A story which spans more than a 100 years in the same house in Scotland. The themes are women empowerment, kindness, and living life one's own terms.
I enjoyed this story of women across the century, some are family some are friends who become family. A quiet story of strength, smart and kindness

I wanted to love this book but for reasons I cannot articulate effectively, this narrator did not work for me. As I liked the premise, I will seek out a physical copy of the book and try again

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book has such a great format. The idea is, as you read the book it spans time in Census years.
Focusing on one house, it describes the lives and relationships of the people who lived there. The strong female characters navigate issues like the right to vote, being a single female, affairs and kinship relationships. It’s brilliant.
I loved the way the characters deal with hardship and the philanthropic set up they have over rent. How they support each other is so heart warming.
.

25 Library Terrace by Natalie Fergie, I listen to the audiobook narrated by Leslie Harcourt. I had a lot of high hopes for this book and despite that I really felt totally disappointed in all three narratives. Although the point of view changed from Ursula, to Annie, a few others then eventually to Georgia and eventually Tess I felt as if this was a historical fiction book written with an agenda in mind from the household becoming vegetarian to every woman being college educated and on and on. I do want to say when the book 1st started I was really into it especially with the undertones about the mom who passed away Tess leaving her husband it all sounded intriguing and couldn’t wait to find out what it was all about sadly I felt like it was much to do about nothing in the end was just a modern day story told under the guys of historical. I wish I could explain myself better I don’t wanna come off like I love the things in history where women and minorities were held down, disrespected and all around screwed over that’s not at all what I’m saying and most of the things that happen in the book could’ve very well happened back in the day but to act as if they were status quo just IDK rub me the wrong way. i’m leaving so much out of this review that was in the book and I do want to say it was well written but it seemed as if the author looked up the Zeitgeist of those errors and made a narrative for it as the years went along. Maybe I just didn’t like the book but that can’t be it because I really enjoyed the beginning and just found myself getting more and more irritated. I probably sound like a curmudgeon and I apologize for that but this is my honest review. #NetGowling, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview, #NatalieFergie, #25LibraryTerrace,

This was a good solid read with multiple POV. The writing was good while the storylines and characters were interesting and well rounded. I did prefer the older storylines to the more modern ones but that’s a personal preference
I would recommend this to historical fiction lovers and would read more from this author

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

This book follows the world which revolves around the house at 25 Library Terrace and the people who live there at the points in time when the census is taken.

It maps the lives in that moment of various people with interesting and intertwining stories. This is a long long book, whether you read it, or like me you listen to the audiobook and it's not always keen on neat resolutions to each of the stories, but this felt fitting for the overall story arc.

The narrator was lovely and made the characters distinct and the characterisation was enjoyable.
5 stars

if walls could talk, they could tell some amazing tale sof rhe lives that come and go. 25 Library Terrace traces the stories of the occupants who live within its walls over decades and through war times, to the pandemic and present day. Whilst the people and stories change the love friendship, support, and recipes remain the same. The concept of 25 Library Terrace as a refuge for those in need and a sturdy point from which to start afresh, is wonderful. A lovely story with some beautiful characters. Supervky narrate don aydiobook. A suoer summer listen #25libraryterrace #Nataliefergie

25 Library Terrace by Natalie Fergie
Narrated by Lesley Harcourt
Release Date 24th July 2025
Firstly thank you to @netgalley and @whowes for this audiobook.
The narrator Lesley was great
I really enjoyed this book. It was basically set over a century, and the different people who lived at 25 Library Terrace, their life stories, secrets, and how they all come to be connected. I love to read about the different times, how people lived. The only thing I think may annoy people is that you are engrossed in a story and it suddenly jumps to a different year with people who you don't know and your trying to figure out where they came from, but be patient as it does all unravel. You get to find out who and why. Of that makes sense. It was a feel good book under the Literary Fiction genre.
Based in Edinburgh with a Scottish narrator. I loved that, with me being Scottish and not too far from Edinburgh myself X5 stars

We’re in 1911 for ages (hah) and I waited for the other story threads to weave in. There’s just no plot, really. Not on the page, anyway. Just the Black family’s life, and not even the interesting parts. For example, there’s an event (at the 23% mark) that gets hyped for chapters and chapters, but we never see it happen. They sit down, the chapter ends, and the next begins after the event, with them outside the venue, WHICH IS ON FIRE. After a brief description of that visual, they walk home and explain what happened. Why was that not shown in an actual scene? Ostensibly, Ursula is connecting with suffragettes and picking up new ideas. Do we see a single one of those discussions at the café? Nope.
Overall, what happens in the story feels more like a sequence of events than a proper plot propelling the characters forward. It lacks tension. It lacks focus. The whole first third of the book is about how awful the late Mrs. Black was.
I kept waiting for something to happen, for what has happened—even if mostly off-page—to gain relevance. Instead, we jump ahead twenty years and the boredom continues.
I DNF’d the audiobook at 40%.

The voice actress is wonderfully charming and the only reason I didn’t rate this 1 star.

Thank you to NetGalley and W.F. Howes Ltd for the audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this title, narrated perfectly throughout. It’s a gentle story, filled with characters and an interesting premise. It follows the story of different occupants of the property at particular times in the history of the building. The setting is Edinburgh and there’s a strong sense if both time and place. It’s very much character driven and from the first story, I bought in to the people. The growing suffragette movement, the struggles of a maid in service who grows as a person. This theme of change and growth in people is the thread and as all the stories are different, I found it easy to become involved. Well written, totally engaging and a refreshing change from my usual genre of crime.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

This was such a lovely read, with a gorgeous cover and really great audio narration.

If you like your novels heavy on plot then it may not be for you, as I couldn’t tell you what the actual meaning behind the book was, but it was just one of those stories that’s a pleasure to read with loads of great characters and kind acts. It’s also rather empowering and feminist at times, despite the gentle nature of it. And perfect for historical fiction AND contemporary fiction fans as it spans so many decades before joining us in the present.

The 3🌟 rating is actually a real shame, because the premise of the story is really poignant and there were huge chunks that merited a 4 perhaps even a 5. I usually love a multi generational title with a split timeline, however I felt here that we stayed in one timeline for so long that by the time we came to the next it took several chapters for me to understand who was who and where we were.

I still really enjoyed this title but it didn’t flow as naturally as I’d have liked. Gorgeous premise.

I absolutely loved the narration by Lesley Harcourt 🎧

Huge thanks to W F Howes via NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ALC 🎧