A really enjoyable story set to a stunning backdrop of a small Cotswold village.

I enjoyed getting to know Lucy and Sam, but to me Bunty is the star of the book. For she is in her 90s, incredibly feisty, and has some fascinating stories to tell about life during WW2.

I'm not typically a fan of reading anything with a historical edge to it, which this has in spade, but the stories from in around Bletchley Park are very interesting and I found myself drawn to wanting to know about what happened in Bunty's past.

My other favourite character was Sam's daughter Freya, who is a very smart teenager, and I was very interested in her storyline. Also really loved getting to know Mel, Lucy's new friend.

Ooh and there are dogs, especially Hamish who is adorable! I did though find myself wanting to knock Lucy and Sam's heads together, as that has to be one of the slowest build ups I've read in ages and it seemed rather obvious to everyone other than them, that there could be something more than friendship.

A truly lovely story that I'm just sorry it took took me so long to get to.

Thank you to Pan and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

A brilliant heartwarming quaint read. I had this sitting in my netgalley shelf for months before I decided to give it a go and im glad i did. It was set in a lovely village with brilliant characters and i loved every bit of it.

This book is so cosy and heartwarming
This book swept me away to a quaint countryside village and all the characters who reside there.
The characters were all so lovely and relatable.
This is a sweet story perfect for a summer afternoon in the garden

This book was a very easy heart warning read with a historical twist to it.
The characters were relatable and ao was ths villagw. Having been to Bletchley before i did want a bit morw of this and i think it may have made it a 4 star for me. But this author does write relatable well researched books so its always a pleasure to read.

How could I pass this book by - it’s got a library in the title and the cover shows the cutest little village! Lucy is taking some time out from her job as a teacher due to ill health. She finds herself the perfect place to recuperate in a little village called Little Maudley, not too far from the WWII code breaking site of Bletchley Park. With a temporary job looking after elderly (but more than capable) Bunty, Lucy begins to enjoy village life and isn’t sure whether she wants to return to her old life.

This was a delightful read with some very likeable characters and a location which made me want to pack up and move there! Little Maudley is your typical picture postcard village and the idea of a red telephone box being turned into a library is wonderful! You don’t often see telephone boxes like that anymore and whilst it’s a piece of history which should be preserved, there is also sentimental value to some of the villagers. I loved Lucy's character and felt she suited village life far more than city living. Of course, it wasn’t only the village which put a spring in her step, particularly when single dad Sam is about. There are lots of other supporting characters who are likeable and perfectly suited to the storyline, even though some of them are the village busy-bodies!!

My favourite part of the storyline was the flashbacks to Bunty's younger years, which are interspersed amongst the chapters. The Bletchley Park storyline was really interesting and showed how vital this kind of work was to the war effort. This book wasn’t just about saving a phone box, but also about community spirit, friendships and long hidden secrets. The storyline gave a realistic view of what it is like to live in a close knit village, and the lives of those villagers, both past and present. Personally, I would liked to have had more of Bunty's stories as these were great and I really enjoyed them. However, Lucy and Sam's storyline more than kept me interested throughout! This was a heart warming read which I would definitely recommend!

Lovely, relaxing rural read. This was a calming novel to read during lockdown 2020! And there is now a kind of fishtank library in my neighbourhood, so I feel like I can be a part of the magic. If I had a physical copy of this book, I'd pop it in!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

My thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for a copy of “ The Telephone Box Library “ for an honest review.

I haven’t read anything by Rachael Lucas before but I was immediately drawn to this book due to the library reference, This had so much more going for it.I found it a charming story set in a an idyllic setting , with well written characters.There was a good mix of a contemporary story with romance and history .
I will definitely be recommending this to others.

This book combined two things that I enjoy reading - a good romance and tales of wartime Britain. It was good to read about the developing of the trust between Bunty and Lucy and reminded me that one generation has much that it can impart to the next. I liked the telephone box as the central theme to the story and how it help special memories for all sorts of different reasons.
This book is well worth a read.

This was the first of Rachael's books that I had read and it had been recommended to me many times. I loved the Bletchley references and the relationships between the protagonist and her elderly neighbour. A little bit different, in a good way. Thoroughly enjoyed it and will look out for more by this author.

I really loved this story! It has everything to keep you hooked up - a bit of history, a bit of romance, a bit of charming english countryside and lovey characters. I especially loved Bunty, with her humor and her zest for life. All in all, a perfect beach read!

