Unfortunately, I know some about Lupus and could sympathize with what Savannah was going through. Her life was well represented in this story. I would love for someone to build me a shed where I could put books and let whoever come and get what they want. How fun would that be? What a magical place Eleanor’s back yard is. This story touches on so many true to life circumstances and you might see yourself or someone you know in it. I loved it, both the story and the characters. I would love to make a return visit to catch up with them. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

This is a very sweet second chance romance set in a great location. The library garden was inspired for a main setting for this story. Savannah is dealing with a lot when she stops to visit her aunt and ends up staying for much longer. The reunion with her childhood friend Evan was sweet. The characters are all dealing with very serious challenges in their lives. I enjoyed their efforts to deal with them. The book inspired a sense of hope making it an entertaining read. I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Who wouldn't want a second chance at love with our childhood crush? Annie Rains tackles this topic with a fresh twist.

Savannah moves back to Bloom, NC after a health diagnosis that has changed her life. She spent many summers with Aunt Eleanor reading books in her library that her and her husband built so the community could enjoy. The neighbor next door, Evan, used to spend time reading books as well with Savannah, and they created a friendship and secret crush neither wanted to admit to. A storm hits the area hard and destroying some of the library that requires repairs before a wedding can take place in three weeks. Aunt Eleanor has been hiding a secret of her own as well. Charlie who is friend of Eleanor has been waiting in the wings and helping a widow out (of course hoping she will finally say yes to his advances). Evan is raising a daughter who is dealing with loss, and she is feeling a little lost as well. Will the community come together? Will Evan and Savannah find a way to start again? What about Charlie and Ellie?

This book by Annie Rains has got me hooked on Bloom, NC. This community is where I would love to live. This wonderful story about family, friendship, community and romance. I was delighted with all these characters and felt for each person's plight. I really enjoyed the later in life romance since that topic is hardly addressed in other books. Also, I was really impressed with the persons with disabilities storyline and how the author integrated that topic with these characters and how it was handled. I wanted this book to keep going. Kudos to this author, she is always a joy to read, and I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a great story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever for this Arc.

After Savannah was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, her former fiancee deiced it was all too much and left her. This also left her without a job. With limited prospects as a talented botanist, she finds herself back in Bloom with her Aunt Eleanor. Unbeknownst to her, Eleanor was still recovering from a nasty fall and needed her just as much. As Savannah settles back into Bloom for the summer, she also begins to reconnect with her neighbor and former flame, Evan and his teenage daughter. After her own recent broken heart, she is hesitant to jump back into anything, but their connection in undeniable and if Aunt Eleanor has a say about it, she’ll see to the two make their way together. However, deep down, while they all deny it, they all each other in their own separate ways.

Small Town. Second Chances. Happily Ever After. Books. Cats. This one has it all for that feel good romance. The author doesn’t shy away from the hard stuff though. You can’t help but adore all of the characters, especially Eleanor and hope that they all find their own happily ever after. I believe the is the first of a new series, so hopefully, we’ll get the chance to go back to Bloom again.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an arc of The Finders Keepers Library by Annie Rains. I tend to always pick up books about bookstores and libraries. In this book, Savannah goes to Bloom, North Carolina to stay with her aunt Eleanor for a bit, to sort out her life after a broken engagement. Her aunt Eleanor lives in this small town and has a large free library in her backyard garden and everyone is welcome to borrow from it. Romance ensues with a neighbor and prior childhood crush and also with the older aunt and her good friend. This book could easily be a hallmark movie.

Oh hey it’s meeeeeee I’m reading this for work! Aaaaaaand there's a character limit on reviews here are some more words

As a life-long book lover, how could I not fall in love with this book! Each chapter opened with a quote from a well-known book ranging from classics to contemporary novels. I found all of the characters to be likable and dealing with relatable issues. It's always a welcome bonus for me to discover a child and animals included. This was the first book I've read by Annie Rains, and I look forward to reading many more! Thanks to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing Forever and the author for an advance copy to read and review.

This book is a readers DREAM! Aunt Eleanor has a beautiful home, and a mini library called The Finders Keepers library, she has an amazing garden, she’s such a free spirit, I loved her. Then we have Savannah who us her niece, she recently got dumped by her fiancé. She goes to see her aunt for a little but and while she’s there she bumps into her forever crush Evan. UGHHHH this book was just perfection!!!!! Yes we are also dealing with starting over, and over coming fears. This book is such a sweet romance perfect for the season we are in.

