This is a cute book about the unexpected, but life changing relationship formed between a 16 year old boy and a woman in her 70s. Their relationship takes off because of their shared love of the local library and their fight to save it, but it turns out to be so much more for both of them.
I won't lie, at first I was a bit weary and felt unsure about the relationship between the 2. Mainly because of the lack of parental involvement, which I know was circumstantial, but I kept asking myself if the roles were reversed and it was a teenage girl and elderly man, would everyone be ok with it? Not so sure. I know that's a pretty crappy thing to have to say but it's the reality of our times.
However once the story and the characters backstories unfolded a bit more I could see how the two were mutually helping each other through a lonely time in their lives. The two main characters pulled at my heart strings, each for their own reasons and I was glad they had found each other.
I give this book a solid 3.5 starts, rounded up to 4 for Goodreads! I enjoyed reading it!

What a wonderful book this was. Another brilliant read from Bell Osbourne. I loved it so much. Although the title suggests that it’s all about a library, that is not just this story it is also about relationships, and the angst of school exams. This was such a sweet story and I loved every page. You’re always guaranteed a good read from this author and this one was just as good. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

What is your first memory of the library? For me it was growing up in a small town in Texas and begging my mom to go and get books. From a young age I struggled with reading out loud but I could always read, my brain was just faster than I could talk. Does that make since?

Well, since then the library has always held a special place for me. So when I saw the book, The Library by Bella Osborne available I knew I had to read it.

This book I told by Maggie, an older hippie with a past that has left her kinder and wiser, and by Tom a young teen who is struggling with his home life and searching desperately for his place in the world.

Through the book they form a bond that will last a lifetime and it was truly a wonderful read. I don’t want to spoil the book but the ending truly made me smile.

Thank you for my arc @netgalley and @bellaosborne.

The book features Maggie a pensioner and Tom a Teenage lad. Both stuck in unhappy home circumstances and use the library as an escape. An unlikely friendship forms and when the library is faced with closure. Time for them to work together on a plan.

I love how the chapters alternate between Maggie and Tom. It is lovely to read and see their friendship form.

Bella Osborne has done it again with her characters and her writing.
✏️✏️✏️✏️✏️

I was provided a free copy of this by @netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
The story revolves around two very different characters (a 16 year old boy and a 72 year old woman) who form an unlikely friendship, teach each other a lot, and use their different gifts to help save their local library! But it's also a book about some big life difficulties as well; addiction, mourning, and bullying.
This one took me a bit of time to get into. It started slow, but looking back that seemed realistic to the situation. A friendship, especially between these unlikely people, takes time to develop. But as the story and their relationship developed, as I learned more about their struggles, I got more and more invested and was excited to find out how it was going to develop.
It was an interesting, fun story that I would recommend to any bibliophile!
It is scheduled to be released on Thursday, 2 Sep 21, so keep an eye out for it!
#TheLibrary #NetGalley

The Library by Bella Osborne is a heart warming tale with an unlikely friendship at its core.
Teenager Tom is struggling at home and at school. His dad is drinking more and the bills are starting to pile up. His school results are not great, so his escape plan of getting to go to University is looking less likely, and a future working in the local factory alongside his dad is looming on the horizon. In an attempt to get some peace from his dads drunken moods he decides to try studying in the local library. (The fact that he is studying what women want by reading romance novels in an attempt to get the attention of his fellow student Farah is something that made me giggle)
Maggie is an elderly farmer in her seventies. She lives alone on her small farm and her only real social outlet is the weekly meeting of the local book club at the library. When she is almost mugged on her way home from one meeting , Tom comes to her aid and the pair spark up an unlikely but wonderful friendship which is cemented when the library is threatened with closure and they decide to mount a campaign to save it.
This is the perfect comfort read to curl up with on a wet afternoon. It is filled with wonderful characters and there are some hilariously funny moments scattered throughout. The depiction of alcoholism is very real, and there are certainly some very dark moments too, but the overall message is one of hope and redemption. I really loved both Tom and Maggie as characters , and loved how the friendship between them developed. For a book where a library plays such an important part in the story it was great to see the characters recommending books to each other, discussing them and finding comfort in them.
Overall this is wonderfully warm and hopeful book and one that I enjoyed immensely.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own .

An absolutely superb read – touching, tender and so very true-to-life!

