This book is all about a book within a book and found family. It was slow placed but it felt like a hug in book form. We get perspectives in multiple timelines and viewpoints that added to the story for me and helped you get know the many characters. I liked that was a small mystery involved as it kept me intrigued to know the answer. I would read more from this author in the future.

This was a nice fast read, but it wasn’t one I’ll remember long. I didn’t really care for any of the characters, but the story was nice. And I love books about book lovers, this one just wasn’t a favorite.

I received an advanced copy from netgalley in exchange for a review and opinions are my own.

Bookish books are my favourite books.

Anything set in a library, or book store?

Gimme.

Is the main character a librarian, or an author?

Add to cart.

Was a flawless work? Nope, but I’M GRADING ON A CURVE.

I loved the tiny town setting, the platonic and not-so-platonic Grumpy-Sunshine tropes, and the diverse set of characters.

I loved the multiple timelines and multiple points-of-view (‘though, I did think some were stronger than others).

I loved the marginalia plot device, and added a few books to my TBR because of it.

My main beef was the ending. If ever a book needed an epilogue, it was this one.

Looking forward to more from Lucy Gilmore.

Thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks, and DreamScape Media for this bookish ARC.

I really wanted to love this book but found it a bit slow and tedious.
I found the plot had too many holes and left me feeling underwhelmed by the conclusion of the story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 3.5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The definition of a wholesome read. The plot was certainly something that grabbed my attention but I ended up staying for the pure sweetness some of this characters provided.

Chloe is a librarian who, while cleaning up boxes there, finds an old copy of "Tropic of Cancer" with writings on the margins. And those notes seem to be from two people. But who are they? And what happened next?

Throughout this book, the author takes you back in time to learn the story of the two mystery scribblers, while dipping back in the present to tell Chloe's story as well. A cute and heartwarming read 💜

While it took a while for the slow build of character development and setting to take place, I could absolutely see the second half of Lucy Gilmore’s novel play out like a Netflix movie. The Library of Borrowed Hearts showcases the importance of your chosen family when your biological connections are not supportive or healthy, while also working in an atypical romance. This was a quality read!

I really wanted to love this book but it was just a slow read for me. I enjoyed the characters, enough, but it never got me quickly turning pages. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you, Netgalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book has great bones. It has dynamic, enjoyable characters and an interesting plot.

But . . . .I needed more. It felt rushed, and the characters weren’t given the pages necessary to make their behaviors realistic to the reader. I feel if the author would have given an extra 100 or so pages to dive more into the characters, this would have been an easy 4 star read for me.

I liked the references of other books and the love story on the margins of pages. This is such a cute concept. I liked the grumpy neighbor and all the sass that comes with unruly adolescent neighbors.

I believe I will check out other works by this author in the future as she writes cute characters and interesting plots.

Highly recommend this one!! This is my first time reading one of their books but it won't be the last! This book sucks you in from the get-go and you will find yourself thinking about the characters long after you finish it. Do yourself a favor and get this book!!

Lucy Gilmore is now an auto buy author for me!

I loved (LOVED) The Lonely Hearts Book Club and I felt the same about The Library of Borrowed Hearts! I loved the idea of finding hidden notes in books and following a love story...how will it end?
I enjoyed the dual time lines and seeing two sides of Jasper. All the characters were wonderful and Noodle....oh Noodle! Such a sweet character. I don't know if he was intended to be on the spectrum, but as a mom to a son on the spectrum it was a joy to read a character who shared traits with my child!

Such a delightful book, I've already recommended it to several people.

5 stars

Another touching story about book lovers! This was a very creative tale told in two different generations. It is the 2nd Lucy Gilmore book I’ve read.

If you are looking to read about a love story from the 60’s, a potential love in the current day, family unbuilt and built again, then pay attention. This book is an emotional journey with sprinkles and quotes from classic and infamous books made to apply to life then and now.
It could be considered a warm hug of a book to some while to others it may be a bit too mushy. I am somewhere in the middle. I loved the concept but am a bit too cynical to enjoy it to the fullest. I also hate jumping back and forth in time, but that shouldn’t stop others from enjoying it as the book itself is wonderful.

