Sweet and romantic tale of small town library in search of more patrons and the clever woman with an unorthodox plan to save it. ELODIE’S LIBRARY OF SECOND CHANCES has something for every reader with a love of quirky characters, small towns, slow burning romance and happy endings. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Ellie Astor is living the dream. She is part of a wealthy family who owns Astor Publishing, she goes to glamorous red carpet premieres, and is being groomed to take on the family company. Her future is golden.

Except, it's not what she wants at all. She doesn't want to fill the role that her mother has planned for her. She doesn't want the media spotlight, the pressure. She doesn't want any of it.

What she does want is to find out what it is like to live the life she dreams of. When she sees a news story about a town whose local library is about to close, she sees it as a chance to finally use her librarian studies and to see what her life could be like if she could start again.

Using her real name, Elodie Halifax, she moves to the village of Willow Grove. But saving the library is not going to be easy. There are no funds, there are no new books, there are very few members and Elodie only has a few short months to recruit 507 new members or the library will close for good. Her reception is somewhat cool. Her assistant librarian, Maisie is sullen and hostile. Thankfully local journalist Finn is more welcoming.

Whilst Elodie tries really hard to recruit new members, she realises that there are some very entrenched ideas in the town, and not just about the library. There are numerous people in the town who live on the edges. There is Homeless Harry who is not even allowed to enter the library before Elodie arrives. Most people in the town know who he is but not many deign to speak to him. There is 9 year old Alfie who is now being home schooled after many years of being bullied at school due to his autism. His single mum, Jo, obviously wants the best for Alfie but is the best just to keep him away from other kids for his own protection? There are also Pilfering Pete and Sofia, the ex-wife of a man who fraudulently stole money from the local council....and more.

Elodie knows that traditional library activities are not going to get the necessary numbers without coming up with something special, and that something is human books. The idea being that people can borrow the 'book', to find out who those previously invisible people are, and what their story is. And yet, Elodie is not quite being honest about her own story, and she is having to balance the work that she is doing in Willow Grove, against the familial demands that she can only hide from for so long.

I have to say, I loved the idea of a human book. I am sure that I have been guilty of assuming that I know someone's story without actually talking to them. And I know that there have been many times when I have felt invisible, or judged, or both by strangers and acquaintances alike. And yet we all have stories from our life and how what has happened in our lives shapes us to form who we are now.

I have read a number of Rebecca Raisin books now. I always love the way that the writes about the subjects that she is passionate about - books and food in particular. Given that this a book about a librarian there is plenty of book talk which is a bonus.

It is a cliche to say that an authorwrites 'feel good' books, but to me that is exactly what Rebecca Raisin's books are. I know when I pick up one of her books I am going to find plenty of passages that make me smile and this book is no exception. I enjoyed how the group of previously socially isolated books are drawn together around the library and soon form a friendship group that you can see going from strength to strength into the future.

I have a number of books from this author's backlist still to read. Lucky me!

Elodie has been born into a publishing empire and can have everything her heart desires - financially anyway.
What Elodie really wants is to be a librarian, to live her life surrounded by books, in a cosy cottage. When an opportunity arises to try and save the library she loved visiting as a child, Elodie jumps at the chance.
Going incognito, Elodie is charged with swelling library membership to obtain funding and keep the library open.
An interesting cast of characters join her in this book, including handsome reporter Finn.
I love Rebecca Raisin books. They don't strictly follow the romantic fiction formula, so are always interesting.

I can’t think why I related to this book at all, a book obsessed girl dreams of being a librarian and taking control over her life and choices. Yep can’t think why it resonates with me at all ! I am a big fan of Rebecca Raisin’s books, so I was really excited to be given an advance copy of this fantastic story.

Elodie tries saving the village library from closure and encounters some people who don't like change at all. luckily for Elodie she meets some fantastic friendly people who have been ostracised by local people who have been too judgemental. Elodie tries to pull everyone together and this is the story of how she gets on, I won’t go into more detail as I don’t believe in spoilers.

I loved Elodie’s she is a strong character, she cares about people and will do anything for them. There is a little romance too which is lovely, I particularly loved the ostracised characters Elodie tries to help first and how she made them into a community. This book has an important message we all need to remember these days, about walking a mile in someone else’s shoes before making judgements. Overall, this is a beautiful, inspiring and heart-warming story which is ultimately uplifting and emphasises the power of community, acceptance and love.

