Thank you Lucy Gilmore and Sourcebooks for this ARC! I wouldn’t say that this is anything like A.J Fikry other than there being kids and books as a main concept in it? But the concept of this was super cute! I enjoyed listening to it!

Catherine was kinda annoying though. I don’t agree with like 90% of the decisions she made — she seemed to be like 10 different personality depending on who the narrator was.

I wish the switching of POVs was more frequent, I like forgot Chloe existed for like 20% of the book

First of all, Catherine is a selfish prat. Jasper was and is to good for her. Faking her own death!? Seriously! And the way she's just forgiven. Jasper deserved the world and she stole it.

Chloe just kinda gave up in life at the age of 24. Letting her job walk all over her. Each kid is so unique, they felt unreal as characters. Their mom is a character that need not have been in the book. In fact, the mom should be in jail for abandonment.

Overall, this book has a ton of potential.

When library assistant Chloe begins to weed a basement of old books, she stumble across a classic that could fetch a pretty penny, even with it's blemishes. Little does she know, this book hold a lot more secrets and connections to those around her than she could ever imagine. With a curmudgeon neighbor, three younger siblings she is the guardian of, and the handsome military survival trainer, Chloe learns about family, love, loss, and where she belongs.

I will begin with the story, I really liked it! I thought it was fun and I always enjoy seeing an old, bitter person showing some heart, especially to those who need to see and experience it. The beginning of novel is mostly seen through flash backs between the 1960s when the notes in the book were written and current day. Seeing through Chloe's now and Catherine's in the past. Then the author began to introduce several other characters points of view. This is where I started to, not dislike, but lose some interest. Once you start seeing through everyone's eyes, it turns into telling everyones individual emotions and thoughts on the situation, instead of being able to capture it through how they behave through the other characters eyes. To me, it loses some of its charm. It went from Chloe and Catherine, to Noodle and curmudgeon neighbor now to back then, to handsome survival trainer, back to Catherine. The only eyes you don't see through are some more minor characters. In the end, too much telling and not enough showing. (Story itself: 4 stars)

Now the narration, I enjoyed it when it was just two people, but then once multiple points of views and voices came in, I didn't enjoy the story and definitely not the narration. All of the voices of the characters kept changing depending on whose point of view you were in. Not that they didn't do a good job, I really liked the narration of Noodle and Chloe. The past narrations of Catherine were good too. But overall, too many narrators especially near the end made it a bit unenjoyable. (Audio reading: 2.5-3 stars)

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for this ARC. I had seen it on a list for possible Book Club options in 2024, hints my interest since i run our Parent Book Club. I would still consider it, but would definitely choose to read the book.... I think I might have enjoyed it a lot more than the audio version.

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 Dreamscape Media for the ARC to review

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.

Thanks NetGalley for the audio book! I really enjoyed this. Chloe is a very lovely character and I was intrigued from chapter 1 of what was going to happen. Here and there the plot did stagnate in my opinion, but just a little bit. Enough was going on for me to keep on reading. I love her relationship with her three siblings and the book references are *insert chef's kiss* :)

Shortly said... I enjoyed it very much and can't wait to discover more of Lucy's books.

The plotline is quite interesting and it's fast-paced too thus i finished it quickly and even loved it for the same reason! The characters were beautifully penned down and each had been given sufficient scope to contribute to the plotline.

This. Book. Made. Me. Cry.

It was an emotional journey from start to finish and it was so fresh and different from what I typically read.

I loved the flashbacks to the past and the multiple POVs were done so well, the use of multiple narrators made this a must read as an audiobook.

Some of the characters were definitely more likable than others, but I will say that they felt authentic. People are flawed, and they make mistakes and bad choices, and at the end of the day, things ended up as they should.

Thank you so much to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this ALC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to @Netgalley and @DreamscapeMedia for the Audiobook ARC. I could not stop listening to this amazing found family audio. Chole is trying to keep her brothers and sister together after her mom has deserted them and she has to quit college, where she was studying to be a Librarian. She does have a job working in a Library, where she comes across a banned book that has been written in. She finds that the book is a conversation between to lovers from the 60's and this begins her journey to learn more about this couple and her future. Loved this book so much.

The Library of Borrowed Hearts is a lovely, entertaining, story of a young woman left to care for her younger siblings instead of finishing her degree. I listened to the audio version of this, so to avoid misnaming characters when I have no reference I will just say that she finds a book with notes in the margins that fascinate her. Along the way, she must deal with the nasty neighbor who won't return her younger brother's balls, frisbees, etc. An elderly bulldog who prefers not to be trained by the same younger brother. A sister who is smart as a whip, pretty and very angry. A rigid rule bound boss with a heart of gold. A best friend whose grandmother is a character. The usual small town sense that everyone knows their business. And more books with that same handwriting and what does that mean. The narration was excellent, the story fun from beginning to end.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ This is my second of Lucy Gilmore's books and they just feel good. There is suspense in understanding the characters and she includes twists in the stories but without any anxiety involved. This one was a little steamier than her last and even though I'd say it is a Romance there is such depth and breadth in the cast of characters that it seems fuller than typical genres. The audiobook also features a whole cast of narrators, which is fun.

Read if you like:
•Forbidden Love
•Meddling families
•Second Chance
•Impossible Love

🌶️🌶️- A little steam, but not too much IMO.

I love books about books and this one really tugged at my heartstrings. As an only child, I especially loved the bond that the Sampson siblings shared. Curmudgeonly neighbor Jasper stole my heart despite his brittle approach in the beginning. Loved the small town dynamics and of course the mystery of the notes written in the margins of the books from the library. It was a perfect touch to have different narrators for the various characters. I enjoyed them all and thought they didna wonderful job of sharing the unique personalities.

