When Jess Metcalf lost her job, she had almost nothing left. She had lost her grandmother, who had raised her. The library closed, shutting down her job along with all the other librarians’ jobs. She still had her home, the one she had moved into when she was 4 and her parents had died in a car accident. Now she’s alone. Her best friend Hannah moved to New Zealand to get married and have a baby. Jess has no family in town, no job, and no real reason to stay. So on an impulse, she puts her home up for sale and takes a road trip.

On the day that her house was going to be shown to potential buyers, Jess couldn’t stand to be there, so she decided to drive for a while. She was heading towards the ocean when she came across a traffic jam and took a quick turn to keep from sitting in the road for who-knows-how-long. She found herself in the small village of Middlemass, and that was where her car died.

As Jess looked around, she saw a duck pond, an old red telephone box, and an adorable cottage. She only got a couple of minutes to look at the cottage before getting yelled at by a man who needed to get past her car on the road. He helped her get it going again, not so much from kindness as irritation at her blocking his way, and Jess got back on the road. But she couldn’t get that cottage out of her head, and when she found out that there was a buyer interested in her house, she called and made an offer on the cottage.

It happened quickly and without a lot of forethought, so when Jess got everything packed up and moved, she found out that maybe the cottage wasn’t in the good shape she had originally thought. Mostly, it would just take work. Cleaning and painting inside, weeding and pruning in the garden. But it still has a lot of potential. And it’s hers. But she still has to figure out what to do with that old phone box out front.

It doesn’t take Jess long to meet up once again with the grumpy man who had helped her with her car. He’s named Aidan and he lives next door. He was the one who had sold her the cottage. It was where his grandfather had lived, and as Jess talks to him, she not only feels a attraction to him, she learns that she can’t just tear down the phone box. As part of the deed to the cottage, she is required to keep it and make it useful for the community. He suggests she go to the next council meeting to find out what they are expected her to do with it.

Jess has never been to a council meeting before, but when the four council members all arrive, they suggest Jess move to the table with them instead of sitting in the audience, as no one else comes to the meetings. They talk about possibilities for the phone box, and when the possibility of a library comes up, Jess grabs on to that. She has boxes and boxes of books she wasn’t sure what to do with, so it would be easy for her to stock, and her years as a librarian would help her keep it organized. It’s decided, and Aiden is volunteered to make the shelves.

As the spring and then summer goes by, Jess gets herself settled into the cottage. She unpacks and repaints. She cleans out the gardens and plants vegetables. She prunes back the roses and pulls down the overgrown vines. She scrubs the phone box and sets up the library, watching out her windows as people stop by and borrow books. Sometimes Jess offers a suggestion or offers a listening ear. She start to make friends. She meets Aidan’s 12-year-old daughter Maisie and talks to her about anime. She sees the community start to come back together after many years of their connections eroding. The little library is giving the community a place to gather again.

But as Jess is finding healing and happiness, she also feels like her joy could end at any minute. When her parents died, she went from happy to desolate in the blink of an eye, and she’s never been able to completely recover from that. And when she finds herself needing a job but not finding one close to her new cottage, when her flirtation with Aiden takes an unfortunate turn, when certain members of the community come after the library because of small town politics, Jess worries that her run of happiness is ending. Can Jess finally find a happy ending for her story, or will she be forced to give up her cottage and her phone box library?

Poppy Alexander’s The Littlest Library is a sweet, heart-warming story of finding a place for yourself after grief and loss. Jess’s story is healing as she creates a new life for herself in the small village, and the idea that even a small library can help bring a community together reminded me that hope is powerful and magic is possible.

I loved The Littlest Library. This has not been an easy year for me, on both a personal and a cultural level. I am tired and burned out and needing to read stories of healing and sweetness. This book was perfect for that. It was a breath of fresh air after breathing in smog, a vase of hand-cut roses on the table or a jar of homemade jam made from fresh fruit from a friend’s garden. It was just what I needed when I needed it, and I am grateful for that. If you’re needing a dose of hope and healing, I recommend The Littlest Library and maybe a fresh fruit trifle with a splash of Scotch in it to share with your closest friends.

Egalleys for The Littlest Library were provided by Avon Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.

