The Library of Borrowed Hearts by Lucy Gilmore Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca on April 30, 2024
Genres: Coming Of Age, Women's Friendship Fiction
Pages: 368
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
Buy on Amazon/Bookshop.org
A.J. Fikry meets The Bookish Life of Nina Hill in this charming, hilarious, and moving novel about the way books bring lonely souls together.
Librarian Chloe Sampson has been struggling: to take care of her three younger siblings, to find herself, to make ends meet. She's just about at the end of her rope when she stumbles across a rare edition of a book from the 1960s at the local flea market. Deciding it's a sign of her luck turning, she takes it home with her―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, the curmudgeon next door.
And when she begins following the clues left behind, she discovers this isn't the only old book in town filled with their romantic marginalia. This kickstarts a literary scavenger hunt that Chloe is determined to see through to the end. What happened to the two tragic lovers who corresponded in the margins of so many different library books? And what does it have to do with the old, sad man next door―who only now has begun to open his home to Chloe and her siblings? In a romantic tale that spans the decades, Chloe discovers that there's much more to her neighbor than meets the eye. And in allowing herself to accept the unexpected friendship he offers, she learns that some love stories begin in the unlikeliest of places.
My Thoughts
The Library of Borrowed Hearts is a sweet story that unites two solitary hearts through the love for books and surprising finds in the margins. When protagonist Chloe Sampson finds a rare 1960s book at the flea market, she cannot care for her three younger siblings. Curious about the notes between two young lovers written in the margins, she discovers one of them is possibly her cranky neighbor, Jasper Holmes.
This sends Chloe on a mission to discover the names of lovers who wrote in the margins of library books more than half a century ago. What became of these two unfortunate lovers? And what does it concern her lonely, miserable neighbor? In addition, as Chloe continues the literary scavenger hunt, she also keeps befriending Jasper, who turns out to have a deeper personality than one would think.
This delightful, funny, and touching tale connects the unlikeliest people through a shared love for books. The marginalia mystery gives the story so much energy; while trying to connect with Jasper, it is full of heart. Therefore, Chloe discovers that some love stories start in places she never imagined. Humorously and emotionally, Gilmore tells a romantic tale that transcends generations to show the book’s ability to unite people far apart and heal. The Library of Borrowed Hearts is a book that every reader will relate to.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.
About Lucy Gilmore
Lucy Gilmore is a celebrated novelist in a wide range of genres, including literary fiction, contemporary romance, and cozy mystery. She began her reading (and writing) career as an English literature major and ended as a book lover without all those pesky academic papers attached.
She lives in Spokane, WA with her family.
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