Cover Image: The Little Library on Cherry Lane

The Little Library on Cherry Lane

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

The little library on Cherry Lane is a very lovely story about a librarian who stands up to save the local library from being teared down. I absolutely loved Elsie, I felt a real connection with her, so it was a really adorable experience for me to read this book.

There is this cottagecore vibes on it and imagining this place brought me a lot of peace. The romance was really cute but Elsie friendships were much more interesting to me. I loved how much she cares about her people and how much they care about her, it was lovely to see how they take care of each other and got their backs.

This book actually reminded me how much libraries are important for a community, and also how much i miss spending some time at a library.

Thank you NetGalley and HQ Digital for the free ARC.

Was this review helpful?

Elsie Martin has her dream job as a librarian working at the Cherry Lane Library, Meadowbank, Kent.. That is until

the developers move in, intent on demolishing the library to build housing, with the full backing of the local

authorities. Battle lines are drawn as Elsie and lovely people from the local community fight to save this

library, a community hub of activity. This is a very positive story about people coming together to preserve

what is dear to them. The book is uplifting and warm. I enjoyed it very much.

Was this review helpful?

I loved this book it had all the elements that I love, libraries and books. The story was about a village library which the villagers relied on for all sorts of gatherings and coffee mornings as well as to borrow books. The characters were all lovely and the whole story just flowed along. It made me smile which is always a plus for me when I’m reading. I do enjoy Katie Ginger’s books and hope to read more in the future. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

It was so lovely to return to Meadow Bank.
Shy,quiet Elsie loves working in the library. It's her dream job but when the council decides to sell the land and knock it down to make way for affordable housing Elsie takes a stand and puts up a fight with the local community. Trouble is she hadn't reckoned on falling for Jacob who's in charge of the project.
I loved Elsie's passion, not just for the library but also the people who came daily. It is the hub of the community. I loved the way it brought people together. Libraries are so important.
I hope Katie returns to Meadowbank, perhaps we could find out more about Gemma, Orla and Scarlett.
Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

One of my favourite authors and Katie doesn't disappoint at all, loved the mention of characters I have read about previously and still love the village life where all these amazing characters live, I want to go and live there too!
As usual the storyline was brilliant and I love how descriptive the village and all its people sound
Another brilliant read I couldn't put it down!

Was this review helpful?

Hmm, I feel a bit disappointed and let down by this book. Although it began with a great premise and very promising characters, it steadily became a drag, and I found myself itching for something more.
Although I loved Elsie's character, for the most part, it wasn't enough to carry the book. I also constantly found myself frustrated by the two-dimensional nature of Jacob's character.

All in all, this was okay. I would read more from this author in future because I did love the way this book was written.

ARC was kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

I love a book with community spirit, a really sweet read with enjoyable characters about saving the local library, standing up to development. Thank you netgalley for the advance copy.

Was this review helpful?

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

Sweet til the last drop with this book. A great Xscape

Was this review helpful?

Give me a book to do with books and I just have to read it, exactly how I felt about The Little Library on Cherry Lane.

Protagonist Elsie Martin was a great character and I warmed to her instantly. I was routing for her from the very start. She starts off as a quite shy and timid women but when she’s got something to fight for, she really goes for it.

I also liked love interest Jacob Yardley, even though he’s there to cause some trouble in town. From the first time we meet him it’s clear he’s not a bad guy but is only doing a job.

One of my main issues with the book was that so much time is spent with Elsie’s development and then it’s kind of wasted at the end. She wants to save the library and does all of this stuff herself, only really to have a man save it in the end.

Was this review helpful?

An enjoyable light read depicting village life and the fight against overdevelopment. Well drawn set of characters, relatable in a close knit English village, with a mix of good and bad plus a good amount of quirky eccentricity. This is a feel good warm book whilst tackling the increasingly forgotten world of rural communities by developers who are governed by profit with little thought of the local impact they inflict. Modern problems of isolation, loneliness are at the core of this book with small communities becoming more cut off with locals being priced out of the housing market and services cut. Based around the local library which is a lifeline for many plus being a paradise for any booklover.

A quick and easy heartwarming read to cosy up with. There was a taster of Katie's next book at the end, set in the same village which I look forward to reading at some point.

Was this review helpful?

Such a lovely book!
I do enjoy books set in either libraries or bookstores, and this one certainly hit the mark for me. I love seeing quiet characters find their inner strength, and I enjoyed watching Elsie stand up for her community and the job she loves.
Set in a beautiful community, it was easy to get yourself emotionally attached to many of the characters.
Funny and uplifting, I found this to be a very entertaining read.

Was this review helpful?

I have enjoyed many of Katie Ginger’s previous books, and I love libraries, so The Little Library on Cherry Lane was an obvious choice for me.

I love Meadowbank, and the sense of community. It makes an excellent setting, and I love the characterful ducks! This story focuses on Elsie and her fight to keep the library open, after the council sells the land it is on.

I really liked Elsie, and very much enjoyed her journey over the course of the book. She starts out as very shy and nervous, however, her love for the library and the community that takes place in and around it, really brings her out of her shell.

I also liked Jacob, though I found it incredibly frustrating how long it took him to realise he didn’t just have to obey his father all the time! Once he started fighting for what he wanted, I liked him a whole lot more.

Though this story was rather stressful at times (I don’t particularly enjoy the whole evil corporate companies thing), I did really enjoy it. It kept me turning the pages, especially the last third or so.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable and heartwarming tale about fighting for what you want in life.

I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

I received an ARC of, The Little Library on Cherry Lane, by Katie Ginger. I cannot imagine my library being closed down to build housing. I love Elsie and Winston, and the rest of the villagers who are trying to save the library. I really enjoyed this book.

