The Lonely Hearts Book Club was a plaisant read with endearing characters but who felt sometimes too stereotyped. Even though each of them has a consistent and moving backstory, it overall felt like their reactions were too stereotyped, too two dimensional (compared with the care given to their own stories).
The writing was good too, easy to read and the banter amusing!

The Lonely Hearts Book Club was an absolute delight. Full of mismatched characters, who form unlikely but nevertheless heartwarming and soul-searching relationships with each other.

The synopsis was interesting, but was a bit too shallowly done. The characters didn't feel realistic and the main character felt a bit flat.

Never has a title been more apt to describe the world inside than The Lonely Hearts Book Club!

Here you have a set of unlikely acquaintances, each with their own reasons for wanting to join the bookclub, and each struggling to find their place in the world. They are experiencing love, loss, growing pains, parental issues, parenting issues, and loneliness. Some are not alone, but as the songs says, that doesn’t mean they’re not lonely.

What you get when you mix together this group of quirky yet adorable people is soulful friendship. Hitting elements of The Jane Austen Book Club and A Man Called Ove, this sweet, endearing and heartwarming adventure will have you falling in love with the group as they make their way through life, their chosen book reads and into each other’s hearts.

Thank you to Lucy Gilmore, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and NetGalley for an arc of this delightful book in exchange for an honest review.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. I was able to find the audio version through my local library.
I was really excited to get this book. But I was just disappointed. I didn't like any of the characters and I didn't like certain content in the novel. Just a let down for me

A heartwarming tale of a group of unlikely friends who form a book club. Each member is missing something in their life but are either not sure or what or how to heal it. They all become the balm one another needs to fill those cracks.
I love how each character was given a section of the book that let us see the story through their eyes.
Then there is all the literary discussions and book quotes.
It was emotional, humorous, and sweet to watch this found family form and protect each other. Very enjoyable overall.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy.

When I see a book about books I get very excited. This one is about Sloane, who is a librarian and is surrounded by very mean people and allows them to tell her what to do, which was very frustrating.

The story was fine, nothing special but fine. The execution was a bit boring though.

And as final observation a note for the author: if you have a doctorate you are a doctor period.

I didn’t like this book as much as I thought I would for one reason; but first, what I did like:

- a book about books and the people who love them? Yes, please
- multiple narrators? Sign me up
- the author’s writing style? Enjoyable enough for me to give her another try

But … as a (former) public library employee, I could not get past Arthur’s meanness. I didn’t find it charming or endearing or quirky because it hit a bit too close to home in how I have seen people treat public library staff throughout my career. It’s a reality that many library staff are reduced to tears regularly from the abuse they take from the public. It’s not something I could tolerate in real life, and it doesn’t come across any better in this story.

The Lonely Hearts Book Club by Lucy Gilmore

If you’ve been looking for a heartwarming read that ~isn’t~ a rom-com, look no further!

This book brings together an ensemble of characters whose lives become intertwined mostly by proximity and circumstance. Told through multiple POVs, the story centers on the impromptu formation of a bookclub. As the name suggests, each character has a distinct loneliness—whether that’s fueled by the temptation of comfort, deep fear of failure, or agonizing loss. The characters seem to recognize this in each other, leading to the development of a ragtag reading group.

I love how each person is connected to another and that the POV order reflects these connections in a really natural way. It almost feels like you’re meeting them IRL. The main characters are well-developed, distinct, and fun to get to know. The side characters, though, can come across as a bit caricatured, and I felt disconnected from them most of the time. Though I think maybe this was intended, especially given Sloane’s plot.

Speaking of, the plot is well-paced throughout. The story balances POV shifts, plot, and character-development marvelously. And I thought the ending was so satisfying!

What I absolutely adore most about this one is how it celebrates platonic love. Romantic relationships are part of the story, but really only peripherally. The beating heart is the love we feel towards kindred spirits, the found family we’re lucky enough to have and keep, and the importance of acknowledging that love. I highly recommend this one! I wasn’t ready to let these characters go.

