Book lovers love reading a book about book lovers. (Try saying that five times fast.)

We also love a story of unlikely people coming together to enrich each other's lives.

All in all, this is a precious book. It took me longer to read as it's outside of my usual genres, but it was a nice break. Very cute book club fiction.

This was my first read by Lucy Gilmore and I loved her writing style. I wanted to hug every character in this book! A perfect story for book lovers. This book is heartwarming, heartbreaking, humorous, and filled with literary quotes and discussions. This is definitely on my top 10 books of 2023 right now. Highly Highly recommended!!


Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for allowing me to read this ARC in advance for my honest opinion.

“Sloane Parker lives a small, contained life as a librarian in her small, contained town. She never thinks of herself as lonely…but still she looks forward to that time every day when old curmudgeon Arthur McLachlan comes to browse the shelves and cheerfully insult her. Their sparring is such a highlight of Sloane’s day that when Arthur doesn’t show up one morning, she’s instantly concerned.”

I hesitated with this book, as I was sure I was in for a rollercoaster of ugly-cry emotions.

I wasn’t entirely wrong, but I’m not at all sorry I wrecked my mascara.

I loved all the characters (main and supporting) their backstories, and their interactions in book club and out.

I loved that the theme of Mothers was prominent.

I, OF COURSE, loved all the Book Talk.

My only real criticism was that it ended so abruptly – as if Gilmore noticed she only had one piece of paper left.

This is my first work by this author and I’ll be looking for more.

7.5/10

Thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and Dreamscape Media for this charming ARC.

Sloane Parker is a young librarian in Coeur d’Alene, a small city in Idaho. She's a people pleaser living a quiet life. The most excitement she's had in a while has been through her interactions in the library with Arthur McLachlan, an elderly man who seems to find his only joy in insulting and arguing with her. When he becomes ill, Sloane takes it upon herself to help this angry, lonely man. Sloane, who has become fond of Arthur despite his mean behavior, decides to host a book club in his home, which is filled with books. Arthur begrudgingly agrees. The members of the club are people dealing with issues in their own lives. And while Sloane is engaged to a successful chiropractor, she realizes that she, like those in her new group, also feels very alone.

Before diving in, I assumed The Lonely Hearts Book Club was going to be a light book. A break from anything too emotional. Plus, I'm always attracted to books about books. But author Lucy Gilmore's story snuck up on me, tugged at my heart and exceeded my expectations. The characters are wonderful. The story was told from each of this quirky group of random people's perspectives. And each one was dealing with something painful. The insight into each person's life made me care about every one of them. The novels the book club selected mirrored what was going on within the characters' lives. My eyes welled up with tears while reading this sweet, moving book.

I'm so in love with this book! This is for sure one of my favorite reads of 2023.

This is a book to everybody that ever felt true loneliness, it's about empathy, friendship, love.

This is the story of Sloane, a librarian, who doesn't realize how lonely she feels, that meets a cranky old man Arthur, and they do not get along at all. It's also the story of a grandson, Greg, that lost his mother and that Arthur is the only person he has in the world, but they don't get along. It's also the story of a mother, Maisey, that struggles to get along with her daughter, that loves to cook, that works as a clairvoyant. It's also the story of Mateo, a nurse/librarian/singer, that struggles to find his path.

When Arthur, that everyone runs away from him because he insults people and always seems angry with everyone, stops coming to the library, Sloane, against her boyfriend's advice, tracks down the old man to make sure he is alright. She meets Maisey and both try to help Arthur that is sick. After that Maisey and Sloane meet Greg in different occasions, and he ends up in Maisey's home because Arthur refuses to welcome his estranged grandson. They all take care of Arthur, that has no one.

In an effort to cheer Arthur up, Sloane starts a book club with the four of them, and soon Mateo joins them. Their lives end up revolving around Arthur, that tries his best to disguise that he loves their friendship. In the end Nigel, Arthur's old friend also enters the book club, leaving the old man furious.

They all become good friends, supporting each other through life and giving each strength to push beyond the comfort zone and take a chance.

I strongly connected to the characters, and the whole story made me so emotional, that in the end I felt overwhelmed by this heartwarming and engaging book.
I highly recommend this book!

Thank you so much to NetGalley for this ARC. The opinions above are my own and given freely.

