Lucie Gilmore's "The Library of Borrowed Hearts" is an absolute gem, a five-star marvel that captivates from the first page to the last. If you're a hopeless romantic craving a tale of love, loss, and redemption, look no further. Gilmore weaves a tapestry of emotions through multiple perspectives, immersing readers in the whirlwind romance reminiscent of Wuthering Heights, set against the backdrop of the 1960s.
Central to the narrative are Jasper and Catherine, whose love story unfolds with the intensity of a classic novel. But it's not just their tale that enchants; enter Chloe, a relatable protagonist burdened with familial responsibilities, whose encounter with a forbidden book sparks a journey of self-discovery and unexpected connections.
As Chloe delves into the mystery of Jasper's past, she finds solace amidst her own struggles, drawing parallels between his heartache and her own aspirations. Gilmore skillfully intertwines these narratives, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as they navigate the twists and turns of love and fate.
At its core, "The Library of Borrowed Hearts" is a poignant exploration of love's enduring power and the healing that comes with embracing the past. With every turn of the page, Gilmore invites readers to ponder the mysteries of the heart and the resilience of the human spirit.
Intriguing, heartfelt, and beautifully written, Lucie Gilmore's latest novel is a must-read for anyone seeking a story that lingers long after the final chapter. Dive into this enchanting tale and discover the magic hidden within the pages of "The Library of Borrowed Hearts."

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars.

The Library of Borrowed Hearts was quite a surprise for me. I was in a deep reading slump and it helped me out to get out of it, a little bit. It wasn't the best book I've ever read, but it wasn't bad.

I liked to get to know the love story but I did feel like we had too many plots to follow as a reader. It wasn't just the love story that happened during the 60's, but also a young woman and her family, her jobs, relationships and family, as well as these same topics but, again, in the 60s.

I think it is quite an easy and fast read, but I wouldn't say it is one that will stuck with you (personally opinion).

Grab a box of name brand cereal and dig in, it’s a good one.

Chloe Sampson is almost a librarian in a small town in Washington. She never got her degree - forced to drop out to come home and care for her three young siblings when their mom abandoned them. She struggles to make ends meet, to make sure her sister and brothers feel loved, to maintain independence and distance to avoid being hurt.

One day she stumbles across a rare book, its margins filled with scribblings - musings - of what has to be two young lovers. A mystery to be solved!

Then, seemingly out of the blue, her curmudgeonly neighbor, Jasper Holmes, who’s been nothing but unkind, comes to her door and offers to buy the book. For a lot of money. Why would he want it?

Chloe follows the clues, searching for more books, unraveling a mystery, a love that…vanished. A love between 19 year olds Jasper and Catherine, some 60 years ago.

Broken into five parts and told by multiple narrators with a library at the center of both the town and the story, this is a beautiful tale of difficult choices, learning to trust, and the uncomplicated love of a complicated family both biological and found. There’s a romantic component that pulls from a love of literature and elasticity of youth, and a genuine love the grows between two people with broken hearts. About learning that it’s ok to make demands of fragile hearts and to let people mend your own.

It’s a warm hug, this book. Charming and maddening with a full vibrant cast of characters, you’ll want to move to Colville yourself.

And Noodle. Oh Noodle. He’s the stuff of the best books.

Highly recommend it for anyone who likes the quiet parts quiet and the loud parts quiet, too.

Thanks to Netgalley and source books for the ARC to read and review. Available April 30, 2024.

Beautiful story with some amazing character development. Great lines. A very cozy read. I really enjoyed how Arthur developed over the course of the story. Every character had a well thought out back story.

Wow. I'd give this book 6 stars if I could. I loved the author's previous book, The Lonely Hearts Book Club, but this one was EPIC. A dual timeline, with romance taking center stage in the past and a family drama with a romantic subplot in the present. I was equally vested in both timelines and was surprised and awed by all the twists and turns. I love how this author develops multi-generational friendships with books, reading, and libraries being at the core. It took effort to put this one down as I would have liked to read it all day. At the same time, I'm glad I prolonged my enjoyment over a week. An absolutely charming and delightful book with characters that jump off the pages and right into your heart.

The Library of Borrowed Hearts by Lucy Gilmore is a heartwarming tale that sweeps readers into a world of second chances and unexpected love. With endearing characters and a charming setting, Gilmore's novel is a delightful read that celebrates the power of community and the magic of romance.

Not only is cover of this book so delightful, the story itself is too. I try not to give spoilers in my review, but if you have read it...you know. Thank so much for the opportunity to read this one. I enjoyed it thoroughly!

A lovely story of love and family in two different times all tied to the library and classic books. It will make you smile and it will break your heart.

