This is such a beautiful book.

Sloane is a librarian (who’s very much afraid of life) who joyously does battle with Arthur, the grumpy old man who visits the library like clockwork. When he doesn’t show for a week she breaks the rules to check up on him and ends up losing her job.

What follows is a delight in found family, embracing the good and the bad of life, moving forward even when it’s hard and not being afraid.

I love a crusty old curmudgeon with an interior of marshmallow fluff and Arthur is all that.

The ending is so beautiful and emotional I was a bit tearful so be prepared.

By all rights, this book should have been a perfect read for me. Characters are mostly introverted. One is a librarian. They create a book club. The theme of found family is one that I adore. I’ve heard someone say this is like a ‘Breakfast Club for old people that love books’. (You know a young whipper-snapper made that comment 🤣)

Check. Check. Check. It’s checks all the boxes! ✅

So why didn’t I love this book? 😖 More importantly why didn’t I vibe with this book, like, at all?

I don’t know.

Maybe I’m not as old as I think (I tell myself this every day but so far, I don’t believe me)?

Or maybe the story just took too long to get going and by the time it did, I was invested in other books more (a big downside to reading 3 or 4 books at the same time)?

Or maybe it’s because I’m not a huge fan of grumpy characters that turn all gooey inside later in the story (I really didn’t like A Man Called Ove for that very reason but I do plan on watching the movie to see if I feel differently)?

I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know.

But I’m super bummed that I just couldn’t connect with this one as I was so looking forward to it and most people are really loving it.

I’d rate this personally as a 2.5 but since I think I should have liked it better, I’m rounding up to a 3.

This was a solid read. It wasn’t the best. It was far from perfect. But overall I enjoyed it. I like to the development of the characters. But I think I need a little bit

I'm a huge fan of Lucy Gilmore and always enjoy her stories regardless of the genre or the name she's using.
I loved this one too, had a lot of fun and rooted for the characters.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

This book was just so charming. I really loved that we got into each character's perspective and heard their voice, it really added a new depth to the story. While this was predictable in good ways, it still managed to keep me entertained. You can't not feel good after reading this. 4 stars. If you liked The Reading List, this is a book for you.

This book will make you laugh, probably make you cry and is just a joy to read.

This is about a misfit book club. Sloane Parker, who is quiet, reserved and wallflower-esque begins to trade barbs with the cantankerous Arthur McLachlan in the library every day. Sloane begins to look forward to their barbed banter, until she realizes he has missed a few days and breaks the cardinal librarian rule of checking on her patron. She inserts herself to become Arthur's caregiver and in doing so brings in his neighbor, Maisey, who is single, lonely and struggling with her relationship with her teenage daughter. Together (although Arthur reluctantly) they form a rag-tag book club. Soon added is Arthur's grandson, Greg, who has come to make amends with his grandfather to fulfill his mother's dying wish. Sloane's co-worker, Mateo also joins the crew, lost in his own identity finding after multiple failed careers. There is another member but I don't want to spoil anything so I'll keep that identity to myself.

I adored this book and its band of misfits. It was such a delight to read, especially the chapters from Arthur's point of view. He really is a crotchety old miser but I loved him just the same. I might actually end up buying this one to revisit in the future.

My thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for this wonderful ARC in exchange for an honest review. I loved it.

This book, like the title suggests, is about a group of lonely people who come together and end up forming a book club. Sloan is a librarian who becomes worried about her curmudgeonly old patron Arthur - and when she goes to visit him she ends up meeting Arthur’s neighbor Maisey and then Arthur’s estranged grandson Greg, and they slowly end up joining together to help take care of Arthur and also form a book club - eventually with Sloan’s co-worker Mateo joining as well.

The book is told from each of their perspectives, though interestingly they don’t rotate; rather one section of the book is told from each of their perspectives (two for Sloan) as the book moves forward. This did leave me feeling like some of the characters and their subplots were just a tad underdeveloped/unresolved, although the overall story comes together very nicely.

If you like books about senior citizens who form intergenerational friendships, books about found families, or books about books, then give this one a try. It was a sweet story and a nice light read.

3.75 stars

An ideal book to read with a rich cup of tea or coffee, covered with a good blanket and with a light drizzle outside.

This book is one of those that makes you want to embrace the characters, you feel identified, you can understand them, and although perhaps one did not have the same experiences, there it is.

Characters that come to you, that allow you to reflect, invite you to want to get to know them more, to be their friends, to be a little more understandable with yourself.

Each character is super different but at the same time they always feel something that unites them, like many of us.

Lonely Hearts Book Club by Lucy Gilmore

This is such a sweet story. I loved the relationship that grew between old man Arthur and Sloane. They are the definition of grumpy and sunshine but yet have so many similarities. And everyone involved in the book club ends up benefiting from the group and growing as people. Such a warm and fuzzy book.

Thanks to @netgalley and @sourcebookscasa for this lovely advanced reader!

