Just finished a lovely heart warming book. The characters felt so real and I think we all know an Alfie, Harry or Pete. All book lovers will appreciate the idea of the library being the hub of the community. I think the book represents and illustrates how libraries have had to change and adapt to a new world of technology and find alternative ways to increase their membership. The writer in a very non confrontational way also highlights how people we meet everyday can be mistreated and ignored in society. If you like an easy feel good read you will enjoy this book.

This was very sweetly told and I enjoyed it. Perfect cosy story of a collection of people seeking understanding and finding friendship. Thought the message of listening to other peoples stories was nicely explored.

Absolutely delightful story, start to finish. I enjoyed every minute of it. It was cozy and sweet and easy to read. I was surprised by how fast I moved through it. I will definitely be putting Rebeca Raisin on my comfort reading list for future escapist reading needs.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read this ARC

Free courtesy of netgalley

Wow I loved this book and have spent the last 24 hours avoiding housework so I could read it. It flowed lovely and I got immersed in the story, I want to meet the human books and listen to their story.

Elodie/Ellie is the daughter of the CEO of a media empire, her mother has her life all planned out for her, but it's not what she wants. Her dream is to work in a library and live a simple life, but it's not what is planned for her, she will one day take over the company like it or not.

When Elodie sees an advert for a librarian in a struggling library, she knows this is where she wants to be. So she applies for the job, packs up her stuff and disappears, leaving her brother to make up a story for her parents, until she can prove she doesn't need their name or money to manage.

She then meets the outsiders of the village she has moved to and sets about saving them as well as the library.

The characters are charming and believable. I want to be their friend and it shows how loneliness can affect your life. I would recommend this book to anyone who lives a good story that's not too heavy to read

I do like Rebecca Raisin's books. This one was a delight, a very charming story about Elodie, who 'escapes' from a welathy business family to shore up a failing Public Library. the ideas she has are imaginative, and I'm not sure how they would work in real life, but they made the story evocative and delightful. Her relationships with less able people were very warming.
Thanks to NetGalley for a review copy which I much enjoyed.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review.

I have read some of Rebecca Raisin's books in the past and enjoyed them and while this one is no exception, I didn't enjoy all of it - I found it a little difficult to get in to at first and didn't really gel with any of the characters, however as the story evolved more I found it a lot more interesting.

Will Elodie save the library? You'll need to read to find out. A light, easy and summery read.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4
Elodies Library of second chances is a sweet, heartwarming story with a number of lovable quirky characters that come together in an attempt to save a small town library and along the way the community. There is no earth shattering action here, but we see our characters slowly change and grow and learn not to judge a book by its cover. There is a very slight romance component in the story, but mostly a small town story about people trying to learn from their mistakes and a nice example of found family. If you enjoy quiet, heartwarming novels Then You should give this one a try.

Thanks to HQ and Net Galley for an advance copy of this for an unbiased review.

The idea of 'never judge a book by it's cover' was a good starting point for a feel good story, especially as it is set in a 'gossipy' village. An easy read but without a particularly stand out plot.
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for the advance copy of this book

Elodie’s Library of Second by Rebecca Raisin, is a story about stories. Elodie Halifax has just taken a job as librarian in Willow Grove, putting distance between herself and her families media empire. The Willow Grove library is struggling and without new members, won’t survive. Elodie upon arrival meets some of the town’s more unique personalities, the ones who often get ignored and she comes up with the brilliant idea to attract more people to the library if they could “borrow” a person and learn more about the lives of the people who are often overlooked. As we come to find out, learning people’s stories and motivations becomes an equalizer and a creator of community. Overall, a sweet read.

Thank you to NetGalley, HQ and the author for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have read and enjoyed other Rebecca Raisin books and this did not disappoint. I wasn’t sure about Elodie at first but then I realised how unhappy she was being the face off her parents multi billion pound business, with a mother who never listened and who had her whole future mapped out. Elodie loves books and has a degree in being a librarian and that’s where her heart lies , so when an advert pops up for a librarian to save a run down library she applies and gets the job. Elodie changes her appearance to try and ensure nobody connects her to her family firm, she wants to make this a success on her own.

I couldn’t put this book down and loved the supporting characters who all had their stories to tell. I fell in love with Elodie when she showed kindness to Harry, the man sleeping rough and then we met Alfie who was autistic and just wanted a friend . Sophie was a great cook and Finn was the one man band reporter who was a friend to everyone. A great book that could teach us all not to judge a book by it’s cover

This was an absolute delight of a book. Likeable characters, even those who weren’t so likeable had their reasons. Yes it’s a little bit twee in places and it isn’t fast paced - I read this over days rather than in one sitting - but sometimes we all need to slow down and read something purely for the feel good factor rather than the thrills.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.

Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for a non biased review. Elodie is bored with being forced to take over the family business. Her domineering Mother constantly pushes her to attend meetings and interviews to promote their Company which Elodie has no interest in. She loves reading books and they provide escapism for her. It is her greatest wish to step out of the Limelight and become a Librarian. One day she sees an advertisment for her ideal job in a small village near where she went to school. The library is in disrepair and lacks money greatly neded to warrant it remaining open. She applies and is give a few months to obtain a further 500 members to be able to apply for further funding for new books, computers and staff. She has lovely ideas to promote a community relationship to meet her goals within the alloted time. A really ineresting read with friendships,family, deceit, romance and misfortune. I would highly recommend this book.