This book is so well written. From the very first page, you care so much about every single character, everyone is written in a way where you totally understand who they are and their motivations behind everything they do. The only character that you aren’t completely sure about is because of a secret in the story, and even that is really well done.

I really enjoyed the parallel timelines in this book, and the ways that everything was woven together. It was beautiful, even in the tragic moments, and the tragedies made the happy moments feel so much sweeter.

This is an excellent book.

A story that spans over six decades, with love, books, and a grumpy neighbor - this is an excellent read for anyone who loves books about books. The story revolves around two lovers in the 1960s who share their love for classic books and each other by writing notes in the margins and exchanging the books. Chloe finds one of those rare books with the notes and is intrigued when her grumpy neighbor offers to buy it. In the midst of taking care of her siblings, after her mom left, she embarks on a mission to discover what happened to the young lovers and how her neighbor is involved.

The book offers multiple perspectives and beautifully alternates between the 1960s love story and present-day, making it a page-turner. The narration is fantastic, with each character's voice coming to life, from the ten-year-old to the eighty-year-old. The characters' flaws make them more real and relatable, and the ending, though not a fairytale, is an honest portrayal of life.

One of the most memorable quotes from the book is, "The thing I've always loved most about books is how it is possible to live a thousand different lives." It is a beautiful reminder of how books can transport us to different worlds and give us a glimpse into other people's lives.

Overall, "The Library of Borrowed Hearts” is a book that will stay with you long after you've finished reading it. It is a compelling story that will appeal to anyone who loves books, romance, and a mystery to unravel. So, if you're looking for your next read, pick up this book and immerse yourself in a world of love, books, and a grumpy neighbor.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media and the author for the gifted audiobook.

Loved every minute.

Chloe is on the struggle bus. Called back from college she's taking care of three rowdy but lovely siblings since they're Mom left them high and dry. She gets a job their local library and stumbled upon a very old copy of Tropic of Cancer in the basement. Curious, she starts to read the scandalous tale only to find several notes in the margins - back and forth - love notes. Even MORE curious is when her cranky neighbor Jasper offers her a blank check to take it off her hands.

Literary scavenger hunt. Multiple POV. Two romances. Strong family bonds. This book is why I love to read.

The audio was fantastic. I loved the story so so much. Found family is one of my favorite tropes! The romance, the dual timeline, the multiple pov - loved it all!

If you’re looking for a sweet, emotional love story that will make you re-evaluate the idea of a happy ending, look no further than The Library of Borrowed Hearts. It gave the vibes of the best sort of Hallmark movie love story. It also helps that I’m a sucker for books about books. The interwoven time lines brings an added element to keep you invested in seeing where the story is going. I absolutely loved the idea of seeing how a love story plays out in the margins of various books. In fact learning Jasper and Catherine’s back story was my favorite aspect. There were unexpected tidbits like how Catherine loved the thriller/horror genre and Jasper being the hopeless romantic that got you invested in their story. I did find the story to be predictable at times. However, instead of making the story feel stagnant, it gave the story a comforting feel.

I was fortunate enough to experience the audiobook for this story. Having multiple different narrators execute the story was immensely helpful for distinguishing the different POVs and timelines. There was a lot happening in this book that I believe would’ve been difficult to convey using only one narrator. Beyond helping differentiate characters, the narrators really brought the story to life by injecting emotion into their specific portions. I recommend checking out the audiobook for the story.

This was such a beautiful and heartwarming story. I liked The Lonely Hearts Book Club but I think I enjoyed this book even more.

I was captivated by this book from the beginning. I loved the library and small town setting. I think Lucy does such a good job of creating a feeling of intimacy with her writing. At first I wasn’t sure how I felt about having multiple charters POVs but in the end I really enjoyed it. The different perspectives help create a compelling and complete story. I enjoyed the dual timeline and seeing the parallels between Chloe and Jaspers life’s. I loved the theme of unconditional love throughout this book, even when circumstances and decisions weren’t desired.

My only complaint is that I thought the ending was abrupt and left me with questions. I think I would have appreciated if there was an epilogue at the end of the story.

The full cast of narrators helped bring this audiobook to life! It also helped me connect to each of the characters.

This story was filled with heartache but also so much love. I would definitely recommend this sweet book about love and found family.

Easy read that gets you hooked quickly. Finished it in just 2 days. Loved the concept. Characters were well written and relatable. A book that is light hearted but also makes you think.

♡ Audiobook & eBook Review ♡
4.5 ⭐️ Rounded to 5 ⭐️
•Star-crossed Lover
•Duel Timeline
•Duel POV
This is my first book by Lucy Grimore, and I will be reading more of her work.
This book was everything and more. It will give you all the emotions.
The narrators Leanne Woodward, Aven Shore, Joe Jameson, and Bob Ball they did a phenomenal job bringing this beautiful story alive.
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Chloe has been struggling to find ends meet and literally take care of her three younger siblings. Chloe found a rare edition of a book from the 1960s at the local flea market. Only to be shocked when her cranky hermit of a neighbor swoops in and offers to buy it for an exorbitant price. Intrigued, Chloe takes a closer look at the book only to find notes scribbled in the margins between two young lovers back when the book was new…one of whom is almost definitely Jasper Holmes, her neighbor.
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♤ Release April.30 ♤
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Thank you, Netgalley and Dreamscape Media, and Sourcebook casablanca, the ALC (audiobook), and eArc for my honest review.