This is a charming tale of a small village in the UK that flourishes after a new resident named Jess moves into a crumbling old cottage with a red telephone box out front. Jess, a librarian, who has recently lost her grandmother (who happened to also be her roommate, sole family member, and best friend) has also lost her job as a librarian in Bouron-on-the-Marsh where she grew up and lived with Mimi. Luckily for her, she stumbled upon an old cottage for sale in the English countryside, in a small village called Middlemass. Unsure what to do with the red telephone box in her front yard, Jess attends a town meeting; and soon finds herself the proud owner of the littlest library in England. Soon Jess's books (which were all handed down from Mimi) and Jess begin to work their magic in Middlemass, bringing grumpy neighbors, like handsome single father Aiden next door, out of their shells and forging unlikely friendships with other singles in the village. Not only do Jess and her little telephone box library help a struggling village, but she soon begins to feel like Middlemass is home and a chance to change her life for the better. A quick read full of English charm and witty characters; this one will fill your heart with joy for sure!

If you are looking for a sweet and heartfelt story to bring a smile to your face, look no further than "The Littlest Library." It's full of charm and literary love and is sure to be a pleasant break from the bleakness of the world.

This was a fun, quick read. I will say, the petitions sort of annoyed me. Why did it take so long to get to the resolution? I did enjoy reading about Jess and her really becoming her true self. Overall, I liked this book and would recommend it others.

I was gifted an advanced copy by the HarperColins and NetGalley to read and review honestly and voluntarily.

A sticky sweet romance. It has exactly what we wish for...a cottage and books. Overall fine, but a little dull at times. Everything worked out so easily, but I'm not happy she will be working so hard for so little money. Are librarians worth so little? ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

This book has great ideas and sweet characters. It follows Jess as she begins a new life away from everything she has ever known and been comfortable with. In that respect, I found this book to be quite relatable. Additionally, I thought it was creative to use an old phone booth as a mini-library.

However, the majority of this fell short for me, and, sadly, I had to DNF this one. When I first read the plot and saw the book cover, I was intrigued by the idea. Unfortunately, the story moves slowly and just seems to fall flat. Additionally, there was not enough conflict to keep me interested. I truly wanted to enjoy this one!

What a fun book! When her grandmother passes and she loses her job, Jess purchases a cottage in a new town on a whim. What follows is a delightful journey to creating a new life in the wake of personal trauma. This was a thoroughly wonderful book! Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC!

This was a very sweet story - part romance, part women’s fiction, part starting over story…the setting of a quiet English village was perfect for telling the tale of Jess and her new beginnings, with PG romance and language. Very enjoyable and I absolutely loved the part the little library had to do with the characters and storyline.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC of The Littlest Library in exchange for an honest review!

This is one of the best simplest little books I’ve read in a long time! I was completely transported to the village of Middlemass, and found myself dreaming of stealing Jess’ new life from her for myself. Jess was a charming protagonist, but the best part of the book was the wide and varied cast of supporting characters. I wanted nothing more than to talk to and observe all of them. I thought the romance between Jess and Aidan was excellently written, though it took the first third of the book for me to be fully invested in it. I appreciated that it was central to the plot, but not the only point of the plot. Jess spent just as much time with all the other characters, including Aidan’s daughter Maisie, as she did with Aidan himself.

Overall, a very well rounded and lovely story that made me reminisce on why I love books and stories so much. Would recommend to any book lover who enjoys a well paced enchanting novel!

4.5 stars!

2.5 stars
There wasn’t really any aspect of this story that was pushing me to finish it. It wasn’t bad, just uneventful.
It was a beautiful story about Jess discovering who she is on her own, but nothing crazy exciting.
I wanted to smack almost every character in this story at some point.
A touch of romance that left me hanging- barely gave anything.
Adorable idea about a phone box library. Not too much more than it’s creation.
Great appreciation for books.

Just meh.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this digital ARC.

I love little libraries. They’re tiny and charming and I wish I had one of my own! That is what inspired this read of The Littlest Library by Poppy Alexander. I couldn’t resist the premise of a library inside an old red phone box.