Elodie’s Library of Second Chances by Rebecca Raisin is a light easy read about a young woman Elodie from a wealthy background, who wants to use her librarian qualifications to help rescue a library in financial difficulties. her mother though wants her to run their family business.
The storyline is about her fresh ideas to get more members enrolled and to create a human library was genius, particularly when each person wanted to tell their story.
Highly recommended

Elodie Halifax applies for a job as librarian in a sleepy town called Willow Grove. Her cv doesn't state the whole truth such as her parents have built a publishing empire and had planned to appoint her as future CEO but it wasn't what she wanted. So Elodie moves away when offered the job bt it comes with obstacles such as she needs to get over 500 members for the library otherwise it will be closed down. Can Elodie be up for the challenges that Willow Grove offers.
I enjoyed reading this book the characters come to life and their problems were everyday ones especially if you have grown up in a small town. The story gives you the feel good factor and you keep turning the pages until the end.

Oh my goodness this is a difficult one to review - as I’ve been reading my thoughts on this story have changed more than once!

Ellie - rich girl, rich parents, the face of the huge family company she’s destined to take over - except what she really wants is to be a librarian. So she ups and leaves everything to save a small town library and, in the process, change the short-sighted preconceived ideas some of the locals have about others.

I have to say, despite there being a grittier message about stereotypes and not being too quick to judge people (or ‘judge a book by it’s cover’), I found it a little twee in places (which ironically is a bit like the cover!), and half way through I was sadly bored. It was telling that when my Kindle failed at the start of a five-day holiday I didn’t miss it!

The main character Elodie is just a little too good to be true - her only area of conflict being that she is lying about her background - and I found I had difficulty picturing her. That said I did like many of the other characters (Finn, Harry, Alfie and Sophia) who were more rounded and easier to imagine, probably because they were more flawed by nature of the story.

However, the last third had me reaching for the book eagerly again and I did like the stories of the ‘human books’ - especially Harry’s which was so sad, and Alfie’s which was familiar - and the heartwarming realisation of the ‘readers’. The end, was predictable but right for this genre, and I did have a lump in my throat at the finish.

Overall this is an easy summer read and a nice story, with a strong moral theme throughout - but maybe it’s the ‘nice’ that was a little overdone for me.

I gave this book 3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to NetGalley and HQ Digital for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a sweet story of redemption, for people and of course books. I did enjoy reading it, the story flowed well and the characters were varied and well written. I loved the idea of it, though I felt it could have had a little more depth at times, as some of the issues covered were important and the relationships fell into place a little too easily, for me. However, it was certainly an original storyline and I found it an easy enjoyable read.

I did like Elodie, I loved her determination to make a change and to help others. She saw the best in people and definitely did not judge a book by its cover, or a person. She was full of ideas and hope for the future, despite her family ties. Finn was sweet, maybe a little too good to be true at times (didn't that man have any flaws) but I liked him just the same. All the "books" were great and added to the story with their own, personal life stories. I liked them all.

For me, the ending seemed a little rushed and everything fell into place, if a little too easily, I would have liked a little more tension, but then it is an easy reading romance. Saying that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and if you are looking for an easy read romance, with great characters then you will love this one.

Rebecca's book usually grip me from the start but I did not get that from this book at all. Don't get me wrong but it did have some interesting ideas but I did not find it to be anywhere near her other books. I found it to be very unbelievable, but if something like this could really happen would be great.
If you are a fan of Rebecca give this book a go it might be right up your street. If you have never read one of her books don't let me put you off. Rebecca has a good way with words and her ideas for a book are good but this one did just not ring my bell.

I've never read a Rebecca Raisin book before, but will definitely read another. This was such a feel good read, with believable characters, and a happy ending. A joyous read to escape into.

This was my first Rebecca Raisin book and it definitely whisked me away, wanting to save a small town library.

30 year old Elodie is the face of her mother's company and finally escapes the pressures when she applies for her dream position: a librarian. However, there is much to do as the librarian in the small town of Willow Grove. Elodie must secure new library members in order to save the library from shutting down.

Elodie befriends a cast of characters from Willow Grove, the outcasts that people tend to stay away from. In hopes of saving the library, she creates a unique plan of allowing patron's to check out "living books." Her friend, Finn, who happens to be the town's reporter, shares these stories.

While I loved the message behind this story, I feel like this was written very surface level. Yes, there was conflict, but it didn't provide the tension that I expected it to. An example was her relationship with her parents. I wish I saw a bit more between them, along with a backstory. Elodie's was fairly surface level, too.

3 Stars

Thank you to HQ, HQ Digital, and NetGalley for this eBook ARC in exchange for my opinion.

I’ve enjoyed the previous works of Rebecca and this did not disappoint. What more could a book lover want than a book about saving a library? The use of people as books was inspired and I loved the way Rebecca hit several different topics such as autism, homelessness and discrimination in an imaginative and thoughtful way. I’ve already bought some more books from this author half way through the book as I was enjoying it so much. Thank you netgalley.