Thanks to @netgalley and @sourcebookscasa for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This one is out now! 📖

📖: (5/5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved this one! It was a great example of friendship and connecting with other people. The characters were interesting and fun, the story clipped along, and the plot was different. A great read.

The Lonely Hearts Book Club was endearing and heartwarming, and each one of the characters was someone that I could root for. Sloane is a librarian who finds herself an adversary in the crotchety old man Arthur, who comes into the library every day. These two form the basis for the book club of quirky individuals who need the book club and each other, more than they realize. I enjoyed that this story was told from the perspectives of all members of the book club and that each brought forth a unique quality and need for the club. Maybe it's just because I'm an introvert, but I felt like this book club was one that most people could relate to and could find a place in. I enjoyed the characters and the stories and how it all came together at the end.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book.

Unfortunately, this one was just a bit slow for me. I ultimately did the audiobook during a work trip - and this was just not doing it for me.

First, it was difficult, due to the narration, to keep track of the point of view. I would be halfway through a chapter and go..."wait, what? who is talking?" As such, it was difficult to generally keep track of the whole cast of characters.

And...when you can't keep track of the characters...it is difficult to keep track of the plot. Overall, I could tell it was a feel-good book with a meaningful message, but wish it were easier to follow along.

This gets a solid 3.5 stars. I liked the characters well enough, definitely enjoyed the redemption of Arthur towards the end. The thing that really bothered me throughout the whole book was Sloane & Brett's relationship, it was just way too unbelievable for me. I couldn't get past it and it distracted from the other more interesting plot points.

The Lonely Hearts Book Club by Lucy Gilmore was more then I expected. I love this author and thought this book might be different from her other works but it delivered. I laughed and almost cried. I fell in love with characters and they are memorable and ones I won't soon forget. Overall, this book was a hit!

Cute book!
It involved a lot of my favorite tropes:
*. Books about book lovers
* Multigenerational friendships
* Layered/Misunderstood characters

It started out with a lot of stereotypical characters. But I'm glad I stuck with with because they all grew on me!

So many emotions in this novel by Lucy Gilmore. It was a well written story and made me feel both sad and hopeful while I was reading it. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

A cute, heartwarming story for fans of A Man Called Ove and book lovers everywhere. I found the premise hard to accept at first, but Gilmore does a charming job bringing everyone together. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity with the title.

I liked the way this book started out, but DNF'd about 60% through. It was a bit slow and I was hoping for a little more!

The Lonely Hearts Book Club is a book lovers dream. Librarians, literary professors and lonely people in need of a friend bond over classic literature as they navigate love, loss and life together.

I thought it was really interesting how author Lucy Gilmore approached the multi-POV storytelling of this novel. I found it an effective way to get to know each member, by dedicating multi-chapter chunks to each, it advanced the plot while also providing a deeper appreciation for each individual character.

While this is not a lighthearted book, its heavy elements of grief and regret are complemented by some humorous exchanges and warm, touching moments. I did tear up at the end, this little book club touched my heart!

Thank you to Net Galley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fantastic book!!!! I didn’t know what to expect but I went into it already liking the author’s lighthearted romances.

But The Lonely Hearts Book Club delivered over and above what I expected! It was a book about friendship, love, finding oneself, finding friends later in life, something I see more and more people discussing these days.

Sloane Parker is a librarian. She probably fits most stereotypes of librarians you’ve encountered through the years. But one day she meets Arthur, a grumpy old man who shows up every day for their war of words. Until one day he doesn’t.

Inexplicably drawn to this irascible senior, Sloane actually quits her job to care for him. And it’s then that she discovers friend after friend, and after that realizes that life is too short to settle.

The book is told in multiple POVs, but is extremely easy to follow. I wanted more as soon as I read the last page!!!!

Thanks to Sourcebooks for this ARC. All opinions are my own.