When “Savior” Dodie Farlisle moves to Chatsworth from New York, it’s with the intent of starting fresh. With a new house, friends, and a library not far from her; it seems she’s gotten her wish. That is until the public library closes unexpectedly. And so begins the lending library. A place for the community to still come together and share their love of books. But as Dodie’s passion for books gets fulfilled, her secret one of wanting a baby starts to consume her everyday life. Suddenly work, friends, family, a budding new romance, and the library, take the back burner.

I honestly wanted to love this book. The premise sounded so promising but I found Dodie not to be very like able. She was selfish in her desire to have a baby and it felt like it didn’t matter at what cost she’d reach her goal. Her friends Sullivan and Kendra, and her sisters Maddie and Coco were like able characters. And it’s not because they were perfect but because even with their flaws I was able to connect with them.

Shep and Dodie’s love story felt a bit forced. It was as though one minute they were going out to dinner and the next Shep was practically living with her. From how slow blooming their relationship started, it picked up quickly. And the secrets they held from each other were too monumental for me. I wanted them to just talk to each other already and that wasn’t happening. So much was revealed/unraveled at the end that could have been interspersed throughout the book.

So although I didn’t love The Lending Library, I didn’t hate it either. There were a number of things I liked. I liked the words of encouragement written on the book markers. I likes Maddie’s carefree attitude. I liked Coco’s warm spirit. I liked Kendra calling out Dodie and being a good friend to her. And I liked Sullivan for being there for Dodie and introducing Terabithia to her.

Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for a copy of this book! The Lending Library is out now and is available on kindle unlimited.