Thanks to netgalley, HQ and Rachel’s Random Resources for a free copy in exchange for an honest opinion

*****part of blog tour*****

I really enjoy reading Rebecca Raisin's stories because they are about acceptance of those that aren't always in the mainstream or the most popular, but instead they are those that think a little differently or want to share themselves to help other feel better, and this story is no different. I like that Elodie or Ellie takes a chance and goes to Willow Grove to become the head librarian so that she can save the library from closing and she comes ups with wonderful way (The People Library) to not only bring attention to the library, but also give voice to those who have been overlooked or ignored because of gossip or a bad experience they found themselves in. And Alfie is definitely my favorite, he makes me laugh, and you'll find out why.

I also love the way the love relations develop, not in a self interest way, but in a genuine way where both find something that like about the other and love being with each other. Very romantic.

I also love Raisin's Van series that starts with Rosie's Traveling Tea Shop, which is also very romantic and reminds you that you can start over and be accepted by some of the nicest people.

I want to Thank HQ, HQ Digital and NetGalley for an advance copy of this wonderful thoughtful story.

This is a cute, fluffy book for everyone who loves books/libraries. I had a lot of fun reading this and enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere! I feel like this is the perfect late-summer read.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me an EArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, this is an okay fluffy read for those who over romanticize books and libraries.

Summary
Elodie is from a famous family and wants an escape, so she applies for a job at a failing library in the country to try to save it. She becomes attached to the various public who use the library and decides to form a "human library" with the library regulars. Elodie also works with the will they/won't they too-good-to-be-true local journalist Finn.

Opinion
This is fine if you're looking for a light Hallmark Channel movie type book and enjoy books/reading. However, it's nothing that blew me away.

Thanks to NetGalley & publisher for an ARC!

Very good book, I really enjoyed this, very cute story and cute characters.
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the book

The most joyful and uplifting book I have read in a long time. Rebecca Raisin is definitely the queen of feel good romance! Could not put this book down and I adored all of the characters and could not wait for all their stories to unfold.

This was a great book! I really liked the character development and being able to relate to the characters. As someone who loves books, I felt like I got to live through Ellie a little bit.

Ellie is the face of her parents company but she is dissatisfied with the way her life is going on doesn't want to do it anymore, unfortunately her mum isn't listening to her
An advert for a head librarian in a failing village library catches her eye and Ellie decides to apply for it without telling her parents, the only person she tells is her brother
When she finds out she has got the job she dyes her hair and uses her full name Elodie in the hope that no-one recognises her
Can she save the library and persuade her parents, her mum in particular that this is the life she wants and they can all be happy ?
Loved it

I’m rounding this book from a 2.5 to a 3.

I felt it was OK… the character development & message saved it for me.

I feel like the story itself was far fetched- a millionaire moving to a small town to save a library is a Hallmark movie. The library itself had amenities I’ve never known a library to have; maybe showers are a thing for libraries in Europe.

It’s a cute read if cute read is what you’re in the mood for.

Thank you Net Galley & HQ for this ARC.

Elodie is a young woman who is working in the family business but is rapidly burning out. She is an introvert and never happier than when she has her nose in a book. Her mother is determined to continue running her life and as much as she loves her mum, she needs to carve her own path.

So, enter Willow Grove library. The library is set to close, unless they can get more members. As Elodie is a qualified librarian, and she is familiar with the area since she was at boarding school there, she applies for the job. She tries lots of different things to get membership up, with no budget whatsoever, but what she finds is some stubborn resistance to change. She gets to know people who are not accepted in the community for a variety of reasons, and works to make the library a more inclusive place.

There was so much to like about this story! Not to judge a book by it's cover (pun intended), to be kind to others and to live your life in an authentic way.

The only reason I am giving this 4.5 stars instead of 5, is because Elodie comes across as sometimes a little TOO perfect. A bit Mary Poppins-ish.

Anyway, I still really enjoyed it :)

It's a heartwarming story, sweet and compelling. A sort of fairy tale about a woman who decides to renounce to her lavish lifestyle and work as a librarian.
She will make the difference to the library and the people around her.
It's the perfect book for generation YOLO, You Only Live Once. We dream of giving up a stressing life and start again.
This is the description of what we would like to do.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I have read a few books from Rebecca Raisin in the past, but was particularly drawn to this one by the subject, being concerned with books and a library in need of saving. I found it a little slow going to start with, but it soon began sparking my imagination and I was totally drawn into the life of its characters. Finally, I found that I didn’t want it to end, so involved was I with the main players and the little town where the story is set.



