“The Littlest Libray” Book Review

Title: The Littlest Library

Author: Poppy Alexandra

Date/year published: 2021

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Format: Digital, e-pub borrowed through Libby App and read on Kindle.

Why did I choose to read it:

I somehow missed the “Romance” category on the book description and thought a book about a woman turning an old phone booth into a little library sounded fun – I’m a huge fan of community little libraries and can think of three of them within walking distance of my home! For the record, I’m not against romance books, I just wasn’t expecting it.

Synopsis:

When Jess’ grandmother passes away and she looses her job as a librarian, Jess does something unpredictable – she buys a cottage in a country village and discovers she now owns a derelict phone booth as well. When she turns the phone booth into a library, the cottage begins to feel like home – she meets the villagers, learns their stories and makes friends.

Thoughts:

As I mentioned, I somehow missed that this was a romance, but it became obvious early on (spoiler) that the former cottage owner was going to play an important role in the rest of the tale. And he did.

That being said, there was so much going on in this story, the romance was just one of the subplots, albeit a major one. There were prickly petty village rivalries, angsty teens to befriend, an overwhelmed stay at home mom, a bat infestation, job hunts, and so many other small town problems happening that it was more a quaint portrayal of life in the village than a steamy romance.

The main struggle Jess faced was the situation she found herself in – unemployed, in a new home, and without her family. The day to day descriptions of her routine, setting up the library, helping her new neighbors, and redecorating or restoring her new home made for a quick read. It was lighthearted and warm with plenty of literary references. (Go figure.)

Would I re-read or recommend it?

Reread? Probably not, unless I was to compile a list of books mentioned in other books or join a book group that was reading it.

Recommend? Yes! Especially if you like bookish books, English villages, cottage core, or contemporary romances.

Interested in this book? Find it on my Bookshop.org affiliate link.