I love books, and so any book that is about books will call to me to read it. The Library of Borrowed Books is a novel about books and what books can teach readers. At the center of this novel are two stories. One story begins in 1960 and tells readers about Jasper and Catherine. They fall in love, but in 1960, issues of social class help to govern who, an individual should love. In the second timeline, which is contemporary, the focus is no longer about class and is more directly about responsibility and choice. Chloe sacrifices her own plans when her mother chooses to abandon her family, leaving Chloe to care for her 3 younger siblings. Both timelines are about love and responsibility and the choices that people need to make.

Author, Lucy Gilmore, focuses on these two timelines to explore themes of love and sacrifice. In The Library of Borrowed Books, literature is at the focus in each person's life. Every character reads and finds themselves in books. Jasper and Catherine write notes back and forth, using the margins of novels. I hope they were writing carefully in a light pencil. The plot works well not to give away every secret, although several of these events were not really a surprise to careful readers. A love of books is always a wonderful way to spend time reading. Admittedly, I am less enamored with Wuthering Heights than Gilmore is, but it serves a good purpose in The Library of Borrowed Books. The characters in Gilmore's novel are diverse and some more interesting than others, but all of them serve an important need within the story.

I did enjoy The Library of Borrowed Books, and I do recommend it. The ending is satisfying and real. Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for proving this ARC for me to read and review. The comments above are my honest comments.

**Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for a fair and honest review**

This was such a sweet book and a real palate cleanser after reading so many "murdery" books for my dark-minded students! As a librarian, I most definitely can't support the concept of writing notes in books BUT it's almost justified in this story of lost love, family and finding yourself.

I loved the 2 timelines as we slowly discovered the real meaning of the notes in the library books and realised that there was much more to the grumpy old man next door than first appeared.

"The Library of Borrowed Hearts" by Lucy Gilmore is a heartwarming and enchanting tale that celebrates the power of love, friendship, and second chances. Gilmore's skillful storytelling weaves together a captivating narrative filled with mystery, romance, and literary charm.

At the center of the story is librarian Chloe Sampson, whose life is forever changed when she stumbles upon a rare book filled with romantic notes between two young lovers. As Chloe embarks on a literary scavenger hunt to uncover the truth behind the lovers' story, she finds herself drawn to her cranky neighbor, Jasper Holmes, who may hold the key to unlocking the mystery.

What sets "The Library of Borrowed Hearts" apart is its heartfelt exploration of human connection and the transformative power of love. As Chloe delves deeper into the mystery, she discovers unexpected friendships and learns valuable lessons about forgiveness, acceptance, and the beauty of second chances.

Gilmore's characters are richly drawn and endearing, each with their own quirks and complexities. From Chloe's determination and kindness to Jasper's hidden depths and vulnerability, readers will find themselves rooting for these characters every step of the way.

Overall, "The Library of Borrowed Hearts" is a delightful and uplifting read that will leave readers with a warm and fuzzy feeling. Gilmore's enchanting storytelling and heartfelt themes make this a must-read for fans of contemporary romance.

Chloe is struggling, she had to drop out of college to take care of her 3 younger siblings after her mom abandoned them, and is working in a library when she finds an rare edition of the Tropic of Cancer. What’s almost more interesting that the rare book find are the romantic notes written in the margins and that her super crabby neighbor offers her a large amount of money for the novel. Through some detective work (and the help of a new romantic interest) she finds more old library books that have similar romantic notes in the margins written by the same star crossed loves - and she believes that of the authors is her neighbor. Chloe is determined to follow the book trail and learn their love story.

I thought this was a nice sweet book; it’s very much like Gilmore’s last book - a librarian befriending a curmudgeon with references to a bunch of novels but I enjoyed the plot of this one more. The story is told in 2 POVs - the 1960s love story and Chloe’s present day story and I thought the two views were done quite well. I read about 40% and listened to the rest and enjoyed the narration of the audio while walking around and cooking and the story was a nice escape (which I needed this week). It wasn’t the most memorable novel but I enjoyed it while I read it
3.75 stars (rounded to 4)

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC to review

Library of Borrowed Hearts was a pair of (mostly) sweet stories told in two timelines. I loved Chloe and her family, especially the dynamics between her and her siblings. Her next door neighbor, Jasper, starts as an enemy but is of course a curmudgeon with a heart of gold. A lot of what happened in the timeline of the past irritated me, but I do think it was probably fairly typical of the time period… however as a reader of romance it was hard to watch unfold. I won’t get into it because it veers into spoiler territory, but several times Catherine made me want to throw my phone across the room. Four stars though for well-developed characters, romantic secret love notes, and the lovable curmudgeon. They always get me! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc.

The Library of Borrowed Hearts was such a bittersweet read. I loved the hidden stories between the life long lives of this couple. I also enjoyed how everyone is intertwined and a part of each others lives. Being a book lover my entire life, this story really resonated with me personally as well as entertained me. Great book!

