I don’t normally jive with romances, as you all know by now, but once in a while I do enjoy picking one up if it has other things that appeal to me about the story. Being an admitted bibliophile, any book that is about readers will automatically pique my interest, and if the story also sounds passable, it will hold it. This was one such book, and I’m glad for the bookish hook. It’s the story of Jess, who has just lost her beloved grandmother, Mimi and her job as a librarian. She is lost, knowing she needs to move on but with no idea how – or where – to. When she comes across rundown Ivy Cottage in a small village, she is inexplicably drawn to it and puts in an offer to buy it without thought, any idea what she’s getting into, or a plan.
When she gets the cottage, she is suddenly the newest member of a thriving small town community full of interesting and quirky characters and lots of small dramas. Things become even more complicated and confusing when Jess starts getting to know the previous owner of the cottage – Aidan. He’s grumpy (she had an altercation with him on her first visit to the cottage, unbeknownst to her) and prickly, but the two are continuously brought into contact – he is the one she bought the cottage from, he’s the local bat tracker who must be called on when she discovers some unexpected roommates, he’s the local handyman…. it seems the two cannot avoid each other.
Aidan is in the midst of his own mucky separation, and is the father of a wonderfully precocious teenaged girl who is the most important part of his life. Jess doesn’t know any of this at the beginning, and some predictable drama ensues when she begins to feel stirrings of attraction to him, only to have his ex-wife zoom back into the picture unexpectedly. It’s a romance novel, so there’s got to be some drama, right?
But there’s also a lot of really lovely heartwarming moments. Jess decides to use the abandoned phone booth at the bottom of her driveway to begin a little free library with the books from the collection she inherited from Mimi. This brings her in contact with a wide selection of town residents – some thrilled to have access to reading materials, some staunchly opposed to this use of the facility. She makes some close friends who help her navigate her new community and her grief, and who she in turn offers friendship and advice. Before long she is part of this town, for better or worse, even if her relationship to Aidan is anything but sorted.
I enjoyed this book a fair amount, much more than I expected to. Some of the elements were a bit trying (this is common when I’m reading romance, so don’t take that as a knock against the book – I’m just a bit too cynical for my own good), the relationship complexities were a bit overwrought at times, but aside from that it worked. As far as romance novels go, this was a relatively successful one (even if my cynical side remained staunchly aloof at times). I fell in love with the town, I loved the friendships and the different characters who inhabited these pages. I loved Jess’s cottage and could feel its cosy, snug walls around me as I read. I could smell the scent of flowers on the air and see the beautiful countryside as the seasons rolled by. It was evocative and the perfect book to read when you’re looking for something that will make you feel warm and safe. I’d love to move into a nearby cottage and visit the littlest library myself!
A heartwarming literary-themed novel about a woman who turns an ordinary red phone box into the littlest library in England and brings together a struggling town.
A little red telephone box full of stories, a chance to change her life…
Jess Metcalf is perfectly content with her quiet, predictable life. But when her beloved grandmother passes away and she loses her job at the local library, Jess’ life is turned upside down.
Determined to pick up the pieces, Jess decides it’s time for a new beginning. Unable to part with her grandmother’s cherished books, she packs them all up and moves to a tiny cottage in the English countryside. To her surprise, Jess discovers that she’s now the owner of an old red phone box that was left on the property. Missing her job at the local library, Jess decides to give back to her new community–using her grandmother’s collection to turn the ordinary phone box into the littlest library in England.
It’s not long before the books are borrowed and begin to work their literary magic–bringing the villagers together… and managing to draw Jess’ grumpy but handsome neighbor out of his shell.
Maybe it’s finally time for Jess to follow her heart, let go of her old life, and make the village her home? But will she be able to take the leap? – Goodreads
Book Title: The Littlest Library
Author: Poppy Alexander
Series: No
Edition: Audiobook
Published By: Avon
Released: March 18, 2021
Genre: Fiction, Romance, Small Town, Books, Friendship
Pages: 320
Date Read: July 30-August 6, 2023
Rating: 6/10
Average Goodreads Rating: 3.68/5 (8,026 ratings)