An unlikely friendship blooms when two lonely people get involved in trying to save their local library. Mostly light-hearted but also tackles some serious issues. It felt very realistic yet cosy and not over dramatic like soap operas. It also gave me a few book recommendations.

The Library by Bella Osborne is a heartwarming and uplifting tale that is a perfect fit for readers who adore stories about found family, friendship, and self-discovery, and will resonate with anyone who has ever found solace in the pages of a book or the warmth of a community.

A fun sweet read! Highly recommend.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my ARC.

I absolutely adored this book.

Tom and Maggie are from two completely different generations but the friendship they build is so wholesome and heartwarming. They are both going through very different things but they bring so much comfort, unknowingly, to each other and it's just so wonderful to see. Maggie is literally the old lady you want to be when you're older, and Tom is just the loveliest young man you'd ever want to meet. The fact that they come together because of something we all love - books, just makes this story even more special.

Honestly, I feel like I don't have to say too much here. It's just such a wonderful, beautiful, funny, wholesome, moving and heartwarming story. If you're looking for a book that will make you smile and warm you inside, then this is for you. 100% recommended by me!

As the biggest library lover, this book was sweet and perfect. I think if you liked The Reading List, you will also enjoy this book.

I love books set around a library or books in some way. I was a bit worried it would be too similar to The Reading List, but it wasn't and I ended up enjoying this book immensely.

This is such a heartwarming story. It is told from dual perspectives. I was instantly drawn to these characters. The characters are well developed. This book shows that friendship can come in any form.

I’m an absolute sucker for a book about books. Bookstores, book clubs, book sales—really, so long as it involves a book, I’m game. So when I saw Bella Osborne’s perfectly titled The Library, in which two strangers are drawn together by their local library, I suspected I was in for a treat.

Teenage Tom avoids a tumultuous home life by escaping to the library, always coming away with a bagful of romance novels. Pensioner Maggie lives a routine but lonely life. The most excitement she gets in her week is checking out the newest book club read. However, after their beloved library is threatened with closure, Tom and Maggie realize they might have something to offer both each other and the the wonderful institution that brought them together.

So a book about books building relationships? It’s as though this plot was crafted in a laboratory to tick all of my boxes. Maggie and Tom are such a fully realized, charming set of characters. Osborne writes from both points of view in alternating chapters, giving each of them distinctive, rich voices as they work on saving the library while struggling through personal issues. Tom’s mother has passed and his father is stumbling with his own demons, creating a massive distraction as Tom tries to finish school and figure out his future. Maggie has a painful past and plenty of secrets of her own, but offers up the maternal support Tom craves.

It’s this balance of hopeful optimism mixed with realistic drama that carries The Library. These are characters facing real problems, and sometimes they react strongly. These pages are wrinkled with pain. Yet they are never without hope. There’s a constant feeling that Maggie, Tom, the community, and ultimately the library itself can all pull together to save not just themselves, but each other.

With solid writing and beautiful characters, The Library is a touching read.

The Library is one of those amazingly heartwarming stories about an unlikely multigenerational friendship. I put this one off for a long time thinking I wouldn't like it, and boy was I wrong.

I adored both Tom and Maggie. Both are lonely at the beginning of the book and don't feel comfortable reaching out, but as they begin to bond through books, a beautiful friendship emerges.

The author does an amazing job of balancing heavy topics such as Tom's father's alcoholism with lighter comedic scenes, like chasing down an angry ram. Maggie's farm seemed absolutely idyllic, and I loved that Tom had things to teach Maggie instead of all the knowledge flowing one way.

This book was unexpectedly fantastic, and I'm sorry I didn't pick it up sooner.

As a reader of course the title grabs you. So I picked it to read. I throughly enjoyed the book even if it dragged in areas. There are many relationships to sort out by all characters. Boy and dad, boy and girl, elderly lady and boy, community and library. Glad I read the book, since I find Bella Osborne is a hit or miss on her books. This is a hit.

Honestly it took me a little bit to get into this book. But once that connection happened, it was read quickly. Tom and Maggie were two characters that I would have not pictured together. But it all comes together into a well done story.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

Tom and Maggie are unexpected friends - their fifty year age difference would usually have kept them in separate spheres. But after a chance event at a library book club meeting, Maggie becomes a sort of surrogate parental figure in Tom's life, as they both grieve losses in their lives. The fight to save their local library become almost a secondary plot in this story about finding love and support in unusual places. A perfect read for someone that needs a uplifting, quick read.

Firstly, I would like to thank Netgalley & Aria & Aries for the opportunity to receive a complimentary copy of The Library by Bella Osborne. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own, and I also want to apologize for reviewing the book after its publication date.
Books about books, libraries, and bookstores are always fun for bibliophiles. Before you pick up this book, please check for trigger warnings because the plot deals with heavy issues, such as grief, loss, alcoholism, and trust.
At the same time, it is a book about finding yourself, believing in yourself, and doing good for others without expecting anything back.
Even though the main plot is about saving the library from closing, when everyone believes it is only a building you borrow and return books, it is much more than that (we bibliophiles now).
Tom & Maggie, our main characters, are realistic, relatable, and you are connected with them. You want to fight and conquer their obstacles. Usually, you don't see books where the friendship between the two main characters has such a big difference. Seventy years old Maggie has the strength to give hope to sixteen years old Tom and help him with his next level of life. Their bond is strong, and by the end of the book, one helps the other to connect with the family member that the connection for some other reason got lost.
The library made me smile once I closed the last page; I am sure I will read Bella Osborne's other works, old and new.

A fun romance involving book lovers and books, of course. They are thrown together to help a library and maybe themselves in the process.

This book was sent to me by Netgalley electronically for review…a teenage boy and an older woman get together to keep the library from closing…the boy is angry with his father and is facing a future he does not love…the woman loses herself in the novels in the library…it has become Important to both of them…an unlikely friendship…library…saving it…books for pleasure and necessity…good read…

This book shows the importance of a public library and the community and friendships it supports.

The main characters are Tom, a 16 year old boy who’s home life is on a fast spiral downwards due to his father’s struggle with alcoholism and debt; and Maggie, an independent 72 year old widow who lives on a small holding. Tom and Maggie’s friendship grows when Maggie takes this young boy under her wing, offering him the support and love that he doesn’t seem to get from his father.

This is a really sweet book, with really likeable characters. I felt invested in their lives and was cheerleading for their happy ever afters.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review

A brilliant read and one I really enjoyed. A heartwarming, relaxing read. The characters are loveable and varied, the plot is one that is engaging and medium paced. I found myself completely drawn into the story and enjoyed the writing style.

My review:⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Library by Bella Osborne is about 2 people who don't have much in common. 1 is a teenage boy, and the other is a pensioner. They discover they both love books, and when the library which has helped them so much is threatened with closure, they need to work out how to stop it!

This is a feel good story, with interactions between the characters that warm the soul. I enjoyed the storyline, and was cheering them on!

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Aria and Aries.

Lovely relationship between Maggie a 72 year old widow and a 16 year old boy. Really loved how beautiful and sweet this book was inspite of it having to handle heavy topics. Would recommend it to most people.

The Library by Bella Osborne

Two things I love most in books- a intergenerational friendship and a story about books. I really enjoyed the ways that both Tom and Maggie encouraged and brought out the best in each other. And in the midst of it all, they band together to save an essential community space- The library! What's not to love?! I must say, I did find parts of the book awkward/uncomfortable, but that was important to witness the growth of Tom. I also found the book to be unnecessarily long. Overall, this was an enjoyable book about books I'd recommend to all.