Was this review helpful?

Engaging story of a librarian who fights to save her library from developers who want to build homes on the land. She encourages the townspeople to fight with her.

Was this review helpful?

Any book that focusses on a much-loved library and it’s book is a sure fire near for me.

The fictional village of Meadowbank sounded so gorgeous and is exactly the type of place I dream of living in. It enraptured me so much I started googling it to see if it was a real place I could move to. I really identified with Elsie, more so than any character I’ve read before. The description of how she has books covering her little cottage is exactly what my house looks like, and there’s just something about her personality that strikes a cord.

Parts of it are a little predictable, but not all of it; in fact I was definitely surprised with some of the plot points. But I don’t mind a bit of predictability when it gives me what I want. It was easy to read, funny, romantic, upbeat, cosy and warming.

There are a spectrum of fabulous characters - some more likeable than others - who are excellent foils for Elsie, and they’re all so real, none seem like a caricature.

For a ‘happily-ever-after’ type book, it does touch on some important topics - loneliness and isolation, grief, new motherhood, job loss, the loss of vital community hubs, and relationships.

If I had to be super picky, I’d say I felt the resolution at the end was a bit rushed given those particular characters’ opinions in the rest of the book, I felt it kind of came from nowhere, and I would have liked to have seen this explored a bit more.

This book has the ability to transport you wholly into this wonderful place, and make you smile no matter how you’re feeling.

Was this review helpful?

An absolutely gorgeous read. True community spirit and divide. Love and the long road to accepting it. I can actually imagine this being a Hallmark movie. It's so well thought out and put together.
You find yourself engaging with each character.
Katie tells this story in such a way that you cannot deny that a Library isn't just a Library, it's so much more. Especially in smaller communities. Reading on a device might be handy but it doesn't replace books and they aren't always as inexpensive as one might think.

We meet insomniac Elsie who is a Librarian at Meadowbank Library and somewhat mousey, she lives with her cat Keats and her best friend Gemma lives next door with her girlfriend Orla and their baby girl. Karen is the Library Supervisor who prefers to read trash magazines than do her job. We are introduced to a host of other villagers who use the Library for a variety of reasons. From pensioners to young mums, they all have their stories and a love for the run down library,
Sadly, the library has been sold and is due to be knocked down, this is where Elsie takes matters into her own hands, she stands up against the handsome Jacob who is sent in to run things for his fathers construction company and her council boss Mr Reese - Hale. Jake and his father have Conrad who is very hard on his son and has a Jock Ewing kind of vibe. They have a rather strained and complex relationship
Will her efforts bare fruit or is she labouring under false pretences? Is love on the cards? Is the obvious option always the best fit? For any Gilmore Girls fans out there, at times I felt I was in Stars Hollow at one of the town meetings, and the community spirit feels very much like that of the folks from the show,

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did, it's definitely a 5 Star recommendation.
Thank you #netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

Was this review helpful?

This is only the second book I have read from Katie Ginger, but it seems to me that her books are like a warm hug - gentle and soothing. I knew I would enjoy this book because I love books about libraries and bookshops - so I had to request this book from netgalley based on its title alone! Meet Elsie, the librarian who takes on the challenge of trying to save the library from demolition as the land is about to be used for a new housing development. Shy retiring Elsie becomes bolshier as the campaign grows. Will she find love along the way? This is a gentle read. It’s the type of book you should pick up when predictability would be a soothing bonus rather than a drawback. I’m definitely going to check out Katie Ginger’s other books now!

Was this review helpful?

The little village of Meadowbank finds itself facing the loss of its library to make way for affordable housing. Librarian and passionate bibliophile Elsie takes it upon herself to rally the locals to try to save the important building - can she and her friends persuade developer Jacob to leave their library alone, and more importantly can she resolve her feelings towards the man who should be her enemy?

A sweet story, that strives to show how a library can be the heart of a community. I really liked the descriptions of the setting, from the duck pond to the gorgeous cottages, and I loved some of the characters - Winston was my particular favourite.

My first book by this author, but I doubt it will be my last!

Was this review helpful?

A sweet little treasure of a story! Perfect for a beach read or reading by the fire on snowy afternoon, and any time in between. Very much enjoyed it, and look forward to reading more of Katie Ginger!

Was this review helpful?

This was the first book that I read from Katie Ginger and it certainly will not be the last. From the first page, this story enraptured me. For anyone who wishes to escape to the small town of Meadowbank in the English countryside, dive into the world of book lovers, or simply loves a wholesome, cosy read, this book is for you.

Never have I felt so transported to another place.

What is the book about? Well I’m glad you asked!

Our main character, shy, careful, and bibliophile Elsie is the well beloved librarian in Meadowbank. She has never been one to take center stage but prefers to find comfort in her close friends and books. The library that she works at is the not-so-secret center soul of this town. However, the fate of the library is at stake when the town council men from the big city of London decided that the library needs to go in order to make room for affording housing. This project introduces Elsie to Jacob, the unfortunately attractive destroyer of literary dreams - according to Elsie not too dramatic point of view. A feud between them breaks out which causes Elsie to step out of her shell and into the leading role to save the library. Will her efforts be enough to save her beloved library? Will Elsie finally live out the love story that she has only read about in books? Travel to Meadowbank to find out.

This book truly came to me at the right time. It was such a beautiful gift wrapped up in a cosy story.
Elsie has been an incredibly relatable character for me as I am a shy bibliophile dreaming of living out the stories I have only read about. At times it felt almost like reading an alternate reality of my own life. She has inspired me to step out of my shell to fight for the people I love and for what I believe in. You know what they say! Good things come from outside of your comfort zone.

Was this review helpful?