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Love in a Little Free Library
What would you do if you were on house arrest for a crime you didn’t commit? You couldn’t drive to get a cappuccino or feel the sun on your face or go on a date with the cute new neighbor? In Love in a Little Free Library, Elle’s mother tries to turn their house into a sanctuary so her sentence will be more tolerable. But Elle dreams of being rescued from her tall tower—the third floor bedroom of her purple Victorian house—by the father she never knew, or maybe even a handsome prince. Then, the over sharing, emotional new neighbor, Ozzy, moves in and slips a note in her little free library. What starts as a friendship between two misunderstood souls, quickly transforms into a forbidden first love that will force Elle to choose between what her mother expects from her and what her heart demands.
I’m on house arrest, and although every criminal claims they’re innocent, I actually am. I didn’t commit a crime—though I often think about wringing my mother’s Type A, judgmental, overbearing neck. She has turned my prison sentence into what she thinks is something of a luxury resort. I have tutors and an indoor pool and a library that rivals the Beast’s in Beauty and the Beast.
But as luck would have it, an adorable, over sharing and quite verbose boy moves in across the street. He slips a note in my little free library, and I’m intrigued. We start talking, and before I know it, Ozzy’s got me wondering if the biological father I long to find might be my favorite whodunnit author—the notoriously reclusive Harrison Blackwater. The universe couldn’t be that obvious…could it?
Ozzy wants me to cut off my court-ordered ankle bracelet and fly to New York City to track down Mr. Blackwater because we have the same eyebrows. I know! It’s insane! So, why am I holding a pair of kitchen scissors and asking myself how far I can get before the cops track me down and lock me up for real?
Love in a Little Free Library will make you swoon and cry… and maybe even laugh. It deals with some tough topics but does so with enough heart to have you rooting for Elle and Ozzy to defy the odds and get their happy-ever-after!
I’m on house arrest, and although every criminal claims they’re innocent, I actually am. I didn’t commit a crime—though I often think about wringing my mother’s Type A, judgmental, overbearing neck. She has turned my prison sentence into what she thinks is something of a luxury resort. I have tutors and an indoor pool and a library that rivals the Beast’s in Beauty and the Beast.
But as luck would have it, an adorable, over sharing and quite verbose boy moves in across the street. He slips a note in my little free library, and I’m intrigued. We start talking, and before I know it, Ozzy’s got me wondering if the biological father I long to find might be my favorite whodunnit author—the notoriously reclusive Harrison Blackwater. The universe couldn’t be that obvious…could it?
Ozzy wants me to cut off my court-ordered ankle bracelet and fly to New York City to track down Mr. Blackwater because we have the same eyebrows. I know! It’s insane! So, why am I holding a pair of kitchen scissors and asking myself how far I can get before the cops track me down and lock me up for real?
Love in a Little Free Library will make you swoon and cry… and maybe even laugh. It deals with some tough topics but does so with enough heart to have you rooting for Elle and Ozzy to defy the odds and get their happy-ever-after!
318 pages, Paperback
Published January 11, 2025
19 people are currently reading
55 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 25, 2025
LOVE IN A LITTLE FREE LIBRARY by Lucy Flowers is a YA Romance and Coming-Of-Age novel. Elle has a lot of secrets, like what she discovered on her birth certificate, what really happened that led to her house arrest, and most recently, the fact that she’s secretly dating her next-door neighbor. Confessing to any of these, though, would send her perfectionist mom into an even more extreme and controlling spiral, so Elle must keep her lips shut. Instead, while serving her isolating punishment, she communicates to the outside world through her Bookish YouTube channel and covert letters left in her Little Free Library outside her house. Eventually, Ozzy, her neighbor-turned-boyfriend, starts pushing Elle to explore what she’s been hiding, and as she does, what she uncovers is even worse and better than she ever could have imagined. The problem is that to truly embark on this personal journey, Elle may need to leave her mom and Ozzy behind.
Firstly, I love the cover of this book so much! It’s cute, romantic, and whimsical, and does a great job at depicting the beginning of Ozzy and Elle’s relationship. One of my favorite elements of this story is how Ozzy and Elle start communicating with each other, needing to find alternatives to the typical ways people contact each other today. Since they go back to traditional pen and paper love notes, it makes how their feelings develop all the more classic and nostalgic. I also enjoy a lot of the peripheral characters in this book, such as Uncle Theo, and the different coaches and teachers who are hired to work with Elle. Their relationships feel carefree and honest, which is a nice contrast to Elle and her mom.
