This book grabbed my attention from the beginning. It is a dual timeline story starting with an intriguing mystery. A written conversation is found among the margins of an old library book by a part-time library employee, Chloe. Chloe is barely getting by and trying to keep her quirky, lovable family together while postponing her dreams. It was full of classic literary references and the characters were endearing and well rounded.
It’s a wonderful tale about love and family and the sacrifices people will make for those they love.
Thank you Net Galley for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

I love this book as much as Lucy Gilmore's first one. A book about books - Yes! The stories were interesting and came together nicely, and although the characters were flawed at times, they were still likable. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

"The Library of Borrowed Hearts" is a novel that promises an enchanting journey through the power of love and literature. Unfortunately, while the premise held potential, the execution left much to be desired.

One of the biggest drawbacks of this book is its pacing. From the very beginning, the narrative unfolds at an excruciatingly slow pace, making it difficult for readers to become fully immersed in the story. While a leisurely pace can sometimes enhance the reading experience, in this case, it feels more like a slog, with little payoff for the time invested.

I was so excited to read this book. It did give me all of the cozy vibes that I enjoy in a book. The ending was cut short and wrapped up really quickly and I would have loved a longer ending to this book and better explained.

I stopped reading at ~40%. I really loved the premise of this book and was interested by the Title, Cover, and Description. However, from the beginning I couldn’t stand the main character, Chloe Sampson. I found her character really grating and annoying, I hated the name Noodle, and I just was not invested in her storyline. I was initially interested in Catherine and Jasper’s story but not enough to withstand the chapters with Chloe or keep interested in the book. I’ve otherwise enjoyed books with unlikeable main characters, however that was not really the case for this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 ⭐️

I loved the premise of this one, especially the notes in the margins, the multiple storylines, and the sibling dynamic. I also thought the reference to her other book was cute and cheeky.

But for me the literary references got a bit repetitive, I struggled with a couple of the characters, and there was a trope I don’t love. Also the last 20% or so felt underwhelming.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

My second Lucy Gilmore read, and I loved it just as much as the first. I saw another reader say her books feel like getting a big, warm hug. I have to say that I totally agree. Her books are an ode to romantic love as well as to a love of books and libraries. Are the characters/situations similar to Lonely Hearts Book Club? Absolutely - but they still work. They're the same in that they evoke the same feelings, and the characters are similar - the good-hearted library employee, the grumpy old curmudgeon with a secret love story in his past, and the strapping young romantic hero. Gilmore admits it in the book even, brilliantly throwing in a reference to her previous book also containing the grouchy curmudgeon character. It's a testament to her that the similarities are welcome because they're what I love about her stories.

Whimsical but still grounded in plausibility, The Library of Borrowed Hearts is a warm hug of a book about family, love, and finding one's purpose. It is about living truthfully, rather than trying to live up to others' or society's expectations. It is about making hard decisions.
Told across two timelines that eventually converge, I appreciated the mirroring in the relationships across the eras, the characters who were alike despite the age gap, but who also had to confront their own preconceived notions of one another. And the twist-- how did I not see that coming!? I can't say for sure whether Gilmore was that crafty, or whether I was on another planet, because it was so obvious in hindsight. But regardless, I was pleasantly surprised when it snuck up on me.

"Like opening the cover of a book for the first time, it was the sensation of the world opening up before me." The Library of Borrowed Hearts is a sweet story of small town families who struggle to learn their place in the world. The tenuous relationships between lovers, siblings, and parents is well-explored in this novel. Chloe and Jasper are beautifully written.

Chloe works as an assistant in the local library where she's almost a librarian... But isn't. She had to drop out of university when her mother abandoned her three younger siblings. She's now their legal guardian and struggles to make ends meet. One day she finds writing in an older book that is a conversation, a romantic one, between two people. She figures out that one of the people is her grumpy old neighbor and makes it her mission to figure out who "C" is. A fantastic read!!