So heartwarming and well written. I couldn't keep the smile off of my face while reading this!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Jess Metcalf’s tranquil life is suddenly in turmoil when her beloved grandmother passes away and she loses her job at the local library. Realizing she must start a new life, she packs her grandmother’s treasured book collection and moves to a small town in England. The small cottage leaves much to be desired, but Jess is determined to make it her home. The big question is what is she supposed to do with the tiny phone booth sitting in front of her house? She’s really surprised to learn she owns that too.

Jess misses her job as a librarian so much that she decides to make her grandmother’s book collection available to the community. She sets up the phone booth as England’s littlest library. She’s thrilled when she sees how receptive the small community is and everyone is borrowing books. The town seems to draw together over their new library.

Even her bad-tempered neighbor seems to be interested and she’s more than a little interested in him. The one downfall is that Jess needs a paying job and there are none available in this small town. Her new life might be over before she knows it.

This book oozes charm. What a sweet, heartwarming book! As a book lover, it warms my heart to see a town come together over books.

The characters are well developed. These are people you could cheer for and really care about as you read about their lives.

The romance is sweet and moves at a steady pace. It’s not overwhelming. It draws out all the emotions the characters are feeling and melts your heart.

I never read anything by this author before, but I’m impressed with this one and will be on the look out for any more books. Reading this left we with warm, fuzzy feelings A true “feel good” read. I enjoyed everything about it, even the adorable cover!










FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Sweet and heartwarming, THE LITTLEST LIBRARY has something for every reader seeking a tale with a dash of romance, book references, a small town with appealing characters and delightful gardens. It’s a list of the perfect components for a book that’s impossible to put down and charming as can be. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this one. It was cute and I love books about books. It felt very character driven and I like that. The detailed writing was phenomenal. I loved the love story in the background.

Such a warm and charming read! Loved following Jess's journey navigating with her grandmother's passing and building a life in a quaint village with just enough happening to keep things interesting. She's incredibly likable, and I'm a sucker for anything related to Little Free Libraries.

Along with the purchase of her new home, Jess comes to own a little red phone booth out in the front yard. In discussions with town council, she realizes it's an amazing opportunity to put her grandmother's books to use in the community, which no longer has a library. The Little phone box library quickly becomes a popular spot and, through it, we get to meet the lovely cast of characters in town.

And then there's Jess's neighbor, Aidan, and the undeniable connection between them. It's sweet to see the pull of their attraction while also contending with Aidan's ex, who is not subtle about wanting to be back with him. This part was a bit belabored but of course I couldn't keep from wanting them together.

Lovely and comfortable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon books for this advanced copy.

The Littlest Library by Poppy Alexander is a beautiful story about how one person - and her love of books - can change a whole village. When Jessica Metcalfe looses her librarian job a year after losing the grandmother who raised her, she takes her best friend’s advice and sees it as a chance for a fresh start. She places the home she grew up in for sale and takes a drive, only to have her car stall in front of a run-down cottage for sale in a quaint little village in the country. When her home sells that day with two weeks to move, Jess takes it as a sign and buys the cottage sight unseen, and starts on a grand adventure.

Full of books, friendship, remembering those that have been lost, and learning to move on, The Littlest Library will warm the heart.

☎️The Littlest Library is a very fun and quick read. I LOVE me some small town settings and this one is perfect. I want to go live there now 😂

📚I am such a sucker for anything to do with books in books I read LOL. While this is a lighter read, there are some great moments of depth and scatters of romance. This was the perfect break from the true crime and darker, gritty stories I have been invested in.

☎️Definitely grab this one if you want a sweet, fun and heartwarming read. Would make a great beach read too. I sincerely appreciate @netgalley for providing me with a review copy. All opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone.

Love The Littlest Library by Poppy Alexander. I finished this book portraying the magic of books in a blink!!

Jess Metcalfe feels the loss of her glamorous grandmother who raised her like it was yesterday. She puts up her g-ma’s home for sale, goes on a drive, and traffic causes her to take a turn into her new life path. That path leads her to get stuck in the middle of the road, see a picturesque house for sale with a phone booth phone in front, and meet grumpy yet helpful Aiden Foxworthy. Although she forgot to take the full tour of the house for sale, she finds out she needs to move soon and on a whim makes an offer for the picture perfect house. She picks up the keys to her new house and the seller turns out to be none other than the tree surgeon, her neighbor across the pond, hunky Aiden!