I got everything I expected out of this book: an idyllic setting, quirky characters, and a reflection of my love of books. It was just what I needed when I went in search of a quick read.

The story follows Jess, a single woman who has recently lost her grandmother. She needs a change and—rather impulsively—makes one. She buys a cottage in a village and gets an old telephone box thrown into the bargain. The box belongs to the village, though it’s on Jess’s new property, so she is left to find a good use for it that will help the community.

As Jess gets settled in her new home in the village, and as she establishes her own little library in the phone box, it is the books that help bring the community together. And, of course, it is the books that help Jess find a solution to some of her own problems as well.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really tried to like this book, but I had a hard time getting into it.

Being a fan of literary-themed novels and being a lover of romance, I thought this book would fit right in with my reading tastes. Unfortunately, that was not the case. After the first chapter I realized I strongly disliked the writing style. The unnecessary and repetitive use of adjectives got old, and I found it difficult to connect with our main character (or any character for that matter). Though I found some scenes wholesome, the story as a whole left me feeling underwhelmed.

2.5/5

I absolutely love the cover and concept of The Littlest Library. The cover first grabbed my attention, and I knew I had to read this book. Especially since I had opened my own little library this year. I was excited and couldn't wait to read this one.

Unfortunately, it did not live up to my expectations. The story was slow and very description driven (which I hate and find boring). The concept of the story was underdeveloped. The details of the conflict between Aidan and Lucie were overdeveloped. There were a few subplots that were completely unnecessary and contributed to my dissatisfaction with the book. The book also felt quite heavy. Jess was negative in quite a few parts and it just got old. I found it hard to connect with any of the characters.

I did enjoy Jess opening the library and her care of it every day. I also enjoyed the way it changed the village and wished mine had the same results, bringing people closer together. I also appreciated the way the library gave Jess back a sense of purpose.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. I was not required to provide a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Loved the cover of this book and the premise sounded good. However I thought the pace was a little slow at times. I found rhe ending very unfulfilling as it seemed extremely rushed and sudden.

The idea of this book peaked my interest but the story itself fell short. The writing comes across like the author was trying too hard and was getting British terms off the internet from multiple time periods and putting them all in a modern story. I did not find Jess a relatable or enjoyable MC. She is a book nerd in the most boring of ways. Which is coming from someone who loves books and talking to other people who love books.

Jess Metcalf moves to Middlemass and starts a little library in a red phone booth. This library manages to bring the community together. She is able to share the precious books Mimi left for her and make friends, find happiness and love. It is such a beautiful and heartfelt story.

If I didn't already have one this book would get me to put up a little library as the impact it made to the community.

I was so so excited to read this story and fell in love with the cover! I didn't know what to really expect when I started reading, but the story was absolutely charming and admired Jess's drive to connect and be a part of something. Thank you to publisher, Avon and Harper Voyager for an eARC of this novel.

Poppy Alexander has written about the perfect library in The Littlest Library. It would be a pleasure to visit both the library and the little village that welcomed it.

Since I love anything to do with books, I was intrigued by a library in a phone booth. And the struggle of uprooting one's life and starting over is certainly a relatable topic for many. Throw in the English setting, and I was hooked! Descriptions are vibrant and make the reader feel a part of the story. There are a lot of characters, and that can be a bit confusing at times. There are a few subplots that seem a bit unnecessary. The pace slows a bit as the story goes on, but other than that, I enjoyed the story.

The Littlest Library is a gem of a book. I was so thrilled to receive an ARC of this book from Avon books and NetGalley.

Jess Metcalf has not had an easy six months. Her beloved grandma, Mimi, has passed away after a battle with cancer. Mimi was Jess' entire world after Jess' parents were filled in an auto accident when Jess was four years old. On top of the grief, Jess was let go from her job at a library. Selling the house that she grew up in with Mimi, Jess sets out with no real plan.

Jess buys a worn down house in a small storybook town and searches for her place in a community.

Poppy Alexander has written a lovely cast of characters that show what a true community can be. This is a sweet story that is a balm for my weary soul. Poppy Alexander is a pro describing people and scenes to the point I felt like I was right there.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts & opinions are my own.