Thanks to NetGalley, Aria & Aries to send me a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own

This book is character-driven, and the two main characters are appealing in their own ways.

First, you have Tom, a teenager who struggles in his life. He starts going back to the library for a funny reason but starts to be a granny's friend.

Then we have Maggie, an older woman who loves fighting for causes and has many skills and a farm. Also, she had some secrets that you will unravel during your reading.

I love the bond that is developed between those two characters. It's a mix between a friendship and a family relation. The relation has a broader purpose as it helps both of them to evolve. The exchange they have is essential as you feel like they need it.

The library problem is just an excuse for the friendship to thrive, and it also shows that books can bring different people together. However, I wasn't bothered by the light appearance of the library problem as I wanted to know more about Tom and Maggie.

This book was uplifting, and I didn't want to leave Tom and Maggie.

The Library is everything I wanted, or rather needed to read right now. This heartwarming, endearing, and sentimental read based on the unlikely friendship formed between a 16-year-old boy and a 70-year-old woman, who meet unexpectedly in their local library, is a powerful yet gentle read.

With its punchy chapters and viewpoints from both of the characters, this is easy to get lost in and forget the world around you, which is exactly what happened when I picked this up. The references to other books within this story made it relatable and entertaining through to the end. Although there are a few sensitive issues discussed, it is perfectly written to avoid making it heavy going. Keeping the light read feel throughout.

This is a book I will be recommending to all my fellow bookworms, an absolute must-read, either individually or as part of a book club! Beautifully written, I will definitely be picking up other works by this author in the future..

When teenager Tom goes to the village library (partly to escape his alcoholic dad and partly to try and meet Farah the girl he fancies at school) he instead attracts the attention of Maggie, a pensioner at the book club. She sees something in Tom and despite accidentally punching him in the face when he tries to stop her getting mugged they slowly become friends. As they rely on each other to fill the loneliness they both feel they are also urged to fight to save the library from closure.

I really enjoyed this, very well written from Maggie and Tom's alternating perspectives. The novel draws you in as you get to know their characters and then slowly reveals their secrets. Well worth reading.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for giving me this free ebook in return for a review.

I loved this book! It was such a cute, sweet book that caught my interest and I could barely put it down.

It’s nothing fancy or clever, it’s just pure bookish pleasure. If it was a food stuff it would be chocolate! We follow two characters - Tom a 16 year old who is facing his GCSEs and girls and trying to deal with an alcoholic father and a deep loneliness; and Maggie a 72 year old woman who lives alone and lonely on a small holding outside the village where Tom lives.

Convinced the best way to understand girls is to read about them, Tom goes to the village library to borrow romance novels.
When his Xbox is out of action he becomes a reader instead. The library is where he meets and develops a bond with Maggie. The relationship between them feels natural and develops along very believable lines. Although, I must say I’m not sure how many 16 year old boys would go to that much effort to find out about girls!

The plot is nothing very extraordinary but it speeds a long nicely with short chapters that entice you to say ‘just one more won’t hurt’ and the gentle humour and realistic conflict powers the story onwards. There’s no slowing of pace, nothing boring, just a lovely light hearted book.

This is totally a beach read. It’s light and fluffy although it has a few difficult themes such as alcoholism. Although, you may have get so caught up in this sweet read that you forget you’re on holiday!

One thing that amused me was how many books were discussed and recommend in its pages, The Rosie Project, Me Before You and The Flatshare to name but a few, and that endeared it to me even more! This was written by someone who loves reading as much as I do and that was fab.

It won’t challenge you intellectually, it ain’t gonna win the Booker but if you’re looking for a drop of escapism, you’re in for a real treat here.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This was such a good book. It was lighthearted, charming, emotional at the right points, and about as sweet as a lemon drizzle cake. The story is about an unconventional friendship between Tom, a teenager and Maggie, a 72-year-old woman. They meet at the library while Tom is trying to read romance books to impress a girl and Maggie is participating in a book club to liven things up in her life.

When the library is threatened to close, the two must work together to save it. Along the way, the relationship develops and it becomes something so much more than two people who appreciate the library. This was a great read as I was going through a move back to school, as I could find myself lost in the pages and wrapped in the words like they were a blanket.

A very different book to the last few I have been reading, the story of teenager Tom, who lives with his dad, and Maggie who is in her seventies. They meet by chance at the local library, and their relationship begins.
Quite fascinating, warm and wonderful.
Modern issues and old, friendships and family.
Gentle easy reading this autumn.
Enjoyable and recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley for the early read.

This delightful character study involves alternating chapters by Tom Harris, a 16-year-old student, and Maggie, a 70-year-old widow with a small farm. They meet at the local library and join forces to keep the branch from closing.

The relationship that develops between the two is both touching and somewhat unexpected. Bella Osborne is an accomplished storyteller, and The Library is a heartwarming read.

"The Library": 4⭐

(Unpaid Review: thank you to @netgalley, @ariapublishing and @bellaosborne for allowing me to read this eArc copy in exchange for a review.)

What could a bookdragon want more than a book about books with a couple saving - uh, you guessed, - books? 😱 Right, am I right?? This book was so cool, really beautiful writing and the story gets you hooked from the very first sentence!
The couple is a very unlikely match but, aren't those the best ones tho? Tom and Maggie are absolutely brilliant together and show us that, the importance of age, really, is none. If you're in love with someone, only that matters!

This book wasn't what I expected. I thought it would be about a community coming together to save their local library. Although that is a feature of the story it isn't the main part. The heart of the book is about the friendship between teenage Tom and the elderly Maggie. Their relationship shows what it's like to be lonely and how powerful second chances can be.