Thank you NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for my copy. I very much enjoyed this book. I had been wanting something light, cosy, warm and fun, and this book really was ideal. It also tackled some interesting aspects of war-time life in the English countryside. The cross-generational friendships and themes of village life were wonderful. I will definitely be seeking out more Rachael Lucas books.

An easy, enjoyable read that has more substance than the standard chick lit tale. Centred around Lucy the multi stranded story weaves it way to a satisfying conclusion. Perfect for curling up with.

Thank you Netgalley

Lucy, a thirtyish history teacher, has decided to take a sabbatical from her job, in an effort to alleviate the stress her work brings to her life. She responds to an advertisement for a small cottage in the Cotswalds, available to an individual willing to help out the elderly next door neighbor with minor housekeeping and errands. The village is lovely, the cottage comfortable and the elderly neighbor, Bunty, while slow to warm up to Lucy, ultimately becomes a dear friend and fascinating subject for Lucy's research project.

This was such a lovely, heartwarming and delightful read. The descriptions of the homes, the dogs, the geographical area and the characters themselves were wonderful. I just loved this book. I strongly recommend it to anyone.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author Rachael Lucas, and the publisher Pan Macmillan, for granting my request for a free digital ARC of this enchanting story. This is my honest opinion of this book.

A lovely read the setting the characters.I was so charmed by the village the people relationships.I was so happy to escape the real world and join this group of people.Their loves families can’t wait to read more by this author,#netgalley#panmacmillan

I loved this book. Perfect mix of historical fiction and romantic contemporary fiction for me. I loved the main character and seeing her settle into village life. I want more of her story in another book!

I have to admit that going into this book I thought it was purely going to be about a community turning an old phone box into a library, and I was ok with that, but this was about so much more. This book is about community, about your priorities in life and also about challenging what you think you know.

My biggest takeaway from this book, aside from those that I just mentioned is the accurate representation of teaching in England and the stress that that can bring. Having left teaching myself a couple of years ago I can really really relate to main character Lucy. Just listening to the way her life was before moving to Little Maudley brought back some anxiety for me and so a round of applause to Rachael Lucas for telling it like it is here, and also what life can be like when you take a step back and slow down to a walking pace.

I really loved getting to know all the residents of Little Maudley and finding out about all of their life complications. Each of these characters has their own storyline and their own interests in Lucy's storyline as well. I love the fact that we have various people who've started their own business and then we have the history side of things too.

I really enjoyed the fact that this book also covers some of the things that happened at Bletchely park. I don't know an awful lot about Bletchley itself but I have read books and seen films about the code girls and the important role they played in the war effort and so seeing it be crucial to a book life this was wonderful, it adds another layer of depth to the book and was really enjoyable.

If you like books with real characters and multiple sub plots to keep you turning the pages, you will enjoy this one and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more telephone box libraries next time I am back in the UK!

I loved this book. From a stressful beginning, Lucy is thrust into a new place with no idea what she is getting herself in for, especially after meeting Bunty who she is meant to be caring for (although doesn’t need it), for the first time.

This is a warm story of village life and the characters within it, alongside a heavy dose of history and war stories.

I would warmly recommend this book esp as it tells tales about Bletchley Park.

I adore this author and this book was a brilliant read and one that is perfect to escape for a few hours and loose yourself.
Characters that fall out of the pages of the book and make you fell apart of the story, the setting comes alive and captured is well with words.
A great read. that I would highly recommend.

Lucy Evans is a History teacher in Brighton, she is having more and more put on her by the head and in the end, her health has taken a tumble and she becomes poorly. She decides to answer a job vacancy in the village of little Maudsley which offers accommodation for looking out for an elderly lady.

When she arrives with her little dog Hamish at the village it is beautifully picturesque with an old telephone box sitting outside the little cottage of the lady she has come to care for. The telephone box soon becomes the focal point of the story as the villagers' race to claim it and turn it into a library as their local one is closing down and the telephone company want to pull the telephone box down as it is rundown and not in service any longer, but it holds some many dear memories for some of the villagers.

Lucy is soon drawn in to help with the telephone box library whilst researching Bletchley park which she has been intrigued with for years. And so the story continues. It is beautifully written the descriptions of the village and residents are easily pictured from the authors clever writing. It is a lovely book that gives you a cuddle every time you pick it up to read. I very much enjoyed this book and will keep a lookout for books from this author in the future. Well worth 5 stars. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book x

A great book spanning many generations. It covers the Second World War but also raises issues that face the modern community and family’s. The characters are likeable and the story is believable. The way history is entwined in the story makes it interesting without being overpowering. An enjoyable read.