Books that hold the right messages for us come into our lives when we least expect it! That is what I have always believed and that is one of this book’s messages. This book not only contains a romantic interest, but love for books, small town community, and especially healing. Sometimes, healing is through books. I love that the village was able to heal from the messages Jess’s late grandmother wrote in the books! I love how Jess was able to help the village in many ways. I love her growth from a grieving introvert to a vital Middlemass villager!!

There is so much in this charming “little” book! If you enjoy reading about small towns, inspirational stories, making friends, annoyed neighbors, handsome neighbors, and book lovers to name a few, pick up this book!!

This was an entertaining, feel-good British romance set in small town England centering around the lives of one community after former librarian Jess Metcalf moves into a small cottage with a defunct telephone box that she turns into a Little Free Library.

Perfect for fans of Freya Sampson's Last chance library, this book will warm your heart and make you want to install your own LFL! I loved Jess and the way she shared her love of stories with the townspeople, getting to know a number of them who were struggling. There's also a gruff single father across the road who has a dyslexic daughter and he and Jess have a sweet romance. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Steam level: kissing only

Jess Metcalf is perfectly content with her quiet, predictable life. But we know the only thing about life is its unpredictability. When her beloved grandmother, who raised Jess for close to 30 years after her parents' deaths, passes away and she loses her job when the local library closes its doors, Jess' life is turned upside down and she starts to feel stuck. With a little nudge from her best friend, she decides it's time for a new beginning and buys a tiny cottage in the English countryside. To her surprise, Jess finds herself the new owner of a run-town telephone box at the edge of her property. Using the ten boxes of books her grandmother left behind, Jess decides to share the love and turn the phone box into the littlest library in England. It's not long before the books are exhanged from villager to villager, filling the town with conversations of plot and characters - the library might even work its magic to bring Jess' grumpy neighbor out of his shell. With every passing day, Jess is beginning to feel more at home in this tiny cottage in the tiny English community, but will she be able to fully make the leap and follow her heart wherever it leads?

Overall I found this to be an enjoyable read. The book starts off with Jess losing her way and unsure of what to do next, and when she's re-directed to a small town in the English country-side she comes across a tiny cottage for sale and, feeling adventurous, puts in an offer that same day. The cottage just happens to below to the grumpy neighbor who helped her car when it wouldn't start, and at a town-hall meeting Jess decides to pitch an idea to put a little library inside the abandoned phone box on the property, and fill it with her grandmother, Mimi's books. It's not long before all scores of people are popping by just to see what the library has to offer - mothers stopping by with their kids before school, sisters no longer on good terms but reading the same book, a husband who needs to learn when to put his family first, everyone is welcome to share the love of these books. It seems like Jess' arrival in town sparks other members of the community to pitch in and help out their struggling neighbors, like volunteer at the corner store to allow the owner to attend training to reopen the post office. Although Jess seems to be settling in nicely, she is still grieving for her grandmother, the only parental figure she's known since her parents died in a car accident when she was four. Through conversations with her neighbors, she learns that grief is more of a universal emotion than she thinks - almost everyone she talks to has felt the loss of something or someone, a loved one, a marriage, a mindset, a job, a way of life - and that no matter how put-together anyone seems on the outside no one truly has all the answers. Mimi has also left some annotations in some of her books, which provide a smile and some much-needed hope to those who use the library. What this story does best is showing the power of words, both spoken and written, how a community can come together to bring out the best in each other, and that there will always be a book waiting for you when you need it most.