How could I not request a book called The Library? And look at that lovely book filled cover. I know you're not supposed to judge a book by it's cover, but honestly it was the title a cover alone that got me. I am happy to report that the inside is just as wonderful.

Meet Tom. He is sixteen and lonely. His Mum has passed, he isn't much for making friends and his dad has a problem with the bottle. Meet Maggie. She is seventy-two and lonely. She has her library and her book club...but not much else. When these two meet, after Tom tries to save Maggie from being robbed, these two least likely people start a friendship and become confidants and usual users of the local library.

This was such a joyful book, mixing a multi generational friendship with a love of books. It touched me in so many ways. It was at times thoughtful, dealing with many issues, but it was also very humorous. I highly recommended this to book and library lovers everywhere. All the stars!

A touching tale about a young man who receives help wooing his love from an older woman whom he in turn helps saves the local library.

What a fun read! The story alternates between a young boy who lost his mom, and an older woman suffering from a bit of loneliness and lack of purpose. An unlikely friendship formed at the library brings them into each others' lives, and changes them for the better.

Thank you Aria and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.

This was honestly such a wonderful read about two unlikely people forming a really lovely bond. After somebody tries to rob 72 year old Maggie outside of the library and 16 year old Tom steps in, the two start a wonderful friendship.

This book had me laughing, crying and everything in between. Definitely worth a read!

I adored this book! It was nothing like I expected and I found myself reading late into the night not wanting to put it down. I loved the relationship between Tom (a lonely teenager) and Maggie (a 70+ woman living on her own). It was such a heart warming novel, I truly recommend.

As a long-time library board member, a book about community members coming together to save their local library spoke to me, so I had to read it. I'm so glad I did!

This was a lovely, easy read about a young man, coming of age and learning how to not feel invisible, plus a woman who is feeling a bit out of her prime and effectiveness. They meet, develop a friendship and unite in their bond to save the library they love. Lots of life lessons to be found here, give it a try!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

The Library by Bella Osborne Goodreads review

I got The Library by Bella Osborne from NetGalley for free for an honest review.
The Library, tells the story of a 16-year-old boy called Tom whose sole social life is based around his time playing on his x-box.
In the real world he just wants to be invisible so to boost his confidence when speaking to girls, he goes to the library to borrow some romance books, using the excuse that they are for his mother, even though she died when Tom was much younger.
While their he Meets Maggie a lonely old woman whose husband has been dead for ten years and comes to the book club as for the company.
But suddenly the library is facing closure.
The Library is written from the two perspectives of Maggie and Tom with each person’s perspective having a dedicated chapter. which means you always no which persons narrative you are seeing at that time.
This allowed the story to tell the story through the character of either Maggie or Tom and then in the next chapter, seeing how the other both interpreted the event so showing why they reacted the way they did.
What I Liked about this novel apart form the interactions between Maggie and Tom, as they both get to know each other both the good and the bad.
Another thing the story did well was to make each character by the end of the novel be more than their stereo types, Maggie is not you typical old lady, as you see the skills she has by the end of the book.
Even Tom and his dad who start of being portrayed as being stereotypes at the start of the novel, with their character development throughout the book are well rounded people.
The Library by Bella Osborne is an emotional tale which really gripped me as a reader as I got to know Maggie and Tom more throughout the book.
While there were times that this novel could have become full of cliches talking the story to a point that almost become a novel written by just ticking the boxes which meant it would come predictable, The Library never did that making Bella Osborne’s latest book well worth reading.

The Library was such an unexpectedly lovely read. Told from alternating viewpoints by 16 year old Tom and 72 year old Maggie, Bella Osborne tells the story of how a community library works it’s magic to bring characters from very different backgrounds (or are they?) together. The Library independently becomes a fixture in Tom and Maggie’s weekly routine and allows a place for connections and friendship to grow. I enjoyed seeing the story through the opposing narrations which I felt was used to show more how similar the characters were than dissimilar. As the reader learns more about Maggie and Tom’s backgrounds, it is the shared loneliness that ultimately brings them closer together; their need for human connection becomes the vehicle to weave their lives together. With a nod to alcoholism in parents, Osborne gives a presence to difficult situations that could have been overwhelming and morose, but is tackled with the gentlest care. I found myself rooting for the little Library along with the relationships of Tom, Maggie, Farah and Paul. The Library will leave you feeling warm and hopeful that life’s struggles can and will be conquered. Thank you to Aria and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story was an unexpected delight. Tom is a typical angsty teenager with an unhappy home life and Maggie is a confident but lonely seventy-something pensioner. Their paths collide and from there begins an endearing and mutually beneficial friendship. In the background is the fight to save their local library from being closed down, but this definitely took a back stage to the development of Tom’s and Maggie’s friendship.

Highly recommend this. It has a bit more depth than I expected.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

Bella Osborne this book was a key that took me on an adventure which I didn’t want to end.

This book is like a gorgeous treat. I started it earlier today and have just finished. I loved the main characters Tom & Maggie.
Their stories will make you feel for them, as their secrets come out throughout the story. It was lovely to see them become friends, help each other, even with the age difference.
The library, the place where this friendship was formed, was faced with closure, the community comes together to save it for those using it now and future generations.
There are other issues raised within the story, such as loneliness and alcoholism.
It was emotional along with laugh out loud moments.

Highly Recommend

Loved this story of a teenage boy, struggling with an alcoholic father and a mother who died, and an elderly woman, living and farming on her own. They meet at The Library, where things are in jeopardy. Much like libraries now, the council has threated to close their local library. Loved meeting the characters and seeing the progression. Heartwarming and not overly twee.