What a wonderful find! The Lonely Hearts Book Club by Lucy Gilmore is heartwarming, heartbreaking, humorous, and filled with literary quotes and discussions. Sloane Parker lives and works as a librarian in a small northwestern Idaho town. While she doesn’t think of herself as lonely, she looks forward each day to cranky Arthur McLachlan’s arrival to browse the shelves and insult her. When he doesn’t show up for several days, she tracks him down. He's had health problems, is still cranky, but struggles to hide how happy he is to see her. To cheer him up, she starts a book club and others slowly join the club.

Told from multiple points of view, but sequential in time, the story flowed well. Sloane generally is kind and understanding, shy, somewhat controlled, and loves being a librarian. However, she verbally spars and banters with Arthur. Arthur is somewhat uncontrolled and angry, upbraiding everyone. The other members of the book club have distinct personalities. Additionally, they have been living somewhat isolated and contained lives. Readers get a good feeling for each of them.

I was immediately pulled into the story line. I enjoyed learning each character’s backstory and how it affects them today. Additionally, it was wonderful to see how they change and grow as the story unfolds. Themes include grief, anger, and despair over the loss of a loved one as well as friendship, loneliness, family, found family, affection, hope, and optimism.

Overall, this was an entertaining, heartwarming, and engaging story of lonely misfits finding each other. It pulls on the emotions and heartstrings at times. I would love to read more from this author.

SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca and Lucy Gilmore provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date is currently set for March 28, 2023.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for this eARC.

As a lover of books, there is nothing truer to me than books bring people together. This book was lovely and sad. I truly enjoyed my time with it. Lucy Gilmore painted an unlikely friendship using the lens of books in a beautiful way. Highly recommend.

An absolutely beautiful story about books, book lovers, and how books can unite people. I didn't think I was going to love this story as much as I did. Each time I put it down, I couldn't wait to get back to it to see what was going on with the characters.

This story was VERY character driven. A cohesive plotline told from five unique perspectives, each character is given a section of the story to take the reader further into their brains, lives, motives, and insights into the happenings of their own little book club. I loved how Sloane, Arthur, Maisey, Greg, and Mateo found each other, accepted one another for who they were, and created this dysfunctional, found family through their love of books. I found it so neat that their book tastes were so different but fit each one of them so perfectly. I adored the relationship between Arthur and Sloane. A curmudgeon turned softie is my favorite and Arthur is the grumpy old grandpa figure we all need.

I laughed MANY times during this book and cried a few times too. I adored this story and the characters and they will all stay with me for a long time.

Read if you like:
-Found family
-Multiple POV
-Books about books
-Grumpy/Sunshine relationships

Favorite/Relatable lines:
"If I'd known my house was going to turn into the setting of a Jojo Moyes novel, I'd have let them put me in a nursing home in the first place."

"God forbid he relax his standards enough to actually enjoy The Art of Racing in the Rain. There. I said it. That book was a goddamned delight to my soul."

"Say what you might about Arthur McLachlan, the man was erudite. I've never been called God's pestilent uvula before, but it was a phrase I intended to throw in at every dinner party I attended for the rest of my natural-born life."

"It was his copy of The Joy Luck Club. I could tell because I'd have been caught dead before I'd buy a movie poster tie-in of any piece of literature."

My rating explained (CAWPILE method): Characters-10, Atmosphere-9, Writing-9, Plot-8, Intrigue-8, Logic-9, Enjoyment-9= 62/7= 8.6= 4.5 stars (rounded up to 5)

This novel was exactly as described: charming. I honestly want this to be my life. Living in a small town, working in a library, and being in a book club. if you want a cozy cute read, this is it.

The Lonely Hearts Book Club by Lucy Gilmore might best be described as the literary love-child of Elizabeth Berg's Open House and Fredrik Backman's A Man Called Ove, Set in Idaho, this feel good novel has a cast of quirky characters with real depth. Don't let the "feel good" description fool you, though; the characters each suffer in their own way from the loneliness that is endemic in our disconnected modern society. Like Backman's Ove, this tale has a curmudgeonly old man at the center of things, but the real hero is a young librarian who steps out of her comfort zone to help someone in need. Enter the nosy neighbor, who is also grieving the loss of her relationship with her surly teenager. Add in a gay Filipino with mommy issues, a burly outsider from out of state, and an octogenarian philanthropist and you've got the makings of The Lonely Hearts Book Club. Gilmore deftly explores the many kinds of grief we encounter in life, as well as the ability of friendships -- no matter how unlikely -- to reshape a life atrophied by loss. I would be remiss not to mention the cutting literary wit that drives the laugh-out-loud dialogue, and the role that several beloved literary classics play in the narrative. Sentimental drivel? Absolutely not! Worth your time? Unequivocally, yes!