What would have made this book even better for me would have been if Elle had revealed the story of her ex-boyfriend to her mom, and if her mom had shared a legitimate reason for why she did what she did. As an overall point, there are major moments that happen so quickly. If they had had more breathing room, the emotional beats would have landed even stronger, especially since the story deals with heavy themes of sexual assault, mental illness, abuse, and fraud.
That said, LOVE IN A LITTLE FREE LIBRARY is certainly an adventure that has more to offer than what would initially meet the eye. It reminded me of THE FAULT IN OUR STARS when Hazel and Gus go to Amsterdam, and shares a similar tone. This book would be good for any reader looking for a cathartic journey in which things work out in the end.
Review originally posted on YA Books Central: https://yabookscentral.com/love-in-a-...
Firstly, I love the cover of this book so much! It’s cute, romantic, and whimsical, and does a great job at depicting the beginning of Ozzy and Elle’s relationship. One of my favorite elements of this story is how Ozzy and Elle start communicating with each other, needing to find alternatives to the typical ways people contact each other today. Since they go back to traditional pen and paper love notes, it makes how their feelings develop all the more classic and nostalgic. I also enjoy a lot of the peripheral characters in this book, such as Uncle Theo, and the different coaches and teachers who are hired to work with Elle. Their relationships feel carefree and honest, which is a nice contrast to Elle and her mom.
What would have made this book even better for me would have been if Elle had revealed the story of her ex-boyfriend to her mom, and if her mom had shared a legitimate reason for why she did what she did. As an overall point, there are major moments that happen so quickly. If they had had more breathing room, the emotional beats would have landed even stronger, especially since the story deals with heavy themes of sexual assault, mental illness, abuse, and fraud.
That said, LOVE IN A LITTLE FREE LIBRARY is certainly an adventure that has more to offer than what would initially meet the eye. It reminded me of THE FAULT IN OUR STARS when Hazel and Gus go to Amsterdam, and shares a similar tone. This book would be good for any reader looking for a cathartic journey in which things work out in the end.
Review originally posted on YA Books Central: https://yabookscentral.com/love-in-a-...
April 28, 2025
Love in a Little Free Library by Lucy Flowers was a fun YA read that has a little something for everyone! I am a hopeless romantic at heart and enjoy a fluffy YA novel everyone now and again, and I quickly found myself rooting for Elle and Ozzy to end up together! I found the premise of their relationship to be enchanting. Elle is housebound for a crime that she didn’t commit, and is forced to watch the world go by. But when Ozzy, her mysterious new neighbor, begins leaving her notes in her little free library, Elle catches a glimpse of the freedom she desperately craves. As their friendship quickly turns into a forbidden love, Elle must decide whether or not to stay trapped in the plans her mother has made for her, or if she should chase a life of her own, one in which she finds out who her real father may be.
This book was both lighthearted and lovable. Lucy Flowers blended a story of young love with much more difficult topics - including what it feels like to be lonely and isolated, as well as what it means to question who you are and where you came from. Although delicate topics, Lucy was able to blend them together seamlessly.
Not only did Lucy Flowers win me over with her charming romance, but I am obsessed with this cover and its adorable illustration!
Thank you to Lucy Flowers for sending me a copy of her book!
This book was both lighthearted and lovable. Lucy Flowers blended a story of young love with much more difficult topics - including what it feels like to be lonely and isolated, as well as what it means to question who you are and where you came from. Although delicate topics, Lucy was able to blend them together seamlessly.
Not only did Lucy Flowers win me over with her charming romance, but I am obsessed with this cover and its adorable illustration!
Thank you to Lucy Flowers for sending me a copy of her book!
October 31, 2025
Lucy Flowers’ Love in a Little Free Library is a charming and emotionally rich coming of age romance that beautifully captures the ache of confinement and the thrill of first love. Through Elle’s witty, raw, and vulnerable narration, Flowers crafts a story that balances humor and heartbreak with remarkable authenticity.
