The Library of Borrowed Hearts (Lonely Hearts)
A.J. Fikry meets The Bookish Life of Nina Hill in this charming, hilarious, and moving novel about the way books bring lonely souls together.
Two young lovers. Sixty long years. One bookish mystery worth solving.
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. 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.
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Community Reviews
I feel like my review isn't totally honest because I listened to this as an audiobook, since I refuse to accept that my attention deficit CANNOT deal. My mind kept wandering even though the narrators were lively. (This is a personal problem.)
I got the basic gist of the story but this book didn't wrench at my heart like Gilmore's other book, The Lonely Hearts Book Club did. Note to self: stop listening to books.
This sends Chloe on a mission to discover the names of lovers who wrote in the margins of library books more than half a century ago. What became of these two unfortunate lovers? And what does it concern her lonely, miserable neighbor? In addition, as Chloe continues the literary scavenger hunt, she also keeps befriending Jasper, who turns out to have a deeper personality than one would think.
This delightful, funny, and touching tale connects the unlikeliest people through a shared love for books. The marginalia mystery gives the story so much energy; while trying to connect with Jasper, it is full of heart. Therefore, Chloe discovers that some love stories start in places she never imagined. Humorously and emotionally, Gilmore tells a romantic tale that transcends generations to show the bookâs ability to unite people far apart and heal. The Library of Borrowed Hearts is a book that every reader will relate to.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.
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