A story about the intergenerational friendship about two people dealing with their own forms of grief and the ways they bond over books at their local library. Tom's mother is dead and he is left living with his alcoholic father. Life is hard and he finds joy and escape in the romance novels he checks out for his 'mother' at his local library. He also meets Maggie, an older woman dealing with her own grief over the loss of her son. The two bond and Maggie offers Tom a safe space and solace from the turmoil of his home life. Recommended for fans of The reading list or The last chance library. Great on audio and definitely one for book lovers and those who like seeing small town people fighting to save their local libraries. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy!

CW: death of a parent, alcoholism

The Library by Bella Osbourne ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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My thoughts—this book was soooo incredible! Loved this beautiful comforting story of strangers connecting in a library and I couldn’t put it down. It made me so happy to be a librarian and I reflected on how many people I have helped throughout my career in library settings. Tom and Maggie were both real characters and I loved the friendship they forge through literature and become less lonely! I finished this one in one day! ❤️❤️❤️ Thank you to @netgalley for this ARC! @bellaosborneauthor -well done!!! This is such a beautiful book! 😍📚😍
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Blurb: Two lonely bookworms. An unexpected friendship. A library that needs their help
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Teenager Tom has always blended into the background of life. After a row with his dad and facing an unhappy future at the dog food factory, he escapes to the library.
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Pensioner Maggie has been happily alone with her beloved novels for ten years – at least, that's what she tells herself.
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When they meet, they recognise something in each other that will change both their lives for ever.
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Then the library comes under threat of closure, and they must join forces to prove that it's not just about books – it's the heart of their community.
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They are determined to save it – because some things are worth fighting for.

You can’t go wrong with a book detailing a community’s fight to save their library in the UK. The heartwarming and touching story centers on the relationship that develops between 72 year old Maggie and 17 year old Tom. Maggie lives alone on a small farm; other than her weekly book club at the library, she is lonely and bored. Tom’s mother died when he was younger, and his father became an alcoholic. Tom looks to the library as a place of respite from his home. The two meet and an unusual closeness develops which will impact both their lives. I recommend this book, and thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read such a lovely story.

This was a good read for me. It felt very much like another book I read, The Last Chance Library, but you know what, I'm always here for more stories about how books and libraries are special!

The characters were beautiful, and I loved how they support each other, and their library. I would recommend this one for any reader that loves books :)

This is a real feel good story about Tom, 16, a bit of a loner, who makes friends with Maggie, who is 72, at the local library. They're both lonely, and the story follows the development of their unlikely friendship, whist they try to save the local library from closure. The ending is tidy, no loose ends and everybody is happy. Maybe not quite real life, but a cosy curl up on the sofa read with really lovable characters and plenty of animals too! I Loved it!

Book received for free from NetGalley

It took me a bit to get into this book but once I did I absolutely adored it. The story was sweet, the characters were great, and I’d love to follow along a bit longer. Thanks for the great read.

The thing with this book is that it sounded great. The premise and the cover really sounded amazing, unfortunately I was left not too impressed and I ended up DNF:ing the book at 50%. The story was from dual perspectives alternating between the teenager Tom and the old woman Maggie, who by accident became acquainted through the local library. For me the perspectives became a bit too different. Tom’s perspective felt very much like a typical contemporary high school boy story. I do not usually read contemporary high school stories because they do not really interest me, therefore his story felt slow and uninteresting for me. Maggie’s story unfortunately felt very boring to me. Her story did not really go anywhere and felt very uneventful. The book was not what I had expected. For me it was too much of a high school book mixed with uneventfulness. It left me a bit confused about the target audience, it really did not feel like women’s fiction to me.

I would perhaps not say it is a bad story, but the story did not suite me at all. I really tried to like it and decided that I would at least read half of it. Read half of it and felt no urge to continue. I would say that the story started to pick up towards the halfway mark but that is way too late for me to want to read further.

My thanks to #NetGalley and #Aria publishing for the opportunity to review this book.
What a joy, this is the first Bella Osborne book I have read and it won’t be the last. I laughed I cried. Loved the characters and the journey that the book took me on..
A tale of two lonely people, different generations and an unexpected friendship.
Bliss in a book.

I absolutely fell in love with this book! It's a heartwarming story about a teen and a lonely 70-year-old woman who become friends thanks to their local library. Tom is a young and shy teen whose life revolves around his Xbox. Maggie is a free-spirited woman who lives on a farm near town. Both use the library as their means of escape from their lives. I got sucked into the story and their adorable friendship. I want to be able to read this for the first time again.

Tom, a withdrawn unhappy boy who lost his mother when he was eight, lives with his alcoholic father who wants him to leave school and work in the dog food factory rather than go to uni. Maggie is a tough farmer in her seventies who lives alone and tries her best to keep her farm running. When the two meet in the local library they form an unlikely friendship that makes a big difference to both of their lives.