Thanks Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

This is a very sweet and heartwarming story. Book lovers will love this one! There are many descriptions of books and authors throughout for bookworms to enjoy. The romance was sweet and realistic. The addition of a sassy child was excellent and made the book come alive!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This heart-warming second chance love story about hope and healing from USA Today bestselling author Annie Rains is perfect for fans of Raeanne Thayne and Jenny Hale!

For a gardener blessed with a green thumb, Savannah Collins’s life sure seems like it’s all thorns, zero roses. She has no job, no relationship, and no place to live. With nothing but a car full of plants and her new rescue kitten, Savannah heads to Bloom, North Carolina, to spend the summer with her beloved Aunt Eleanor, a retired librarian.

Her aunt shares her love of literature with the Finders Keepers Library, located in her beautiful garden, where anyone can stop by to pick a book or leave a book. When a sudden summer storm destroys the library and many of the roses, it will take a village to get everything ready for the garden wedding that is planned there in just three weeks.

As the entire town joins in to make the necessary repairs, Savannah bonds with their neighbor Evan Sanders over the books that Eleanor has handpicked for each of them, helping them both find healing and self-discovery. Savannah only intends to stay through the summer, but when an unexpected job offer, a sudden health crisis, and a wayward pre-teen push her future in new directions, she has to wonder whether this is the place that she is meant to be—and the family she’s meant to be with.
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I first discovered Annie Rains via NetGalley, and since that discovery have read a handful of her offerings and enjoyed them all. This new book, which I am excited to see is listed as the first in a new series, is potentially my favorite so far. As someone who has loved reading since my mom gifted me with my first Nancy Drew book, the cover and premise of this book was very promising. I love seeing Little Free Libraries popping up all over the place, and it seemed like Aunt Eleanor's Finders Keepers Library was just like that, but in a super-sized version. What I didn't expect was how emotional I would get throughout this entire book...I found myself rooting for every character and really hoping for the best for them. I found myself shedding tears multiple times as the story unfolded, and I do love to read a book that can bring my emotions, which I don't always keep so close to the surface, out like that. This is the perfect read for someone who is looking for a little bookish magic, some second chances at love, and, most importantly when you enjoying reading the romance genre, a HEA. For those who track these things, this is a clean romance with no NSFW bits. I can't wait to read the next book in the series!

This is a gentle genial novel of family, romance, and small town life with good characters and even better storytelling. Savannah's life has fallen apart- her fiance broken their engagement when she was diagnosed with lupus and she's unemployed-so she heads to Bloom and her beloved aunt Eleanor, who, as it turns out, has been dealing with her own health problems, both physical and mental. Boy next door Evan is now the single dad to his daughter June-and he's happy to help Savannah and Eleanor when a storm wrecks havoc on Eleanor's rose garden which is meant to be a wedding venue for another neighbor. These two rebuild the relationship they had as teens even as June is skeptical. Will a medical crisis for Savannah split them apart? And what about Eleanor and her old pal Charlie? No spoilers from me even if you'll guess the outcomes early on. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. The sort of book that's perfect for a rainy day.

The Finders Keepers Library
By Annie Rains
Pub April 16th, 2024

What a fun read about a small town second chance romance. This book has all the elements to love - Southern coming home to a sweet aunt after getting a life changing diagnosis and jumping into a project to heal your self character and a cute former heart throb. I simply adore the characters and felt like I knew each one and lived in this adorable setting. The book cover drew me in and I loved how each chapter had a quote from a book at the beginning which was a nice addition.
There is a book about community coming together with healing, rebuilding and love. This book made me feel good and gave me all the good parts of living in a small town and how people come together for the common good. The name of the community is Bloom which ties into the library and garden which is adorable. The book also takes us down the path of Savannah diagnosis of Lupus and how it is effecting her. This is something that I like seeing in a book. Being someone who lives with a disability it is nice to see how characters are portrayed and how normal life is and the diagnosis is not the center of her life. Yes, it changes how she navigates life but it doesn't define her. Bravo to Annie Rains for this insight. There is also a character who uses a wheelchair and gets married and they do discuss how to make sure she could get down the aisle.
This book was so full of lovely relationships and community that made me feel warm and fuzzy!! I love how the characters care for each other and are there when they need them Go find your next adventure in a cozy book in black and white. Grab you a copy Publish Date April 16th, 2024 for a fun read.
Thank you NetGalley & Forever Publishing for the ARC in return for my honest opinion.