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This book was a love letter to readers like me. People who find solace in the pages of books while their lives are entrenched in chaos. People who pour their thoughts and feelings into the pages where they feel seen.
The main character Sloane was a Pollyana-esque heroine but I felt like her introduction was a good way to tell the story, as it not only gave us someone to root for but also intrigue into her past. Additionally, I did enjoy reading from multiple POVs and getting a sense of how everyone was connected in this book club. However, I wish we had delved a little deeper into relationships and not focused so much on 1-2 characters. Lastly, the final reveal/twist was my absolute favorite thing ever- not only the fact that this little old man wooed his wife by sending her a book (my favorite book Anne of Green Gables) and ALSO that the book club then did the same for Sloane!!! Loved it!!

The Lonely Hearts Book Club by Lucy Gilmore is a testament to the power of books. Tells a story of how written words can speak for us and bring us together.

“When was the last time you cared about something so much you couldn’t eat?” he demanded. “Or Sleep? When have you ever felt the fire of life burn so bright that it hurts? When did you ever bother to fight for something you loved?”

This book! For me, it was a nice mix of A Man Called Ove and Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting with some major book love added in and I loved it! There are themes of found family and the beauty in finding what it is you really want that made me love the characters even more. This is my first Lucy Gilmore book and I can’t wait to read more of her backlist!

If you love strong character development, have a love of underlining or tabbing books, and relate to quirky characters, definitely read this one. It's out now!

4.5 stars

Thank you@netgalley and @sourcebookscasa for the early copy

The Lonely Hearts Book Club was a really sweet novel about the power of friendship and human connection. I really enjoyed following along with the character’s stories and I LOVED how a book club brought everyone together. I look forward to reading more from this author!

The Lonely Hearts Book Club is a lovely book about people who sometimes cannot find the words to express themselves, as they find their voices, dreams, resolve traumas and make deep connections through the words within their favorite (and sometimes not-so-favorite!) books. The club originally begins in order to keep an eye on a lonely, ailing elderly man but quickly encompasses a librarian, a lounge singer/librarian/nurse, a college professor, a famous literary critic, a coder/teen boxing coach, and a work-from-home psychic. Their vastly differing experiences and points of view enrich the group and expand their minds, as well as their hearts. Each character voices portions of the story through their point of view, so the readers begin to feel close connections to these characters and hope for their brighter and happier tomorrows. The story has hope, heart and humor--I laughed out loud many times! This is exactly the type of read I've been needing for a while! It would be a wonderful movie that I would love to watch.

This was a feel-good story that bookworms from all over will enjoy. The idea of forming a book club that became so much more than that was a nice touch. I, for one, will never tire of books that are about books, readers, librarians, book clubs, and anything else to do with reading.
If you want a few enjoyable hours that will transport you to the home of a grumpy old man and the people he ended up getting together to form a most unusual book club, then this book is for you!

I enjoyed this departure from Gilmore’s romances. I’ll admit it, I’ll read everything she writes. Filled with characters that underestimate themselves, I really enjoyed seeing each of them through the others eyes. Keep the tissues handy, you will need them.
4.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for gifting me a digital ARC of this wonderful book by Lucy Gilmore - 5 stars!

Sloane is a librarian in a small town, engaged but not really in love, and without enough friends to act as bridesmaids in the wedding her in-laws insist on. When curmudgeon Arthur, whom she engages with at the same time every day, fails to show up for a few days, she becomes worried. Against the rules, she looks up his address in the library system and goes to see if he is okay. She meets Arthur's neighbor who tells her that he's run off all the home nurses because of his attitude. Eventually, Sloane creates the Lonely Hearts Book Club.

I adored this book and the members of the book club. A book about books is always high on my list, but this one will really tug at your heart. The book club members are all struggling with love and loss, and come together to form their own small community. It's a story about being true to your feelings and being there for others. A must read!

The Lonely Hearts Book Club is a big book hug! The characters are incredibly lovely, even if grumpy at times. The bond they forge over the love of books was endearing and fun. Their snide remarks, their backstories and the way they form their book club to help them heal gave me ALL the feels.

I want an invitation to join their club, especially if they read The Count of Monte Cristo (Dumas) as its my favorite book. Book lovers rejoice as I've found the perfect read for those of us who enjoy a book about books.

Thank you Sourcebooks Casablanca for the complimentary copy.

I enjoy found family stories.
I enjoy books about book clubs.

I don't like it when everyone is mean. Curmudgeon is too nice a word for Arthur. He is mean and nasty and I don't get why everyone tries to hard for him

But then I did like all the friendships that occur around him,, so I guess if it wasn't for him they wouldn't be.

To me this one dragged. So many times not much was happening and it slowed tghe pace right down.

Plenty to like, plenty to not be a fan of.

The Lonely Hearts Club Book Club is a heart warming book. The author creates Arthur, an older, out of sorts man, and a young woman, Sloane, a librarian at the library he frequents. When he fails to show up one day, Sloane is concerned and does everything she can to find him and insert herself further into his life. A cast of supporting characters enters and tension builds as they learn about each other’s needs and how to help each other. It is a very readable and well paced book