Review: The Library of Borrowed Hearts by Lucy Gilmore

The Library of Borrowed Hearts is a beautiful and intriguing tale of doomed love and found family.

I’m not sure if it’s possible to tell you how much I loved this story. It was a fabulous mix of plot-based intrigue and lovingly developed characters that steal your heart.

Chloe has returned to work at the Colville library after abandoning her degree in library science to take care of her siblings who have been abandoned by their mother. She works hard and protects her heart. Her grumpy next door neighbour isn’t any help either, he just continues to steal their frisbees when they fall into his lush garden. But things get interesting when Chloe finds a banned library book with a couple corresponding in the margins, which Jasper wants to buy — at any cost.

What is the secret behind Jasper’s off-putting demeanour? Why does he want the book so much? Who is the couple in its pages? And who is this handsome stranger that flirts with Chloe in the stacks?

So many questions that can only be answered when you pick up this delightful story. A perfect pick for readers who love found family, and books like The Last Chance Library by Freya Sampson or The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman.

I really enjoyed this. Her books are definitely what I consider to be cozy and heartwarming books. It had a great group of characters although I wasn’t the biggest fan of Catherine. I found Chloe to be relatable and I enjoyed the dynamic of her and her siblings and with Jasper as well.

I enjoyed the dual timeline and the changing POV as I felt that kept it interesting. I also enjoyed the setting of the library and Washington. A fun heartwarming read for sure!

Will post my review on Goodreads on April 1st, 2024.

two romances in one book, with a dual timeline and a love of books this book was truly a book lovers dream.

I loved this book! The description grabbed me immediately. It was super cute and a “lighter” read which I loved, will be recommending to my friends!

I was happy to have received this e-arc for review! My favorite character was Jasper— mainly because my grandpa loved gardening just like he does. Jasper is the opposite of him in that he’s cranky and grumpy.

The beginning and middle of this book was a tad slow. . There were also so many POV switches, which could add to a little confusion.

The romance felt a bit underwhelming. The references to classic literature was fun to read but overall this was not for me.

This book pulls the reader in and keeps them until the end. The literary quotes throughout the book added another layer to it. The romance and mystery throughout the book kept me turning the pages. There were so many characters that I liked but especially the three kids and Jasper. There is a little spiciness and swearing in the book.

Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.

This is such a cute concept. I love books that are based in bookstores, libraries, cafes, and other cozy places. I found that the setting created the perfect environment for me to love these characters and follow their stories. Gilmore has a great way with words and I find that I was smiling throughout much of the book because it made me feel good to read about these characters I can relate to and see them interact with an environment that I love

Chloe works in a library, and is also supporting her three younger siblings. She always needs more money, so she is thrilled to find a rare first edition book at the library book sale. Oddly, her eccentric next door neighbor offers to buy it from her for a crazy-high price. That leads to her getting to know him better, as the book begins a relationship. A fun, heartwarming story.

3.5/5. I love any story about libraries and books. This one pulled at my hearstrings with the librarian references and literary love story. Every time I read a librarian joke I had to chuckle because Lucy Gilmore conveyed the nuance perfectly. Being an introverted librarian/bibliophile, I could easily identify with Jasper and his preference of expressing his emotions with the written word rather than verbally. His relationship with Noodle was heartfelt and I could have read more chapters about that. It wasn't always easy to resonate with Catherine, and it wasn't until the end of the book that I grew to respect her more as a character. Maybe it's because I indentify more with people like Jasper, but I wish there had been a bit more embellishing on her empathy rather than her vigor.

4.5 stars rounded up

I really did love this book! It started very interesting and I was enthralled by the entire Jasper & Catherine storyline. There was a section in the middle where the story dragged a little bit for me, but other than that small bit - this was fantastic! I loved the story, the jasper character and the ending. So sweet, definitely made me tear up and the ending was realistic. Well done!

Advanced reader copy from NetGalley + Sourcebooks Casablanca but all opinions are my own.