Savannah and Evan met as children when she visited her aunt and uncle, who lived next door to him, every summer. They became best friends, then feelings changed but he went in to the military and she went off to college. Flash ahead many years and Sav is coming out of a broken relationship and a terminal medical diagnosis while Evan gets sole custody if his daughter after his ex wife dues from cancer.

It's a second chance summer for all of them and at the heart of the story is the backyard garden and library, an issue for Sav, her aunt Eleanor, along with Evan and his daughter June.

An uplifting story of second chances and accepting what life offers, limitations and all! Run out and grab this 5 star read!

Although I received a free ARC from Net Galley and the publisher, all thoughts and opinions are my own!

The Finders Keepers Library was such a comfort read for me. Books, plants, lending library,farmers market,love….what else could you want? I enjoyed the storyline and before I knew it I was done! I definitely recommend this book if you’re looking for something lighthearted and uplifting!
Savannah is at a crossroads in her life trying to figure out what to do with her future. She has just been diagnosed with an illness, her fiancé has called off their wedding, and she can’t seem to find a job in her field of work. She decides to, go spend the summer with her Aunt who has always been a safe place for her growing up. Having the opportunity to spend time with Aunt Eleanor getting some much needed rest and reading time hopefully inspire Savannah to make some bold choices for her future.
Savannah discovers her Aunt has been keeping a secret from her and Savannah is not sure if she feels comfortable leaving at the end of the summer. Right when Savannah arrives she runs into The now grown up and very attractive who she has fond memories of growing up. The two hit it off and pick up where they left off so long ago and spend the summer being a support system for each other. Everything seems to be falling into place and bloom is really feeling like home but Savannah has to put her health and career first and she’s not sure how all of these things go together. This summer will be one of healing for not only Savannah but all the people that she loves as well.

The Finders Keepers Library by Annie Rains is the first book in the Love in Bloom series, and I look forward to reading more.

The Finders Keepers Library is a heartwarming second-chance romance for Savannah and her Aunt Eleanor. Savannah returns to her aunt’s hometown after her fiancé breaks their engagement when she’s diagnosed with a chronic illness—lupus. She studied botany and is looking for a full-time position now that her dreams have been shattered, or have they? Her aunt is a retired librarian with a book quote for every occasion and a book list for many of the characters that hit the right notes even if they don’t initially think so. Eleanor also has the Finders Keepers Library in her backyard, which attracts neighbors and others in town to borrow a book and leave another in return. Her late husband built it and sits in her yard, surrounded by the flowers that were his passion.

The story had a good flow and held my interest throughout as we got to meet and know the characters. Savannah and Evan’s paths unexpectedly cross when Savannah shows up at her aunt’s house to visit since she no longer has a place to live or a job once her fiancé breaks up with her. She didn’t know Evan still lived next door or had a daughter. He nor her aunt knew she was coming for a visit.

Evan and June, Evan’s daughter, are both central to the story, as is Eleanor’s love interest, Charlie, his granddaughter, and her former summer best friend, Mallory. Several storylines are wrapped into the main arc and neatly threaded through the story. Evan and Savannah take one step forward and many more back, even though it seems most of the town is rooting for them. Even his daughter gets on board.

The story is told in alternating chapters by Savannah, Evan, and Eleanor, which is different than most books I read since there really are three main characters in this book. There’s also a short book quote at the start of each chapter, and it was fun to see how many of the books quoted I’ve already read or have on my radar to do so.

There’s teen angst, the loss of loved ones, ends and starts of relationships, lots of flowers and books, small town life, learning to deal with a chronic illness, romance, love and so much more. There is depth to the story and the characters if they only get out of their own way. By the end of the book, the stars align, and love is definitely in the air, with another sweet wedding taking place. There is closure with the epilogue, and I look forward to returning to Bloom repeatedly since there are many more tales to tell.

The Finders Keepers Library by Annie Rains is filled with books, book quotes, and plants of all kinds. Sit back and relax with a glass of sweet tea or another drink to your liking and savor the friendships, romances, family, and friends you meet throughout!