Small-town librarian Chloe spends most of her time caring for her 3 younger siblings. One day she stumbles onto a book annotated with a young couple's love story. With the help of her best friend, a mountain man love interest, and the grumpy neighbor next door she works to unravel the mystery of their story by finding all the books they corresponded in. I enjoyed the blend of genres in this novel: part romance, part mystery, part historical fiction. As the book goes on, we get chapters from a variety of perspectives, and I appreciated the unique narrative voice and heart in each of them. The beginning was a little sad, given Chloe's circumstances, but it picked up fairly quickly, then I couldn't put it down for wanting to see what happens to these characters.

I was able to read this novel as an ARC through Net Galley.

The way this dual plot story came together at the end was sheer perfection. The story of Jasper & Catherine was über engaging as they used messages in book margins to build their relationship. Then, adding Chloe, Zach, Noodle, Theo, Trixie and Gummy Bear brought another element to the story. As Chloe & Zach uncovered the mystery the real story of Catherine & Jasper is revealed. This is a heart warming story with family drama, love story, sacrifice for family and more. What a great book!

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for a copy of this book.

📱 The Library of Borrowed Hearts 📱⁣
⁣⁣
⁣Genre- Contemporary. ⁣
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⁣Length- 368 pages. ⁣
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⁣My thoughts- The Library of Borrowed Hearts is a heartwarming tale about the power of books. Librarian Chloe Sampson is struggling with life as the legal guardian to her three younger siblings. When she finds a rare edition of an old book while cleaning the library basement, she decides to sell it- hopefully helping some with her financial woes. She soon notices it is filled with notes between a man and a women. ⁣
⁣⁣
⁣Things I enjoyed about this book:⁣
⁣- lots of talk about books! ⁣
⁣- Chloe’s complicated relationship with her grumpy, elderly neighbor. ⁣
⁣- The focus on found family and Chloe’s sacrifices to be a mother to her siblings. ⁣
⁣⁣
⁣Things I didn’t like about this book: ⁣
⁣- it moved sooooo slowly. It took me ten days to finish! I needed a faster moving plot. ⁣
⁣- A couple of the characters were selfish jerks and didn’t really apologize or have to deal with their actions. ⁣
⁣⁣
⁣I enjoyed! Three and a half stars… rounded up to four! ⁣⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thank you to @netgalley for an ARC. The Library of Borrowed Hearts is out now!

Absolutely incredible. It broke my heart, repaired it, broke it again, and I think this book will always stay there. I loved this one so much. It has a level of mystery that keeps you guessing. It has romance that I typically don’t love but this was crafted so sweetly that I couldn’t stop reading it. It wasn’t just romantic love but family, friend, community, and self love. It made me laugh, cry, and reflect on my own life. Sometimes what you have and what you need are right in front of you. Perhaps my favorite read of the year.

The Library of Borrowed Hearts had me feeling all of the emotions. Such a heartwarming and touching story, and I would highly recommend.

I received an e-galley of The Library of Borrowed Hearts by Lucy Gilmore from Sourcebooks Casablanca via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Library of Borrowed Hearts tells the stories of Chloe, a young almost-librarian, and her discovery of these love notes in old books that she finds in the library she works in. They provide a source of hope, love, and intrigue that contrasts with the reality of her life as she takes care of her three young siblings who were abandoned by their mother. As she tries to track down more books and the identities of the young couple that wrote them, she begins to build a new relationship with the cranky and elderly next door neighbour, Jasper. The parallels that she finds between her own life and that of her newest reluctant friend are ones that she can't deny as her own past comes back to confront her and secrets are revealed that will affect her and Jasper.

The two love stories in The Library of Borrowed Hearts worked in tandem to pull at my heartstrings. Both Chloe and Jasper face difficult situations that can not just be solved by pure hearts and love. There is a sense of reality that brings readers to face the inevitable truth - that love cannot always solve problems. But that love, in all its different forms, can still serve as a reminder that things can be overcome.

This was such a cute, heartwarming but also emotional book!
Filled with literary quotes and references, I found it so interesting. This was a story, within a story filled with book lovers. All the characters were so likeable and felt so real, personal favourite in the dog called Gummy Bear! I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend!
My only issue was I found the end was quite abrupt, I wanted to read more!

This was just the most wonderfully charming book! With a realistically quirky cast of characters and so much heart, this has shot to the top of my favorite books so far this year. Just a beautiful story of old heartbreak and new love, family that comes in all forms, and mending hearts back together after decades of questions.