Wow, this was such a wonderful read. The story within the story was so deep and moving. I also just loved Chloe, even with her hardships she truly understood the deep meaning of family and taking care of the ones you love. The story between J and C, was so beautiful. I was so reeled in by all of it and wanted to see what happened between them! So much heartbreak that Chloe experienced in her lifetime, I was praying that she'd some day get her happy ending. While this story has deep meanings and good life lessons which may make you shed some tears, it will also make you smile quite a bit and laugh a few times as well. Loved this story, the author has a magical way with words.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.

When Chloe is cleaning out the library's basement, she comes across a discarded book called “Tropic of Cancer” which is banned in the US, but worth a lot of money. Which is perfect, because Chloe is broke and needs to take care of her 3 younger siblings. Of course, Chloe is a very curious person (research reasons, obviously), she decides to read a few pages from the book, only to discover that had been using it to pass notes to each other. And the curiosity only increases when she realizes the man in the notes is her grumpy neighbor Jasper.

The Library of Borrowed Hearts has to be one of my top reads of 2024! I loved everything about this story; the character development, flashback scenes, dual POV, and how through a few letters in books, the characters were able to come together and form family like bonds.

This was my first time reading a book by Lucy Gilmore and now I currently have the rest of their books on hold at my local library. Lucy’s writing style is funny, easy to follow along, tugs at your heartstrings and makes you laugh out loud. I also appreciate that this story in particular was easy to come back to. I knew if I had to take a break from reading, I could easily pick back up where I left off.

I did not expect to cry for about 50% of this book but I sure did. A wonderfully heartfelt, gut-wrenching tale of family, past love and moving on.
This story is written in five parts with different perspectives for each, flowing between the present and 1960. Chloe is taking care of her three younger siblings after her mother walked out of their lives. She is struggling but making do when she is launched into a scavenger hunt after finding a book in her library with annotations between a couple. As the novel developed so much is revealed such as who the couple is that wrote the marginalia, what her nasty neighbors problem is, and what's in store for Chloe and her future.

This book made me ache in a way that has not been accomplished since I read Tuesdays With Morrie many years ago. It is a perfect combination of found family, coming of age and a love story that will make you want to sob and laugh all at the same time. Easiest 5 star rating I've given in a while.

I was first intrigued by this book’s cover, I love everything about the art on this one. Then I saw it was @tamaratamaralucy newest book, and I got really excited. And then I read the description and I knew I was going to have an amazing time reading this book.
Chloe has been stuck in a life created by her mother’s choices for a long time. The oldest of four siblings she became responsible for the younger three when while she was off at school her mother up and left without a word to anyone. Working as an assistant in her local library is as close as she will get for the foreseeable future to her dream of being a full librarian, at least she gets to work around books. When she finds an old book in the library basement full of notes between two young lovers from the 60’s she finds herself needing to know what happened to them. And when she discovers one half of the pair is her extremely grumpy and irritable neighbour Jasper, she is even more intrigued.
I adored The Lonely Hearts Bookclub, and this book gave me the same wonderful kind of read, but I think I fell in love with this one even more. Chloe and her siblings will barge right into your heart and you won’t be able to shake them, and you won’t want to. Jasper is the perfect grumpy man with a heart waiting to be uncovered and his boisterous neighbours are just the people to do it. The timeline and perspective switches are flawless, and getting to follow the love story from the 60’s was a delight.
A perfect piece of cozy fiction that packs a huge emotional punch.
Look for this one April 30 2024.
Thank you so much to @sourcebookscasa and @netgalley for letting me review this fantastic book.
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The Library of Borrowed Hearts by Lucy Gilmore is an adult fiction romance and a book about books that also talks about family, friendships, and life lessons. It is charming, hilarious, a moving novel about the way books bring lonely souls together, and much more. Jasper Holmes, the curmudgeon next door, is such a grumpy old man.

If you ever stumbled upon a chance to read a book that was annotated and had thoughts by someone mentioned in it, would you read them? If ever given a chance to read the same book with your partner and jot down your own respective thoughts, would you do this activity? HELL YESS, I DEFINITELY WOULD!

Our main character and librarian, Chloe Sampson, stumbled upon a book that was read and annotated long ago by two lovers, one of whom is her next-door grumpy neighbor. But there is an interesting twist to this that builds the plot of this book and adds more layers to it. At times, I struggled to like Chloe and other side characters.

The dual timeline between the past story of Jasper and his lover and the present time, where we see Chloe unravel the truth and find her own path, takes place over almost a decade. I absolutely loved the quotes and references from the classic books in this one. It's definitely worth picking it up once.

The story follows Chloe who works in a library and cares for her three younger siblings. Lots of references to literature throughout as the characters follow a developing romance in the margins of library books. While I enjoyed the novel, I found it leaned on character tropes, the grumpy neighbor, the curmudgeon librarian, etc. Perhaps in the weeds here, but as a librarian myself I couldn't identify with the grumpy head librarian who seemed to be too into cataloguing, and was confused about the description of a degree in library science being reference as a four year undergraduate degree.