Plot:

An uplifting story about fresh starts, new beginnings and the power of stories, from the bestselling author of Rosie’s Travelling Tea Shop!
When Elodie applies for the job of librarian in peaceful Willow Grove, she’s looking forward to a new start. As the daughter of a media empire, her every move has been watched for years, and she longs to work with the thing she loves most: books.

It’s a chance to make a real difference too, because she soon realises that there are other people in Willow Grove who might need a fresh start – like the homeless man everyone walks past without seeing, or the divorcée who can’t seem to escape her former husband’s misdeeds.

Together with local journalist Finn, Elodie decides these people have stories that need sharing. What if instead of borrowing books readers could ‘borrow’ a person, and hear the life stories of those they’ve overlooked?

But Elodie isn’t quite sharing her whole story either. As the story of the library’s new success grows, will her own secret be revealed?

Review:

I have a novel by Rebecca on the top of my TBR pile at the moment actually! So when I received her newest one as my beginner novel instead I was happily pleased.

Let’s say the momentum for reading this particular novel continued from there onwards.

As a book lover, how could one resist reading a novel about a library? Saving one as well.

Willow Grove sounds as cosy as it is written. Except for one thing, a lot of the villagers living there are stuck in their old minded traditional ways as they are so judgmental. For example; A pizza shop got remodelled to be more modern with the times and they refuse to go in there, come on.

It is like Chinese whispers around the place, I mean, a man you marry does not mean you can predict his every move, people have poor judgement and are good at manipulating does not mean you judge the wife that has been abandoned.

When we were given the description of Elodie’s mum I was half thinking it was about my own. But no, this one is far worse. Controlling her diets when she’s a complete adult with her own mind it is no wonder she wanted to escape from the lifestyle she had.

When Elodie goes to work at the library to save it from being closed down, her only other colleague is this downer named Maisie. All she did was complain and be lazy and she was very judgmental especially of poor Harry. Yet throughout all of this, Elodie still tries to see the best in every single person which I really admire. She is the least judgmental person for a novel I have read this year.

Listening to every ‘Library Book’s’ story was just something else. Understanding what they all went through and their true intentions. Oh, little Alphie he is extraordinary indeed.

I loved being on this journey with Elodie and I recommend that if you love a feel-good read in a small town then this novel is for you.

5/5 Stars