Tom is a bit of a loner; it’s just him and his Dad and they struggle through week to week. The height of his father’s ambitions for his is to secure a job in the dog food factory but Tom has other ideas. Seeking sanctuary in the library after a row over his future, Tom ends up in the library with a bag of romance books which piques the interest of Maggie, there for her weekly book club meeting. Maggie keeps busy and tries not to class herself as lonely. When Tom comes to her rescue, an unlikely friendship begins.

This is a truly lovely tale, but there is more than a bit of truth between the pages. Tom’s life is more common than we would like to think and Maggie – like a lot of the elderly – hides her loneliness as she doesn’t want to be seen as a burden. The tentative relationship between these two is a joy to behold; both have something to give in return to what they take from their closeness. It’s not all plain sailing though, and Bella Osborne has wonderful insights into both ends of the age spectrum and everything inbetween. With a hint of social commentary, this is a beautifully written and very enjoyable novel – and one I enjoyed very much. An absolute delight to read and one I’m happy to highly recommend and give all five sparkling stars!

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is – as always – my honest, original and unbiased review.

“Like the rest of you, I always thought the library would be here. I never expected it to be under threat. It’s a stark reminder to not take anything in life for granted. You only properly start fighting for something when you realise you’re going to lose it.”

The Library is a novel by British author, Bella Osborne. Compton Mallow’s village library is many things to many people: for seventy-two-year-old Maggie, it represents a break from Providence Farm, some social interaction with her book club and a chance to read the papers; for sixteen-year-old Thomas Harris, it’s quiet place to study and revise for his GCSEs, and a source of the romance novels he hopes will teach him how to attract a certain girl.

While it’s inevitable that they notice each other, it’s not until Maggie punches Tom on the nose that they get to know one another better. Maggie is quickly impressed with this introverted young man, finding his company refreshing. While she is mostly self-sufficient at the farm, when she asks for help, Tom readily agrees, especially as a roast dinner is on offer. His dad’s cooking could never come close and, while not prepared to openly admit it, Tom is surprised at the rapport he has with this witty old lady.

When he encounters that certain girl in the library, he manages to chat about books without being wholly overcome by the embarrassment that usually plagues him. Later, they learn that the library is under threat of closure and, together with Maggie’s book group and other library patrons, they vow to fight the council’s short-sighted plan.

Meanwhile, Maggie calls on Tom’s assistance more often, glad that he is both willing and interested in farm work, and she’s happy to have someone else to cook for. They open up more to one another, and Maggie has sound advice about study and further education. On the farm, Tom finds himself involved in tasks he could never have anticipated, and enthralled by newborn animals.

When Tom phones Maggie in a panic one night, she does not hesitate to come to his aid, and their relationship enters a new phase. But Maggie has not been entirely honest about her past, a past that Tom’s continued presence has her reaching out for, with unfortunate consequences.

What a wonderful cast of characters Osborne gives the reader: appealing for all their very human flaws, growing and changing with the challenges they face. And there are quite a few: alcoholism, loneliness, grief, guilt, social isolation and low self-esteem. It’s lovely to see Tom and Maggie ultimately fighting for the library that brought them together when they most needed to meet. This is a delightfully funny, heart-warming feel-good story with a satisfying happy ending.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Aria & Aries

📚Lonely lives 👥changed by an atypical friendship: heartwarming😍

The Library is a beautiful story, built around a community's efforts to save their little library from local government budget cuts. But the library's iffy future is really just the spark that brings the main characters in regular contact and their growing bond is the real heart of this book.

Thomas and Maggie, with over half a century of an age gap between them, seem an unlikely pairing. From their first unexpected encounter, I was hooked by their developing friendship. Both are in need of someone and quickly recognize an adventurous, book-loving kindred spirit in the other. I loved Tom's vulnerability and Maggie's strength and empathy. And Tom's last, kind act at the book's end: s-o-o touching and a lovely, perfect ending for a superb novel.

I just discovered Bella Osborne's writing in 2021 and I must say she has won me over as a huge fan. With warmth and great characters going through realistic life challenges, her stories pull me in and leave me with a satisfied sigh.

Thanks to Aria publishers and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

This is a lovely feel good story about 16 year old Tom and Maggie, a woman in her 70s. Both are lonely and circumstances throw them into an unlikely friendship. Together, they, and other townspeople work together to save their local library from being closed down and they help each other to be less lonely and to get past some of the tragic events in their lives.