I do also want to point out some things in the novel that I didn't quite enjoy. This book is full of pages and pages of descriptions, which works well when both Jess and the reader are getting acquainted with the town and her cottage, and everything that she'll need to do to fix it up. But sometimes, in instances where I felt excessive description was not inherently necessary, I found myself skimming until we came across more of Jess' internal dialogue or conversations with another character. I have to say I liked Aidan and Maisie (his daughter) as Jess' next-door neighbors, and the sort of grumpy-sunshine dynamic Aidan and Jess portrayed throughout most of the book, but I wasn't a huge fan of Aidan's ex-wife, Lucie, becoming a main antagonist and pretty much the sole reason he and Jess couldn't be together or even spend time bonding for a majority of the book. We get one odd interaction with Lucie, and then we're she's taking Aidan to court to fight for more custody of Maisie, presumably because she is jealous of Jess. And I didn't understand Aidan's comment that Maisie won't become an alcoholic like her mother, when almost every interaction Jess has with another woman from town is them drinking several glasses of some kind of alcohol. Lastly, I really don't know why Jess, as a librarian herself, constantly and consistently says that she thinks libraries and their systems are going to be obsolete soon, due to funding cuts and the digital age. In recent years we've seen library advancements to keep up with the growing technological boom, embracing digital archiving and being able to share books to a wider community through apps and online. So I was a little taken aback when Jess shares her thoughts, in the first chapter nonetheless.

In the end, I'd say the tagline sums up this novel to a tee - a heartwarming literary novel about a woman who turns an ordinary red phone box into the littlest library in England and brings together a struggling town. It's a story about loss, life, books, community, and coming together to bring out the best in each other. I'm glad I gave it a chance. *Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Avon and Harper Voyager, for the e-copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*

The Littlest Library by Poppy Alexander is a super cute and enjoyable slice of life novel. Jess Metcalf, the book's main character, is dealing with the death of the Grandmother that raised her, as well as losing her job as a librarian. In an effort to create some change in her life she sells her house and moves to a small out of the way village. I loved how the village Jess moves to really set the vibe of this book. It sounded so cozy and beautiful, full of picturesque houses and beautiful gardens. There is some romance in this book, which was very sweet, but I liked that it wasn’t at the forefront of the story because this book was really about taking a chance and starting fresh. The book has a great cast of supporting characters and they all felt really well fleshed out despite not being main characters and just creating the aura of a small close-knit town. This book was very relaxing and fun and would make a great beach or lazy day inside read!

If you are looking for a sweet heartwarming book to get you out of a reading slump, this might be just the book for you.

Jess bought a new-to-her house that comes with a red telephone box by the road It is up to her to make something of the telephone booth. As a librarian, she decides to take the books left to her by her beloved grandmother and make a library.

Did I mention that there is a cute guy that is great at home repairs/renovation?

Jess Metcalf's grandmother, who raised her, dies, and then Jess loses her job at the local library. So, Jess decides to sell the only home she has ever known and move... to a tiny run-down cottage in Middlemass, with a red phone booth sitting on the property. After she buys the cottage she discovers several things: the attic is infested with bats, her neighbor is grumpy and seems like he can't stand her for some reason, and everyone wants to know what she is going to do with the phone booth because apparently she can't get rid of it. So Jess discusses it with the town council and decides to turn the phone booth into a tiny library, since a library is something the town is sorely lacking. Using her own books along with her Gran's she fills the phone booth up and soon she has the villagers stopping by, reminiscing about books from their childhood, or books that they read years ago as an adult. Jess may have felt like she lost everything before, but she may have just carved out a whole new life for hersef here in Middlemass, and united the village to boot.
This charming, light-hearted tale is perfect for those like me who love books about books, libraries, and bookstores. This is the perfect book for when you just want something light to read. It is a book of second chances, meeting new friends, stepping outside your comfort zone, being afraid to start over, falling in love, losing someone you love. I loved Jess. She was plucky. She had every reason to just throw up her hands and walk away but she didn't give up. She was brave and smart and I wish I was just like her. I definitely recommend this one!

I was able to read an advanced copy of the book "The Littlest Library" by Poppy Alexander and all I can see is AMAZING!
This book is truly about soul searching and for the main character Jess that means making drastic changes to her life. After facing multiple losses in her life and loosing her job, a mediocre library position, Jess Metcalf does something that is so outside of her own comfort that she surprises herself; she picks up and leaves the only home she has ever known and moves into a worse-for-wear into an older cottage in a small town in the middle of nowhere.
But the surprises don’t stop with the move and soon Jess finds herself surrounded by new quirky friends, a love that must be denied and town politics. But somehow Jess finds a way to channel her love and desire of the written word into a way of giving back to a community with the only priceless items in her possession, the books left to her by her precious Mimi.
Fighting for her belief that books can heal, helping her friends find their true ways in life, all while trying to figure out the next stages of her life and whether she truly belongs, Jess must fight for what she wants in both love and life. Only then can she find the life she was truly meant to have.

