Lynnie 
contemporary fiction
In The Library of Borrowed Hearts, Chloe works at the library, is guardian over her three younger siblings and spends most of her time trying to make ends meet for her family without making her curmudgeon of a neighbor any angrier than he already is. When Chloe finds an old, banned book while cleaning out the library's basement, she plans to sell it online to help her family's precarious financial situation. However, she soon discovers that there is more to this book than meets the eye and soon, that grumpy old neighbor is interested in buying the book, leading Chloe on a scavenger hunt to find more like it.
I read Lucy Gilmore's novel, The Lonely Hearts Book Club last year and while there are certainly some similarities between the two books (a young librarian befriends a grumpy old man), the meat of the stories are certainly different. Set in two timelines - present day and 1960 - a cast of characters whose lives are interwoven in interesting ways help bring the two storylines together. As is usually the case, I liked the present day storyline best and found myself thinking that the 1960 storyline simply went on too long.
Regardless, the cast of characters in this novel is marvelous. I particularly enjoyed Chloe's meddlesome siblings who were filled with heart, drama, and mischief and were completely lovable. Chloe, her potential love interest Zach, best friend Pepper and of course, grumpy neighbor Jasper are all entertaining and interesting. I enjoyed the hunt for the older books and the new information that came with them. I generally did not like 1960s Catherine, but I understood her point in the story and that her actions were the result of her time.
I was not surprised by the "reveal" part of the story, nor do I think anyone who has read enough light romance will either. Every character is put on the page for a reason, it's just a matter of finding the connection. Knowing what was coming didn't ruin my enjoyment in any way though. Also, any book that uses the word "marginalia" is likely a winner in my opinion. Lucy Gilmore doesn't just use the word in The Library of Borrowed Hearts, she bases major plot points on the marginalia.
I read the book and listened to the audiobook at the same time, which is becoming a real habit for me. I particularly enjoyed the second half of the audiobook when more narrators joined in. Read by Leanne Woodward, Aven Shore, Joe Jameson and Bob Ball, all did an excellent job & I give the ensemble an A. However, I ADORED whomever read Noodle's chapters and think that, in general, all the male-dominant chapters (Noodle, Zach and Jasper) had stronger narration than the female-dominant chapters.
If you enjoyed The Lonely Hearts Book Club or are looking for a fun, light read, you'll enjoy spending time in The Library of Borrowed Hearts.
I read Lucy Gilmore's novel, The Lonely Hearts Book Club last year and while there are certainly some similarities between the two books (a young librarian befriends a grumpy old man), the meat of the stories are certainly different. Set in two timelines - present day and 1960 - a cast of characters whose lives are interwoven in interesting ways help bring the two storylines together. As is usually the case, I liked the present day storyline best and found myself thinking that the 1960 storyline simply went on too long.
Regardless, the cast of characters in this novel is marvelous. I particularly enjoyed Chloe's meddlesome siblings who were filled with heart, drama, and mischief and were completely lovable. Chloe, her potential love interest Zach, best friend Pepper and of course, grumpy neighbor Jasper are all entertaining and interesting. I enjoyed the hunt for the older books and the new information that came with them. I generally did not like 1960s Catherine, but I understood her point in the story and that her actions were the result of her time.
I was not surprised by the "reveal" part of the story, nor do I think anyone who has read enough light romance will either. Every character is put on the page for a reason, it's just a matter of finding the connection. Knowing what was coming didn't ruin my enjoyment in any way though. Also, any book that uses the word "marginalia" is likely a winner in my opinion. Lucy Gilmore doesn't just use the word in The Library of Borrowed Hearts, she bases major plot points on the marginalia.
I read the book and listened to the audiobook at the same time, which is becoming a real habit for me. I particularly enjoyed the second half of the audiobook when more narrators joined in. Read by Leanne Woodward, Aven Shore, Joe Jameson and Bob Ball, all did an excellent job & I give the ensemble an A. However, I ADORED whomever read Noodle's chapters and think that, in general, all the male-dominant chapters (Noodle, Zach and Jasper) had stronger narration than the female-dominant chapters.
If you enjoyed The Lonely Hearts Book Club or are looking for a fun, light read, you'll enjoy spending time in The Library of Borrowed Hearts.
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