I wasn’t even done with The Library of Borrowed Hearts when I knew I had to get a copy for my mom. This gave me Lulu Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books vibes. This multiple perspective novel will sweep you away with rich character work. Keep reading this book review of The Library of Borrowed Hearts for my full thoughts.
Summary
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.
When she begins following the clues left behind, she discovers this isn’t the only old book in town filled with 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 and heart to Chloe and her siblings?
In a romantic tale that spans the decades, Chloe discovers that there’s much more to her grouchy old 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.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
The Library of Borrowed Hearts is perfect for those who love grouchy men with soft hearts, the romantic notion of falling in love through books, and a family trying to get by. The multiple narrators are perfect as The Library of Borrowed Hearts zooms out. It begins as a story about a found book falling into Chloe’s life. And then it turns into a story about reconciliation, love, and family. Can we live happily ever after? What happens after we close the book? The Library of Borrowed Hearts is full of people who defy expectations. It has all these chapters from the past which not only increase the mystery, but also the angst as we witness the car crash in real time.
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Every chapter I was more and more obsessed. These characters had a way of being intriguing and worming their way into our hearts. There’s such rich character work as we get under their skin, to see their inner workings and secrets. With plenty of character foils and mirrors, I couldn’t stop listening to The Library of Borrowed Hearts. If you love a fiction story with plenty of angst, complex families which test us, and asking if a great love story is just destined for the pages of a book, pick this one up! Find The Library of Borrowed Hearts on Goodreads, Storygraph, Bookshop. org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.