From the title of this book, how could I resist this new book from Christine Nolfi. I loved the mystery, the dual timeline, and the relationship of Hanna and Claire. I loved the blending of Hanna's history, which gives Claire more insight into Hanna. The Secret Library of Hanna Reeves is a very well crafted novel that left me wanting to read more about Hanna and Claire.

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. This is my honest review.

“ if you’re fortunate enough to live as long as I have, you’re given the opportunity to become many people in one lifetime. To evolve, grow and change.”

This book was everything!!!
We meet Hannah when Claire is asked to catalog 100s of years of family heirlooms and antiques to be sold and cataloged.

It is in the 1970s, but we get to go back to the 1900s and learn more about Hannah and her background.

This book was amazing, the characters, the time period, the story, the secrets!!

It definitely needs more, the reader needs more and I am here for every part of this journey.

This was my first ARC read that I am very grateful to get from the author/publisher/NetGalley. My interest peaked from the title, secret library? Yes please, who wouldn't want a secret library with rare books?!

In 'The Secret Library of Hanna Reeves' you follow Claire learning the life story of Hanna Reeves. In doing so, we get to read about the developing friendships, hardships and romances whilst uncovering secrets held within and outside the library. The use of flashbacks fitted perfectly within the story building & helped support what was happening in present day.

I thoroughly enjoyed this delightful read. The story felt light and an easy read. The world building and character development had me itching to turn the next page. If I could say anything about it I feel like I need to know what happens with the antiques and the romance. Hopefully that means a sequel!!

Wow, Christine has done it again. I really enjoyed this book. I was honored to be an ARC reader, and this is my personal opinion. Well done story. Claire, an employee of an antique shop, is invited to catalog the antiques of reclusive Hannah Reeves, the dependent of one of Maines' most well-known ship builders and ship captains of his time. His daughter has maintained his estate and philanthropy in the many yrs since he passed. While living in close proximity, Hannah and Claire develop a relationship despite the age difference. I really enjoyed this story. Thank you, Christine Nolfi, for choosing me to be part of your advance reader team.

I took a chance on this when requesting, and I am so glad I did. It has been a while since I have read a historical fiction novel. This book will stay with me for a VERY long time. I adored it! It was the perfect escape read and I fell in love with the characters. This was my first book by Nolfi, and it won't be my last. I highly recommend this for any lovers of historical fiction.

A big thank you to Christine Nolfi, NetGalley, and Lake Union Publishing for providing me with a copy of The Secret Life of Hannah Reeves. I was thrilled to dive into this book, and I’m happy to say it did not disappoint. One of the aspects I loved most was watching the friendship evolve between two women who are at completely different stages in their life. This made the story feel even more special. The book was a quick read for me, offering a wonderful mix of historical fiction with a cozy mystery vibe.

The Secret Life of Hannah Reeves will be released on June 24, 2025, so be sure to grab your copy then!

Thank you once again!

This story was incredible. Claire was such a relatable and interesting character. She’s chosen to go and catalog belongings from the famous Hanna Reeves at her fancy estate. Claire finds a hidden library that contains some family documents and journals, and secrets are starting to come out. Hanna was also a very very interesting character with so much depth and history. I loved seeing them grow and bond throughout the story and see how they handled all the information that is starting to come out. Drama!

The Secret Library of Hanna Reeves is a wonderful book. Claire is the most likeable, trouble making, young adult! She doesn't mean to be troublesome, it just happens! Sometimes her brain and mouth connect but don't listen to each other. Daniel and Louis are wonderful father figures and have helped Claire through a rough patch.
When they receive an invitation from socialite Hanna Reeves to meet to discuss a business arrangement, Daniel and Louis are over the moon! Claire mentally makes plans, but everything changes at the meeting.
They arrive and the meeting with Hanna begins. They have tea and cakes, discuss the selling of the antiques in the house, and that Claire will stay at Rose Hill to catalog everything.
Claire is not thrilled with this arrangement. There are some ups and downs in this relationship. Once you start reading you won't be able to put it down. I really hope that there is a sequel. There are so many stories within the story to tell. I absolutely loved this book.

Through #NetGalley, I read an ARC about a family, and a proud, stoic, and compassionate woman named Hanna Reeves. Hanna is in her seventies; she has no partner, no siblings, no heirs. Hanna inherited an elaborate estate from her father, and keeping the loyal staff came as part of the deal. An avid reader and private person, Hanna has a secret library that contains hundreds of valuable first edition books. She also has a hidden room where she keeps her personal journals. In them she documents the important details of the lives of her family; her family of choice. This is a tale of romance, passion, heartbreak, and connection. I think you’ll grow fond of these worthy characters. I certainly did!

A lovely vacation read! I loved this story about Claire, an orphan who grew up with her grandfather and now works for an antiques dealership in Maine. (It’s the 1970’s). And she has a yellow VW Bug!

Claire goes to work at Hannah’s estate, cataloging her antiques for an auction. She ingratiates herself into the household there; the servants, staff, and groundskeepers all play roles in the story.

My only flaw that threw me is there is not any character development for Claire, and no repercussions for her poor choices. It made me not like her very much, and she exhibits no self control as a woman in her mid-20’s.

The story and all the other characters are glorious and I loved it. Recommended!

