#AmReading - Library Loans

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The Lonely Hearts Book Club by Lucy Gilmore
Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca on March 28, 2023
Age/Genres: Adult, Fiction

Goodreads

Sloane Parker lives a small, contained life as a librarian in her small, contained town. She never thinks of herself as lonely...but still she looks forward to that time every day when old curmudgeon Arthur McLachlan comes to browse the shelves and cheerfully insult her. Their sparring is such a highlight of Sloane's day that when Arthur doesn't show up one morning, she's instantly concerned. And then another day passes, and another.

Anxious, Sloane tracks the old man down only to discover him all but bedridden...and desperately struggling to hide how happy he is to see her. Wanting to bring more cheer into Arthur's gloomy life, Sloane creates an impromptu book club. Slowly, the lonely misfits of their sleepy town begin to find each other, and in their book club, find the joy of unlikely friendship. Because as it turns out, everyone has a special book in their heart—and a reason to get lost (and eventually found) within the pages.

This one is for the book lovers out there, and all those who understand the magic of books.

When the library curmudgeon, Arthur, failed to show up for his daily sparring with Sloane, she assumed the worst and was right. Following her heart, she took on the role of his caregiver under the guise of organizing his books. Soon, others gravitated towards Arthur's home and a book club accidentally formed. As they read and discussed, friendships and mutual admiration took root. The members found comfort in the stories they were reading and the connections they were making with each other.

This was a such a warm and wonderful story. I appreciated the way Gilmore explored loneliness and the different ways people may experience it. The most beautiful part was the way they all grew together. It was quite an interesting group of characters who most likely would never have become friends. I think that's what made this crew so special for me. My affection for found family and unlikely friendships drew me to them, and I grew to care for them all so much.

I give extra points to Gilmore for the many bookish references and for keeping the book club books accessible. I do not believe one needs to be a power reader to be familiar with the books they discussed (all had adaptations) which, for me, was important.

Overall: A lovely and touching story of community, connection, and the power of books.

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Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey
Published by Avon on June 6, 2023
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

A down-on-her-luck Napa heiress suggests a mutually beneficial marriage of convenience to a man she can't stand... only to discover there's a fine line between love and hate.

After losing her job and her fiancé in one fell swoop, Natalie Vos returned home to lick her wounds. A few months later, she's sufficiently drowned her sorrows in cabernet and she's ready to get back on her feet. She just needs her trust fund to finance her new business venture. Unfortunately, the terms require she marry before she can have the money. And well, dumped, remember? But Natalie is desperate enough to propose to a man who makes her want to kill him--and kiss him, in equal measure.

August Cates may own a vineyard, but he doesn't know jack about making wine. He's determined to do his late best friend proud, no matter what it takes. Except his tasting room is empty, his wine is disgusting (seriously, he once saw someone gag), and his buddy's legacy is circling the drain. No bank will give him the loan he needs to turn the business around... and then the gorgeous, feisty heiress knocks on his door. Natalie has haunted his dreams since the moment they met, but their sizzling chemistry immediately morphed into simmering insults.

Now, a quickie marriage could help them both. A sham wedding, a few weeks living under the same roof, and then they can go their separate ways--assuming they make it out alive. How hard could it be? There's just one thing they didn't account for: their unfortunate, unbearable, undeniable attraction.

I liked my first visit to Napa, but I enjoyed this one even more!

Natalie was great and all. I appreciated her dealing with the pain of her past, and all the growth she experienced. She came to this union with baggage to unpack, and it was a pleasure seeing her finally learn to assert her needs and ask for what she needed and wanted.

But, I cannot lie. The star of this book, for me, was August. He was my perfect hero. You know them. The ones you predict should be one way based on their appearance and past, but then they are so different from what you expected. August was this big, buff ex-Navy SEAL. I expected this rough and tough alpha type, and I won't say he wasn't a bit rough around the edges with his desperate need to protect his bride, but he had the most tender heart. I swear! And it wasn't only what was in his head, he actually verbalized he feelings, often wearing his heart on his sleeve. That epilogue had me shedding the happiest of happy tears when it put that big heart and endless amount of tenderness he possessed on full display. He was written with just the right amount of unicorn-man to keep him genuine too. LOVED HIM!

Overall, this was a wonderful marriage of connivance romance which featured a fantastic couple who showed the power of love and support. I had such an incredible time rooting for them and their union as I laughed, smiled, and swooned.

Have you ever been to Napa?
Let us know in the comments!