Elle’s confinement is not just physical it’s emotional, maternal, and existential. The purple Victorian house becomes both her sanctuary and her cage, while Ozzy’s arrival brings light, curiosity, and a hint of rebellion. Their connection, born through the whimsical exchange of notes, blossoms into a deeply human story about yearning for freedom, belonging, and identity.
The novel stands out for its blend of wit, tenderness, and the exploration of heavier themes—like overprotection, emotional neglect, and self worth without ever losing its warmth or hope. Flowers writes with empathy and sparkle, turning what could have been a simple YA romance into a layered emotional journey.
I just dropped a review on your book it’s heartwarming, sincere, and full of life. Love in a Little Free Library truly deserves to find its way into the hands and hearts of more readers who crave meaning, mischief, and a touch of magic in modern romance.
Elle’s confinement is not just physical it’s emotional, maternal, and existential. The purple Victorian house becomes both her sanctuary and her cage, while Ozzy’s arrival brings light, curiosity, and a hint of rebellion. Their connection, born through the whimsical exchange of notes, blossoms into a deeply human story about yearning for freedom, belonging, and identity.
The novel stands out for its blend of wit, tenderness, and the exploration of heavier themes—like overprotection, emotional neglect, and self worth without ever losing its warmth or hope. Flowers writes with empathy and sparkle, turning what could have been a simple YA romance into a layered emotional journey.
I just dropped a review on your book it’s heartwarming, sincere, and full of life. Love in a Little Free Library truly deserves to find its way into the hands and hearts of more readers who crave meaning, mischief, and a touch of magic in modern romance.
February 16, 2025
EDITED: I'm revising my rating because it looks like I got ahold of an accidental draft copy of the book, not the finished book. Considering that, I'm bumping my rating to a 4 star. :)
I wish I knew more about the author. I reads like it was written by a high school kid. If that is true, then the book deserves 4 stars. It was cute and a bit funny and a good achievement for someone in their teens. If this was written by a teen, then I feel bad about my 2-Star rating.
If it was written by an adult, then they urgently need a proofreader and an editor. There were massive plot issues, including a “reveal” that happens twice, and a 12-hour flight from NYC to Chicago. Also, it appears that the author just did a find/replace for the name Elle, as every string of those letters has a capital E, even in the middle of a word, like “tEller”.
I wish I knew more about the author. I reads like it was written by a high school kid. If that is true, then the book deserves 4 stars. It was cute and a bit funny and a good achievement for someone in their teens. If this was written by a teen, then I feel bad about my 2-Star rating.
If it was written by an adult, then they urgently need a proofreader and an editor. There were massive plot issues, including a “reveal” that happens twice, and a 12-hour flight from NYC to Chicago. Also, it appears that the author just did a find/replace for the name Elle, as every string of those letters has a capital E, even in the middle of a word, like “tEller”.
February 1, 2025
I bought this for my granddaughter who is fourteen. She loved it and asked me to review it when she saw that no one else had yet. Here is what she asked me to write:
"I loved this book about a BookTuber named Elle who falls in love with her neighbor, Ozzy, when he moves in across the street. It's so cute but it also talks about bipolar, which my best friend and her brother both have. I lent it to her because I've never read a book with a main character that has bipolar and I hope she'll read it!"
"I loved this book about a BookTuber named Elle who falls in love with her neighbor, Ozzy, when he moves in across the street. It's so cute but it also talks about bipolar, which my best friend and her brother both have. I lent it to her because I've never read a book with a main character that has bipolar and I hope she'll read it!"
February 18, 2025
Such a cute story. Great for teens or adults. I feel like there is something for everyone to relate to in it. A fun read but also touched on some heavier topics in a respectful way. Can’t wait for more from Lucy!
March 3, 2025
Cute
I absolutely could not put it down. Very sweet & Bipolar disorder is very difficult to navigate. I wish it had a little more spice, 😉
I absolutely could not put it down. Very sweet & Bipolar disorder is very difficult to navigate. I wish it had a little more spice, 😉
March 4, 2025
Adorable Read!
A fun read with likable (and unlikeable) characters. Definitely geared towards young adult. I loved the surprises and mysteries that this one had.
A fun read with likable (and unlikeable) characters. Definitely geared towards young adult. I loved the surprises and mysteries that this one had.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews