Review: The Little Library on Cherry Lane

Title: The Little Library on Cherry Lane

Author: Katie Ginger

Publisher: 11th March 2022 by HQ

Pages: 384 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: romance, contemporary

My Rating:  4 cups

Synopsis:

Elsie Martin may lead a quiet life, but working in her beloved local library is enough to make her happy. After all, books have always been her armour against the world. So when the library is threatened with closure to make way for a new housing development, Elsie knows it has to be saved – and that, despite being painfully shy, she needs to lead the campaign to save it.

Jacob Yardley thinks he’s doing the right thing by building a new affordable housing development. Why shouldn’t local people be able to buy a house in the place they grew up? Having to leave his own small hometown broke his heart. Plus, people don’t really use libraries anymore, do they?

As Elsie and Jacob clash over the future of the library, sparks begin to fly. Jacob is falling back in love with books and libraries – could he possibly be falling for her too? And will Elsie be able to save the library that means so much to her?

My Thoughts

‘Books and the library had always been her sanctuary. They made her feel safe and secure when the rest of the world proved too much.’

The Little Library on Cherry Lane is a joy to read being a love story to books and libraries. Yes, once again I delve into all things bookish but this time around with an added bonus of a special homage to local libraries and the attributes they bring to the community. Set it in a tiny, rural village in the English countryside, removed from the modern world, it is pure delight. 

Of course this is a romance - enemies to lovers - with all the necessary ingredients associated with that trope. What attracted me to this book was the focus on a local library - a place, generally speaking, where you are most likely to find book clubs, toddler/children events, coffee mornings and overall a hub to gather for the local community. Katie brings to the fictional Meadowbank library a great cast of characters who each bring something to make readers both smirk or smile. 

‘Like I said in the meeting. This isn’t about books and bricks and mortar. This is about people and belonging and support and care. The library is so much more than books. Why can’t you see that?’

This book truly highlights just how important a library is to a local community and I’m not talking solely for the primary purpose of book lending. A library often evolves into a place for people to connect and learn, to gather and communicate, to find your tribe. The conflict over the library closure for land needed for affordable housing made for a realistic drama. At times, however, it became a little repetitive with simplistic and at times unbelievable actions and events but I was prepared to overlook that and just enjoy the journey. 

Dig a little deeper to look beyond the contemporary village romance and Katie alludes to some worthy topics. Yes, it is about taking up the fight for what you believe in, support of the community and gaining the confidence to take ownership of your life. What I really admired, however, was the light shining on the more serious issues of grief of a long term partner, the isolation and loneliness of first time mothers, the cruel world of council zoning and development which really added another layer to this worthy tale. 

Much like the warm cup of tea we so enjoy here at Great Reads & Tea Leaves, The Little Library on Cherry Lane will warm your heart transporting you to a place of gentle romance and easy drama all set in an inviting location amongst a gregarious group of characters. 

‘I just love books,’ she began with a slight tilt of her head. She pushed her curly hair back from her face. ‘They’re magical. They take you places you might never get the chance to see. They take you away from your troubles. They educate. They help you believe things can be different . . . better.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.