This book was such a fun and wholesome read! The story is perfect for introverted book lovers.

This book follows Sloane Parker who is a librarian at a public library. Every day at 10:30 an elderly man named Arthur comes into the library and is never pleasant. He insults Sloane and belittles her every time he visits. Sloane doesn't put up with this and starts to give it right back to him. So much so that it becomes a game between them.

One day, Arthur does not arrive. A few more days go by and still nothing. Sloane begins to worry about his welfare and uses the library data system - knowing she could lose her job for this - to look up his address as she wants to check on him.

This book then introduces us to a whole gang of characters that are so fun and heart warming. These characters form The Lonely Hearts Book Club Through this book club we learn so much about these characters lives and each one has a different story. This book reminds you that you are never alone with what you are going through.

I loved this one and will recommend it to everyone. It was such a heartwarming and tear-jerking read.

Are you looking for a sweet story with heart and brains? Do you enjoy librarians, curmudgeons, and spontaneous book clubs? Do themes of found family, forgiveness, and redemption make you happy? Do you need a warm palette cleanser between tougher books? Yes? YES! I recommend this charming story. I read with a smile on my face and occasionally a tear in my eye. It was lovely.

Thanks, NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca, for the Digital Review Copy. US Pub Date: 28 Mar 23

This was a slower burn of a book, but I think it was worth the pacing! I love Lucy Gilmore, and anything with a librarian protagonist is an automatic request for me. This was *EMOTIONAL* so make sure you're aware of that before going into it. I loved these characters, and the story was an instant draw.

BEAUTIFULLY EMOTIONAL WITH A GREAT CAST OF CHARACTERS

Books about books are such an amazing niche genre that I am absolutely here for. This book perfectly illustrates the power of books - to bring people together, to heal old wounds and to open closed hearts ❤️

👍 What I Liked 👍

Emotional: There were several times during this book were my emotions were entirely caught up in the story and the characters. I went from laughing to sobbing. And the ending, especially, had my heart involved!

Character: So many amazing characters to fall in love with! I love how Gilmore chose to narrate this book, giving sections of the book to different characters. It gave me a great feel for all of them, therefore I am having a hard time choosing a favourite. They all felt like full-fleshed and flawed characters, each in their own way looking for something unknown. With that being said, I must admit a partiality towards Arthur and Sloane, perhaps because of their relationship and banter, which I found very humorous and engaging.

Really enjoyed this one. I love seeing platonic relationships that span generations in books and what better way to demonstrate that than through a book about a book club. I grew up in a small town and worked at our local library, so I could relate to a lot of the book!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for sending me an eARC of this novel! I enjoyed this book. It was a great take on loneliness and the lengths people will go to for human connection. There was a great cast of characters, and I think every reader will have a different favorite.

3 Stars
One Liner: Good premise but slow (and needs better execution towards the end)

Sloane Parker is a librarian in a small town and lives a simple life. She doesn’t have many friends despite being a friendly and kindhearted person. When Sloane meets Arthur McLachlan, an old and rude patron of the library, their sparing becomes the highlight of her day (and maybe even his).
One day Arthur doesn’t turn up as usual. Days pass on, but he doesn’t visit the library. Sloane is worried and decides to visit him (ignoring her boss’ warnings). When she finds him ill but grudgingly happy to see her, Sloane knows she needs to help him. Maybe it’s her chance to help herself too. Arthur’s neighbor is only too delighted to pitch in.
Soon, they start an odd book club that grows bigger, as more people with different personalities come together. Each of them needs to heal, and, as a group, they might make it happen.
The story comes in the first person POV of the main characters- Sloane, Maisey, Mateo, Greg, and Arthur.