-Slow burn
-Grumpy/Sunshine trope
-Small town romance

As someone who absolutely loves Little Free Libraries I knew I had to read this! I adored reading this, it was such a cute and cozy concept. Another thing I really enjoyed was the cover, I love seeing all the books in the library, it brings me joy. I really enjoyed the aspect of the main character Jess "starting over". I felt like it was relatable and gave me some inspiration for when I'm able to move to a new place. I adored Aidan and Maisie's father-daughter relationship. It was a nice heart warming, community focused read.

A heartwarming literary-themed novel about a woman who turns an ordinary red phone box into the littlest library in England and brings together a struggling town.

The writing style of this novel is very charming. While I loved the concept and the descriptions of the locations, I will admit I didn't connect with the main characters that much. In the second half of the book Poppy became especially pessimistic, which was offputting. I would recommend it if you want something easy to take you away from reality for a bit, but I won't be rereading this book. I give it 3/5 stars.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of The Littlest Library by Poppy Alexander. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing an ARC to review.

This is my first Poppy Alexander read and I have immediately added her Christmas novels to my list before I even set this one down! The Littlest Library is a delightfully cozy read that would be the perfect addition to anyone’s shelf at any time of year. If you’re looking for an atmospheric book about books and the power they have to bring a community together, look no further.

Poppy Alexander’s writing style is the right blend of descriptive and narrative, bringing life to the community of Middlemass. As someone who works in libraries and has seen the ridiculousness of the American job market for libraries, I related way too hard with Jess’s plight when she has to start looking for work after a few months of being able to just be a person. I feel like the ending gets tidied up way to quickly in my opinion, but that’s kind of how these stories are supposed to go, everything get’s wrapped up in a neat little bow at the end. This book is marketed as a romance, but honestly i wouldn’t call it that. While there is a bit of a romance in the novel, it’s more pining than anything else and takes such a backseat to the rest of the story that if it wasn’t there at all, it wouldn’t affect the story.

Overall, I really enjoyed this leisurely paced cozy read and if you’re looking for something to give you all of the happy feels, this is a great place to start.

This sounded like a really cute and light story and while it did hit those marks for the most part, unfortunately there was just something missing. I felt like the story was a little drawn out and at times could be overly descriptive to the point that I got a little bored. I'm going to chalk it up to a "it's-me-no-you" thing and I think the writing just wasn't a style I enjoy all that much.

The Littlest Library by Poppy Alexander is a delight. It made me want to journey to a small English village, fill an empty phone box with treasured books, sip gin and tonics with locals, and fall for the hunky, grumpy guy next door. That's not asking too much, is it? ;-)

This was my first book by Poppy Alexander. It won't be my last. Her scenic descriptions transported me to the rural village of Middlemass. Even though I've never visited England I could easily visualize the area in my mind's eye, from the twisty roads, to the bustling seashore, to the meadows of wildflowers, and more. The depictions of her characters were just as vivid. These were people who were interesting, people I wanted to get to know. Well, maybe not all of them but in this case a few rotten apples did not spoil the whole bunch.

This is Jess's story and I was with her the whole way. She's such an empathetic character. My heart ached for the hand life had dealt her but, oh, how I loved her kind and genuine heart. It was so rewarding to watch her evolve, to see the positive impact her actions had on the villagers, and, finally, share in the happiness and satisfaction she found herself. She's one of those characters you can't help but root for. Like Jess, I had a close, loving relationship with my late grandmother so it was especially poignant to read all the ways in which her grandmother continued to have a positive impact on Jess, and through her grandmother's beloved books, on others within the Middlemass community.

If you're looking for a feel-good story this summer, with quirky characters, heart-tugging emotion, humor, and hope, all set in the lovely British countryside, give this one a try.

*ARC received for fair and unbiased review