A lovely moving story of two lost people coming together in unlikely circumstances and helping each other out. Great characters and a book that I couldn't put down

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The story begins with 2 strangers trying to save a library together. It’s a story about 2 people whose paths would never have crossed but they are united in their quest to save the library. The relationship between them is so heartfelt and beautiful. This book was a joy to read, and, despite it being a work of fiction, shows how books can bring even the strangest of people together..

The two protagonists are 'invisible' teenager Tom, who suffers from the loss of his mother and has to deal with his alcoholic father, and ex-flower-child Maggie, now in her 70s and running a small farm with sheep and chicken all by herself. Not the most typical representative of their age group, they are still portrayed very authentic.

Tom and Maggie meet at the local library, which is for both the only place they don't feel lonely - and an unusual friendship ensues. One of their projects: saving the library from imminent closure.

I absolutely enjoyed this book and its poignant story. Life is not full of roses, and neither is this story. There are some serious topics tackled here, and sometimes it was nearly heartbreaking. But at the same time it is also quite uplifting, and just as Tom and Maggie both get a lot out of their mutual friendship so does the reader. And last but not least it is a declaration of love to reading books!

two very different people join together to save the village library. Tom is a teen who wants more in life than a job at the pet food factory and his dad can't understand . Maggie is a pensioner who lives alone and thinks she is happy with her life. Both visit the library to escape their home. When Tom saves Maggie from an incident she decides to help him with his problem, girls and his dad. What Maggie discovers is Tom is helping her more than she knows and can look at her past without guilt. Saving the local library is how they become friends but that is more of a side story. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I’ve never read anything by this author before and I was pleasantly surprised. A story of two people you’d never think had anything in common, Maggie is an elderly woman, living alone, spending her time on her property or at the library. Tom a young man, struggling with his relationship with his father, school, exams and everything that goes with being a teenager.
Their stories become intertwined and a bin quickly forms. She’s a mother figure, a grandma, a friend. He’s the son she wishes she had, a grandson and a companion. Follow their story, watch their relationship grow. Definitely recommend

The library is a delightful story of an unlikely friendship between a teenage boy and a retired woman. Tom's mother has died and he lives with his alcoholic father. His father thinks that getting a job at the dog food factory is a good future for Tom. Tom has higher aspirations and would like to go to college. Tom escapes to the library and starts reading romance novels. Maggie is a strong advocate for the library and notices Tom. A strong friendship develops between them to the point where he comes to live with her for a while. There is a threat to close the library and they band together in forming a group to save the library. Maggie has her own secrets in her life and Tom helps Maggie get past some issues in her past. This is a great story that i highly recommend.

Thanks to Aria & Aries and NetGalley for a digital advance reader copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

I'm a sucker for a save-the-library story, so when I saw this one I immediately wanted to read it. Of course, as is usually the case, the library is only a catalyst for the real story, which in this novel is the developing friendship between 16-year-old Tom and 72-year-old Maggie. The novel begins with two lonely people seemingly having nothing in common other than the library. But as Tom says when he thinks back to meeting Maggie: "A chance encounter at the library had changed so many things. I was now a proper bookworm. I’d loved all the books I’d been lost in and all the characters I’d shared ups and downs with but what I’d got most from the library was my friendship with Maggie. She’d taught me loads about life, about myself and how to fight for what I wanted. She was my hero."

The story alternates between Tom and Maggie's points of view, which gives us both perspectives and helps us to understand each of them. Both characters were likable and sympathetic. The novel is well-written and moves along as the plot develops - would the library be saved or be closed in a round of budget cuts? Would Tom graduate from high school and go to university or work in the dog food factory? Would Maggie...well, I'm not going to share any spoilers here but let me just say it's a heartwarming story.

In addition to the story, what I especially liked was the author's "message" about books and libraries, shared by Maggie: "This village library has always had a place in my heart. Books are such an underrated essential. Every book is a key that unlocks another world, leads us down the path of a different life and offers the chance to explore an unexpected adventure. Every one is a gift of either knowledge, entertainment, or pure escapism and goodness knows we all need that from time to time."

This is a charming, touching novel of friendship and families, forgiveness and healing, and books! I highly recommend it.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!
A friendship develops between a 70 year old and a 16 year old.
It’s delightful, heart breaking and wonderful.
I can’t wait for the next book by Bella Osborne.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a heartwarming book about two unlikely people that form a bond thanks to their local library. A charming contemporary fiction read, it warmed my heart.

This is a heartwarming, insightful exploration of friendship and its importance. Tom's life isn't easy. He copes by withdrawing into his introverted world. The library's attraction for Tom is for something more than its books. There he meets Maggie. She's not the teenage girl he seeks but an older lady who tries to keep busy and loves the community feel of the library. Maggie is an extrovert, hit hard by the inherent loneliness of old age. Both are needy, and both have something to give to each other and the community too.
This contemporary story told from both character viewpoints is humorous and poignant. The characters are believably created and relatable. The community spirit is uplifting, and the character development and self-realisation satisfying.

I received a copy of this book from Aria via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This book was so cute! I loved and adored it, it was such a good book. I def recommend it to my friends who love books about books!