Book Review: The Littlest Library

The Littlest Library by Poppy Alexander ~ 336 pages ~ to be published July 19, 2022 by Avon Books

Goodreads Synopsis:

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?

What I Thought:

*I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Avon Books for this ARC!*

This was a really cute read! If you are into books about books, cozy British village life, slow-burn romance and books about finding yourself, then this is the book for you!

I was really into the setting of this book! I felt like the author really painted a vivid picture of this sweet little British village. I could envision the cottage, the red telephone box library, the pond, the village square, the school. It was well described without being overly descriptive. I got a super nostalgic feeling for my vacation to England a few years ago.

The characters were interesting. I really liked some of the side characters more than the main character though, which was a little disappointing. Jess was certainly relatable, but I also felt like she kept getting in her own way. This was kind of frustrating to me. I know that people do that in real life all the time, but this kind of book seems more like a break from reality to me, rather than an ode to the human condition, if that makes sense. I liked Diana and Mungo, I want to be friends with them!

The little library part of the story was fun, and I enjoyed seeing how it began to bring the community together. This book felt a bit like a love story to libraries and how they can morph and change, depending on what the community needs. I loved that.