Ellie Astor, or Elodie Halifax to give her her real name, has grown disillusioned by her lavish lifestyle as the future head of her parents’ media business. Her mother in particular simply ignores her pleas to move on and make use of her qualification as a librarian and love of books. When she is offered the job of librarian at a failing library in the town of Willow Grove, Elodie jumps at the chance to follow her dream. The library is in a worse state than she could have imagined, but she is determined to turn things around, which means attracting new members. She begins to realise that many people in the small town are very judgemental, in particular towards a few of the residents, including the homeless man who almost nobody notices or the shoplifter whose motivation is never questioned. Elodie decides that, with the help of local journalist Finn, she can perhaps change people’s way of thinking and at the same time save the library from closure. Her plan is to allow members of the library to ‘borrow’ people for a short time in the same way that they would borrow books, and learn their stories rather than believe gossip that is spread about them. Of course, she herself has a secret past that she is keen to preserve, but will it be possible to keep her identity hidden from the media if her idea takes off?



As I said at the beginning of this review, I found this book a little difficult to get into, but once it had me hooked, I was not keen to put it down. What a clever, and indeed brave, idea to lend out people to tell their stories and end the rumour mongering that can so easily mar a small town like Willow Grove. The book is full of likeable characters and is set in an attractive sounding town, hopefully featuring a bustling library very soon. Some very interesting, well-developed back stories emerged from the human books who were happy to be lent out. I would love to find out what happened next for the town and its residents. I can confidently recommend this book to other readers and look forward to Rebecca Raisin’s next novel.

Elite hates her celebrity lifestyle but cannot escape her family business

Until she answers an advert to be a librarian and begins to try and save this heart of the community.
But it’s the people she wants to connect and she does this by lending people’s stories along with their books
Uniting the community is working well but what will people think when they find out who she really is.

A story of a book lover set in a library well what more could you want. This story has so many characters you can't help but fall in love with. When Elodie sets about trying to save a village library from closure she comes across some rather hostile people who don't like change. Fortunately she also meets some extra special people who have been ostracised by locals who think they know everything about them. Elodie has an idea to try and pull everyone together and reminds them to never judge a book by its cover. A fantastic feel good story

Libraries seem to be a very popular place to set stories this year, as I have read a number of books set within similar settings already this summer, so I wasn’t so sure what to expect from yet another book set in a library, indeed yet another book set in a library at risk of closure. However, perhaps this is just a reflection of issues close to authors, and readers’ hearts as it is an threatening axe hanging over many libraries (my own local library is one such library at risk of closure).
I did find much of this story a little too far-fetched: millionaire rich girl turns librarian, but it is also this very thing that also makes the book enjoyable - bookworm Elodie is forced into a job she doesn’t want in the family business and finds a way of escaping to her dream job in an idyllic sounding village. Elodie’s striving to see the best in people and see beyond the external façade and assumptions often held by others is heartwarming to read, and although I’m not so sure living books would be the draw for hundreds of new library members, the story makes an enjoyable read.

Early on I thought the only cliché this book was NOT going to hit was the heroine losing her job and going home to find her fiancé in bed with her best friend. Oh, how wrong I was. Rebecca Raisin cleverly layered her foreshadowing, with the more obvious clues turning out to be red herrings or misdirection. What I got instead was an absolutely delightful and uplifting story of empowerment, friendship, acceptance and love.


My initial impression of Elodie wasn't the best, she appeared to lack any kind of backbone. As the story progressed I quickly grew to love her and could understand more and more how she had ended up boxed into a corner, a job, and a life, that she didn't want. Finn felt just a little too perfect, but that's entirely down to my tastes and loving a bad boy book boyfriend! Given the audience for this book and the very gentle nature of the story, he was a great fit.


If I had one wish about this book it would be that it had been a little longer. So much focus, rightly, was on the human "library books", but it did mean the romance didn't feel fully fleshed out. It resulted in the feeling that some key aspects of Elodie and Finn's story were told rather than shown. A real positive of the book was the wide cast of supporting characters who helped add depth to the story. That along with great writing and an engaging plot made this a wonderful feel-good read.

A heartwarming story with the powerful and emotive message to not judge a book by its cover at its core. Elodie was an interesting main character - fed up with her old life of glitz and glamour she decides to head for the quieter life and make use of her first love - books and being a librarian. I loved her idea of the people library - sharing people’s stories seemed like such an easy way to bring a community together and a fascinating insight into the characters we think we know.