Stanley Phelps, an octogenarian and library devotee who appreciates June's warmth and intelligence. The abrasive Mrs. Bransworth, an outspoken and profane firebrand and proponent of civil disobedience, takes the lead in establishing FOCL, the Friends of Chalcot Library. As the fight to save the library heats up, June slowly emerges from her shell. The novel has its share of cliches, stereotypes, and sentimental passages. However, Sampson's well-constructed plot and amusing dialogue are fast-paced and diverting, and the author never allows the story to become overly schmaltzy. "The Last Chance Library" is adeptly written, funny, and heartfelt, and it leaves us optimistic about the possibility of redemption for lost souls.

Do you love your local library? Do you utilize its services? I do! Ever since I could read, libraries have been my go-to comfort place. It’s where I’ve studied for my exams, where I brainstormed for projects, did group studies and borrowed books when buying fiction books were still a luxury!😂 When we immigrated to Canada, it’s one of the first places I told my hubby to bring me! So when I read The Last Chance Library, the story really resonated with me. I love June’s story and her transformation from being stuck with her grief to finally going after her dreams. There wasn’t much love story between June and Alex, but I enjoyed it nonetheless since I love the other characters too, especially Mrs. B, Stanley and the FOCL gang. If you fancy a feel good story involving a small town library, then this is perfect for you!

When the local government threatens to shut her library down, librarian Jane bands together with some of the library’s regulars to fight to keep it open.

What a beautiful tribute to books and libraries and all the good they bring to communities. This one made my heart so happy to read it for a variety of reasons. The cast os supporting characters really made this one. I love a good side character and there were so many quirky personalities. This group of unlikely friends will quickly find their way into your heart and stay there. I also really loved Jane’s personal growth and seeing her find her voice. If you love books and activism, be sure to pick this one up!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the advanced copy.

A super sweet read about an introverted character stepping out of her comfort zone.

June works at the local library in town and lives in the house she grew up in with her mother before her mother passed away. June keeps to herself and doesn't have many friends, or so she thinks.

During this story June connects with people she sees everyday and learns how much they mean to her, and also how much she means to them. She also starts to fight for what she believes in.

This is a story full of hope and heart.

This is a women's fiction book. I have to say at the heart of this book it is about a small town trying to save their cherished library. This book is told to us by June who works in the library, and she is trying to find herself while also trying to help save the library. I have to say I love June so much, and I also love how many different types of people lives in this small town. They also love each other so much. This book as some twists which I really did not see coming, but they are not as shocking as a thriller twist would be. This is a fun and cute read, and I really enjoyed my time reading this book. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Berkley Books) or author (Freya Sampson) via NetGalley, so I can give honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

June Jones lives a quiet, routine, and somewhat predictable life that consists of her day job working in the local Chalcot library, evenings spent at home reading with her cat, and her weekly order of chicken in black bean sauce from the Goldren Dragon. However when news that her library, along with others, is set to close, June starts to feel her world shift into the unknown. The library is all she has ever known and holds a special place in her heart as the place her mother took her to as a child and where she worked for years before her death eight years ago. It is what June has based much of her identity on as an adult, having given up any other dreams to take care of her dying mother. When a group of irate patrons form a committee known as the FOCL (friends of the Chalcot library), June is desperate to help however she has been warned she will lose her position should she join. When June turns to Alex, a childhood friend in town to help his parents run the Golden Dragon, for advice he inspires her to look to her favorite fictional heroine, the fierce book loving, Matilda. The pair devise a plan for her to join secretly under the code name Matilda. As June secretly dispenses advice from the sidelines however, she quickly realizes that this is her moment to step out of the shadows and take a risk. After all, if anything is worth fighting for, it's her beloved library.
The Last Chance Library is a charming, heartwarming story that truly highlights the important and central role libraries play within communities. The fight for funding to keep the door open is an all too common reality being played out in libraries across the world. Freya Sampson expertly conveys the mix of feelings, emotions, and experiences felt by members of the community and library staff each time budgets become tight and closure becomes imminent. Set in a small British town with many eccentric residents, Sampson will leave you longing to visit the fictional Chalcot library just to get a feel of every day life. Full of unexpected turns and a wonderfully diverse group of outlandish characters, each with their own unique brand of humor, The Last Chance Library is the perfect feel good read for the library lover and bookworms of the world.

Imagine that your whole world is being threatened to be taken from you. That is exactly what June Jones is feeling. The library that her mother worked at and that she now works at is possibly being closed. She tries to stay out of it but her heart steps in and she knows that she must step up and do what she can to help.

I liked most seeing June step up. She was a mousy librarian when the story started. As the story continues, she finds her voice, her strength, and uses them for the good of the library and the community. She finds that the visitors of the library see her as more than just a librarian, but as their friend also. The library has multiple meanings for each visitor and as the fight to save the library goes on each person shares their story. I loved hearing about the visitors, their need for the library, and how it affects their lives. It is true that a library is not just a place to get books to read, it is a place to make friends, a place to find warmth, a place to escape from their homes, and a place to be safe.

Freya Sampson did a great job of taking a diverse set of characters and pulling their lives together. Weaving their stories to make one larger picture that was beautiful. I loved seeing each character come into their own, seeing them come together for each other, and seeing a wonderful library become the center of a community.