My review can also be found on NovelsAlive.

I rated the book 4.5 stars but rounded to 5 stars here and on other sites.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing). I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Romance, Sweet Romance
Spice Level: Kissing
Tropes: Second-chance romance
Format: 3 POV

Three-word review: heartwarming, bookish, second-chances

I was quite surprised when the older aunt had a pov in the story (that's point-of-view if you've forgotten). This is the second story I've read with a dual romance going on with the young couple and the "mature" couple. I'm wondering if this is a new trend to try to appeal to more readers. I'm okay with it—just surprised. Maybe authors realized that romance readers can be young and "mature." In this case, I thought the aunt was fun and acting age appropriate (sometimes young authors write "mature" characters as if they're 90 years old and miss the mark).

THE FINDERS KEEPERS LIBRARY is a fun read. Our three main characters are each going through life-altering events, but the book remains light. The teen with rolling eyes made me laugh—but at the same time when people were mean to her, I knew what that felt like.

The love of books is apparent in this story. I loved all the quotes at the beginnings of chapters as well as the ones doled out by characters as a way to cope with their circumstances. Books really do offer insight on living.

I like second-chance romances and Evan and Savannah are fun together. They had good couple energy without being too perfect.

Romance readers will love this book.

Happy reading!

This was a sweet story of books, growing beyond your comfort zone and not casting your perceptions onto others. I love the friendships of this book and how they grew from childhood all the way to adulthood. Some friendships are like that if you can stay in touch and in proximity to each other.

The Finders Keepers Library by Annie Rains is listed as both the first book in a new contemporary romance Love in Bloom series and also as the fifth book in the contemporary romance Somerset Lake series. Either way this one is like a lot of romance series and has a complete story within this one book and will thus likely be changing the main characters in other books of a series with the setting being what ties them together.

Savannah Collins is at a place in her life when things just don’t seem to be working out they way she’d hoped. With no job, no relationship, and no place to live Savannah decides to head to Bloom, North Carolina to spend the summer with her Aunt Eleanor who is retired and on her own while Savannah works out what is next for herself in life.

After arriving Savannah finds that her aunt desperately needs help with her garden where she keeps open her Finders Keepers Library to share her love of reading. Locals know they are welcome to come take or leave books at any time but a storm has put a damper on the garden location. Savannah dives in right away to help and soon befriends neighbor Evan Sanders who chips in to help and shares his own love of the library and reading.

The Finders Keepers Library is not the first book I’ve read by author Annie Rains so I had high hopes of enjoying it before going in. Thankfully those hopes were met with this tale of family and friendship and dealing with difficulties and disabilities in life. The characters all seemed to have their own struggles making them feel real and easy to connect with. And who wouldn’t be a little jealous of this friendly and fun setting of a neighborhood lending library in a beautiful setting. Definitely look forward to more from this author in the future.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

In exchange for the book here was my honest review.
I absolutely LOVED this book! The characters were amazing and the love story was so beautiful! The Finders Keepers Library is about a lady by the name of Eleanor who has a Finders Keepers Library in her backyard (like a Little Free Library) that the whole community loves. Eleanor's library is in her local garden and the whole community can trade, borrow, etc with the books at her library she built in her garden. Savannah the main character is back in Bloom, North Carolina to visit her Aunt Eleanor in her hometown. Savannah's fiance ends up calling off the engagement because of her chronic illness Lupus. Savannah ends up falling in love with her childhood crush Evan, who has a daughter that Savannah tries to help her because her mother is not in the picture. A storm comes through and ends up damaging the garden and the library so Evan and Savannah help save Eleanor's garden and library. While working together they learn things about each other. This small town romance is the perfect read to cozy up with. Fans of Jenny Hale will definitely LOVE this read!

When her life falls apart, Savannah finds sanctuary with her book-loving Aunt Eleanor in Bloom, North Carolina. After a storm destroys her aunt’s beloved garden and its Finders Keepers Library, the community bands together to rebuild. Through Eleanor’s books, Savannah forms an unexpected connection with her neighbor Evan, uncovering a path to healing.

What a sweet, heartfelt romance! Savannah and Evan are a lovely couple, both of them doing their best to support their loved ones. Yet they struggle to prioritize their own needs. Together, they learn to be true to themselves while still caring for their community.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.