The Library is a story about two unlikely friends who rally their community to save the one thing that brought them together, the library. After a fight with his dad, Tom seeks out the one place he could think of to find comfort and a connection to his late mom, the local library. Maggie attends book club at the local library every Saturday and it’s the only time she has any real interaction with other people. While walking to the bus stop after her library visit, Maggie is mugged and Tom tries to step in and help. This encounter is the beginning of a wonderful friendship formed between Maggie and Tom. Like all friendships, Maggie and Tom’s is not without its hurdles and difficulties.

This book is so well written. The story is told in dual POVs alternating between Tom and Maggie. The library provided a safe haven for Tom and Maggie from their respected struggles as well as opening the door to new possibilities and friendships. The support Tom and Maggie provided to each other is so important and I loved that regardless of their age it provides that sharing a common interest (or even struggle) can bring people together. I also loved all the book recommendations throughout the book and have added some to my growing tbr because of it!

Thank you @netgalley and @ariafiction for this eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Tom and Maggie’s stories couldn’t be more different- him an awkward 16 year old and her a stubborn and independent 72 year old- but the library manages to bring them together. This story is a wonderful reminder of how books and the book loving community can rally together and fight for what’s worth saving including individuals.
I loved both the characters of Tom and Maggie and felt that every needs a Maggie in their lives.
This heartwarming story reminded me of visits to my childhood library every week including staying for story time and was a wonderful way of recalling those beautiful memories.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this new novel.

There was no hook in the beginning and the pace was way too slow. When I read a book I want a reason to continue to read but here I got no one. It just wasn't interesting enough. Sorry!

Heartwarming story about what it's like to be lonely and a community library bringing people together. Feel good story!

Thank you Netgalley for a gifted copy of this book.

OMG I was hooked on this book from the start, the characters are sox well written and you feel everything with them, loved the way the chapters switched fromTom to Maggie, I didn’t want this book to end I am really hoping we visit them again, I feel there was so much more to tell , 5 stars without any hesitation

This is my first boom by Bella Osborne but it won’t be my last!

This book is a real gem! Beautiful characters and a wonderful stoy. The Library is the book you must read this year, a gorgeous treat that will stay with you for a while. Absolutely recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I hadn't read any any books by Bella Osborn before but thought I couldn't turn one down about libraries!
The author has combined romance, friendship and a campaign to save a local library into a good read.
Tom a 16 year old school boy and Maggie, a older lady living on her own, are too lonely people who meet by chance through their local library. Both have issues to deal with, Tom, an alcoholic father and Maggie, choices made in her past which are still affecting her present. As they become friends a new world of opportunities opens up to them and they find the strength and confidence to deal with their problems as well as uniting to fight the closure of their local library.

A really good read which will appeal to a range of people. I really liked the fact that Tom used romance books to get an understanding of how to talk to teenage girls.....!

It is great to see that the author believes in reading and libraries to have a transformative affect on lives of people and communities.

I've read a number of Bella Osborne books and loved them.

This is a bit of a different theme for Bella and what a wonderful book it is.

Themes of cross-generation friendship, redemption and much more - all wrapped around the story of a local community library.

Heartwarming and highly recommended.

The Library - Bella Osborne

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Aria & Aries and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Tom is invisible. He happily blends into the background of life. But Farah Shah changes everything. Farah makes Tom want to stand up and be seen – at least by her. So Tom quickly decides the best way to learn about women is to delve into romance novels, and he finds himself at the village library where he befriends 72-year-old Maggie.

Maggie has been happily alone for ten years, at least this is what she tells herself. When Tom comes to her rescue after a library meeting, never did she imagine a friendship that could change her life. As Maggie helps Tom navigate the best way to ask out Farrah, Tom helps Maggie realize the mistakes of her past won't define her future.

This is a reflection on the current threat to public libraries. It is such a lovely story showing how friendship can be found even in the most unexpected places. Bella has managed to write a heart-warming novel that effortlessly balances heavy topics and humour.

I have read a few of Bella's books and this one, once again shows why she is a must read for me! There are some fantastic characters, a well-written plot and overall a very enjoyable novel.

Rating 4/5

I loved this heartwarmingly brilliant book. I absolutely loved the serendipitous meeting between Maggie and Tom.

Tom is not a typical teenager and he has been through so much in his short life. His dad struggles with some day to day situations and when Tom visits the library things begin to change for him.

Maggie is a 70 something lady who has had her fair share of stresses in her life but meeting Tom in the library one day helps her no end.

The friendship that they develop is so special and the hope for the library to remain open is looking better. Fabulous book and its something relatable because of our Libraries at the moment, needing all the help we can give.