Wow! There are secrets and there are secrets among the pages of this wonderful story!
Claire is a young antique appraiser who receives a request or perhaps I'd say a command to catalog an entire estate of a wealthy, single, elderly recluse named Hanna Reeves. Why Claire?
Hanna has a staff that tend to her every need and in return she truly cares for them in her own way. However, there are boundaries.
Claire and Hanna are generations apart and yet there are many similarities in their personalities that help to create a friendship and admiration for each other.
Will Claire be able to cut through the long standing hidden secrets within this old house?
This is a fabulous, emotional, mysterious story that I truly enjoyed. I adored each character and would love to see a sequel to this book.

Thank you to Christine Nolfi for allowing me to read and review this ARC,
If you like women's fiction, friendship, mystery and just a great story, this is for you!

This tale of emerging secrets, developing relationships and lost loves moves fast through its intriguing plot. There are some lovely descriptive passages about the glories of Maine, and the main characters are credible people that we feel we get to know as we read the book. It is almost wholly a happy stroy and a pleasure to read. Anybody who knows anything about 'rare first editions' of the sort the eponymous library is supposed to be full of will be disappointed, and the author has by no means captured the register or vocabulary of the times that her episodes are set, even the most recent, but most readers will be carried away into the mysteries of the vast house, its benevolent chatelaine, its numerous staff and its hidden histories. Recommended for a cosy evening by the fire.

The Secret Library of Hanna Reeves is a beautifully written novel about love, loss, generosity and family. Hanna's family is unlike any other, as you will discover as you read your way through her life. A secret library is hidden within the walls of her mansion, and the mystery of this library awaits the curious. As this magnificent story unfolds, many more mysteries will be revealed about the life of Hanna, and what a life it was! You will be wrapped within the pages of this book and come up gasping at the end. There is more to be told, and I can only hope for a sequel. Not all books earn a sequel, but this one surely has! I highly recommend it!

I absolutely loved the world Christine Nolfi penned in this novel. It was a good mix of historical fiction and mystery.
I will say, the main character, Claire, is the same age as me however she seemed to be more emotionally driven and immature in her decisions rather than think through the consequences logically with little to no rebuke. Besides this one thing, I enjoyed the storyline of all the other characters and the pacing of events was also good.

Claire found a home in an antique store after life threw her a curve ball. This is how she is brought in on a unique opportunity to visit the infamous Hannah Reeves mansion.

She is then not only asked to categorize and take on the project but also to stay on the property. After visiting a few few local spots, she hears about the rumors of Hannah’s secret library.

What will she find?

I would place this book in the 'cozy mystery' category. Which aren’t my favorite, to be honest.

I wouldn’t have picked this up without being chosen as an ARC reader. While reviewing, I tried to approach the story from someone who would have been drawn to this story.

Yet my review still falls flat. I felt I was almost deceived or the story wasn’t finished quite yet. The author could have expanded as I feel the reader is left wondering what happens next. There are a lot of good elements and story lines that the author brings. Yet I feel as if those story lines are never expanded to their full potential.

We have a romance. We have a mystery. We have family history. We have a large group of diverse and memorable characters. With all of that, I still finished the book not quite sure what the point of the book was.

Was this book just about Claire and her journey? Is there a sequel coming where we get to see where Claire goes or what direction Hanna will take us? Are we looking forward to Hanna keeping the estate going or Claire finding love and a home? It has left me very frustrated.

The biggest deception though is the title. As a book lover, I wanted to read about books. I wanted to be impressed with this library filled of books. Yet the fact that the library was a secret is a silly point. It doesn’t matter? It didn’t add anything to the story. Who cares who knows about the 'secret'. The rare books didn’t add anything to the story. Yet that is all the title is referencing and a major plot point.

I’m left disappointed because I went in with high hopes. Even though the genre doesn’t really speak to me, I still was hoping for more.

This is always something beautiful about a book that is based around a library. The creativity with this book was just wonderful and so beautifully done. I loved it.

This I a hertwarming read and I absolutely adored reading about Claire.

Claire is asked to take on the task of cataloging the treasures of the reclusive Hanna Reeves,

Hanna has not been seen for many years and hides herself behind the walls of Rose Hill.

Hanna, is almost eighty years old and Claire finds the lady to be very demanding, So Claire concentrates on her work and is thrilled when she discovers a hidden library .

She soon discovers leather-bound family journals telling of the history of Hannas family and their succesful ship building business.

This is an amazing story and one that I soon found myself lost in. It is a richly told tale and quite honestly one of the best reads of the year so far...

I really enjoyed this book, It’s a mix of historical fiction and mystery novel. While the mystery isn’t buried very deep it is still a fascinating journey with flashbacks that help set the scene for the characters current predicaments. It was very enjoyable and didn’t feel too heavy even though some of the subject matter could be considered so. Definitely a must for those who enjoy historical fiction!

3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. This was the first novel by Christine Nolfi I have read. I enjoyed the story and characters, I felt like the story could have gone on longer - curious to know what happened to the relationships and the antiques!

Incredible! I’m so grateful to have been given this ARC because what a beautiful ride it was! I used to work in a bookshop in highschool and something about it was so nostalgic. I was guessing until the very end and the way the story unfolded was so well written. Happily giving 5 stars!