What I Like:
The premise is heartwarming. Imagine good-hearted people who suffer from loneliness due to various reasons come together to help and support each other. It’s a novel concept.
Given the characters, there are enough references to other books and quotes from these. Though I’m not much of a highlighter myself, I know people who love to highlight bits that touch their hearts (or mind).
Using the first-person POV for each of the main characters works to a good extent. I could get a glimpse into who they are and what holds them back. However… (more in the next section)
The book also blends everyday issues and major life decisions to add depth to the characters. Some of it works well.
There are bits and pieces of lighthearted scenes that make the book a little easy to read. Maisey sure brightens up the book club.

What Could Have Been Better for Me:
The pacing is super slow. Moreover, this is the kind of book one cannot speed-read. A few things are stretched too much, and the ending is compressed. There isn’t an epilogue either (I deserve it after reading about so much heartache!).
Maisey’s POV is probably the best. It’s not perfect, but I could feel for her and understand the situation with her teen daughter Bella. Greg’s POV is the second best. I thought Mateo’s would be just as great, but somehow, ended up liking Lincoln more.
Now, Brett is Sloane’s fiancé and chiropractor. Going by the standard trope, he is initially presented as a snobbish guy with an overbearing family. And we have Sloane, who thinks they can give her the kind of comfort she wants. However, towards the end, Brett really isn’t a jerk. He is just another guy with some flaws. In fact, the climax puts him in a better light than Sloane. He handles it far better than she does. I’m not sure that’s what is supposed to happen.
I went to skim through a few reviews after drafting mine and saw references to Ove. Well, for me, this is a half-successful attempt to create an Ove-like character in Arthur. With Arthur’s POV towards the end of the book, I expected something truly emotional. But let’s just say it was disappointing. The POV started strong, but soon I lost interest and wanted the book to be over.

To summarize, The Lonely Hearts Book Club is a decent book dealing with topics like grief, loneliness, friendships, and finding your tribe. It could have been a lot better but ends up more as an average read.
Thank you, NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

I loved this book! Especially the characters. they all had their own distinct voice. So, even though the pov changed a lot, it wasn’t hard to follow. I loved the story and how different books were included in it. I just loved all of the characters and their separate lives, and also how they all integrated together.

Being a librarian, I love books about books, reading, and the connection that books provide. The Lonely Hearts Book Club features a cantankerous old man who visits a library in Coeur D'Alene and starts to befriend a young librarian named Sloane. When Arthur suffers a medical emergency, and Sloane looses her job because she uses the library database to find him, a new chapter for the two friends is set in motion.
Sloane meets Arthur's neighbor, Maisey, a psychic single mother who is having problems with her 16-year-old daughter, and invites her into the group. Next we have Arthur's grandson, Greg, who promised his mother on her deathbed that he would reconcile and take care of his grandfather. Next up we meet Mateo, who is a gay man, one of Sloane's co-workers at the library, and lives in the shadow of his mother, a well known lounge singer in the area. The final addition to the group is Nigel, one of Arthur's former academic staff members, with whom he hasn't spoken to since a terrible falling out years ago.
The group begins to read Remains of the Day, The Joy Luck Club, and Anne of Green Gables, and mention several other books and others throughout the book. The premise is that books bring people together, promote healing, friendship and love. What I didn't like is the "old, angry man" trope - I really did not care for it in "A Man Called Ove" and I don't care for it here. I also find the premise that Sloane would leave her job to take care of Arthur an unbelievable stretch. I guess we are supposed to believe that because her fiancé is a wealthy chiropractor, but really? All of these people need healing, and the book devotes a section to each to show their growth. Of course there are happy endings - some heartache, but in general this a feel good story.

This book surprised me in the best way. I didn't really know what to expect and saying that I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement.

The story is focused on a group of people from all walks of life, coming together to support each other and tocombat their feeling of loneliness. It's such a disparate group, from the 80 year old man to the single mother of a teenage girl to the woman in her twenties trying to figure out her life. And the way they all come together, it's just marvelous.
What was interesting is how reading and books were used as the thing to get them together. They created their own book club and that was the catalyst for their friendship. It's just one example of how powerful books can be and I am here for it to be honest.

It's a beautiful story about life and its struggles, about love, about being alone, about feeling lonely and not looking like it, about how in finding genuine friendships you can find yourself, your true, authentic and unapologetic self.

Favorite quote : "Life stories were written in ink, not pencil. Once they were down, the only thing you could do was turn the page."

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.